(Clearwisdom.net)
17 October 2002
Your Excellency,
During the past year representatives of the Finnish Parliament have met on several occasions delegations of Finnish Falun Gong practitioners. We have been informed about ongoing repression and violence against Falun Gong supporters, which has also claimed the lives of several [521 to date] practitioners in China.
Serious human rights violations have reportedly increased in China during the past 18 months. Thousands of people are being detained, imprisoned, ill-treated or tortured only for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association or belief. With the "strike hard" campaign and the "war on terrorism" being used as a pretext there is a marked intensification of different unlawful actions by Chinese officials - leading to a deteriorating Human Rights situation in China
We call on the Government of the People's Republic of China to cease its campaign of repression against the Falun Gong practitioners, the Tibetan people, the Muslim Uigur community and the North Korean asylum seekers. They have committed no crime. The persecution of these people is against international law as well as against the constitution of China. It contradicts the rules of common decency and civility.
It is important that China is becoming an active member in the world society. However, the rest of the world cannot accept that China continues to violate fundamental human rights. Arbitrary detentions, imprisonment without fair trial, abuse, torture and death in police custody should come to an end. We urge China to respect freedom of worship, freedom of opinion and the individual rights of Chinese citizens.
Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Members of Finnish Parliament:
Ulla Anttila
Erkki Pulliainen
Satu Hassi
Janina Andersson
Rauha-Maria Mertj rvi
Anni Sinnem ki
Riitta Prusti
Kirsi Ojansuu
Ulla Juurola
Risto Kuisma
Lauri Oinonen
Martti Tiuri
Kari Uotila
Tuija Brax
Kirsi Piha
