European Parliament
The President

19.1.2002

Dear Mrs H.

Thank you for your letter of 18 January 2002 about the persecution of the Falun Gong practitioners in China and for your kind wishes on my election as President of the European Parliament.

We in the Parliament are very concerned about the human rights situation in China. The European Parliament has denounced the actions of the Chinese government on many occasions and, in its resolution of 5 July 2001 on Human Rights in the World in 2000 and EU Human Rights Policy, lays down in paragraph 113 that it

"Reiterates the need for all States to end repression and discrimination against peaceful religious and philosophical minorities; urges, in particular, China to end the repression of the Falun Gong as well as its Islamic, Christian and Buddhist populations."

I can assure you that we will continue to speak out on this matter until the situation is satisfactorily resolved.

á

Yours sincerely,

(Signature)

Pat Cox