International Association for Human Rights (IGFM) Representative Speaks at Falun Gong Demonstration in Berlin on April 8, 2002

Ladies and Gentlemen:

One quarter of the human population lives in China. One quarter of the human population, the Chinese, do not have rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of belief, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom to form parties, or to democratically elect their government. Also, they do not have the right to leave the country. Jiang Zemin is responsible for all of that.

His way is the hard way. A mere few days after the crushing of student demonstrations in June of 1989, he became General Secretary of China's ruling Party. In April of 1996, he ordered the "strike hard" campaign, supposedly against criminals, but in fact he meant the Tibetans and Uigurs. On July 22, 1999 he banned the Falun Gong movement. On December 13, 2001 he declared that the state's influence upon religions must be intensified. Jiang Zemin and his ruling Party are power-possessed; they are unable to tolerate criticism; they are unable to tolerate any outside influence; they don't even tolerate self-actualization in the private sector.

During his reign and with his government's sanctions, hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been sent to prisons and forced labor camps for their political views, and hundreds have been executed because of their political views.

The IGFM [International Association for Human Rights] not only monitors human rights abuses in China, but also how our own politicians react to those abuses. Expanding relations with an important country such as China is important and correct, but it is incorrect to keep silent any longer about human rights abuses, and only speak of cordial relationships. But can one tell Jiang Zemin anything at all, and can his ruling Party be trusted?

The IGFM expects of Chancellor Schroeder to intervene for Ms. Xiong Wei who had studied here in Berlin for six years, from 1993 until 1999, as a student at the Technische Universitaet Berlin. Is that too much to expect? Police officers arrested this woman in Beijing at Tiananemen Square on January 5, 2002 as she handed out informational materials about Falun Gong. It apparently is easier to call Falun Gong an undesirable group and shun the issue instead of commenting on the movement's peaceful actions in Beijing and intervening for the release of the movement's persecuted followers.

While Jiang consistently and doggedly persecutes his opponents, we here lack the courage to do the right thing. What I am bluntly saying is not merely directed at politicians, but also is directed at the press that insists proudly on its freedom! But is the press in reality as free as they claim to be, or are they perhaps pursuing political and economic interests of their own? Are an interview and a press conference with Jiang Zemin more important than guarding human rights and responding to the questions of guilt and responsibility regarding human rights abuses in China?

When IGFM first reported about human rights abuses in China in 1999, we publicized the names of [Falun Gong practitioners] Li Chang, Wang Zhiwen, Ji Liewu and Yao Jieder. These people had already been arrested in July of 1999 and were accused of organizing an illegal, undesirable group on October 30th, 1999. Many other names have since followed those initial four, and many more nameless Falun Gong victims have been rent asunder and lost without a trace in "Re-education" Camps.

The IGFM has welcomed the intervention of people in the free world who wanted to send a message and who traveled to China to protest against the continuing persecution at the source. Only if the persecution finds support and solidarity in China itself and the Chinese people become aware of this worldwide solidarity will changes begin to happen and this restrictive system be overcome, just as it happened in the former Eastern Bloc countries.

Every eye is turning toward Chancellor Schroeder: will he discuss human rights with Jiang or will he leave that to his underlings? Will the free press report only about agreements reached between Schroeder and Jiang, or will the press also report about this demonstration?

To intervene for human rights does not necessarily always require great courage, merely persistence and tenacity. Jiang is free to come and go as he pleases; he can say what he feels like; he can express a belief system of his choice. He is aware of human rights. But those rights belong to all Chinese and must be available to all Chinese. That's why we are here and continue to fight.

Karl Hafen
Managing Officer
Internationale Gesellschaft fuer Menschenrechte (IGFM)
[International Association for Human Rights]
Berlin, April 8, 2002

(Original text in German)