July 23, 2002

Dear Falun Gong Practitioners and Supporters:

Thank you for inviting me to speak at this important event. Please accept my apology for not appearing in person.

I am deeply troubled by China's lack of respect for basic human rights, and I commend all of you for your efforts to focus attention on the plight of religious minorities in China. China will never gain the respect it desires until it ceases its persecution of Falun Gong and other religious minorities. As you know, the Chinese government views Falun Gong and its nearly 70 million members worldwide as a threat to its hold on power. The government's ruthless repression of Falun Gong has resulted in the imprisonment and torture of thousands of practitioners over the past three years.

In February of this year, as many of you know, David Snape, a resident of my congressional district, was detained by Chinese authorities in Beijing. David was arrested for peacefully demonstrating in favor of religious freedom. While it is easy for Americans to dismiss the persecution of Chinese citizens thousands of miles away, the detention of a member of our own community is an entirely different matter. David's arrest brought the plight of China's Falun Gong practitioners into focus for many Americans who might otherwise dismiss human rights violations in a seemingly distant country.

As David's detention made clear, the strongest weapon in the struggle for religious freedom in China is international opinion. In February of this year, I wrote to the Norwegian Institute to recommend Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2002. I strongly believe that Mr. Li's campaign for the freedoms of belief, speech and assembly over the past eight years deserves international recognition. Additionally, I believe that the consideration of Mr. Li for the Nobel Peace Prize will help to focus the world's attention on the plight of Falun Gong practitioners.

I am also a cosponsor of two resolutions (H.Con.Res. 68 and H.Con.Res. 188) expressing the sense of Congress that China should stop its persecution of religious practitioners and safeguard fundamental human rights. Both resolutions call on the Chinese government to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners and stop the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments against practitioners.

While the struggle for human rights and religious freedom in China will be long and difficult, we must not give up hope that those in power will see the error of their ways. As we have learned in the United States, religious diversity, far from being a subversive force, actually serves to make our nation strong and vibrant. I hope that China, too, will learn this lesson. In the meantime, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that the thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who are currently suffering in prisons and labor camps are not forgotten.

Very truly yours,

DENNIS MOORE
Member of Congress