(Clearwisdom.net) On September 28, dozens of human rights and religious groups rallied outside the United Nations Headquarters urging world leaders attending the 62^nd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and all people of conscience, to take joint action to end the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong and other religious groups. The rally also voiced its support for the Human Rights Torch Relay initiated by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) and urged the CCP to immediately release renowned human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng.

People rallied outside the United Nations urging the international community to take action to stop the CCP from persecuting Falun Gong and other religious groups

New York State Senator Ruben Diaz issued a proclamation for the Human Rights Torch Relay

Dr. Zhiyuan Wang, director of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong: "Stop the Chinese Communist regime's atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners."

"When China was selected to host the Olympic Games in June 2001, one condition was that the CCP improve human rights in China. However, after Beijing was selected, the human rights situation in China continues to deteriorate," Dr. Zhiyuan Wang, director of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), said at the rally.

Dr. Wang said that WOIPFG released a report on July 25 which stated that the appalling atrocities of organ harvesting from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners is still happening in China. According to recordings of phone investigations posted online, an organ broker for the No. 307 Military Hospital in Beijing promised to provide kidneys within a week for a price of 200,000 yuan plus a 50,000-yuan broker fee. In addition, the broker promised to provide personal ID and health certificates of the Falun Gong practitioner "donors."

"In the beginning of this year, the CCP launched a national roundup of Falun Gong practitioners. Most recently, it arrested renowned human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. In addition, it has been reported that during the Olympics the CCP will deny entry to many people that have been classified into 13 ['undesirable'] categories."

"From all this, we can see that human rights in China have made no improvement and the CCP continues to persecute Falun Gong practitioners and other innocent people. We must stop the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and we must stop the organ harvesting atrocities," Dr. Wang said.

At the rally, Ann Noonan, assistant to New York Senator Ruben Diaz, presented a proclamation honoring the Human Rights Torch Relay on behalf of the senator. In the proclamation, the senator commended the Falun Gong practitioners' effort to safeguard their basic rights and urged the CCP to end the persecution of Falun Gong and other religious groups.

Kirk Allison, director of the Program in Human Rights and Health at the University of Minnesota, and Clive Ansley and David Matas, renowned Canadian human rights lawyers, each wrote letters to the rally to condemn the organ harvesting atrocities and request that the international community perform independent investigation into these crimes. They also expressed their support for the Human Rights Torch Relay.

Many representatives from human rights groups, including Rolando Bini, director of Parents in Action, Zaw Win, a Burmese Democracy activist, and Thong Boulom, secretary of the Laos Democracy Union, spoke out at the rally urging the CCP stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

"Why do things happening in China matter to us?" Susan Prager, director of public relations for the Human Rights Torch Relay, challenged the audience. "Is there any relation between the recalled toys and tainted food and the persecution of human rights? They all originated from the same corrupted culture which pays no respect to life."

Reportedly, seven US House representatives have initiated Resolution 610 which urges the US government to boycott the Beijing Olympics if the CCP does not stop its human rights violations.

The rally received a good response from the public. Scott Dalby, a student from the UK studying at New York University, said: "I believe that this event will make a big impact."

A Chinese-American police officer said: "The songs performed at the rally are great. The event is very moving. We admire the efforts made by Falun Gong practitioners."