(Clearwisdom.net)As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approach, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is carrying out a new round of arrest and persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China in the name of "successfully hosting the Olympic Games." At 11:00 a.m. on March 8, 2008, people from the Chinese community in Los Angeles held a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate to protest and strongly condemn the CCP's using the Olympics to escalate the persecution of Chinese people. At the same time, they called on the general public to learn the truth about Falun Gong, and help stop the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners that has persisted for nearly nine years.

According to the latest news, there occurred a series of incidents of illegal searching, ransacking homes and arresting Falun Gong practitioners in various provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning Province, Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province, Sichuan Province, Chongqing, Qingdao, and Jinzhou. According to an incomplete estimation, from the end of last year to early this year, more than 100 practitioners in Beijing have been arrested, while the actual number exceeds this. Moreover, some Falun Gong practitioners' family members and colleagues were implicated, arrested and detained. Cases of being tortured to disability and even tortured to death frequently occurred in all areas.

The CCP Pushes Many Groups to Unseen Places to "Prepare for the Olympics"

Dr. Qu Zheng, an engineer in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, listed numerous facts proving that the CCP's hosting of the Olympics is designed to serve itself, but not present the Olympic spirit of peace. Countless people have been made to suffer so that the CCP can host the Olympic Games.

Qu Zheng revealed that migrant workers who took part in building stadiums for the Olympic Games are deterred from enjoying the Games because they do not have special entry passes to Beijing. The local government forcibly closed schools they built for their children. Farmers in Hebei Province had their 50 million acres of land hit by drought, but they have to transfer water to Beijing to meet the water demand of the Olympics. The CCP wantonly arrest members of house churches and appellants in the name of ensuring security for the Olympics.

According to Reporters Without Borders, several dozen journalists, writers and lawyers have been imprisoned because of the Olympic Games. A certain hospital refused to transfuse blood for a sick university student in order to ensure the blood supply for the Olympic Games. Dr. Qu pointed out that the CCP's harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners has been exposed for several years, yet the CCP does not show any signs of repentance. He said, "All these people have been made to suffer in the name of the Olympics; it's really a shame for the Olympics."

The CCP regime cannot represent China

Dr. Wu Yingnian, professor of the University of California- Los Angeles branch, and representative of the Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles, made a speech at the rally and revealed that the CCP's promise of improving its human rights is nothing but empty talk. At present, a large number of Falun Gong practitioners are still being detained in forced labor camps and prisons where they are subjected to torture and slave labor. Right now, the CCP is using the Olympics as an excuse to intensify the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

It was reported that ten cases of Falun Gong practitioners being tortured to death have been verified in February. Three of them died between August and December 2007 and seven of them died in February this year.

Mr. Wu pointed out that the CCP has been taking "separating sports and politics in the Olympics" as an "excuse" to evade condemnation of its human rights abuses, but the CCP itself has been connecting the Olympics with politics. It uses the Olympics to intensify its persecution of Falun Gong and dissidents, which shows that it is the most shameless autocratic regime. He said that he hopes the international community will not be deluded by the lie of "separating sports and politics in the Olympics."

Mr. Wu continued, "We are not against holding and watching the Olympics in China, but the CCP regime is not eligible to host the Olympics. Since the CCP seized power, it has killed 80 million innocent Chinese people--how can such an evil regime represent the Chinese nation? In the past decade, it has been brutally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. How can such a regime be qualified to represent China, how can it host the Olympics? I hope Chinese people inside and outside China condemn the CCP's human rights violation, and stop its atrocities."

Mother Arrested because of the Olympics--Calling on the International Community to Help

Local Falun Gong practitioner Liu Yaning made a speech at the rally. Her mother, Li Shuying, has been arrested twice in Beijing, and is being detained at Beijing Forced Labor Camp. In December 2006, her 64-year-old mother was arrested from home and later sentenced to two and a half years of forced labor. Liu Yaning said that her mother's arrest is connected with the CCP's 2008 Olympics, because the CCP attempts to silence all dissidents.

Ms. Liu's mother was an outstanding teacher before retirement. She loved and took good care of her students, who loved her, too. She was sentenced to three years of imprisonment from 2000 to 2003 for practicing Falun Gong. During these periods, she was humiliated and forced to do slave labor. After her release, the police still harassed and monitored her from time to time. She is now being detained in a forced labor camp.

Ms. Liu called on people to help rescue her mother and other Falun Gong practitioners who are persecuted because of the Olympics.

Calling on the whole world to help stop the CCP's human rights abuse

Falun Gong practitioner Albert Roman in Los Angeles called upon the world's human rights organizations and people to work together to stop the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr. Roman stated that to date, 3137 Falun Gong practitioners are verified to have died as a result of the persecution. The actual number is far above this. At the same time, many sources of evidence have verified that the CCP harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

He said that the next five months before the Olympics begin are an opportunity to urge the CCP to stop its persecution of Chinese people. He appealed that it is time for the world's media and organizations to expose the current situation of China's human rights, and it is time for the world's people to work together to condemn the CCP's persecution of Chinese people.

Demanding an immediate release of Falun Gong practitioners

Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP-Los Angeles branch representative Ms. Helen Li released a statement at the rally, demanding that the CCP immediately release Falun Gong practitioners Wang Chunyan in Dalian City and Wang Lan in Yunnan Province and other practitioners who were illegally arrested for printing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and helping Chinese people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. The statement also demanded a return of confiscated belongings and compensation for all losses.

Ms. Li also revealed that the number of people who announce their withdrawals from the CCP and its affiliated organizations increases substantially on a daily basis, the CCP recently takes "ensuring the security of the Olympics" as an "excuse" and illegally arrests and detains Falun Gong practitioners, while the real reason for its desperate actions is that it fears that Falun Gong practitioners will expose its evil nature, and hasten its inevitable demise.