Falun Gong Practitioners Invited to Testify to U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus (Photos)

On
July 20, 2006, the seventh anniversary of launching of the persecution of Falun
Gong, the Congressional Human Right Caucus held a briefing about Falun Gong in
Rayburn Office Building. Three Falun Gong practitioners and a representative of
Amnesty International were invited to testify about the persecution of Falun Gong
by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the past seven years. They discussed ways
to stop the persecution. The Caucus asked for suggestions from practitioners on
what Congress could do to help.

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U.S. Congress briefing on Falun Gong.



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Dr. Sherry Zhang, Spokesperson of Coalition to Investigate Persecution of Falun
Gong in China
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Mr. Erping Zhang, Falun Gong spokesperson
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Mr. Charles Li, who experienced three years of persecution in CCP prison
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Mr. Kumar, Director of Asia-Pacific, Amnesty International

Hans
Hogrefe, Director of Human Right Caucus hosted the briefing. The briefing took
the format of a hearing. Mr. Erping Zhang, Falun Gong spokesperson, Dr. Sherry
Zhang, spokesperson for the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun
Gong in China (CIPFG), Mr. Charles Li, who experienced three years of persecution
in CCP's prison and Mr. Kumar, Director of Asia-Pacific, Amnesty International
testified.

The Persecution Is Still Going on.

Mr. Erping
Zhang said, “Today is a special day. On the same day seven years ago, the Chinese
regime launched a cruel systematic persecution of Falun Gong. On the same day
two years ago, I gave an introduction to the situation of Falun Gong in China
to Human Right Caucus. It is regretful there has hardly been any good news in
the past two years. The brutal persecution is still going on. On some aspects,
it is escalating.”

Mr. Kumar said Amnesty International was very concerned
with the persecution of non-violent Falun Gong practitioners since 1999. The situation
was worrisome. Even though Amnesty International had requested the CCP to stop
the persecution and release the Falun Gong practitioners detained for their non-violent
belief, it is surprising that the CCP had taken no action. Instead, it continued
to arrest and persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Some were thrown into mental
hospitals. Some families were threatened and abused.

American citizen Mr.
Charles Li recounted the physical and mental torture of Falun Gong practitioners
based on his three years of personal experience in the CCP's prison.


Congress Seeks Suggestions

Hogrefe asked practitioners for suggestions
on how the American Congress could help during the briefing.

Mr. Zhang expressed
the wish to work with the Congress on concrete measures including releasing all
detained and imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners in China, helping practitioners
tortured in jail get medical treatment overseas, helping Falun Gong orphans get
to the U.S., identifying Chinese officials involved in violation of human rights
and barring their entrance to the U.S., taking every opportunity to investigate
and stop the crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.


Two Powerful Ways to Stop the Persecution

Dr. Sherry Zhang, CIPFG
spokesperson, introduced two powerful ways to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.
Both are in progress.

One way is to break the CCP's control and censorship
of information and safeguard freedom of information exchange between China and
the world. The other is a complete investigation of Chinese forced labor camps,
jails, hospitals and related facilities by the CIPFG. The CIPFG was established
by the Falun Dafa Association and the Minghui website.

Dr. Zhang said, an
internet freedom project was initiated by Falun Gong practitioners seven years
ago. It has allowed unfiltered information to reach China, and uncensored information
from China to reach the rest of the world. Thirty million internet users in China
can browse CCP-blocked websites safely without restriction thanks to this technology.
Freedom of information exchange will make the CCP's tricks to slander Falun
Gong quit working and make the CCP's genocidal conduct lose efficacy.

Dr.
Zhang said the mission of her coalition was to form a joint investigation group
with international organizations, governments and media to collect evidence and
make independent and direct investigation without intervention in China. The goal
was to completely uncover the truth about the Chinese Communist Party's persecution
of Falun Gong and stop the brutal persecution that has lasted seven years.

Dr.
Zhang said they were encouraged to know that many government officials, attorneys,
reporters in Hong Kong, North American, Australia and Europe have joined the coalition.

Mr.
Erping Zhang said the world had witnessed Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful
resistance to violence in the past seven years. “Every one of us faces a test
when such a persecution is imposed on humanity. We will be judged by history on
not only what we have done, but also on what we could have done. On seeing the
evil, do we choose to ignore it and let it be, or expose the evil and support
justice? Let's hope we all make the right choice for the sake of everyone.”

Posting date: 22/July/2006
Original
article date: 22/July/2006
Category: World News

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