On December 19, 2006, Mayor CR Joe Natoli of Maroochy Shire Council, Australia,
wrote a statement in support of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of
Falun Gong in China (CIPFG) and its investigative teams formed around the world
to go to China. Mayor Natoli said in the statement of support: "I pledge
to support the Coalition and its investigative teams formed around the world to
go to China. We/I strongly demand that the People’s Republic of China implement
the Matas-Kilgour recommendations with haste and arrange unrestricted access for
the CIPFG teams to all detention facilities including labour camps, mental institutions,
brainwashing classes, camps run by the militaries, and hospitals. Such access
should be made available immediately without delay." Below is the statement
in full.
Maroochy Shire Council
CR Joe Natoli
Mayor
Maroochy Shire
19 December 2006
Statement of Support
I have been alerted to the allegations that organs from large but unknown number
of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience are harvested for profit since 2000, killing
them in the process.
There is great concern that the practice of removing organs from living Falun
Gong practitioners held as prisoners of conscience in jails or labour camps,
and selling them at huge profit to unsuspecting victims worldwide is occurring.
Dr. David Matas and Dr. David Kilgour of Canada have said in their investigative
report published on July 6th 2006 "We have come to the regrettable conclusion
that the allegations are true."
I have noted that Falun Gong is a peaceful spiritual belief, its core principles
being the universal values of truth-compassion-forbearance, persecuted most
severely in China among other repressed non-government-registered religious
groups including the family and underground churches.
I have noted that Amnesty International has "appealed to the Chinese authorities
to stop the campaign of persecution of Falun Gong, including by releasing all
those detained solely on account of their peaceful religious or spiritual beliefs
and practices"
I have noted that the Matas-Kilgour report has made 17 constructive recommendations
including that "the repression, imprisonment and severe mistreatment of
Falun Gong practitioners must stop immediately" and "all detention
facilities … must be opened for international community inspection"
and "hospitals should keep records of the source of every transplant"
"organ harvesting from executed prisoners should stop immediately"
and "commercialization of organ transplant should cease".
I have noted that CIPFG is a global alliance initiated by Falun Dafa Association
around the world and Minghui.net; the Coalition’s members are concerned
and responsible citizens of the world community and the Coalition’s commitment
is to uncover the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong and particularly the
organ harvesting.
I pledge to support the Coalition and its investigative teams formed around
the world to go to China. We/I strongly demand that the People’s Republic
of China implement the Matas-Kilgour recommendations with haste and arrange
unrestricted access for the CIPFG teams to all detention facilities including
labour camps, mental institutions, brainwashing classes, camps run by the militaries,
and hospitals. Such access should be made available immediately without delay.
Yours sincerely,
CR Joe Natoli
Mayor
Posting date: 27/Jan/2007
Original article date: 26/Jan/2007
Category: Australian News