A Letter from the Vice-President of the French National Assembly to the Foreign Minister: The French Government must Respond Strongly

Foreign Affairs.
China Human Rights.

22nd September 2003- Mr. Eric Raoult would like to draw the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the repression of Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) in China. In fact, this bodily enhancing practice, which is practised by many of our compatriots, is suffering severely in China. This situation has caused concern in our country; furthermore, it has triggered an important worldwide movement of support for Falun Gong. This practise was actually very popular in China. Originally there were a few million people practising freely. After it had increased to over 100 million, the Chinese government changed its attitude toward Falun Gong, a practise combining meditation and cultivation, because it was widely welcomed among 60 different nations. China began to persecute the practitioners of Falun Gong. Reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in particular outline the concern for China’s poor attitude towards human rights. Facing this regrettable situation, we, in France, need to act vigorously to urge the Chinese government to change its attitude toward Falun Gong practitioners. I demand the Minister to inform the Chinese government of our position on this matter.