UK Member of Parliament Patsy Calton tabled Early Day Motion (EDM) 389 to support Falun Gong in the UK House of Commons. The tabling of an EDM is a device to draw attention to an issue, and to elicit support for it by inviting other Members of Parliament to add their signatures to the motion. 97 MPs signed this Motion to show their support and it has one of the highest numbers of signatures among the 1012 open Motions. Many MPs also sent letters to Falun Gong practitioners to show their support. They also directly questioned the UK Government for further action.

Representatives of the United Nations Association of the USA, San Diego Chapter delivered speeches on April 8th and 12th, respectively, during the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to condemn the Chinese Government's severe human rights violations. The speeches particularly focused on human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners and pointed out, "The violent persecution against tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners has gone on for five years...The PRC's outrageous treatment of children of Falun Gong practitioners is a particularly shocking example."

A branch of Amnesty International located in Berlin recently reported Jiang Renzheng’s situation to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Amnesty International also revealed to Falun Gong practitioners that the German Embassy in Beijing has already expressed concern about this case to the Chinese Government. Deported back to China by the German Government with wife Guo Rui and their two children on 7th March, Jiang Renzheng was sentenced to three years in a forced labour camp a week ago for “having contacts with Falun Gong organisations and damaging social order”.

A group of Falun Gong practitioners attended a lecture held by Jan Eliasson in Gothenburg. Jan Eliasson is the former Swedish Ambassador in Washington and later this year he will take over as president of the United Nations General Council. In the past, he worked as a UN Ambassador, as well as a Cabinet Secretary at the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

His letter stated that one of his constituents recently told him that Annie was arrested by officers from Shuangyushu Paichusuo on 1st March 2005 on suspicion of being a Falun Gong practitioner. China is the only country in the world where practising Falun Gong, a practice of peaceful exercises and meditation that asks practitioners to live by the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance, is illegal. In other countries, Falun Gong has received proclamations and awards from governments for its role in improving practitioners’ health and morality.

On March 7th 2005, Xiong Wei and Chen Yin, Falun Gong practitioners from Germany and France who personally experienced persecution in China’s labour camps, were invited to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg. They met with German MP Mr Gahler, who offered his heartfelt support, and they spoke in a press conference in the EU Council Chamber.

"The Swiss Friends of Falun Gong Association was founded 2030 days after the beginning of the persecution against Falun Gong officially began in China. Swiss Friends of Falun Gong was founded to expose the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners through a number of different activities. FoFG also will expose the truth of the persecution to the general public and will work towards the end of the persecution perpetrated by China. Switzerland’s Friends of Falun Gong intends to give moral support to the Falun Gong practitioners in China. At the same time, this association will participate in the worldwide efforts that call upon the Chinese authorities to end the genocide..."

Two Members of the European Parliament, Mr. Michel Galher from Germany and Mr. Alain Lipiez from France, also attended the conference. After Chen Ying and Xiong Wei completed their speeches, Mr. Galher commented, “It is so shocking! I fully believe what you said. It is really shameful that a country with major economical success like China should have turned itself into a mega concentration camp for prisoners of conscience. We ought to spread what is happening in China publicly in the European Parliament. We don’t want to humiliate China. Instead, it is China who is humiliating itself.”

Mr. Robinson said: “They are put in jail only for their belief, which is harmless to others. It is wrong to persecute them. This is actually not just an issue of Falun Gong practitioner’s rights. It’s about everybody’s rights. Everyone has the right to seek justice and impartiality. From this point on, I’m glad to be taking part in this. I feel that I must do something about this. Today, the signature collecting for this petition is completed. However, we will never stop calling on the public to condemn this brutal persecution.”

"IED urges all States to take far more decisive action to protect Falun Gong practitioners in their own countries from direct or indirect persecution and to stop the intimidation by Chinese authorities or their agents of Falun Gong practitioners, media outlets, commercial enterprises, schools and universities or any another facility. Diplomats who participate should be required to leave their posts. States should make all aspects of their bi-lateral relationships with China contingent on stopping the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and on an over-all significant improvement in human rights."

London Falun Gong practitioners went to Wood Green, a busy area in north London, and held an activity outside Wood Green Library, during which a middle aged Chinese couple passed the site. They carefully looked at our posters and anti-torture pictures, and some leaflets and video-CDs before holding a very long conversation with me.

The recent European Union resolution expressed that in the 61st UN Human Rights Conference, which is going to be held in Geneva, the EU will express her extreme concern about human rights violations in China. In the resolution, the Chinese Government’s arbitrary arrest and persecution of Tibet, Xinjiang, Falun Gong and people with different political opinions, are being strongly condemned. The resolution urges the Chinese Government to immediately and unconditionally free prisoners of conscience and people who hold different political opinions; to respect human being’s rights of thinking, conscience and religious belief.

John Robinson MP, the Labour representative of Glasgow, Anniesland will be speaking at a press conference at College Green outside the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA at 5pm on Wednesday 9th March 2005. Following the press conference he will be handing in “Rescue our Families” petition forms with signatures totalling about 15,000 to an evening parliamentary session in the House of Commons. John Robinson’s constituent Mrs YuYu Williamson, a Falun Gong practitioner and local Anniesland resident, collected the petition forms from across the UK so that the MP could hand them in to the House of Commons on her behalf.

Saturday the 26th of February began as a nice, sunny day so practitioners of Falun Gong took advantage of the good weather to visit Pezinok city. They called for public attention to the persecution against Falun Gong, which has continued for almost six years. Documented evidence details the killing of 1,379 practitioners, although Chinese Government estimates put the unofficial figure close to 10,000.

On January 22nd, Ukrainian Falun Dafa practitioners held a very successful painting exhibition entitled “The Journey of Compassion”. Many people learned the truth about Falun Dafa through attending this exhibition; they offered support by signing their names on a petition to support Falun Dafa and leaving a message in the guest book. This guest book will carry the blessings of the Ukrainian people and travel with the painting exhibition throughout the entire country. This article features some of the messages that were left by the Ukraine people.

On the weekend of the 12th and 13th of February, European Falun Gong practitioners held a large-scale parades in Paris. These parades celebrated traditional Chinese culture and Chinese New Year, as well as helping people to learn more about Falun Gong and the brutal persecution that is taking place in China at the moment. Falun Gong practitioners received the following messages of support.

The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by Jiang and his faction has destroyed many happy families and orphaned many young children. Children from Pomezi School expressed hope that the children of Falun Gong practitioners in China can be reunited with their wrongfully imprisoned parents and that the orphans can find a good home.

Ukrainian Falun Gong practitioners held a very successful painting exhibition entitled “Journey of Compassion”. People who learned the truth about Falun Gong through attending this painting exhibition signed their names and left messages of support in the guest book. This guest book will carry best wishes from the Ukrainian people and travel with the painting exhibition throughout the entire country.

A kind elderly lady explained how she overcame difficulties and her poor health to come to attend the art exhibition held by Falun Gong practitioners. The lady carefully viewed each painting and did not want to leave. She was so happy that she looked as if she were a child again. The kind old lady felt extremely thankful for being able to view the paintings.

"During that time more than 1600 practitioners have been tortured to death while in police custody, and the brutal regime of former president Jiang Zemin, has been responsible for the imprisonment of many thousands more practitioners, for doing no more than exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech and belief. So far the persecution has shown little sign of improving since the new government leader took over nearly two years ago. The continual persecution casts a shameful shadow over mankind which we must do our utmost to expurgate."

It is a disgrace that in the last five years many Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured, some dying as a result. I denounce the imprisonment and incarceration in forced labour camps of over 100,000 practitioners. Equally odious is the enforced treatment of others in psychiatric hospitals, so similar to the abuses carried out by the Soviet dictatorship.

"The Finnish Government continues to closely follow the human rights situation in China. In addition to other issues, Falun Gong’s situation is being monitored constantly both in the private relations between Finland and China and with regards to the human rights dialogue between the European Union and China."

The reason the practitioners were arrested by the Chinese authorities is that they posted pictures of how they were tortured in prison on the Internet. Over twenty Falun Gong practitioners have already been put into prison for the same reason. “Reporters Without Borders” believes that Falun Gong practitioners have the right to use the Internet to condemn the violence against them in a country where there is no freedom of information.

December the 10th was World Human Rights Day. The France-China Friendship Association and the French Falun Gong Association took advantage of this occasion to jointly hold a one-day petition signature collection activity in France’s second largest city, Marseille. Over eight hundred people signed a petition and wrote down many encouraging messages of support.

Asian human rights organisations exposed the serious human rights violations in authoritarian and communist countries. The ongoing persecution against Falun Gong by Jiang Zemin’s Chinese communist regime raised concern and attracted the attention of every organisation and participant in the conference. The persecution was strongly condemned.

After hearing about this event, Patsy Calton MP and her assistant went to the town centre especially to express their support. After making a statement, Ms. Calton signed a petition calling for the Chinese Government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. On December the 14th, she tabled an Early Day Motion in the UK Parliament about the persecution.

On December the 2nd 2004, the Dutch Falun Gong Association filed a legal complaint against the former President of China Jiang Zemin, Li Lanqing and the Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai, charging them with committing crimes of genocide and torture in the suppression of Falun Gong. Renowned Dutch human rights attorney Ms. Liesbeth Zegveld submitted the lawsuit on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners to the National Court in Rotterdam. On December the 7th, a reporter interviewed Ms. Zegveld.

On World Human Rights Day, December the 10th, the Munich branch of the International Society for Human Rights and German Falun Gong Practitioners held activities at the square in front of the National Theatre to call on German society to pay attention to China's human rights situation and put an end to the atrocities launched by Jiang Zemin and his Communist regime.

Amnesty International Press Officer Oliver Sutton told Radio Free Asia that Amnesty hopes the European Union can raise the human rights problems to the Chinese leader Wen Jiabao. He continued, “The human rights issue should be the core topic for discussion between the European Union and the Chinese Prime minister. The European Union should urge China not to encroach on human rights activists and should not arrest and detain them. They also ask China to release all detained human rights activists.”

"Despite condemnation from many quarters, the Chinese Government, mainly at the instigation of former President Jiang Zemin and also under the present leader Hu Jintao, has conducted a policy of persecution against Falun Gong which has seen over 1000 practitioners die as a result of torture in police custody, and many thousands more still languish in prisons, labour camps and mental hospitals, suffering unspeakably horrific conditions of squalor, torture and deprivation, with little or no prospect of an end to their misery."

"I share the concerns of many about the treatment of practioners of Falun Gong. Peaceful freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that no government should violate...We must work together at the local and European level to bring pressure to bear on the Chinese regime so that it addresses our legitimate concerns on human rights."

LONDON [EFGIC]– The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group has announced the publication of The 2004 United Nations Reports on China’s Persecution of Falun Gong. In its second edition, the book is a collection of reports issued by the Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on China’s violent, and often deadly, persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

The police officers were extremely worried about practitioners’ safety after a group of Falun Gong practitioners were attacked and harassed during Hu Jintao’s visit to Argentina. Upon seeing practitioners, the Spanish police officers immediately asked, “Do you know about the violent incident that occurred in Argentina? We will not allow that kind of thing happen here!”

The UK Government published its 2004 Human Rights Report on the 10th of November. The Report stated, “The UK Government continues to have serious concerns about basic human rights in China…Our on-going concerns include: the extensive use of the death penalty; the use of torture; the continuing harassment of political dissidents, religious practitioners and adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual movement; the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang; and severe restrictions on basic freedoms of speech, association and religion.”

"Falun Gong was introduced to the public in 1992. In 1999, the former Chinese President Jiang Zemin initiated police terrorist activities that included mass arrests, arbitrary execution and the murder of Falun Gong practitioners. The so-called “6-10 Office” ordered the murder, as well as torture and brainwashing. The number of victims of such murder range between 700 and 1,600. This is unbelievable when you consider that in the beginning the Chinese regime supported Falun Gong because of its health benefits to those who practised it. Tens of thousands of innocent Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned or detained in forced labour camps."

MP Ms. Anne Campbell said in her letter, "Those of us who believe in the freedom of speech and expression must sympathize with the Falun Gong practitioners, who are persecuted throughout China. The UN report which draws attention to the torture of Falun Gong practitioners is deeply shocking and I would urge everyone to write a letter of protest to the Chinese authorities about their treatment of Falun Gong."

Feeling the urgency of stopping the human rights atrocities against people who practise Falun Gong in China and the importance of bringing the chief persecutors, such as former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and his cronies Liu Jing, Luo Gan and Zhou Yongkang, to justice through legal means, practitioners in Finland decided to raise awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong to a wide range of people. They particularly focused on people who work in the legal field and in local government offices

"China’s human rights record has been and is still of great concern to us, as it has shown no improvement. Please be assured that the CDU Task Force for the Protection of Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid (on the federal level), within the scope of its mandate, has given great attention to religious freedom and freedom of belief worldwide for many years...During all our activities, be they parliamentary initiatives, media releases and discussions, we have continuously raised the repression of Falun Gong by the Chinese regime."

In the five years of persecution that people who practise Falun Gong have suffered, voices of support have echoed all over the world and many officials, government representatives and non-governmental organizations have publicly stated their opposition to the human rights abuses against Falun Gong in China, that are being instigated by former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin.

"According to Amnesty International’s reports, ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to arbitrary detention by the police. From these, many have been subjected to torture or other kinds of mistreatment; furthermore, a lot of people have died while in police custody under uncertain conditions and without being examined by the authorities afterwards."

Falun Gong practitioner Ms Xiong Wei, who used to study in Germany, has been successfully rescued from China and arrived in Germany on the 29th of September. Earlier this September, Falun Gong practitioner Zhou Xuefei , the wife of a visiting academic in the US, arrived in USA after three years of inhuman harassment in a labour camp in China, as a result of many efforts made to rescue her.

"I used to say that to be able to understand the desperation of the Chinese regime, you have to realise that the people they perceive as a deadly threat to the regime are the ones that have no ambitions other than to live according to their conscience and meditate in the parks. When you realise that these peaceful people, who want nothing but to live according to their conviction, are perceived as a threat, then you will also understand the inconceivable desperation and cruelty of the Chinese regime...Jiang Zemin, who has instructed this loathsome persecution, can and will accordingly be punished, either in China or in Sweden."

On the 15th of September 2004, it was stated in the House of Commons records that Mrs Anne Campbell MP asked Mr Bill Rammell, Foreign Office Minister, what assessment he had made of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and what action the UK government was taking to draw attention to this persecution. In his response, Mr Rammell said that the UK government had serious concerns regarding the human rights abuses against Falun Gong practitioners and had raised these concerns with the Chinese authorities.

Practitioners of Falun Gong recently wrote Mayors of many cities in Slovakia, explaining to them the reasons behind the persecution of Falun Gong in China, the number of victims of this persecution and cruel methods they use to torture practitioners of Falun Gong in China. Many mayors and people in local administrations reacted by signing our petition against persecution of Falun Gong in China.

On September the 15th, the U.S. Department of State issued its sixth annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Country by country, this report documents the conditions of religious freedom around the world. Because of its persecution of Falun Gong and other religious groups, China has once again been identified as one of the Countries of Particular Concern by the U.S. Department of States. This label refers to governments that engage in or tolerate gross infringements of religious freedom.

"We understand from media releases that practitioners of Falun Gong have been persecuted and are detained for years in China’s prisons. They are accused of violating PRC’s security. Such accusations are far-fetched and unbelievable, given all information available to us. We therefore assume that the denial of a valid passport or such extension is another form of persecution and repression of Falun Gong. We take the opportunity to inform you that the PRC is violating international laws with such actions."

Mr. Ghiolman is a sixty-year old gentleman. He is warm-hearted and has many job titles such as Professor of Maritime Engineering in Athens University, Vice-Chairman of the Greek International Diplomats Association and councillor of the Athens government. Soon after Dafa practitioners started to prepare activities to be held in Athens, he contributed many ideas and helped out a lot.

"The Federal President has a high regard and deep concerns regarding human rights. This is especially true concerning such matters in China...We join you in the hope for human rights improvements in China. Such improvement is important to China’s interests, because without the rule of law and safeguarding of citizens, especially concerning human rights, we do not believe that a modern society in China can be established."

"In China, families who practise Falun Gong are suffering....The practice of Falun Gong was banned in 1999. Vicious persecution has followed leaving families tortured and torn apart. The children themselves suffer as they are sometimes imprisoned with their parents...These situations violate numerous articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child."

On August 6th 2004, at the 56th session of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, item 6:specific human rights issues, the representative of International Educational Development brought before the meeting the lawsuits filed by Falun Gong practitioners outside China and expressed her organisation's support for the action taken.