Well-known author Jari Tervo and the Mayor of Hameenlinna Tapani Hellsten were very curious about the CDs and fliers available from practitioners. They expressed the will to help more people learn about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. In 2008, the Finnish government rescued 12 practitioners persecuted in China and facilitated their immigration to Finland.

In their speeches and interviews, they called upon the UK government to act immediately, uphold religious liberty, and help stop the CCP’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, especially the appalling atrocities of organ harvesting, as soon as possible. Their speeches represented the voice of justice from the British public.

"Nothing seems to have changed for the better," Dr. Nowak told the Epoch Times reporter, "The majority of the inmates in these [forced labour] camps were Falun Gong members. And that is so frightening, because none of these people were ever given the benefit of a trial. They were never charged."

Member of European Parliament Gerard Batten said in his speech: "Why are the Falun Gong being persecuted in China? The answer is very simple, it's because of what they stand for. Their three core values are Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. These are the exact opposite of what the Chinese Communist Party stands for, which are lies, brutality and intolerance."

This is the tenth year that Falun Gong practitioners have peacefully resisted the CCP's persecution. Political leaders and human rights organisations in France signed an urgent petition drafted by the Falun Dafa Association calling on the Chinese government to take immediate action to stop the unreasonable and bloody persecution.

The Honourable Domenico Scilipoti said that it's really disgraceful that the CCP abuses basic human rights. "Its discrimination and persecution of Falun Gong practitioners who believe Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is unacceptable. Men and women, young and old, every day, Falun Gong practitioners are beaten and subjected to all kinds of gross mistreatment and abuse in prison.

"Ten years of the persecution of Falun Gong in China have already passed. Ten years of illegal detention, cruel torture, and forced labour. Ten years of brainwashing propaganda and lies have passed. During these ten years, Falun Gong practitioners have never adopted violence, but have simply and peacefully asked to be allowed the freedom of belief."

Belgium Green Party MP Bart Staes is a senior member of the European Parliament. He has consistently paid attention to China's human rights violations and the freedom of the press. For the practitioners' activities marking ten years of resistance to the CCP's persecution, he sent a statement to express his strong support for Falun Gong.

On July 18, 2009, the Paris Administrative Court issued an ordinance to rescind a Paris police ban forbidding the Falun Dafa Association of France from holding protests in front of the Chinese Embassy on July 20. The ordinance was sent to the French Ministry of Interior Affairs. Since the persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999, this is the very first time that the association has received permission to rally outside the embassy.

The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mr Edward McMillan-Scott, organised a press conference at London's Foreign Press Association recently. He invited experts on China, scholars and Falun Gong practitioners who suffered persecution, to expose the genocidal crimes of the Chinese Communist regime's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

On April 15, 2009, European Parliament Vice-President Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott hosted an international hearing on religious belief in China and the ten-year persecution of Falun Gong. Mr. McMillan-Scott said, "I strongly believe everyone should have right and freedom to their religious beliefs. This is indeed what is stipulated in China's Constitution. Unfortunately, in the whole of China, freedom and independent religions are persecuted."

One reason for holding the hearing was that ten years ago in April, Falun Gong, a popular qigong practised by tens of millions of people in China caught the attention of the authorities. The brutal persecution of Falun Gong later started. At least three thousand practitioners have died from torture and abuse and tens of thousands have been imprisoned.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the "April 25" peaceful appeal by Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing. On April 15th, Vice President of the European Parliament Mr Edward McMillan-Scott initiated an international public hearing about the lack of freedom of belief in China. Through their own personal experiences as well as some independent investigations,participants analysed the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong and appealed for an end to the persecution.

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I call upon the Government to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally and to abide by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which expresses the belief that people should have the right to life, liberty, the security of their person, as well as freedom from torture and arbitrary arrest."

On July 9th, in the parliament building in Strasbourg, the European Parliament held a plenary session, to discuss the situation of the Olympic Games in China and post-quake, many representatives of the European parliament and member of the European Parliament strongly condemned continuing human rights violations in Communist China.

"As China’s repression becomes more widely known and more widely condemned, as our children ask us what we did about Communism’s violence, oppression, and inexorable ascendancy, we hope that Eutelsat will be remembered well. For the sake of so many suppressed Chinese people, we hope that they may access truth, rather than propaganda. We hope that Eutelsat will play its part, not kowtow to Communism, not be complicit in the suppression of truth, freedom, and human rights, and resume NTDTV’s signals immediately."

The Czech Minister for Human Rights and National Minorities, Mrs. Dzamila Stehlikova, sent a statement to support the peaceful 24 hour gathering of Falun Gong practitioners in front of the Chinese embassy in Prague, which they held from 7th to 8th August, on the eve of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Xu Na, a Falun Gong practitioner from Beijing and a quite reputable painter, was persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the guise of the “Beijing Olympic Games”. Her husband Yu Zhou, a musician in the famous folk band “Xiaojuan & Co - Residents in the Valley”, was persecuted to death on February 6th, 2008, only eleven days after he and Xu Na were illegally arrested on their way home from a music concert.

Since Eutelsat Communications ceased broadcasting New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) signals to China, political figures in Europe have reacted strongly. In his inquiry to the EU commission, MEP Erik Meijer pointed out that Eutelsat’s action very likely stems from its expectation to sign a business contract with the Chinese government.

At about noon, a plain clothes policeman arrived at the service desk, telling practitioners his name and the police unit he was associated with. He asked whether there were any inappropriate people who came to harass practitioners or take photos. He advised practitioners to “call the police if anyone comes to harass you.” He added, “It is not a surprise that somebody comes to harass you. We know some Chinese students are doing something other than studying.”

On June 7th, 2008, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhang Qian was delivering Epoch Times newspapers in Poland when she was physically and verbally assaulted by a woman who, locals say, has ties to the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw. In response to the CCP's continuing pattern of exporting the persecution of Falun Gong all over the world, Polish Member of European Parliament Hanna Foltyn - Kubicka sent the following letter to the Chinese Ambassador.

When interviewed at the international conference entitled "Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom,” Guo Guoting, a renowned human rights lawyer who fled to Canada to escape the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution, talked about human right lawyers’ difficult situation in China under the Chinese regime’s atrocities. He mentioned that the Chinese human right lawyers who step forward to defend Falun Gong practitioners for their basic human rights would definitely be persecuted by the regime.

”Let me join everyone who shows solidarity with the persecuted members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. I decide to do so after being introduced to the elementary principles of its teachings based on following Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance in everyday life ... I strongly condemn the violence committed by the Chinese government on Falun Gong practitioners."

On March 19th, the Czech Minister of the Interior sent a letter to the Czech Falun Gong Association, giving his support to the Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted in China and condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s atrocities committed against Falun Gong. The Minister expressed that the belief in the principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance” are important for co-operation and respect in any country and community.

Regarding the human rights situations in China, the report stated that the UK Government has “ongoing concerns” about “the scope of the death penalty and lack of transparency in its use; torture; the lack of an independent judiciary; obstacles to fair trials; arbitrary detention, including reeducation through labour (RTL); unsatisfactory prison conditions and ill treatment of prisoners; failure to protect human rights defenders; harassment of religious practitioners; restrictive regimes in Xinjiang and Tibet; and limitations on freedom of expression and association.”

Czech Minister of Finance Miroslav Kalousek joined the petition calling for an immediate end of persecution of Falun Gong. In a letter send to Czech Association of Falun Gong, minister Kalousek stated: “It is my honour to undersign this petition of yours. Allow me to express my gratitude for your effort to protect human rights in China.” At the same time, the Czech Association of Falun Gong received a letter from the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Ondřej Liška

Ms. Liu Yu-Chi, president of the Han Clothing Creation and Development Association, praised the costumes in the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular. She said she previously misunderstood the making of traditional Chinese clothing. But after seeing the Spectacular in Kaohsiung, she said the show helped her understand the real uniqueness and special elements of Han clothing. She said that the show truly presented the beauty of traditional Chinese clothing.

On February 22, 2008, seven members of the Swedish Parliament issued a signed statement entitled, "Elected Officials of the Ruling Party Will Watch Divine Performing Arts' (DPA) Performance in Linkoping City." The statement signifies Swedish support for DPA and sends a signal to the Chinese Embassy that Sweden will protect the values of democracy and freedom of speech.

The European Parliament has been gravely concerned over recent increasing political persecution related to the Olympic Games, including persecution of human rights advocators, reporters, lawyers, petitioners and various religious believers and, in particular, Falun Gong practitioners. The European Parliament appeals to the Chinese government for immediate ... stopping of the on-going destruction of large amounts of houses without any compensation only for Olympic facilities, suspending capital punishment during the Olympic Games and recalling the ban on the forty-two categories of people attending the Olympic Games.

With next year's Olympic Games in Beijing just around the corner, the world must keep up the pressure on China over its human rights record, a hearing of the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee attended by over 200 people was told on Monday. Several NGOs, including a Chinese dissident speaking live via Internet telephone conference, described the widespread human rights violations still being perpetrated by the authorities.

Falun Gong practitioners from China, Cao Dong, Niu Jinping and his wife Zhang Lianying, were invited to the hearing. On May 21st 2006, Niu Jinping and Cao Dong met with the Vice-President of the European Parliament Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott in Beijing, and informed the Vice President of the brutal persecution suffered by himself, his wife and other Falun Gong practitioners around him. Two hours after the meeting, Mr. Cao was arrested by Chinese Communist regime security agents and was charged with "accepting an illegal interview". Mr. Cao was sentenced to five years imprisonment and has been secretly detained in the No. 3 Prison in Tianshui.

"Since July 1999, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners were arrested and sentenced to jail terms or administrative detention in re-education camps, and were imprisoned in psychiatric facilities. Detained Falun Gong practitioners are often victims of torture and abuse. Torture is a method to intimidate Falun Gong adherents and to force them to renounce their faith and no longer practise the meditative exercises. In protest of their situation and the miserable detention conditions, Falun Gong adherents regularly go on a hunger strike. This result’s often in maltreatment represented by force-feeding and forced labour."

Mr. Laar said that the 27 million Chinese people who have withdrawn from the CCP have made a courageous and correct choice. He said: “a classic communist tactic is both persecuting yourself and your family members. In fact, they [the CCP] fear the public. Once the fear among the public vanishes, the CCP reign of terror will collapse.”

"Practitioners of the peaceful Qigong practice Falun Gong are still being tortured and persecuted. Those people are not criminals; on the contrary, they live according to the principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. It seems as if people with a sense of morals and responsibility are regarded as threatening by the Chinese government. I very much hope that all of us in the West will recognise our responsibility and stop contributing to the problem out of a misplaced sense of greed for cheap goods."

"Worldwide, voices of people that believe in justice are growing stronger in their condemnation of the organ harvesting by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from live Falun Gong practitioners. Alas, it has been shown that these voices are not welcome in Munich. Mr. Gang Chen was given notice by Munich’s office of the district attorney and served with a summons because he had organised a legally registered and permitted rally outside the Chinese Consulate. The participant demonstrated with banners and the re-enactment of an organ harvesting scene, that depicts the inhuman crime of organ harvesting and violation of diplomatic respect."

President Barroso expressed that the European Commission cannot accept the unfair treatment of Falun Gong practitioners and would continue to request the CCP regime to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. The European Parliament has submitted a formal document on the basis of the International Genocide Convention.

"The People's Republic of China has the unenviable record of being the world's No. 1 human rights abuser. In terms of judicial executions, as far as we can tell, it executes more people than the rest of the world put together, but it is difficult to come to a definitive figure on how many people have been executed. The last time I researched it, we came up with the figure that 10,000 people had been executed in a single year in China, but it is difficult to know because, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Streatham demonstrated, many of them take place in extraordinary situations and in great secrecy."

"They should allow independent, third-party investigations in China and I very much hope that the British Government will press for that in their discussions with the Chinese authorities. Let us be clear: harvesting the organs of unwilling donors is a crime against humanity and it is for the Chinese to take action to end this evil. The repression, imprisonment and mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners should also cease. I hope that, in their dialogue with the Chinese on human rights, Ministers will press for an end to that persecution."

“Freedom of conscience and belief is a cornerstone of a free society. China can never be equal to developed countries until it is able to assume responsibility for human rights. It is the human rights which have been the cornerstone of international law since Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I would also like to declare my solidarity with persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, especially today, when due to China’s growing economy less and less attention is paid to systematic human rights abuses in China.”

Through participating in the city' anniversary celebrations in this special way, practitioners brought Falun Dafa's magnificence to this city. They were warmly welcomed by local residents. After the event was over, Stavropoly City's Cultural and Recreational Park Administration issued a special recognition letter to the Falun Gong practitioners in appreciation of their participation.

After his visit to China, Mr. McMillan-Scott has been using various ways to appeal to the international community for their concerns about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, especially the on-going atrocity of the Chinese Communist regime’s organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. In August 2006, he joined the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIPFG). He believes that a campaign of genocide is occurring in China. He is deeply concerned with this and warned that these people responsible for the crime would face punishment by law.

The torch relay is to protest against the Olympic Games being held in Beijing when such terrible human rights abuses are happening there and among other issues demands the release of adherents of the peaceful meditation practice Falun Gong. A United Nations report regarding torture revealed that 66% of torture victims in China are Falun Gong adherents. According to reports, these people are systematically murdered in Chinese slave labour camps for their organs, which are traded for economic profit in world markets. The torch relay is meant to put pressure on the Chinese Communist regime and bring hope to the people in China.

"I met two men at a secret site in Beijing ... [one] man I met was Cao Dong, who was imprisoned and tortured for four years because of practising Falun Gong. Mr. Cao told me that one day his friend disappeared and when he showed up again, he was a dead body with a big cut. Apparently, his organs had been taken".

On August 25th 2007, a German couple, the Nehrings, travelled from Ruhrgebiet to Munich to attend the Human Rights Torch Relay ceremony. Mr. Nehring had written to the International Olympic Committee prior to this event, expressing his indignation about the human rights violations happening in China, particularly the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

"David Matas and I completed the revised edition of an independent study earlier this year, which concluded to our horror that since 1999 the government of China and its agencies in numerous regions of the country have put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience (The investigation report is available in seventeen languages at organharvestinvestigation.net). Their vital organs, including kidneys, livers and corneas, were seized involuntarily for sale at high prices and to foreigners, who normally face long waits for voluntary donations of such organs in their home countries. This is absolutely not what we expect from any government hosting the Olympics."

In the Athens press conference launching the "Human Rights Torch Relay", Dr. Charles Graves, Secretary General of Interfaith International Centre, delivered a speech in which he proclaimed that people in Western society have come to understand Falun Gong through observations and the Chinese regime's attempt to defame Falun Gong have failed.

"We are deeply concerned by reports that the Chinese authorities have so far murdered at least 3,000 practitioners since the persecution began and that they have been implicated in the widespread practice of organ-harvesting from live prisoners, which has been condemned by governments and human rights organizations alike. However, we believe it is time for the world to take a much stronger position toward the Chinese government. We are now calling for a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by all right-minded nations, unless China changes its stance on Falun Gong and stops the torture and genocide immediately."

"China has no special ‘right’ to practise discrimination against any of its religious minorities. Many political leaders who have visited China have asked the political leaders of the People’s Republic to respect human rights. Among these requests is that China respect the religious orientations of the Falun Gong belief."

After reading a flier, a young girl said in shock, "Harvesting organs from living people! It is horrible! My hair is standing on end! I have to go to the Human Rights Torch ceremony!" An elderly gentleman took out a magnifying glass from his pocket and read the flier for a long time. He told the one who gave him the flier, "I have heard about the CCP's poor human rights record, but I had never thought it was so cruel. What you are doing is great! We Athenians support you!"

The following statement is from activities in London to commemorate eight years of persecution against Falun Gong. The statement is from John Dee, Vice Chairman of Friends of Falun Gong, and was read at a press conference opposite the Chinese Embassy on Saturday July 21st.Friends of Falun Gong is a non-governmental organisation of people who do not practise Falun Gong but are actively seeking to end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party

"I send you my heartfelt support in your demonstration to commemorate the 8th Anniversary of the beginning of the persecution of Falun Gong and I call upon the Government of the People's Republic of China to cease all violations of human rights. I call upon the Government to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally and to abide by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I also urge the Government to end the persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and the resulting numerous human rights violations, to abolish "Re-education Through Labour" and to ensure that all offences punishable with deprivation of liberty are brought within the scope of the Criminal Law."

No world event symbolises peace and harmony amongst the people of the world more than the Olympic Games. Besides the significance of Greece being the site of the first Olympics, both ancient and modern, it also hosted the last games in 2004, when all nations of the world were united in the spirit of fair play. If China is allowed to host the next Olympics without first ending its morally corrupt human rights abuses, especially the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, it will be a sad indictment on the moral standards of the world as a whole".

"The torch will start on the 9th August in Athens and will then be carried through more than ten countries in Europe and then onto other countries around the world, in order to show the Chinese authorities the volume of support for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong, and to demonstrate the strength of feeling amongst right-minded people that the 2008 Olympics cannot co-exist with a climate of intimidation and physical and mental abuse of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government".