Cultural Renaissance

Packet (New Jersey): Historic art, music, dance, costume and philosophy come to life in Holiday Wonders

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Set in China's mythical past, this dragon and lion dance is performed in celebration of the New Year, part of Holiday Wonders at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

China was once called the "Land of the Divine" and, according to ancient traditions, in China every part of society from farmers to scholars and emperors lived in harmony with "heaven," the Tao, the flow of nature. In turn, heaven bestowed upon China its gifts of culture, philosophy, painting, music and dance.

But since the 1950s, and especially during Mao's Cultural Revolution, much of the spiritually oriented culture has been lost under Communist rule.

"The Communist Party said 'religion is the opiate of the masses,' so during the Cultural Revolution, 2,000-year-old scriptures were burned, monasteries were just taken over, they destroyed so many things," says Can Sun, a native of China and a graduate student at Princeton University. He spent his formative years in China and it was only after coming to North America that he realized how the Communist Party was trying to teach some strange things. "For example, the idea that the party saved us from tragic, feudalistic ways of old China."

Discovering Holiday Wonders, the spectacular all music and dance celebration of ancient Chinese culture produced by New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), was a moving experience for Mr. Sun, a real breath of fresh air.

"The first time I saw the show was in 2004 in Toronto, where I did my undergraduate work," Mr. Sun says. "I experienced something that reminded me of the good things about my own heritage. In China, there's been a New Year's celebration concert, but it's basically the ideas of the party. In contrast, what this show is doing celebrates traditional values taught by Confucius as well as in Buddhism and Taoism, concepts similar to Christianity, such as love and compassion. I grabbed a whole bunch of friends the next year, and then when I came East and saw it in New York, I was talking to some of the people from NTDTV and got involved as a volunteer."

Mr. Sun is one of hundreds of volunteers promoting Holiday Wonders and working behind the scenes supporting the legion of performers that make up the colorful show.

NTDTV and its producing partner Divine Performing Arts return to New York City this holiday season with Holiday Wonders, performed at the Beacon Theatre Dec. 18 through 26. Blending the charm of the East with the holiday spirit of the West, Holiday Wonders presents performances that range from classic European ballet to theatrical Chinese dances, all of which are introduced in both English and Chinese.

With costumes inspired by ancient scrolls, along with music that mixes technique from the West with music from the East, the producers have created Holiday Wonders to present the best of what 5,000 years of Chinese history has to provide. Mr. Sun says the show is a must-see for Asian audiences but he enthusiastically invites people from all cultures and ethnicities to enjoy it.

"It will give you a sense of Chinese history that hasn't been (tainted) by the Communist Party lens," Mr. Sun says, noting that Holiday Wonders cannot be performed in mainland China -- at least not yet.

"A lot of Chinese people don't even know about our own spiritual culture because of the (official Communist-approved) history we all have to learn from grade school up," he says. "(What Holiday Wonders) calls the 'divine history' is so named because it incorporates the Taoist doctrine of harmonizing yourself with the universe. There's this great 'way' of wisdom out there. It's different from the Western idea of an omnipotent being."

The various dances and the elegant costumes capture the stories of these ancient teachings. The costumes, created by principal designer Amy Lee and her team, are as much a part of each dance as the dance movements themselves. They are, in many ways, the palette on which the dance is performed.

The designers study Chinese paintings, frescoes and even statues to find the right look. They also consider an outfit's flexibility for dance movements and whether it is durable enough to withstand more than 80 performances. Before coming to the United States, Ms. Lee was a professor of fashion design and fashion history in China. Although her costumes take inspiration from different dynasties and ethnic regions, the Tang dynasty is her favorite. She says it reflects the zenith of Chinese culture, artistically, economically and politically. The clothes during this time drew on influences from India, the Middle East and Europe. Seeing the costumes of Holiday Wonders is like watching traditional Chinese art from the Tang and other dynasties come to life.

Founded in 2001 and based in New York City, NTDTV seeks to present traditional Chinese culture to Asian and Western audiences to promote an understanding of what is happening in contemporary China. The independent, non-profit network was established to serve and benefit the global Chinese community, conveying accurate news and information that hasn't been filtered through the Communist Party. Twenty-four hour programming covers North America, Asia and Australia by satellite. NTDTV is available in 16 metropolitan areas in North America, including New York City. Through Holiday Wonders, NTDTV hopes to create a kind of renaissance or rediscovery of ancient Chinese art, music, dance and philosophy -- the elements that once made the country the "divine land."

"It might be hard for Americans to understand, but in mainland China, the whole society is run by the Communist Party and the arts have to offer themselves to the views of the party," Mr. Sun says.

"That's why it was almost shocking to me when I first saw the show. There was such a moving feeling I got when I watched 'Holiday Wonders,' and seeing this part of my heritage that is so valuable. This was the first time I felt that feeling."

Holiday Wonders will be performed at the Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway (Broadway and 74th Street), New York, N.Y. Performances: Dec. 18-21 and Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 22, 1:30 and 7:30 p,m.; Dec. 23-25, 4 p.m. Tickets cost $48-$200. (212) 695-7469; www.holidaywonders.net.

Schiff lobbies China to free woman

Mother held in labor camp
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer of Pasadena Star News
Article Launched: 12/19/2007 10:59:55 PM PST

A copy of Rep. Schiff's letter

PASADENA - After months of pleading for help to secure her mother's release from a Chinese labor camp, a local woman's persistence has paid off.

In a letter sent to President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, called for the release of Shuying Li, 64.

Li is being held at the Beijing Women's Labor Camp, where she was sent for practicing a spiritual tradition banned by the Communist government, according to Li's daughter, Yaning Liu of Baldwin Park.

"If the only charges against Ms. Li are based on her potential interest in Falun Gong, I urge her immediate release on humanitarian grounds," Schiff wrote in the letter.

Schiff issued a separate statement Wednesday afternoon, expanding on his letter.

"I deplore action in China and elsewhere that inhibits an individual's right to free expression, and want to encourage the Chinese leadership to release anyone being held on the basis of their religious beliefs," Schiff stated.

On Dec. 15, 2006, Beijing police arrested Li after finding literature pertaining to Falun Gong.

The mainland government banned Falun Gong for "advocating superstition and spreading fallacies, hoodwinking people, inciting and creating disturbances, and jeopardizing social stability," according to a

July 22, 1999, report from China's state-run media.
In recent months, Liu had joined a coalition of groups protesting the inclusion of a Beijing Olympic Games float in next month's Rose Parade because of China's rights record.

That record is getting worse, according to the U.S. Department of State's most recent report on China.

In the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has cracked down on dissidents, reporters and its own citizens, jailing many without trial, according to international human rights organizations.

"Keen to present its best face to the world during the prestigious sporting event, the city is racing against time to improve the behavior of local residents," according to a Wednesday report from the People's Republic of China's official press agency.

Calling it "administrative detention," Chinese authorities have sent about 250,000 Chinese into so-called "education through labor" camps without trial, according to Amnesty International.

Torture is commonly employed, according to Amnesty.

Last month, Schiff complained in writing to the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games that China has not kept its Olympic promises.

"Despite explicit promises made by Chinese government officials in 2001, the Chinese government has not taken serious steps to expand basic rights and freedom," his letter said.

Citing Li's age, Schiff conveyed Liu's concern that her mother's "health is suffering due to the harsh conditions within the Labor Camp."

Liu said she was excited and happy Monday night when a member of Schiff's staff called with news the congressman would lend his aid.

"Among all the officials I contacted so far, Congressman Schiff is the only one who responded to my plea and offered help," she said.

Liu lived in Pasadena when she made her request and has since relocated to Baldwin Park.

Several other members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have not responded to her requests, she said, including her Baldwin Park representative, Rep Hilda Solis, D-El Monte.

"I basically begged her to help me, and I seldom beg," Liu said.

Solis' Chief of Staff Don Lyster said that request hadn't made it up to his boss and that it was now being evaluated and investigated for a pending determination.

He didn't rule out the possibility Solis would join in calling for Li's release.

Liu is optimistic public pressure will help secure her mother's release.

After all, she said, Chinese authorities recently freed an elderly couple after their daughter, Cher Fu, convinced congressional representatives from her home state of Washington to lobby on her behalf.

After initially being referred by Schiff to the U.S. Department of State, Liu said she was surprised and grateful that Pasadena Councilwoman Jacque Robinson followed up with the congressman's office.

"If it was me, I'd want help as well, no matter where it came from," Robinson said. "It's not like I had 100 people calling and coming to my office asking for help."

Robinson said the action didn't run counter to the positions of the city and the mayor, who recently declined to help Liu.

And, she said, Liu kept coming to council meetings and didn't quit,

"She was persistent," Robinson said.

todd.ruiz@sgvn.com

Original Source

Falun Gong News Bulletin

FALUN GONG NEWS BULLETIN

---

Monitoring the Falun Gong Human Rights Crisis in China

E-Mail This Page - Print This Page - Link to This Page

• Eight More Deaths in China Detailed
• European Parliament Passes Resolution on Beijing Olympics
• Amnesty International Accuses China of Reneging on Olympic Promises
• Labor Camp Survivor Tells of Ordeal
• Falun Gong Calligrapher Arrested for “Happiness”

Eight More Deaths in China Detailed
The Information Center has publicized the details of eight additional deaths of Falun Gong adherents in China, each the result of state persecution. The deaths (or murders), which were documented by Chinese sources in the month of November, bring the known death toll to 3,109, and suggest that officially sanctioned brutality continues, behind closed doors, unabated. The victims span five provinces and range in age from 26 to 70 years. Primary causes of death were torture, force-feeding, and the administration of toxic drugs.

Full story: http://www.faluninfo.net/displayAnArticle.asp?ID=9512

European Parliament Passes Resolution on Beijing Olympics
According to a Dec. 13 Reuters report (link), the European Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution criticizing the European Union for its failure to pressure Chinese authorities for increased rights protection in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Parliament is furthermore taking its concerns directly to the International Olympic Committee, it is said, following China’s failure in “living up to pledges” made in its bid for the Games. Edward McMillan-Scott, a vice-president of the Parliament who has personally investigated Beijing’s persecution of the Falun Gong, declared in a statement that he “deplores China’s continued use of brutal repression of all dissidence.” The Parliament’s resolution calls on Chinese rulers to free jailed dissidents -- among whom the Falun Gong number highest -- and cease all censoring of the Internet, among other measures.

Full story: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL1353209

Amnesty International Accuses China of Reneging on Olympic Promises
In a related sign that pressure is mounting on Beijing, Amnesty International has accused Chinese leaders of violating promises to improve domestic human rights conditions before the arrival of the 2008 Olympics. Corroborating concerns raised here by the Falun Dafa Information Center previously, Amnesty expressed fear of “an increase in harassment, detentions, and… house arrest ahead of the Games,” according to a report in the Khaleej Times (link). The Times report quotes Chinese human rights lawyer Biao Teng, who currently holds a teaching post at Yale University, raising the possibility of “calling for a boycott if necessary.” Biao singles out the case of the Falun Gong’s persecution in conjunction with China’s lack of religious freedom.

Labor Camp Survivor Tells of Ordeal
“There were many times I asked myself, why I hadn’t died yet? Why hadn’t I gone insane?” Such was Jennifer Zeng’s misery while held captive, a prisoner of conscience in a Chinese labor camp, on account of her Falun Gong identity. Zeng recounted her harrowing ordeal last week, speaking with the Australian paper Maitland Mercury (link). “They tortured me very badly... they used electric batons to shock me until I lost consciousness, but the worst thing was sleep deprivation,” Zeng said. “The longest period for me was 15 days and 15 nights without sleep… I witnessed people suddenly become mad ... So many people were tortured to that kind of extent.” Zeng, who has chronicled her journey to freedom in Witnessing History: One Chinese Woman’s Fight for Freedom (Soho Press), was in Maitland as part of a Human Rights Torch Relay event that passed through the city.

Full story: http://maitland.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news-features/tortured-for-her-beliefs/1105127.html

Falun Gong Calligrapher Arrested for “Happiness”
Just how far have Beijing’s rights deprivations of the Falun Gong faithful gone? This week’s telltale sign comes in a bizarre form: punishment for holding a nondescript calligraphy exhibition. The exhibition, set in Qingdao city, Shandong province, took place Nov. 3–8, and featured the calligraphy of Liu Xitong. Thousands reportedly visited the exhibition according to Chinese sources at Clearwisdom.org (link), with one city official heralding the show as the city’s most successful ever. Perhaps it came as embarrassment then, when it was realized Liu practices Falun Gong. Just four days after the show, on Nov. 12, police arrested Liu and his wife, Aifang, and ransacked the couple’s home. Various valuables such as computers were confiscated by police along with works of calligraphy, such as one scroll entitled “Happiness.” Police claimed, ironically, that such works were about Falun Gong.

Jilin Prison Uses 'Death Beds' to Torture Falun Gong Practitioners

By Shen Zhou The Epoch Times

Dec 17, 2007

Reenactment of the "death bed" torture method used on Falun Gong practitioners in China. (Clearwisdom.net)

The death bed, a torture method originating from Jilin Prison, is frequently used to torture imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners at the Jilin Prison and Jilin Province Women's Prison, also known as Heizuizi Women's Prison, in Changchun City. Similar to the ancient, cruel punishment of being drawn and quartered, many Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death this way.

According to a Clearwisdom.net report on December 11, 2007, the death bed involves piecing together two twin-size beds and handcuffing or tying a practitioner's hands and feet onto the four opposite corners of the two beds. After the practitioner is tied up, the beds are moved in opposite directions and bricks are inserted between the two beds. Each brick adds severe pain and injury.

Once tied to the death bed, the victim is unable to move her hands and legs. The beds can be pulled in various directions to cause additional pain and injury throughout the body. Blood circulation from the ankles and wrists are cut off as the muscles tear and bones break. Some practitioners were tortured to the point of dementia while others left handicapped.

Death Beds to Torture Male Falun Gong Practitioners at Jilin Prison

In October 2003, Jilin Prison set up over 10 small dark rooms for solitary confinement, which are referred to as psychological "therapy" centers to outsiders. Each room is equipped with a fixing bed used as a torture device. After the practitioner is tied into position, others torture him with various methods that include, but are not limited to stabbing with needles, burning with hot water, depriving of sleep, kicking, beating, and stepping on the practitioner.

To exacerbate the pain, quilts, water bottles, wooden boards, or other objects are forced between the practitioner's back and the bed, so the body becomes suspended. The arms and legs are stretched even more tightly, leading to torn wrists and ankles. With the back arched and head bent back, breathing is extremely difficult and and the victim turn pale due to lack of oxygen.

Falun Gong practitioners have been fixed to the bed by the police anywhere from ten days to two months. Their bodies were devastated and emaciated. Their muscles atrophied and their limbs lost strength. They need the support of a wall in order to walk. The cold of winter intensifies the injuries to their hands and feet.

Many male practitioners have been left disabled, and at least 10 male Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death in Jilin Prison, including Liu Chengjun, Zhang Jianhua, Cui Weidong, Wei Xiushan, He Yuanhui, Hao Yingqiang, Lei Ming, Sun Changde, Wang Qibo and Cao Hongyan.

Death Beds in Jilin Province Women's Prison

Female Falun Gong practitioners in Jilin Province Women's Prison are not spared from the same torture. After limbs are secured to four bed corners, the bed board is removed, and only an iron pole half an inch in diameter supports the lower back. The rest of the body is left dangling in the air, and heavy objects are added on the practitioner's legs. The practitioners are tied this way and prohibited from using the toilet around the clock until they are "transformed".

The tortured person is left feeling neither dead nor alive. Falun Gong practitioners who refuse to give up their beliefs have all been tortured with the death bed at least once. Some can't even count how many times they've been put on the death bed.

Ms. Song Yanqun of Shulan City, Jilin Province, is an English teacher at Dade Japanese School in Haerbing. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison for refusing to give up the practice of Falun Dafa. After Ms. Song was tortured on the death bed by the guards at Jilin Province Women's Prison in May 2005, her left leg became cold and numb. Her entire right arm constantly trembles from pain, and she can no longer write.

At least seven female Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death in Jilin Women's Prison. They are Yu Lixin, Deng Shiying, Wang Qiuyong, Yang Guiqing, Yang Guijun, Han Chunyuan, and Jiang Chunxian. Those who were tortured to the point of mental breakdown include Yang Mingfang, Ban Huijuan, Wang Guohua, He Shurong and several others. The actual number of deaths and severity of torture is estimated to be much worse as the flow of information is tightly blocked by the prison.

There are still more than a hundred Falun Gong practitioners being detained in Jilin Province Women's Prison. Practitioners who refuse to "transform" are persecuted separately by the prison guards. They are monitored and deprived from sleeping by the other prisoners and tortured on the death bed.

Sign Petition to the IOC to remove Olympic Ban of Falun Gong

Dear Friend:

Below is a self-explanatory letter to the International Olympic Committee listing major concerns affecting the international community and arising out of appalling policies of the Beijing government, which are only now garnering international attention. Please consider co-signing this letter to indicate your solidarity with those who are determined “never again” to stand idly by and turn their eyes away from genocide as the world did from 1931 to 1945. You may co-sign this letter by going *online Your support in advancing the cause of human dignity is invaluable at this crucial time and it is greatly appreciated. The *online version can be found here:

http://mwcnews.net/content/view/18735/42/

Clive Ansley, US-CANADA Chair
Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, and
China Country Monitor for Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada

__________________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Jacques Rogge, President
Members of the International Olympic Committee
Chateau De Vidy, Case Postale 356
1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
Fax: +41-21-621-6216
jacques.rogge@ioc.olympic.org

Dear Mr. Rogge and members of the IOC:

On November 8, 2007, Li Zhanjun, News Director of the Beijing Olympics media center, responded to western criticism of religious restrictions previously announced by Beijing, saying that the Chinese Communist government would now allow athletes and tourists to bring religious objects for personal use during the Olympics. However, this policy will not apply to Falun Gong practitioners: "Falun Gong texts, Falun Gong activities in China are forbidden," and "Foreigners who come to China must respect and abide by the laws of China." (AP)

We are distressed at this policy which is in direct violation of article 5 of the Olympic Charter, which states that: "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."

As well, Article 36 of China’s own constitution declares that citizens "enjoy freedom of religious belief," and that, "No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion."

The persecution of Chinese citizens who practise Falun Gong constitutes a violation of China’s constitution by the Beijing government. That persecution of Chinese citizens is well-known. However, the host country for the 2008 Olympic Games has now extended its discriminatory religious policies to the entire international community through these recent declarations. Beijing, as host country, is saying that while participating foreign athletes who are Christians will be allowed to bring Bibles into the Olympic Village and to practise their faith while residing there, foreign athletes who are Falun Gong practitioners will not be allowed to bring Falun Gong materials or to practise their Falun Gong exercises. In fact, foreign athletes who are adherents of Falun Gong may not be allowed to participate in the Games at all.

This is eerily reminiscent of the situation which obtained before and during the Nazi Olympics of 1936 in Berlin. Within Germany, Hitler barred Jewish citizens from competing for places on the German Olympic team. Unlike his contemporary counterparts in Beijing with respect to Falun Gong, Hitler did not go so far as to impose restrictions on Jewish competitors from other countries. Nevertheless, his discriminatory racial and religious policies within Germany itself provoked a widespread call in the United States for a boycott of the Nazi Olympics, and many Jewish athletes refused to participate.

Not only does this latest order further demonstrate the Chinese regime’s unwillingness to fulfil its 2001 promise to the IOC to improve human rights in China, but it is also clear proof that any hope of improving Chinese human rights through the Olympics is futile because of Beijing’s total and demonstrable insincerity.

You may recall that in April 2007, Beijing’s Ministry of Public Service issued a blacklist barring “antagonistic elements” from attending the Games, including adherents of Falun Gong, “religious infiltrators” and others. Although this was a clear violation of the Olympic Charter, we are unaware of any declaration by the International Olympic Committee that it will enforce that Charter or that the IOC is at all concerned about the fact that Beijing has trampled upon the Charter.

Li Zhanjun's response clearly demonstrates that the Chinese government's policy of persecuting Falun Gong and its practitioners continues unabated. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has overtly extended the regime's persecution of Falun Gong to the Olympics—a most noble institution that is respected worldwide. Such abuse and discrimination against the followers of a peaceful spiritual teaching not only trash the Olympic Spirit, but also constitute a spurning of fundamental morality and ethics in the international society.

Having called upon the world not to politicize the Olympics, Beijing’s leaders have persistently, continuously, and consistently turned their hosting of the Games into a totally political propaganda extravaganza designed to glorify, whitewash, and strengthen their single-party dictatorship. They have from the outset exploited the opportunity afforded them by the IOC in precisely the same way as Goebbels and Hitler before them.

Therefore, we call on the IOC to:

Ø Require Beijing to rescind its policy of barring Falun Gong from the Olympics, which constitutes a severe breach of the Olympic Charter;

Ø Reconsider the eligibility of the Communist regime to stage the Olympic Games, given the steadily worsening human rights situation in China today;

Ø Discuss the possibility of holding the Olympics in another nation.

We also urge the international community and athletes from around the world to condemn Beijing’s trashing of the Olympic spirit and its scorn for the Olympic Charter.

The whole world is about to learn what religious repression “made in China” means. Beijing's characterization of Falun Gong as “illegal” is a clumsy attempt to justify a pogrom of government sanctioned violence and persecution. There is no basis in the Chinese Constitution or in any other Chinese law for Beijing’s claim that Falun Gong is illegal in China. It is “illegal” only because the top leadership declared it to be “illegal”, and no Chinese court has the authority to interpret the Constitution and overturn the fiats of the top leaders. No judicial process was ever involved in rendering Falun Gong “illegal”.

It is clear that the Chinese regime must stop using the Olympics as a cover for launching a crackdown on peaceful people of faith both in China and abroad and to halt the persecution of Falun Gong and all Chinese citizens.

Hence, we, the undersigned, believe that the IOC has the moral obligation to bring the true Olympic spirit to the Chinese people as set forth in the Olympic Charter. It’s not too late for the IOC to renegotiate the location of the Olympics and bring some well-deserved sobriety and human dignity into this situation for the sake of the Chinese people and our proud athletes.

Previous Olympics devolved into propaganda bonanzas for dictatorial hosts, such as the Nazis in 1936 and the Soviets in 1980, rather than promoting the universal celebration of peaceful competition and sport for people of all colours and creeds in accordance with the Olympic ideal. Beijing cannot possibly expect to freely continue with rampant political oppression, mass executions, forced abortions, illicit organ harvesting, religious persecution, and a slew of other human rights abuses, while attempting to present a civilized face to the world as host of the Summer Games in 2008.

Sincerely,

……………………………………………………….

Name, Title

Organization:…………………………………….

Address: (City,Prov/State, Country)…….

Crimes against humanity and the Olympics cannot coexist in China.

http://humanrightstorch.org http://cipfg.org

‘Too many lives to save?’ -- Olympic Float

Pasadena Weekly: Activists and Mayor Bill Bogaard pay separate visits to Pasadena’s human rights billboard

By Joe Piasecki

Photo by Joe Piasecki

Reporters Without Borders US Director Lucie Morillon stands near the organization’s billboard along Arroyo Parkway.

Bill Bogaard just had to look. About 90 minutes before activists officially unveiled a billboard decrying human rights abuses in China, Pasadena’s mayor on Monday was heading to a meeting in Los Angeles, but instead turned north on Arroyo Parkway, he said, to be among the first to catch a glimpse.

The billboard, a depiction of the iconic interlocking Olympic rings as handcuffs with the words “Beijing 08” in big and red letters underneath, was designed by Reporters Without Borders, a group critical of China’s suppression of journalists and Internet users as well as plans for the Rose Parade to include a float representing that country and its role as host of the coming Summer Games — a float that Bogaard personally helped get into the parade.

“Today, China is the world’s biggest prison for journalists and cyber dissidents. Censorship is widespread,” said Lucie Morillon, who is in charge of the press freedom group’s US affairs and flew in for the unveiling of the billboard.

“The Olympic Games are not just a sports event, but a celebration of freedom — and too many dissidents are not going to be able to take part in this celebration because they are in jail in China,” she continued. “Reporters Without Borders does not condone the presence of the Beijing 2008 float at the Rose Parade because we understand it could be used as a propaganda tool by the Chinese regime, and we’re not comfortable with that.”

Bogaard, however, is perhaps the float’s highest-profile supporter. Although it has made him a target for criticism from a coalition of religious and political activists, Bogaard — who was not expected to attend the billboard’s unveiling — defends his position as a difference of opinion over the meaning of the controversial float and the role of city officials in what he describes as international affairs.

“I understand those who criticize me because of supporting the float, but I’m on a different track because I say the float is to celebrate the Olympics, which the Rose Parade has a long tradition

of doing, and not intended to validate or approve the country of China … or any conduct we would all recognize as inappropriate,” said Bogaard.

One of his critics is Yaning Liu, an area woman who asked Bogaard to personally send a letter to Chinese officials advocating the release of her 64-year-old mother from a labor camp where she is being held for illegal religious practices. It was a request Bogaard recently declined.

“It’s been a difficult time,” said Bogaard of the float controversy, “because my fundamental thinking is that neither I nor the city have the competence to engage in international diplomacy at the level and with the impact that [activists] want.”

Since the Tournament of Roses announced this summer that American business interests including the Pasadena-based Avery Dennison Corp. would be sponsoring a float celebrating the Beijing Olympics, Bogaard and the council have been pressed to speak out against the imprisonment and torture of those in China whose religious and political activities are deemed illegal by the country’s communist government.

Starting with protests by local practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement suppressed by Chinese officials, a coalition of local anti-float activists has grown over the past six months to include Tibetan and Burmese Americans, the Visual Artists Guild, former Pasadena Mayor Bill Paparian, labor activist Bob McCloskey and even a local Catholic priest.

“I’m here really as a voice for the voiceless, for those people who suffer on a daily basis just to practice their faith in freedom like we do here in Pasadena,” said the Rev. Gerard O’Brien, pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church on Orange Grove Boulevard, who spoke Monday in front of the billboard.

In China, Catholics who are loyal to the Vatican have been imprisoned and allegedly even killed for practicing outside of the government-sanctioned church.

Photos of several jailed Catholic bishops, activists and reporters will be featured Saturday in a human rights exhibit at the Jackie Robinson Center being prepared by the Visual Artists Guild, which is asking parade viewers to turn their backs to the float as it passes.

The exhibit also loosely marks the 59th anniversary on Dec. 10 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document introduced by Bogaard and adopted by Pasadena City Council members last month as a response to activists but criticized for stopping short of a direct rebuke of China.

On Nov. 28, Bogaard mailed a copy of that declaration to Pasadena sister cities, including one in China, with a letter describing council actions as the outcome of people “expressing concerns that the presence of a float celebrating the Beijing Olympics 2008 would potentially embarrass Pasadena because of the frequent allegations of human rights violations in China.”

More telling at a personal level was the letter Bogaard sent to Liu, who like her mother practices Falun Gong.

“Some causes — like yours — cry out for correction. One is inclined to join in demanding change,” wrote Bogaard, but “… In the case of your mother, I have no reason to believe that my communication will have any impact on the recipient.”

In the letter, Bogaard reiterates his belief that he was not elected to deal with international affairs. He also resolves to decline all similar requests in the future, believing he would be swamped with requests for an involvement in numerous matters that he’d find difficult to justify.

Liu said she felt Bogaard’s reluctance toward international activism contradicts his early support for efforts to bring the Beijing float to Pasadena, but was most disheartened by his other conclusion — that even if he did write the letter, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“How can you say there are too many lives to save?” she asked.

Group: China to Evict 1.5M for Olympics

Look here for a report from COHRE. China was given top award by COHRE for the worst human rights violators in regards to housing rights (BBC)

By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER

GENEVA (AP) — China continues to evict 13,000 people each month in preparation for the Beijing Olympics, despite worldwide attention and increased scrutiny, a housing rights group said Wednesday.

The Center on Housing Rights and Evictions said a recent trip to the Chinese capital confirmed an estimate it made earlier this year that 1.5 million people would be displaced by the time the 2008 Games are held.

Beijing says the group is grossly inflating the number of people being relocated as a result of the Olympic preparations, and that residents are content with the compensation they have received.

"Despite courageous protests inside China, and condemnation by many international human rights organizations, the Beijing municipality and Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games have persisted with these evictions and displacements," said Jean du Plessis, the Geneva-based COHRE's deputy director.

The group — which claimed in June that 1.25 million had already been displaced — said it returned to Beijing in August and found that forced evictions were continuing unabated.

In September, the Beijing municipality demolished several buildings in a run-down neighborhood called the "petitioners' village" in Fengtai District, which provided housing for thousands from all over China who came to complain to the central government about land seizures, forced evictions and corruption, COHRE said.

"Evictions in Beijing often involve the complete demolition of poor peoples' houses," the group said. "The inhabitants are then forced to relocate far from their communities and workplaces, with higher transportation costs driving them further into poverty.

"In Beijing, and in China more generally, the process of demolition and eviction is characterized by arbitrariness and lack of due process. In many cases, tenants are given little or no notice of their eviction and do not receive the promised compensation."

The group said it was pleased the International Olympic Committee is taking housing rights more seriously, including guaranteed commitments that local people would not be displaced in its deal with Russia for the 2014 Winter Games, which will be hosted by the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

In August, the director of Beijing's construction committee said only about 40,000 people were being relocated yearly, and about 2,000 were moved to build new venues for the games. Sui Zhenjiang also said residents were adequately compensated, adding that 16,000-17,000 "affordable" houses had been built in the city of 15 million.

"The 1.5 million figure is definitely wrong," Sui said of COHRE's estimation.

COHRE also criticized Myanmar and Slovakia on Thursday for "pervasive housing rights violations" in 2007.

It said Myanmar, also known as Burma, was responsible for the "mass displacement of more than 1 million civilians from their lands and homes."

Slovakia was cited because "municipalities deliberately neglect to improve — or indeed actively strive to worsen — the housing conditions of Roma," also known as Gypsies, said Claude Cahn, COHRE's advocacy chief.

WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY FORUM

MWC: CREATING A BETTER WORLD BASED ON FREEDOM AND JUSTICE

Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 2pm-5pm

Room 1900, Fletcher Challenge Canada Theatre

Simon Fraser University, 515 W. Hastings, Vancouver

Admission is Free

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Ø Hon. David Kilgour, J.D., D.D., Former Cabinet Minister and co-author of “Bloody Harvest”

OTHER SPEAKERS:

Ø Don Wright, Amnesty International Regional Coordinator

Ø Nazanin Afshin-Jam, human rights activist and recording artist

Ø Clive Ansley, China Country Monitor for Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada and

Chair of CIPFG US-Canada

Ø Miriam Palacios, OXFAM Public Engagement, Advocacy and Campaign Officer

Ø Khamis Abdelkarim, Canadian Students for Darfur

We welcome your invaluable participation in this inspirational forum!

To complement this forum, various human rights groups will have displays and information tables set up in the centre lounge from 12pm-5:30 pm. There will be lots of petitions to sign!

“Peace can only last where human rights are respected … and where individuals and nations are free.” -- 14^th Dalai Lama

Presented by: Canadian Students for Darfur

SFU China Research Association

The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong

The Global Human Rights Torch Relay Support Group

Former Communist Party Secretary Genral Opposed Persecution of Falun Gong, Says Friend

An interview with Zong Fengming—close friend to Zhao Ziyang

By Li Zhen Epoch Times Staff

Nov 30, 2007

88-year-old Zong Fengming, close friend of former Secretary General of Chinese Communist Party Zhao Ziyang. (The Epoch Times)

Related Articles

- Communist Official Advocates Cessation of Falun Gong Persecution Tuesday, October 30, 2007

- Epoch Times Editorial: Commending Mr. Wang Zhaojun for His Open Letter to China's Paramount Leader and Premier Thursday, November 01, 2007

- Former Secretary of Zhao Ziyang Praises Wang Zhaojun Thursday, November 01, 2007

- Wang Zhaojun: I Have Said What People Wanted to Say Saturday, November 03, 2007

Zong Fengming, an 88-year-old Qigong master and close friend of former Chinese Communist Party Secretary General Zhao Ziyang is well known for his book Zhao Ziyang: Captive Conversation." The book records over one hundred conversations between Zong and Zhao during Zhao's 16 years of house arrest. During that period Zong was the only non-relative allowed to have contact with Zhao and heal his illness with Qigong.

In a recent interview with The Epoch Times , Zong highly praised an open letter published about one month ago by Wang Zhaojun, a standing committee member from the Anhui Provincial People's Political Consultative Conference. Zong agrees with Wang that the one party dictatorship is at the core of China's problems. He also praised Wang as the warrior and hope of China for publicly calling an end to the persecution of Falun Gong and bring justice to the responsible criminals. Zong also disclosed that Zhao Ziyang had expressed his opposition to the persecution of Falun Gong.

Following is a record of the interview:

Reporter: Which part of the letter (Wang's open letter) impressed you the most?

Zong: The fundamental problem in China is the one party dictatorship. Wang's view is the same as Zhao Ziyang's. This is a key issue in China.

Reporter: How can we get rid of the one party dictatorship?

Zong: The one party dictatorship needs some force to change it. Currently, the communist control is very tight, exceeding any period in the history. This is very rare.

Reporter: In his letter, Wang brought up the topic of redress for Falun Gong and prosecuting the criminals, what is your opinion?

Zong: I think that is very necessary, [the communist regime] adopted an elimination policy of religious groups and grassroots organizations. This is very rare in the world. This is a blood debt; the persecution of Falun Gong is too cruel.

Reporter: How did you learn about the persecution of Falun Gong?

Zong: I read some reports on the Internet and I also witnessed the regime's control of Falun Gong; it never relied on evidence, very cruel. I also heard about the organ harvesting. I hope this could be investigated and the results would be released to the public.

Reporter: How did Mr. Zhao Ziyang view the persecution of Falun Gong?

Zong: He said it is a religious issue; the Chinese Communist Party should not and cannot adopt a crackdown policy.

Reporter: He was also against the persecution by Jiang Zemin?

Zong: He said that it was a big issue that had rarely been seen before.

Reporter: In his letter, Wang call for more people like Yeltsin to stand up in China. Do you think people like Yeltsin will come out in China?

Zong: In the past, people like Zhao Ziyang and Hu Yaobang emerged in China; both are historical figures, they wanted to lead China to democratic politics. Zhao wanted to push for China's political reform, transform China into a democratic country that is ruled by law. This is a historical trend. Unfortunately, it was suppressed in China, and it is the sorrow of Chinese people.

Reporter: Do you think Zhao is China's Yeltsin?

Zong: Similar, but Zhao Ziyang was not as outstanding as Yeltsin. But he approves of Yeltsin, Gorbachev and also approves of Chiang Ching-kuo in Taiwan.

Reporter: Wang Zhaojun calls for a color revolution and some other scholars called for the "Tell the Truth Movement." What's your view?

Zong: I hope democratic activists could act together; be unified as a force of justice. This is not just my hope; it is many people's wish.

Currently, there are people with enough courage to tell the truth, like Wang Zhaojun. To speak out publicly, this kind of force has surfaced in China. But because of the tight control, the number of people who stand up is still small. The Chinese communist regime does not want to see any organization emerge. It did not even approve a funeral ceremony for Bao Zunxing [1]. We just want to hold a funeral ceremony, to meet and express our sorrow but such a gathering was not approved. Some elderly party cadres want to form an association and that request was also denied. The control is very tight. It is difficult to get some space.

In the interview, Zong also said that Chinese people are all looking for change. Now the communist regime has made China a privileged capitalist society. Farmers, as the majority people in China have paid so much, but get no financial assistance from the government and have no right to form their own organization. They have made the biggest contribution to China's economic development, but they have been deprived of their rights; they are slaves.

Zong also said that although the control in China is very tight, it is difficult for people to organize together. He is, however, confident that no one could block the historical trend—China will definitely move toward a democratic and free society.

[1] Bao Zunxing is a democratic activist in China.

Click here to read the original article in Chinese

Interview with Nowak on Organ Harvesting in China

Translation from the German Text:

Manfred Nowak, Menschenrechtsjurist und UN-Sonderberichterstatter, über seine Untersuchungen gegen die chinesische Regierung. profil, 12. //März 2007/

Manfred Nowak, Human Rights lawyer and UN Special Rapporteur, about his inquiries against the Chinese Government. Profil, March 12^th 2007.

Journalist: Based on the Canadian Report you have decided to inquire into the accusations. How leakproof is the documented material?

Nowak: The two Canadians are drawing clear conclusions. The chain of evidence they are documenting shows a coherent picture that causes concern.

Journalist: What evidence exactly?

Nowak: It´s a fact that Falun Gong is being suppressed since 1999. It is incontestable that since the beginning of the repressions against Falun Gong the number of Organ transplantations has increased massively. Even the official Chinese Organizations of Medics shows in its Statistics that there have been 60.000 Organ transplantations between the year 2000 and 2005.

Journalist: Couldn´t they have been donated voluntarily?

Nowak: That at least is very much worthy to be investigated, because in chinese society, out of religious-cultural aspects, there is no big disposition to voluntarily donate organs, may this be alive or after death.

Journalist: Then the matter should be intrinsically clear?

Nowak: Well, the chinese side insists, that the Organ donations have been voluntary. We don´t know how many human beings have been persecuted, because the Chinese government is the only one in the world not publishing any statistics in this respect. Relevant data of NGOs like Amnesty International and others are between 1500 and 4000 executed persons per year. Speaking about the Canadian Report one can see that there is a downright market and a big willingness, e.g. from hospitals, to accommodate potential customers. They promise to fulfil the requirements in very short time. Within a few weeks one receives an organ. That implies a high level of organization

Journalist: That means that people are being executed when a customer comes?

Nowak: The accusations are in the direction that even people are being executed even if they are not yet convicted, but who are just being killed for taking their organs.

Journalist: In short: There are people being executed who wouldn´t be executed if there were no demand?

Nowak: That´s the main point of the accusations. Furthermore, Falun Gong-followers are ideal organ donators because of their lifestyle and the sociological typology of the members are ideal organ donators. They don´t smoke, they don´t drink, and most of them are aged between 25 and 35 years.

Journalist: The case seems to be clear?

Nowak: I myself don´t yet want to make any judgment, because my examinations are still going on and I am still expecting important information by the Chinese government. The Canadian report does not contain any true proof, but a lot of conclusive evidence. The accusations raised by Falun Gong – eg. that in a hospital in Sujiatun (Shenyang province) alone 6000 of their followers have been killed for means of organ trade, seems in any case to be overdone and is being disavowed categorically even by prominent government critics like Harry Wu, with whom I had detailed talks in Washington D.C. The accusations are so massive that I will only then speak out if there is real proof. In any case now it´s the Chinese government´s turn to invalidate the chain of evidence point by point with the according facts (e.g. the exact number of executed persons, the exact origin of the transplanted organs). To reject the massive accusations raised by various sides categorically is surely not sufficient.