On Tuesday (Dec. 18th) the US Congressional Executive Commission on
China (CECC) held a hearing on the human rights abuses against Falun
Gong practitioners in China.
Falun Gong is a spiritual meditation practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese regime since 1999.
[Christopher Smith, Chairman of CECC]:
“The campaign has been severe, brutal, ugly, and vicious.”
Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally detained, sent to forced labor camps, and subjected to torture for their beliefs.
But that may not be all.
[Xu Jianchao, Professor of Yale School of Medicine]:
“Faun Gong practitioners are the most likely source of organs used
in the transplant procedures in China over the past decade.”
The forced organ harvesting allegations first surfaced in 2006.
This October, 106 members of the US Congress wrote a dear colleague
letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They want the State
Department to release any information it may have on the
state-sanctioned transplant abuse.
Congressman Smith was one of the signees of the letter. He says the
US needs to take decisive actions to stop illegal organ harvesting.
[Christopher Smith, Chairman of CECC]:
“We need to speak out boldly, effectively, with great clarity about
what is truly going on and then have a penalty phase. Those who do
these things should be held to account. If not to go to prison,
certainly not to be admissible to the United States by granting them a
visa.”
[Sherrod Brown, Cochairman of CECC]:
“China must end all repression of Falun Gong practitioners,
guarantee their freedom of belief, and expression, and assembly and
release all political prisoners.”
Three US doctors have launched a petition under President Obama’s
“We the People” initiative. The petition asks US government to quote
“expose these crimes, stop them, and ensure the perpetrators are brought
to justice.”
Once the petition reaches over 25,000 signatures by January 1st, the Obama administration will be obligated to respond.
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