(Clearwisdom.net)
Honourable Foreign Minister, Anna Lindh,
The United Nations Human Rights Commission is about to be held in Geneva. We
hope that Sweden can take the initiative to nominate a resolution condemning
China for its serious violation of human rights as well as the brutal
persecution of Falun Gong.
Since November, 2002, over 85 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death and the sinister details [of the persecution] have been exposed. Since 1999, there is evidence of 598 practitioners being persecuted to death. Based on the information offered by the Chinese government, over 1,000 practitioners died during this persecution to date.
The death cases are scattered over 30 provinces in China, which indicates that this persecution is nationwide. A catalogue of torture methods has been used. Torture methods include forced abortion and forced injections of unknown substances. There are several proven reports of female practitioners being stripped naked and thrown into a cell with male inmates, where they have been repeatedly raped. A female practitioner who had been almost tortured to death was consequently burned to death. The atrocities are indescribably shocking. According to one Australian report, half of the detainees in the labour camps in China are Falun Gong practitioners who are imprisoned because of their firm belief. Without a legal trial, over 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to labour camps, while one million innocent people have lost their jobs, been forced out of school or have been made homeless.
Swedish people are against the current persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and are showing a lot of concern. We enclose with this letter a petition singed by over 8,000 people.
Falun Gong has been subjected to persecution for over four years. China has violated nearly 30 articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 10 articles in the constitution of the People's Republic of China. However, in the annual UN Human Rights Commission there has been no discussion of human rights situations in China.
"Killing without mercy" and "practitioners beaten to death will count as suicide": these are the instructions given by the Chinese authorities to crack down on Falun Gong.
Sweden and other countries have offered help with the worsening human rights situations in China. However, China regards the bilateral talks about its human rights situations as a kind of political game and a means to escape from open criticism from the international community. The persecution of Falun Gong is escalating. The persecution is not a common problem of law or politics, but a campaign of terror and killing launched by Jiang Zemin, with its orders and financial support from the Chinese authorities.
Now when the world is focusing on the prevention of a war with Iraq, the Chinese government is making use of global terrorism to force Hong Kong to pass Article 23 of the Basic Law. Under this legislation, the Chinese authorities will extend their persecution from mainland China to Hong Kong citizens and organisations. The human rights and fundamental freedoms that the Hong Kong people have enjoyed for decades will be destroyed.
Though it is good to maintain long-term talks with China, the whole world should immediately and correctly express its objection to the measures taken by the Chinese authorities. You who earn our trust and support should not allow such a large-scale persecution to happen in modern times.
We urge the Swedish government to put forward a resolution in this upcoming UN Human Rights Commission concerning China's violation of human rights and in particular the persecution of Falun Gong. We humbly and sincerely ask you to mention the human rights problems in China and particularly the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese government.
Yours Sincerely.
Swedish Falun Dafa Association.