(Clearwisdom.net) On August 6, 2008, at the European Union Commission headquarters in Brussels, a representative of CIPFG (Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong) formally submitted over one million signatures collected globally to the European Union Commission, requesting its help to stop the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong.
Mr Vincent Guerend, Deputy Head of Cabinet for the European Union, and Commissioner of External Relations Ms. Benita Ferrer Waldner officially accepted the signatures on behalf of the EU commission and met with the representative of CIPFG. The deputy head of the EU external relations bureau's China section, Mr. Michalis R. Kas, also joined the meeting.
 Representative of CIPFG Ms. Nele Regiest at EU Headquarters with the signatures |
The representative of CIPFG, Ms. Nele Regiest, said: "CIPFG's initiation of collecting one million signatures against the persecution started in January 2008. It is for the purpose of condemning the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong and appealing for the complete end to the persecution before the Olympics." She stressed that Falun Gong practitioners have suffered brutal persecution by the Chinese Communist regime for nine years. "It is very difficult to imagine what life has been like for practitioners under the Chinese Communist regime. This persecution must be stopped immediately. Especially, just before the Olympics, the Chinese Communist regime had illegally detained many Falun Gong practitioners and the persecution of various kinds has been intensified."
She submitted to the two representatives of the EU the result of this "Million Signatures against the Persecution" campaign: one million, three hundred and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and thirty-two (1,356,232) signatures were collected from over one hundred and thirty-three nations and regions, with seventy-five thousand, three hundred signatures from Europe, including signatures of major political figures and well known celebrities in some nations. The submission to the EU also included the copies of over seven thousand signatures from Belgium and photos of signature collections around the world.
After accepting the materials, Mr. Vincent Guerend and Mr. Michalis R Kas stated that it was very touching that the signatures were from so many countries. Mr. Vincent Guerend said that the EU has for many years devoted large efforts to the human rights problems in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners as a whole and to individual cases. He especially mentioned that the EU demanded that China abolish its system of "re-education through labor". Many Falun Gong practitioners have suffered maltreatments in this system. Mr. Michalis R. Kas said that Falun Gong has always been the topic in the human rights dialogue between the EU and China. He hoped CIPFG could provide more materials and information about the persecution to the EU so that they could take action.
On the same day, CIPFG organised a series of activities in thirteen countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Australia, appealing to the world leaders and human rights organizations to take action to stop the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong.
At this time, the petition against the persecution signed by over one million people has been submitted to the United States government, the Australian government, the International Olympic Committee and others. The final result will be submitted to the United Nations' Human Rights Council.
Category: Rallies & Protests
