Anniversary Archives - Falun Dafa Information Center

July 20, 2023 marks the 24th anniversary of Falun Dafa practitioners’ peaceful resistance against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of their faith. Tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners around the world participated in rallies and parades to call for an end to the persecution, including in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other nations. On this anniversary, many officials and government agencies in the United States published video statements and letters in support of Falun Gong practitioners and applauded their efforts to expose these crimes against humanity. They also condemned the CCP’s persecution and organ harvesting from living practitioners. Government officials in other countries similarly sent statements of support, including Parliamentary members from Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, and government officials in Taiwan. In addition to the statements from UK parliamentary members, Lord David Alton also delivered a keynote speech on "Organ Harvesting and Falun Gong" in the British parliament's House of Lords on July 17, 2023. The following are compiled statements from U.S. members of Congress, the Department of State, members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Bipartisan Support from Members of Congress Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives recorded videos or sent letters of support to Falun Gong practitioners, condemning the CCP’s persecution and calling for it to end. Senator Ted Cruz stated, “For more than two decades, the Chinese Communist Party has violated the human rights of those who practice Falun Gong. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been imprisoned, tortured and murdered by the CCP. They believe that they have the ability to commit these atrocities without repercussions and the world would remain silent. Unfortunately, far too often they have not been proved right.” The Senator continued, “It is our duty to call out the CCP’s persecution and hold them accountable. I unequivocally denounce China’s inhumane treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. I am proud to stand with you.” Congressman French Hill said in the above video, “As the world fully knows well, the Chinese Communist Party’s barbarism against Falun Gong in China has been ongoing for over two decades. Over this period millions of Falun Gong practitioners has been detained or imprisoned and thousands have been killed, including the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of forced organ harvesting.” As a member of the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations within the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Hill said he was glad to work with the subcommittee’s Chair, Rep. Christopher Smith, to stand against the brutality. He was proud to co-sponsor H.R.1154 - Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 that sanctions those involved in forced organ harvesting. In addition, the act would target those who fund or facilitate the crime of organ harvesting. “It’s high time for our nation and like-minded freedom loving countries to address this problem through legislation, and put a stop to not only this inhuman practice, but take a strong stand towards ever-growing aggression of the Chinese Communist Party.” Congresswoman Young Kim said in her video that we rally together for human rights and against CCP’s horrific human rights abuses like we saw begin 24 years ago against Falun Gong practitioners. “We also know that there is growing evidence that the CCP is even harvesting organs from religious and ethnic minorities around the world. I’m proud that I recently supported in committee a bill to empower the administration to identify and punish CCP members involved in such heinous acts.” Senator Todd Young said in his video, “The CCP has systemically persecuted ethnic and religious minorities in China for decades, deploying scare tactics and restricting the freedoms of Chinese people. Groups like Falun Gong have encountered slavery and endured unspeakable human rights abuses in the hands of the CCP. And all this injustice, brutality and abuses occurred under the legal umbrella of the communist laws. The associated practice of faith and culture with extremism and terrorism, in short, the CCP is waging a war of terror against the very ideas of expression of culture and religious belief.” Letters and statements of support were also sent by the following members of Congress: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA), Senator Marco Rubio (FL), Senator John Boozman (AR), Representative Bill Pascrell (NJ), Representative Gerald E. Connolly (VA), Representative Nancy Mace (SC), Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Representative David Trone (MD), Representative Sam Graves (MO), Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA), Representative Tom Tiffany (WI), Representative Lori Chavez-Deremer (OR), Representative Glenn Grothman (WI), and Representative Donald Norcross (NJ). Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and Pete Sessions (TX) also showed their support via Twitter. Fitzpatrick is a cosponsor of the Falun Gong Protection Act (H.R. 4132) introduced on June 14, 2023, aimed at sanctioning and condemning the perpetrators involved with forced organ harvesting in China. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Each year, the DOS releases annual reports on the developments of human rights and religious freedom in the world. The persecution of Falun Gong is featured in these reports, particularly in the country chapters for China, Russia, and Vietnam. In 2023, the DOS international religious freedom report highlighted Falun Gong 39 times in its China chapter. On July 20, 2023, the 24th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller, tweeted: “Today, we recognize 24 years since the People’s Republic of China launched a campaign of repression, inside and outside its borders, against Falun Gong and its millions of practitioners, advocates, and human rights defenders. We stand in solidarity with this community.” During a news briefing in the Department of State on the same day, Miller mentioned sanctions against several individuals responsible for the persecution. “I think we’ve made our position clear on this,” he said. “We’ve imposed a number of measures already. It’s an issue that remains of concern for us.” The U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Rashad Hussain also took a stand to contend that the CCP “should end its 24-year persecution of followers of Falun Gong,” that have “targeted and harmed millions of practitioners, including individuals in the U.S.” Congressional-Executive Commission on China The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is an independent agency of the U.S. government which monitors human rights and rule of law developments in the People's Republic of China. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) chair Representative Chris Smith and co-chair Senator Jeff Merkley tweeted the following to condemn the Chinese regime for its ongoing human rights violations: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The chair of USCIRF, Abraham Cooper, spoke at the July 20 rally in front of the Capitol Building. Cooper asked for President Biden to "take more consequential actions to hold the Chinese government and its agents accountable for religious freedom abuses in China and the United States." For the full picture on government actions by the United States between 1999-2023, visit:

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