Following the release of the State Department's annual report on the status of international religious freedom, on the afternoon of September 7, the United States Congress held a witness hearing regarding this issue.

When speaking of the Chinese government's brutal persecution of Falun Gong, Robert Seiple, the State Department's Ambassador of International Religious Freedom, emotionally described the death of Chen Zixiu, a woman in China who was beaten to death for being a Falun Dafa practitioner. All in the audience attending the hearing were deeply touched.

Later on a Chinese-American citizen gave a speech on his experiences in China. He was detained and physically abused by police while he was visiting Tiananmen Square as a tourist, just because he was a Falun Gong practitioner. He appealed to the international community to continue to pay attention the issue and help resolve the issue peacefully. He also urged the Chinese government to abide by the PRC constitution and human rights laws and stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

The hearing attracted a large audience with various backgrounds. Congressman Chris Smith, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights of the International Relations Committee presided over this hearing. He drafted last year's Resolution denouncing the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong (note: this Resolution passed unanimously in Congress). He also drafted the recent Dear Colleague' letter to President Clinton. Congressman Chris Smith and the witnesses from the US Commission on Religious Freedom all denounced the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong.

Washington DC, USA September 7, 2000