Whereas, Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice deeply rooted in ancient Chinese culture. The practice is peaceful and apolitical. It consists of meditation, gentle exercises, and the guiding principle of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance; and

Whereas, the government of the People's Republic of China banned the practice of Falun Gong in July 1999 and began a brutal and relentless crackdown on millions of Falun Gong practitioners, which has continued unceasingly up to the present; and

Whereas, according to world media and human rights groups, as of July 17, 2001:

At least 265 Falun Gong practitioners have reportedly died from torture and ill treatment in police custody, including three savage mass murders of approximately 30-40 persons in total in recent weeks; (65 deaths were reported in the past two months alone.)

Tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained, tortured, raped, and brutally abused, physically and mentally, simply for being Falun Gong practitioners;

At least 25,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to labor camps without trial;

Some 1,000 mentally healthy people have been forced into mental hospitals where they have been abused with anti-psychotic or sedative drugs and electric shocks;

Hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners have been put on show-trials and handed stiff sentences of up to 18 years in prison;

Tens of thousands of families in China have been torn apart, and Falun Gong practitioners have been deprived of the rights to education, work, pension and state housing for refusing to give up their beliefs; and

Numerous Falun Gong books, videotapes, and audiotapes have been confiscated and burned;

Whereas, this crackdown violates China's own Constitution as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, both of which have been signed by the People's Republic of China; and

Whereas, during the extreme violence and torture, Falun Gong practitioners have shown unparalleled forbearance, with not one practitioner having hit back or retaliated in any way, and with practitioners worldwide having used only non-violent, peaceful means to appeal; and

Now therefore, be it resolved that IAOHRA condemn this extremely brutal persecution and call on:

(1) The Government of the People's Republic of China to:

(A) put an immediate end to the killings, the practice of torturing practitioners, abusing practitioners in psychiatric hospitals, and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of the practitioners of Falun Gong and release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners;

(B) repeal the illegal ban on Falun Gong and allow Falun Gong practitioners to pursue their personal belief.

(2) The Government of the United States, Canada and the United Nations to:

(A) condemn the persecution of Falun Gong in China; and

(B) urge the Government of the People's Republic of China to stop the killings, torture, mass arbitrary detentions, unfair trials and other human rights violations resulting from the crackdown on Falun Gong and lift the ban on Falun Gong; and

(C) at the same time, initiate and carry out concrete actions to rescue the Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted in China.

Submitted by Mary Woo Sims, Canadian Representative on IAOHRA Board (International Association of Human Rights Agencies)

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