(Clearwisdom.net) On March 6, 2010, H. Res.605 was passed by a vote of 412 to 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution called for an immediate end to the campaign to persecute, intimidate, imprison, and torture Falun Gong practitioners.
The following was speech given by Congressman Frank Wolf from Virginia before voting at the House of Representative:
"Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 605, a resolution recognizing the continued persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China on the 10th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party campaign to suppress the Falun Gong spiritual movement. The resolution also calls for an immediate end to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
"The Chinese government's abuse of the Falun Gong is well-documented. The State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report found that that the Government of China, 'continued to restrict severely the activities of groups it designated as "evil religions," including several Christian groups and Falun Gong....There are reports that dedicated government offices were responsible for coordinating operations against Falun Gong.'
"Just last week, the State Department released its annual Human Rights Report, which included numerous examples of the Chinese government's persecution of the Falun Gong including the following: 'Family members of activists, dissidents, Falun Gong practitioners, journalists, unregistered religious figures, and former political prisoners were targeted for arbitrary arrest, detention, and harassment.' The report continued, 'Police continued to detain current and former Falun Gong practitioners and used possession of Falun Gong material as a pretext for arresting political activists. The government continued its use of high-pressure tactics and mandatory anti-Falun Gong study sessions to force practitioners to renounce Falun Gong.'
"Among the most notorious human rights abuses of the Chinese government last year was the arrest and subsequent disappearance of top Christian human rights attorney, Gao Zhisheng. Gao had defended house church Christians and Falun Gong members, which earned the ire of the government. According to the State Department, 'At year's end his whereabouts remained unconfirmed...' Prior to his arrest Gao had published a letter in which he went into great detail about the torture he experienced during his previous detention. Gao has paid dearly for his defense of basic human rights including those of Falun Gong practitioners.
"China has become increasingly brazen in its human rights abuses. In the face of this repression, America has a responsibility to continually affirm that we stand with the defenseless--with those whose voices have been silenced. President Reagan understood this well. He famously described the U.S. Constitution as a covenant we have made not only with ourselves but with all of mankind. This Congress and this administration must be unwavering in our support of all persecuted peoples, be they Coptic Christians in Egypt, Baha'is in Iran or Falun Gong in China."
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