(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a rally on Stephansplatz in Vienna, Austria, on August 31, 2024, to raise awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. Dr. Gudrun Kugle, and Ms. Faika El-Nagashi, both members of Austria’s National Council, addressed the rally and condemned the CCP’s brutality.
Ms. Petra Bayr, who has been a member of the National Council for more than 20 years participated in the candlelight vigil on August 30 and condemned the persecution. She initiated a motion to urge the Austrian government to amend current laws and codes and to ratify the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs.
Dr. Gudrun Kugler (left in the orange shirt) and Ms. Faika El-Nagashi (right in the white shirt), Members of Austria’s National Council, call for an end to the CCP’s persecution.
Dr. Gudrun Kugler (right) and Ms. Faika El-Nagashi (left) with a Falun Dafa practitioner
Although they belong to different political parties, they are both members of the National Council’s Human Rights Committee and jointly condemn the CCP’s persecution and its forced organ harvesting from living practitioners.
On the evening of August 30, the day before, the practitioners held an event on Stephen’s Square. The music played by the Tian Guo Marching Band drew many passersby to watch and record videos. When night fell, the practitioners sat in silence to commemorate those practitioners who lost their lives in the CCP’s 25 years of persecution. Some people joined them to show their support.
The Tian Guo Marching Band’s performance drew many passersby.
Passersby sign the petition calling for an end to the CCP’s persecution.
Candlelight vigil to commemorate those practitioners who were persecuted to death.
People sign the petition by the light of a cell phone.
Ms. Petra Bayr, who has been a member of the National Council for more than 20 years, was present at the vigil. She is also a member of the National Council’s human rights committee and the spokesperson for foreign policy and global development of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ). Members of the National Council from three parties were interviewed by Minghui reporters, and all expressed their commitment to stop the CCP’s forced organ harvesting and persecution.
National Council Parties Support Legislation to Stop the Illegal Organ Trafficking
Ms. Petra Bayr, Member of the National Council
Ms. Petra Bayr initiated a motion to urge the Austrian government to amend current laws and codes and then ratify the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs. Ms. Bayr said stopping the CCP’s forced organ harvesting has been a focus of her entire political career. Over the past 20 years, she has spoken out for Falun Gong practitioners many times. She said that the CCP’s live organ harvesting is not limited to Falun Gong practitioners, but is universal. As the initiator, she was pleased to see that all parties supported and passed the motion to urge the government to ratify the Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs. In this regard, she said, “How can we support killing others and taking their organs? This [live organ harvesting] completely violates our rights as human beings, violates the education we have received, and violates our every thought.”
Preparations for the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs have now entered the legislative phase. “This means that we have to amend all the laws related to the convention,” Ms. Bayer said. She indicated that this would be complicated, but after it is completed, “Austrians will not be able to obtain organs that have been forcibly removed, no matter where the transplant surgery is performed.”
In order to stop the CCP’s crime of organ harvesting, she hopes that “international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court responsible for the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, will launch an investigation.” She said that it is important that “this issue should be put on the agenda of international organizations, taken seriously, and resolved.”
In her many years of dealing with the CCP, she knows that this is not an easy task: “It is very difficult, just like drilling a hole in a thick wooden board, but we cannot give up.” She is convinced that Falun Gong practitioners and people who do not harm society, “have the right to practice their beliefs, convictions and life goals. This is a human right, which also includes personal safety, physical integrity, the right to life, the right to health, etc. It is worth working for.”
Taking Responsibility to Help Stop the Persecution
Dr. Gudrun Kugler said that the CCP’s persecution violates human rights.
Dr. Gudrun Kugler is the human rights spokesperson for the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). She said that the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong has violated many human rights: “There is evidence that Falun Gong is being persecuted. I see different human rights being violated: the rights of minorities, religious freedom, the right to bodily integrity related to organ harvesting, and arbitrary arrests that restrict the right to freedom.” She also pointed out, “Forced organ harvesting is a crime that cannot be described in words and must be stopped immediately.
“I am very clear that I should contribute to protecting human rights.” She also said that in the past few years, the National Council has passed resolutions and proposals on stopping the CCP’s crimes almost every year, and she has also spoken out many times to stop the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong. Although she has seen that some Western countries have not done what they should do because of their economic ties with China, it is very clear to her: “I think that the problems we see must be made public anyway. Visibility is a help to those who are persecuted, even if it is only the first step. It is also important to work hard to reduce our dependence on China, which is also important for the European economy.”
Although the persecution is happening in China, Dr. Kugler said, “We live in a global community. If people in other places are suffering, if they are treated unfairly, then this is also related to us.” About stopping the persecution, she said, “Europe has a responsibility. I live in a medium-sized country in Europe, and I have a responsibility here, too. I believe that if each of us takes our responsibilities seriously, then China may feel a lot of pressure at some point and have to compromise. And this can alleviate the situation of the victims of the persecution.”
Continuous Effort to End the Persecution
Ms. Faika El-Nagashi said more people should know about the CCP’s persecution.
Ms. Faika El-Nagashi, Member of the National Council from the Green Party (GRÜNE), has also had regular exchanges with Falun Gong practitioners over the past decade. She said, “The persecution of Falun Gong is systematic and covers a wide range of political and social levels. The CCP regards Falun Gong as a threat and a danger and is afraid of losing power. But where is the threat? [Falun Gong] is just a peaceful practice that focuses very much on the heart. There is a big contradiction here, but from this we can also see that [Falun Gong] has great power and potential.”
She said she had a good impression of the practitioners she met. Talking about participating in the event that day, she said, “It’s nice to be able to tell the outside world together why we should work for this and why it is so important. This event in the center of Vienna also achieves this effect.”
Regarding how to stop the persecution of Falun Gong that has gone on for 25 years, she said, “Over the past few years, we have been working hard on this. I also want to make this an issue at the parliamentary level.” She said she also talks about this regularly in her contacts with China at different levels, “Let it become a topic for our public and media. At the same time, we will try to solve it through transnational resolutions and other means.”
A more specific example of the persecution is the CCP’s organ harvesting. In her speech, she said, “We need to make more people aware that the organs they get to prolong their lives are not donated and have nothing to do with voluntary participation. Behind the scenes is the systematic harvesting of organs from people who are detained for political persecution.” In the interview, she continued, “Austria can exert political pressure to make these [CCP] human rights violations in China clearer, more widely known, and stopped.”
People Admire Practitioners’ Perseverance
Ever since the CCP began persecuting Falun Gong, practitioners around the world have come up with all kinds of ways to let more and more people know what Falun Dafa is and how cruel the persecution is so that we can all work together to end it. Referring to practitioners’ perseverence over the past 25 years, Dr. Kugler said that Falun Gong practitioners are very brave. She knows that there are CCP agents outside of China and said, “I admire practitioners’ courage to stand up, especially the courage to still make sacrifices when they may be in danger. They deserve more support from people, not just politicians.”
Many passersby signed the petition during the event and said they hoped the Austrian government would do something to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong. Armin Ellinger said as he signed, “It is a show of support, it allows people to see that China is not isolated and that people are paying attention to China. It is extending a helping hand. More people should support your efforts. This cannot continue. People are being persecuted.” When he was told practitioners have been exposing the persecution for 25 years, he said, “I extend my greatest respects. No matter what the outcome, they always persevere.”
Parker Zak, who works for the U.S. government, said that the persistence of Falun Gong practitioners is, “amazing, and it shows the strong power of their faith. I support them. No one should be persecuted for their beliefs, but the CCP is doing this, which is really unfortunate. This should end as soon as possible, and the persecution should not happen.”
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Category: Rallies & Protests
