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| Voices of Support: U.S. Government Officials |
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 George
W. Bush, President of the United States of America
excerpted from a letter addressed
to US Congressman Benjamin Gilman, Washington, DC,
March 13, 2002
….my Adminstration and the
American people remain firmly committed to the defense
of human rights around the world, including the
freedoms of religion and conscience…We have
repeatedly stressed to the Chinese government that
there is no justification for its brutal repression
of Falun Gong. |
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The Late Senator
Paul Wellstone, MN
excerpted from a speech at
a rally in support of Falun Gong, July 19, 2001
So today I come here to be with you as a United
States Senator to send a strong message to the
government
in Beijing. Over the next years to come between
now and 2008 the whole world will be watching,
the whole
world will be watching, the whole world will be
watching and we will over and over and over again
call on the government in Beijing to respect the
full rights of all of the citizens. That is why
we are here and that is why I support you as United
State Senator. Falun Gong thank you so much for
inviting me. |
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Congresswoman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, FL; Chairwoman of the congressional
International Operations and Human Rights subcommittee
excerpted from a speech at a rally in support
of Falun Gong, July 19, 2001
It has been said that the only
thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men and women to do nothing. Therefore, I call upon
my colleagues in the House and in the Senate to
render their support to you and to other victims
of Chinese oppression. To send a strong message
to the Chinese authorities that the United States
stands firm in its defense of human rights and that
the United States Congress will not tolerate such
blatant disregard for human life and for human freedom.
II thank you for your courage. I thank you for
your participation and I thank you for all of
the hard
work that is in front of us as you work to get
a majority of the House of Representatives as
co-sponsors
of House Congressional Resolution 188 and to get
a fair hearing in September so that the world
will
know that we will be silenced no more. |
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Text
of H.Con Res 188, Text of Resolution 188, passed
unanimously
by the U.S. House of Representatives July 23, 2002.
excerpted
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic
of China and its diplomats in the US should cease
its harassment of American citizens and residents
who practice Falun Gong and cease its pressuring
of US officials to refuse support to the Falun Gong
and its practitioners: Now, therefore, be it Resolved
by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the Government of the People’s Republic
of China should cease its persecution of Falun Gong
practitioners; and
(2) the United States Government should use every
appropriate public and private forum to urge the
Government of the People’s Republic of China—
(A) to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners
and put an end to the practices of torture and other
cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment against
them and other prisoners of conscience; and
(B) to abide by the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights by allowing Falun Gong practitioners
to pursue their personal beliefs;
(3) The US Government should investigate illegal
activities by the Government of the People's Republic
of China and its diplomats, concerning harassment
of US citizens and residents who practice Falun
Gong and of US officials who support Falun Gong;
and take legal action or resort to deportion for
those Chinese officials who have been found engaging
in unlawful activities on US soil. |
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Congresswoman
Nancy Pelosi, 8th district, CA; House Minority
Whip
exerpted from a statement at a rally
in support of Falun Gong, July 29th, 2001
Thousands of people are in prison in China for practicing
their belief system: Falun Gong. Hundreds of thousands
of practitioners are in reform through labor camps
for reeducation by the Chinese. Many are in locked
psychiatric facilities to unlearn their beliefs.
Whether we agree with it or not, it is not up to
us to decide on someone else’s religion or
their spirituality, and it is inappropriate, it
is wrong, when any country detains thousands of
people for wanting to freely associate and believe
in something. |
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Former Congressman
Benjamin Gilman, 20th district, NY
exerpted from a statement at a rally in
support of Falun Gong, July 23th, 2002
The Congress and our House International Relations
Committee has repeatedly condemned China's treatment
of the Falun Gong and other religious groups. Just
yesterday, the House passed H. Con. Res. 188, expressing
the sense of Congress that the Government of the
People's Republic of China should cease its persecution
of Falun Gong practitioners. If the regime in Beijing
wants to take its place among civilized nations,
it must end the repression and persecution the Falun
Gong and other religions, and end it now! |
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Congressman
Christopher Smith, 4th district, NJ
excerpted from a speech at a rally in support
of Falun Gong, July 19, 2001
...the United States Congress is firmly behind the
cause of the Falun Gong and say to the Chinese dictatorship,
“Stop it! And stop it now!...I want you to
know, that the White House, and Congress, Democrats
and Republicans alike, are in solidarity with each
and every one of you. We say to Beijing, if you
want be part of the civilized world and join the
nations in that world community and be partners
with the world, stop repressing, stop torturing,
and let the Falun Gong live in peace. |
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Congressman
Dana Rohrbacher, 45th district, CA
excerpted from a speech at a rally in support
of Falun Gong, July 23, 2002
I believe that we have an obligation to stand for
those higher ideals that bind all people together,
and with freedom, we can let all people reach their
highest level. You are really showing the way. You
know, I can't tell you how much I admire you. So
thank you all very much for your sacrifice, and
for reminding us, for reminding Americans that we
have a special role to play because America is a
country with all races and all religions and all
ethnic backgrounds. People come here from all over
the world to show the world that there is a better
way, and you are here to remind Americans of what
that better way is. |
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Congressman
Rush Holt, 12th district, NJ
excerpted from a speech at
a rally in support of Falun Gong, July 23, 2002
No one, no one in the world should have to go through
the brutal persecution and indignity of the Falun
Gong in China. Is it appropriate that we here in
America talk about this? Of course it is. This is
not just an internal matter. We are talking about
human rights. Here in the United States we say the
phrase “Freedom and Justice For All.”
We talk about the divinely given rights of freedom.
We understand that if these rights are diminished
anywhere in the world, it diminishes the rights
of us all. So yes, it is very important that we
talk about those things here. It is very important
that you come today to talk about those things.
And with you I call on the government of China to
speak the truth, to show compassion, and to practice
tolerance for those whose ideas, whose beliefs are
not the standard beliefs of the government. Because
that is what we are talking about when we talk about
human rights. |
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Congresswoman
Sheila Jackson Lee, 18th district, TX
excerpted from a speech at a rally in support
of Falun Gong, July 23, 2002
...I believe that it is truly our responsibility
to stand with you, for as I stated, we are one
human family. One. And I will fight to the end
to stand alongside of you, not judgmentally, but
in
a war of words and love and spirit, to demand that
the Chinese government and the people of China
stand
up to their obligations and responsibilities that
they want on the world arena to be respected.
I
want them to respect you and to demand for you
the same dignity and respect for all other people
of
the great nation of China. |
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Senator
Sam Brownback, KA
excerpted from a speech at a rally in support
of Falun Gong, July 19, 2001
We gather here today to reaffirm our strong commitment
to all people of faith who seek to express their
religious convictions without crushing governmental
interference. We call today for an end to the persecution
of Falun Gong in China as well as other persecuted
religious groups. We ask today for the Chinese
government
to end its campaign against the Falun Gong. Stay
with it, stay at it. God bless you all. |
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Congresswoman
Lynn Woolsey, 6th disctrict, CA
excerpted from a speech at a rally in support of
Falun Gong, July 23, 2002
Many local leaders have an incentive to appease
the Chinese government in order to continue international
trade relationships. But, we must not abandon our
values to fill our pocketbooks.
ìWe must make it clear that democracy and
human rights are a priority in America and that
persecution- including Falun Gong practitioners
and those that support them- is intolerable.
All people deserve the right to live without fear
and in accord with their own conscience. |
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United
States Commission on International Religious
Freedom-
Felice Gaer, Chair
excerpted from a statement at a rally in support
of Falun Gong, July 23, 2002
...As part of its violent repression of the Falun
Gong, the [Chinese] government has pressured individuals
to condemn Falun Gong adherents and renounce that
group's beliefs. The U.S. government should continue
strengthening its efforts to oppose these and other
abusive practices that constitute the Chinese government's
crackdown on religious and spiritual believers. |
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