WASHINGTON–Marking the 10th year since former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin banned the practice of Falun Gong, over 1,000 practitioners from around the globe protested July 16 at a rally on Capitol Hill.
Congressmen and women, speakers from human rights, religious and pro-democracy organizations expressed their words of condemnation of the Chinese communist regime’s harsh policies towards Falun Gong practitioners, ethnic minorities, religious adherents, and democracy advocates.
Of special note in this year’s rally was the presence of Geng He, the wife of renowned lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, who on Feb. 4 was abducted and feared tortured and killed by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Security. Gao’s wife and two children only this year managed to escape from China and were awarded asylum in the U.S.
It was July 20, 1999 that “the CCP launched a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong,” said Gail Rachlin, from the Falun Dafa Information Center and the host for the event. “It was a conscious and deliberate decision by [former Communist leader] Jiang Zemin and taken up by the CCP propaganda,” said Ms. Rachlin.
The tone of the rally was set early on by the first speaker, Dr. Sue Vaughn from Freedom House, an organization that has been closely monitoring the status of democratic and human civil liberties in China for several years.
“Chinese citizens cannot democratically choose their leadership at any level of government…they cannot enjoy the most basic rights and civil liberties of a robust free society …cannot organize, protest or criticize their government. They cannot express their political opinion or freely practice the religion of their choice,” said Dr. Vaughn.
“The Chinese government in terms of pervasiveness and cruelty is the worst violator of human rights on the earth,” said Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey. “…too many in the European community and the United States act as if it is not happening,” he said. “We need to remind President Obama that first and foremost [should be] human rights; trade and commerce issues come second.”
“The use of torture [by China] has been documented over and over again and by the United Nations.” Rep. Smith said he believed that the forced abortions and sterilizations in China to be the “greatest crime against women,” making it illegal to have brothers and sisters.
“God Is On Our Side”
The Gao family—not just lawyer Gao—had suffered tremendously under their constant surveillance, interference, deprivation, and physical abuse by the CCP.
