[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14849]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               FALUN GONG

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. RICHARD A. GEPHARDT

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 24, 2002

  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, earlier this evening I was unavoidably 
detained during the vote on House Concurrent Resolution 188, expressing 
the sense of Congress that the Government of the People's Republic of 
China should cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Had I 
been present for this vote, I would have voted ``aye.''
  As enumerated repeatedly in U.S. Government and independent human 
rights reports, practitioners of Falun Gong have been subjected to 
numerous human rights abuses by the Chinese Government. These abuses 
have extended from intimidation and surveillance to torture and other 
cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment against them and other 
prisoners of conscience.
  These practices must end. This resolution calls on the Chinese 
Government 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. It also calls on the Chinese 
Government 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.
  Mr. Speaker, we must continue to remind the international community 
of the Chinese Government's systematic abuse of the human rights of 
Falun Gong practitioners and others, and to demand--in every possible 
forum--that the Chinese Government cease such activities. I therefore 
strongly support this resolution.

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