Published: Saturday 20th October 2007

By a European practitioner

On October 17th 2007, the Human Rights Torch Relay (HRTR) held by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, reached Dublin, which is the 24th city in the 19th country that the relay has visited.



David Norris, a member of the Irish Senate said: “We will wake up the people with Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.”

In downtown Dublin, the capital of Ireland, a ceremony and rally for the arrival of the Human Rights Torch were held. The purpose of the torch relay is to call upon the international society to pay attention to the human rights violations and the persecution of Falun Gong in China, and to ask them to boycott the 2008 Olympics if they are held by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Many human right activists and politicians came to the rally to express their support. In his speech, Senator Joe O’Toole said that the persecution of Falun Gong is worse than the Nazi’s concentration camps. He pointed out that the worst part of the persecution is the organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, which is genocide and must be stopped. Senator O’Toole said that the CCP is the worst dictatorship in the world, and the international society should not ignore the persecution of Falun Gong launched by the CCP. He called upon the Irish Government to cooperate with the European Union to investigate the persecution and condemn the human right violations in China. He expressed that people should not go the Olympics, because a lot of human rights abuses are behind it. He said that the purpose of the rally and torch relay is to let everybody in the world know about the persecution.

Senator David Norris in his speech expressed that the organ harvesting is a new form of evil yet to be seen on this planet. He asked what kind of government persecutes people who believe in “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance” and what kind of government jails its own people just because they practise Falun Gong.

Senator Norris also expressed that he was glad to see support for the torch relay from different political parties. At the end of his speech, he said “We will wake up people with Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.”

You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony.net and their content, but please quote the source.

On the 8th of October 2007, the Human Rights Torch Relay arrived in Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg. Pelle Petterson, who won an Olympic silver medal and bronze medal for Sailing in the 60’s and 70’s carried the Human Rights Torch on behalf of people in Gothenburg. MPs from seven different parties gave speeches at the event and many human rights organisations, artists and young athletes were there showing their support.


Human Rights Torch Relay arrives in Gothenburg

Both Left and Right Wing Parties Expressed Support

The people who came to support the Human Rights Torch Relay included MPs and politicians from different parties, among them are the Moderate Party MP and Industry Management Committee Director Hans Rothenberg, Swedish People’s Party MP and Diplomatic Committee director Cecilia Wigstrom, Centre Party MP and director of Industrial and Commercial Committee Eva Selin Lindberg, Christian Democratic Party MP and director of Labour Committee Lennart Sacredeus, Green Party MPs Peter Radberg and Karla Lopez, Social Democratic Party MP Robert Hammarstrand and Left Party MP Hans Linde.

They all condemned the persecution of the Chinese people by the CCP regime. Meanwhile, they also sharply criticised the International Olympic Committee for giving the right to hold the Olympics to the CCP.

Cecilia Wigstrom MP said, “The Olympics should not be held in China, because large scale persecution is happening there at the moment; for example, the persecution of peaceful religious’ believers, the persecution of human rights lawyers and reporters, harvesting organs from living people and slave labour etc. We are here to express our disgust to the Chinese government. Sweden and the European Union and other democratic countries should make use of this opportunity together to put pressure on the CCP, forcing them to improve the human rights situation. We should let them know that the whole world is watching them.”

MP, Hans Rothenberg said, “Since the Chinese government wants to hold the Olympics, they should accept the spirit of the Olympics. One thousand and three hundred million Chinese people have no freedom of speech and thought under control of the regime. The Swedish government should make use of every opportunity of having meetings with Chinese officials or private communications to make it clear that we respect Chinese people, but we do not accept the way the Chinese government treats their people. I hope the Swedish athletes can help the Chinese people have a big lead forward in the human rights aspect.”


Cecilia Wigstrom MP from People’s Party (the first from right), Peter Radberg MP from Green Party (the second from right), Eva Selin Lindberg MJP from Centre Party (the third from right), Hans Rothenberg MP from the Moderates Party (the fourth from right)

Parliament Resolutions Bring Pressure on the CCP

A few days ago, a Resolution entitled ‘‘Support human rights in China before the Olympics’’, which was drafted by MP Karla Lopez and has been seconded by MPs from many parties before being submitted to the Swedish Parliament. The resolution requests the Swedish government to pay attention to organ harvesting from living people and the persecution of reporters and human rights lawyer Zhisheng Gao and so on. It also requests that the Swedish government should actively associate with other European countries, making use of the Olympics to put pressure on the Chinese government and to support Chinese human rights.

MP Karla Lopez said, ‘‘I support Chinese human rights. Other Gothenburg politicians and I put forward the Resolution related to the Olympics and Chinese human rights, to make it clear to the government that we do not accept violations of human rights.’’ Then Karla told our reporter ‘‘I grew up under the control of a dictatorship. People did not have freedom of speech and dare not to believe each other. I grew up in a totalitarian society, so I knew the truth behind that. Autarchy is source of social sicknesses, if you want to have a good society, the autarchy system must be rooted out.”


MP Karla Lopez running for the Human Rights Torch Relay

Another Resolution named ‘‘When will the Swedish government break its silence to China?’’ was submitted to Parliament by Peter Radberg and his colleagues in the Green Party. In it, they asked the Swedish government to adopt a strong attitude towards the CCP, asking them to stop the death penalty, to stop the brutal persecution of religious believers and activists with different opinions, and to release all innocent people. They asked the Swedish government to take action immediately.

Peter Radberg talked to our reporter: “The Resolution we have suggested will be discussed in the Parliament meeting, it will not exceed half a year at the most. This Human Rights Torch Relay is very good. The Swedish government and the Swedish people must stand out, must pay more attention to Chinese human rights issues. ’’

Various People Supported the Human Rights Torch Relay

The ambassador of the Human Rights Torch Relay in Gothenburg is 65 year old Pelle Petterson who had won Olympics medals twice. He took over the Human Rights Torch from a lady who was in traditional Swedish dress. He said: ‘‘I am very happy to participate in this Human Rights Torch Relay. I was not interested in politics before. However, after hearing about the human rights persecution in China, I would like to influence the Chinese government through this opportunity, to help Chinese people, and let them enjoy democracy and human rights as we do. So I am very willing to participate and support this Human Rights Torch Relay.’’


65 year old Pelle Petterson (centre) received two Olympic medals

There were also many artists who joined this activity. In order to be in sync with the Human Rights Torch Relay activity, graphic artist Annika Lundberg and artist Ann Carlsson Korneev together held an exhibition, giving tribute to the artists and musicians who are calling out for human rights and freedom of speech in China.

“I think China must respect human rights in order to be qualified to hold the Olympics. A lot of Chinese artists and writers are persecuted because of publishing their thoughts. My art draws many things related to the spirit. This is very sensitive issue in China.”

A group of girls fro a youth roller skating hockey team participated in the Human Rights Torch Relay. Fifteen year old Helena Lager said, “We are very happy to join this activity, so that we can bring help of some kind to Chinese human rights. After getting to know the persecution cases happening in China, I felt it was very severe and very fearful. It is wrong for the Chinese government to treat its own people like that.


Roller skating hockey team members participated in the Human Rights Torch Relay.

A representative of the Gothenburg United Nations Association said, “I think the persecution of human rights in China is very serious. It’s very important to let people know the truth before the Olympic Games. We have started a project before the Olympic Games, which is holding some research meetings on China’s problems, in order to come to know more.”


The audience rewarded members of parliament for their speeches with applause.


Members of the audience passing on the Human Rights Torch

You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.

Chinese version available
http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200710/41643.html

By Minghui/Clearwisdom reporter Huang Kaili

(Clearwisdom.net) On October 15, 2007, the First International Chinese Vocal Competition was held in Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City. Contestants were from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Argentina, Germany, England, Greece, Holland, Spain, Norway, Canada, Sweden, Korea, Singapore and America. Thirty-six contestants will enter the semifinals.


Vocalist Guo Jinhui: Ms. Guo was born in Taiwan, and studied singing in Italy. She lives in Montreal. She performed Antonin Dvorak's Song to the Moon. She won the third place in an international vocal competition held in the Czech Republic, 1999, and second place in a competition held in Taiwan, 2003.


Vocalist Xu Dechong, the 45th contestant in the Bel Canto division


Vocalist Liu Maoguo from Japan, the 17th contestant in the Chinese Folk Singing division


Vocalist Tan Ge, the 18th contestant, is performing Nessun Dorma.


Vocalist Tang Fakai, the 63rd contestant, is performing L'Ultimo Bacio.

The competition has four divisions: Male and Female Chinese Folk Singing and Bel Canto. Many contestants have won awards in international or national vocal competitions. Many of them are professional singers at opera houses and some are professors or students at well-known schools in America and Europe.

Ms. Yang Jiansheng, a prominent Contralto and one of the judges of the competition, said that this is the first international Chinese vocal competition that offers the world a chance to learn about Chinese culture. She said that what the organizers and the contestants are doing is very meaningful.

Some contestants said that the competition is very intense, because many skilled and well-known vocalists have entered it. They said that this competition is a significant event in the world vocalist community and is a good opportunity for Chinese vocalists to showcase traditional Chinese art to the world.

Contestants from different cultures

Vocalist Lan Yeliu, one of the judges of the competition, stated that he was surprised by the multi-cultural background of the contestants.

He said the contestants are from different cultures and the songs they are performing are in many languages, including German, French, Italian and Chinese, which was a challenge to the judges.

Chen Long, a contestant from Taiwan, told this reporter that the contestants are from more than 20 countries and many are very accomplished and have won awards in international competitions. He felt honored to be among them.

Jason Fuh from America performed Mattinata by Ruggero Leoncavallo in Italian. He said that in Western society, Chinese vocalists have very few opportunities to compete with Westerners, and people don't pay enough attention to Chinese music. He said that this competition offers a good opportunity for Chinese vocalists to share their arts and encourage each other.

The Competition helps to promote Chinese culture

Zhao Weining from America, a contestant in the Women's Chinese Folk Singing Division, performed a traditional Chinese folk song, which told a love story. She said that the song is a pure love story and fortunately the lyrics were not changed by the Chinese Communist Party. She said there are many beautiful Chinese folk songs in China, but many Chinese singers don't know about them, so we have lost many songs. She said that the competition is helping to promote those beautiful Chinese folk songs.

The Competition offers a stage for Chinese vocalists

Qi Guosheng from New York said that the competition offers a stage for Chinese vocalists and promotes Chinese art to the world. He said it is very meaningful and nobody has done it before.

He expressed that it is a significant event for both Chinese and Western artists. He pointed out that the competition breaks down the obstacles between Chinese and Western culture and makes Chinese arts a part of the mainstream arts.

It is Chinese artists' responsibility to promote Chinese art

Lin Wenyu from Argentina said, "Most Chinese vocalists only sing Western songs for Western audiences and [as a result] very few Westerners know about Chinese songs. I hope that I can help to promote Chinese art, which is Chinese artists' responsibility."

Chen Xinqin from Malaysia said, "This competition is for Chinese vocalists, and every contestant must perform at least one Chinese song. It helps to promote Chinese culture."

The competition purifies people's hearts and promotes righteous art

Xu Jianing from Germany said, "I hope that more Chinese people will join us to promote traditional and righteous Chinese culture." Chen Long from Taiwan expressed, "NTDTV is devoted to the righteous arts. It will bring the righteous arts to the arts and educational community. Modern society is full of evil stuff and many young people are influenced by it. We need people like NTDTV to promote the righteous arts, which will purify people's hearts and raise the moral standard." Tang Zhimin from Taiwan said that traditional and morally upright vocal styles will become the mainstream. He said that he felt honored to be one of the contestants helping to promote upright vocal tradition on the international stage.

It is an honor to win, but it is more important to participate

Chu Meiniang from Taiwan expressed, "It is an honor to win, because the winners will be recognized in the international vocal community. I would really appreciate it if I win and I thank everyone who has helped me."

Chen Xinqin said, "I hope I can win, but I am not attached to it. I will face everything with a calm heart. It is more important to participate."

The semifinals and the final round of the competition will be held on October 16 and 17. A reception will be held on the 17th, at which the Divine Performing Arts will perform.

The International Chinese Vocal Competition is one of the "Global Competition Series" hosted by NTDTV. The purpose of the competition series is to revive traditional belief and the upright moral connotations carried by authentic Chinese culture, including respect for Heaven, the value of virtue, the cultivation of the mind to be kind, and other virtues such as benevolence, loyalty, courtesy, wisdom and trust.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/10/16/164652.html

We welcome your comments and suggestions, please email:
feedback@clearwisdom.net

Swedish Politicians and Olympic Medalist Welcome Human Rights Torch
By Chowa Choo
Epoch Times Sweden Staff
Oct 10, 2007


Olympic medalist Pelle Pettersson (C) said that he strongly supports the Chinese people's desire for democracy and human rights. (Lilly Wang/The Epoch Times)

GOTHENBERG, Sweden—The Human Rights Torch Relay completed another leg, arriving in Gothenberg, Sweden where it was greeted by Members of Parliament representing all major political parties in Sweden.

The torch represents the hope of concerned citizens around the globe that the Chinese people will be granted the human rights guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution and belonging to every human being.

The message of the Torch appealed to Olympic medalist in sailing 1964 and 1972, Pelle Pettersson who participated in the event.

"When one hears about how serious the situation is in China, and there is a possibility to influence the Chinese authorities through activities like this so that the lives of the people can improve, I will definitely support it," said Pettersson.

The Global Human Rights Torch Relay was initiated by CIPFG to call on the international community to prevent the Olympics Games in Beijing from being exploited by the Chinese communist regime to improve its image, despite widespread violations of human rights.

In Gothenburg, a group of sports enthusiasts accompanied by Members of Parliament Karla López and Peter Rådman carried the Human Rights Torch from the Götaplatsen, passing in front of the Chinese consulate, before heading for a rally at Kungsportsplatsen.

Olympic medallist Pelle Pettersson came forward to receive the torch delegation when it arrived.

"I think the Chinese communists have basically no understanding of human rights, but for sure they understand the language of economics," said Member of Parliament Cecilia Wigström.

Over the years the Chinese regime has intimidated countries that criticise its human rights abuses by threatening to impair their business opportunities. Wigström said that China needs to trade with other countries and vice versa, so there is no reason to fear its rage.


Members of Parliament Hans Rothenberg (holding sign), Eva Selin Lindgren (C), Peter Rådman (2R), and Cecilia Wigström (R) at the Global Human Rights Torch Relay in Gothenburg. (Lilly Wang/The Epoch Times)

"If we have a common line of response within the EU and the USA we will have much more economic power, and I think they will have to consider it," Wigström added.

"Our voices from the Swedish government and the ordinary citizens must be clearer," said Mr. Peter Rådberg who thinks that it is doubtful to host the Olympics in Beijing because China has violated the rules of Olympic Committee and should be disqualified.

Almost all the speakers at the rally has the common point of view that nations should use the opportunity of the Olympics to apply more pressure, and seek for an international coordinated strategy against the regime's criminal acts towards its own people.

"The pressure of the world on China will force the regime to be more open," said Member of Parliament Hans Rothenburg.

Human rights is a moral issue that surpasses ideological differences. But understanding the plight of the victim is not an easy matter. Karla López described her personal experience in living under oppression:

"In fact I grew up in a dictatorship. There was an unbelievable pressure that I felt. People didn`t trust trust each other; people dared not say what they thought. That affected people very much mentally, and how they treated their children within the family. I grew up in an authoritarian society. It is not something that I would wish for other people. I can understand the mechanisms behind. When society is like this, it is sick. It must heal—it must change fundamentally."

Gothenburg city politician Robert Hammarstrand said that the Chinese people's endeavour for democracy and human rights must be supported.

Member of Parliament Hans Linde urged every politician who sets foots in China or meets representatives from the Chinese regime to put human rights high up on their agendas.

"I think it is a pity that western leaders don't make good use of this opportunity," said Cecilia Wigström, referring to the Olympics.

The Human Rights Torch Relay started its journey in Athens, Greece, and has reached seventeen cities in Europe. After Gothenburg it is heading for Oslo. It will eventually cross five continents, bringing its message of hope for an end to the Chinese regime's human rights abuses to the entire world.
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-10/60575.html

'The law only means what the communist government says it means on any particular day.'
The Epoch Times
Oct 09, 2007


Clive M. Ansley, an international human rights attorney and a professor of Chinese law. (Lori Har-El/The Epoch Times)

Want to know how the Chinese legal system works? Ask an expert.

The first foreign lawyer to establish a legal practice in China, Clive Ansley is a foremost authority on the Chinese legal system. As a professor of Chinese law both in Canada and China, and with more than 40 years experience in Sino-Canadian relationships, he has been called to testify on the Chinese legal system by various countries including Canada, the United States, and several European nations.

An outspoken critic of human rights violations in China, Ansley is the China country monitor for Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada. Following allegations that China is harvesting organs from living prisoners of conscience—Falun Gong practitioners in particular— Ansley joined the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) as co-chair of the organization's U.S.- Canada Chapter.

In an interview with The Epoch Times' Cathy Liu, Ansley comments on the Chinese legal system, the allegations of illicit organ harvesting , and the Global Human Rights Torch Relay, launched by CIPFG in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. CIPFG's goal is to pressure China to end its human rights abuses, especially the persecution of Falun Gong.

Epoch Times: The International Olympic Committee awarded Beijing the 2008 Olympic Games in 2001 with the expectation that the Chinese Communist Party would improve its human rights record. Has it kept its promise?

Clive Ansley: It is blatantly obvious that not only have they not kept any promise to improve the situation, but that the human rights abuses are worse today than they have even been in the past. My position is that you haven't even spoken to the issue of human rights if people do not have freedom of speech. If you do not have freedom of speech, if you cannot oppose the government of the day, if you don't have freedom of assembly, if you don't have freedom of religion, then you don't really have any fundamental human rights.

My point in talking about the organ trade is that if you have something that is as blatantly bestial and uncivilized as this, how can you even discuss the improvement in human rights? David Matas and David Kilgour in their report said this is "a new kind of evil." Even the Nazis in Germany didn't come up with this.

ET: Do you think there is any way to improve human rights under communism?

CA: As long as this government's in power, you're never going to have any real respect for fundamental human rights. That is an important thing to recognize. However, by embarrassing them, by maybe threatening to take away the Olympics, by trade measures in the future, basically by pressure we may force them to at least abandon the most vicious, the most diabolical, the most bestial of their practices, such as this killing of innocent human beings in order to steal their organs. If we expose it and we horrify enough people with our conscious around the world, we may be able to put enough pressure on the Chinese government so they say "we can't do that any more."

It's not that they're going to go out and improve human rights generally, this government is opposed to due process, fundamentally opposed the rule of law, fundamentally opposed to implementing the rule of law, or to implementing any system which really recognizes any human rights. Just as the extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany, for example, we were not ever going to turn Hitler into a democrat, we were not ever going to turn Adolph Hitler into a crusader for human rights. But had we done the right and moral thing and had we known about what was happening at the time, we may well had been able to stop Adolph Hitler from killing six million Jews.

ET: When people are more fully aware of what is happening in China, they are going to have to make a difficult decision between conscience and money.

CA: I'm optimistic, I tend to think the basic nature of man is good, and to do the right thing. The issue today is information; most ordinary people in the West don't have the information. Ordinary Canadians never heard about these kinds of things, they have a very favourable image of the Beijing government, because the Liberal government, the biggest corporations in Canada, and the mainstream media all have a wonderful, glorified image of Beijing, of China, and the tremendous progress made on every front. They even have the impression that human rights is being improved. I don't think it's true that ordinary people have a hard time choosing between conscience and money. They've never had the choice, they've never received the information.

ET: One of the requests put forward by CFPIG is to release the lawyers who have defended Falun Gong. If a lawyer is prosecuted for choosing his own client, if a lawyer cannot make the decision of who to represent, what kind of legal system is it?

CA: It's not a legal system at all. The law only means what the communist government says it means on any particular day. When we look now at the so-called judicial system, and lawyers defending clients of their choice, or being able to take on a case when a client chooses them, there is absolutely no improvement. I'm the country monitor for China for Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, and we figure there's somewhere between 100 and 200 Chinese lawyers in jail today, just for speaking out against the government or taking on unpopular causes.

ET: What is the significance of boycotting the 2008 Olympics?

CA: In general, the key thing is information. People around the world have to know, they have to have information and understand it before they can act on it. Anything that can expose what Beijing has been doing is worthwhile pursuing. On the issue of the Olympics itself, there is something particularly shameful and disgusting about the participation of the International Olympic Committee in all of this.

The parallels with Nazi Germany in 1936 are quite eerie. In 1936, the Nazis were without a doubt the worst violators of human rights upon the planet. So the International Olympics Committee awarded them the games, in Berlin, in 1936. Later people said, well, we didn't really know. We knew he said a lot of bad things about the Jews, we know he was suppressing free speech in Germany, but we had no idea he was going to put all these Jews in ovens and in crematoriums and so forth.

Now the knowledge is out there, not everybody knows yet, and we have to keep working on spreading it. But basically the outside world cannot say today about Beijing that when we gave them the Olympics, we didn't know what they were doing, we didn't know what was going on, we didn't know about the organ theft. The information is out there, I think the only moral thing to do, on the part of the Olympic Committee, even at this late stage would be to move the Olympics.

ET: Tell us more about the Global Human Rights Torch Relay.

The Human Rights Torch Relay is the protest against the "Bloody Harvest Olympics," which is the name now being attributed to the games in Beijing in 2008. Having that parallel is a great way to get people to start comparing these two things that should not be together. We should not have the regular Olympics together with the slaughter of human beings for the theft of their organs.

Bloody Harvest is the title of a report by human rights lawyer David Matas and former Parliamentarian David Kilgour, both Canadians, on the illicit organ trade in China.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-9/60543.html