Conclusion
Conclusion
First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out.Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.
– Martin Niemoeller1
The investigations documented in this book have revealed a human rights crisis that has persisted for almost five years in the People’s Republic of China—the world’s most populous nation. Millions of innocent people are living in constant fear for their lives, under a campaign of state terrorism, persecution, and genocide.
Before the persecution started in July 1999, a Shanghai TV station reported in 1998 that about one hundred million people were practicing Falun Gong in China. This was almost one in every ten people. Using a nationwide campaign of imprisonment and torture, fomented by the massive state-run propaganda machine and facilitated by state-run institutions such as forced-labor camps and mental hospitals, the government is relentless in its attempt to extinguish the spiritual belief of Falun Gong. Not only are the fundamental human rights of those one hundred million in jeopardy but also the rights of their families, friends, colleagues, employers, and educators, and those of the entire population of China. Every aspect of Chinese society is affected by the sweeping policies aimed at rooting out Falun Gong.
However, in the face of such widespread and vicious persecution, Falun Gong practitioners, with their methods of peaceful resistance, have put the words “human rights” into practice for Chinese people. Their actions inspire not only Chinese people but also anyone who believes in universal values such as justice and democracy. It has taken some western countries hundreds of years to substantiate the meaning of human rights and democracy, yet Falun Gong practitioners are doing the same in China at this very moment while at the same time validating the cherished principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance. They are being imprisoned, tortured, maimed, and killed for their actions, and the precious values they believe in are being slandered.
Unable to eliminate the practice of Falun Gong and unable to break the spirit of those who practice, the Jiang regime is resorting to the most unimaginable and inhuman method of extermination: genocide. More and more resources are being allocated to eradicating Falun Gong at all costs, and more effort is being taken to cover up the atrocities. Despite the difficulty in obtaining information about death cases, it has been confirmed as of May 11, 2004, that 955 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. Thousands more are being arrested, beaten, tortured, and killed by the minute.
We have seen this behavior time and time again throughout the ages; we have condemned this behavior time and time again. Throughout history, individuals have stood up for the sake of humankind, and have fought for justice against all odds. But unless all nation states take responsibility, we are not going to effect long-lasting change. We must all stand together to break the patterns of history and put an end to genocide. The volunteers of the WIOPFG are taking a stand against the genocide happening in China. They are dedicated to uncovering the truth and letting the world know. What is happening in China affects the entire world and we hope that the people of the world, upon learning the truth, will follow their conscience to stand beside us in our mission to ensure justice. We must learn the lessons of history.
1 Martin Niemoeller, “The Failure to Speak Up Against the Nazis,” Jewish Virtual Library
(http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/Niemoller_quote.html).
2 “Fact File,” Falun Dafa Information Center (http://www.faluninfo.net/).
World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
Tel：1-347-448-5790；Fax：1-347-402-1444；
Mail Address：P.O. Box 84， New york, NY 10116
Website： http://www.upholdjustice.org/, http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/
