During the 61th Session of United Nations Human Rights Commission, the United
Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights announced last year's many human
rights reports and human rights dialogues between the Commission and China, including
reports on the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. The excerpts from the
seven Special Rapporteurs' reports regarding the People's Republic of
China are as follows:
[Excerpts]
On 14 June 2004,
the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance sent a communication to the Government
of China in connection with information received according to which, since 20
July 1999, when the Chinese Government banned Falun Gong, over 1,600 practitioners
of Falun Gong had been tortured or beaten, several hundred had been given prison
sentences of over 20 years, others had been interned in mental hospitals and a
high number of practitioners had been sent to labor camps without trial. An unspecified
number of practitioners were allegedly being held without trial. It was also reported
that at least 907 practitioners had died while in detention. (1)
  The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief- Ms. Asma Jahangir |
  Special Rapporteur on torture-Theo van Boven |
Reports indicated that the campaign against the Falun Gong continued unabated
across China. According to information received, practitioners of Falun Gong continued
to be subject to ill-treatment and torture by State officials in their attempts
to force the practitioners to renounce their belief in Falun Gong. It was also
reported that individual practitioners who had been subjected to torture and other
inhuman and degrading treatment whilst detained had not been provided appropriate
and effective remedies. In particular, the system of administrative detention,
reeducation through labor (RTL), reportedly continued to be imposed on Falun Gong
practitioners. It was reported that RTL involves detention without charge or trial,
and without judicial review, for between one and three years ¡V which can be further
extended by one year. People receiving terms of RTL allegedly have no right of
access to a lawyer and there is no hearing for them to defend themselves.
On
15 October 2004, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Special Rapporteur on the
independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and
protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur
on the question of torture, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to
the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences,
wrote a letter to the Chinese Government in which they expressed their concern.
Over the past five years, hundreds of cases of alleged violations of the human
rights of Falun Gong practitioners have been brought to the attention of the Special
Rapporteurs. Many of these allegations have been reported back to the Chinese
authorities and were reflected in reports of the Special Rapporteurs to the Commission
on Human Rights.
The Special Rapporteurs were concerned that reports of arrest,
detention, ill treatment, torture, denial of adequate medical treatment, sexual
violence, deaths, and unfair trial of members of so-called “heretical organizations,”
in particular Falun Gong practitioners, are increasing. They were concerned that
these allegations may reflect a deliberate and institutionalized policy of the
authorities to target specific groups such as the Falun Gong.
According to
information received, on 10 June 1999, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist
Party established an office for dealing with the Falun Gong, commonly referred
to as the 610
Office (for the date of its establishment), and officially later as the State
Council Office for the Prevention and Handling of Cults. This institution reportedly
was given a mandate to repress Falun Gong and other “heretical organizations”,
and is operating outside of the rule of law. Reports indicate that the Falun Gong
was officially banned on 22 July 1999 through a decision of the Ministry of Civil
Affairs and since then several decisions, notices, regulations and other judicial
interpretations have been issued by the Government and judicial authorities to
legitimize the official repression against “heretical organizations”, including
the Falun Gong.
In addition, according to reports, a media campaign was launched
against the Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners in June 1999. It is believed
that this campaign followed a protest gathering in Beijing on 25 April 1999, involving
more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners.
Further reports indicate that in
February 2001, the Central Committee of the Communist Party called for a Central
Work Conference of high-level party officials. The purpose of this meeting was
reportedly to adopt a plan calling for the formation of local “anti-cult task
forces” in all universities, State enterprises and social organizations, to reinforce
the “610 Office” and strengthen local control over the Falun Gong.
An analysis
of reports received by the Special Rapporteurs indicates that the alleged human
rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners, including systematic arrest
and detention, are part of a pattern of repression against members of this group.
Most of those arrested are reportedly heavily fined and released, but many are
detained and ill-treated in order to force them to formally renounce Falun Gong.
Those who refuse are sent to re-education through labor camps, where reportedly
torture is used routinely, resulting in many deaths.
The Special Rapporteurs
were further concerned at reports that few Falun Gong practitioners are prosecuted.
When charges are laid they reportedly include allegations such as “disturbing
social order”, “assembling to disrupt public order”, “stealing or leaking State
secrets” or “using a heretical organization to undermine the implementation of
the law”. According to the information received, those prosecuted have been unfairly
tried and many have received lengthy prison sentences. In this respect it is reported
that on 5 November 1999, a Notice issued by the Supreme People's Court instructed
all local courts to do their “political duty” in bringing to trial and punishing
“severely” those charged with “crimes of heretical organizations”, “particularly
Falun Gong”, and to handle these cases “under the leadership of the Party committees”.
(1)
To date 2164 Falun Gong practitioners are verified to have died as a result of
persecution.
Attachment: The
original report (PDF zip file, 145KB)
Posting date: 12/May/2005
Original
article date: 11/Apr/2005
Category: World News
