Politicians

  • Dutch Parliamentary Debate Discusses Sujiatun Concentration Camp

    "What is true of the reports that talk about a secret concentration camp, called Sujiatun, located in the Chinese city of Shenyang, Liaoning province, in which thousands of Falun Gong adherents are systematically being tortured, killed and removed of their organs? Is the Dutch Government willing, potentially in the form of an international alliance, to plea for an independent investigation? Is the Dutch Government willing, potentially in the form of an international alliance, to file a request with the Chinese authorities to have independent observers gain access to the above-mentioned camp as soon as possible?"
  • Danish MP Calls for Investigation into the Sujiatun Massacre

    Mr. Soren Espersen wrote in the letter: “I would like to ask, if the Minister would ask the Chinese regime to allow an observer from the Red Cross or the UN to investigate the Sujiatun Concentration Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning province; if the Minister would still continue to pressurise the Chinese regime in order to make it open its concentration camps and prisons so that the Red Cross or UN representatives could proceed with their investigation?”
  • Belgium: A Member of Parliament Interrogates the Minister of Foreign Affairs about Sujiatun Concentration Camp

    "The concentration camp is located in the Sujiatun District of Shenyang City and, therefore, identified as the Sujiatun concentration camp. The camp is encircled by a wall three meters in height. On top of the wall are electrified barbed-wire meshes. The camp is intensively guarded and kept confidential. Imprisoned in the camp are Falun Gong practitioners kidnapped from northeastern and central China ... Are the Belgian authorities aware of the systematic persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China?
  • Lithuanian Parliamentarian: “Communist regimes killed many people”

    "We became a non-country in the Soviet Union, and we did not have any true history books, as they consisted of only 10 pages. Communist regimes and crimes by communist criminals took away our conscience in the form of our religion. Many things were forbidden, as I know from personal experience. The communists took away our minds. Many branches of art and of science were forbidden, so they took away our humanity. As a result, sometimes we cannot assess or condemn the things that happened."
  • French Parliamentarian: Defenders of human rights should condemn the crimes of communism

    Mr Schreiner praised the report as clear and courageous. Although Nazism and its followers have been brought to trial and condemned, communist perpetrators of human rights abuses have not. Communist crimes are as bad as those of Nazism. Communism has been responsible for the extermination of millions of innocent people, but little mention has been made of that in school history syllabuses. Mr Schreiner said politicians have been prudent in denouncing communism while communist regimes still exist. They need to move from their polite silence and etiquette on communism.
  • Bulgarian Parliamentarian: The communist regime undermined human rights and the identity of human beings

    Bulgaria was not spared the excesses of the totalitarian communist regime. Between 1984 and 1989, Bulgarians had been imprisoned without trial in prison camps because they had been against the regime or because they had not been sympathetic to communism. Approximately 200,000 people had been imprisoned without trial, of whom 30,000 had been killed. In addition, thousands had “disappeared”. Between the years 1984 and 1989, there had been many flagrant abuses of human rights through violence, assassinations and incarceration in camps.
  • Estonian Parliamentarian: This is important for our future

    "I asked to speak to express my support for the draft resolution and to condemn the crimes of totalitarian communism – and I do that, despite the fact that I was a member of the Communist Party of Estonia. It is not now important why that was the case, but I am not proud of it today, not least because it severely hurt the feelings of my parents, who suffered under the regime. I believe that I am the sternest judge here. I hope that the efforts that I have made to terminate the regime and to build up democracy in Estonia have mitigated the harm that I did by being a member of the Communist Party."
  • Lord Avebury's Statement on the Secret Concentration Camp in China

    "It is shocking to hear the allegation that a secret concentration camp in Sujiatun, Shenyang, China, has detained over 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners, and it has been engaged in the harvesting of human organs from those imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners ... The international community and the UK government should investigate these allegations and speak up loudly to condemn such brutality rather than keep quiet for commercial or political gains. This matter should be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission."
  • Bulgarian Parlimentarian: "It is a question not only of politics, but of humanity"

    Two months ago, I was a keynote speaker at a conference on human rights in North Korea, which was held in Seoul. What I heard at that conference and what I have learned from a documentary is so terrifying that it is hard for a normal human being to believe. This debate reminds me how evil communist regimes can be and how the absence of international condemnation of the massive human rights violations and deaths of many millions of individuals regrettably gave a chance to many dictators in the 21st century to feel untouchable by the law. It is difficult to discuss communism without emotion. It is a question not only of politics, but of humanity.
  • Parliamentarian Representing Bosnia and Herzegovina: "We need to launch a national awareness campaign about crimes committed in the name of communist ideology"

    Justice must be accessible for everyone regardless of national, religious, political or ideological background. Victims of communist terror must obtain moral and material satisfaction. Selective justice and the feeling of injustice which results from it can be dangerous for a democracy, especially a society in transition, and it can slow down the democratic process. Judicial bodies must process all communist crimes and violations of human rights to return dignity and justice to victims of communist regimes.
  • French Parliamentarian: The communist parties of the twentieth century are tyrannical

    Mr Legendre said that the Council of Europe denounced crimes against liberty, the world over, part-session after part-session. Its stated mission is to maintain human rights. How could the Assembly not condemn crimes of communists when it had condemned fascists and Nazis? It is essential to condemn these totalitarian communist regimes. It is important to remember the policies the Communist Party had followed in the terrible 20th century, doing away with elections and imprisoning and executing citizens. The Council of Europe could not remain indifferent to those actions.
  • Moldovan Parliamentarian: Hundreds of millions of people suffered under communism

    Over 30 million people were sent from Moldova to prison in Siberia, many of whom had committed no crime other than to be Christian. Mr Diacov had been born in Siberia in those circumstances and had had to explain many times why he was born there and why members of his family had lived, died and been buried there. He had told the committee that the Assembly was looking at the matter rather late in the day. There must be a full and proper condemnation of the crimes of communist regimes. It was necessary to agree the report to ensure that future generations did not suffer in the same way.
  • Ukrainian Parliamentarian: The anti-human communist regime caused the deaths of millions

    When Ukrainians learned of this debate at the Council of Europe, they asked their delegation to be brave enough to speak out and condemn the communist regime. They were children of the victims of the red terror, which reigned in Ukraine for more than 70 years. Those who fought against the regime were arrested. Representatives of the regime used the KGB to draw up lists of “enemies of the people”. The communist regime in Ukraine committed the most terrible crime of the 20th century. It created an artificial famine, causing the death by starvation of much of the population. Some 30% of those who died were children.
  • Many German MPs Express their Concern about the Persecution of Falun Gong

    It was said in a letter from MP Alois Karl on February 24th, “I personally think that it is no doubt to protect general human rights. Moreover, I think Germany has a responsibility to protect human rights.” He suggested Falun Gong practitioners to list the details of the persecution. “According to my experiences, the detailed personal cases are extremely important. Do not underestimate the efforts of providing detailed description of every persecution instance. The German government, I and my colleagues would talk to those representatives of related countries. If it’s necessary, we could give direct help to the victims. ”
  • Hungarian Parliamentarian: “We are talking not about beliefs but about the most horrible crimes”

    "I do not understand why people on the left do not realise that we are talking about not ideology and belief but the most terrible crimes committed against human beings in our continent. I am worried that this debate could be used for various domestic political purposes. There is no problem in Denmark or the Netherlands – nor, fortunately, in Hungary as we do not have communists anymore – but there could be a problem in other countries. I hope that the Assembly will unite in condemning the criminal acts of communism."