Politicians

  • Georgian Parliamentarian: “Wherever the communists gained power their rule finished in bloodshed and terror”

    "The inheritance of communist occupation is vivid in my country, as it is in any country where the communists ruled. Mr Lukashenko may not be a clear-cut communist, but he is the result of a communist regime. It has already been said that communists still rule in several countries where they continue to prosecute individuals and kill people because of their beliefs. Recently, members of the Ukrainian delegation cried when it was announced that an international document would be prepared to recognise the genocide of the 1930s. It is important that moral responsibility is taken for such crimes."
  • Bulgarian Parliamentarian: “Condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes was necessary”

    "Those crimes were inspired by ideology. A number of left-wing parties had not found the strength or motivation to condemn ex-communist regimes. The report would give a moral boost to researchers and non-governmental organisations investigating communist crimes. It could have the same effect as the introduction of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre had had on those investigating Nazi crimes. It was essential that the archives of the security services in communist countries were opened; otherwise, it would not be possible to understand the full extent of their crimes."
  • Latvian Parliamentarian: “The ideology of communism...destroyed the moral value of human nature”

    "I want to express my appreciation to the Assembly for its decision to call for an international debate on and condemnation of totalitarian communist regimes. We support the beginning of an international debate on the crimes that the communist regimes in central and eastern Europe committed in the past century. The crimes committed by totalitarian communist regimes must be investigated and those who perpetrated them must be brought to trial, as happened with the horrible crimes committed by the Nazis."
  • Estonian Parliamentarian: ”People have waited for this report for a long time, because crimes against humanity cannot be forgotten”

    "There is a great chance that, for the first time ever, the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes will be officially condemned by a major international forum – the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe...Today is important not only for the history of the Council of Europe, but for the millions of people who either suffered or still suffer under cruel, totalitarian communist regimes. It is our duty to recognise their suffering and those people fully deserve our sympathy and understanding. If we adopt this document, we will be remembered as politicians who not only spoke about but truly served human rights and the rule of law."
  • Czech Parliamentarian: "I was surprised by the striking realisation of communism’s black history"

    "In the 1950s, people were killed in our country as well as other communist countries. In the 1980s, the terror was psychological. However, there can be no victims – hard or soft – without representatives of a regime and without murderers. There can be no representatives of a regime or murderers without servants of the system. That is why we are discussing the totalitarian crimes of communism after 15 years. Condemnation of Nazism was quick because it took only months for the world’s community to unify against it. There is a difference in the case of communism."
  • Swedish Parliamentarian: "Stand up for people who suffered under these terrible dictatorships"

    We can see the same effect today in communist China, where the regime is very tough against anyone with a different opinion. Falun Gong and certain religious denominations are very badly treated in China. We can see that the same thing will happen there, with many dissidents in opposition. That is good, because I could bet you €100 that the Chinese communist regime will be gone within five years. There are defecting diplomats; we saw the same thing in the Soviet Union. Many people are leaving the communist party; the same thing happened before the fall of the Soviet Union’s iron curtain.
  • German Parliament Member Writes with Good Wishes for the New Year

    At the beginning of 2006, a practitioner Min Teng-Schwagerl received a reply letter from Parliament Member Mr. Hartmut Koschyk, who is also the executive chairman of a regional committee of the Christian-Social Union (CSU). In the letter, Mr. Koschyk delivers sincere wishes to Mrs. Teng-Schwagerl for great health and well-being in 2006. He also looks forward to their continuation of trust and good cooperation.
  • Germany: Support for Falun Gong from the German Lower House of Parliament

    "We also have used the upcoming State Visit by the Chinese President as an opportunity to point to the perilous human rights situation in the PRC. We are deeply concerned about the high numbers of death sentences and persecutions in China, about the administrative detention system, the state sanctioned harassment of Christian communities that are not registered with the Chinese regime, about the situation in Tibet and the long sentences and detentions of Falun Gong adherents in slave labour camps."
  • Germany’s New Chancellor: Germany will continue to pay attention to China’s human rights violations including Falun Gong issue

    Mr. Lackamp, Head of human rights Affairs of the Christian Democratic Union, sent a letter to the practitioner on behalf of Ms. Merkel, to the effect that she was regretful to learn that Falun Gong practitioners are still persecuted in China. The letter also indicated that the Christian Democratic Union has raised the issues concerning the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners many times in Germany’s Parliamentary sessions and various levels of the Sino-German dialogue. In the letter, she also assured the practitioner that the Union will continue to pay attention to China’s human right problems including Falun Gong issues in the future.
  • German Prime Minister Wanted to Help Hu Realise the Importance of Freedoms

    The famous German TV Station First Channel reported on the German President Horst Koehler’s speech during a press conference after his meeting with Chinese President Hu. Mr. Koehler said that he pointed out to Mr. Hu that respecting people’s wishes, enjoying freedom and dignity, are the common value of the world and the aim of the United Nation’s Constitution. Only through promoting peace, freedom and democracy, can people’s lives improve and only then, can economic growth be maintained.
  • UK MPs Sign Early Day Motion Calling for the Release of All Incarcerated Falun Gong Practitioners

    On November 8th 2005, UK MP David Howarth put forward an Early Day Motion (EDM 966). The Motion calls for the release from prison of all Falun Gong practitioners and has already received 37 signatures from UK MPs. The Motion also calls for Falun Gong practitioners to be free to practise and supports an end to the discrimination in China that stops Falun Gong practitioners getting employment, something which occurred after former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) head Jiang Zemin ordered CCP officials to "destroy Falun Gong practitioners physically, bankrupt them financially and ruin their reputations".
  • UK MP Urges Prime Minister to Raise Human Right Issues with Chinese Communist Party Head

    Dr Liam Fox MP has written a letter to European Friends of Falun Gong saying: “I fully appreciate your concerns about China’s record on human rights. I have today asked the Prime Minister to raise these issues during the State Visit of President Hu.” Dr Fox points out that China “remains a politically repressive state, centrally driven by the Party and for the Party. Its human rights record is appalling……Democracy has to be more than just the holding of intermittent ballots – it has to be supported with free markets, a meaningful rule of law and respect for human rights.”
  • Finland: Parliament’s Human Rights Commission Appeals to the People to Pay Attention to Human Rights in China

    A parade supporting 3.6 million people who withdrew their membership from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was held in Helsinki. Some local Falun Gong practitioners chose to take part in and support these activities due to the controlling role that the Chinese Communist Party has taken in the six-year genocide against Falun Gong practitioners.
  • Letter: ”The Swedish Government can never accept that people are persecuted

    The Swedish Government has repeatedly indicated its repudiation of the maltreatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. It has been done in both direct deliberations with the Chinese government and through calls and addresses in the EU circuit. You can be sure that the Government also will continue to monitor the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China in the future. People who are persecuted because of their faith or political views, is something that the Swedish Government can never accept. We all have the responsibility to dare to stand up in the struggle for freedom of religion and human rights."
  • Member of Swedish Parliament’s Opening Speech Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance International Art Exhibition in Gothenburg

    "We can all contribute in different ways to show that we do not accept how the Chinese Communist Party attacks and slanders justice, freedom and human rights. We must show our solidarity with the victims of the persecution, and the many people who are denied their fundamental right to voice their opinion. We can do it by writing about it. We can talk about it and we can do it by affirming the positive message of various art forms."