WASHINGTON—The United States has called upon the Chinese communist regime to end its persecution of Falun Gong and release Falun Gong practitioners detained for their beliefs.
The statement was made on July 20, marking the 25th anniversary of the launch of the regime’s sweeping suppression of the spiritual practice, which has resulted in an untold number of practitioners detained, tortured, and killed for their faith.
“We solemnly mark 25 years today since the People’s Republic of China (PRC) began a campaign of repression against practitioners of Falun Gong,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement, using the official name for the Chinese regime.
“For two and a half decades, PRC authorities have targeted Falun Gong practitioners and their families in a campaign of abuses and rights violations,” Mr. Miller said.
The United States, the State Department spokesperson said, will continue to speak out for freedom of belief and hold human rights abusers accountable.
“We call upon the PRC to cease its repressive campaign and release all who have been imprisoned for their beliefs,” Mr. Miller said.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice rooted in traditional Chinese beliefs in the divine. The practice includes moral teachings centered on the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance, and a set of meditative exercises.
Falun Gong practitioners in China have suffered detention, brainwashing, torture, and forced organ harvesting. An untold number have perished.
U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain joined in support of the spiritual group.
“For 25 years, the PRC has repressed and abused practitioners of Falun Gong—a peaceful meditation practice—because of their beliefs,” he said in a post on X.
“We stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community in the PRC and around the world.”
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group representing lawmakers from various countries calling for tougher policies against the regime, commemorated the anniversary, saying it marked “a quarter of a century of protracted and profound suffering.”
“We call upon our governments to insist that Beijing immediately cease their persecution of religious minorities, and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which China is a signatory.”
📢 *Statement on the 25th Anniversary of the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners*
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Chinese government’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners – a quarter of a century of protracted and profound suffering.
Hundreds of thousands of… pic.twitter.com/uVhV2kgG8I
— Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) (@ipacglobal) July 20, 2024
Miriam Lexmann, Member of the European Parliament and member of IPAC, said the group will continue to stand with and defend Falun Gong.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who sponsored the legislation, stood in solidarity with practitioners.
“I want to let you know that I stand with you, and the United States stands with you, and we want to offer a light of hope to all of those who are persecuted—the long suffering of the Falun Gong—and to let you know that hope is alive,” he in a statement.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) said the communist regime’s actions cannot continue.
“Day in and day out, we see the Chinese Communist Party’s brutal persecution of religious communities who seek nothing more than to freely practice their religion and express themselves. This repression must end,” he said in a statement.
“The Chinese dictatorship’s oppression of Falun Gong and other religious groups is a stain on their country.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) has met with Falun Gong practitioners and heard the stories of repression they or their families experienced in China. He wrote in a letter that he has “unwavering support” for their advocacy.
“Finally, I hope that this will be the year in which we see significant progress in your cause and improvements of the human rights situation in China,” he wrote.
Falun Gong Is Practiced around the World by Millions
