Friday, December 22, 2006

CIPFG Asia Urges Open Investigation on the persecution of Falun Gong in China

Vice Team Leader of CIPFG Asia Urges Open Investigation
Epoch Times Malaysia Staff Dec 21, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR–In a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur on December 19, Edmund Bon, vice team leader of Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) Asia (Malaysia), requested the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to allow CIPFG Asia to have investigation without restriction on the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong Asia Delegation was officially formed on December 10, 2006, the International Human Rights Day. According to CIPFG Asia, there are over 116 members to date in the coalition, including local council leaders, administrative leaders, non-governmental leaders, figures from human rights circles, law, medicine, professionals, and media from six countries/regions in Asia.

CIPFG Asia is headed by Dr. Lai Ching-te, who is a member of the Taiwan Legislative Council and a doctor. Individuals in law and political circles in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and Malaysia were appointed as vice team leaders in each country/region. All the six countries/regions held a press conference in their respective regions simultaneously on December 19 to inform the public on the formation of CIPFG Asia.

Malaysia is so far the first South East Asia country to have members joining the coalition. According to lawyer Mr. Edmund Bon, CIPFG Asia in Malaysia consists of several lawyers and an NGO, Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET). The team will invite other regions in Asia to join and expand the coalition.

Lawyer Edmund Bon (The Epoch Times)"This Coalition was setup as part of the international effort to continue the pressure on the Chinese government, because it is quite clear from the evidence and documents, including the United Nation reports, which we have come to know that thousands of Falun Gong practitioner in China are being persecuted for their freedom of belief, expression, and conscious," said Edmund Bon in the press conference.

"The Chinese government should respect the basic rights of the Chinese people declared under the Universal of Declaration of Human Right and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also to really open up all the detention centers, prisons and rehabilitation camps to allow UN staffs, members within and outside China to be able to access to prisoners of conscience who have made the allegations about inhuman torture and illegal treatments," Edmund said.

Edmund Bon also urged the CCP to answer the Canadian independent investigation report which was released on July 6 this year. The investigation report was authored by Mr. Kilgour, a former MP and cabinet member of Canada, and Mr. Matas, a renowned international human rights lawyer. The investigation report concluded the allegations of living organ harvesting of the Falun Gong practitioners by the CCP are true, with the support of 18 proof and disproof.

"Up to this point in time, we have not seen any reply from the CCP to the investigation report. What I think the allegations on the report are serious and we want further investigation," said Edmun Bon.


After the press conference, Edmund Bon together with another CIPFG Asia team member and lawyer Miss Chen Mei Shang went to the Chinese embassy to submit a letter requesting for open investigation into China. The Chinese embassy accepted the letter. About 15 Falun Gong practitioners also showed up to voice their support to the CIPFG Asia by displaying slogans and banners outside the embassy.

The letter to the embassy and the CCP consists of 2 requests:

Falun Gong practitioners support the formation of CIPFG Asia outside the Chinese embassy. (The Epoch Times)1) Follow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to protect the human rights and enforce the recommendations stated in the Kilgour-Matas Report, i.e. to stop all mistreatments and repression on Falun Gong practitioners; to stop organ harvesting from executed prisoners, and to stop commercialization of organ transplants.

2) Allow CIPFG Asia to have investigation without restriction into all the prisons, forced labor camps, detention centers, mental hospitals, organ transplant hospitals (including organ transplant centres and military hospitals) in Liaoning, Shandong, Henan provinces and Tianjin City which detain Falun Gong practitioners. CIPFG Asia requests to the Chinese government to announce the records of the source of organs and the agreements of the donors to CIPFG Asia and the public.