The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group (www.falunhr.org) announced the publication of a new book, The 2004 United Nations Reports on China’s Persecution of Falun Gong. It is the second book of collections of reports of the Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on China’ violence against Falun Gong practitioners.

Each year, the U.N Special Rapporteurs publish summary reports on human rights situations around the world. The violations against Falun Gong have attracted increasing condemnations from the Special Rapporteurs, and in many reports, the cases of abuses of Falun Gong practitioners have taken more spaces than other human rights issues. These findings and reports convincingly dispel the Chinese government’s claim of China having its best time in human rights.

An example of the findings is the statement of the Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, who reports: “The Special Rapporteur continues to be alarmed by deaths in custody in China. Reports describe harrowing scenes in which detainees, many of whom are followers of the Falun Gong movement, die as a result of severe ill treatment, neglect or medical attention. The cruelty and brutality of these alleged acts of torture defy description.”

The opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, provides another example:  “The detention of Chen Gang, Zhang Wenfu, Wu Xiaohua, Liu Junhua, Zhang Jiuhai and Zhu Xiaofei is arbitrary, being in contravention of articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and falls within category II of the categories applicable to the consideration of cases submitted to the Working Group.”

“Consequently, the Working Group requests the Government to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation of these persons and to bring it into conformity with the standards and principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and encourages it to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

The new book also contains an updated background section that provides an introduction to Falun Gong, its cultural and historic root, and its spread in China. The background also reviewed the Chinese Communist rulers’ increasing hostility towards Falun Gong, the plots and processes that led to the authorities decision of persecution, and the nature of the persecution.

A special section of torture methods has also been updated, with Falun Gong practitioners demonstrating the tortures that they have suffered. These precious pictures were taken and sent out at great risks of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group hopes this new book will help public awareness of the horrific onslaught. We further hope more people can help to publicize the book and the issue, and  take whatever actions within their power to stop this tragedy, and to speak for those who have no voice, lest the values of hope, courage, and the most fundamental human rights be forsaken.

The book can be freely downloaded at the website http://www.falunhr.org

To communicate with the group, or to order the book, click contact.