Challenging and hammering U.S.-China policy

A recent TV interview was very good for the China Support Network.

'Digging to China' hosted by Dong Xiang at NTDTV is a regular talk show in the style of Meet the Press. Just after Obama's election, I visited Washington to appear on the latest episode of his half-hour show.

The show is in two segments, and I'm the second guest. It can be taken in here:http://english.ntdtv.com/?c=164&a=6082

Very likely, I'll chop it in half to make a YouTube video for CSN out of my excerpt. I hope you like it.

My best wishes,
/s./ John P. Kusumi

President Obama, Stop These Deadly Imports!

President Obama,
Stop These Deadly Imports!

The China Support Network calls to stop cases of Americans being killed by Chinese exports - deliberately contaminated for profit as Chinese producers cut corners, harm public health and safety.

- 500,000 people protested China's deadly milk on October 25 in Taiwan -

Dear President-elect Obama,

Americans are dead in "solved" cases of product poisoning. The Made-In-China products were exported from Communist China / the P.R.C., and imported by the United States of America. Americans are dead. Is this acceptable?

You may remember that in 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton "negotiated" no-strings-attached, unconditional PNTR for Communist China. This meant tariff breaks for Communists, dictators, tyrants, and thugs; and in 2000 the U.S. Congress passed the deal. This served to:

• reward bad behavior on the part of the Chinese Communist regime;


• increase the U.S. trade deficit (which weakens the U.S. dollar and increases inflation);


• remove manufacturing jobs from America;


• endanger the health and safety of U.S. consumers

This letter is about the latter concern -- health and safety of U.S. consumers. It is salient to have a situation review in two parts:

1. The story so far

• 2006: 138 citizens in Panama died after taking cough syrup, contaminated with diethylene glycol from the P.R.C.. As many as 260,000 bottles of cough syrup were contaminated, and diethylene glycol was also found in toothpaste.


• 2007: The United States experienced the arrival of toothpaste with diethylene glycol. This included counterfeit knock-offs of Colgate and Sensodyne toothpastes. Also affected: Australia, Costa Rica, England, and Spain.


• 2007: The United States experienced the pet food recall as American cats and dogs dropped dead in the thousands. The melamine contamination originated in China. Contamination was also found in animal feed for pigs, chicken, and fish in the United States and hence, in the human food chain as well as the supply of pet food. Additional contaminated foodstuffs included wheat gluten, corn gluten, rice gluten and protein concentrate.


• 2007: Chinese textiles in Australia were quarantined after formaldehyde was found at 10X the level of safety standards.


• 2007: The United States experienced the recall of 450,000 Made-In-China tires that were found faulty by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


• 2007: It was almost "the year without a Christmas." The United States experienced recalls of 19.5 million Made-In-China toys, due to lead paint and faulty magnets. Normal American families began to change their shopping habits to avoid Made-In-China toys.


• 2008: Frozen Chinese dumplings, contaminated with pesticide, sickened 10 people in Japan and perhaps more.


• 2008: The United States experienced the recall of Baxter blood thinners, made with counterfeit heparin from the P.R.C.. 81 Americans died as acknowledged by the U.S. FDA. As recently as November 6, two days after your election, the FDA seized 11 lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc. of Cincinatti, Ohio. Also affected: Australia, Canada, EU, Japan, since those were destinations for Celsus products. The contaminant: over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS).

The above situation includes 81 American fatalities, and at least one other U.S. fatality made the news from this wave of poison products. Further, fatalities can be vastly under-reported. We saw this in the pet food recall of 2007. The FDA received reports of 8,500 animal deaths and confirmed 14 cases, so the news reported 14. (An independent web site separately collected 3,600 reports of dead pets in the US.) The disparity suggests that Americans watch "fairy tale" news, sanitized for the comfort of Communists and their business partners. We must ask this question: How many more Americans are dead, beyond the public reporting?

The China Support Network, the sponsor of this letter, will never forget another example of U.S. news under-reporting fatalities. --Upon Tiananmen Square's massacre in 1989, there were 3,000 people dead, and the reporting said so. Shortly thereafter, the media began its absurd, insulting, and highly offensive "climb down" to reporting 300 dead. So, first they disappeared 2,700 souls; then about ten years later, they disappeared the Chinese dissidents, the Falun Gong, and the China Support Network. Human rights concerns with respect to China only began to resurface this year, due to the Tibetan uprising / crackdown, and your commendable support for the Tibetan cause! In the case of the Falun Gong, U.S. China policy is as good as leaving the Jews in the gas chambers.

2. The new crisis

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was covering this up during the Olympics. Melamine has appeared again, but this time it's in the human food chain, not just pet food. China's children have been sent to the hospital. They are the most vulnerable to melamine; 99% of sickness due to melamine has occurred in victims less than 3 years old. Reuters puts the total number of illnesses at 94,000, but thankfully(?) only four children have been reported dead. China's top three brands of milk were found to have melamine, among 23 suppliers thus far implicated. China's dairy industry now resembles the U.S. banking industry, with sudden collapses of longstanding silos. Sanlu was the first large Chinese brand implicated. Before the crisis, this was a $19.5 billion industry; now, it is a $6.5 billion industry. On September 17, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange halted trading of shares in Mengniu, another top brand implicated.

The contamination is deliberate. Melamine, with its high nitrogen content, "fakes out" tests that are conducted on foodstuffs. Without nutritional value, it boosts test scores to make the protein content appear higher. The use of melamine is a cost-cutting measure and a way of cutting corners at the expense of consumer safety. Watered down milk, spiked with melamine, can test and appear to stand in for undiluted milk. The 2007 pet food recall already introduced the United States to melamine, which interacts with cyanuric acid to produce kidney stones and renal failure.

Contaminated chicken feed has now led to contaminated eggs. Egg powder and milk powder are contaminated. The situation may be referred to as the baby milk scandal, but that is a misnomer because the crisis goes beyond babies and milk. Xinhua reports that the scandal was exposed on July 16, when 16 babies were found to have kidney stones. New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra, the owner of a 43% stake in Sanlu, says that it learned about the contamination on August 2. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the public only learned of contamination on September 11, after the Olympics. That is when the recalls started. The delay from mid-July to mid-September is an example of CCP leadership, playing politics with public health (to avoid tarnishing the Olympics).

The WHO has labelled this "one of the largest food safety events" that it has had to deal with in recent years. WHO and UNICEF also jointly decried the "particularly deplorable...deliberate contamination of foods intended for...vulnerable infants and young children." On September 26, the WHO warned health officials around the world to be alert for dairy products of Chinese origin that could be tainted. On September 21, the government admitted that it was facing 53,000 cases; 10,000 more were reported by September 26; and by October 8, Reuters was reporting a total near 94,000 cases. The European Commission's Joint Research Center set up a web site about detecting melamine (http://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/melamine). French authorities ordered all Chinese dairy products off shelves. At least 25 countries have done likewise. On September 25 the EU stopped imports of baby food containing Chinese milk.

In Connecticut, authorities warned about White Rabbit candy that was found and taken off of store shelves there. Another brand recalled in the United States is Lotte Koala cookies. In non-U.S. markets, there have been consequences for brands of Unilever, Cadbury, and Heinz - and Starbucks' operation in China was supplied with milk from Mengniu. In China, there have been lawsuits and arrests and state promises of free medical care.

China also has a collapsing economy; and a collapsing Communist Party. Another consequence is that melamine extended the legacy of Premier Wen Jiabao. He has now become China's Apologizer-In-Chief. In recent memory, he has apologized to the public for:

• the deaths of coal miners


• polluted drinking water


• train passengers stranded by snowstorms; and now,


• poisoned milk products

Needless to say, Premier Wen Jiabao is very sorry. China faces a profound and humiliating loss of face. In this quarter, it is felt that threats and hazards to public safety deserve a response strategy that goes beyond an apology. If it cannot do better than apologize, then the Communist Party is showing its own limitations and shortcomings.

At the level of the U.S. White House, even one American death should be unacceptable. "Faulty products" is a malarkey basis for a rising American death toll. The foregoing list of faulty products has led to more than one American death. At the China Support Network, we are fans of the idea of a grand tyranny tariff that stops all Chinese imports. (Our organization joined the Boycott Made In China coalition years ago.) A sweeping approach would side step the necessity to parse which products are deadly and which ones aren't (yet?). You may or may not take it upon yourself to do that parsing, but to borrow a phrase there is a "fierce urgency of now." We urge you to "go large" in backing freedom, democracy, and human rights for China. The "free China" community sees and agrees that there is a clear and present danger - an imminent threat - to the American people AND the Chinese people.

Whichever way you do it, President Obama: Save the lives of your fellow Americans and STOP THESE DEADLY IMPORTS!

Sincerely,
/s./ John P. Kusumi
Founder and Director Emeritus
The China Support Network
Cheshire, CT
USA

# # #

Press invited to Friday 9/12 event

PRESS ADVISORY

Human Rights in Post-Olympics China and Asia

DATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

TIME: 2:00PM ~ 4:00PM

PLACE: Gold Room (room no. 2168), Rayburn House Office Building

Contact:

Dr. Binh Nguyen at 240-731-3630 or binhnguyenmd@gmail.com

Ms. Ciping Huang at 202-543-1538 or HCP@weijingsheng.org

Ms. Iris Ho at 202-280-0166 or irisho@fapa.org

China was awarded the hosting of the Olympics by the International Olympics Committee at the beginning of this century with the expectation that China would improve its human rights. Events and reports proved that China's human rights record did not improve but rather rapidly worsened prior to and during the Games.

Now the Games are over, more than a dozen Asian human rights organizations are jointly urging the international community to keep pressure on China and other authoritarian regimes in Asia to embrace democracy.

Please join us this Friday at one of the largest gatherings by leaders of Asian human rights organizations to happen in the US capital.

Sponsored by:

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Congressman Frank Wolf, Co-Chair of Human Rights Caucus

Host organization:

Asia Democracy Alliance

Speakers include:

• Rebiya Kadeer (East Turkestan)


• Wei Jingsheng (China)


• Dr. Binh Nguyen (Vietnam)


• Dr. Wen-yen Chen (Taiwan)


• Dr. Bo Hla Tint (Burma)


• Harry Wu


• Dr. Richard Saisomorn (Laos)


• Dr. Erping Zhang (Falun Gong)


• Tenzin Jamchin (Tibet)


• A representative from Human Rights Watch, and Members of Congress (invited).

Co-sponsors:

• Wei Jingsheng Foundation


• Formosan Association for Public Affairs


• International Committee to Support the Non-Violent Movement for Human
  
• Rights in Vietnam


• Tibetan Association in Capitol Area


• Dokham Chushi Gangdruk -- New England Chapter


• Uyghur American Association


• Inner Mongolian People's Party


• Falun Gong


• National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma


• Vietnamese American Community Association in Washington DC, MD and VA


• Free China Movement Foundation


• Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars


• Washington Forum


• Global Service Center for Quitting Chinese Communist Party


• Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation


• United Montagnard Christian Church in America


• The Montagnard Human Rights Organization


• The Laotian New Government for Democracy

Event notice: Protest on Aug. 7 '08

Media advisory: Press Notice and Press Release for a "Freedom First - No Olympics Medal for China" Rally on August 7, 2008, in Front of Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, Sponsored by Multiple Organizations and Joined by Hundreds Tibetans and Freedom Loving People

PRESS NOTICE
No Olympics Medal for China:　Protesting China's Abysmal Human Rights Record


DATE: August 7, 2008
TIME: 2PM to 5PM
PLACE: Chinese Embassy (2300 Connecticut Ave. NW., Washington, DC, USA)


Contact: Ms. Doma Norbu 646-812-5228 or Ms. Ciping Huang 202-543-1538


Speakers include but not limited to Ms. Rebiya Kadeer and Mr. Wei Jingsheng, both of whom met with President Bush in the White House on July 29 regarding their efforts in promoting democracy and human rights in China; as well as leaders of Asia Democracy Alliance, and representatives from the international human rights organizations including Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International.

There will be hundreds of Tibetans traveling from New York to attend this demonstration, led by Doma Norbu, President of Chushi Gangdruk.

Sponsoring Organizations:
Asia Democracy Alliance
Chushi Gangdruk
Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA)
Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition
World Uyghur Congress
Inner Mongolian People's Party
Reporters Without Borders
China Support Network
Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars
Freedom First, Olympics Second Coalition

Press Release "FREEDOM FIRST" - " NO OLYMPICS MEDAL FOR CHINA"


August 7, 2008


The Olympics is intended to be a　celebration of the human spirit, but the spirit of the Tibetan, Uyghur, Inner　Mongolian and Chinese people are being crushed under the weight of an　oppressive regime. As the opening ceremony of the Olympics are underway, harsh　measures are currently being implemented in Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia　and China to intimidate the people and prevent any further signs of dissent.


Thousands of people are still missing or in detention, and a climate of fear　prevails. While Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are in theory open to　foreign visitors and journalists, in practice, only a government-approved few　are permitted.


When Beijing won the rights to host the　2008 Olympics in 2001, the Chinese government made a promise to the　International Olympic Committee and the international community to concretely　improve human rights. But those promises have for the most part been empty.


Amnesty International in its 8th July 2008 report states "In fact, the　crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers has intensified　because Beijing is hosting the Olympics. The authorities have stepped up　repression of dissident voices in their efforts to present an image of　"stability" and "harmony" to the outside world. This has resulted in the　detention and imprisonment of those who wish to draw attention to the other　side of the picture, which includes human rights violations perpetrated in　preparation for the Games.


We are counting on President Bush and other world　leaders to make clear while in Beijing that token gestures from the Chinese　government are not enough to silence international concern for these oppressed　people. "The Chinese government's policies in these areas will continue to　impact China's image abroad, for good or ill, long after the Olympics spotlight　dims.


In light of this grim situation, we request that:


1. The Chinese government stops its crackdown on innocent people in the guise of Olympic security.


2. The Chinese authorities should account for those who remain in detention and that they will be accorded due process in accordance with international legal standards.


3. Journalists, Representatives from the United Nations and Aid agencies should be provided with free access throughout Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.


4. President Bush and all world leaders attending the Olympics should request permission to travel to Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Such a visit would demonstrate their genuine concern in resolving the issue through a meaningful and lasting process.

NED-China-awards to highlight human rights abuse, honor Tom Lantos

NED-China-awards

Life and work of Tom Lantos will be honored with Democracy Service Medal

According to their press release, on Tuesday June 17, the National Endowment for Democracy will honor the heroic efforts of Chinese workers, lawyers, and writers working to advance democratic values and fundamental rights within China with the presentation of its annual Democracy Award. Chen Guangchen, Zhang Jianhong, Yao Fuxin and Hu Sigen, who are all serving sentences in Chinese prisons, are four of the recipients. Other honorees cannot be named publicly until the award ceremony. The award presentation and a roundtable discussion will take place on Capitol Hill in the Caucus Room (345) of the Cannon House Office Building at 3:30 - 5:00 PM.

Commenting on the selection of this year's awardees, NED Chairman Vin Weber said, "As China prepares to host the Olympic Games, with the attention of the world focused on that country's many achievements and its rich culture, the world must not forget those who labor in the background to secure the most basic rights and protections for the people of China - the right to associate, to write and speak freely, to worship, to organize for better working conditions, for the rule of law, and for and the protection of basic human dignity."

The award presentation will be preceded by a roundtable discussion, Law, Rights and Democracy in China: Perspectives of Leading Advocates. The honorees will be joined in the discussion by other notable activists and advocates for basic rights in China, including Han Dongfang, - executive director of China Labour Bulletin, Bob Fu - founder of the China Aid Association and a student leader of the 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement, Sharon Hom - executive director of Human Rights in China, Xiao Qiang - founder and publisher of China Digital Times, Wang Tiancheng - a founder of the Liberal Democratic Party of China and the Free Labor Union of China, and Yang Jianli - a Chinese democracy activist recently released from prison, who now is president of Initiatives for China.

The Democracy Awards, which this year focus on work in the areas of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Religious Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Worker Rights, will be presented by three members of the US Congress, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Frank Wolf (R-VA), as well as the vice chairman of NED's Board of Directors Richard Gephardt, who is the former House Minority Leader. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) will also make remarks at the program.

NED will also honor the life-long contributions of one of the US Congress' most stalwart supporters of human rights in China and every other part of the world, the late Tom Lantos (D-CA) with the presentation of its Democracy Service Medal.

The National Endowment for Democracy is a private, nonprofit, bipartisan grant-making organization created in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions around the world. It is active in more than 90 countries, supporting grassroots, democratic initiatives. It now houses the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), which is devoted to strengthening the field of media assistance. More information about NED and the Democracy Award (http://www.ned.org/events/democracyaward.html) can be found at www.ned.org.

(SOURCE: National Endowment for Democracy)

Nancy Pelosi's Remarks of June 4, 2008

Thank you all very much for your wonderful welcome.

Nineteen years ago, Chinese students, workers and citizens marched in peace in Tiananmen Square. They raised the Goddess of Democracy in the image of our own Statue of Liberty. They quoted America's Founding Fathers. We remember with sadness and outrage how the Chinese government unleashed an army on its own people.

One of the most enduring images of the twentieth century will forever be seared into our conscience. The picture of the lone man standing in the street and bringing a line of tanks to a grinding halt -- that image has been seared into our conscience. That massacre of the demonstrators in Tiananmen Square challenged our conscience and the conscience of the world.

Thank you, Carl Gershman, for your leadership as President of the National Endowment for Democracy. You referenced that privilege that you gave to me -- to bestow your award of the National Endowment for Democracy on two of the heroes of the Democracy in China movement. It was a great privilege for me. That that award is a smaller version of the Goddess of Democracy is an overwhelming image. I have that same statue in the Speaker's office. Any visitor to the Speaker's office will see among the very few artifacts I have in my office the importance of that great symbol of democracy there.

I am proud to be here today with so many heroes and advocates of human rights in China and Tibet. I thank the Reverend Gordon Schultz for his reference to our visit to China in the early 1990s where we spoke out in association with those that have spoken out for Democracy in China. We're also joined today by Dr. Yang Jianli, a Tiananmen Square activist of 1989 who spent five years in prison because of his criticism of the Chinese government. We're also joined by Rebiya Kadeer, a champion of human rights of the Uyghur people who had to endure five years of notoriously harsh prison conditions for her activism. Thank you for your tireless efforts and unquantifiable sacrifices for the cause of freedom and human rights in China.

As we pay tribute to the brave souls of Tiananmen Square, we also offer our deepest condolences to the thousands of victims and their families of the earthquake struck in China last month. I hope that it's a comfort to those affected by this terrible tragedy that so many people throughout the world are thinking of them and praying for them at this sad time. And in remembrance of all those that lost their lives, let us observe a moment of silence.

In the spirit of standing with the Chinese people in this moment of grief, it is in that spirit that we stand here today and pay tribute to the martyrs of Tiananmen Square. Today we remember the heroes of Tiananmen and call for the release of all political prisoners in China -- all political prisoners in China.

I'd like to read the names of some of the other prisoners: Hu Jia, who was recently sentenced recently for speaking out on the link between human rights and the Olympics; Shi Tao, sentenced to ten years in prison for reporting on the 15-year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre; Chen Guangcheng, a blind lawyer and advocate who exposed the truth about human rights violations; the 11th Panchen Lama, who was kidnapped as a young boy; Alim and Ablikim Abdureyim, the sons of Rebiya Kadeer who have been imprisoned, harassed and intimidated by Chinese authorities.

People who have been imprisoned for their political or religious beliefs say that the greatest and most terrible torment to them is that their captors tell them that nobody remembers them -- that they are forgotten by the outside world, so why don't they just confess and get it over with. We don't want that excruciating form of torture to ever take hold among political prisoners anywhere. To the extent that we know the names in China, we will continue to recite them in public, whether in places such as this, or on the floor of the Congress of the United States. While we may not be able to read all of the names all of the time, they are all in our thoughts, our prayers, and our hopes so that one day they may be free.

The spirit of Tiananmen Square endures and inspires in China and in the rest of the world something special. But for many of you that I have worked with over the years and some more recently, can you imagine that 19 years have gone by? Remember when they told us at the time that engagement was going to lead to democratic freedoms and plurality in China? That we shouldn't be worried about trade, because trade would lead to peaceful evolution, which is in fact considered an evil in China. At the time that we were going to use the leverage of trade in order to release the prisoners of Tiananmen Square -- that was a modest goal.

At that time, we had about a $3 billion trade deficit with China. As we continued the debate over the next couple of years, that grew to a $5 billion a year trade deficit with China. We were told that this commercial relationship was not only going to lead to better commercial relationships with the United States, but it was going to lead to political mobilization in China. Nineteen years later, the trade deficit is not $5 billion a year, but $5 billion a week. China took the opportunity to continue to bar market access for U.S. products into China, to continue its piracy of our intellectual property, and the list goes on.

'Oh, that's OK,' people said, 'When they join the WTO everything will be better.'

It simply hasn't happened. But if we want to make that commercial decision for our country, we certainly did not make it for American workers, and we certainly did not make it for Chinese workers. Who will benefit? We were told that if we engaged, China would modify its behavior in supporting rogue regimes around the world. And now look who has a better friend in the UN than Iran, who has China as its friend. Who has a better friend in the UN for Sudan than China?

This has not improved the security of the world, the freedom of expression in China, nor has it improved the commercial relationship between the U.S. and China.

But what we're here to talk about here today is human rights in China. I want to thank all of you for keeping the flame of that torch alive all these many years. Let us hope that if we continue to do this and in the following years after the Olympics and whatever openness that brings to China, that we continue to observe the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. We will have made some progress; we will see something different happening in China -- for the people there, the people in Tibet, and the security of the world.

I said when I was in Dharamsala to see the Dalai Lama, he said, 'Tashi delek [hello].' Let America continue to speak out for human rights in China and in Tibet. Unless we do that we will have lost all moral authority to speak out for human rights anyplace in the world.

I appreciate the kind words of appreciation for the leadership that some of us have provided on this. I'm pleased to hear that Congressman Chris Smith was here earlier -- this is bipartisan, we work in a bipartisan way -- Democrats and Republicans together. [Applause.]

I appreciate that and I thank you for that, but I am here to say thank you to all of you, many of you that have risked your lives, many of you whose families risked their lives, all of you who care deeply for human rights in China and Tibet and therefore the entire world.

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to spend time with you today.

Wednesday Event in San Francisco

San Francisco Event To Remember Tiananmen Square

We are pleased to add to our listings of events, commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in the Chinatown of San Francisco.

In San Francisco's Chinatown -- just one block west of the Transamerica Pyramid skyscraper -- there is Portsmouth Square, a park with a large underground garage that many people use as the parking lot for Chinatown. (733 Kearny Street)

In the square, there is a replica of the Goddess of Democracy -- a statue first erected in Tiananmen Square by students in the uprising prior to June 4, 1989.

On June 4 2008 (Wednesday) people will lay flowers at that statue to remember the fallen martyrs of the Chinese democracy movement. This activity will be on Wednesday afternoon prior to 6:30pm.

At 7:00pm, a seminar, panel discussion, or forum will be open to the public at the "San Francisco Chinatown Chinese People's Rights and Interests Promotion Agency." The address for the panel is 17 Walter U. Lum Place, and it is adjacent to Portsmouth Square.

The panelists will include Feng Congde, a famous student leader of the 1989 uprising.

Sunday Event in Seattle

Date: Sunday, June 1st, 2-4 pm
Place: Westlake Park 401 Pine St. Seattle, WA
Against Violence in Tiananmen, Tibet and Elsewhere

As the Beijing Olympic comes closer, in 2008, the world is spotting human rights issues in China more than ever before. People in Beijing, in Tibet, in Xinjiang and elsewhere deserve non-violence and human rights!

The Government of China has long tried to erase the memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. We are going to preserve it, and against violence and military crackdown in Tiananmen Square and elsewhere.

During the spring of 1989, the people of China gathered at the Tiananmen Square to appeal democracy in a peaceful movement. The government responded with Tanks, assault rifles, and bayonets in the streets of Beijing, taking the lives of the civilians stunned with the sudden riot. The hopes of the people of China for freedom and justice were devastated.

Sponsors and Co-sponsors

Amnesty International Puget Sound
Federation for a Democratic China, Seattle Chapter
Global Alliance for Democracy and PeaceAlliance for a Democratic China, Seattle Chapter
Release Dr. Wang Bing Zhang Foundation
China Social Democratic Party, Seattle Chapter
Alliance of Forcibly Evicted Property-Owners in Mainland China
China Democratic Party (Overseas), Seattle Chapter
King County Human Rights Commission
Society of Peaceful Transform for Democratic China
Support Dr. Yang JianLi Citizen Walk WA Group

Contact: (206) 829-8972 email: seattlefdc@comcast.net

Federation for a Democratic China http://www.fdc64.de/
Tiananmen Massacre Record (pictures and videos) http://64memo.org/
China Social Democratic Party http://csdp.com/
Amnesty Democratic China (Oversease headquarter) http://cdp1998.org/
http://bjzc.org/en
Amnesty International http://www.scn.org/amnesty

Appeal for the Color Orange

In line with our recent story about the Color Orange movement, what follows is the text of an email appeal. The project's originators would like all concerned to copy and paste this into an email, then send it to everyone on your list or in your address book:

---

Hello friend

*******Can China forbid the Color Orange?****
Help us making a global manifestation about the human rights in China, and support our appeal. If this is going to succeed it will take many people using their own mailing list and networks to send this letter further, only in that way can we create a wave in the global communication and bring thecolororange.net project out in all corners of the world.
*Translations of the appeal on: www.TheColorOrange.net/uk/page21
*Support the idea on: www.TheColorOrange.net/uk/page35
See this appeal with better layout at this page: http://www.TheColorOrange.net/uk/page63

*******Can China ban The Color Orange?*******

*Take part in checkmating the Chinese regime andmaking a global manifestation for human rights

*We hereby encourage you to join the initiative TheColorOrange.net with the aim of showing China - during the Olympics in August 2008 - that we are many people who are keeping an eye on China's human rights violations.

*The idea is both sophisticated and simple. By using something with the color orange during the Olympics - both inside and outside of China - you are sending a signal to the world that something is wrong in China. It can be anything, like an orange hat, camera bag, tie, pen, paper, dress, suit, bag etc. Even pealing an orange will be considered a pronounced statement.

*No political or religious movement can claim to have a monopoly of the initiative. By
participating in the project you show that you support the fight for human rights in China.

*The Chinese Government wants to present the Olympics as perfect and streamlined to billions of television viewers around the globe with the aim of promoting China as a modern and efficient society. They will do anything it takes to avoid getting criticized on television. However, by using the Color Orange we are exactly capable of breaking with the harsh censorship and embitter the joy of the regime. At the same time, millions of oppressed Chinese people will have a voice during the Olympics 2008.

*The Olympic Charter stipulates as fundamental Olympic principles: "the respect for universal fundamental ethical principles" and the promotion of "?a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity". Nobody can fairly claim that the Chinese regime is living up to these standards. On the contrary, the usage of the orange color will be an ethical and non-political statement that is indeed in deep harmony with the fundamental principles of the Olympic movement.

*The initiative can only succeed if a lot of people are aware of the significance of the Color Orange. This would normally require a publicity budget of million of dollars. This, however, we don't have. But in stead we (might) have you :-) If you, and millions of others, help pass on this idea together we can create a butterfly effect blowing an orange wind over China.

-Pass on this e-mail to everybody on your mailing list. Go to the website http://www.thecolororange.net/ and sign up to the mailing list in order for you to get continuous updates about the initiative. Report to the website with those activities or ideas in which you have used the Color Orange so that we can spread out the happy message as an inspiration to others.

- Make creative use of the Color Orange in relation to Olympic events. If you practice any kind of sport or are a member of an association that supports human rights you can encourage them to use orange in their material and to publicly support the campaign.

- The Dutch national Olympic team is because of their orange colors natural born members of the initiative. What about your country's Olympic heroes? Are the only heroes when it comes to sport? Imagine if the first gold winner in China wipes off the sweat with an orange handkerchief...

*The Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot is the one behind the manifestation 'the Color Orange'. The artist is independent from political and religious interests and has often made global art events in favor of humanism, among others in collaboration with the democratic movement in China.

*The Color Orange is inspired by what the painter Kandinsky said when he stated that the color orange is in fact red that has been made more human by the color yellow. The Chinese color is exactly red so maybe we can support the humanistic forces in the country by introducing the Color Orange. The selection of the Color Orange is however also inspired by the color of the prison uniforms in Guantanamo, the monks in Tibet and Burma and so on.

*We hope that many individuals and organizations will support this initiative and use the Color Orange.

*Jens Galschiot, sculptor, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense NTel.: +45 6618 4058, Fax: +45 6618 4158, E-mail: contact@TheColorOrange.net

*www.TheColorOrange.net

John Kusumi blogs about April, 2008

It can be said that my month of April really began on March 30. On that day, the Human Rights Torch Relay got underway in the United States, and I spoke at length to its kickoff rally in Boston, Massachusetts.

That was two weeks after a renewed uprising in Tibet turned deadly -- the Chinese government began its crackdown on March 14. World attention had swung to these new human rights abuses by Communist China.

It was six days after the Olympic flame was ignited in Olympia, Greece (March 24), and on the same day, Greek officials were handing over the torch to Beijing Games organizers. The Olympic torch relay would get underway the next day (March 31).

In this, my first speech since Tibetan bloodshed was renewed, I underscored that Chinese leaders had three steps as "the least they could do" to defuse the crisis: "Stop the killing, release the prisoners, and talk to the Dalai Lama!"

Also, I had slated plans to speak in Providence, Portsmouth, Portland, and New Haven during April. At the Boston event, organizers and I decided to also have me speak in Washington DC, New York City, and Princeton, NJ.

So, seven appearances were slated for the Human Rights Torch Relay, and an eighth appearance would be in Fairfax, VA -- an event for the China Support Network in its own right, not under auspices of the Human Rights Torch Relay.

The following are my notes, largely to have a diary or journal.

April 5 - I was speaking in Providence, RI. The speech was extemporaneous. When I was in the largest cities (Boston, Washington, New York), I had and kept to prepared remarks, but in smaller cities I was willing to "wing it" and speak off the cuff.

April 6 - I was speaking in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, the Olympic torch was encountering trouble in London. And, an article in the Providence Journal noted that I was a speaker on the program the previous day.

April 7 - The Olympic torch was encountering trouble in Paris. Also this day, the Epoch Times published an article, quoting from my Washington speech.

April 8 - I gave an interview to American Family Radio News (AFRN). I then drove to Charlottesville, VA.

April 9 - AFRN broadcast their report, with my congratulations for the protestors who had intercepted the Olympic torch in Paris. This was the day that the Olympic torch was in San Francisco. Protestors and authorities played cat and mouse. The torch was run in a very truncated (shortened) and unannounced route.

Also this day, the Epoch Times published coverage stemming from the Human Rights Torch April 5 stop in Providence.

Also this day, CNN's Jack Cafferty made comments that (naturally) offended the Foreign Ministry of Communist China. There began a backlash against CNN in China, although it was very orchestrated through the official media.

Meanwhile, I spent the day in Charlottesville, VA like a tourist. I took a tour of Monticello, which was Thomas Jefferson's house. While protests were roiling in San Francisco, I took in the view from Jefferson's mountaintop, and visited the grave of liberty's author -- the American revolution's man of letters.

April 10 - I visited George Mason University (Fairfax, VA) at the invitation of the campus chapter of Amnesty International. They were having a Human Rights Fair which included the China Support Network. Also on this day, OpEdNews (OpEdNews.com) published the text of my Boston / Washington / New York speech, under the headline "China is the new Soviet Union." Two other web sites also published the speech.

April 11 - I put out a podcast for CSN. It included audio from the AFRN report, and from the speech I had given in Boston on March 30.

April 12 - The Human Rights Torch Relay, and I, arrived in Portsmouth, NH. Mine was one of many speeches, from various oppressed or concerned groups.

April 13 - It was the New York City stop of the Human Rights Torch Relay, and my own speaking tour. Again, many groups had speakers in the rally, and two leading Chinese dissidents (Tang Baiqiao and Yang Jianli) were scheduled to speak. At the last minute, Yang Jianli was unable to be there, so I was handed his speech to read in his absence. So really, at the New York stop, I gave two speeches, his and mine. I was the pinch hitter for Yang Jianli.

The New York event was covered by NTD TV and Sound of Hope (SOH) radio. In a post-speech discussion on SOH (translated into Mandarin), I emphasized that China invites tragedy if it does not talk to the Dalai Lama, who represents an historical opportunity to arrive at a negotiated, peaceful settlement over Tibet.

There are sidebar stories to my month of April. This was a month in which I got some pretty good press coverage, but I was kicking the news media at the same time. Actually, this month I opened Issue 6 of Compassion magazine, put out by Falun Gong, and I saw myself cited within an article, 'Out of the Media Spotlight':

"John Patrick Kusumi of the China Support Network, for instance, argues that Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings for years grounded the bias of not seriously discussing human rights in China on U.S. television."

April 14 - I published a "public diary" at OpEdNews. It was titled "Seething at United States network TV 'journalists'." This directed my ire at Jennings, Brokaw, and Rather again, but not CNN.

April 19 - The Human Rights Torch Relay, and I, arrived in Portland, ME. Amid many oppressed and concerned groups, I delivered my stock speech.

April 21 - Even though I don't owe any favors to CNN or to Jack Cafferty, I did them one. I published an article, "CNN's Cafferty should not be demonized." It was published at three web sites that commonly run my columns, OpEdNews.com, TheConservativeVoice.com, and NolanChart.com.

We should face it that CNN was under attack by the Chinese government -- even though they made it look like public sentiment in China, it was very orchestrated. The Foreign Ministry was demanding apologies from CNN, and creative people in China had already penned two new pop songs, both called 'Don't Be Too CNN.'

I think that Cafferty had made a poor choice of words, but that is a mere quibble where his overall point was right on. I have long decried China's "communists, dictators, tyrants, and thugs" without the blowback that hit Cafferty --because my line is clearly talking about the leadership, while his line was ambiguous, and then misrepresented as talking about Chinese people in general.

"Thugs" is not a racial slur; it's an assessment of the Chinese government, and I know what Cafferty meant, so I defended him. Also on April 21, the Epoch Times published coverage of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire stop of the Human Rights Torch Relay.

April 24 - The Human Rights Torch Relay, and I, arrived in Princeton, NJ. I had thought about defending Jack Cafferty some more, but I didn't. Instead, I ad libbed with my usual talking points. This is when I said--

"I think that Beijing's only way out of a predicament--or a pickle that it's in--is to talk to the Dalai Lama." This was once again a crowd pleasing applause line. Continuing to ad lib, I said--

"I would say also that the Western press and news media has been a funny beast, because there was a lot of coverage right after the Tiananmen massacre, and in fact the Chinese dissidents could be seen on the mainstream news conveying the stories of human rights abuse in China.

"The Western press really has been downplaying stories -- particularly about the Falun Gong persecution. And that's in a time period since -- y'know, 1999 is when Bill Clinton signed a free trade deal with Communist China and so the trade deal was starting at the same time as the Falun Gong persecution.

"And I think that some in the American news media made a choice to be silent about the persecution in order to preserve a path for the free trade deal. But that's shortsighted -- that suggests that they must be silent eternally.

"And especially in this year, with the Olympics upcoming, we've already now seen a new crackdown against Tibetans that has come to be front and center in the mainstream news media. And so that means that there's been coverage of the Tiananmen crackdown and there's been coverage of the Tibetan crackdown.

"--We still have not seen any justice done, even just as a matter of journalism, to the story of the Falun Gong. The Western news media has still got to convey fully to the people what is happening with the Falun Gong in China.

"And so, I encourage the media to do so. I've tried at many occasions -- I've offered criticism; I've written articles; I have a book manuscript that's in progress; and something was just published this morning on OpEdNews.com.

"--All of these are occasions where I am pressing, and I am pushing, and I am challenging the Western news media to open up a bit. To elucidate about the Falun Gong persecution. It's a very important piece of the puzzle and it has been the missing piece of the puzzle thus far. We need more in the way of attention paid and indeed respect for the work of David Matas."

(applause)

Alrighty then. I was able to point at David Matas, because he was another speaker on the program, sitting right there. He is the co-author of Bloody Harvest, the investigative report about organ harvesting as a tool of Chinese government cruelty against Falun Gong practitioners whom it holds incarcerated in China.

Also on April 24, I published another diary at OpEdNews.com, titled 'Bigots of the U.S. news media.' It reflected similar thoughts as my speech -- that the press has still got to do justice to the Falun Gong persecution as a story. After all of the above, I drove to New York City for the night.

April 25 - Beijing announced that it will meet with emissaries from the Dalai Lama.

This was somewhat good news. It meant that Beijing blinked under international pressure. But it also meant that I had to change my speech for the next day. I found myself pulling an all nighter to rewrite the speech, aware that Chinese dissident Tang Baiqiao would also be on the program with me in New Haven.

Also on April 25, I missed a call in radio program on WNPR in Connecticut. I had been invited to call in while they discussed China and the Olympics. Unfortunately, I was just driving back into Connecticut from New York City and was on the road at the appointed hour.

I would have joined Marcus Gale, spokesman for the Human Rights Torch Relay, and I would have added anti-CCP balance into that program. I regret missing it, and that episode of the show 'Where We Live' seemed to skew in a pro-CCP direction without me. Dang it!

April 26 - The Human Rights Torch and I arrived in New Haven, CT. This time, my speech was different and titled, 'White Flowers for June 4.' I had begun to look ahead to this year's June 4 (Tiananmen massacre) anniversary, and I called upon the Chinese people to take white flowers and go to Tiananmen Square with them. This is a way to honor the dead, and also it is a way to press China to meet the demands of the Tiananmen Mothers.

The Tiananmen Mothers have long demanded the right to mourn publicly for their dead children. I was backing them up, and I also adjusted my speech upon talking to Tang Baiqiao, a leading Chinese dissident, at the New Haven Green. My speeches are often "Reaganesque anti-Communist" against Communist China. The new one was similar, and the Yale Daily News reported that a Yalie had found it too "hawkish" and insufficiently "conciliatory" towards Communist China.

As far as I'm concerned, I direct at the China Support Network and the Freedom First, Olympics Second Coalition. That Yalie is likely too young to remember the Ronald Reagan presidency and Reagan's style with the Soviet Union. Reagan also had his critics, who would cringe at the verbal assaults upon the Soviet Union. (I used to be a Reagan critic - in fact, Reagan's youngest political opponent - so I understand that feeling.) The existence of critics didn't stop Reagan, nor did it stop yours truly on the New Haven Green.

Related coverage proceeded to appear:

WTNH TV:
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=8232796

April 27 - New Haven Register:
http://www.nhregister.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/BigDaily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.content=/MAIN_REP/Article/2008/04/27/1960862

April 28 - WNPR Radio:
http://www.cpbn.org/competing-demonstrations-regarding-olympics-china

New Haven Independent:
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/04/china_protest.php

Yale Daily News:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24724

NTD TV:
http://english.ntdtv.com/?c=258&a=2918

China Support Network via YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5aK-HonGf8

April 29 - John Kusumi via OpEdNews.com:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_john_kus_080428_britt_3a_these_olympic.htm

April 30 - The Epoch Times:
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-4-30/69990.html

Anyway, looking back upon April, a lot happened for a lot of people. As for the inclusion of myself in press coverage, I think it was best by American Family Radio News and by WNPR. (Even though I had missed WNPR on April 25, they caught up with me on the New Haven Green the next day.) I know that this isn't the end of the story; in Chicago on May 10, Robert Gerald Lorge is going to be speaking for the China Support Network/FFOSC, and by the end of May, the Human Rights Torch Relay will conclude in the United States, but the CSN/FFOSC will move immediately to run their observances of the June 4 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

For Tibet's monks, death by starvation?

According to the blog over at SFT (Students for a Free Tibet),



As the Chinese government continues its inhumane siege of major monasteries in and around Lhasa, a new danger is emerging for Tibetan monks: death by starvation.



Chinese military forces have surrounded the monasteries, cut off water and electricity, and are refusing to let Tibetans bring food and medicine to the increasingly starving (and potentially injured) monks.



This tactic is particularly inhumane, and yet historically appropriate for the Chinese Communist Party, which has a long history of massive collective punishment as a way of maintaining its control.



The major monasteries of Sera, Drepung, and Ganden are cut off, and sources in Lhasa report near-starvation among the monks. Tibet.net, the website of the Tibetan government in exile, is reporting that at least one monk has starved to death at the smaller Ramoche Monastery in central Lhasa.



The Chinese government is currently bringing some hand-picked foreign reporters on a carefully-scripted 3-day tour of Lhasa. These journalists should insist on being allowed to visit the monasteries to see the situation for themselves. China’s inhumane collective punishment against Tibet’s monks cannot be allowed to stand.



Does this sound like proper conduct for an Olympic host? Does this sound like proper conduct for any civilized country? Or does this sound like something out of the Middle Ages? Unfortunately, this is Tibet under Chinese occupation.

Wei Jingsheng speaks at Tibet protest opposite U.S. White House

On the afternoon of March 22, 2008, the Tibetans in the Washington DC metro area held a rally in the park just north of the Whitehouse. They protested the Chinese Communist government's killing of Tibetan people and monks. They also protested President Bush's insistence on attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

The Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition, Wei Jingsheng, was invited to attend and deliver a speech. The following was his message:

1. The whole world was shocked to learn that the peaceful protests of the Tibetans were suppressed with bloodshed by the Chinese Communist government. People of every country, including many Han Chinese, are sympathetic and are supporting your anti-suppression struggle.
   
   
2. The Europeans are pushing their leaders to refuse attendance at the Olympics Games. At this time, President Bush openly insists on attending the opening ceremony. This insistence is equivalent to encouraging the Chinese Communists' bloody suppression. It is very inadequate. It is against the conscience of the human race. It is also against the stand of the majority of Americans.
   
   
3. But it is only the current stand of President Bush. As the situation develops, if the Chinese Communists continue to suppress with force and refuse to negotiate, President Bush could change his decision any time. We trust that he will care about the lives and safety of the Tibetan people and their struggle for justice.
   
   
4. Many Han Chinese, including some Han Chinese within the ruling class of the Chinese Communists, are sympathetic to the Tibetans. They do not support the bloody suppression policy of the Chinese Government. Thus, the main strategy of the Chinese Communist Party is to sow discord of ethnic conflict between the Han Chinese and the Tibetans, in an effort to divert the people's attention and divert the conflict for the Chinese Communist Party.
   
   
5. I hope that you, Tibetan friends, will not be tricked by the Chinese Communist Party. You should stay together with the majority Han Chinese to fight against the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party. Only when people of all nationalities are united together, can we finish the autocracy of the Chinese Communist Party, and gain freedom and happiness for everyone.
   

At the end of the speech, Wei Jingsheng encouraged the Tibetan friends to continue their struggles until the Chinese Communists are willing to sit down for negotiation.

During the speech, Tibetan friends applauded enthusiastically several times. After the speech, they all came to shake hands with Mr. Wei to express their gratitude to the Han brothers, as well as wishing more Han Chinese friends would stand out to speak up for them, like what Mr. Wei had done recently in many news media in the USA, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, etc.

Wei Jingsheng At European Parliament

Wei Jingsheng Speaks at the European Parliament to the ALDE Group about Chinese Human Rights Issues: The Death Penalty, Arms Embargo, and Beijing Olympics

The chairman of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition, Mr. Wei Jingsheng, was invited by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group of the European Parliament to attend its conference from December 6 to 7, 2007. He also attended a luncheon as the VIP guest at the European Parliament Members' Restaurant hosted by its European Parliament members.

The organizer at the European Parliament, Marco Cappato, member of the Parliament, told the audience that the Chinese government called all of their Parliament members in an effort to prevent Wei Jingsheng’s participation.

In his speech, Wei Jingsheng said that the group's effort to establish a moratorium on the death penalty, in particular by the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, not only received attention in the United Nations, but also had very important effects in China where 90% of the world's executions take in place. The Chinese government's Supreme Court has already decided on resumption of the right to review all death penalty decisions made by lower courts, and has informed the lower courts to reduce the number of death penalties. These actions indicate that although the dictatorial government could be playing games orally, it will quietly reduce its bad actions when there is strong international pressure. The human rights pressure from the international society has its important effect in pushing forward the human rights progress in China.

Wei Jingsheng also said that the huge trade deficit between Europe and China could not be compensated for by the 30 billion Euros worth order that France received from China. More European enterprises have lost their business, and more European workers have lost their jobs. These losses are not because the European business is not competitive, but due to unfair trade relationships and cheap labor. Why is there cheap labor? Because the Chinese workers do not have the rights to demand rightful wages. Why is there unfair trade? Because the Chinese government monopolizes the market. These problems are part of the Chinese human rights issue. So paying attention to Chinese human rights is paying attention on Europeans' own interests as well.

Wei Jingsheng also talked about what people have been talking about France recently, after it received the 30 Billion Euros' order -- that France is trying to persuade other nations of the European Union to lift the arms embargo against the Chinese Communists. Wei said that it is a huge matter related to standards of value, as well as security, that it should not be used to trade politically. The security of Asia is tied to the security of the globe. Should a major war break out in Asia, the security of Europe would be directly threatened. The uprising of Russian extreme nationalism, as well as the massive export of Russia's advanced weapons and technology, are all for the final goal to resume its traditional control over the East Europe. The Europeans should pay attention to this situation.

Near the end of conference, Wei Jingsheng also encouraged the attendees to continuously pay attention to Chinese human rights, especially during the time before Beijing's Olympic Games. The Games offer the best opportunity to push for the progress of Chinese human rights.

Bush, Dalai Lama Remarks Transcript

On Wednesday, October 17 2007, a ceremony was held at the U.S. Capitol, in which the Dalai Lama -- spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetans -- was honored and received a Congressional Gold Medal. This blog post is not an analysis, but just the literal words that were said by U.S. President George Bush, and by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

---

U.S. President George W. Bush:

Madam Speaker; and Senator Byrd; Mr. Leader; members of the congressional delegation, particularly Senators Feinstein and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Senator Thomas -- God rest his soul -- distinguished guests, particularly our friend, Elie Wiesel; and Your Holiness.

Over the years, Congress has conferred the Gold Medal on many great figures in history -- usually at a time when their struggles were over and won. Today Congress has chosen to do something different. It has conferred this honor on a figure whose work continues -- and whose outcome remains uncertain. In so doing, America raises its voice in the call for religious liberty and basic human rights. These values forged our Republic. They sustained us through many trials. And they draw us by conviction and conscience to the people of Tibet and the man we honor today.

Nearly two decades have passed since the Dalai Lama was welcomed to the White House for the very first time. Members of both of our political parties and world leaders have seen His Holiness as a man of faith and sincerity and peace. He's won the respect and affection of the American people -- and America has earned his respect and affection, as well.

As a nation, we are humbled to know that a young boy in Tibet -- as a young boy in Tibet, His Holiness kept a model of the Statue of Liberty at his bedside. Years later, on his first visit to America, he went to Battery Park in New York City so he could see the real thing up close. On his first trip to Washington, he walked through the Jefferson Memorial -- a monument to the man whose words launched a revolution that still inspires men and women across the world. Jefferson counted as one of America's greatest blessings the freedom of worship. It was, he said, "a liberty deemed in other countries incompatible with good government, and yet proved by our experience to be its best support."

The freedom of belief is a yearning of the human spirit, a blessing offered to the world, and a cherished value of our nation. It's the very first protection offered in the American Bill of Rights. It inspired many of the leaders that this rotunda honors in portraits and in marble. And it still defines our way of life.

Consider where we gather today. This great symbol of democracy sits quietly near a Catholic parish, a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim community center, a Greek Orthodox cathedral, and a Buddhist temple -- each with faithful followers who practice their deeply held beliefs and live side by side in peace. This diversity is not a source of instability -- it's a source of strength. (Applause.) This freedom does not belong to one nation -- it belongs to the world.
One of the tragic anomalies of the past century is that in an era that has seen an unprecedented number of nations embrace individual freedom has also witnessed the stubborn endurance of religious repression. Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away. And that is why I will continue to urge the leaders of China to welcome the Dalai Lama to China. They will find this good man to be a man of peace and reconciliation. (Applause.)

Throughout our history, we have stood proudly with those who offer a message of hope and freedom to the world's downtrodden and oppressed. This is why all of us are drawn to a noble and spiritual leader who lives a world away. Today we honor him as a universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd for the faithful, and the keeper of the flame for his people.

I congratulate His Holiness on this recognition. I'm so honored to be here with you, sir. Laura and I join all Americans in offering the people of Tibet our fervent prayer that they may find days of prosperity and peace.

And now I ask the Speaker and Senator Byrd to join me for the Gold Medal presentation. (Applause.)

---

His Holiness the Dalai Lama:

President Bush, Speaker Pelosi, Senator Byrd, my fellow Laureate Elie Wiesel, Honorable Members of Congress, Brothers and Sisters.

It is a great honor for me to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. This recognition will bring tremendous joy and encouragement to the Tibetan people, for whom I have a special responsibility. Their welfare is my constant motivation and I always consider myself as their free spokesperson. I believe that this award also sends a powerful message to those many individuals who are dedicated to promoting peace, understanding and harmony.

On a personal note, I am deeply touched that this great honor has been given to me, a Buddhist monk born of a simple family from the remote Amdo region of Tibet. As a child I grew up under the loving care of my mother, a truly compassionate woman. And after my arrival in Lhasa at the age of four, all the people around me, my teachers and even the housekeepers, taught me what it means to be kind, honest, and caring. It is in such an environment that I grew up. Later my formal education in Buddhist thought exposed me to concepts such as interdependence and the human potential for infinite compassion. It is these that gave me a profound recognition of the importance of universal responsibility, nonviolence, and inter-religious understanding. Today, it is a conviction in these values that gives me the powerful motivation to promote basic human values. Even in my own struggle for the rights and greater freedom of the Tibetan people, these values continue to guide my commitment to pursuing a nonviolent path.

I have had the honor to be in this hall once before when I visited your country in 1991. Many of the faces that welcomed me then, I can see today, which gives me great joy. Many have retired and some are sadly no longer with us. However, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize their kindness and contribution. Our American friends have stood with us in the most critical of times and under most intense pressure.

Mr. President, thank you for your strong support, and for the warm friendship that Mrs. Bush and you have extended to me personally. I am deeply grateful to you for your sympathy and support for Tibet, and your firm stand on religious freedom and the cause of democracy.

Madam Speaker, you have not only extended an unwavering support to me and the just cause of the Tibetan people, you have also worked hard to promote the cause of democracy, freedom and the respect for human rights in other parts of the world. For this, I would like to offer my special thanks.

The consistency of American support for Tibet has not gone unnoticed in China. Where this has caused some tension in the US-China relations, I feel a sense of regret. Today, I wish to share with you all my sincere hope that the future of Tibet and China will move beyond mistrust to a relationship based on mutual respect, trust and recognition of common interests.

Today we watch China as it rapidly moves forward. Economic liberalization has led to wealth, modernization and great power. I believe that today's economic success of both India and China, the two most populated nations with long history of rich culture, is most deserving. With their new-found status, both of these two countries are poised to play important leading role on the world stage. In order to fulfill this role, I believe it is vital for China to have transparency, rule of law and freedom of information. Much of the world is waiting to see how China's concepts of "harmonious society" and "peaceful rise" would unfold. Today's China, being a state of many nationalities, a key factor here would be how it ensures the harmony and unity of its various peoples. For this, the equality and the rights of these nationalities to maintain their distinct identities are crucial.

With respect to my own homeland Tibet, today many people, both from inside and outside, feel deeply concerned about the consequences of the rapid changes taking place. Every year, the Chinese population inside Tibet is increasing at an alarming rate. And, if we are to judge by the example of the population of Lhasa, there is a real danger that the Tibetans will be reduced to an insignificant minority in their own homeland. This rapid increase in population is also posing serious threat to Tibet's fragile environment. Being the source of many of Asia's great rivers, any substantial disturbance in Tibet's ecology will impact the lives of hundreds of millions. Furthermore, being situated between India and China, the peaceful resolution of the Tibet problem also has important implications for lasting peace and friendly relation between these two great neighbors.

On the future of Tibet, let me take this opportunity to restate categorically that I am not seeking independence. I am seeking a meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people within the People's Republic of China. If the real concern of the Chinese leadership is the unity and stability of PRC, I have fully addressed their concerns. I have chosen to adopt this position because I believe, given the obvious benefits especially in economic development, this would be in the best interest of the Tibetan people. Furthermore, I have no intention of using any agreement on autonomy as a stepping stone for Tibet's independence.

I have conveyed these thoughts to successive Chinese leaders. In particular, following the renewal of direct contact with the Chinese government in 2002, I have explained these in detail through my envoys. Despite all this, Beijing continues to allege that my "hidden agenda" is separation and restoration of Tibet?s old socio-political system. Such a notion is unfounded and untrue.

Even in my youth, when I was compelled to take on the full responsibility of governance, I began to initiate fundamental changes in Tibet. Unfortunately, these were interrupted because of the political upheavals that took place. Nevertheless, following our arrival in India as refugees, we have democratized our political system and adopted a democratic charter that sets guidelines for our exile administration. Even our political leadership is now directly chosen by the people on a five-year term basis. Moreover, we have been able to preserve and practice most of the important aspects of our culture and spirituality in exile. This is due largely to the kindness of India and its people.

Another major concern of the Chinese government is its lack of legitimacy in Tibet. While I cannot rewrite the past, a mutually agreeable solution could bring legitimacy, and I am certainly prepared to use my position and influence among the Tibetan people to bring consensus on this question. So I would also like to restate here that I have no hidden agenda. My decision not to accept any political office in a future Tibet is final.

The Chinese authorities assert that I harbor hostility towards China and that I actively seek to undermine China's welfare. This is totally untrue. I have always encouraged world leaders to engage with China; I have supported China's entry into WTO and the awarding of summer Olympics to Beijing. I chose to do so with the hope that China would become a more open, tolerant and responsible country.

A major obstacle in our ongoing dialogue has been the conflicting perspectives on the current situation inside Tibet. So in order to have a common understanding of the real situation, my envoys in their sixth meeting with their Chinese counterparts suggested that we be given an opportunity to send study groups to look at the actual reality on the ground, in the spirit of "seeking truth from facts." This could help both sides to move beyond each other's contentions.

The time has come for our dialogue with the Chinese leadership to progress towards the successful implementation of a meaningful autonomy for Tibet, as guaranteed in the Chinese constitution and detailed in the Chinese State Council "White Paper on Regional Ethnic Autonomy of Tibet." Let me take this opportunity to once again appeal to the Chinese leadership to recognize the grave problems in Tibet, the genuine grievances and deep resentments of the Tibetan people inside Tibet, and to have the courage and wisdom to address these problems realistically in the spirit of reconciliation. To you, my American friends, I appeal to you to make every effort to seek ways to help convince the Chinese leadership of my sincerity and help make our dialogue process move forward.

Since you have recognized my efforts to promote peace, understanding and nonviolence, I would like to respectfully share a few related thoughts. I believe this is precisely the time that the United States must increase its support to those efforts that help bring greater peace, understanding and harmony between peoples and cultures. As a champion of democracy and freedom, you must continue to ensure the success of those endeavors aimed at safeguarding basic human rights in the world. Another area where we need US leadership is environment. As we all know, today our earth is definitely warming up and many scientists tell us that our own action is to a large part responsible. So each one of us must, in whatever way we can, use our talents and resources to make a difference so that we can pass on to our future generations a planet that is at least safe to live on.

Many of world's problems are ultimately rooted in inequality and injustice, whether economic, political or social. Ultimately, this is a question of the wellbeing of all of us. Whether it is the suffering of poverty in one part of the world, or whether it is the denial of freedom and basic human rights in another part, we should never perceive these events in total isolation. Eventually their repercussions will be felt everywhere. I would like to appeal to you to take a leadership role in an effective international action in addressing these problems, including the huge economic imbalance. I believe the time has now come to address all these global issues from the perspective of the oneness of humanity, and from a profound understanding of the deeply interconnected nature of our today's world.

In conclusion, on behalf of six million Tibetan people, I wish to take this opportunity to recognize from the depth of my heart the support extended to us by the American people and their government. Your continued support is critical. I thank you once again for the high honor that you have bestowed on me today. Thank you.

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(Bush remarks are as found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/; Dalai Lama remarks are as found at http://www.savetibet.org/.)

Cinderella Singer Hides from Communist Goons Trying to Stop Her from Attending International Vocal Competition

The following story is inspired by the situation of Su Hongyu:

Su Hongyu had always dreamed of being a singer. Since the time she was six years old she used to spend hours a day listening to famous singers around the world. Her parents would ask her what she was doing and she said, "Preparing to sing in America." While her parents didn't have a lot of money, her parents wanted to support her. On her 7th birthday, her father got out the piggy bank where he'd been saving for his retirement and broke it. He collected all the money inside and went and found the best teacher in their city of Fushun in Liaoning and gave her his entire life savings so that his daughter could have her dream come true.

From that point forward little Su trained with her vocal teacher, Ms. Li, day in and day out. Overtime her voice became more and more pure and beautiful. In spite of her meager upbringings, she did very well at the statewide competitions.

Then one day they heard news about an International Vocal Competition in New York City hosted by the TV station New Tang Dynasty TV. She really wanted to go. It was her life's dream. But she didn't have any money. Her parents didn't have any money as they had given it to the teacher and were just poor farmers. That night little Su prayed and prayed, and cried and cried, for a way for her to come to America and sing.

When Little Su came to see, Ms. Li she was crying. "What's wrong," Ms. Li asked? "I want to go to America and share my heart with the people of the world, but I have no money!" Little Su said. Ms. Li looked at her with understanding eyes. Ms. Li went into the other room and got out the piggie bank from under her bed where she had put all the money from Little Su's father. She walked across the room and gave it to Little Su: "Here - take this money and fulfill your dream and the dream that was taken from me by the Cultural Revolution." Little Su trembled with the piggy bank in her hands as tears fell down onto her peasant clothing.

Ms. Li looked at her and smiled: "But you can't compete in those clothes." Ms. Li patted her head and went into a trunk. She pulled out a beautiful hand-embroidered dress: "This was the dress that my mother made for me when I was going to compete in an international vocal competition," Ms. Li said. "But the Communist Party wouldn't let me leave the country...and then they killed my mother in the Cultural Revolution. You wear it when you sing for freedom in America." Little Su and Ms. Li hugged as they cried.

Little Su packed her competition dress and her meager belongs to go to the competition in America. Then on October 8, as she was preparing to go to the airport, her music teacher called her: "You must hide; the police are trying to arrest all the contestants. They don't want anyone to go New York and sing about freedom." Taking the advice of her teacher, Little Su hid while police arrested another contestant. In hiding, Little Su cries and cries and prays and prays that the kind people of the world will rescue her so that she can come to America and sing for the people of China...

Details: As of right now, Su Hongyu is still hiding from Communist "police" because she is trying to attend New Tang Dynasty TV's International Vocal Competition. The true details of life are unknown and the substance of the story is inspired  

Washington Post publishes Yang Jianli

It was interesting to see the Op-Ed article by Yang Jianli, released by the Washington Post for its September 30 issue.

It is rare for mainstream U.S. news media to let on -- to breathe a word of the existence of the Chinese democracy movement, still active with voices, events, and activism in the United States (the "land of the free," were it not for censorship by the mainstream press). The Post previously rejected a joint Op-Ed from Lian Shengde and John Kusumi.

So. The cat is out of the bag at the Washington Post. Here is an excerpt from what Yang wrote:

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All of us in the Chinese democracy movement stand in solidarity with the Burmese people, who are engaged in a life-or-death struggle to free their country from years of oppression and decay. Everything is at stake for the Burmese, but the outcome in Burma will also have a major impact on our struggle in China....

China has a parasitic relationship with Burma. Beijing sucks out Burma's natural resources -- especially oil, gas and timber -- at heavily discounted prices, which it obtains because so few countries are willing to do business with a regime that manages its own economy so poorly and that has such a terrible human rights record. China views the junta's preservation as in its own interest, to ensure that competition for those resources remains minimal. To this end, China is the principal arms exporter to Burma, providing 90 percent of its weapons. Without $1.6 billion in past military assistance from China, Burma would not have been able to create a 400,000-member army, the second-largest in Southeast Asia, behind only Vietnam.

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See the whole article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092801356.html

Remarks of Yang Jianli

The following fifteen minutes of remarks were given by Dr. Yang Jianli, a Chinese dissident newly free in America after five years as a political prisoner, at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Tuesday August 21, 2007. Yang was flanked by his family, by three U.S. officials, and by Jared Genser, the President of Freedom Now / organizer of the presser.

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Yang Jianli: Ladies and gentlemen, my dear friends, it is heartening to be able again to stand on this great land as a free man, freely expressing my thoughts and ideas before you. Five years and four months: this moment has not come easily. There's no way to know how many good hearted people have put their efforts to secure my release and my safe return to the United States; how many prayers have been said; how many wishes have been made; and, how many tears have been shed.

At this emotional moment, my heart is filled with thanksgiving. While it is impossible to thank everyone by name now, and I look forward to giving proper thanks to people individually, in person and in good time --there are a few people that I would be remiss if I didn't thank publicly now. It is most appropriate for me to begin with the U.S. Congress. As I stand today in this great democratic institution, I thank its members for their genuine concern, compassion, and perseverence to secure my freedom and family reunion.

My family could not have not been luckier than to have chosen to live in Brookline, Massachusetts, and to happen to have been represented by Congressman Barney Frank. His support to my family and his relentless work has been the backbone of the effort to secure my release. Thank you, Congressman Barney Frank.

In addition, Chairman Chris Cox, prior to leaving the Congress, spent many years --and Chairman Congressman Lantos spent many years-- all from the very beginning, working to secure my release. Thank you, Chairman Cox. Thank you, Chairman Lantos.

I feel deeply indebted to the Bush administration. President Bush, Secretary Rice, Secretary Paulson, Ambassador Rant, and so many others for their tireless work on the front line, which has brought this day to fruition.

Standing with me today also is my dear friend Jared Genser, President of Freedom Now, who has supported my family since the very beginning. He brought my case before the United Nations which prepared the vital and necessary groundwork for this entire endeavor. He pressed the Bush administration and the U.S. Congress to care about my imprisonment. He fought for five long years without one minute of wavering. Just like I knew from within myself that this day would come, he too on the outside was just as resolute in his determination. My special thanks to you, my dear friend Jared. And also to Jerome Cohen as well, who could not be here today but who was a tremendous support to my family.

My gratitude to all of you in the media for publicizing my case, which in turn created enormous support around the world. Thank you all.

And to human rights groups worldwide and my colleagues from the Chinese community, I thank them for their constant and unflagging support.

I also cannot express enough my profound affection and appreciation to my entire family. Without their love, devotion, support, and understanding, I would not have been able to survive these difficult years. My family are here, my wife and my son -- Christina and Aaron -- and my mother. Mother, mom: thank you. And my sister, Junghua[sp?], and my sister Junguo[sp?], and my nephew Daniel. Thank you all.

But my rock, my source of strength, and the person who helped me get through these many years is my devoted wife, Christina. No one, when they get married, quite knows what will be required when they take their wedding vows. I know that was certainly the case with us, and especially for her.

I have only begun to understand --most since my release-- what a vital leadership role she played in this entire effort. Her grace and dignity and her unflagging dedication to get me home inspired countless people to put in an extra effort on my behalf. Without her summoning the inner strength required to persevere, I would not be home today. Christina, I love you, I am blessed, and so proud that you are my wife.

In five years and four months, I have lived a lifetime since I left home in April, 2002 to observe labor unrest in the northeastern China. While I never would have wished for the pain for my family, we all now truly understand that through adversity comes strength.

I am here today, stronger than I have ever been; more determined than I ever thought possible; more convinced that the one party system in China is fatally flawed. And deeply heartened by the knowledge --especially after the four months I spent in Beijing since my release-- that the democratization process in China is irreversible.

While the Chinese Communist Party may choose to fight this process every step of the way, it shouldn't. The Chinese people are increasingly demanding accountability from their government. They want to know that the resources being invested and spent are being used wisely, efficiently and without corruption, fraud, waste, or abuse. They want transparency and good governance. They want to know that their government has their best interests in mind. And most important, they are enducated enough that they want a say in directing how those resources are invested and spent.

One only need to understand that there are literally tens of thousands of protests in China every year to see that the Chinese government is sitting on a powder keg, as frustration with the one party system mounts. The Chinese government claims that what's required is stability to deliver on its promise to the people, and that it needs to control people's lives. But, the tighter the grip onto power, the more difficulty they will have in holding on. If a thirsty man plunges his fist into a bucket of water to get a drink, and then pulls it out, he will have nothing. It is only by extending an open hand into the bucket that he can get the drink he requires. So too it is with the Chinese government.

While counterintuitive for those who are too convinced of the righteousness of their cause, it is only by opening up their hands and trusting the wisdom of its own people that China can reach its full potential.

The answer to China's major challenges is not suppressing the countless protests across the country for fear they will spiral out of control. But rather, it is to acknowledge that they are a symptom of a broader, deeper, and more fundamental problem: that the people do not believe that their government has their best interests in mind. It is only by embracing public debate and placing more power to make the decisions that affect people's lives into the hands of the Chinese people that the Chinese government has the opportunity to relieve the tremendous pressure it is under. And by making these decisions, inevitably China will also play a more responsible, and less self centered, role on the world stage.

Information is power. And with the internet, mobile phones, text messaging, education, trade, and greater travel abroad, the Chinese people have had a taste of freedom. And they like what they see. The Chinese government has a fundamental decision to make. It can swim against the tidal wave, or it can surf it in to shore. I believe that inevitably, we will see vibrant democracy take root in China. And my time in prison only reaffirmed and strengthened my resolve to continue this struggle.

First, as I hope you will understand, I need to take the time to rest and be with my family for the time being. There is so much more that I have to say, but with the freedom to express my views, I will have the time to do that in the right way.

Again, my profound thanks for your years of support. Knowing from inside my cell how much was being done on the outside gave me the strength to persevere.

Thank you all. God bless America. God bless China. Thank you all.

Freedom First, Olympics Second appears in ET

Here is a second article about last week's event that appeared in the Epoch Times:

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-7-9/57426.html

CDP Direction/Timeline for Chinese government

Proposed Direction and Timeline to the Chinese Government for the Implementation of Political Reform in the People’s Republic of China


Xu Wenli

(May 15 2006)

  We recognize and applaud the efforts taken by the various Chinese political opposition factions in lobbying for political change or reform in the People’s Republic of China and in suggesting the various political propositions and proposals presented thus far.

  Our suggestion of a “Proposal of Direction and Timeline for Political Reform in China” is but one of the many political initiatives that have been proposed and I warmly welcome any form of criticism, recommendations or additional input on this issue.

  One of the most successful measures undertaken in today’s international political arena to achieve political progress is through the formulation of timelines and blueprints.

  In the world of today, there is probably no issue more serious and more pressing than the topic of political reform and change in a China that houses 1.3 billion of the world’s population.

  As long as political reform is not implemented in China, the Chinese people cannot retain the benefits nor relieve the suffering that has accompanied the recent economic reforms. Neither can China hope to progress towards a future of justice, equality, stability, and prosperity, nor can it dispel the doubts and reservations that nations around the world have regarding China’s future.

  Moreover, an article published in the Xinhua Daily on behalf of the Communist Politburo on February 25, 1939 has stated, “They (Kuomintang) think that democracy in China is something that belongs not to the present but somewhere in the distant future. Their hope is for the Chinese people to first elevate their knowledge and educational level to one comparable to the capitalist and democratic nations of the West before they can begin to implement democracy. Actually, it is precisely under a democratic system that people can be more easily trained and educated.”

  Additionally, an article from the Xinhua Daily on behalf of the Communist Politburo on February 1 1944 has stated, “In order to maintain our international status, we must begin by guaranteeing the fundamental democratic rights of the people. Fear represents cowardice, doubt represents selfishness, and opposition represents backwardness. We urge once again: Guarantee the fundamental democratic rights of the people.

  On October 28, 1941, Liberation Daily published an article on behalf of the Communist Politburo, stating that “Right now, in order to establish a democratic political system, the key is to end a single-party government.”

  On April 19, 1944, Xinhua Daily stated on behalf of the Communist Politburo that “Democracy and freedom of speech are inseparable.”

  On February 2, 1944, Xinhua Daily once again stated on behalf of the Communist Politburo that “We must completely, fully, and effectively implement popular elections, so the people can realistically enjoy ‘popular’ and ‘equal’ right to election. With regards to the right to be elected, we must adhere to the words of Mr. Sun Yat-sen in that before every election, ‘we must guarantee that every person and organization from every locality has the right to vote and has the freedom to propose, publicize and discuss any policy propositions.’ This necessarily means that ‘we must guarantee that the people have the complete freedom of assembly, of speech, to publish, and to unionize’, otherwise, the so-called right to election is merely a right on paper.”

  Therefore, at a point where the Chinese Communist Party has governed Mainland China for 57 years, at a point where economic reforms have been in practice for 28 years, at a point where the economy is growing but social conflict is also increasingly sharpening, immediately urging the Communist party to implement political change or reform is but a natural thing to do.

  Thus, we propose that:

  1. Beginning from 2007, Mainland China should implement five years of gradual political changes or reforms that will allow the completion of the initial objectives of political reform by 2011, which is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, the first republic in Asia.

  2. The Chinese Communist Party should emulate the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Vietnamese Communist Party in holding multi-candidate elections for its General Secretary. Democratization should first begin from within the Chinese Communist Party itself.

  3. Beginning from June 1, 2007, after all necessary preparation, the People’s Congress should authorize the gradual release of all prisoners that have been arrested for political, ideological, speech, religious, minority rights and other reasons. Additionally, the government should also allow all political dissidents that are exiled overseas to return to their home country.

  4. Under the condition that the Chinese Communist government has implemented point number 2, which permits the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, as well as allowing all overseas exiles to return to their home country, all Chinese political opposition factions, whether in China or abroad, will cease all political activities during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, as a gesture of reciprocity.

  5. After more than a year of planning and preparations beginning from 2008, the Chinese Communist Party and all Chinese political opposition factions should collaborate in organizing and participating in the “Future of China Conference”, to be held in the fall of 2009 in Beijing. This conference should primarily focus on discussing the vital issues surrounding China’s political development and on charting China’s political direction. A “Constitutional Convention” will be subsequently convened in 2010 upon legitimate authorization by the “Future of China Conference”.

  Local and overseas political opposition factions and the Chinese Communist Party will each begin to organize and establish a communication group, comprising approximately 20 members. Each group should encompass a sub-team responsible for researching the planning and implementation of political reforms prior to the conference in 2009. The sub-teams should also hold at least two open, honest and friendly discussions between the beginning of 2007 and the fall of 2008, allowing a full year before the 2009 “Future of China Conference”. Ideally, relevant authorities from the United Nations should be involved in the organization, mediation and supervision of these discussions, which will be conducted once in Mainland China and the other abroad, in order to make ample preparations for the topics, schedules and implementation of the conference itself. One of the starting points of discussion could be the return of exiled political dissidents.

  The “Future of China Conference” should have no less than 100 representatives from the Chinese political opposition factions. These 100 representatives should be selected through negotiations among the different executive committees of the opposition groups.

  6. Members of the Constitutional Convention should first make a public declaration to the Chinese people that they will never seek any form of “dominant authority” in the future.

  7. At the same time, the Chinese Communist Party should hold open, peaceful and constructive dialogues with the Taiwanese government and its other political parties, the Tibetan government in exile headed by the Dalai Lama, Falun Gong members, as well as the victims of the June 4th Tiananmen Incident. Their key representatives should be included in the 2009 “Future of China Conference” in Beijing.

  8. The legislative procedures of the “News Publication Law” should be completed no later than the beginning of 2009, henceforth allowing freedom of the press in Mainland China.

  9. In 2009, one or two provinces, such as Fujian, Guangdong or Hainan, should be designated as Early Political Reform Provinces, allowing for the early implementation of the Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Association legislation in these areas. Direct elections at the county and city district levels should be held no later than 2010. Building upon the foundations of experience, direct elections should also be held at the provincial level in 2011. Direct elections for the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should be held in 2008.

  10. The implementation of political reform in Mainland China should at least achieve these targets as mentioned below:

  (1) Any political organization, be it the Chinese Communist Party or any other political groups, must not build up their party apparatus or political organizations within the government’s administrative departments or upon the military might of the Chinese army. Under the stipulations of China’s “Political Organizations Law”, the Chinese Communist Party and other political groupings are entitled to equal access to political power and the right to fair competition. No one political party should enjoy privileged political status or power.

  (2) It is only when a parliament arises out of popular, nation-wide elections by the people themselves can it be truly considered as vested with the nation’s highest authority. China’s premier must be selected either through direct or indirect elections by the Chinese people.

  (3) A nationalized and neutral military force will be commanded by the democratically elected president of the country. With the exception of the commander-in-chief, no other official within the military is allowed to interfere with the political matters of the country; otherwise he will be most severely punished by military law.

  (4) The country will continue to implement open market economic policies.

  (5) The country will not pursue regional supremacy and world hegemony, therefore allowing China to become an influential and responsible member of the international community.