PASADENA, Calif.– Representatives from international human rights groups and several oppressed groups in China came to the Pasadena City Council meeting on July 16 to express their regret and objections over the approved entry of the Chinese government's float into the 2008 Rose Parade.
The objections and comments were made during the public comments portion of the council meeting. They objected to the entry of China's float, with the theme of the 2008 Olympics, because of its dismal human rights record.
The groups included Reporters Without Borders, Visual Artists Guild, Caltech Falun Gong Club, Justice for Americans in China, Amnesty International - Pasadena Chapter, Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, China Ministries International, and the Conscience Foundation. TV, radio, and newsprint media representatives were also in attendance.
Reporters Without Borders
Peggy Chaine spoke on behalf of Robert Menard, the Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders. Menard's statement focused on the fact that the Chinese promise to improve its human rights record during the 2001 Olympic meeting has never been realized.
Chaine read from Menard's prepared statement, "Reporters Without Borders feel compelled to remind you of the issue of human rights in China. We are surprised and disappointed to learn that the Beijing Olympic float will be included in the upcoming parade. The 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing are expected to start in a little over a year but the Chinese government despite its promises refuses to do anything to improve human rights in China. China continues to be by far the world's biggest prison for journalists, press-freedom activists, cyber dissidents, and Internet users."
Conscience Foundation
Dr. Shizhong Chen, the founder of the Conscience Foundation and a Falun Gong member drove in from San Diego to speak to the council. He had previously met with representatives of the Rose Parade committee.
Dr. Chen said, "A float authorized by the Beijing government will be traveling down Colorado boulevard in the famed Rose Parade glorifying a communist regime in the name of the Olympics. Their human rights condition has not only not improved but deteriorated to the point of systematic harvesting of human organs from live victims. It is up to the international society to pressure the Chinese regime to fulfill its promise."
Dr. Chen asked the council to consider having an agenda item on the issue and to "help Falun Gong have representation in the parade to counter-balance the communist float because Falun Gong has been under severe persecution for eight years."
Visual Artists Guild
Ann Lau, Chair of the Visual Artists Guild, said "We believe that in this world we should have freedom of information and freedom of press. And this is the mission of the Visual Artists Guild."
Among other examples she mentioned a human rights attorney and blind activist who was named one of the most 100 influential people by Time magazine in 2006 and who was sentenced to 4 years in jail simply because he volunteered to help thousands of villagers who had been forced into sterilization and forced abortion.
Lau added, "They are now attacking online sites that have nothing to do with politics, for example a poetry site was closed down. We ask you to consider how the reputation of the City of Pasadena would be affected should the float be seen traveling down Colorado boulevard. "
Justice for Americans in China
Ms. Maxine Russell of Justice for Americans in China, described how her son Darren Russell was murdered as a teacher in China. She explained that Darren discovered tuition was being misused by the school authorities with the protection of the local police. The school claimed that Darren was hit by a truck, but Ms. Russell thought otherwise.
She had her son's body exhumed and autopsied by Dr. David Posey, a La Canada based pathologist, who found that he was killed by heavy blows to his head and concluded that the manner of death was homicide.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International's representative Lucas Kamp, also confirmed that the Chinese human rights record has not improved since 2001. A Chinese Falun Gong practitioner Dong-wei Pu was arrested and jailed in a Beijing's labor camp last year for his belief in "Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance," a Falun Gong practitioner's credo of life.
Los Angeles Friends of Tibet
Tseten Phanucharas, president of the Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, described a recent incident near the Chinese border, in which a Western cameraman videotaped over 70 Tibetans trying to cross the border, and who were fired upon by Chinese border police, killing a nun and severely wounding another. She also described the kidnapping of 6 year-old Panchen Lama, the 2nd highest religious figure in Tibet in 1995. He turned 18 in April and his whereabouts are still unknown.
China Ministries International
Michael Yuen, represented Christian Ministries International based in Pasadena. He said, "We have China central government announcements and documents stating that there will be crackdowns on all non-registered churches (house churches) throughout China beginning from January 2007."
"China promised the International Olympics Committee that they would improve their human rights record as a condition for winning the right to hold the summer 2008 Olympics. This has not happened. There were over 2,000 cases of religious freedom infractions throughout China in 2006."
"We ask the city to consider if the world will know that Pasadena stands up for religious freedom worldwide."
Caltech Falun Gong Club
John Li represented the Caltech Falun Gong Club and asked the city council within reason to not let the Rose Parade be associated with the "Olympics of shame"… "China is truly violating the spirit of the Olympics, so now is the time to do something."
Li reminded the council that a presentation was made two weeks ago before the council on the continuing persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Li asked the City to write a letter to Beijing asking the Chinese President to release the prisoners of conscience. "We need to do something to show the people in China and in the world that we truly care about human rights in China."
"China is truly violating the spirit of the Olympics, if we continue to allow this we are creating an enemy for the people of the world."
"Remember that Spielberg, the movie director wrote a letter to the Chinese president. After he wrote the letter China changed their policy regarding Darfur which saved a lot of people. I hope you do something to change the human rights situation in China."
Councilmembers Holden and Gordo Show Support for Human Rights
At the conclusion of the presentations and after some council discussion, Councilman Chris Holden suggested that the city's Human Relations Commission be given the opportunity to hear some of the concerns and to give the council some ideas on how to respond and the appropriate approach to take if any.
Councilman Victor Gordo asked that the Commission also communicate with the Tournament of Roses association. "I am of the belief that we have the responsibility as a city to condemn human rights violations in any country of the world including our own," said Gordo.
Human Relations Commission to Report back within 90 days
The Sister City Commission was also asked to participate in the meetings. The Mayor and council agreed that the Mayor would ask the Commission on Human Relations to conduct their study and to report back to the council within 90 days.
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