TAIPEI,Taiwan-Keynote speeches from David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, and Australian senator Andrew Bartlett marked the commencement of the "International Forum: Human Rights in China and 2008 Olympics" at Taipei's Grand Hyatt Hotel on February 21. Over 100 political figures and human rights activists from 12 countries gathered to deliberate on how to motivate global powers to boycott the Beijing Olympics.
The opening ceremony began with Taiwan president Chen Shuibian issuing a congratulatory letter. Live speakers at the event included Mr. Shieh Jhy-wey, Minister of the Government Information Office (GIO) and Mr. Tung Chen-yuan, vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC). In addition, Edward McMillan-Scott, vice-president of the European Parliament, and Mr. Dana Rohrabacher, a U.S. Congressman, delivered videotaped presentations to call upon the world to pay attention to China's human rights record.
Mr. William Lai, president of the Asian branch of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIFPG), indicated that many important figures in the world are opposing the Beijing Olympics, including Prince Charles and movie director Stephen Spielberg. According to Lai, the Beijing communist regime has continuously violated the human rights of Chinese people and posed threats to the security of the world.
Mr. Shieh Jhy-wey mentioned in his speech that everyone must step forward to uphold human rights. Mr. Tung Chen-yuan said he would like to salute to Stephen Spielberg for his decision to withdraw as an artistic adviser for the Beijing Olympics.
Mr. McMillan-Scott's recorded speech stressed that the Chinese communist regime is the most infamous human rights violator in the world today, and the Olympics should not become a propaganda tool to cover up its wrongdoings. McMillan-Scott added that people should not sit by while this regime continues its severe behavior, especially its continued persecution against Falun Gong.
McMillan-Scott likened the Beijing Olympics to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He pointed out that the Beijing regime attempted to gloss over their crimes using the Olympics just like Hitler to disguise the Nazi's massacre of the Jews. He emphasized that people should no longer remain indifferent and allow the recurrence of the history, or tolerate Beijing's manipulation upon the public opinion of the world.
David Kilgour talked about the Chinese communist regime's anti-humanity crime of organ harvesting from thousands of live Falun Gong practitioners. Kilgour also touched upon the regime's support in the slaughter of 400,000 of Sudanese in Darfur. He said Beijing's persecution against Falun Gong and other religious groups goes against the Olympic Charter just as the Nazi regime had. "We must bring the Chinese communist regime to obey the Olympic Charter," he remarked.
Australian Senator Andrew Bartlett said the world should not evade China's human rights infringement due to the country's economic strength. He urged that, as world citizens, people need to speak out for the victims of human rights violation before the arrival of the Beijing Olympics.
Excerpts of the "Human Rights Torch Relay"—a global movement aimed at urging the international community to boycott the Olympic Games—in various countries around the world were also played during the forum.
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