Thursday, August 2, 2007

One Hundred Cities to Participate in the Human Rights Torch Relay on Five Continents

MEDIA ADVISORY


One Hundred Cities to Participate in the Human Rights Torch Relay on Five Continents Urging China that "Crimes Against Humanity and Olympic Games Cannot Co-exist in China”

The Global Human Rights Torch Relay will light its first flame in a ceremony in Athens, Greece on August 9, 2007. Led by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China, hundreds of individuals and organizations will support and participate in this global event inspired by the Olympic Torch relay.

Over 20 countries and more than 100 cities will be part of the Human Rights Torch Relay, calling on the international community to urge the Chinese communist regime to respect the spirit of Olympics; to expose the ongoing and increasing human rights violations in China; and stop China from continuing to commit the most gruesome and unspeakable evil crimes - including the murdering of Falun Gong practitioners for their vital organs for profit. This crime against humanity must end. We have an obligation to ensure that the 2008 Olympics will not turn into the Bloody Olympics.

The Human Rights Torch Relay ceremony in Athens will highlight speeches of government officials, human rights organizations, former Olympic medallists, and human rights activists from China. Canadian Former Secretary of State and co-author of the Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China, David Kilgour will also be present. New evidence of the organ harvesting will be disclosed.

Background Information:

The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong is a global non-profit organization established in 2006. Four delegations from Oceania, Asia, Europe and North America, total more than 300 members The ambassadors of the four delegations are Senator Andrew Bartlett of the Australian Democrats, Lai Ching-Te, a Taiwan Legislator, Rabbi Dr Reuven Bulka, Chairman of the Organ Donation Committee of the Kidney, and Baroness Caroline Cox, Member of the House of Lords in UK.

CIPFG continues to request for an end of the persecution of Falun Gong and to go into China to investigate the persecution. To date the Chinese communist regime has never replied.

On May 30 2007, CIPFG held a press conference and released a joint statement: "Crimes Against Humanity and Olympic Games Cannot Co-exist in China”. On June 8, an open letter was sent to the Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, calling for them to stop the persecution by August 8, 2007 -- otherwise, a series of global actions would be taken to call for the boycott of the Beijing Olympics.

Hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners languish in prisons without warrants while the Chinese regime uses the Olympics to accelerate the persecution.

The Global Human Rights Torch Relay is supported by the Canadian Students for Darfur, Network for Human Rights in China (Denmark), Doctors Against Organ Harvesting (USA), and many more groups. Chinese people in China are embracing the Human Rights Torch Relay.

Representatives from the National Human Rights Protection and Anti-Violation Organization will participate in the entire human rights torch relay route, spreading the message that "Chinese people from China want human rights rather than Olympics."

It was picked by a few media:

Olympic torch for human rights to highlight Beijing abuses
AsiaNews.it, Italy - 9 hours ago
On 9 August, a day after the official Olympic torch is lit, a group of human rights activists will light an alternative flame in Athens, to remind the world ...
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9997&geo=6&size=A

Rival Olympic torch relay targets human rights abuses
ABC Online, Australia - Aug 2, 2007
By China correspondent Stephen McDonell Taiwanese human rights activists have announced they will start a rival Olympic torch relay next week to draw ...
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/03/1995532.htm?section=justin

Human rights torch relay to spotlight China "abuses"
Radio Taiwan International, Taiwan - Aug 2, 2007
Human rights activists are planning an international torch relay to highlight human rights abuses in China. The announcement came as New York-based Human ...
http://english.rti.org.tw/Content/GetSingleNews.aspx?ContentID=41415

Slamming Beijing for alleged Olympic black list
http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=83138&CtNode=46

International Herald Tribune
Taiwanese group sees PR opportunity in Beijing Olympics (English)
| TAIPEI: A group of Taiwanese critics of China on Thursday announced a plan to stage a rival torch relay to highlight human rights abuses on the mainland, months after the island rejected the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch. | The announcement came as Ne...
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/02/news/taiwan.php

DPP lawmakers call for boycott of 2008 Olympics
By Shih Hsiu-chuan
STAFF REPORTER Taipei Times
Friday, Aug 03, 2007, Page 1
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/08/03/2003372469

Olympics-Taiwan torch relay to spotlight China 'abuses'
San Diego Union Tribune, United States - 11 hours ago
Abuses listed by Lai and other China detractors included the 'persecution' of Tibetans and adherents of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by Beijing ...
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070802-0006-olympics-beijing-taiwan.html

Taiwan torch relay to spotlight China "abuses"
Phayul, Tibet - 18 hours ago
Abuses listed by Lai and other China detractors included the "persecution" of Tibetans and adherents of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by Beijing ...
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Taiwan+torch+relay+to+spotlight+China+%22abuses%22&id=17410

Taiwan torch relay to spotlight China "abuses"
Reuters India, India - 18 hours ago
Abuses listed by Lai and other China detractors included the "persecution" of Tibetans and adherents of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by Beijing ...
http://in.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idINIndia-28782420070802

Taiwan torch relay to spotlight China "abuses"
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 19 hours ago
Abuses listed by Lai and other China detractors included the "persecution" of Tibetans and adherents of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by Beijing ...
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-682227




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