Speech by U.S. Congressman Ben Gilmore of New York at July-19 Washington DC Rally

(Hostess: Congressman Gilman is one of the most senior members of the House having served for over thirty years as a representative from the state of New York. During that time he has served three terms as Chairman of the International Relations Committee and built a reputation for strong advocacy for human rights. I know him personally and indeed he is a stalwart defender of human rights. Please allow me to introduce Congressman Ben Gilman.)

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Washington, and I want to thank you Chen for inviting me here to share some thoughts with you about the repression of the Falun Gong in the People's Republic of China. We hope that your message will be broadcast throughout the world. I am deeply distressed by the ongoing horrible acts of arrests, violations of human rights, religious repression, torture and murder of the peaceful Falun Gong practitioners in China.

The leaders of the Chinese government are so arrogant, and so possessed with holding on to their own personal power that they'll do anything, even if it means harming innocent people such as all of you. The beatings and killings of teen age girls who only want to better themselves through spiritual practices are so distressing. It is difficult to adequately find the words to properly describe such acts of intolerance.

It was a huge display of insensitivity and arrogance on the part of the members of the Olympics Committee to award the Chinese totalitarian regime with the 2008 Olympics. We would have liked a different kind of decision. What would possess people to do such a thing? How does it make sense to award the thugs who have unleashed state superiority and brutality and state supported repression upon the peaceful Falun Gong practitioners and other people living in China who only want to follow their religious faith? Why on God's earth would the members of the Olympics Committee do such an ignorant deed?

Accordingly we need your support in passing the measure that our good subcommittee chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has indicated to you, H. Con. Res. 188 (House Congressional Resolution 188) condemning the Chinese government for its repression, the repression of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners. Your rally here today on behalf of all those who in the past and present are suffering under China's religious repression is a welcome demonstration. It's good having you here in the capital. We will continue to do all we can to support religious freedom in China and we hope that one day the Chinese government will be ruled by democratically elected officials who have a spiritual practice that will bring peace to their lives and to all the families in China. Only then will China join the community of civilized nations throughout the world.

Good luck, God Bless, Thank you for being here.