On the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China, notably the case of Mr Ding Yuande

B90074/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China, notably the case of Mr Ding Yuande

(2024/2504(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to its previous resolutions on China,

having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

Whereas the Communist Party of China (CCP) banned Falun Gong in 1999 and has since then sought to eradicate the movement by systemically persecuting and imprisoning its supporters;

Whereas Falun Gong practitioners are frequently detained on dubious charges, reportedly subjected to torture in attempts to force them to renounce their convictions, and deaths in custody, as well as forced organ harvesting, are reported on a significant scale, although denied by the government;

Whereas, according to Falun Gong sources, the District Police Department in Rizhao City, Shandong Province, detained Ding Yuande, along with his wife, Ma Ruimei, and together with approximately 70 other Falun Gong practitioners, as part of a mass arrest campaign on May 12, 2023;

Whereas Ma Ruimei was released on May 24, 2023, but remains under surveillance and monitoring, while Ding Yuande was sentenced to three years in prison and fined approximately 15,000 RMB (or 2,000 Euros) on December 15, 2023;

Whereas Article 36 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China stipulates that Citizens of the PRC shall enjoy freedom of religious belief and that no state organ shall coerce citizens to believe in or not to believe in any religion;

Whereas respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law should be at the centre of the EU’s relations with China;

Calls on the government of the PRC to immediately and unconditionally release Falun Gong supporters who have been detained due to their affiliation to the movement such as Ma Zhenyu, and to address the whereabouts of missing supporters;

Condemns the systemic persecution of religious minorities, such as Falun Gong practitioners, across the PRC and calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately end all restrictions on the freedom of religious belief;

Urges the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law and its own constitution to respect, protect and fulfil human rights, including the freedom of religious belief;

Recalls the importance of the EU raising the issue of human rights violations in China, in particular the persecution of Falun Gong, during political and human rights dialogues with the Chinese authorities;

Expresses concerns about the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories through media outlets affiliated with the Falun Gong movement, such as the Epoch Times, within the EU and across several third countries, but stresses that this acknowledgement in no way justifies the alleged serious violations of human rights against individuals associated with the movement;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the Member States, the UN, and to the Government and Parliament of the PRC.