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

B90079/2024

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 Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas on 12 May 2023 Falun Gong practitioner Ding Yuande and his wife Ma Ruimei were arrested after police stormed their tea plantation in the village of Yanjiazhuang in China’s Shandong province;

Whereas on 24 May Ma Ruimei was released on bail pending trial, but was placed under secret surveillance; whereas she became subject to intimidation after Ding Yuande was transferred to the Rizhao City Detention Center on 13 June;

Whereas on 28 November Ding Yuande was tried at the Wulian County People’s Court; whereas on 15 December he was sentenced to three years in prison and fined with 15,000 yuan;

whereas the People’s Republic of China (PRC) banned the Falun Gong in 1999, outlawing it as an ‘evil cult’, viewing it as a threat to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); whereas in 2020 China launched the Zero-Out campaign focused on eliminating Falun Gong practitioners across the country;

whereas Falun Gong practitioners face harassment, surveillance, arrest and detention with members being sentenced to long prison terms; whereas detained practitioners are reportedly subjected to various methods of physical and psychological coercion, including torture in attempts to force them to renounce their beliefs and practice. whereas deaths in custody occur and forced organ harvesting is reported on a significant scale, although denied by the CCP;

whereas freedom of religion and belief is continuing to deteriorate across mainland China, with the CCP requiring all religions to adhere to the party’s ideology, doctrine, and teaching; whereas new legislation on Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues (September 2023) and the Patriotic Education Law (January 2024) further aims to increase party-state oversight of religious activities and introducing propaganda elements into religious content and education;

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Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Ding Yuande and the dropping of all charges against him; calls on the authorities to allow him access to medical services and legal counsel while in jail;

Condemns the Chinese government’s vicious campaign of persecution against millions of innocent Falun Gong practitioners and reiterates its serious concerns about the reports of persistent, systematic, inhumane and state‑sanctioned organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and other minorities;

Calls the Chinese authorities to respect and guarantee the right to freedom of religion or belief and refrain from monitoring, harassing, detaining or otherwise intimidating leaders and members of religious groups; condemns China’s continuous actions to restrict religious activities in China, including through the Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues and the Patriotic Education Law;

Calls for the EU and its Member States to raise the issue of Falung Gong and the wider religious freedom situation at every dialogue with China;

Calls on the Council to issue Magnitsky-style sanctions against individuals and entities participating in the crackdown on Falun Gong practitioners;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU Institutions and the Government and Parliament of China.