H.J.R. 6

1

RESOLUTION URGING AN END TO THE
2 PERSECUTION OF FALUN GONG
3 PRACTITIONERS
4 2002 GENERAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Sponsor: Matt Throckmorton
7 Chad E. Bennion
8 Cindy Beshear
9 Jackie Biskupski
10 DeMar Bud Bowman
11 Stephen D. Clark
12 Carl W. Duckworth
13 James A. Ferrin
Fred J. Fife
Neil A. Hansen
Bradley T. Johnson
David Litvack
Rebecca D. Lockhart
Brent D. Parker
Paul Ray
Carl R. Saunders
Michael R. Styler
Mike Thompson
David Ure
Glenn L. Way

14 This joint resolution of the Legislature condemns the persecution of Falun Gong
15 practitioners by the People's Republic of China and requests that Falun Gong practitioners
16 be permitted to express their beliefs free of government pressure, threats, and force.
17 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
18 WHEREAS, Falun Gong is a peaceful practice of personal belief which has benefitted
19 millions of people in China and around the world;
20 WHEREAS, Falun Gong practitioners aim at self-improvement by following the principles
21 of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance;
22 WHEREAS, the Government of the People's Republic of China has forbidden Falun Gong
23 practitioners from practicing their beliefs and has systematically attempted to eradicate the practice
24 and those who follow it;
25 WHEREAS, the current government has created notorious "610" offices throughout China
26 with the special task of overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through organized
27 torture and murder;
28 WHEREAS, the campaign of persecution has been escalated by government officials and
29 state police and has permeated every village and level of government in China;

30 WHEREAS, the persecution of Falun Gong in China has been identified as a state terrorism
31 in the form of government terror against its own people, which produces far more gross violations
32 of human rights than any other form of terrorism;
33 WHEREAS, this persecution violates China's own constitution, the Universal Declaration
34 of Human Rights, and directly violates the fundamental human right to practice personal beliefs;
35 WHEREAS, the propaganda from China's state-controlled media has inundated the Chinese
36 public and the international community in an attempt to breed hatred and discrimination;
37 WHEREAS, 343 deaths from torture have been verified so far, tens of thousands have been
38 tortured while confined in labor camps, prisons, and mental hospitals, and hundreds of thousands
39 have been forced to attend reeducation classes;
40 WHEREAS, official measures have been taken to conceal all atrocities, such as immediate
41 cremation of victims, the blocking of autopsies, and the false labeling of deaths as suicide or
42 natural causes;
43 WHEREAS, women in particular have been the target of numerous forms of sexual
44 violence, including rape, sexual assault, and forced abortion; and
45 WHEREAS, Salt Lake City is hosting the 2002 Olympic Winter Games which promotes
46 the spirit of "Celebrate Humanity":
47 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
48 recognizes the sacrifices of Falun Gong practitioners, condemns the suppression of Falun Gong
49 as state-sanctioned terrorism and requests that Falun Gong practitioners be freed from government
50 pressure, threats, and force.
51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the People's
52 Republic of China, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, and to the members of Utah's
53 congressional delegation.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-25-02 10:00 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel