Reps. Vagnozzi, Hopgood, Condino, Accavitti, Tobocman, Garfield, Meisner, Zelenko, Anderson, Adamini, Gillard, Bieda, McConico, Kolb, Gleason, Gieleghem, Whitmer, Jamnick, Rivet, Lipsey, Williams, Minore, Stewart, Plakas and Dennis offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 46.

 A resolution to urge the United States Secretary of State to increase efforts to urge the People’s Republic of China to halt its violation of the human rights of its citizens, specifically the persecution against practitioners of Falun Gong.

            Whereas, Falun Gong, which is also known as Falun Dafa, is a discipline of personal beliefs that incorporates exercise, meditation, and principles based on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.  Its millions of practitioners work to attain inner peace, good health, and better skills to deal with stress and conflict in life; and

            Whereas, Over the past several years, authorities in the People’s Republic of China have taken strong and brutal actions against practitioners of Falun Gong.  Reports indicate that tens of thousands of people have been tortured and sent to labor camps, and property owned by those who follow this discipline has been destroyed or confiscated.  The aggressive actions taken by the state reflect a systematic commitment to eliminate Falun Gong and those who pursue it; and

            Whereas, The persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong is in apparent violation of the People’s Republic of China’s own constitution and a flagrant violation of standards of human rights recognized by the United Nations and most governments of the world; and

            Whereas, Citizens of Michigan who practice Falun Gong and those who understand this discipline cannot fathom the reaction of the Chinese authorities.  Indeed, those who value human rights seek an increase of efforts to urge the People’s Republic of China to halt this persecution; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Secretary of State to increase efforts to urge the People’s Republic of China to recognize and protect the human rights of its citizens and halt the persecution against practitioners of Falun Gong; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Secretary of State, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.