On Saturday April 26, 2008 there was a human rights rally in New Haven Ct. The gathering centered primarily on the human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese government. I was honored to be a speaker because of the concerns the Catholic Church has for all Human Rights as articulated in Catholic Social teachings. The Rally took the name "Human Rights Torch Rally". The name gives emphasis on the Olympic games which is being held this year in Beijing. The violations against basic human rights by the government of China demeans not only the Olympics but human life and dignity as well.
Some of those violations are not limited to but include:
1. Financial and weapons Support for the government of Sudan. This support equips the Sudanese government to continue the carnage that has already taken the lives of 400,000 of the Darfur people and has forced over 2,500,000 of the people to flee the violence. They now live in exile in camps that provide little shelter or protection. The U.N. has done little to alleviate the horror. The Chinese government refuses to excerpt enough pressure on the government in Khartoum to cease the genocide. The violence continues today unabated.
2. The people of Tibet have been violated in their attempt to embrace freedom as a country. They have been continuously suppressed by the government of China that colonized this tiny nation in the late 1950's.
Thousands have been arrested and killed, because of their desire to embrace freedom.
3. There has been a crackdown on practitioners of Falun Gong which is a spiritual practice introduced to the public in China in 1992. It has five sets of meditation exercises and seeks to develop practitioners' hearts and character according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. For some inexplicable reason the Chinese government sees this as dangerous. As a consequence thousands of those who practice Falun Gong have been persecuted and jailed.
4. In Burma the Chinese government has exploited the natural resources and has again supported the government in Burma. This government has a historic reputation of violence against its people who continue to flee this suppressive government.
It is vitally important to stand up and speak out for those who cannot.
