At a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large told lawmakers that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is leading a global persecution campaign against religious and spiritual groups.
Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said the CCP is targeting Christians, Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and especially Falun Gong practitioners.
“Communist China will spend billions of dollars this year alone to suppress every faith that exists in that country, and they save their greatest anger and bile for the Falun Gong,” Brownback said.
“We should see them as our greatest ally.”
“These are people behind enemy lines that will stand up to the regime, that will stand up to the oppressors, because they overcome their fear with their interior faith. They will fight, even if it means their life,” he said.
Brownback said China uses advanced surveillance technology to crush religious freedom.
“Literally, it’s a war on God. They can find that one person out of 100,000 that will actually lead people against a regime that’s driven by their faith. They can pinpoint that person and get him or her,” he added.
Brownback also urged the U.S. government to more openly support religious leaders targeted by authoritarian regimes.
“You act through these people that are people of faith and back them. Have the vice president, the secretary of state, go to Dharamsala, India, and meet with the Dalai Lama and say, we are behind you guys.”
“Bring the head of Falun Gong, the gentleman that brought Falun Gong out, who is now exiled in the United States. Bring him here, and laud them for what they have done in standing up and trying to bring ancient Chinese civilisation back,” he urged.
Dr. Stephen F. Schneck, Former Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom warned at the hearing that U.S. programmes supporting religious freedom abroad are at risk “as a result of the Doge cuts.”
These programmes include USAID, programmes at the Department of State and U.S. Institute of Peace, as well as Voice of America.
As lawmakers seek to hold the CCP accountable, the U.S. passed the Falun Gong Protection Act last May.The legislation now has eight Senate co-sponsors and targets forced organ harvesting and other systematic abuses against people of faith in China.
In 2019, the China Tribunal found credible evidence after a year’s long investigation of CCP’s forced organ harvesting against people of faith which began in 1999.
In a statement ‘final judgement’, China Tribunal said, “Within the Chinese transplant system, waiting times are said to be ‘extremely short by international standards and at times, transplants of vital organs (hearts, full livers) can be ‘booked’ in advance.”
“The alleged victims of forced organ harvesting are primarily people who follow the Buddha School meditation practice of Falun Gong, possibly along with Uyghur Muslims (a Turkic ethnic group currently being detained in vast numbers in the Xinjiang region) and some Tibetan Buddhists and House Church Christians,” the statement added.
