Voices: Let’s work together in Prince William to bring justice to people tortured by CCP

Jim Giragosian, a 28 year resident of the Gainesville District in Prince William County and Falun Gong practitioner, spoke to the Board of County Supervisors on Feb. 16, 2021, about atrocities happening to those who practice the religion in China.

In communities across the country and around the world, we are seeing unprecedented calls for justice for all people. Not just for a single race or single ethnicity, or a single sexual orientation, but for everyone.

In our inclusiveness, I ask that we remember the Falun Gong practitioners in China who have been unjustly imprisoned and tortured for the past 21 years. And now they’re being executed for their organs.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has gotten away with unconscionable human rights violations in china because they have an extensive influence operation right here in the U.S. And it targets every aspect of our society.

The CCP targets U.S. policymakers and businesses with millions of dollars in paid advertising, describing all of the wonderful investment opportunities in China.

They just don’t tell us about the forced labor camps, which are the reason why prices are so low.

The CCP targets American colleges and universities by giving them millions of dollars in grants to open Confucius institutes to educate American students about Chinese culture. They just don’t tell us the entire curriculum is infused with Marxist ideology.

The CCP targets American local governments, even right here in Virginia, by using their sister cities program to, essentially, manufacture positive media coverage for China.

They just don’t tell us they’re hiding coronavirus data behind their PPE donations, their smiles, and their friendly handshakes.

And now the CCP is targeting the most vulnerable members of our community: the terminally ill by telling them if they come to China, they don’t have to wait months or years for an organ transplant.

They just don’t tell us where the organs are coming from.

I, too, would like to thank Supervisors Vega, Franklin, and Angry for meeting with me and other Falun Gong practitioners in Prince William to discuss ways we can educate our communities about this practice.

I hope that all of us in Prince William can work together to help bring justice to all people, including Falun Gong practitioners in China.