Falun Gong: 26 Years of Persecution

Today, July 17, 2025, I did something that I do every year at this time. I went to the National Mall to show solidarity and support with the Falun Gong — also known as Falun Dafa — in their fight for freedom against the Chinese Communist Party of China.

I, of course, am an advocate for my persecuted brothers and sisters in the Christian Church in China. But I am also an advocate for other victims of CCP repression, persecution, imprisonment, and murder. This would include the Hong Kongers, Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians, and others. And, of course, it includes the Falun Gong, who have been victims of particularly vicious and genocidal persecution.

My speech at today’s very hot rally on the National Mall is below the photo, and the video is hyperlinked here, but first I want to address any possible questions about my participation.

• As my dear friend Ambassador Sam Brownback says: “Religious freedom is for everyone, everywhere, all the time.” It is important that we defend everyone’s right to religious freedom.
• As those who know the joy of belonging to Jesus Christ, having the peace that passes understanding, and holding on to the amazing grace that settles the matter of our eternal destiny, we should want everyone to have this salvation. But they won’t have a chance to know this joy if they’re killed by the CCP!
• Finally, Falun Gong and related publications The Epoch Times, Epoch TV, NTDTV, China Uncensored, and others are an ENORMOUS asset to our nation. They are fiercely loyal to America, great patriots, brilliant investigative journalists, and very dedicated to the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance.

My Speech at the Falun Gong Rally Today

Good afternoon, everyone. I am Faith McDonnell, the Director of Advocacy at Katartismos Global, a ministry to equip Christian believers to be advocates for the persecuted. I've been doing advocacy for the persecuted and for human rights in general for over 30 years. I'm here again this year to support Falun Gong once again in standing against the CCP and its appalling, genocidal actions towards Falun Gong for 26 years, along with its wider human rights violations against the Uyghur, Hong Kongers, China’s Christians, and people of various captive nations. And today we demonstrate against not just 26 years of persecution, but the alarming escalation of transnational repression of Falun Gong.

First, I want to celebrate passage of House Resolution 1540 Falun Gong Protection Act and House Resolution 1503 The Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 this past May. They both address Forced Organ Harvesting – Horrific and excruciatingly painful murder that is tantamount to genocide and was declared a Crime Against Humanity in 2019.

H.R. 1540 was Introduced by U.S. Representative Scott Perry from Pennsylvania and by U.S. Representative Pat Ryan from New York, who just spoke to us. Kudos to Congressman Perry, who retired as a Brigadier General in the US Army in 2019 after 40 years of military service. Perry understands the evil of the CCP against the people of China and freedom- lovers in the Diaspora, and the threat that it poses to the United States, as well. H.R. 1503 was introduced by Congressman Chris Smith from New Jersey. Chairman Smith is a legendary hero of us all, fighting for human rights and religious freedom issues, as well as for the unborn for decades. 

It’s a great idea to let Congressmen Perry and Ryan, and Chairman Smith, and all their co-sponsors know you appreciate their caring about this issue. And if your congressman was NOT a co-sponsor, get in touch with them and ask them why they did not co-sponsor this bill that imposes well-deserved sanctions on the CCP for forced organ harvesting.

Congressman Perry’s press release says:
The Falun Gong Protection Act imposes sanctions on those who participate in or facilitate forced organ harvesting. The bill directs the Secretary of State to determine whether CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong constitutes crimes against humanity or genocide, alongside a required report on CCP organ transplant policies and practices. Additionally, the bill makes it U.S. policy to avoid any cooperation with the CCP as long as its forced organ transplant industry continues.

And, I think very importantly, the bill says that within a year, a list of all United States grants over the past ten years that have supported research on organ transplantation in the PRC or in collaboration between a Chinese and a United States entity must be reported. I’m thinking of US medical schools & universities! Where do they get organs from?

The bill is now sitting in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. So it’s time to pressure your Senators! 

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday, July 22nd, on the status of democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, five years after the PRC’s judicial takeover, so they are headed in the right direction when it comes to CCP human rights violations and lack of freedom. We urge the Senate to pass the Falun Gong Protection Act swiftly, too.

Secondly, CCP attacks on Shen Yun along with Falun Gong represent a grave escalation of methods of infiltration to subvert Falun Gong’s voice and influence to warn America about the CCP and the threats to freedom. Shen Yun is a powerfully effective conveyor of truth because it transcends factual information and statistics. The power of art in advocacy seems to have been discovered by the CCP, and so they are targeting the creative and beautiful work of Shen Yun. 

Shen Yun has been described as follows: Founded by Falun Gong practitioners in New York in 2006, Shen Yun showcases the beauty and spiritual depth of authentic Chinese culture before it was almost destroyed by communism. While telling the story of China’s 5,000-year-old civilization, a few segments of the show also demonstrate the tyranny of modern-day China, and how the faith and courage of Falun Gong practitioners remain unbowed—core themes Beijing is desperate to hide from the world.

One of the methods used by the CCP to demonize Falun Gong and Shen Yun is The New York Times newspaper. The New York Times’ investigation of Falun Gong and Shen Yun is appalling. Falun Dafa Information Center concludes an article that includes 12 things to know about the New York Times' biased and defamatory “investigation” by saying, “The CCP could not have imagined a better ally than the Times in its latest campaign to eliminate Falun Gong globally.” What a TERRIBLE reputation to have: 
The Newspaper that does the Chinese Communist Party’s Dirty Work! 

Finally, I want to share with you another example of using the power of the arts in advocacy. A few days ago, I stumbled upon an old episode of the television show, Diagnosis Murder. Do you know that show? It starred Dick Van Dyke as Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who always helps the police with murder cases. In the episode Living on the Streets Can Be Murder, that first aired in February of 1996, the murders were of homeless people in Los Angeles. It turned out that they were being killed so their organs could be harvested for rich patients of a greedy, immoral doctor. 

As a typical Boomer, I probably saw that episode back in the 90’s and several times on re-runs, but this was the first time that I had seen it since knowing about organ harvesting as the reality of the CCP and not only an evil on a fictional television show. I plan to urge friends who don’t yet understand the depth of evil of the CCP to find and watch that show and then realize that this horror is happening to thousands and thousands of people today – not primarily for money, but for power and getting rid of truth tellers. 

Continue to use YOUR voices, speak truth, fight for good legislation and thank the legislators when they make good bills. And above all, don’t lose hope because there is a God who is above all earthly powers and thrones and regimes, who loves you, and who created the nations of the world, including China for His purposes. He will not let His purposes be thwarted by evil men forever. 

End the CCP!