'Tank man' will prevail

As a practitioner of the Falun Gong meditation practice, which has been persecuted in China since 1999, I cherish the freedom I’ve had in my home country of Taiwan and in the U.S., where I’ve settled for my job as a chemistry researcher at the University of Missouri.

This month, as we recall the tragedy of the June 4 Massacre on Tiananmen of the students for democracy in China, it begs the question: What is the situation there now, 30 years later?

Mounting evidence in recent years revealing that thousands, possibly millions, of innocent people have been killed in China for their organs for sale to transplant patients, makes us fear that the situation is more dire than ever.

However, much like the iconic image of the lone “tank man” on Tiananmen Square, actions by citizens and governments worldwide to stand up against the massive atrocity of forced organ harvesting in China, give us hope for humanity.

Just last month, the Missouri Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6 condemning China’s crime of forced organ harvesting from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience.

I’d like to thank the Missouri legislature, especially Sen. Jill Schupp and Rep. Lynn Morris, for sponsoring the resolution, and also my own senator, Caleb Rowden, for his support.

Not only is the world standing up against the communist regime’s crimes, but inside China a growing movement among Chinese citizens to withdraw their memberships in Chinese Communist Party organizations has recently reached an astounding 300 million withdrawals.

I believe the “tank man” will prevail.

Connie Liu,