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De-twin from Guangzhou

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We the undersigned call for the Bristol Mayor and Bristol City Council to terminate our sister city deal with Guangzhou, and to terminate our sister city status with Guangzhou.

De-twin from Guangzhou, China to allow genuine further independent investigations into forced organ harvesting.

Bristol and Guangzhou have been sister cities since 2001, an agreement signed between Bristol City Council and Guangzhou Municipal Government. However, the sister city relationship is managed by Bristol City Council, Bristol and West of England China Bureau and supported by a number of other organisations in the city. This sister city relationship emphasises economic, educational, technical and cultural collaboration. .

Enticed by the prospect of economic gain, some business associations have come under control of the Chinese government, leading to a soft stance on human rights violations, accepting dis-information, self-censorship, and in the worst cases, acting on their behalf.

Our sister city, Guangzhou is implicated in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) multi million pound forced organ transplant industry. Evidence has been found that many forced organ transplants have taken place in Hospitals in Guangzhou.

In 1984 the CCP put in a place the ‘1984 provision’ which allows executed prisoners to be organ ‘donors’, this bill violates international guidelines already in place. 2001 reports on organ transplant showed a sudden increase compared to previous years. In 2006 an Independent investigation by Canadians David Kilgour and David Matas (Bloody Harvest) concluded that forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners has taken place on a large scale across China.

Falun Gong is a spiritual practice of the Buddha school, based on the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. In 1999, a widespread crackdown on Falun Gong started, practitioners were arrested and asked to denounce the practice. Those who did so were released. Those who did not were tortured. Those who still refused to recant after torture disappeared into the Chinese gulag- China's network of labour camps, detention centres, psychiatric hospitals, prisons, and black jails, sometimes referred to as the "Laogai System."

Within this Laogai system, prisoners of conscience- Falun Gong; Uyghurs; Tibetans; and House Christians are used in a state run illegal mass organ transplant system unlike the world has ever seen. Part of this extensive Illegal organ transplant system is taking place in our sister city Guangzhou.

Our relationship with Guangzhou goes against the collective vision we have for our beloved city. Efforts are being taken nationally and internationally to confront these crimes against humanity, yet we have an opportunity to take the lead and take an ethical stance. To cut ties is one step closer to turning the tide, it can help saves lives. Cutting the tie with Guangzhou will be heard in Beijing, it can help our city officials from being unwittingly complicit in this genocide through business ties to the CCP.

We believe we have an opportunity in Bristol for it to live up to our name- Bristol is meant to be a city of sanctuary meaning people are welcome, free from violence or persecution.

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De-twin from Guangzhou

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