Article Surfing Archive

Auschwitz was the most notorious of the Nazi labor camps in WWII. There, a man or woman could expect to be sent to the gas chamber at any moment, used for medical experiments or given a phenol injection to the heart which would cause death in 15 seconds. If you were lucky you would be used for exhaustive labor under the most grueling conditions.

There was a selection committee which would decide who was fit for labor and who would be used for medical experiments or sent to the gas chambers. One 'doctor' drew a height line of 5 feet 2 inches and any child who was not tall enough was sent to the gas chamber. Many people were simply sent to the chambers directly when arriving via train. For that reason there were no records of many of the people who were killed.

The horrible suffering and conditions were beyond belief. People would tell each other lies to give hope. "The allies have landed in Greece". The implication was that they would be rescued soon. There were many other stories concocted to keep people from utter despair. Yet, the environment was of the most horrendous nature.

After Auschwitz was closed and the inmates released there was a reckoning. The Nazis were hunted down over the years and brought to account for their crimes one by one. The famous Nazi hunter Elie Wiesel, himself an Auschwitz survivor, had this to say, "Let us remember, let us remember the heroes of Warsaw, the martyrs of Treblinka, the children of Auschwitz. They fought alone, they suffered alone, they lived alone, but they did not die alone, for something in all of us died with them."

The time of the Nazis and SS has ended. Yet, there are still labor camps existing in the world today. They exist in China and they are used to house political 'dissidents', those who the Chinese Communist Party detests, much like the Nazi camps. These labor camps are also used to attempt to break the will and spirit of those who practice the peaceful meditation practice of Falun Gong. These camps are used as a source of free labor and the goods are exported for consumption around the world. These camps are a source of suffering, torture and death.

These labor camps have existed for decades. Why are they tolerated? Isn't it time that these camps be dismantled and eliminated?

Here is another quote from Mr. Wiesel, winner of a Nobel Peace Prize. "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

The Chinese Communist Party is responsible for the use of these forced labor camps in modern times. Isn't it time for you to say something?

Call a Chinese Embassy or government agency anywhere in the world and let them know what you think of their labor camps. We cannot remain silent.