What was supposed to be a short speech took more than an hour at the 13th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday.

The speaker was Shizong Chen—a representative of the United Nations Association San Diego Chapter. He was talking about how the Chinese regime has been violating Falun Gong practitioners’ freedom of belief, and torturing them by injecting them with nerve-damaging drugs.

But he hardly got started when the delegate from China interrupted and demanded a verification of Chen’s registration with the United Nations.

Both the President of the Human Rights Council and the secretariat confirmed Chen’s registration, but the Chinese regime’s delegate continued to interrupt—six more times.

The U.S. delegate eventually spoke up against the Chinese delegations’ interventions.

[U.S. Delegate to U.N. Human Rights Council]:
“It seems to us that it is patently clear the Chinese delegation objects to the content of this information before it’s even been made. I would ask the secretariat and the president not to entertain these inappropriate enquiries and please allow the delegate to speak. Thank you.”

When Shizong Chen was finally given the floor to speak, he was once again interrupted.

[Shizong Chen, Delegate U.N. Association San Diego]:
“We urge the Council to take action to end China’s continuing violation of Falun Gong practitioners’ freedom of belief. We are particularly concerned about the Chinese government’s intensifying use of nerve-damaging chemicals to torture Falun Gong practitioners.”

More than an hour after he was due to speak, Shizong Chen finally delivered his full statement.

[Shizong Chen, Delegate U.N. Association San Diego]:
“Failing to break the will of Falun Gong practitioners with physical torture, the Chinese authorities have escalated the use of nerve-damaging chemicals to destroy their capacity to hold thoughts and conscience. This horrifying mind-killing medical torture has caused hundreds to become insane and killed many. Due to China’s block of information flow, the atrocities are feared to be more extensive.”

Since 1999, the Chinese Communist Party has undertaken a systematic crackdown on practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual practice. Thousands of accounts of torture and killing of its adherents have been submitted to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteurs.