News and Events from around the World -- October 13, 2005

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content


  • FDI: Statement from the Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Association

  • Toronto: Call for Attention to Persecuted Falun Gong Children at Benefit International Food Festival

  • Germany: Benefit Performance During Oktoberfest to Rescue Orphaned Children of Falun Gong Practitioners in China



  • FDI: Statement from the Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Association
    A Notice to Those Who Continue to Torture and Kill Falun Gong Practitioners in China...and Those Who Wish to Stop

    The following is an excerpt from a statement from the Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Association, released yesterday -- Since 1999 when the dictator Jiang Zemin initiated the bloody persecution of Falun Gong in China, the CCP has relied upon state power and an array of CCP terrorist mechanisms under its control to suppress innocent Falun Gong practitioners to the greatest extent possible. Under Jiang and the CCP's menace, many province- and city-level officials have acted as ringleaders or collaborators in the torture and killing of Falun Gong practitioners. Using their official positions, they have participated in this persecution to varying degrees, not only as initiators, co-conspirators and ringleaders, but also as aiders, abetters, and other types of accomplices.

    During the political movement that swept the entire nation, all provinces and cities established regional or local "610 Offices," whose sole purpose was to persecute Falun Gong. Governmental and CCP officials and leaders planned, instigated, ordered, authorized, aided, abetted or incited police and other security forces to commit the abuses suffered by the Falun Gong practitioners, and used all resources to directly participate in such a large-scale, systematic persecution. The police, CCP's political and judiciary committee secretaries at various levels, and directors of 610 Offices at each level directly planned, and conducted the persecution mercilessly. The crimes they committed include, but are not limited to, genocide, torture, extra-judicial killing, prolonged arbitrary detention, forced labor, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment...

    From today on, overseas Falun Gong practitioners will file civil or criminal lawsuits against all important government or CCP officials who participate in or continue to implement the persecution of Falun Gong and as a result, commit new crimes in addition to those they have already perpetrated against Falun Gong...

    Even for those who have committed wrongdoings, [however,] there is still an opportunity for them to abandon the evil path and choose to be good. For all those who have committed crimes against Falun Gong but want now to correct their mistakes, they can submit, under safe circumstances, a guarantee statement or regret letter to Minghui (Clearwisdom.Net) or to any regional Falun Dafa Association to be archived. We will not investigate the various crimes of those who are determined to correct their mistakes. However we will continue to monitor their actions.

    Full Text of Notice: /emh/articles/2005/10/9/65726.html

    ###

    STATEMENT - Oct. 12, 2005
    Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net



    Background

    Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a Buddhist practice of meditation and exercises, with teachings that emphasize living by three principles: truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Practiced in over 70 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong in China, in July 1999 China's then-Communist leader launched a nationwide, brutal campaign to "eradicate" the practice. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 2,747 deaths and over 44,000 cases of torture (reports / sources). Millions have been detained or sent to labor camps without trial.



    FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER
    Contacts: Gail Rachlin (+1 917-757-9780), Levi Browde (+1 646-415-0998), Erping Zhang (+1 646-533-6147), or Christina Chai (+1 917-386-5068).
    Fax: 646-792-3916 Email: , Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/


    Toronto: Call for Attention to Persecuted Falun Gong Children at Benefit International Food Festival

    On October 8, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners in Canada held the first Benefit International Food Festival at the Distillery in downtown Toronto, calling people's attention to the persecuted Falun Gong children in China.


    Audience watching dance, "Buddha's Light Illuminates Everywhere"

    The food festival prepared a variety of foods from Korea, Greece, Vietnam, Italy, India, Thailand, Caribbean Sea, and China. All food was provided for free by different businesses.


    Food festival site

    "The activity is great! It shows the Canada's multi-culture and multi-belief, and at the same time conveys a message to the Chinese community and Chinese government, we sympathize with these persecuted (Falun Gong) orphans, we want to rescue them to come to Canada," Director of Toronto Education Bureau Josh Matlow said, "There are so many delicious foods here today. I hope they can celebrate and share all this together with us next year."

    The Chinese Communist Party began a ruthless and senseless persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. During the past six years, more than 2,700 Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of persecution, countless practitioners have been arrested and their current situations are unknown.

    The international food festival received support from many media outlets. Two weeks before the activity began, the Canada News Agency published an article to introduce Falun Gong, and the article has been reprinted by other newspapers. At the same time, the largest Jazz Music Radio Station in Canada and two fashion magazines, Dolce and City Life, all sponsored the activity. As the activity was multi-cultural, it also attracted the main newspaper of local Indian community, Hindi Abroad, that published a report prior to and during the activity. The Toronto Star that has a largest circulation in Toronto and 680 NEWS Radio Station notified to the public about the activity. Chinese New Times TV Station and New Times Radio Station also reported the event.

    The sponsor also received support from many businesses. The second day after the activity concluded, some kind-hearted people made phone calls to donate money. The activity also attracted some people in the music field to give performances. Nine-year-old singer Neil Wadhvana learned about the news a week before, and requested his mother to make a phone call to the sponsor offering to perform, so as to support the rescue effort for persecuted Falun Gong children in China. Neil is the youngest singer in Canadian history who sings the national anthem at national affairs ceremonies hosted by the Governor General and Prime Minister. He once met with the visiting Queen of the United Kingdom, and was reported on the front page of mainstream media in Canada.


    The first Toronto International Food Festival began at 11:30 a.m. and concluded at 9:00 p.m.


    Food festival site


    Germany: Benefit Performance During Oktoberfest to Rescue Orphaned Children of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

    On the afternoon of October 1, 2005, a benefit performance to rescue the orphaned children of persecuted Falun Gong practitioners was held at Marienplatz in Munich, Germany. The artists were Falun Gong practitioners from various places in Germany and Austria. Some traveled seven or eight hundred kilometers (up to 500 miles) from cities in northern Germany to take part in the event.


    Fan dance

    Male vocal solo

    As the event was held during the famous Oktoberfest, Marienplatz was packed with tourists from all over the world. It rained throughout the afternoon but the show went on regardless. The crowd's enthusiasm was not at all dampened by the rain. The brilliant performance won many rounds of applause from the enthusiastic audience, who were eager to hear about the situation of persecuted Falun Gong orphans in China.

    It has been six years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Jiang regime started the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999. Nearly three thousand Falun Gong practitioners have been verified being persecuted to death. Hundreds of thousands have been illegally sent to forced labor camps. Almost a hundred million Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to the genocidal policies, "Destroy their reputation, bankrupt them financially and annihilate them physically." Families of Falun Gong practitioners face huge trauma from seeing the persecution of their relatives, especially the elderly and children.

    Many Falun Gong practitioners who have had their lives taken in this persecution left behind children with no one to care for them. Some children are young Falun Gong practitioners who were expelled from school for following the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Some children became homeless as their parents were incarcerated. These children have no source of income and wander around homeless in a state of fear and loneliness. They are in urgent need of rescue.


    Fan Dance

    Female Vocal Solo


    Waist drum performance: Spring Thounders

    The bloody, brutal persecution has continued non-stop for more than six years. Due to the CCP's information blockade, it is difficult for people to learn the truth about this persecution. In order for the German public to learn more and help the orphans, Falun Gong practitioners in Germany held an open-air benefit performance so that the tragedy in China could be put to a stop as soon as possible. Having learned about the persecution in China through the performance, many people signed a petition in support of Falun Gong practitioners. Some commented to practitioners that the performance was truly wonderful, and some hoped the persecution could end as soon as possible. Some even gave their umbrellas to practitioners standing in the rain.