Issued by Clearwisdom Net
Content
On July 16, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area held a grand parade against the persecution and an anti-torture exhibition to expose the Jiang faction and the evil Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) suppression of Falun Gong practitioners over the past six years. The practitioners called on the public to help stop the persecution.
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Lu Hui, who works in a water conservancy bureau, said that at present, more and more people understand what Falun Gong is, and more and more people are practicing it. In addition, many people have expressed their support for Falun Gong and their condemnation of the persecution. Previously, Falun Gong was unknown outside of China. It was the CCP that pushed Falun Gong onto the world stage. Currently, Falun Gong is practiced in more than 70 countries around the world.
Lu Hui stated that on July 20, 1999, out of his jealousy, the former Chairman of the CCP Jiang Zemin launched the persecution against Falun Gong even though six of the seven standing committee members in the CCP's Central Government Political Bureau opposed the suppression. The Jiang faction has used every means at its disposal to persecute and torture Falun Gong practitioners. It has been verified that at least 2,685 Falun Gong practitioners have died from the persecution. At present, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are still imprisoned in labor camps and psychiatric hospitals, where they are subjected to various kinds of mistreatment.
Mr. Lu expressed that over the past six years, Falun Gong practitioners outside China have been both rational and peaceful. They have been calling for an end to the persecution through peaceful appeals in front of Chinese Embassies or Consulates, parades, anti-torture exhibitions and truth-clarification photo exhibitions. "Today, just before July 20, we once again are holding a group practice, parade and anti-torture exhibition in San Francisco's Chinatown. Our purpose is to call for justice and conscience to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China."
In the early morning, Falun Gong practitioners went to Washington Square to hold a group practice and truth-clarification poster exhibition. Many people passing by, including local residents and tourists from all over the world, were drawn by the peaceful scene and came over to watch.
 Morning group practice in the Washington Park in Chinatown |
 Poster exhibition in Washington Park |
 People learning Falun Gong exercises in Washington Park |
A San Francisco resident greeted the Falun Gong practitioners and said, "The world needs Falun Gong. The world needs Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. Keeping going!"
He said that he has known about Falun Gong for 10 years. He knew that Falun Gong is a form of meditation that has benefited people all over the world. When he saw practitioners holding appeals in front of the Chinese Consulate, he made a bow to the practitioners. He could not understand why such a peaceful practice is encountering the persecution. The practitioners told him that the former CCP leader Jiang was jealous over the popularity of Falun Gong. He could not bear the thought that so many people believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, which contradict the principles of the CCP.
The gentleman expressed his wish that more people in China and across the world would learn Falun Gong. He shook hands with the practitioners and wished Falun Gong success.
A tourist from Europe said, "The U.S. is a beautiful country. You (Falun Gong practitioners) should tell the U.S. government that you are battling with the most vicious demon in the world. They (the U.S.) should help you."
At noon, practitioners marched through Chinatown to display the beauty of Falun Gong and expose the evil CCP's persecution against Falun Gong.
Banners with words, "Falun Dafa" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance"
 |
 |
 |
 |
In memory of fellow practitioners who died from the persecution
Exposing the persecution
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Peng from San Francisco, who attended the parade, said, "When we passed through Chinatown, a great number of Chinese people along the street saw the facts about Falun Gong. Many people are willing to accept flyers. We feel it is much easier to hand out materials than before. People are willing to read them. One kind of material that I distributed was entitled, 'Falun Dafa is great and the entire world knows about it.' The title was quite eye-catching. When people passing by saw the title, they asked for the material."
Mr. Peng continued, "The evil CCP's persecution over the past six years did not reach its goal. On the contrary, many people all over the world got the chance to learn about the facts of the persecution. They know that Falun Gong practitioners follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. They become good people through practice in Falun Gong and their moral standard has been upgraded. The event we hold today indicates that the persecution by CCP, Jiang's faction and its followers will not succeed."
After the parade concluded, practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition in the Garden Corner Park in San Francisco's Chinatown. Practitioner Ms. Wang, who took part in the anti-torture exhibition, said that this reminded her of July 20 six years ago. On that day, she went to the Appeals Office affiliated with the State Council to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. She was arrested by police officers. Those officers were very violent, as they locked Falun Gong practitioners in a big yard and beat them. Some practitioners were beaten so badly that they bled. She continued, "Six years have passed. The evil CCP has not changed at all. They just carry out the persecution in a more secret manner. Today as I come here, the Garden Corner Park, I want to call for the world to bring those murderers who persecute Falun Gong practitioners to justice. Let justice and conscience come back to the human world."
 Passersby learning Falun Gong exercises |
 Group practice at Chinatown |
Mr. Wu, who teaches at the University of San Francisco, pointed out that some people were deceived by the CCP's lies and thought that practitioners were paid to hold such activities. He said, "I'm teaching at the University of San Francisco. Here, quite many Falun Gong practitioners have their doctoral or master's degrees. We have good jobs and salaries. The posters, sound systems and other materials you see here are designed, made or bought by ourselves." He asked people on the site, "If I say that I'll pay you to do all these things, are you willing to do so under the hot sun, day after day? Are you willing to do the same thing as we do?"
Mr. Bian from the Bay Area said, "The CCP has persecuted Falun Gong for six years. They have mobilized the state machinery to ruthlessly suppress Falun Gong. Such persecution is unprecedented. All kind-hearted people who have a sense of justice should stand up and help stop the persecution."
|
|
|
|
|
|
People learning the truth about Falun Gong
On July 16, 2005, the weather was exceptionally hot in Toronto. Around noontime, several hundred Falun Gong practitioners and citizens who support Falun Gong held a grand rally in front of the Ontario Provincial Government Hall. The rally sponsor, representatives of the Toronto Falun Dafa Association, Falun Gong supporters and several practitioners who had been imprisoned in China delivered speeches. After the rally, practitioners held a parade.
Mr. Hong Shizhong, President of the Toronto Chinese Association, and a representative of the local East Asian community addressed the rally to condemn the Chinese communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong. They also joined the parade. Several media outlets including CTV, CBC, New Times TV, NTDTV covered the event.
On June 10, 1999, Jiang Zemin established the national terrorist organization, the 610 Office, which overrides the Chinese Constitution and law to systematically suppress Falun Gong practitioners who follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. The genocidal policies they have implemented to oppress Falun Gong include, "Ruin their reputation, bankrupt them financially, and physically eliminate them;" "Falun Gong practitioners beaten to death are counted as committing suicide," and "Falun Gong practitioners tortured to death are to be directly cremated without identifying the body."
Mr. Zhang Zhaojin, representative of the Toronto Falun Dafa Association addressing the rally
Mr. Zhang Zhaojin, representing the Toronto Falun Dafa Association said in his speech, "Through Falun Gong practitioners' persistent effort to clarify the truth over the past six years, Canadian government officials and citizens have become more and more supportive of Falun Dafa. After practitioner Mr. He Lizhi was released from prison in China, his immigration documents had expired. Later, it was because of the support and help from the Canadian government officials from different levels that finally allowed him to reunite with his wife in Toronto. However, the Chinese communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong is still going on. At present, 2,685 Falun Gong practitioners are verified to have died from the persecution."
Mr. He Lizhi, former senior engineer from China's construction ministry, who had been imprisoned for three years because of his practice of Falun Gong, and Architect Li Xin who just came from Beijing to Canada several months ago, also spoke at the rally. They exposed the Chinese communist party's (CCP) persecution with their personal experiences.
Ms. Li Xin had been imprisoned in the Beijing Women's Labor Camp for one year and six months, where she was tortured so badly that she became disabled. Currently, she still needs steel inserts to support her vertebra. This was the first time that she attended a rally commemorating July 20, 1999, the date that the persecution officially began. She said that on July 20 in China, many practitioners were abducted from their homes or placed under various kinds of surveillance. Here in Canada, she said, we are able to freely parade and express our wishes. The contrast is so striking.
Today in Canada, the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong are well known. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police listed 15 high-ranking Chinese officials, including former president Jiang Zemin, who have participated in the persecution of Falun Gong, as persons not welcome in Canada. If they attempt to enter Canada, a prompt investigation will take place. Recently, when the Canadian Immigration and Asylum Bureau handled Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Han Guangsheng's application for asylum, they clearly took into consideration the fact that China's judiciary takes part in the inhuman suppression of Falun Gong.
Dafa practitioner Ms. Yan, who persistently clarifies the truth in the local community, said that more and more people are willing to accept truth-clarifying materials. One time when she was distributing Falun Gong flyers in a public place, a Chinese person walked back and forth four times in front of her and finally came over to take the materials and whispered to her, "Thank you! You've worked so hard!"
The parade after the rally included several processions with different themes: Falun Dafa is Great and Falun Dafa in Canada, a Falun Gong exercise demonstration, a troupe of female practitioners dressed in white carrying photos of fellow practitioners who died from persecution, a Falun Gong Orphan Rescue troupe composed of Minghui school students, and anti-torture exhibitions. Different from previous parades, was the addition of friends and supporters of Falun Gong, which helped create a memorable and extremely eye-catching ensemble.
 Orphan Rescue procession formed by Minghui school students |
 Women practitioners dressed in white to mourn fellow practitioners who died in the persecution |
 Float with anti-torture exhibition passes through the streets |
 Practitioners march through Chinatown |
Ms. Jin Man, who demonstrated the torture method, tiger bench had personally suffered the persecution when she was in China. She said, "Because the Chinese communist regime is now using more hidden ways to suppress Falun Gong, many people don't believe the authenticity of the persecution even if they have a chance to learn the facts. I have personally suffered from this method of torture when I was in China. I'm willing to use this very visual way to tell people that all of these tortures are real."
Mr. Ji Jinyu, a Christian, said that he previously listened to the Chinese communist regime's slanderous propaganda and did not understand Falun Gong. Later, he read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and witnessed the great tide of withdrawals from the CCP. He said, "The Nine Commentaries allow me to completely see through the evil nature of the CCP. I also communicated with some Falun Gong friends and found that they really behave in accordance of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and pursue lofty virtues. In today's China, under the CCP's brainwashing, people are driven by material interests, and the moral standard has rapidly declined. I've seen the hope of China in Falun Gong practitioners."
On July 17, 2005, Montreal Falun Gong practitioners rallied at Zhongshan Park in Montreal's Chinatown to condemn the CCP's brutal persecution, which has lasted 6 long years, and to call for joint efforts from the international community to end the persecution.
 Ms. Zhong shared the persecution she experienced in China and called on the public not to believe the CCP's lies |
 With first-hand experience, calling Chinese to reject hate propaganda by CCP |
 Tourists come to learn about the persecution |
 Many Chinese also come to read the truth |
Ms. Sun said: Jiang Zemin ordered a policy to "Defame their [practitioners'] reputation, bankrupt them financially and destroy them physically" in order to eradicate Falun Gong. To date, 2691 practitioners have been persecuted to death. With practitioners persistent truth-clarification efforts to resist the persecution, more and more people around the world have learned the truth and Falun Gong has been spread to more than 70 countries and regions.
"As Falun Gong is good, why is the practice being persecuted?" Regarding the most typical confusion people have, Mr. Zhu said: "To understand this question, you have to look at two aspects. You need to know what Falun Dafa is and what the CCP is. Unfortunately, many people don't know these yet. The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, which was recently published systematically analyzes the evil nature of the CCP and details how it persecutes the Chinese people. If one understands that the CCP is actually the most evil cult in the world, one can then understand that Falun Gong is persecuted because it is righteous."
Besides using more than 100 torture methods, the CCP also employs another vicious measure against Falun Gong: hate-propaganda. Furthermore, the CCP has exported this propaganda overseas, which actually violates the law in most countries.
Ms. Hu said that the former Chinese deputy consul general at Toronto slandered Falun Gong and a local Canadian practitioner publicly. Pan was found guilty last year and he eventually fled back to China. In a more recent case, after a one year investigation, the Canadian police have confirmed that the Chinese consulate in Calgary was distributing materials which instigate hatred and the consulate thus had violated the Canadian criminal law. The consulate is now facing a lawsuit.
Mr. Wang said that Falun Gong books have been translated into more than 30 languages and are available worldwide. "As Chinese, we should be very proud," Mr. Wang said. In fact, from VIPs in British political circle to professors in North America, from Israelites to religious leaders in Indonesia, Falun Gong has practitioners worldwide from all social strata. In 2001 when the persecution was most rampant, the Canadian Governor General, the Vice Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture all wrote letters to congratulate the "Canadian Falun Dafa Festival." To date, Falun Gong has received more than 1000 proclamations, acknowledging the positive contribution of Falun Gong to society.
Ms. Zhong started to practice Falun Gong just before the persecution started on July 20, 1999. She said: "After I started to practice Falun Gong, all of my diseases disappeared. However, the government suddenly banned the practice and started a 24-hour a day propaganda campaign to defame Falun Gong. Some officials also came to my home. I was told not to practice Falun Gong any more and all my Falun Gong books were confiscated. I was so sad. Fortunately, my daughter lives in Canada where Falun Gong is legal. So I came to this free country soon after the persecution started. I have been practicing Falun Gong for 6 years, and my health condition is getting better and better. However, my fellow practitioners in China have been detained. Therefore, I am clarifying the truth of the persecution every day and calling for the end of the persecution so that they can be released soon. I have called many Chinese in China, telling them not to believe in the propaganda of the CCP. I told them that Falun Gong is being practiced in more than 70 countries and no one has ever committed suicide or self-immolation. All the charges by CCP and the CCTV are just lies. Unfortunately, many innocent Chinese have been misled by CCP and the media controlled by it."
The CCP not only persecutes Chinese practitioners who believe in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" but also persecutes Canadians. Mr. Guan, a naturalized Canadian citizen, shared his experience. He received phone calls threatening him, his car was vandalized, and his passport renewal was rejected.
During the rally, practitioners also clarified issues to the public such as "whether or not Falun Gong is getting into politics" and "the persecution is against everyone."
During the 4-hour activities, many Chinese and westerners received truth-clarifying materials and listened to practitioners' sharing. Some nearby vendors were so absorbed by practitioners' speeches that they forgot to talk with some potential customers. Many people sighed and shook their heads over the CCP's atrocities.
In the end, Ms. Sun said that the persecution is still ongoing and practitioners will continue their efforts to clarify the facts so that people misled by CCP's propaganda will understand the truth. Practitioners continue to call on all kind-hearted people to uphold justice and help end this genocide against Falun Gong.
As the July 20 anniversary approached, a violent typhoon hit Taiwan. On July 17, northern Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners gathered as scheduled at the February 28 Memorial Peace Park in Taipei to hold an event with the theme, "The Light of Life Illuminates Heaven and Earth Forever," to commemorate the 2,691 Falun Gong practitioners who died for upholding the truth. From time to time, heavy rain poured down as if heaven and earth were expressing sorrow together.
On July 20, 1999, former president Jiang Zemin and his faction launched the cruel suppression of Falun Gong. Since then, although the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has exhausted all possible means to block the information and conceal the persecution, at present, more than 2,600 Falun Gong practitioners are verified to have died from the persecution. They left behind 225 orphans who need immediate rescue. Some of these orphans have been forced to flee their hometowns and have become destitute. Some have suffered from the pain of fear, and loss of an opportunity to obtain an education.
Therefore, the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association and Global Mission to Rescue the Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners (GMRPFGP) jointly conducted a press conference with the theme, "Rescue Children Orphaned in the Persecution of Falun Gong." By means of the press conference, these associations are calling on the United Nations Children Fund and Commission on Human Rights to condemn and help stop the CCP's persecution. Practitioners also demanded that the Chinese communist regime unconditionally allow these children to leave China. The two organizations lodged a global signature drive for the rescue of the orphans. A number of media outlets, including Central News Agency, China Times, Liberty Times, China Daily, FTV, and English China Post conducted on-location interviews.
 |
 |
The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association held a press conference on July 17 at the February 28 Memorial Peace Park to call on the Chinese communist regime to release the 255 children orphaned in the persecution of Falun Gong. A practitioner who was able to leave the Mainland, Mr. Huang Guohua and his daughter Huang Ying, related the persecution they experienced in China.
Director of the Graduate Institute of Journalism at National Taiwan University, Professor Flora Chang pointed out during the 72 months from July 1999 to July 2005, 58.84% (1,467) of the practitioners who have died from the persecution are women, and 41.01% (1,097) are men. Because of the information blockade, the gender of 4.15% (111) cannot be verified. On average, 37 Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted to death every month. Their average age is about 54 years old. The majority of the practitioners are women who died leaving their underage children orphaned. Many are elderly practitioners. Under the Chinese communist regime's rule of terror, those orphaned children have become homeless and destitute. They have not only lost their family members, but also their opportunity to receive a normal education. They are forced to flee their homes and live in extreme fear for their relatives. These children need immediate help from people of all walks of life.
 Professor Flora Chang displays an appeal letter signed by legislator Wang Shu-hui, calling upon the Chinese communist regime to release Falun Gong practitioners' orphans. |
 Mr. Wu Hui-lin signs the appeal letter calling upon the Chinese communist regime to release the orphans of persecuted Falun Gong practitioners. |
Four-year-old Huang Ying (nickname, Kaixin) and her father Mr. Huang Guohua attended the press conference. When Mr. Huang recounted the persecution his family encountered, little Kaixin innocently played around her father. The audience could not help feeling sad. How many children are there in Mainland China who lost their mothers just like Kaixin?
Mr. Huang Guohua and his innocent young daughter Kaixin speak at the press conference.
Kaixin's mother, Ms. Luo Zhixiang, was an architect in Guangdong Province before she died. On November 22, 2002, she was abducted by 610 Office secret agents from Tianhe District, Guangzhou City. She was then locked in the Huangpu Drug Rehabilitation Center, where she was subjected to brutal brainwashing. Ms. Luo went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution, but was tortured through cruel force-feeding. As a result, her health was endangered and she was sent to Tianhe Hospital. Luo Zhixiang passed away on December 4. She was only 29 years old, and she was three months pregnant. In order to escape their responsibility for Ms. Luo's death, the Chinese communist regime lied, saying that she committed suicide.
Kaixin was only one year and six months old at the time of her mother's death. She was unusually sensitive about other people's feelings. She never disclosed the news about her mother's death to her grandmother who was not in good health. When her grandmother asked her, "Where did your mother go?" Kaixin said, "She works in Guangzhou." The entire family tried hard not to let Kaixin's grandmother know about her daughter's death, because they were afraid that she would not be able to bear the sad news. Whenever her grandmother was not present, whoever asked Kaixin, "Where is your mother?" Kaixin would answer, "My mom was killed by bad people!" "Why don't you tell your grandmother?" "Grandmother would cry and she would be very sad!"
After the press conference, more than 140 photographic works depicting how practitioners practice the Fa were exhibited. The scenes were quite touching. The photographs showed the viewers the worldwide spread of Falun Dafa and practitioners' peaceful and persistent journey in resisting the persecution. The pictures clearly showed the practitioners' uncompromising courage and great compassion in the face of the CCP's ruthless persecution.
Lina, one of the practitioners who was in charge of choosing photos for the press conference, expressed that during the process of selecting 140 photos from 10,000 photographic works, she was often moved to tears by the practitioners' unyielding spirit and courage displayed in the pictures. The photographs that were selected were extremely rich and interesting in terms of theme, composition, color and expressive quality. They exhibited Falun Gong practitioners' demeanor in cultivating Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, and their courage in validating Dafa and clarifying the truth in the face of tremendous pressure.
Some people silently stood in front of those photos and finally said, "Remarkable!" Some said, after viewing the works, "I'm so touched! This is such a group of great people!"
One practitioner said, "In order to allow more kind-hearted people to learn about Falun Gong, practitioners voluntarily visit other countries. They have traveled all over the world over the past few years. My friends have told me happily that they have encountered Falun Gong in all the countries they have been to..."
Another practitioner said, "Previously, when the newspaper exposed the bloody scenes of making clothing out of animal fur, a big stir was aroused in society. Now, when these photos show how the good people who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are brutally persecuted by the Chinese communist regime, shouldn't this draw broader attention around the world?"
 In spite of the typhoon, warm-hearted people still came to view the photo exhibition depicting the worldwide spread of Falun Dafa. |
 From time to time, people bent forward to carefully view the photos |
 An elderly gentleman carefully viewing descriptions of each photo |
 Attentively viewing photos |
At 4:30 p.m., the melodious exercise music sounded and the practitioners lined up to practice the Falun Gong exercises. Because the typhoon hit suddenly, the rain poured down. Many practitioners wore only thin summer clothes and were soaked to the skin. There were elderly persons, young children and many young people among the practitioners. They were not moved at all, and silently and steadfastly continued practicing the exercises. It is precisely this spirit that moves all kind-hearted people around the world.
At 6:30 p.m., although the rainstorm continued, more people gathered in the February 28 Memorial Peace Park. Since July 20, 1999, Falun Gong has spread to more than 70 countries in the world. Today, thousands of practitioners in Taiwan held a candlelight vigil despite the typhoon, to commemorate fellow practitioners who have been persecuted to death for speaking the truth and upholding justice in the human world.
 |
 |
In the evening, the practitioners displayed the photographic works
in a film
show format. The photos recorded practitioners' splendid journey in
validating
the Fa, spreading the Fa, clarifying the truth and saving peoples. The
photos also displayed the practitioners' uncompromising courage and
stood as
witness to the fact that Falun Dafa is indestructible.
