Bendigo Advertiser, Australia: Group's long walk against persecution (Photo)

Thursday, 11 September 2003

PROTEST MARCH: Lisa Liang, in front, and Helen Liu.

LISA Liang's sister was abducted from her home in China, imprisoned in a labour camp and repeatedly tortured for two years for her practice of Falun Dafa - but her siblings' suffering has been endured with dignity and peaceful resilience.

Lisa has joined with three other Australian-based Falun Dafa practitoners, Myrna Mack, Alan Fang and Helen Liu, in a 900-kilometre journey from Sydney to Melbourne to raise awareness of Chinese president Jiang Zemin's campaign of persecution of practitioners.

Falun Dafa - also called Falun Gong - is an ancient form of "qigong", the practice of refining the body and mind through slow-moving exercises and meditation.

At the heart of Falun Dafa, introduced to the world in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, is three principles; truthfulness, compassion and forbearance.

Falun Dafa practitioners strive to become better people by embodying the three principles in everything they do.

A peaceful campaign in line with the principles led to the release of Lisa's sister.

Ms Mack said the long road journey from Sydney to Melbourne aimed to raise awareness of the peaceful practice, which features exercise, meditation and cultivation of the heart.

She said thousands of people suffered due to the persecution of Falun Dafa in China, through torture and forced labour camps.

More than 774 deaths of practitioners have been confirmed since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999, Ms Mack said.

The officially-atheist Communist Chinese Government feared anything of a "spiritual nature." "It's about truthfulness, compassion and forbearance," she said

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