"Liu Chengjun" -- A man tortured to death for supporting Falun Gong in China (Oil on canvas, by Kathy Gillis) One of many works on display at the National Arts Club in New York City this week. The exhibit opened among threats of violence from unknown parties.

NEW YORK (FDI) -- The "Uncompromising Courage" art exhibition opened successfully at the National Arts Club in New York City last week amidst anonymous bomb threats and intruders aiming to prevent the event from taking place.

National Arts Club president O. Aldon James refused to succumb to pressure and rescind the club's support. "We believe in freedom of expression. The Arts Club is 106 years old and we've had controversial exhibits here in the past."

The artworks expose what is happening in China but also show practitioners facing adversity with grace and courage and how a spiritual path has enriched their lives. Four of the thirteen artists personally experienced torture and beating at the hands of Chinese authorities. Their art conveys equally the persecution and also the unyielding perseverance of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Li Jingyu, one of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibition tells of her husband and brother who were jailed for refusing to give up the practice. She said: "In China, millions of people suffer everyday, so many were tortured to death, but so many people here don't know what is happening. I'm trying to paint the truth."

Falun Gong which consists of slow moving exercises and is based on the principles of Truth, Compassion and Forbearance came under attack in July 1999 following a government survey that showed that 70-100 million people were practicing, which was more than registered members of the Chinese Communist Party. China's president at the time - Jiang Zemin, felt it to be a threat to his political power and vowed to "eliminate" the spiritual movement it. However he did not limit his sights to China alone.

Gail Rachlin, spokesperson for Falun Gong said: "Over the past five years, the Chinese consulates and embassies overseas have tried to defame us and block us at every turn. They have sent their agents to visit the offices of US officials and different organizations that we have contacted and use a combination of threats, coercion, and even bribery to make them rescind their support for us."

"They have sent their agents to visit the offices of US officials ... and use a combination of threats, coercion, and even bribery to make them rescind their support for us..."

A similar exhibition at the Mount Sinai Medical School was effectively stopped due to external pressure. On October 27, the morning of the opening, the response was overwhelmingly positive yet the exhibit was suddenly shut down with no explanation given.

According to Resolution 304 that was unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, "the Chinese Government has also attempted to silence the Falun Gong movement and Chinese pro-democracy groups inside the United States." The resolution lists assaults, theft, and attempts to politically pressure government officials and organizations in the United States into condemning Falun Gong.

The repeated attempts to extend the persecution beyond China's borders however, has been largely unsuccessful and in almost every instance it has only served to further expose those who undertake such despicable acts.

The exhibit runs through November 8th, at the National Arts Club, Sculpture Gallery 15 Gramercy Park South at E 20th St., New York City.

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NEWS - Nov. 1, 2004

Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Practiced in over 50 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's Communist leader Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 1,089 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.

http://www.faluninfo.net/displayAnArticle.asp?ID=9012