(Clearwisdom.net) On July 20 five years ago, the Chinese Communist Party labeled Falun Gong as [slanderous word omitted] and began the cruel suppression. Falun Gong practitioners from San Francisco area in the U.S. rallied to expose the various kinds of persecution their fellow practitioners in China have suffered. The following is compiled from RFA special correspondent CK's report on July 19.

The rally was held in the Garden Corner Park in San Francisco's Chinatown. Falun Gong practitioners displayed more than 100 photos, each of which recorded the arrest, imprisonment, torture and killing that Falun Gong practitioners in China have encountered over the past five years. Practitioners also demonstrated the methods of torture used against their fellows in China. These included "tiger bench", "small iron cage", "hanging up", "digging bamboo sticks underneath fingernails", "slave labor" and "insulting female practitioners".

A practitioner explained to the onlookers in Cantonese through a loudspeaker. She said that on July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin's group announced that Falun Gong is [slanderous word omitted], defamed us and started the suppression. Why would they do so? It's simply because of the large popularity of Falun Gong practitioners, who outnumbered the Chinese ruling party. Over the past five years, millions of Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted. More than 1000 practitioners have died from the suppression. Now they even export this persecution to overseas.

Ms. Deng Yingcai played as a Falun Gong practitioner enduring the torture. Both of her hands were tied to the torture frame and her body was full of bloodstains. She said, "I have millions of fellow practitioners in China who are suffering this persecution at this very moment. My heart is in pain. I feel that I am experiencing all of that myself. I hope that kind people will all come to oppose this persecution."

Seventy-year-old Ms. Li Suzhen was living in Guangzhou City five years ago when the oppression started. She witnessed her fellow practitioners who previously practiced with her in the same public park being arrested and detained and their families being torn apart. After July 20, she came to the U.S. The Chinese police officers still constantly harassed her home in China. She said, "The police officer went to my home and asked my son whether I was back. My son told him that I was doing very well in the U.S., why would I go back? I phoned my son and he told me that don't go back at this moment. If I went back, I would be arrested. I'm an elderly lady. I'm already 70 years old. They would even arrest me simply because I practice Falun Gong."

Ms. Li Suzhen said that although she is now in the U.S., her heart worries about her fellow practitioners who live in the terrible persecution over the past five years. She wants to make her effort to rescue her fellow practitioners in China.

Li: Over the past few years, I continuously come to the Chinese Consulate to appeal. We have only one purpose, that is, requesting the Chinese Government not to persecute Falun Gong. Our Falun Gong is good. It teaches people to be good.

The above is reported by special correspondent CK.