Monday, 20 July 2009 5:23AM

Local supporters of an ancient meditation practice were gathering on Independence Mall in center city Philadelphia on Monday at 7pm to mark the 10th anniversary of the banning of the practice in China.

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a traditional Buddhist system of meditation and self improvement that was banned by the Chinese government July 20th, 1999.

International watchdog groups report that, since then, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured and killed or sent to forced labor camps. Cindy Wang is a local Falun Gong practitioner:

"Innocent people who believe in truthfulness, compassion, tolerance have been tortured, arrested and lost their freedom of living as ordinary people."

Wang says the rally is to draw attention to a US House resolution that officially recognizes the persecution and calls for an end to it.

http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/4834828.php