(Clearwisdom.net) At 7 p.m. on July 17, 2011, more than 1500 Falun Gong practitioners participated in a candlelight vigil to commemorate fellow practitioners who were tortured to death in China for not giving up their belief in Truth-Compassion-Forbearance.

The candlelight vigil and a press conference were held despite heavy rain. The atmosphere was solemn and touching. Two local TV stations and Liberty Times covered the event.

On July 17, 2011, more than 1500 Falun Gong practitioners participated in a candlelight vigil to commemorate fellow practitioners tortured to death in China.

Practitioners sitting in the front held portraits of fellow practitioners who were tortured to death in China by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For 12 years, Falun Gong practitioners in China have faced the CCP’s brutal persecution.

Candlelight vigil

Practitioner Liao Hsiao-feng read a commemorative statement: “Falun Dafa practitioners follow Truth-Compassion-Forbearance and have endured 12 years of brutal persecution in China. Facing the persecution, practitioners are still demanding that the perpetrators stop the persecution. Practitioners still advise people to understand the facts about Falun Gong and stop the persecution.”

Theresa Chu, spokesperson for the Taiwan Falun Gong Lawyers' Team

Theresa Chu, spokesperson for the Taiwan Falun Gong Lawyers' Team, said, “Falun Dafa has spread across the world. More and more people know the facts about the persecution. More and more people support Falun Gong. So far, the CCP has shown no signs of ending the persecution. We ask all the CCP officials involved to stop the persecution. Otherwise, history will try them.”

Gao Wei-bang, Director of the Victims' Association of Taiwan Investors in China

Gao Wei-bang, Director of the Victims' Association of Taiwan Investors in China, said out that he was running a business in China in 1999 and saw how the CCP slandered and persecuted Falun Gong. He stressed, “As long as the CCP is in power, the persecution won’t stop. Such a regime will soon collapse.”

Yang Hong-hsian, Director of Taiwan Cares China Human Rights Federation

Yang Hong-hsian, Director of Taiwan Cares China Human Rights Federation, pointed out, “I stand here to tell everyone that the federation cares about all human rights in China. As long as one person does have not freedom, everyone else’s freedom is threatened.”

Wang Chan-hsung, a lawyer on the human rights committee of the Taipei Bar Association

Wang Chan-hsung, a lawyer on the human rights committee of the Taipei Bar Association, represented the director of the association in greeting practitioners. He said, “I sincerely admire Falun Gong practitioners. You conduct this activity even in the rain to show your determination to stop the persecution and seek freedom of belief. Now the exchanges across the strait are very frequent. If the people of Taiwan people do not want to stand up to stop the CCP persecution of Falun Gong, who will speak up for us when the CCP state machine enters Taiwan? The CCP persecutes religious belief. I hope that the CCP regime collapses soon and that the Chinese people can have freedom of belief.”

Professor Wu Hui-lin, Director of the China Human Rights Association

Professor Wu Hui-lin, Director of the China Human Rights Association, called into question China's economic rise. He pointed out that there are severe social and economic problems in China and that protests have mushroomed. Many tourists from the mainland visit Taiwan and learn the facts about the persecution. He hoped that the tourists would bring the facts back to the mainland and tell their friends and relatives, which would accelerate the disintegration of the CCP.

One practitioner said, “As long as the persecution does not stop, we will continue our efforts to stop it.” It is a sentiment shared by all practitioners.