(Minghui.org) May 13 is World Falun Dafa Day and the 30^th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world. Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President, sent a letter to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. County Executive Steven Neuhaus of Orange County proclaimed May 13 as Falun Dafa Day in the county.

Letter from Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

President Levine stated in his letter, “The tens of millions of people who practice Falun Dafa around the world, including many New Yorkers, have found peace through this meditative movement practice. Falun Dafa’s tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance have transformed the lives of its many participants. I stand in solidarity with you in the face of tyranny as Falun Dafa practitioners are persecuted in China, and like you, I rejoice that Falun Dafa can be practiced in New York.”

Proclamation from County Executive Steven Neuhaus of Orange County

The proclamation states, “Falun Dafa transcends cultural and racial boundaries and contributes to the universal dream of a peaceful, tolerance, and more compassionate society.

“More men and women of the USA are learning the practice and purifying their hearts, energizing their bodies, and striving to create virtuous communities.

“Falun Dafa practitioners’ determination and courage to stand up for Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance while facing severe persecution from the Chinese Communist Party has shown the world the value of life and the preciousness of human dignity.”

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.