Finland: Helsinki Residents Support Ending the Persecution of Falun Dafa in China

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held an event in Helsinki, Finland’s capital, to introduce this mind-body spiritual practice and expose the ongoing persecution in China. They demonstrated the Dafa exercises, distributed fliers, and told people about the persecution across from the Forum shopping center on March 18, 2023. Many people stopped to read the information, talk with practitioners and sign the petition to show support for ending the atrocities.

It was a sunny day, a nice change from the cold winter in Finland, and the streets were filled with people. Many were happy to take the information from the practitioners. Some smiled while others gave them a thumbs up. Many people said they were saddened by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) brutal suppression of Falun Dafa practitioners including the torture and forced organ harvesting. They felt that everyone should know about what is taking place in China.

Chinese Student: I Wish You Success

A young woman from Beijing who has been living in Finland for six months stopped at the information booth. She agreed with what practitioners told her about the persecution in China. She said, “We are brainwashed in Chinese schools. We were told Falun Dafa practitioners set themselves on fire. But my father told me that was not true, and that Falun Dafa is good."

“It is not easy for students in China. Classmates my age want to leave,” the young woman said. She courageously signed the petition to support ending the CCP’s rule and wished the practitioners success in getting the word out.

Everyone Should Know About This Persecution

“I was an exchange student in China,” said Emmi, a student at the University of Helsinki. “I had to leave China early due to the COVID-19 outbreak. I love Chinese people and the culture. Yet I feel sad about the crimes the CCP has committed against its people such as the torture of Falun Dafa practitioners and the forced organ harvesting. This is a very important topic. Everyone should know about this persecution.” Emmi asked if she could give practitioners a hug and said she would come and talk to them again at information booths in the future.

Isla also went to China for six months on a student exchange program. She described her experience in China using software to break through the Internet firewall in order to access banned social media platforms. She said, “I love China’s traditional culture and the kind Chinese people. But I am against the government’s control and its restrictions on freedom of speech.”

I Feel a Positive Energy; Falun Gong Is Good

Anne, who visited China twice, is a retired table tennis coach. She walked up to the information booth and told a practitioner, “I feel a positive energy here. I know that Falun Dafa is good.”

Candidate for Political Party Shocked by China’s Forced Organ Harvesting

Alex is a candidate from the Swedish People’s Party of Finland for this year’s elections in spring. He spoke to practitioners for a long time. He said he was aware of the human rights issues faced by different groups in China. He was shocked to hear of the forced organ harvesting taking place in China and wished practitioners all the best in their efforts to expose the brutalities.

Asset Manager Hopes More People Will Support Ending the Persecution

Vesa, an asset manager in Helsinki, said, “I know the story of Falun Gong. A few years ago, I wanted to give it a try.” He was sympathetic towards the plight of practitioners in China and hoped more people would support ending the persecution.

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 have 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, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

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.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years, though due to the difficulty in getting information out of China, the actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners 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 China’s organ transplant industry.