Issued by Clearwisdom Net

On April 27, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Huang Caihua and Ms. Cheng Lujin were found guilty by a Singapore court of peacefully practicing Falun Gong and giving out Video-CDs. The VCDs contained information about Falun Gong and the persecution against the practice in China.

The practitioners were ordered to pay a large fine and were put into prison. Ms. Huang and Ms. Cheng decided to appeal against the unjust verdict. The Singapore High Court will hear the case on October 20th.

Peaceful appeal in front of Singaporean Embassy in the UK

The Singapore government's action, which closely followed the Chinese Communist regime's brutal persecution of Falun Gong, attracted worldwide protest from Falun Gong practitioners. Since April 2005, UK Falun Gong practitioners have peacefully appealed outside the Singapore Embassy every working day, calling on the Singapore Government not to appease the Chinese Communist regime.

After discovering that the Singapore High Court is to hear the appeal by the two women, former senior diplomat Lord Thurlow also came to the Singapore Embassy. He said, "I am very unhappy about this case. I am also angry. The two ladies only gave out information to people who wanted to learn the truth about Falun Gong at a location where they have practiced Falun Gong for many years. They were exercising their citizen's rights. Falun Gong is not a religion. It is a cultivation method that could help Chinese people to restore their cultivation tradition destroyed during the Great Cultural Revolution."

Lord Thurlow continued, "Singapore calls itself a democratic society ruled by law. Singapore is recognized by the world community as a responsible member and is respected for its emphasis on the rule of law. But under pressure from the Chinese Communist regime, the Singaporean Government and its courts are facing the shame of ignoring its citizen's rights to freedom." Lord Thurlow went on to reveal that he regards the hearing in the High Court as an "opportunity for Singapore to restore its reputation."

Ms. Wang, a Falun Gong practitioner, said, "In July this year, I met a Singaporean mother and daughter who were visiting the UK as tourists. They saw our banners here and were very shocked. They came to ask me why I was sitting here. I told them the reason. They shook their heads and were very disappointed in their government. After obtaining my permission, they took photos of me and the banners, saying that they wanted to take them back to show to their relatives and friends. I would like to say something to the Singapore Government: if you are representing the people's will, then listen to the voice of the Singaporean people."

Background information

On February 23, 2003, Falun Gong practitioners Huang Caihua and Cheng Lujin practiced the Falun Gong exercises at Esplanade Park and clarified the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China to tourists. In May 2004, police charged them with "Assembly without a Permit" and "Possession and Distribution of VCDs without a Certificate".

After nearly a year of legal procedures, on April 27, 2005, a Singaporean court delivered an unjust verdict against Huang Caihua and Cheng Lujin. They were fined 20,000 and 24,000 Singapore dollars respectively. The two practitioners insisted that they were innocent, refused to accept the verdict and expressed their wish to appeal. They were then sent to Singapore's Changi Women's Prison on the same day, with a possible jail term of twenty-four weeks.

The request by Cheng Lujin to feed her six-month-old baby in the prison was refused. To protest the unjust verdict by the court, she started a hunger strike as soon as she was put in jail. Three days later, Ms. Huang also joined the hunger strike.

On the afternoon of May 3^rd, the two practitioners were released after their families paid the fines. At that time, they had already been on the hunger strike for seven and four days respectively. The next afternoon, May 4^th, the two practitioners and the Singapore Falun Gong Association organized a press conference detailing the reason for their hunger strike, their treatment in the prison, how they were released and their plans for the future. They appealed to the local media to treat Falun Gong with fairness.

An Indian practitioner from Chennai (formerly known as Madras), India learned Falun Dafa in the USA when he started his graduate program there. He recently visited his family in Madras for a month and used his free time to spread Dafa through introductory workshops.

Local people were surprised to learn that the practitioner taught such a wonderful practice for free. Some went to the workshop by taking a 4-1/2 hour train ride. Someone provided their office for the workshop.

People come to learn Falun Gong

People come to learn Falun Gong

The practitioner placed a few classified ads and also managed to have the information about Falun Gong and the workshops placed as articles in some major newspapers. There was a lot of response to the ads and articles, and the final few Falun Gong workshops were packed. It is estimated that around 100 people from came to the four introductory workshops and review session in Chennai and learned Dafa there.

This practitioner felt that he had a predestined relationship with the people in the city in which he was born, and he felt he had to let more people in the city learn Falun Dafa during his visit. Many of the people who learned the practice during the workshops seemed to be predestined people.

One woman bought the book China Falun Gong 6 or 7 years ago and had read it, but had been waiting for someone to teach her the exercises! One man came from Cuddalore, a city that is at least 4-1/2 hours by train from Chennai (one-way) just to learn the exercises. One person, upon learning that Falun Gong was taught for free, volunteered the use of his office for the first workshop.

At the end of each workshop, several people came to the practitioner and excitedly shook his hand and thanked him for introducing the practice to them. Several of them said, "You are doing such a great social service by spreading this practice! In this age when people are charging 500 Rupees (Indian currency) for the simplest meditation techniques, you are teaching such a wonderful practice for free!?"

The practitioner explained to them that the practice was meant to be taught for free and that all the information and books could also be downloaded for free from the website at www.falundafa.org. Several of the participants planned to download or purchase China Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun and keep practicing Falun Gong.

Some of the students had heard about the persecution of Falun Gong and expressed concern about the situation in China.

An old Chinese saying goes, "On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away." On September 18, 2005, under the clear autumn sky, the air was crisp and the sun was shining. Falun Gong practitioners in Paris held a benefit performance and signature-gathering activity in the renowned Human Rights Square in Paris to draw support for rescuing orphans of Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted to death in China, and to express overseas Falun Gong practitioners' greetings and best wishes to the practitioners in Mainland China. By doing so, they hoped to put an end to this brutal persecution.

Dancing

Flute playing

As tourists from all over the world came to the plaza in droves, our activities drew much attention amidst the hustle and bustle. Many tourists listened to flute recitals, watched a "Fairy Dance" and singing performances, as well as demonstrations of the Falun Gong exercises. Many stopped to appreciate our performances.

Exercise demonstration

Falun Gong practitioners took advantage of this opportunity to display the magnificence of Falun Gong to the public with artistic performances, and to expose the inhumane persecution against good people who believe in "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" that has now lasted for six years. Not only has this persecution led to the death of nearly three thousand practitioners, but it also has caused many children to become homeless, be forced to drop out of school and even become orphans.

Signing to oppose the persecution

Signing to oppose the persecution

Signing to oppose the persecution

Upon learning that the objective of the benefit performance was to rescue the innocent orphans of Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death in China, many people asked for more information and signed the petition to support Falun Gong. Many children also signed their names on the petition in a sincere manner after hearing explanations from their parents. In the meantime, many tourists, including children, folded paper lotus flowers together with Falun Gong practitioners to express their wishes that Falun Gong practitioners would regain their freedom of belief.

A Chinese man who works overseas said, "We can't find out anything in China. This is the first time that I have come to understand Falun Gong." Later on, he talked to Falun Gong practitioners for over an hour. An overseas Chinese person who has lived in France for over twenty years also watched our performances for several hours. After learning that our campaign was for the rescue of Falun Gong orphans, one French person suggested that we explain the facts of Falun Gong to more French organizations for children so as to get more support. A French boy asked, "I am a Buddhist, and I heard that Falun Gong is very good. Can I be a practitioner as well?" One woman started to learn the exercises on the spot upon seeing our demonstration.

At the end of the event, an original song written by practitioners entitled, "Coming for You" was sung earnestly with heartfelt feeling to convey the hopes of Falun Gong practitioners: In order to help people understand the facts of the persecution against Falun Gong and realize that Falun Gong is good, we are willing to come for you from afar time and again.

"Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," an international art exhibition, was opened at the Touro Law Center in Huntington, New York under special invitation from September 19-22, 2005.

Dozens of guests, including the dean and professors of the Touro Law Center, attended the opening ceremony jointly held by the Falun Dafa Art Center and the Touro Law Center on the afternoon of September 19. More than ten government officials, including congressmen and a state senator issued awards to the exhibition.

Touro Law Center Campus	Exhibition Hall
Mr. Zhang Erping, spokesperson for Falun Dafa Information Center, speaks at the opening ceremony	Artist and Professor Zhang Kunlun speaks

The exhibition, composed of more than forty pieces of artwork, was held in the Conference Hall of the law center. Illuminated with soft light, the conference hall is more than ten thousand square feet. The exhibition was organized according to four different themes. The first part of the exhibition was entitled, "Assimilating to the Fa and Returning to the Origin." The second part was "Eternal Righteous Belief Testified by Lives." The third part focused on "Spreading the Truth and Calling for Justice," and the fourth part was entitled, "Good is Rewarded, Evil Provokes Retribution."

Ms. Levine, a resident of Huntington, told of the benefits she experienced from practicing Falun Gong at the opening ceremony. Mr. Zhang Erping, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Information Center, introduced the history of Falun Dafa over the past thirteen years and its wide spread to one hundred million people in more than seventy countries and regions. Several of the exhibition's artists related their personal experiences of persecution and the inspirations for their artwork. Through their art, they hope to expose the largest genocide in recent history, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners during the past six years and still ongoing. They wish to awaken peoples' conscience and to solemnly declare, "Good is rewarded, and evil provokes retribution. A righteous belief is eternal."

Ms. Mela, organizer of the art exhibition, said that several teachers and students from the Touro Law Center had visited the exhibition held in the Federal Building in Manhattan in July. They were so touched that they wanted to bring the artwork to their school. The week of September 19 is Human Rights Week. An art exhibition depicting Falun Gong practitioners' unyielding spirit despite six years of brutal persecution has brought Human Rights Week to life. She hoped that faculty and students of Touro Law Center as well as local residents would take this opportunity to learn about the persecution and collectively help stop the brutality.

Many students, faculty and staff members visited the exhibition. The dean told reporters, "We thank the organizer for bringing such wonderful artwork here!" Many visitors signed the signature album.