London University Holds Seminar on Falun Gong

On November 21, 2000 the School of Oriental and Asian Studies of London University in the U.K. held a seminar on Falun Gong.Thirty people attended. The organiser was very surprised at the high attendance for such a seminar. She said that this did not normally happen. The majority of people who attended were students and staff of the School.

Robin Munro presented the seminar. He is a Research Fellow of the School and a human rights specialist. He is presently investigating China's Soviet Psychiatry. Mr Munro is not a Falun Gong practitioner.

Mr Munro has researched Falun Gong in depth and presented a thoughtful seminar, which helped clarify many truths about Falun Gong for the audience. He pointed out the legal inconsistencies of the suppression as well as the flaws in the Chinese government's arguments against Falun Gong. He showed how kind-hearted people in the society are helping practitioners to "validate the Fa with reason". Overall the seminar was favorable and sympathetic towards Falun Gong.

To present both sides of the story, the presenter showed clips from Real Story 2 and a Chinese government propaganda video CD. The latter was the only negative point in a generally positive seminar. The practitioners are presently investigating the nature of the clip shown in order to clarify further the truth to the presenter.

Practitioners were notified at short notice that this seminar was due to take place. Even so, five practitioners managed to turn up within one hour bringing with them a wide range of material. Each practitoner was a different age and cultural background. It was good for the audience to see the wide variety of people who practise Falun Gong.

The practitioners either provided additional details to the answers given by the presenter to the audience's questions or presented information when the presenter did not have the sufficient facts to respond.

Before the seminar began, leaflets were distributed to the people who were waiting to enter the room. Ater the seminar finished, practitioners stood by the door and distributed either the "Peaceful Journey" booklet or a Chinese language newspaper. A journalist who attended the seminar became very interested in Falun Gong and requested further publications and information. Robin Munro, the presenter, was also happy to talk to practitioners afterwards.

The practitioners were also aware of the presence of a Chinese correspondent from the Xinhua news agency. At the end of the seminar, one of the practitioners politely asked the correspondent if she could speak to him outside the room. When outside, the practitioner tried to present the truth and defend the Fa, Falun Gong practitioners in China and Master. The man persisted in being close minded and negative. Afterwards the practitioner felt that perhaps she had not done a good enough job. However she realised later that during the seminar when she had looked over towards him, the words "suffocate the evil" had come into her mind. Outside the room, the man always had his back towards a wall or a corner whereas the practitioner was not confined and had lots of space behind her. While the "evil" was being contained, the practitioners in the seminar room were able to hongfa without interference. This had not been consciously planned by the practitioners but happened naturally and was only realised afterwards.

UK Practitioners