With Chinese music "Pudu" [music composed for Falun Dafa/by translator] in the background, people entered the lecture hall of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. Outside the lecture hall, there were two large posters printed in both English and Chinese displaying an introduction to Falun Gong, some photos showing the Chinese government's ruthless persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, a letter from a congressman from Vancouver to the Canadian Foreign Ministry about the Falun Gong issue, and proclamations from the mayors of Coquitlam and Port Moody declaring July 20th, 2000 a "Falun Gong Day." The displays highlighted the main theme of the forum - telling the truth of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China to the world. They also showed the people how the practitioners in China applied the principle of truthfulness-benevolence-forbearance while being tortured and persecuted wrongfully, and showed the public the support and understanding that the practitioner had received from all kind-hearted people around the world.
The forum started at 9:30am. A westerner practitioner read congratulatory letters from Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and Vancouver Mayor Phillip Owen. They praised Falun Gong for its beneficial effects on people's physical and metal health. In a speech given by a representative from the Canadian New Democratic Party, the speaker mentioned that he had already pointed out to the Canadian Foreign Minister and Chinese Ambassador that the Chinese government's suppression against Falun Gong had severely violated the people's freedom of belief, speech and assembly.
The practitioners gave opening remarks titled "Statements on the first anniversary of China's persecution of Falun Gong" and "History Remembered" in both Chinese and English. The feature presentation of the forum was a slide show titled " Falun Gong Today in China". In order to prepare for the slides that showed the truth to the public and let people know the truth about Falun Gong, many practitioners stayed up for several nights. The slide show first gave an introduction to Falun Gong, followed by a history of Falun Gong and its current situation inside and outside of China. The show also told stories of some Falun Gong practitioners in China. One of them was a young woman named Liang Ye-Ning, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for being a Falun Gong practitioner and an assistant in her city. Another story was about a young man, who loved his country and had donated hundreds of thousands of Yuan [Chinese currency/by translator] to an under developed province, also sent to prison for refusing to quit practicing Falun Gong. Finally, the show called for all kind-hearted people worldwide to extend their support and help to the practitioners in China.
In the forum, the practitioners also showed videos titled "Falun Gong - The real story (I and II)", and some local television coverage on Falun Gong. Most of Vancouver's Chinese media attended the forum and interviewed some of the practitioners. The practitioners believed that since practitioners in China suffered the most in this persecution it was very important to let the Chinese media know the truth of the persecution so that they could give a truthful and unbiased coverage.
In the afternoon, the practitioners gathered to exchange their cultivation experiences. Those who had experienced or witnessed the events that occurred on April 25 and July 20, 1999 in China told their experiences and some moving stories of practitioners in China who had risked their lives to safeguard Dafa and protect Dafa books. One story was about a practitioner who worked in the army. When he was arrested and forced to write a confession, he wrote down "If one hears the Tao at dawn, one is not afraid to die at dusk" all over the page. All practitioners were moved by his courage and firmness in cultivation.
The forum ended at 5:00 p.m. The practitioners realized that clarifying the truth to the world, including Chinese people, is the most important task in "assisting the teacher in the human world." Moreover, one can succeed in spreading Dafa only through studying Dafa and constant self-improvement.
Falun Dafa practitioners in Canada July 24, 2000
Category: Rallies & Protests
