Geneva, the 25^th of March 2002

In the late evening of Sunday March 24^th, 200 Falun Gong practitioners assembled in Place des Nations, facing the UN building in Geneva. This appeal comes after yesterday's news that at least 5000 Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested in the city of Changchun, among whom as many as one hundred have been brutally killed during the 2 last weeks.

The extent and barbaric nature of this state-run terrorism campaign in Changchun are unprecedented. It seems that nothing can restrain Jiang's barbaric brutality toward Falun Gong. He personally issued the order to "kill without mercy" two weeks ago. As a result of this, Changchun practitioners are now being murdered one after another, their deaths labeled as suicide and their bodies quickly cremated.

In spite of the strict information blockade, the news about these thousands of brutal arrests and dozens of murders leaked out from China yesterday. Reacting to the news, 200 Falun Gong practitioners quickly assembled in Place des Nations, facing the UN building that now hosts the Annual Human Rights Commission, between 10 p.m. and 12 p.m. Despite the freezing weather, they sat in the lotus position on the cold, wet ground, and lit candles in honor and remembrance of the Changchun practitioners. Most of them had left their homes or hotels without even taking a coat, but all remained upright and unmoving in a strong, cold wind. With the right palm erected in front of their chests, they emitted their purest righteous thoughts. From the eyes of many rolled tears of compassion.