(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of May 9, 2002, "Friends of Zhao Ming" and the Trinity College Graduate Student Association hosted a "Zhao Ming Is Back" celebration was held at the Graduate Student Hall in Dublin Trinity College to express appreciation for the support and help they have received. Over 60 people attended the celebration, including Zhao Ming, "Friends of Zhao Ming," students and faculty members from Trinity College, representatives from Amnesty International, a member of Ireland's House of Representatives, Irish members of the European Parliament and Falun Gong practitioners. People were all very happy to see Zhao Ming's return after appealing for his freedom for two years.
Celebration meeting room. | Member of Ireland's House of Representatives, David Norris | Member of European Parliament, Ms. Patricia McKenna |
Director of Amnesty International Ireland Section, Mr. Frank Jennings | Zhao Ming giving a speech. |
Members of "Friends of Zhao Ming" | Small photo exhibition. |
Mr. David Norris, member of Ireland's House of Representatives, Ms. Patricia McKenna, member of the European Parliament, and the president of the Trinity College Graduate Student Association, delivered ebullient and righteous speeches. Mr. Norris had, on several occasions, proposed resolutions regarding the Zhao Ming issue to the House of Representatives. In the resolutions, he mentioned that Falun Gong is so peaceful that it should not be persecuted. In her speech, Ms. McKenna called on people to continue making great efforts in helping those who are still persecuted in China regain their freedom and right to practice cultivation.
Zhao Ming expressed his gratitude and appreciation to people from all walks of life who had made efforts in helping him to regain freedom. In the end, he appealed: "Zhao Ming is now back and Zhao Ming is now free. But in China, hundreds of thousands of Zhao Mings are still suffering persecution. Let's continue to make efforts for the basic human rights and freedom of those Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China." Zhao Ming personally made a banner reading: "Zhao Ming Is Back, Thanks, Ireland!" It was hung in the middle of the meeting hall.
In the end, Ms. Elizabeth, the president of the Trinity College Graduate Student Association, delivered a closing speech to express appreciation to the people from all walks of life who had helped to rescue Zhao Ming. In the end, Elizabeth declared that "Friends of Falun Gong" had been formally founded in Ireland.