Gazet Van Antwerpen (Belgium): Falun Gong practitioners meditate in the city

Gazet Van Antwerpen (Belgium): Falun Gong practitioners meditate in the city

ANTWERP -- Matthias Slaats, the citizen of Ghent who was arrested in Beijing last year while protesting against the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, is coming to Antwerp today. Together with other Falun Gong practitioners, he is demonstrating this meditation-method at 'de Meir' and in 'de Van Wesenbekestraat'.

"In China, more and more Falun Gong practitioners are detained and tortured to death, but in Belgium people are very understanding. "In fact, we received encouraging letters from the Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and from the ministry of Foreign Affairs, when I was detained in Peking. In addition, we have close contact with the Belgian Delegation who is attending the Conference of Human Rights in Geneva. Moreover, the mayors of the cities and towns we are visiting to demonstrate our exercises never disapprove of what we are doing."

Falun Gong is a method of meditation and exercises, the principles of which are based on Truthfulness -- Compassion -- Forbearance. The method was passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, until in 1992 it was introduced to the public. In the first seven years after its introduction, Falun Gong practitioners received many awards. However, since then the Chinese government started hunting down the more than hundred million practitioners. At the moment, the number of Falun Gong practitioners in our country is between 50 and 100. "Wherever we go to, we get positive reactions. People are curious and ask questions," according to Matthias Slaats.

Demonstrations are shown in 'de Van Wesenbekestraat' from 10.30u until 12.30u and at 'de Meir' from 13u until 17u.

Gazet Van Antwerpen, May 10 2003

With all Chinese people...

ANTWERP -- Matthias Slaats, the 30-year-old citizen of Ghent who was detained in Peking last year after protesting against the persecution of Falun Gong in China, is sitting in deep meditation at 'de Wapper', close to 'de Meir'. Falun Gong was passed down from generation to generation until 1992 when it was introduced to the public. In the first seven years after the introduction, Falun Gong practitioners received many awards. However, since 1999 the Chinese government is going after the millions of practitioners. In our country they can go ahead, as proven this Saturday at 'de Meir' and in 'de Van Wesenbekestraat'.

Gazet Van Antwerpen, May 12 2003