February 21, 2004

Activists of Falun Gong, a spiritual teaching forbidden in China, Saturday gathered for a picket near the Chinese embassy in Riga demanding former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other officials blamed for repressions of the [...] regime against this movement in China be called to responsibility.

The picket, joined by 23 people, was staged as during the past two weeks 15 supporters of the movement have reportedly died of torture in China.

BNS observed at the scene that some of the protestors were practicing meditative exercises while others were holding posters calling organizers of repressions against Falun Gong followers be called to responsibility. The picket lasted for three hours.

Falun Gong originated in China and combines a spiritual teaching based on Buddhism and elements of Eastern philosophies. Many followers of this movement have been subject to repression, the main cause of which is seen as inability of the [...] regime to subject followers of this movement to ideological control.