U.S. Newswire: Washington-Area Youth Bike to Chicago; 'Pedals of Peace' Urges End to Persecution of Children in China

5/12/2004 10:17:00 AM

A group of 16-19 year olds will leave the nation's capital May 13th to embark upon a 700-mile bicycle ride to Chicago, IL. Calling themselves "Pedals of Peace," they are riding to save the lives of children and teens in China who are being persecuted because of their spiritual beliefs.

The Pedals of Peace were inspired by a young Falun Gong practitioner, Fadu, whose father was killed for his beliefs. In 1999, the Chinese government outlawed the practice and began a campaign of persecution that continues to this day. Now three years old, Fadu travels the world with her mother telling people about their loss.

"We don't know the exact number of children suffering from the persecution, but we do know it has affected kids from eight months-to-17 years old, some of whom died in police custody. Others have had their families torn apart," says Keith Ware, an adult organizer of the bike ride.

Ten-year-old Herndon, VA resident and Falun Gong practitioner Karen Chen won't be riding to Chicago, but she urges her local officials to support the bike ride. She tells them about her grandmother who was deprived of all her rights in China. "I miss my grandma and want to see her. I hope that the persecution will end so then all the other mothers, fathers, relatives, and children can be safe."

The Save the Kids Ride will travel north, then west from Washington, DC through Cumberland, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus OH, and Indianapolis, IN, arriving in Chicago on May 21. They will be greeted by supporters who have tracked their journey on the Web site http://www.pedalsofpeace.org. Several adults, including experienced bikers, will join the teens in their continuous, relay-style ride. Other activities include an international postcard campaign and an art project.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is practiced freely in over 50 countries worldwide. The Falun Dafa Information Center, which tracks the persecution in China, has verified more than 850 (1) deaths there, but they say the number could be much higher.

(1) Currently, the verified death toll stands at 955.

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http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=120-05122004