May 5, 2004

Rome (AsiaNews) - A group of teenagers living in the United States organized an original initiative to denounce the persecution of child [practitioners] (1) of the Falun Gong (2), as perpetrated by the Chinese government in Beijing.

From 13 to 21 May, these teenagers, who called themselves "Pedals of Peace," will embark on a bicycle ride from Washington DC to Chicago, where they will tell people about the terrible persecutions of Chinese children and teenagers, whose families belong to a [group] (2) prohibited by [the] Chinese government.

The 700 mile-journey is called the "Save the Kids Ride" and has the support of various schools in the country, non-profit organizations and many non-governmental organizations.

"Petals of Peace," which inspired the name of the little riders, attempts to inform others of the sufferings of the Chinese children. The organization hands out paper lotus flowers, as a peaceful sign of its efforts to help save them.

"Petals of Peace" was founded because many people were moved by the tragic story of Fadu, a 3-year-old child whose father was tortured to death for belonging to Falun Gong.

Karen Chen, a 10 year-old Chinese child who lives in the United States, tells the tragic story of her family, who also [practices] (3) Falun Gong: "When I was in China five years ago, there were TV programs saying bad words about Falun Dafa [the other name of Falun Gong] (2) all the time. I have experienced the persecution of children, too. My grandmother is also a Falun Dafa practitioner like me and she was arrested in her home last year. The police took my granny and put her under arrest for two months not letting anyone see her. They even took away her passport and told her she was not allowed to come see her relatives in the United States.

According to Petals of Peace, more than 14 million Chinese children - especially those who either practice or are the sons and daughters of Falun Gong [practitioners] (1) are being left orphaned. This is so since their parents are taken away to labor camps, where they are jailed, tortured, persecuted or even murdered. (MR)

Source: http://www.asianews.it/view.php'l=en&art=793

Notes:

1. We replaced "members" with "practitioners." Falun Gong is not a membership organization. There is no registration or roster, and people are free to practice or not as they see fit.
2. We replaced "Chinese sect" with "Falun Gong." "Sect" is a term associated with religions. Falun Gong is not a religion; it does not have worship or rituals. Falun Gong is a cultivation system that includes teachings to improve one's moral character and physical exercises to maintain good health and strengthen the body.

(3) We replaced "belongs to" with "practices." The change was made per Footnote 1.