Vancouver, Canada: Candlelight Vigil Held to Mark Anniversary of April 25, 1999 Appeal and Commemorate Falun Gong Practitioners Killed in the Persecution (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net) "April 25" is a special date. Eight years ago, ten thousand Chinese Falun Gong practitioners appealed in Beijing for their freedom of belief. The appeal was the first-ever peaceful large-scale appeal in China under the notoriously suppressive Chinese Communist regime since 1949. On April 25, 2007, Vancouver Falun Gong practitioners braved drizzling rain to hold a candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Consulate to mark the anniversary of this historic event and commemorate the more than 3000 practitioners who have died due to persecution.

Candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver

Though it was a rainy evening, many practitioners came to the Consulate to participate in the candlelight vigil. They also displayed banners to voice their heart-felt wishes to the public. Many of the commuting drivers were apparently touched by the vigil as they slowed down their cars and sounded their horns to greet the practitioners. There were also people who rolled down their windows to wave at the practitioners, showing their cordial support.

Ms. Yang personally participated in the historic April 25, 1999 Appeal. She said that Chinese practitioners went to appeal because He Zuoxiu (a scientist in China who is notorious for groundlessly attacking science under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party-CCP) published an article in a magazine which attacked Falun Gong, and the Tianjin Police Department arrested more than 40 local practitioners who went to the magazine headquarters to clarify the truth. Ms. Yang said, "We just wanted to let the central government know the real story. There were a lot of police officers and vehicles. In the beginning, the police officers were very tense. However, when they found that we were very calm and self-disciplined and some practitioners even picked up scrap papers and cigarette butts on the ground (likely dropped by police and local residents as no practitioners smoke), they relaxed and started to chat with us."

Practitioner Zhang Xiulian is another witness of the historic appeal. She said, "I saw some officials behind glass windows of minivans taking photos of the practitioners. However, all the practitioners were very calm and stood still as usual." Regarding the fabricated charge that Falun Gong "besieged" Zhongnanhai (the central government compound), Ms. Zhang said, "We just went to appeal, as we trusted that the government would solve the issue properly. We in fact went to appeal at the National Appeals Office. The office and the central government compound are separated by just one street. As there were so many practitioners, and we all followed instructions from on-duty police officers, some of us ended up standing on the walkway outside the central government compound.

Chinese Practitioner: "I started practicing Falun Gong just before the persecution started."

Shirley Chen, a former university faculty member in Beijing, participated in the candlelight vigil in Vancouver. She said that she previously practiced in a denomination of Buddhism and still had a lot questions to be answered. In June 1999, she was searching for information about qigong online. "I found the website for Falun Gong. The bottom of the web page stated, 'A righteous way to save people, free of charge.' My intuition told me that this was what I had been looking for."

According to Ms. Chen, she also found the CCP's materials slandering Falun Gong. Chen said, "I went through the Great Cultural Revolution, and I can tell what is right and what is wrong. That slanderous information was typical CCP political propaganda and was not convincing at all. After comparing that information to information provided by the Falun Gong website, I decided to practice Falun Gong."

Former MP: "This is a struggle with the evil Communist regime."

Former MP Simma Holt also participated in the vigil. She said that this was a struggle with the evil Communist regime. She said, "The CCP not only persecutes Falun Gong. Since it came into powder, it has killed 80 million Chinese citizens. Hitler killed six million Jews during World War II. Apparently, the CCP surpasses Hitler."

Ms. Holt told a Minghui reporter that she was studying a report published by a former Canadian MP and a veteran human rights lawyer. The report confirmed that many Chinese military hospitals were harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit. She said, "This is horrific. Taking organs usually means killing a life."

Regarding the CCP's allegation that Falun Gong practitioners have political pursuits, as they often conduct protests outside Chinese embassies and consulates, Ms. Holt believes that such allegations are ridiculous. "Have you ever seen people into politics stand here so peacefully? The CCP is lying." She encouraged the practitioners to continue their noble efforts. She said, "This is a struggle between good and evil."

Practitioner Ben Tyler: "Urge Chinese Consulate Officials to Embrace the Free World."

Practitioner Ben Tyler said that the Chinese Consulate has been actively distributing hate propaganda in Chinese communities and forcing local media to remain silent about the persecution of Falun Gong. "The persecution has last nearly eight years," Ben said, "Officials in the Consulate should have been very clear on what Falun Gong is and they should let go of their fear of the CCP and bravely embrace the free world for a bright future."

Tibetan Activist: "The CCP Has Always Been Lying."

The candlelight vigil coincided with a protest organized by Tibetan activists. Tenzin lhalunhpa is a local resident of the group. He said, "The CCP has been lying on the Falun Gong issue, Tibet issue and the Tiananmen Massacre..." He called on western countries to hold on to fundamental values and uphold justice.

Passersby: "We Support Falun Gong."

A number of passersby said that they already knew about the persecution of Falun Gong. Gene Stacey works in downtown Vancouver. He said that he had read news about the persecution of Falun Gong. He said, "I support their protest outside the Chinese Consulate."

Don Messner is an expert in political research. He believed that trade should not surpass humanity. He said, "Though China has made progress in economics, it has made no improvement in human rights. China controls the Internet, and filters and blocks free information. Without democracy, development in the Chinese economy and society will stop." Regarding how to help end the persecution of Falun Gong and improve human rights in China, Don suggested that all overseas Chinese should pay close attention to these issues and take concrete actions.

Falun Gong Spokeswoman: Mounting Condemnation on the Persecution

Local Falun Gong spokeswoman Ms. Zhang Su said, "April 25 is a special historic date which marks the start of a new page in Chinese history. While it happened shortly before the full-scale persecution started, it also signals the start of an unprecedented nonviolent movement to resist the persecution by the CCP."

"Because of the joint efforts of practitioners around the world, the persecution has been receiving increasing attention. For example, the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) has been established. Members of the coalition include many prominent politicians, physicians, lawyers and activists from Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. One goal of the coalition is to go into China to perform independent investigations and collect evidence of the persecution.

"Dr. Reuven Bulka, the director of the CIPFG North America, is the chair of the Organ Donation Committee of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, Eastern Ontario Branch and a leader in the Jewish community. In a recent interview with Channel 22's 'Talk Ottawa' program, he said, 'It is ridiculous for the CCP to label Falun Gong as a cult. What is a cult? Judaism and Christianity were both labeled as cults in history. The CCP's allegation was just a vicious slander against Falun Gong. There are tens of millions people practicing Falun Gong around the world, and the practice is by no means a cult! They have free wills and independent lives, and these are what the CCP does not want people to have. Falun Gong teaches people to think independently, do righteous things and be good people. All these are contradictory to the CCP.' Consequently, it felt that Falun Gong offended it and felt threatened."