(Clearwisdom.net) On April 15, 2008, the Falun Dafa Association of Germany, the German division of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIPFG), and the International Society for Human Rights (IGFM) Munich branch jointly held a press conference in front of the Chinese Consulate in Munich to protest the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong, its mass arrests in the run-up to the Olympics, and its interference with the Divine Performing Arts performances in Munich. Falun Gong practitioner Guo Jufeng, who recently came to Germany from China, revealed that large numbers of practitioners in his home town had been illegally detained ahead of the Olympics. He exposed the CCP's atrocities with his own experience in a labor camp.
K. Noll, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association, pointed out in his speech that the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is extremely brutal, yet ignored. In the period leading up to the Olympics, the CCP has secretly arrested large numbers of practitioners, intensifying the persecution. Not only practitioners in China are persecuted, but practitioners overseas are also harassed. A recent incident in which the Vice Consular himself meddled with a Chinese Spectacular performance is one more example of the extension of the persecution overseas.
According to Noll, the Chinese culture, which is profound and steeped in history, has been completely destroyed by the CCP during its fifty-odd years of reign. The Divine Performing Arts aims to revive the Chinese culture that was ruined. Their interpretation of the true Chinese culture terrifies the CCP, which is why the CCP tries to sabotage the Chinese Spectacular wherever possible. Noll expressed concern for the Chinese Consulate staff, as they are also deceived by the CCP. Noll invited them to attend the next performance and see for themselves why traditional Chinese art without Communist Party culture is so popular around the world.
Falun Gong practitioner Guo Jufeng, who came from China on January 9 of this year, revealed in his speech that from December 19, 2007 to January 15, 2008 many practitioners were arrested in his home town of Shuan Yashan City, Hei Long Jiang Province, including Dong Mingfen, Wang Haiyang, Wang YaoJun, Liu Yan, and others. He also mentioned that he himself was illegally detained at a labor camp for four hundred fifty days. A guard there once tortured him with an electric baton for five hours, "When they used an electric baton on my neck, I shut my eyes and ground my teeth. I was shaking like a leaf under the continuous electric current. Suddenly I smelt burnt flesh..."
According to Guo, today's protest in front of the Chinese Consulate was meant to stop the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and its interference in the Chinese Spectacular performances in Munich. Coming overseas, the biggest difference he felt was freedom. For nine years he had not been able to do the exercises or mention Falun Gong in public, or freely contact other practitioners. People in the world still know very little about the CCP's persecution. Even though many foreigners have been to China, they do not know the real China. He hoped everyone would pay attention to and help stop the persecution. He also hoped that the Chinese people would see through the true nature of this persecution and the CCP's harm to the Chinese people so that they would withdraw from its evil organizations.
CIPFG German spokesperson Volker Ditz introduced the CIPFG and its recent progress in fighting the persecution. He also gave an overview of the Global Human Rights Torch Relay around the world.
J. Thierack, head of the IGFM Munich branch, was also present. He said that almost every week there are various non-governmental organizations gathering in front of the Chinese Consulate or in the city center to protest the CCP's trampling of human rights. He recalled a few recent death cases of Falun Gong practitioners as a result of torture, such as on February 23, when a practitioner in Sichuan Province was beaten to death. His wife wanted to see his body but her request was denied. After vigorous contention, she finally saw the body, which was drenched in blood. She wanted to hire a lawyer but was told that they were not allowed to take Falun Gong cases. Without the relatives' consent, his body was cremated the following day. The process of secret cremation following torture keeps being repeated. All we can do is to let people, including journalists and athletes, know about the truth as much as possible.
Background information: According to news by Minghui.net (Chinese version of the Clearwisdom.net website) from various provinces in mainland China, on February 19, 2008, the CCP's Central Political and Judiciary Committee issued secret orders in the form of a document entitled "Suggestion to maintain social stability and ensure the safety of the Olympics." The document was sent to forty province-level CCP administrative offices and "Offices that deal with Falun Gong." The document essentially orders Party authorities around the country to "intensively deal with problems," "to enhance 'management' of the activities of foreign reporters coming for the Olympics," "to enhance the 'management' of Internet and cell phone text messaging," and to "severely crack down on Falun Gong." According to incomplete data, from the end of last year to March 11, 2008, there have been one thousand eight hundred seventy-eight cases of illegal detention of Falun Gong practitioners across twenty-nine provinces, cities or autonomous regions in China.
