(Clearwisdom.net) On October 5, 2009, the Singapore police arrested five Falun Gong practitioners who were doing the exercises and clarifying the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution at the renowned Esplanade Park. The police handcuffed them, took them to the police station, and threatened to charge them with "vandalizing public property." Regarding this incident, Falun Buddha Society (Singapore) released a statement: "We solemnly call upon the Singapore government not to place any more charges against practitioners and not to follow in the path of the Chinese communist regime. Instead, the Singapore government should join the ranks of righteous countries and good people worldwide to stop this senseless persecution and give the people of Singapore a good future."

Statement from Falun Buddha Society (Singapore) Regarding the Incident on October 5 at the Esplanade Park

On October 5, 2009, the Singapore Police arrested five Falun Gong practitioners who were doing exercise practice and truth clarification at Esplanade Park. They were handcuffed and brought back to the police station, and were told that they would be charged with "vandalizing of public property". We are deeply saddened that the Singapore government has once again decided to take a share in the persecution of Falun Gong, notwithstanding that by doing so it becomes an accomplice to the Chinese communist regime.

Falun Gong practitioners abide by the tenets of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in their spiritual cultivation. They do not hold common grounds with politics or power, nor do they willfully break the law. Over the past ten years, Falun Gong practitioners in China have consistently adopted a peaceful approach to call for an end to the ruthless persecution campaign of Jiang Zemin, and in the process, suffered tremendous physical and mental torment, and even death, without grievances or regret.

Since the launch of Jiang Zemin's persecution on July 20, 1999, Falun Gong practitioners in China and elsewhere started to inform countries and governments worldwide about the persecution and disseminate informational materials. This has enabled many governments and kind people to understand the truth of the matter, and in turn they expressed support and awarded recognition to the Falun Gong practice. The tenets of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance have spread to more than one hundred countries to date. In the past ten years, Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore have likewise walked the path of informing people of the truth about the persecution. Esplanade Park is a window for truth clarification in Singapore that is regularly visited by Falun Gong practitioners. Using posters and Falun Gong exercises, they have impressed tens of thousands of visitors to Singapore with the goodness of the Falun Gong practice.

The persecution engine of the Chinese communist regime is running low on steam in China and abroad, its crimes widely condemned by countries upholding righteousness. A tribunal worldwide has been set up for Jiang Zemin and his accomplices for genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture. Since the publication of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party editorial series by the Epoch Times revealing the true evil nature of this party, more than 60 million Chinese people have renounced their association and affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party and organizations at all levels in return for a new lease on life. That the Singapore police are slapping charges against Falun Gong practitioners at this time is a bad deed.

From the MacRitchie incident in the year 2000 to the charges brought against practitioners in 2004 and 2006, a great loss has been brought upon the populace of Singapore. We solemnly call upon the Singapore government not to place any more charges against practitioners and not to partake in the deeds of the Chinese communist regime. Instead, the Singapore government should join the ranks of righteous countries and good people worldwide to stop this senseless persecution and give the people of Singapore a good future.

Falun Buddha Society (Singapore)

October 11, 2009

Background of the Esplanade Park Incident

On the morning of October 5, 2009, several practitioners arrived at the Esplanade Park as usual. At around 8:00 a.m. when the practitioners were displaying placards, a plainclothes policeman videotaped and took photos of them. Shortly after, over a dozen plainclothes policemen surrounded and arrested four practitioners, citing that they broke the law by "vandalizing public property." The police handcuffed the practitioners and took them to the Central Police Station where they were detained and interrogated. The police also ordered three other practitioners who were doing the exercises at the time to produce their identification certificates, and took them to the police station for interrogation. In addition, a practitioner was arrested from his workplace. He went to work after having taken the display boards to the park on the same day. At around 10:30 a.m. several plainclothes policemen charged into his office and took him away with an excuse of assisting the investigation. As a result, he was handcuffed as soon as he entered the police station.

In the afternoon and that same evening, the five practitioners were allowed to return home after their relatives and friends bailed them out. The police confiscated their passports, and asked them to return to the police station on October 16 and 19 respectively.

After this incident, the plainclothes police continuously went to the scenic spot to harass practitioners who were there doing the exercises and doing truth clarification. On October 7 and 8, the police confiscated all display boards and informational materials. The police also recorded the IDs of practitioners who were present, threatened to charge them with "vandalizing public property," and told the them to leave.