Norway: Candlelight Vigil and Petition in Oslo Call for an End to 22 Years of CCP’s Persecution

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Norway held a series of activities in Oslo on July 20, 2021, marking the 22^nd anniversary of their journey to end the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. 

Practitioners held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Embassy, and collected signatures on a petition in front of the Royal Palace and Norway’s Parliament, the Storting Building. Many people expressed their support for their efforts, and signed the petition calling for the government of Norway to help stop the CCP’s torture of Falun Dafa practitioners and forced organ harvesting crimes targeting imprisoned practitioners.

Practitioners held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Oslo on July 20, 2021.

Group exercise at the Royal Palace

Practitioners held a candlelight vigil to mourn their fellow practitioners who have died from the CCP’s persecution.

Signature collection

On the 22^nd anniversary of the CCP’s persecution, Falun Dafa practitioners in Norway and 36 other countries submitted a list of persecutors to their governments, requesting their governments deny entry and freeze the assets of these criminals and their families.

On April 8, 2021 the Norwegian Parliament passed a new Sanctions Act, which means that Norway can quickly support European Union (EU) sanctions starting on April 16, 2021. The new law, the Norwegian version of The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, applies to the EU’s new sanctions against regimes with egregious human rights violations. 

Norwegian historian, journalist, and China expert Torbjørn Færøvik said that the Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act was one of the major measures to pressure China for changes. He stressed that Western societies should not fall into the trap of economic reliance on China.

Færøvik thought the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa would not be sustainable. He feels people’s spiritual pursuit and need for self-reflection won’t disappear, so the setbacks Falun Dafa and other spiritual pursuits in China have been facing are temporary.

Historian, journalist and China expert Torbjørn Færøvik said that Western countries should not fall into the trap of economic reliance on China.

Færøvik has visited China about 70 times, and written 5 books about Chinese history. In one of his books, he exposed the danger of the CCP’s autocracy and dictatorship. 

Robin and Emma, students in Oslo, hope to see the Norwegian government and parliament help stop the CCP’s persecution.

Selma, a local resident, said it was important to participate in the efforts to stop the persecution.

The practitioners also chatted with the security guards at the Chinese embassy and explained why they were raising awareness. The guards asked what they could do to help practitioners. They wished practitioners good luck.

Fredrik a local resident, told a practitioner, “Keep up the great work of exposing the persecution!”

Background: What is Falun Dafa?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as well as five gentle exercises—and experienced uplifted health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline's growing popularity as a threat to the CCP's atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang's personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.