(Minghui.org) In conjunction with an experience-sharing conference that was held in Kiev, the capital city of the Ukraine from August 21 to 24, 2021, Falun Dafa practitioners held various activities to expose the persecution in China. Their activities coincided with with the 30^th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence day, August 24, 1991. 

On the main streets of Kiev as well as at Mariinsky Park near the Presidential residence, many Ukrainians and tourists saw practitioners’ information booths and signed their petition to condemn the atrocities in China.

A candlelight vigil was held on the evening of August 22 to commemorate practitioners who were tortured to death by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Practitioners handed out fliers and told people about the persecution in China. Many people signed the petition to end the CCP.. They condemned the Party for suppressing belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. 

Practitioners held a candlelight vigil in downtown Kiev.

“The CCP Is a Criminal Organization”

Nickolai from Toronto, Canada came to Kiev to celebrate the country’s independence day. When he saw the activities held by practitioners, he shared his thoughts saying, “I support this event and practitioners’ efforts to speak out. Because I live in Toronto, I saw similar activities there and signed a petition calling on the CCP to stop torturing these people. The CCP is a criminal organization. Those who make money from trading with China might think: ‘I choose economic growth, who cares about human rights?’ However, if a country neglects human rights, everything else is a sham because Communist ideology will appear sooner or later in different forms. 

“It seems like people have forgotten that China is a Communist regime, it is oppressing its people. Economic progress and everything else is built on sandy beaches. No matter how formidable or hideous it (CCP) is, if there is suppression, abuse of others and persecution, this system will be affected somehow. We know the system in the Soviet Union was very deformed, now it no longer exists. I think the same will happen to the CCP regime. China will be rid of this Communist ideology in the end.”

Nickolai from Toronto supports practitioners’ efforts to expose the persecution.

Katya and Patina from Odessa, a port city in the Ukraine, tried out the exercises by following along with practitioners as they demonstrated the movements. Patina said she really liked the mind-body practice and wants to know more about it. They signed the petition to condemn the persecution.

Katya and Patina sign the petition to support ending the persecution.

As part of their peaceful protest, practitioners did the Falun Dafa exercises near the Chinese embassy on the afternoon of August 23. They censured the regime for suppressing belief in “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance” and collected signatures from passersby.

Practitioners did the exercises outside the Chinese Embassy.

Passersby sign the petition to call for an end to the persecution.

Practitioners held a peaceful protest outside the Chinese embassy.

Andre from Avdiivka said, “Communism and fascism are like two wings on a bird. They are the same. Fascism says out right you are the enemy. Communism first says that you are their friend under the guise of peace and helping people. But as soon as you relax and turn your back on them they bring you down.”

Andre from Avdiivka supports practitioners in opposing the persecution.

When an elderly Kiev resident learned that practitioners in China are killed, raped and incarcerated by the CCP police, she said, “Such things absolutely should not happen. The persecution must end at once. Keep up the great work!”

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.