Ukraine: Falun Gong Practitioners Commemorate the 24th Anniversary of the Effort to End the Persecution

(Minghui.org) This year marks the 24th anniversary of Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful call for an end to the persecution. Practitioners from Ukraine held an activity on the Dnipro embankment on July 16, 2023. Some distributed truth clarification informational materials. Others demonstrated the five sets of Falun Dafa (aka Falun Gong) exercises, and informed people of the physical and mental benefits of the practice. They also exposed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) cruel persecution in China, and collected signatures from passersby on a petition calling for an end to the persecution.

People not only learned the truth of Falun Gong, but also gained a deeper understanding of the CCP’s persecution. Some passersby expressed their agreement with Falun Gong’s practice guidelines and said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the greatest power.”

Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrated the exercises as a group on the Dnipro River embankment on July 16, 2023, to introduce Falun Dafa to people.

Falun Gong practitioners clarify the truth and distribute Dafa materials to passersby.

Many passersby stopped and listened to the practitioners relate the facts about Falun Gong. The Ukrainians expressed deep sympathy for the practitioners who are still being persecuted by the CCP.

Psychotherapist: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the Greatest Power

Natalia Vyuta, a psychotherapist who was told about Falun Gong in the past, came to the booth to talk with practitioners and express her support for Falun Gong.

She said she believes that Falun Gong can give people healthier minds and a higher moral character. “(Falun Gong educates you) to put things in order in your heart, and not to hurt others. When you can gain deeper knowledge once you decide to cultivate, you will no longer do evil to yourself or to others,” she said.

Vyuta also regarded the guiding principles of Falun Gong practice, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance as the “three greatest abilities” that a person can possess. “It’s really a power – patience, sincerity, morality, these are abilities.”

When she learned that Falun Gong has been persecuted in China for 24 years, Vyuta felt deep sympathy for practitioners, as her grandparents and parents had also been persecuted by the former Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Computer Programmer: I Fully Support Falun Gong Practitioners in China

Konstantin Nechayev, a computer programmer, learned the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution during the event. He expressed respect for the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, which he described as the “three pillars” on which all faiths depend.

When he saw the images of Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death and tortured, Nechayev felt it was “terrifying.” He said he stood with Falun Gong practitioners against the Chinese regime because they still stood up for their beliefs despite the pressure.

“I fully support them because they are very strong people who continue to walk on the right path despite the persecution, intimidation, and horrific torture,” he said.

Falun Gong Practitioners: Practicing Dafa Makes Me Calm and Healthy

Many Falun Gong practitioners from Dnipro participated in the day’s activities. They told the public what Falun Gong represents, and why the CCP persecutes the practice. Several practitioners shared their cultivation experiences.

Olga Myasoyedova has been practicing Falun Gong for 12 years. “(Cultivating) Falun Dafa is my way of life,” she said, “My heart is calm and healthy, and I understand why people came to earth, I understand ourselves and the world around us, and I understand why everything works the way it does.”

Falun Gong practitioner Olga Myasoyedova

“All Falun Gong practitioners are inclusive, honest, and kind,” she said, adding that Falun Gong practitioners in China are unable to assemble freely, and are persecuted for being good people.

Falun Gong practitioner Yuri Vladimirovich is a master of rhythmic gymnastics.

Yuri Vladimirovich has been practicing Falun Gong for nine years. As a professional gymnast who has competed for more than 30 years, he believes that practicing Falun Dafa has kept him in shape.

“In order to keep yourself in good shape, you need to exercise constantly,” he said, “Falun Dafa helped me. If I feel unwell in the morning, I practice the first set of Falun Gong exercises. In the process of practicing the exercise, I often feel an energy replenishing every cell in the microscopic world.”

“It’s very important,” he continued, “when you feel this energy, you want to live well and do something good for society, and of course, for yourself.”

This year marks the 24th anniversary of Falun Gong practitioners’ efforts calling for an end to the persecution, and Vladimirovich was heartened to see many people reading newspapers revealing the truth about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.

“These newspapers describe how the CCP harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners and sells them for transplants,” he said. “I think it’s good that receiving newspapers detailing the information can make people aware of this.”