Press statement of SOS Edinburgh-London Walk (July 20, Manchester)

SOS UK Walkers

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

When you hear that Chinese policemen stripped female Falun Gong practitioners and threw them into cells full of male criminals; when you hear that, last month, on a single day, the Chinese authorities murdered 15 female practitioners in Wanjia labor camp, and then announced that they had committed suicide; when you hear policemen in Hubei province dragged Falun Gong practitioners behind their motorcycles through the town center, and poured gasoline on them and burned them to death in front of the government building, and then called it "self-immolation"...

When you hear hundreds of stories like these, how can you just stand aside and allow this to continue without doing anything?

When we, You Yi, and Chen Jian, heard these stories, we felt that, as fellow Falun Gong practitioners, we had to do something. Therefore, on July 11th, in front of the Chinese consulate in Edinburgh, we started our SOS walk to call for people's attention to the atrocities being perpetrated in China. We planned to walk 452 miles from Edinburgh to London. During the last nine days, we have covered 240 miles and have arrived in Manchester. We are very glad to meet you all here.

In order to arrive here in time for today's activities, we had to walk 27 miles a day. During the walk, our feet were blistered, and our toes and ankles were badly swollen and aching terribly, which made every step forward extremely unbearable. It was almost always raining above our heads, soaking us completely and filling our shoes with cold rain water. At night, we had to sleep in a wet tent. Hunger and cold were always with us.

However, compared to the adversity and danger endured by practitioners in China, all our hardships add up to nothing. Here in Britain, we are walking through cities and towns, and talking to people in public, without having to fear arrest and torture. This, itself, is a freedom that practitioners in China have been deprived of. When we think of this, our hearts are filled strength and compassion.

During our walk, our pains and hardships were greatly alleviated by many warm-hearted people who gave us so much support and encouragement. Many passers-by saw the banner we were holding and gave us their best wishes. One gentleman invited us to spend the night in his house, although he had not heard of Falun Gong before he met us. Some people also offered to carry our baggage to the next stop, and gave us free food and water. The help and support we have received have been constantly strengthening our will and courage to carry on with this painstaking undertaking. Because what we represent are not just ourselves, not even just Falun Gong practitioners as a whole. By engaging ourselves in such a task for peace and justice, we represent all people in the world who still possess kind hearts and integrity, regardless of their age, gender or color.

Together, let's support the integrity and courage of the human race, let everyone of us offer a helping hand to those who cherish "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" as the most important thing in their lives, and those who risk their own lives for the freedom of us all.

Thank you!

Sincerely yours,

SOS UK Walkers

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