500 Falun Gong Gather at Olympic Games To Raise Awareness of Torture and Deaths in China

Falun Gong representative Sherry Zhang, who is helping coordinate the activities in Salt Lake City, stressed that Falun Gong's activities are not a protest, and are simply to engender greater understanding of Falun Gong and the tragic persecution of its practitioners by the Chinese government.

"We are definitely not here to protest any events at the Olympic Games, nor China's participation in the Games," said Zhang. "We simply want to give the international community an opportunity to better understand the practice of Falun Gong, its history, and the severe persecution that practitioners currently face in China at the hands of the government."

"The Olympic Charter describes these Games as an opportunity to 'promote peace' and express respect for 'universal fundamental ethical principles'," explained Zhang. "We believe these principles must include the right for human beings to think, speak, and practice their spiritual beliefs without fear of persecution from their own government."

Falun Gong is a peaceful, ancient practice for mind and body that became known to the public in China in 1992. Today Falun Gong is freely practiced by tens of millions of people in over 50 countries, but remains the target of a vicious and deadly campaign of propaganda and violence at the hands of the Chinese government.