Germany: Memorial Activities Held in Regensburg to Honor the Falun Gong Practitioners Tortured to Death in China

Practitioners from Regensburg

(Clearwisdom.net) Regensburg Falun Gong practitioners honored all the persecuted and tortured practitioners in China with a special event on June 26, 2002. We used "International Day for Support of Victims of Torture" to inform the citizens of Regensburg of the plight of the practitioners in China.

Our information booth in the pedestrian zone was open from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. During the evening hours, from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. we held a candlelight vigil at the biggest square in Regensburg's Old Town.

The information booth location assigned to us was in a relatively quiet spot, but that Wednesday morning many people came to this area of town, which is a favorite thoroughfare during lunch hour for people working in the area.

We made a banner that read: "June 26, International Day against Torture -- in Memory of 1,600 Falun Gong practitioners in China who have died from torture." Next to it we displayed two poster boards with photographs of the torture victims. Several practitioners demonstrated the exercises, accompanied by the serene music of Pudu.

Many people accepted our materials and looked at the photographs--some stayed for a long time. A class of school children also arrived and sat in an outdoor caf?across the street from us. Again and again, several children would approach us, look at the photographs, observe the demonstration of the exercises and ask what the photos meant that showed group practice in China prior to the ban of Falun Gong. They returned repeatedly and always found new things to ask about and look at.

Several passers-by expressed their support. One woman encouraged us to continue with our efforts, because she thought it important to inform the public. Some signed the petition list.

One passer-by with his young daughter riding on his shoulders was especially interested and wanted to know details about the persecution and what Falun Gong is all about. I told him that it is based on the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. As soon as he had heard these words he said, "That's why the Chinese government persecutes it!" He had thereby answered his own and many people's most often asked question. He added that he regrets that economic considerations take priority over human rights issues. He knew, he said, because he works in the electronics industry.

Another man was so taken with the photos of the torture death victims that he immediately reached for some Falun Gong newspapers and distributed them to passers-by. Later on he returned and spent some time at our booth. He even offered to donate money. We thanked him but declined. He constantly wanted to do some good--he even brought us a huge box of refreshments from a local ice cream parlor.

Supported by some practitioners from Munich, we held our candlelight vigil during the evening. The local newspaper had published an announcement to that effect which read, "The Regensburg Falun Gong group is sponsoring a sit-in candlelight vigil today at Neupfarrplatz (name of a location) for the 1,600 peaceful Falun Gong followers in China who have been tortured to death for practicing their belief." (Middle-Bavarian News, June 26, 2002).

June 30, 2002

(From: http://www.clearharmony.net/de/articles/3929.html)

(Original text in German)

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