Central News Agency: Falun Gong Protests China's Suppression of Human Rights In Advance of President Hu Jintao's Visit to France

Central News Agency (translated from a report in Chinese) Paris, January 20, 2004.

After their application to attend the Chinese New Year's parade on Avenue Champs- Elys¨¦es was denied, the French Falun Dafa Association held a press conference in Paris today. A representative stated that since Falun Gong is a legitimate association in France and the Chinese New Year's parade is a cultural event, the Chinese government should not be allowed to utilize its power to suppress Falun Gong activities. Falun Gong plans to have a parade in downtown Paris on the 23^rd, followed by a candlelight gathering under the Eiffel Tower, to raise public awareness of human rights violations in China.

Paris' city government is going to hold parade on the Champs-Elys¨¦es this Saturday, the third day of the Chinese new year. Since the French government has chosen to celebrate Chinese culture this year, the Beijing City Government was invited to co-organize the parade activities. Red and yellow flags, signifying a holiday celebration atmosphere have been hanging along the Avenue Champs- Elys¨¦es.

Falun Gong practitioners stated that they applied to the Paris City Government to participate in the Chinese New Year parade, but their application was denied. Despite their continuous appeal, they have not yet received an answer. Falun Gong has decided to hold a parade celebrating Chinese culture in downtown Paris one day before the Champs-Elys¨¦es parade. That evening, Falun Gong practitioners will hold an exercise demonstration at the Eiffel Tower, destination of the parade. This will be followed by a candlelight vigil for practitioners who are being persecuted in China, and at the same time tell people of the continued suppression of Falun Gong by the Chinese government.

Falun Gong practitioners stated that Falun Gong is a form of cultivation practice, yet the Chinese government labels it as an undesirable group and has banned their gatherings. The government's pressure has extended overseas, as they use the Chinese embassies to suppress Falun Gong activities outside China.

Falun Gong practitioners emphasized that Falun Gong is not against the Chinese government. What they oppose is the defamation of Falun Gong by Communist Party's former president Jiang Zemin. They hope the Chinese government will respect human rights and give Falun Gong freedom to grow and hold activities.

When being asked whether they plan to hold protest activities during Chinese president Hu Jintao's visit to France next week, the Falun Gong practitioners did not answer directly. They only said that they hope Hu Jintao can get Falun Gong's message.

With less than a week from Hu Jintao's visit to France, posters in Chinese and French saying "Happy Spring Festival" have been set up all around downtown Paris. The background illustrations of these posters show the Eiffel Tower. It is the fist Chinese New Year parade to be held along the Champs-Elys¨¦es. One would expect it to be spectacular. Opposite the Eiffel Tower, Falun Gong practitioners will gather to protest the Chinese government's continued dismissal of human rights.

January 21, 2004

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/1/21/65436.html

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