(Clearwisdom.net) To let more people know about Jiang's group's
persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, especially teenagers and children, a
group of young people left Washington DC to embark on a 700-mile bicycle ride to
Chicago. After several weeks of intensive preparation, at noon on May 13, 2004,
the "Pedals of Peace Bike Ride" held a press conference near the U.S.
Capitol. Local residents, Falun Gong practitioners and students from several
nearby schools attended the press conference.
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Washington DC Senator Paul Strauss |
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Press conference before embarking |
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Ms. Terri Marsh, attorney for the lawsuit against Jiang |
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High school students Kitty Ellis and Guo Zhitong |
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Sisters Guo Zhitong and Guo Zhibei |
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The family of team leader Ni Hao |
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At 2:20 p.m., the riders left for Chicago under a police escort.
Pedals of Peace Wins Support from All Circles
A total of 10 young people between the ages of 10 and 20 are
participating in the bike ride. They are students from the 6th
grade through undergraduates in college, including brothers Liang
Youming and Liang Youqing, and sisters Guo Zhitong and Guo Zhibei. Their
participation has won the support and help of their parents, schools and
friends.
Ms. Yang, mother of the Liang brothers, said to a reporter, "Youming
is a pre-medical student in Boston and Youqing is a high school student.
I support their action. The persecution of Falun Gong in China also
persecutes countless teenagers and children, who should be able to live
without worry, and get care and education from their parents."
The team leader, Ni Hao, is a 15-year-old sophomore with an
outstanding academic record. After listening to his narration of the
reasons for the bike ride, the Vice Principal of his school said with
emotion, "Many young people today are thinking only about
themselves and earning money. Your activity is purely for the sake of
others." The school officials said that the school supported Ni
Hao's selfless action.
Kitty Ellis, a 15-year-old sophomore, is not a Falun Gong
practitioner. She said, "I'd like to do something meaningful for
others." Her parents support her decision to join the bike ride and
attended the press conference. Her mother said that her family knew
about the persecution of Falun Gong from truth-clarification material
and that Kitty wanted very much to participate in the bike ride with her
classmate Guo Zhitong.
Their selfless action won support from local government and
officials. Senator Paul Strauss from Washington DC gave a speech at the
press conference. He said that children in China do not have the chance
to do these kinds of activities, and that America's young people have
those rights and therefore can speak out for their counterparts in
China.
Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner sent a letter to encourage and
support the young people in their efforts to promote peace and human
rights around the world, and he wished them good luck and a smooth trip.
Falun Gong practitioners in Washington, DC and students in the local
Minghui School all support the bike ride. Two adult practitioners will
travel with them to help watch over the riders.
Voice from the Hearts of the Young People
These young people are participating in the bike ride not for fame
and self-interest, but to let more people know about the persecution in
China and to raise support from kind-hearted people, and ultimately to
help end the inhumane persecution.
Willem Zuur, a 19-year-old professional actor from New York, was
participating in the preparation of a new film called "Village."
He said that he began taking drugs at age 11 and dropped out of school
due to too much drug abuse. Falun Gong has changed his life. He stopped
taking drugs on the first day of practicing Falun Gong. He'd like to
help those children being persecuted in China and for this reason, he
also joined the bike ride.
Team leader Ni Hao said, "Children in China do not have freedom
of speech and belief. They are being persecuted but don't have a voice.
We need to let the whole world hear their voice and learn about their
plight."
Young Falun Gong practitioner Shanshan, a 12-year-old middle school
student, narrated many wonderful experiences from his practice of Falun
Gong in recent years. He said to a reporter about the reason for his
participation, "We Falun Gong practitioners are one body, a big
family. Arresting practitioners in China is just like arresting our
family members."
Wang Hao is a 19-year-old Yale University student from Boston,
studying International Economics. He said, "I always pay attention
to the persecution of students in China. Few people know their
suffering. Students are not allowed to go to school because of
practicing Falun Gong. Many are illegally detained, sentenced to jail
and tortured. Schools force students to speak lies, slander Falun Gong
in exam questions and force students to sign petitions against Falun
Gong. Many students wept at home after signing, as they did not want to
sign but would be dismissed from school if they didn't. Recently, I saw
news from a Hong Kong Human Rights Organization, reporting that 300
people have been dismissed from Qinghua University for practicing Falun
Gong. After seeing this, I decided to participate in the bike
ride."
The state-controlled media propaganda that continuously slanders and
discredits Falun Gong has affected countless young people. It was
reported that China recently initiated an anti-Falun Gong movement in
schools throughout the country, to infuse hatred in students and to harm
their minds.
There Are More Than 360 Million Minors Being Persecuted in China
Currently in China, over 360 million young people under age 18 are
being persecuted in various forms by Jiang and his followers. Among the
minors, some are persecuted for practicing Falun Gong themselves, some
are implicated because their parents practice Falun Gong, and many have
become orphans due to the persecution. Many more teenagers and children
are ordered to slander, curse and express hated towards Falun Gong in
class and on written exams.
The Young People Support the Lawsuit Against Jiang
The route of the bike ride is 700 miles in total and will pass
through Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. According
to the plan, they will arrive in Chicago on May 21. Coordinator Keith
Ware said, "Jiang is being sued in Chicago for torture, genocide
and crimes against humanity. The plaintiff attorney's statement is to be
given on May 27. We are going to Chicago to support the lawsuit and to
bring Jiang to justice."
The plaintiff's attorney for the lawsuit, Ms. Terri Marsh, attended
the press conference. She said that the lawsuit was about the
persecution of adults in China but that minors in China were also
persecuted. In the press conference, she indicated that she was
preparing a new criminal lawsuit against Jiang.
It was reported that besides the bike ride, there are separate car
rides traveling to Chicago from New York and California. For updated
information about the Pedals of Peace, please visit http://www.pedalsofpeace.org.
