Sydney: Falun Gong Activities to Commemorate Fifth Anniversary of 4-25 Appeal (Photos)

By a Falun Dafa Practitioners in Sydney

(Clearwisdom.net) A one-week-long series of activities were held in Australia to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the April 25 Appeal by Falun Gong practitioners. Starting from April 22, Falun Gong practitioners in Australia held exercise demo sessions, displayed photos, demonstrated torture methods and held press conferences to recount the historical April 25 Appeal and to expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China over the past four years. More than a thousand signatures have been collected in support of the global legal actions against Jiang for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Photo Exhibit on Sydney Municipal Square

Passersby Visit Photo Exhibit

Group Exercise in Hyde Park

Truth Clarification to Park Visitors

Truth Clarification in front to Chinese Embassy in Canberra

Demonstration of Torture Methods on Sydney Municipal Square

On April 22, more than one hundred Falun Gong practitioners participated in the Fa-promotion activity on Sydney Municipal Square. Twenty large display boards told the story of Falun Gong's wide spread around the world and facts about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. It was the first time that products made by slave labor in labor camps were displayed, including Zhenglin watermelon seeds, wool sweaters, plastic flowers, etc. Explanations in English were provided.

Falun Gong practitioners' group exercise to peaceful music fascinated many people, who received introduction materials and signed their names in support of Falun Gong. At night, a big banner reading "In Memory of Falun Gong Practitioners Who Died from Persecution" looked solemn in candlelights. A truth clarification video in Chinese with English subtitles was played on a big projector screen. Many people stopped to watch the video. This activity lasted four hours.

On April 24, a photo exhibit and an exercise demo were held in Hype Park, a scenic tourist spot in Sydney. Those practitioners who had experienced the appeal in person told people their experience while distributing flyers and collecting signatures. Ms. Liu Jinghang, former associate professor of Chinese Academy of Science who was involved in the April 25 Appeal, told her story, "Our appeal happened when there was absolutely no other way to solve the issue of Falun Gong practitioners being detained and beaten in Tianjin. Our input of opinion was ignored and didn't bring any result. We had to go tell the central government our opinion."

Another lady, Ms. Man said, "Those who live in Beijing know that you can walk by but cannot stop along red walls. That was why we stood across the street [from the red wall]. But before we knew it, we were led to stand along red walls. If the appeal office wasn't located in Zhongnanhai, but in Xidan or Dongdan instead, why would we have gone to Zhongnanhai?"

Commemorative activities were also held in Hurstville, Edgecliff and other cities where most Chinese Australians live.

On April 25, Falun Gong practitioners sent forth righteous thought in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. Some distributed flyers to tourists and told people about April 25 Appeal.

On April 29, Falun Gong practitioners demonstrated torture methods used in the persecution of Falun Gong in addition to their flyer distribution, signature collection and group exercise on Sydney Municipal Square. People were shocked to see the torture demos including hanging, confining in a cage and tiger bench. A passerby said, "Please give me a signature form. I will tell everyone what is happening in China."

An elderly couple had strong feelings about the torture methods. They had just come from China to Australia to visit their family. Mr. Chen said he had been in forced labor camp for two years for practicing Falun Gong. He almost died from the physical and mental tortures in the camp and had to be sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. He had to wear handcuffs and shackles even in the hospital. Under his strong protest, they took off his shackles. But he had to keep wearing handcuffs. He said, "The way they treat Falun Gong practitioners has gone too far. It is very inhuman. I told them that I would reason with Jiang if he was there. What is wrong with practicing Falun Gong to get good health and be a good person?"

Ms. Li Ying had been subjected to tortures when she was in China. She said, "What is demonstrated here is only a small fraction of the torture methods actually used. Many tortured methods that Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subjected to have never been known to the world. I was once handcuffed from the back and hung on a cell door for three days at a detention center. They wouldn't let me down even when I ate or needed to use the restroom..."

Rainstorm suddenly started pouring in the middle of the activity. People hurried to leave. However, under Falun Gong practitioners' righteous thought, it got better and better. More and more people began to stop to watch the video. To our happiness, some Chinese took the initiative to come ask us questions about the April 25 Appeal and to ask for truth clarification materials. It was a drastic change from previous years, when Chinese tried to avoid us.

 Yearly Archive   Printer Version