James Fish
The Epoch Times
Sep 23, 2004
Falun Gong practitioners hold a press
conference and rally in front of the U.N. building. (Epoch Times)
|
Falun Gong practitioners hold a press conference and rally in front of the
U.N. building. (Epoch Times)
NEW YORK - More than 1000 Falun Gong practitioners from across the nation and
as far away as Taiwan and Australia assembled in front of United Nations
headquarters in New York City to call for an end to the persecution of Falun
Gong in China.
As heads of state from around the world gathered for the 59th Annual General
Assembly debate, Falun Gong practitioners also gathered to raise awareness of
the five-year long crackdown on Falun Gong in China, which has seen hundreds of
thousands of Chinese practitioners arrested, incarcerated in slave labor camps,
and tortured; many have been tortured to death. Because of the Chinese
government's stranglehold on Chinese media, and its enormous influence on
Western media covering China, many people still do not know Falun Gong is or
what is happening in China.
Falun Gong is a meditation and exercise practice based on the principles of
Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. When a 1999 government survey revealed that
70-100 million Chinese were practicing, far outnumbering Communist Party
membership, then-dictator Jiang Zemin, acting against the advice of many in
government, ordered a nationwide crackdown aimed at eradicating Falun Gong in
China, coupled with a worldwide propaganda effort aimed at vilifying Falun Gong
in order to justify the increasing violence of the persecution.
| |
(Epoch Times) |
The Falun Gong practitioners displayed banners and posters calling for an end
to the persecution and displaying some of the torture methods used on
practitioners in China, as well as photos of practitioners who had been tortured
and murdered. Practitioners also demonstrated the exercises and sat peacefully
in meditation.
The rally began with a press conference featuring many practitioners who have
directly experienced the persecution in China.
Jane Dai and Fadu |
One such speaker was Jane Dai, whose husband was murdered by the Chinese
government because he wrote a letter asking the government to reconsider its
decision to outlaw Falun Gong. Mrs. Dai and her infant daughter Fadu fled to
Australia, and now travel the world telling their story in an effort to prevent
more loss of life.
Also speaking was Amy Lee. Ms. Lee was arrested, tortured and forced into
slave labor in a Chinese prison for practicing Falun Gong. Her husband was
forced to divorce her, and after she was released from prison, she was forced to
flee the country, leaving behind her ex-husband and young daughter, to avoid
re-arrest and possible death from torture.
| |
Yeong Ching Foo (Epoch Times) |
Also present was Yeong Ching Foo, fiancée of American Dr. Charles Lee. Dr.
Lee has been in prison in China since January 22, 2003, because of his practice
of Falun Gong. Dr. Lee was arrested as soon as he set foot on the ground in
Guangzhou airport in China, and has been abused, force-fed, and subjected
brainwashing while in detention. He is currently in a slave labor camp in
central China.
Dr. Charles Lee |
After the press conference, practitioners formed the "Great Wall of Courage"
in tribute the practitioners in China who refuse to renounce the practice and
its values despite duress. Stretching all the way to 58th street, the line of
practitioners in their trademark yellow t-shirts formed a colorful contrast to
the grim tale told by the pictures they carried, depicting scenes of the
persecution.
In the afternoon, practitioners set up several Anti-torture Exhibits
throughout the downtown area. The tableaux graphically depict the various abuses
used against practitioners in China. Meanwhile, practitioners distributed
information and answered the many questions of the curious passersby, and also
demonstrated the five Falun Gong exercises.
The Falun Gong practitioners have displays and other events planned for the
rest of the week throughout the downtown area.
Source: http://english.epochtimes.com/news/4-9-23/23404.html
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