By Haizhou

(Clearwisdom.net) May 13 is World Falun Dafa Day. Falun Gong practitioners all over the world hold public celebrations in their local communities on this beautiful day . The area around the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, however, was heavily guarded, off-limits to the public and the atmosphere was different than usual. More than 20 Singapore policemen and plainclothes police patrolled the perimeter and occasionally questioned the passers-by.

Outside the Chinese Embassy there are several bus stops. On normal business days, Falun Gong practitioners are there to hand out truth-clarifying materials and talk to people about Falun Gong and the persecution. When a practitioner who often goes there arrived as usual, this practitioner was followed by the police and eventually was questioned. A policeman said, "Today is different. On normal days you can hand out materials here, but today, please hurry up and leave; tomorrow you can come as usual, but today you cannot." Another policeman said, "You are often handing out materials here. I've read your materials and know that you are persecuted in China. We are doing our job following regulations, though; you also know about the law here." Another policeman searched practitioners' bags. He explained that it was the Chinese Embassy who told them to do so, because the embassy feared that someone might come to "make trouble." Practitioners then asked what kind of matter would be regarded as "making trouble." The policeman evaded the question and refused to answer, and said that those were internal matters that could not be discussed.

The reasons for all this unnecessary security was because it was May 13, World Falun Dafa Day, which the CCP considers a so-called "sensitive date." In China, on these perceived sensitive dates, including "April 25", May 13, July 20 and other days, the police search and harass Falun Gong practitioners to varying degrees. Now, even in Singapore, these dates have become "sensitive," as the CCP fears Falun Gong to such an extent overseas.

It is very well known that on May 13, Falun Gong practitioners hold many activities all over the world, including grand parades. All these activities are peaceful and well organized. This is globally acknowledged. According to information known by this reporter, the Singapore Falun Dafa Association has applied to the police for permission to hold activities in front of the Chinese Embassy on May 13. The practitioners assured the authorities that less than 15 practitioners would be present and they would simply practice the exercises and display banners to quietly protest the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong. The purpose of these activities is to peacefully call for an end to the persecution. Such activities are common in other places around the world, but in Singapore it has never happened, and the application has always been refused.

The Falun Dafa Association held further discussions with the police. The practitioners were willing to adjust the number of participants, time, location and other requirements in order to meet with police regulations, but their offer was once again rejected. The reason the police gave for the rejection: "Those activities have the nature of a protest and would appear to create an atmosphere of excitement and disturbance, and would cause a problem with social order." They also said, "In order to maintain good public security for Singapore, the police usually do not approve such activities, even when the number of participants is less than five persons." The police said, "The celebration of Falun Dafa Day is allowed, but should be limited only to indoor activities."

The contact person for the Falun Dafa Association further explained to the police that all the practitioners' activities are peaceful and orderly, which is well known all around the world. They asked why the Singapore government would not give practitioners a chance. Was it because the CCP had given the police false information or did they have true misunderstandings about Falun Gong and therefore unnecessary fear? Or is it because there are other reasons? The practitioners hoped that the police would carefully read the truth-clarification materials that the practitioners had given them, and reconsider their application after learning the facts. The police said that these truth-clarification materials had nothing to do with their job and asked the practitioners to take them back.

The relevant department within the Singapore government refused all practitioners' applications to hand out truth-clarifying VCDs exposing the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong.

A practitioner explained how local practitioners have been clarifying the truth to the Singapore government and to the police for a long time and that they have spent much time and effort in this area. The practitioner further explained that recently, people around the world have been calling on the Singapore government to deal justly with the Falun Gong practitioners' case.

Nevertheless, when practitioners applied for approval for their activities, so far the Singapore police not only would not approve any permits, but also under the instigation of the Chinese Embassy, they dispatched more than 20 policemen around the Embassy to "investigate" Falun Gong practitioners. Considering the current global environment, where many countries are condemning the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, why are the Singapore authorities so determined to march along a dead end?

Posting date: 5/25/2005
Original article date: 5/24/2005
Category: Truth Clarification
Translated on 5/22/2005
Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/5/16/101938.html

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