By Xin Yu and Wen Yun, Minghui/Clearwisdom reporters in Sydney

(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of April 24, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners in Sydney gathered in the rain in front of the Chinese Embassy to hold a candlelight vigil in memory of the "April 25 Appeal" in Beijing eight years ago. They also protested against the cruel persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and strongly condemned and called for the end of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

Falun Gong practitioners commemorate the "April 25 Appeal" in the rain in front of the Chinese Embassy

Forty-five Falun Gong practitioners in Tianjin were illegally arrested eight years ago. More than ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners went to appeal for them peacefully at the State Council Appeals Office near the Zhongnanhai Compound (the central government compound). The Prime Minister met with their representatives and resolved the problem to everyone's satisfaction. However, Jiang Zemin's regime broke their promise of freedom to exercise and launched a violent persecution of the innocent Falun Gong practitioners three months later. Since then, practitioners have persisted in their peaceful truth-clarification and anti-persecution activities.

A Falun Gong practitioner's family of three generations: Ms. Tao Yuefang, her son Li Yuanhua and her grandson Li Bingran

Ms. Tao Yuefang and her son Li Yuanhua participated in the April 25 appeal eight years ago. Ms. Tao said, "On hearing that the police had arrested and beaten Falun Gong practitioners in Tianjin, my husband, my son, my sister and I decided to go to the National Appeal Office next to the Zhongnanhai Compound to tell the government what Falun Gong was. We headed for the Appeal Office but the police seemed to intentionally lead us to stand around Zhongnanhai, which was across the street. The police were nervous at first, but relaxed after seeing us so peaceful and quiet. Falun Gong practitioners left a path for passersby. The policemen started smoking and chatting. After government officials met with Falun Gong practitioners' representatives and got the problem resolved, we went home."

Mr. Li said, "I had been practicing Falun Gong for four years by 1999. I was most impressed with Falun Gong practitioners' self-discipline that day. They stood on the pavement along one side of the street and left the other side for passersby. Not a single traffic jam happened. No trash was left on the ground. Only the most self-disciplined people could do that. That is what the CCP was most jealous of." Li Yuanhua was a professor of history and was illegally arrested twice when he was in China. One of his fellow practitioners was sent to forced labor camp in 2006. Because of the persecution, he had to give up his great job in China and pursued his freedom in Australia.

Ms. Tao said the shocking crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners was exposed last year. She said that the persecution must stop. Ms. Tao and her family all practice Falun Gong. She and her two sisters have been detained for practicing Falun Gong. Her sister Tao Yuefen was thrown into forced labor camp for one and a half years. Her youngest sister Tao Yuelan was missing since 2002. More than one year later, they learned that she had been sentenced to eight years in prison. Ms. Tao was very worried about her sister on hearing of the organ harvesting crimes. She hoped to rescue her sister.

Ms. Liu Jinghang and her husband

Former researcher of Chinese Academy of Science Ms. Liu Jinghang said, "The National Appeal Office is very close to the Zhongnanhai Compound. It is a very sensitive location. To safeguard Falun Dafa's reputation and to rescue their fellow practitioners in Tianjin, Falun Gong practitioners went to the National Appeal Office without previous arrangement. We arrived at the Appeal Office at 7:30 a.m. and were surprised that so many people were already there. Some of them had arrived the night before.

"The police led us south. Another group of us was led to head north. We met at the middle point (on the other side of Zhongnanhai). Initially, there was nobody around Zhongnanhai. Now it was surrounded by the people who went to appeal. When I recalled what happened that day, I realized it was a trap to frame Falun Gong. It was because the police led us that way that there was a so-called 'siege.' I saw it with my own eyes. I know the CCP told a lie."

Former employee of the Summer Palace Mr. Wang Fengzhang

Mr. Wang Fengzhang is a former employee of the Summer Palace. He said, "My daughter-in-law worked at the Headquarter of the Armed Police at that time. She said the policemen who returned from the appeal site had said there were around eighty thousand people, including passersby. Work units were asked to look for the people from their own work unit. Some who went to look for their colleagues ended up joining the sit-in. The armed police sang high praise for this group of people because of their self-discipline. The armed police thought the incident shouldn't be treated as an issue."

Australian citizen Mr. Chi Jin said, "I went all the way to the Beijing Appeal Office to say a fair word for Falun Gong on April 25, 2000. I was seized and detained for more than thirty hours. Because I am an Australian citizen, I was deported. I think the 'April 25 Appeal' broke the ground of peaceful resistance to violence in Chinese history. The people used to react to rulers with violence in Chinese history. However, Falun Gong has been peacefully and rationally protesting against the persecution from the first day. Falun Gong practitioners' peacefulness, rationality and persistence over the past eight years have made people realize the evil nature of the CCP and made twenty million people break away from the CCP."

Falun Dafa Association spokesperson John Deller is a native-born Australian. He said he started practicing Falun Gong not long before the April 25 Appeal took place. He felt that the Chinese Falun Gong practitioners were safeguarding their freedom of faith. It was a day worth commemorating. He went to the Chinese Embassy with sadness and admiration for the Chinese Falun Gong practitioners, and staged a peaceful protest against the cruel persecution on behalf of those under persecution. Mr. Deller wished that more people would know about the persecution and see the unselfishness of Falun Gong practitioners, who have shown great compassion and great tolerance. The persecution fully reflected the evil nature of the CCP when it attempted to eliminate a group of people who follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. It was a battle between righteousness and evil. It was also a test for Australia and the whole world, to see if they would choose silence for the sake of their self-interest or uphold justice and conscience.

The peacefulness and rationality shown by Falun Gong practitioners at the April 25 Appeal has proved the value of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance and established a role model for the Chinese. As a landmark incident, it bears far-reaching influence and unique significance in its contribution to the social development of China and the human spirit.

Posting date: 4/29/2007
Original article date: 4/29/2007
Category: Falun Dafa Worldwide
Translated on 4/27/2007
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/4/27/153646.html

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