By a practitioner from Indonesia
(Clearwisdom.net) On May 2, 2007, the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) and
Falun Gong practitioners from Surabaya, Indonesia held a press conference at LBH
and published an announcement, in which they expressed their regret regarding
the Surabay City Government canceling Falun Gong practitioners' performances at
the city celebration activity and the police department's detention of Falun
Gong practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners pointed out that the CCP has been
interfering with Falun Gong practitioners' activities all over the world, but
practitioners will not be moved by it. Falun Gong practitioners will keep
clarifying the facts of Falun Gong and taking appropriate actions to stop the
persecution. Several media came to the press conference. After the press
conference, the officials from Surabaya city government contacted LBH and
promised that such an incident (interfering with Falun Gong practitioners'
activities) would not occur again. The press conference Invited by the city government, Falun Gong practitioners were supposed to
perform at the celebration for the 714th anniversary of
Surabaya City. Falun Gong practitioners were invited by the city government
twice in last two years and their performances were highly praised. However, the
city government canceled practitioners' performances on April 7. The reason that
the city government gave was because Falun Gong practitioners' entry includes
the Divine Land Marching Band from Taiwan. But later, the city government
admitted that the real reason was that a "certain country" doesn't
want Falun Gong practitioners to attend the celebration. 170 Falun Gong practitioners in the Divine Land Marching Band had already
booked airplane tickets and hotel rooms, but due to the short notice, they could
not cancel them. At the celebration, one practitioner was taken away by the
police and interrogated for two hours. The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) expressed their regret at this incident. LBH
expressed that city government's action was not proper. In the announcement, the LBH and Falun Gong practitioners pointed out that it
is a citizen's right to peaceably assemble, which is protected by the laws in
Indonesia. Canceling Falun Gong practitioners' activity due to a certain
country's pressure shows that the Indonesian government put international
relations at a higher priority than human rights. In the announcement, the LBH and practitioners required the government to
give a clear explanation of the incident. At the press conference, one reporter asked if a "certain country"
refers to the CCP's regime. Practitioners pointed out that the CCP has been
trying to interfere with Falun Gong practitioners all over the world and in
China it is still persecuting practitioners. Practitioners will keep clarifying
the facts of the persecution and calling for the end of it.
Posting date: 5/9/2007
Original article date: 5/8/2007
Category: Falun Dafa Worldwide
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/5/7/154267.html