News and Events from around the World -- May 18, 2006

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content



  • New Zealand: "Clarifying the Truth Photo Exhibition" Held in More Than 60 Cities in New Zealand

  • Canada: Practitioners in Calgary Clarify the Truth of Falun Gong via Photo Exhibition

  • Canada: Member of Parliament Supports Falun Gong and Condemns the CCP's Organ Harvesting from Living Practitioners

  • Austrian Federal Minister Asked to Raise Organ Harvesting Issues with her Chinese Counterpart



  • New Zealand: "Clarifying the Truth Photo Exhibition" Held in More Than 60 Cities in New Zealand

    Since last year, the "Clarifying the Truth Photo Exhibition" has been held all around the world. New Zealand is one of the countries which first started this project. The exhibition has been held in different cities in New Zealand for two years. It spreads the information of Falun Dafa to the kind New Zealand people in the form of photos.

    Many practitioners have contributed to the exhibition. Some of them did the technical work, some provided the details about the art work, some supported the exhibition financially, and some provided the transportation. With practitioners' help, a few practitioners transported the photos in a van from city to city. They even crossed the ocean channel and transported the photos from the northern island to the southern island. The exhibition has been held in more than 60 cities. It was even held in the most southern residential area in the world.


    People come to the exhibition on May 13, 2006

    Many people were shocked by the persecution. Some of them were indignant and some cried. Some people touched the Falun Gong orphans' faces in the photos and asked how to adopt them. People were influenced by the righteous energy field of the exhibition and amazed by the beautiful photos of NTDTV's Chinese New Year Gala. Some government officers said, "The exhibition is an educational display, which brings rich information to citizens. People can benefit from it."

    The Prime Minister of New Zealand and many government officers came to the exhibition and greeted Falun Gong practitioners.

    At the beginning, many Chinese people passed by the exhibition quickly and did not want to pay attention to it. Gradually, they started paying attention and stopped to look at the photos. Some Chinese even asked practitioners for the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. They started to talk to practitioners and encourage their friends to come to the exhibition. Also, more and more people, who believe in other religions, came to the exhibition. They wanted to know more about Falun Gong. They encouraged and supported practitioners to rescue Falun Gong orphans in China. They also supported the withdrawals from the CCP. People condemned the CCP harvesting organs from live Falun Gong practitioners. Many people thanked practitioners for bringing the information of Falun Gong to them.

    The information derived from photos is more direct and richer than text. It doesn't have the limits of culture or location. Photo exhibitions are an efficient way to clarify the truth and to save people. From them, people can learn the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance"--the information that practitioners want to bring to them.

    Practitioners plan to hold the photo exhibition in more cities in New Zealand.


    Canada: Practitioners in Calgary Clarify the Truth of Falun Gong via Photo Exhibition

    May 13, 2006 is World Falun Dafa Day. Practitioners from Calgary held the celebrating activities in Prince Island Park, which is at the center of the city. In order to let more people learn the truth about Falun Gong, practitioners also held a photo exhibition.

    Spring comes to Calgary in May. The flowers are blossoming and grass is turning green. A big banner reading, "5.13 World Falun Dafa Day" was hung up in Prince Island Park. Rows of photos, which document the journey of Falun Dafa spreading all over the world, were displayed in the park. Practitioners did five sets of exercises to the peaceful music.


    People learn the truth about Falun Gong from the photo exhibition

    Practitioners gave the children colorful balloons, on which "Falun Dafa is Good" was printed. The paper lotus flowers were very popular. People said, "They are really beautiful."

    One lady listened to the music composed by practitioners for long time. She said, "This music is really beautiful. It is the music that I have been looking for in my dreams... peaceful and pure."

    Since 1992, Falun Gong has spread in China. In 14 years, it spread into almost 80 countries. Zhuan Falun has been translated into more than 20 languages. More than 100 million people practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong has been rewarded by many governments and organizations, which helped bring the traditional Chinese culture to the world. The CCP's persecution didn't eliminate Falun Gong, but actually helped to introduce it to the world. What has convinced people of the power of Falun Gong?

    Mrs. Zhuo, 61, had a neck injury which caused extreme pain in her neck and head. A large tumor on her neck could be easily detected before. She also had kidney disease so that she had pain in the lower back no matter whether she was sitting or lying down. She previously could not live without medicine. Two years ago she came to Calgary and her daughter introduced Falun Gong to her. A few months later, the pains in her neck, head and lower back were gone. One day, she touched her neck and found that the tumor had disappeared. Now, she does the exercises every morning for one hour and she no longer needs any medicine.

    Mr. Wang is 66 years old. When he was in China, he smoked two packs of cigarettes and drank 150 grams of alcohol every day. He started practicing Falun Gong after he came to Calgary. Six months later, he quit smoking and drinking. His blood pressure returned to normal. He feels happy every day, and people cannot tell that he is 66 years old.

    Michael, a junior art-majored college student, has practiced Falun Gong for three years. He said that the biggest change happened to his family after he started practicing. There were previously lots of fights in his family. But since he disciplines himself with the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" and tried to consider others first, his family life has become more and more peaceful. He now feels like he is living in a real family.

    Daniel has practiced Falun Gong for five years. He started practicing because of a flyer he received from an older man on the bus. In February 2002, Daniel went to China to peacefully appeal for Falun Gong and call for the end of persecution on Tiananmen Square with other western Falun Gong practitioners. He was beaten by Chinese policemen. He said, "That was an unforgettable experience. I, myself, experienced the CCP's brutality."

    Mr. Chen came to Canada two weeks ago from Guangzhou. This was his first time to attend the celebration of World Falun Dafa Day. He said, "In the persecution, practitioners in China cannot have any public activities. But in the free environment in Canada, I can freely do the exercises in the parks with other practitioners, and there are so many Canadians who want to learn Falun Gong. This is a really good feeling."



    Canada: Member of Parliament Supports Falun Gong and Condemns the CCP's Organ Harvesting from Living Practitioners

    In early April 2006, Member of Parliament from Bloc Quebecois, Maria Mourani wrote to Canadian Falun Gong practitioners expressing support concerning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. She promised to try her best to urge the Prime Minister to conduct an international investigation. On April 3, 2006, PM Mourani's assistant read the letter in front of Parliament Hill where Falun Gong practitioners held a rally.


    Maria Mourani, MP from Bloc Quebecois

    On April 3, Ms. Mourani's assistant read her letter of support in front of Parliament Hill

    Ms. Mourani expressed her full support for freedom of speech. She said in the letter, "It is unacceptable that a government would permit the torture and oppression of a group of people. The Bloc Quebecois is always opposed to this kind of practice and has already made numerous statements on this subject through the extraordinary work of our representative Madame Francine Lalonde.

    "We are opposed to the deportation of people to places where they are susceptible to face torture, degrading treatment, persecution, or if their life or their physical integrity is threatened. We take this stand on the issue of Falun Gong."

    "I will do anything to urge Mr. Harper to demand an international investigation by the United Nations in order to bring to light all of the information you have made me aware of: Imprisonment in concentration camps, persecution, and execution of Falun Gong practitioners by the communist regime in order to harvest vital organs and tissues for sale."


    Austrian Federal Minister Asked to Raise Organ Harvesting Issues with her Chinese Counterpart

    Maria Rauch-Kallat, Federal Minister for Health and Women in Austria, was asked to address human rights violations in China - especially concerning organ harvesting in Chinese slave labor camps, as reported on APA OTS (an Austrian website).

    "Reliable sources report of secret Chinese death camps, where thousands of so-called 'enemies' of the Chinese Communist regime, such as Falun Gong practitioners, are being held for one reason only: to steal their organs for the international organ trade supply. The most dramatic happening in this is that the organs are taken from live and healthy people," alleged the health official of the Grünen [Greens], Kurt Grünewald.

    The Chinese Ministry of Health has decreed that from July 1, 2006, such practice may become illegal up to a point. However the greatest concern is that the Chinese regime will destroy all evidence before July 1 when this decree takes effect. "Given that concern, organ transplants have increased dramatically in China during the past weeks. Included in the above is that Chinese psychiatric clinics are also being used to re-educate so-called 'enemies of the State,'" said Grünewald.

    During the present meeting of European Union (EU) Ministers of Health in Vienna, the Chinese Minister of Health was also present. Therefore, Grünewald requested that Rauch-Kallat address human rights violations with her Chinese counter part. "We ask Minister Rauch-Kallat, and the media coalition, not-for-profit organizations and lawyers, who are interested in finding out the truth, to support this effort. Human lives will be saved the faster an investigation is ordered," said Grünewald.