Tue Jun 4, 3:32 AM ET
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Dressed in yellow vests, 30 Falun Gong [practitioners] handed out paper fans and hats to soccer spectators in a provincial city Tuesday, hours before China made its World Cup debut against Costa Rica.
South Korea had promised that it would block any anti-Chinese protests ahead of the match, which fell on the anniversary of the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing.
"We are here to welcome the Chinese and cheer for them," Kwon Hong-dae, [coordinator] of South Korea's Falun Gong [Association], said in a telephone interview. "We have never opposed China or condemned them."
Kwon said their vests were emblazoned with the slogan: "Victory! China."
"We also wanted to let the Chinese know that they can practice Falun Gong freely in South Korea," Kwon said.
Police did not intervene with the Falun Gong [practitioners'] campaign, he said.
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Falun Gong [practitioners] say they practice peaceful meditation movements that builds health and happiness. They say hundreds of followers have died as a result of police abuse and torture during the crackdown.
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020604/ap_wo_en_po/sports_soccer_wcup_falun_gong_1
Category: Falun Dafa in the Media
