France: Celebrating World Falun Dafa Day under the Eiffel Tower (Photos)

May 24, 2013 | By French Falun Gong practitioners

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners in France gathered on May 12, 2013, at the Human Rights Plaza (parvis des droits del’homme) in Paris to celebrate the 14 ^th World Falun Dafa Day and the 21^st anniversary of Falun Dafa’s dissemination to the world. Their lively dance and music performances and demonstration of Falun Gong exercises drew a large crowd of spectators.

May 13 this year is the 14^th World Falun Dafa Day. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, was made public in China by Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992.

Falun Gong practitioners in France held a variety of activities at Paris’s Human Rights Plaza to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day as well as Mr. Li Hongzhi’s 62^nd birthday.

Falun Gong practitioners respectfully wish Master a happy birthday!

Falun Gong exercises demonstration

Tourists learn about Falun Gong

Tourists viewing the display boards

Grateful to Master

Ms. Li from northern China has practiced Falun Gong for over ten years. She said: “Today I’ve come to join the activities celebrating World Falun Dafa Day. I want to express my greatest gratitude to our Master for his compassion.” Her husband has also started to practice Falun Gong after seeing the positive changes in her. Ms. Li hopes more people can benefit from Falun Dafa like her family has.

Christina, a practitioner from France, learned Falun Gong two years ago. With her face glowing with health and happiness, she talked to tourists about Falun Gong and about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. She said: “Today is Falun Dafa Day. We are here to celebrate, but also try to let more people know about Falun Gong.” Before practicing Falun Gong, Christina had tried many ways to uplift her spirit. Finally, she found Falun Gong. She said sincerely that since then her mental and physical status has reached the best condition and no words can describe the benefits Falun Dafa has brought her. “I can feel that I am very vibrant, joyful and calm.”

Mr. Henri Huilin is originally from Chile. On this day, he came with his wife, who just started to practice Falun Gong, to attend the celebration. Mr. Huilin has practiced Falun Gong for thirteen years. Thirteen years ago, he saw Falun Gong practitioners at this very plaza and decided to take up the practice. He said: “To me, Falun Dafa is a revelation and a discovery. It has helped me to rebuild a new life.”

Mr. Huilin said emotionally: “When I just started practicing Falun Gong thirteen years ago, Falun Gong was only practiced in over twenty nations. Today it has spread to over 100 countries and regions. Falun Gong has really spread all around the world. The founder of Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Hongzhi, has made public this cultivation way that is suitable for people to follow in a modern lifestyle. Everyone can practice Falun Gong. Practitioners want to improve themselves from the bottom of their hearts. It benefits the whole of mankind, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background. I am truly happy to see the wide spreading of Falun Dafa.”

Practicing Freely in France, Standing Up for Freedom in China

Ms. Zhang Chunfang is a Falun Gong practitioner from China. In China she had suffered from harassment and mental persecution by the Chinese Communist regime on many occasions. She has since immigrated to France three years ago. She shared her story: “I suffered from bacteremia and the hospital said I would die very soon. I also started to arrange my own funeral. Unexpectedly I completely recovered after taking up Falun Gong, without using any medicine. When I talk to people under the Eiffel Tower about Falun Gong, I often tell the Chinese tourists of my own personal experience and hope they can benefit from it like I have.”

“This is the third time I have joined the Falun Dafa Day celebrations since I came to France. I remember I couldn’t help crying the first time,” Ms. Zhang said, “It had been a long time that I hadn’t been able to freely practice Falun Gong outside with fellow practitioners. It’s so joyous that I can now, and the feeling is really great.”

Ms. Zhang continued: “Chinese people only want to have this little bit of basic freedom to practice the exercises. The Chinese communist regime doesn’t even allow this because it’s terrified by Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. This is because the Chinese regime promotes falsehood, evilness and violence. If more people act according to: Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance, it would be beneficial to both one’s family life as well as to the whole society.”

French Tourist: I want to learn Falun Gong

Marie Lepommelec is a medical worker. She was immediately attracted when she saw the Falun Gong exercise demonstration. With her experience in the medical industry she immediately realized the positive effects Falun Gong has in healing and fitness. “These are movements that can make the body very relaxed. As far as French people are concerned, we need it. I just obtained some materials that have information about the Falun Gong exercise site near my home. I will call them to learn more about it.”

Over two dozen tourists from mainland China came to the square to take photos. They then encountered the Falun Dafa Day activities. The banner: “Celebrating World Falun Dafa Day” attracted their attention. They came closer to see the Falun Gong exercise demonstration, as well as practitioners performing. They also read the display boards. Many of them took pictures of Falun Gong practitioners’ celebration of Falun Dafa Day in Paris.

After listening to Falun Gong practitioners talk about Falun Gong, a Chinese couple visiting as tourists, agreed to withdraw their Chinese Communist Party membership and thanked practitioners for helping them learn the truth about Falun Gong.

Falun Dafa Around the World

Since May 13, 2000, each year Falun Gong practitioners in France have celebrated the spread of Falun Dafa around the world at Paris’s Human Rights Plaza that symbolizes “human rights, freedom and equality.” As a result, countless numbers of tourists from China and other nations have learned about Falun Gong and expressed their support for Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful and rational efforts to stop the persecution. More and more Chinese tourists have walked out from the shadow of terror imposed by the Chinese Communist regime and learned the truth at Paris’s Human Rights Plaza. Many people have since even taken up the practice of Falun Gong.

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Dafa Day Celebrations

Beijing Practitioner Ms. Long Haifeng and Her Husband Arrested

May 24, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent from Beijing City, China

(Minghui.org) On April 25, 2013, police officers from Xingucheng Police Station arrested Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Long Haifeng and her husband Wang Jingang (a non-practitioner) from Shijingshan District, Beijing. They are currently being held at the Shijingshan Police Sub-Bureau. At first, the police promised their family that they would be released within 24 hours; then they changed it to 48 hours. When the family asked the reason for this extension, they said they needed more time to carry out the investigation.

Then on April 26, without any notice to their family members, Ms. Long Haifeng and her husband were transferred to the detention center. On April 27, family members went to the police sub-Bureau to demand arrest warrants. One police officer by the last name of Niu issued arrest warrants for both of them.

Ms. Long Haifeng, who is 48 years old, used to have serious asthma. Many years of treatment brought no relief; her situation only got worse. After she began to practice Falun Gong, her life changed completely. She became healthy, she was more cheerful, and her work went more smoothly. Ms. Long truly felt that she was the happiest person in the world, and all her happiness was thanks to Dafa and Teacher. She treasures this cultivation opportunity very much, holds herself to the standards of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, conducts herself well in all circumstances and follows the teachings.

When her husband saw the changes in Ms. Long, he was very happy for her and felt very grateful to Dafa. Influenced by his mother, their son often does good deeds and is a good kid as well.

However, since the persecution began, their lives have turned upside down. People from the Party’s police arrested the couple and even claimed Wang Jingang was a practitioner in order to detain him. As a result of the persecution, Ms. Long Haifeng’s mother often cries, her son is at a loss over what to do, and her family members are deeply stressed.

Xingucheng Police Station in Shijingshan District:Head of the Police Station, Li QiangSecretary of the Political Committee, Bai JingjunDeputy Head of the Police Station, Zhang DeqiSecretary of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Committee of Shijingshan District Police Sub-Bureau, Vice-President of the Police Sub-Bureau: Chen QiangThe Detention Center of Shijingshan Police Sub-Bureau:Person in charge, Liu: +86-13901395723 (Cell)

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Accounts of Persecution

Innocent Practitioner Sentenced to 7 Years, Fellow Villagers Condemn the CCP

May 24, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent from Hubei Province, China

(Minghui.org) Mr. Zhang Xinzi, a Falun Gong practitioner from Xishui County, Hubei Province, was sentenced to one year of forced labor in 2010. One year later, he was sentenced to seven years in prison. During the interrogation, he was beaten so severely he almost went blind. His elderly 95-year-old mother could not stop crying. Guo Jianli, the police officer from Xishui Police Department who arrested Mr. Zhang, shouted: “I don’t want anyone to raise his children, and I don’t want anyone to comfort his mother when she’s dying. Let his family be broken and every one of them die!”

Mr. Zhang Xinzi is well known in his village for his kind heart. Many villagers from Yangci Village of Wanggang County were very angry about what happened to Mr. Zhang and said that such a good person was arrested and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is going to collapse. Mr. Zhang’s neighbors sighed, “We all went to ask Zhang Xinzi for help when we met with any difficulties in the past. The regime is so bad. They arrested such a good person.”

On June 29, 2011, Mr. Zhang was arrested by Xishui County Political and Judiciary Committee and the 610 Office. He was detained at the No.1 Detention Center and the forced labor camp for one year. He was later sentenced to seven years. The Xishui County Court worked hand in glove with the County Political and Judiciary Committee.

Suffering for 30 Years Until Practicing Dafa

Mr. Zhang Xinzi was born in 1965. His father passed away when he was only 3. It was very difficult for his mother to raise him alone. She was over 40 when Mr. Zhang was born, and she had already given birth to 7 girls. She had to send some of his sisters to other people to raise because she was too poor to raise all of them.

Since he was a child, Mr. Zhang had poor health. Suffering from many diseases, he had to keep taking medicines for years. After he got married, he took up the bad habits of gambling and smoking. He owed a lot of gambling debts, and in addition, his family was very poor. Under the financial stress, he and his wife fought constantly. They were at the point of getting a divorce several times. Their two daughters were so scared that they frequently hid behind the grandmother and cried. Their family was on the edge of collapse – emotionally and financially.

In 1996, Falun Dafa was introduced to their village in Xishui County, and Mr. Zhang started his cultivation journey. Not long after he obtained Dafa, all the diseases he had suffered from for years were gone and he stopped gambling and smoking.

Because his body became stronger after he practiced Falun Dafa, not only could he take care of the elderly and young in his family, he also helped fellow villagers. Their life was getting better, and the family’s debts were almost paid off. Everyone in the family was happy.

The huge changes that Mr. Zhang experienced in his health and life were brought by Dafa. Fellow villagers witnessed the wonderfulness of Dafa through Mr. Zhang. Over 70% of the people in Yangci Village were practicing Falun Dafa before the CCP launched the persecution in July, 1999.

A Well-known, Kind Person

Mr. Zhang Xinzi has done countless good deeds since he began practicing Falun Gong. In the second year after he started the practice, once he sold his grains to a retailer, but when he came back home he realized that he had been overpaid 5000 yuan. With those 5000 yuan, he could have replaced his old house with a brand new one. But he immediately returned the money to the retailer, who was very grateful. That retailer was actually a very overbearing person in the village, but he saw the greatness of Falun Gong from this incident.

Mr. Zhang has been doing business in agricultural transportation and purchasing for a long time. Because he was honest, he established a very good reputation. Some of his customers are from far away villages. Most of them came to Mr. Zhang because of his reputation for kindness and honesty. Many people know that Mr. Zhang practices Falun Gong, and say that they trust Mr. Zhang and trust Falun Gong.

Once, an elderly villager borrowed almost 1000 yuan from Mr. Zhang but didn’t have an IOU letter. Later, the villager suddenly passed away. The man’s son knew about the borrowed money, but he refused to return it using the excuse that there was no IOU. Mr. Zhang smiled and said, “That’s OK. His life wasn’t easy. That money was a kind thing I did for him.”

There was a small bridge at the intersection to their village. Because the road conditions were not good and there was no railing on the bridge, many accidents took place at this intersection. Mr. Zhang lived very close, so every time when there was an accident, the nearby villagers went to ask him for help. For those who had minor injuries, he took them to his home and looked after them. But a few times, people were severely injured and no police came to help. Mr. Zhang took them to hospital on his tricycle.

One particular accident left the deepest impression on the villagers. A couple were riding a motorcycle and speeding. They hit a tree by the bridge. The bleeding on their heads couldn’t be stopped. The wife fainted because of the severe injuries. The husband was lying on the ground and groaning painfully. All the bystanders were scared, but no one would help the couple. Nowadays, people’s morality is dropping rapidly. Even if someone wanted to help, they were all concerned that the couple would later sue them and they would bring themselves trouble. At that moment, Mr. Zhang came by on his tricycle and took the couple to the hospital. Because the couple was rescued in time, their lives were saved. Their relatives hurried to the hospital and heard about the rescue. They were extremely grateful to Mr. Zhang.

After this accident, Mr. Zhang moved some mud and filled the holes on that road by himself. And if he saw anyplace nearby where frequent accidents occurred, Mr. Zhang would fix the potholes as soon as possible. This helped the villagers a lot.

The Evil CCP Doesn’t Allow People to Be Good

Such a good person was arrested by the CCP and even sentenced to 7 years in prison just because he shared his own experience of the beauty of cultivation with others. Many people have benefited because Ms. Zhang cultivates in Falun Dafa, and always helps others.

When Mr. Zhang’s wife was crying and begging, Guo Jianli, the head of Xishui Police Department who was responsible for arresting Mr. Zhang, shouted at her, “I don’t want anyone to raise his children, and I don’t want anyone to comfort his mother when she’s dying. Let his family be broken and every one of them die!”

The CCP’s falsehood, hatred and struggle can be seen everywhere in China. The regime fears Falun Gong’s compassion that draws people’s hearts, and it’s doing anything and everything to persecute the good people like Mr. Zhang Xinzi.

Many villagers were very angry about the persecution of Mr. Zhang, and said that such a good person was arrested and the CCP will surely collapse. Mr. Zhang’s neighbors sighed, “We all went to ask Zhang Xinzi for help when we met with any difficulties in the past. The communist party is so bad. They arrested such a good person.”

Now Mr. Zhang is being held in the fifth ward of Shayang Prison. He used to have excellent vision, but it has severely deteriorated due to the persecution. He told his family that he lost most of his vision as a result of the severe beatings by the people in the detention center. Now he is almost blind and can’t even see clearly things that are right in front of him. Shayang Prison didn’t treat his injury, and instead tried any way to persecute him because he refused to be transformed.

Mr. Zhang’s mother is 95 years old, and she cried so hard that she also went blind. Now both the old and young in his family all have to depend on his wife, and she is in poor health.

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Accounts of Persecution

New York: Rally in front of UN Exposes Crimes of the Chinese Communist Party and Supports the Millions Who Have Renounced the CCP (Photos)

May 19, 2013 | By Lan Ling

(Minghui.org) Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners and people from all walks of life gathered on the square in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the afternoon of May 17, 2013. The rally called on the international community to recognize the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and stop the CCP’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong, especially the horrible crime of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. The rally also supported the more than 138 million Chinese people who have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

Rally in front of UN Headquarters exposes the crimes of the Chinese Communist Party and supports those who have quit the CCP

US House Representative Chris Smith sent a letter of greeting to the rally and stated that the fact of millions of practitioners who simply follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance being imprisoned in China is not acceptable. He said that recent information shows that the persecution has escalated in China and affirmed that his efforts to expose the Chinese Communist regime’s infringement of human rights will not stop.

A Falun Gong practitioner said that during the past fourteen years the communist regime has used the most base and wicked means to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. As a result, the persecution has damaged the last bit of Chinese traditional culture existing in China. Morality is degrading exponentially and more and more Chinese people have become perplexed and indifferent.

Ms. Zhao Shuhuan shares her personal experience, to expose Masanjia Labor Camp’s bloody persecution of Falun Gong practitioners

Ms. Zhao Shuhuan is a Falun Gong practitioner who recently came to the US from China. She was imprisoned in Masanjia Labor Camp for seven months and suffered inhuman tortures, including sleep deprivation and being beaten by five or six men for hours at a time. She said that the Chinese Communist police not only torture Falun Gong practitioners but also fabricate lies to mislead the public. She gave an example of video footage shot at the camp for a propaganda film, where a camp guard presented a bowl of noodles to an elderly Falun Gong practitioner. While handing the noodles to the practitioner, the guard said, “I take you as my own mother. You are my mother now.” As soon as the video shoot was over, the guard took the bowl of noodles away and continued to abuse the practitioner. But the video was shown on TV, showing that the camp guard “took care of Falun Gong practitioners.” Ms. Zhao said, “Masanjia is an evil place. The camp guards are inhuman thugs.”

Ms. Ge Lifang from the Grand Coalition of Bullied Chinese said that under the CCP’s control, people do not have human dignity. She said that only with the disintegration of the CCP can people in China regain the dignity of human beings.

Doctor Damon Noto, spokesman for Doctors against Forced Organ Harvesting, addresses the rally

Doctor Damon Noto, spokesman for Doctors against Forced Organ Harvesting, gave a speech at the rally and pointed out that in China, there are many more organ transplants than there are documented donors. This suggests that there is a large, undocumented human “organ bank” that is used to supply organs for transplantation surgeries. It has been confirmed that the increase in transplantation surgeries in China corresponds with the persecution of Falun Gong, when hundreds of thousands of innocent Falun Gong practitioners were arrested or simply disappeared.

Currently, more and more people have come to know the real nature of the communist regime. Vice President Natalie Ng of the European Association of Human Rights said that she contacted government officials in Germany, Sweden and the USA, to investigate the issue of live organ harvesting in China. The officials in foreign affairs departments of these countries all agreed that live organ harvesting exists in China. She said, “They are all thinking of how to stop the crime of live organ harvesting.”

Chairman Tang Bojiao of the Chinese Peace Federation said that he feels that the only way the CCP will stop its violence is when it is disintegrated. He said, “More and more people are against control through violence. The scale is becoming larger. One day, if all people stand up [for justice], the communist party will disintegrate.”

Ms. Teresa Chu, spokesperson for the Falun Gong Human Rights Lawyers Group, said at the rally, “The Chinese Communist regime applied to join the UN Human Rights Commission as a standing member. Member countries of the UN should not hold out any hope for the communist regime to change and they should not become accomplice to its crimes against humanity.”

Jeremy Taylor, Director of the Federation of Asian Women’s Rights, also spoke at the rally.

While the rally was in progress, more than ten Chinese people renounced their membership in the CCP and its affiliated organizations and received certificates declaring their withdrawals. They held up their certificates happily, rejoicing at having separated themselves from the CCP.

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Rallies & Protests

New York: Falun Gong Practitioners Gather in front of Chinese Consulate to Call for the Persecution to End (Photos)

May 19, 2013 | By Cheng Qing

(Minghui.org) On the afternoon of May 17, 2013, Falun Gong practitioners from around the world rallied in front of the Chinese Consulate in New York to protest the nearly 14-year persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Falun Gong practitioners protest the persecution of Falun Gong in front of the Chinese Consulate in New York

Falun Gong practitioners held banners worded, “Stop the persecution of Falun Gong”, “Falun Dafa is great” and others in both English and Chinese. They showed photos exposing the torture of Falun Gong practitioners by the communist regime and talked to passersby about the persecution.

Ms. Huang, a coordinator of the event, said, “For so many years, the Chinese Communist Party has persecuted Falun Gong in China. In other countries, the communist regime also harasses Falun Gong via the Chinese community. For example, when Falun Gong practitioners hold events, the Chinese Consulate will manipulate some groups to interfere and spread lies to slander Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners are here today to expose the Communist Party’s despicable acts using peaceful means.”

In addition to the large-scale event on this special day in advance of the New York International Fa Conference, Falun Gong practitioners gather in front of the consulate to expose the persecution and spread the facts every day.

Ms. Huang thought that the persecution of Falun Gong was damaging to morality in China and everyone is thus a victim. She truly hopes that more people can see through the lies told by the Communist Party.

Martin from Vienna is an engineer at a well-known telecommunications company in Austria. He and his wife started practicing Falun Gong in 1997. This is the fifth time they’ve come to New York to participate in the protest. He said he travelled to New York from Europe to help tell the American people about Falun Gong and call for an end to the persecution.

Shufen from France also participated in the protest. She said, “The Chinese Communist Party has persecuted Falun Gong for nearly 14 years. I hope Communist Party members and officials, and the police involved in the persecution, will learn the facts and stop participating in the persecution.”

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Rallies & Protests