News and Events from around the World -- September 5, 2006

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content


  • Japan: Practitioners Rally and March to Oppose the Persecution

  • Canada: The Canadian Van Tour Arrives at White Rock, British Columbia

  • Taiwan: Falun Gong Practitioners Send Open Letter to Lee Kuan Yew: Do Not Be the CCP’s Accomplice in the Persecution of Falun Gong


  • Japan: Practitioners Rally and March to Oppose the Persecution

    Falun Gong practitioners in Japan held a rally on August 26, 2006, in a park in downtown Tokyo. They later marched through the busiest area in the city to call on people from all walks of life to learn about the facts of Falun Gong and pay attention to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) atrocities, harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.


    Falun Gong practitioners peacefully do the exercises in Yoyogi Park


    The rally prior to the parade to raise awareness of the CCP’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong

    A representative from the Japan Falun Dafa Association said in his speech at the rally that there is an increasing number of people in Japan learning to practice Falun Gong recently. Falun Gong practitioners spread the truth through various activities including marches and other activities. They want to help the Japanese community to learn more about Falun Gong and hope that more people join us, support Falun Gong and oppose the CCP persecution.

    A member of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) said in his speech that many have heard of the CCP's recent arrest of renowned human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. Mr. Gao wrote to the CCP regime three times to safeguard the human rights of disadvantaged groups of people. He urged the CCP to stop the persecution of Falun Gong, and publicly declared to renounce the CCP. He also requested to join the independent investigation group to look into the CCP’s organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Sato expressed that the CCP arrested lawyer Gao in an attempt to distract attention of people both inside and outside China. Therefore, when rescuing lawyer Gao, we must continue exposing the CCP’s crimes of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit, and calling for an end to the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, spreading the Nine Commentaries and promoting quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations and helping people see clearly the CCP’s evil nature.

    Parade procession marches in busy downtown area in Tokyo

    After the rally, practitioners marched along a busy street where there are many Chinese tourists and shoppers. Banners of different kinds were held high. The banners read, "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong," "Stop the Crimes of Live Organ Harvesting," "Falun Dafa Is Widespread Around the World," and "Greet A New China without the CCP." A loudspeaker repeatedly played a brief introduction of Falun Gong and the persecution. An elegantly dressed celestial maidens dance group and waist drum troupe were also in the procession. Practitioners kept handing out truth-clarifying materials on the roadside. The march attracted many peopleto stop for a look, taking pictures. They took and read the materials. Some people had conversations with practitioners to learn more about the situation.

    Two Chinese tourists said they had received Falun Gong truth-clarification materials in Hong Kong, and often received emails to tell about the facts, but it was the first time they saw a march. A middle-aged Japanese man quietly saw the procession from beginning to end, and said that he would read the materials carefully.

    Practitioners from Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan who came to attend the Falun Gong conference on August 27 joined the march. Practitioners from Malaysia commended that the event was great with the police leading the way. Mr. Hu from Singapore said that the procession was spectacular, and he hoped to see such a march one day in Singapore. A practitioner from the mainland China said that he felt so good to take part in these activities.

    Nearly 300 Falun Gong practitioners did group practice in Yoyogi Park in the morning. Many people stopped to watch and some walked up to inquire about practice sites. The practitioners enthusiastically introduced and clarified the truth.

    Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/9/2/136912.html


    Thailand: Falun Gong Practitioners Support the Withdrawal of 13 Million from the CCP

    On September 1, 2006, practitioners from Thailand were assembled in front of the Chinese Embassy to support the Withdrawal of 13 Million from the Chinese Communist Party and to support Captain Yuan Sheng and Attorney Gao Zhicheng. Practitioners also protested the CCP’s harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.


    Practitioners from Thailand support the 13 million withdrawals from the CCP in front of the Chinese Embassy.

    Practitioners unfurled a banner that read: "Support the 13 Million Withdrawals from the CCP, Support Captain Yuan Sheng and Attorney Gao Zhicheng, A Canadian Independent Investigation Verified the Organ Harvesting." Practitioners also condemned the CCP’s arrest of Gao Zhicheng, a lawyer who investigated and exposed the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong. Practitioners supported Captain Yuan Sheng as well.

    Practitioners passed out truth-clarification materials to passersby and exposed the CCP’s brutality with a display board. Practitioners called upon people to pay attention to the persecution and help to stop it.

    Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/9/2/136921.html


    Canada: The Canadian Van Tour Arrives at White Rock, British Columbia

    On the morning of August 31, 2006, a several Falun Gong practitioners from Vancouver went to White Rock, calling upon citizens and the government to pay attention to the organ harvesting in China. This is one of the activities that the Canadian Falun Gong Practitioners Van Tour has held since July.


    The mayor visits practitioners.


    Jean Stack, a citizen of White Rock, learned the news from the media and came to meet practitioners.

    The mayor of White Rock came to talk to practitioners in the early morning. She greeted them in Chinese. The mayor said that the organ harvesting and the persecution of Falun Gong should not be happening and that everybody has the right to express his or her belief. The mayor said that when she learned last week that Falun Gong practitioners were coming to White Rock, she told the government officers about it. She issued the permit to practitioners so that they could do the exercises in front of the city hall and agreed to meet with practitioners to get more information.

    Jean Stack, a citizen in White Rock, learned from the local newspaper, Peach Arch News, that Falun Gong practitioners were coming to White Rock, so she went to City Hall to meet with them in the early morning. She and her friends wanted to know how to help practitioners. She signed her name on the petition. Practitioners gave her a copy of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and the report of the investigation into organ harvesting. She said that she would share this information with her friends and family.

    Tammy Evans, a citizen of White Rock, was very glad to meet practitioners. Her son-in-law is from Hong Kong, and he is very concerned about the situation of Falun Gong practitioners. Ms. Evans used to work for the government, and she cares about human rights issues, too. She took a copy of the report of the investigation into organ harvesting. She said that she would let more people know about it.

    After the signature collection and exercise demonstration in front of the city hall, most practitioners went to the shopping mall to pass out flyers. Four practitioners went to see the federal and provincial congressmen.

    Goron Hogg, the congressman from British Columbia, was out of town, but his assistant, Verna, talked to practitioners for an hour. She learned the truth of Falun Gong in detail. She was surprised when she learned that the Chinese Communist Party harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit and that some citizens from British Columbia have gone to China for organ transplants. She told practitioners that she would pass the information to Congressman Hogg and arrange a meeting with the congressman in September.

    At noon, practitioners went to Peace Arch News to deliver some truth-clarifying materials and thanked the newspaper for reporting their activity. The reporter from the newspaper said that he would take some photos and write another report.

    In the afternoon, practitioners returned to City Hall and talked to the mayor for an hour. The mayor learned detailed information about the persecution. She said that she would bring up practitioners’ request about the resolution to condemn the CCP’s harvesting of organs to the city council in September, and she would suggest that the city council issue a proclamation for Falun Gong. She signed her name on the letter to Prime Minister Harper. She said that she would write her own letter to the prime minister.

    The mayor invited practitioners to take a photo in front of the city hall. She also gave a set of photos of White Rock to each practitioner. She said that she loves Chinese culture and she celebrates Chinese New Year every year. She invited practitioners to attend her Chinese New Year party next year. She hugged the practitioners and encouraged them to keep on.

    Practitioners collected many signatures in a few hours. They passed out all the materials. Many kind people from White Rock were shocked by the CCP’s brutality.

    Practitioners submitted the petition and other materials to Parliament Member Russ Hiebert. His assistant accepted them and took notes on the practitioners’ request. He agreed to arrange a meeting with the congressman in September.

    Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/9/2/136897.html



    Taiwan: Falun Gong Practitioners Send Open Letter to Lee Kuan Yew: Do Not Be the CCP’s Accomplice in the Persecution of Falun Gong

    On August 31, 2006, representatives from the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan went to the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei to deliver an open protest letter to Lee Kuan Yew, requesting the Singapore government to withdraw the charge against Falun Gong practitioners and not to be the CCP's accomplice in the persecution of Falun Gong.


    A representative of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, Professor Ming Chu-Cheng, went to the Singapore Trade Office in Taiwan to deliver a letter of protest regarding the charge against Falun Gong practitioners on July 20. On August 30, Falun Gong practitioners from Taiwan delivered the letter of protest again.

    Prof. Chang Ching-hsi, a trustee of the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan, said that Lee Kuan Yew is very influential in Singapore, especially with regard to Singapore's Chinese policies. Prof. Chang hopes that Lee and the Singapore Government have a good understanding of the persecution of Falun Gong and will not be the accomplices of the CCP.

    Prof. Chang said that Falun Gong practitioners are not harmful in Singapore at all. If the Singapore government continues this behavior, then practitioners in Taiwan will continue their protests.

    Singapore authorities illegally charged nine local Falun Gong practitioners on July 14, 2006, because they distributed flyers along a business street and underpass of the MRT on October 22 and 23, 2005. On July 28, Wang Yuyi, one of the six defendants of the October 23 case, requested the Subordinate Courts to summon eight witnesses, including Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng to testify. On August 7, following legal procedures, Wang Yuyi submitted an application to the courts to summon these witnesses. Regarding this summons request, human rights attorney M. Ravi commented: "This is the first time in Singapore history that civilians have appealed to the Supreme Court in order to summon key political figures."

    The Open Letter of Advice from the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan to Lee Kuan Yew

    Mr. Lee Kuan Yew,

    We are writing to you regarding the charge against Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore, who exercised their basic human rights to expose the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan is seriously concerned about the charge.

    We believe that, through numerous media reports and the seven-year effort to expose the truth by Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore, you already knew very well about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and also about the Chinese Communist Party's crimes of genocide, torture, and human rights abuses, which is the most serious international human rights issue in the 21th century.

    However, since the CCP launched the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, we have noticed that the basic human rights and freedom of Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore have also been limited. The fact that the Singapore authorities charged local Falun Gong practitioners for distributing flyers along busy streets and underpasses of the MRT on October 22 and 23, 2005, shows that the Singapore government has tried to assist the CCP in persecuting Falun Gong.

    We must seriously point out that it is illegal in any democrat countries to charge citizens who are exercising their basic human rights and freedoms. The world's democrat countries, who have good understanding of the CCP's brutality, cannot understand why Singapore, a so-called democrat country, charges, fines, and deprives of freedom its citizens who didn't break any laws.

    It is as an accomplice of the CCP in the persecution of Falun Gong that the Singapore government charges Falun Gong practitioners who peacefully exposed the truth of the persecution by the CCP.

    We understand that Mr. Lee Kuan Yew has significant influence with regard to Singapore's policy-making, especially policies related to China. Mr. Lee also has significant influence on Singapore's attitude toward Falun Gong. To protect international human rights, we call for a withdraw of the charge against Falun Gong practitioners, which will prove that Singapore is truly a democrat country that does not give in under the CCP's pressure.

    We believe that the international human rights organizations will not ignore the illegal behavior of the Singapore government and that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights will also condemn this behavior.

    Therefore, we hope that the Singapore government will not be pressured by the CCP to get involved in the persecution of Falun Gong. Such behavior will destroy the image and the future of Singapore. We call upon Mr. Lee to urge the Singapore government to withdraw the charge against Falun Gong practitioners, and also to show full respect to and protect Falun Gong practitioners' basic human rights in the future. This wise behavior will surely benefit Singapore.

    Chang Ching-hsi

    President of the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan

    Professor, Department of Economics, Taiwan University

    Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/9/1/136857.html