News and Activities from Around the World -- September 30, 2005

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content

- FDI: U.S. Opens Doors to Falun Gong Refugees
- New York: "Pure Lotuses" in Full Bloom at Union Square in Downtown Manhattan
- Norway: Anti-Torture Exhibition Receives Strong Support in Stavanger, Many People Sign Petitions to Call for End of Persecution
- Germany: The Hamme Festival Becomes a Showcase for Falun Gong and the Situation in China

FDI: U.S. Opens Doors to Falun Gong Refugees
Woman Tortured in China, Settles in U.S. as UN Refugee

NEWS -- Sept 30, 2005 Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

Brutally tortured in China, Ms. Weixun Li arrives in the U.S. as a UN refugee.

WASHINGTON DC (FDI) - With assistance and support from the U.S. State Department, Members of Congress and several NGOs, Ms. Weixun Li arrived in the U.S. last week as a UN refugee. Li had fled China where she had been tortured to the brink of death.

Li's case marks the first Falun Gong practitioner without family or other ties to the U.S. granted permission to stay in the U.S. as a UN refugee, and will open the doors for others who are violently persecuted in their homeland simply because they practice the traditional meditation discipline of Falun Gong.

"We are grateful to the U.S. government that this channel is being opened to people who face brutal persecution in China because they practice Falun Gong," said Dr. Larry Liu, a representative of the Falun Dafa [Gong] Association in Washington DC. "The United States has always been a world leader in human rights protection, and this action is yet another example of its leadership in this area."

Human Rights workers in New York and Members of Congress in Washington had previously expressed concern over difficulty practitioners of Falun Gong may face gaining official refugee status with the UN since China, ironically, sits on the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

In a letter to the U.S. State Department dated July 27, 2005 concerning Li's case, Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Chairman of the Congressional Committee of the Judiciary, wrote: "The State Department has recognized religious persecution of Falun Gong both in the Country Report Human Rights Practices for China and the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for China every year since mass persecution began in July of 1999." Congressman Sensenbrenner continued, "As such, I believe it is important that the State Department carefully examine the refugee claims of Falun Gong practitioners for refugee processing."

The relevant U.S. Government agencies did exactly that, making way for Li to arrive in Washington DC last week as an official UN refugee with the hope of rebuilding her life that had been shattered by the Chinese Communist Party.

"Our Schindler" Gives Weixun Li Chance at Freedom

Like millions of others throughout China, as a Falun Gong practitioner Li was harassed by police who often use arbitrary detention, extortion and torture to force Chinese citizens to give up their practice of Falun Gong. Police are given orders by leaders of the Central Government in Beijing to use "any means necessary" to force citizens to give up Falun Gong.

In early January 2002, Li was abducted by police and tortured to the point where she was unable to move her limbs, talk or eat. After repeated pleadings from her family, Li was eventually hospitalized. Despite being monitored by four police during her hospitalization, she was able to escape.

Soon after, her elder brother was able to secure safe passage for Li and several other Falun Gong practitioners to Thailand where she applied for refugee status. For his heroic efforts, Li's elder was picked up by police and sentenced to prison for 8 years where he remains today.

Li and those her brother helped escape refer to him as "Our Schindler" in reference to Oscar Schindler who saved hundreds of Jews from death in Nazi concentration camps.

Hunted in Their Homeland

On September 23, Li met with several officials at the U.S. State Department and Members of Congress to thank them for their support in giving her "a new life" in the U.S. She also encouraged them to extend the same assistance to others who continue to face persecution in China.

Describing her ordeal to U.S. officials, Li said she personally witnessed many Falun Gong practitioners being tortured by Chinese authorities.

Calling Hu Jintao's recent speech before the UN about "building a harmonious society" a "farce," Li described how countless Falun Gong practitioners throughout China are hunted by police and often must flee their homes to avoid being abducted and tortured.

Without the ability to return home or go to work, they are forced to find alternative means for securing food, shelter and other basic necessities. Most wind up in very basic accommodations unknown to police, with often a dozen or more sharing the floor of one room to sleep and live.

"It's eerily reminiscent of what I have heard about the underground network that protected Jewish people in Nazi-occupied Warsaw," says Dr. Liu. "You have a group of people that are targeted with extreme brutality simply because of their faith, and so fellow Falun Gong practitioners and other people of conscience find a way to get by, often hiding in the homes of friends or abandoned areas where the police wouldn't know to look."

"Sadly, this is the real state of China's so-called 'peaceful rise' under the Communist regime," says Dr. Liu.

For detailed reports of Falun Gong-related cases brought before the United Nation's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refugees and other UN organs, visit: http://www.flghrwg.net/

For interviews with Ms. Li or more information, contact: Tao Wang 202-422-8133

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NEWS - Sept. 30, 2005
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

New York: "Pure Lotuses" in Full Bloom at Union Square in Downtown Manhattan (Photos)

On September 26, 2005, at 6-8 p.m., a benefit concert for rescuing Falun Gong orphans was held on Union Square in downtown Manhattan. The concert was sponsored by non-governmental organization "Global Rescue of Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners in China," and performed by the Tian Jiao Art Troupe. The performance was pure, fresh and touching, like a clear stream quietly flowing into the heart of this bustling metropolis.

Dance: "Pure Lotus in Chaotic Times" | Exercise demonstration

Union Square is located at a traffic hub of Manhattan, and since it was rush hour, pedestrian traffic was very heavy. A huge banner with white words in a blue background reading "Help Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Orphans" was set up behind the performers. In the front there were over a dozen large display boards depicting Falun Gong practitioners and their young children who have suffered persecution at the hands of the CCP. At the periphery of the square, there were photos telling touching stories about Falun Gong practitioners who believe in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and their children, who are suffering brutal persecution imposed upon them by the authorities in China.

Banner exposing the persecution

Singer Michael Feltz arrived to attend the benefit concert. Between songs, his words touched everyone's heart: "I just had a conversation with a lady who came from China. I asked her, 'The CCP so brutally persecutes Falun Gong, do they (Falun Gong practitioners) still practice?' The lady replied to me, 'Yes, they continue practicing.' I asked her again, "Why?' She said, 'Because they know the truth and what is right.'" Yes, people who have truly come to know the truth will not succumb to brutality. The truth will ultimately dispel darkness and illuminate the human world.

People attentively watch the performance | People attentively watch the performance

Under the lights, the Tian Jiao Art Troupe performed the dance "Pure Lotuses in Chaotic Times." People came over from all directions, quietly standing there to appreciate the performance. The performers, who were dressed in pure white clothes and carried pink fans, danced elegantly. Everything else seemed to become still. The music and dancing drew people's attention, who also took note of the banner and display boards that exposed the persecution.

The Tian Jiao Art Troupe also presented the audience with a song named "Coming for You" in both Chinese and English, and demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises at the end of the performance.

There were also some Chinese people passing by the square. One of them watched the performance from beginning to end, and he was visibly touched.

People took leaflets for rescuing orphans and carefully looked at the display boards. They will not easily forget this evening, amidst an intermittent drizzle, as the touching performance stirred the their sense of justice and conscience.

Norway: Anti-Torture Exhibition Receives Strong Support in Stavanger, Many People Sign Petitions to Call for End of Persecution

On the second Saturday in September 2005, Falun Gong practitioners in Norway arranged an anti-torture exhibition in Stavanger to make people aware of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, which has lasted six years. This persecution was initiated by Jiang Zemin in 1999 after he found out that there were more people practicing Falun Gong than there were members of the Communist Party. He saw the great number of practitioners as a threat to his personal power. Today, it is confirmed that 2,781 practitioners, both old and young, have been tortured to death at the hands of the Chinese authorities.

Practitioners demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises | Practitioners exposing torture methods used on Falun Gong practitioners in China

The anti-torture exhibition was divided into two sections. In section one, practitioners showed the five sets of beautiful Falun Gong exercises accompanied by soft traditional Chinese music. In the second section, some practitioners had worked together to make racks to show two torture methods often used on Falun Gong practitioners in China. The torture methods are used to force practitioners to denounce Falun Gong and to cease taking Truth, Compassion and Forbearance as the guiding principles in their daily life.

The torture method "Cage" | The torture method "Hanging up"

One of the torture methods re-enacted is called "Hanging up", where the hands of a practitioner are bound together and he is suspended so that he cannot touch the floor. The practitioner sometimes faces being hung like this for several days, and several policemen torture the practitioner with batons, burn them with cigarettes or use electric batons to shock the practitioner. The practitioners often pass out because of the pain, and when they wake up again, the beating and torture continues.

Another torture method re-enacted was the "cage". Often the cage is so small that the practitioner cannot sit straight or stretch his legs. Practitioners face sitting like this for several days, often without anything to eat, drink, and without permission to go to the toilet. It is very painful. In addition, there have been reports about practitioners forced to sit in cages filled with water up to their necks, until their body started to rot. For others, the water was filled with urine, excrement and live rats.

At the anti-torture exhibition, while some practitioners demonstrated these torture methods used against Falun Gong practitioners in China, two practitioners discussed the persecution using a loudspeaker, so that people passing could get to know how the Chinese Communist Party treats its good citizens. People in Stavanger were invited to sign two petitions; one to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China and one to rescue the Falun Gong orphans that have lost one or both of their parents in the persecution. Many people gave their support by signing both the petitions.

People in Stavanger sign petitions to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China, and to rescue Falun Gong orphans that are suffering in this persecution.

Germany: The Hamme Festival Becomes a Showcase for Falun Gong and the Situation in China

Once a year, on the first weekend in September, the inhabitants of Ritterhude (a small town near Bremen in Northern Germany) and its surrounding towns meet to enjoy music, celebrate, search the flea market for treasures, light lanterns and watch a big fireworks display. Amateur artists and associations are invited to present their work.

This year, the Falun Gong practitioners from Northern Germany also participated for three full days. They demonstrated the gentle Falun Gong exercises to the festival visitors, outlined the three universal principles of "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance" and talked about the vicious persecution in China.

Practitioners also folded lotus flowers and painted people's names in calligraphy letters.

Everything went according to plan and people really paid attention.

Some were only too happy to be given the chance to learn about Falun Gong and told practitioners that there was great interest in establishing an exercise group in Ritterhude. Others became very quiet and contemplated the pictures about the commonly used torture methods in China.

Here are some of the snapshots made during the three days at the Hamme festival: