In News This Week
Ever
since the tragic attack on the US, the world has been a different place. People from around the world have held
memorial services and some have just gone to their local US embassy to light a
candle. In Toronto a Falun Gong
practitioner when to pay her respects.
She brought a board reading the world needs more Truthfulness-Compassion
and Tolerance. It seemed the public
also agreed as almost all the candles taken by the pedestrians had been placed
surrounding this sign.
Swiss Hunger Strike Draws Attention of Media
On the evening of Sept. 13, Swiss
practitioners held three separate, full day hunger strikes in front of the
Chinese Embassy in Zurich, the Chinese Consulate in Berne, and the UN in
Geneva.
The
hunger strike was held after the terrorist attack and carried special meaning,
as expressed by the words a practitioner wrote on a poster, "We understand
your sadness. We are with you. The world needs more
Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."
Many
people came to talk with the practitioners. One Canadian lady said, "If
everyone had Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance, this tragedy would never have
happened. It seems only Falun Gong can solve this problem."
In other news in Europe , Over 28
European Parliamentians representing different political groups nominated the
founder of Falun Gong Mr. Li Hongzhi for the 2001 Sakharov prize. Many other
members also strongly supported the nomination to recognize Mr. Li's
outstanding contribution to the improvement of mankind's mental and physical
health and freedom of belief.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
has been presented every year since 1988 to an individual or organization for
making significant contributions to the promotion of human rights, basic
freedom, and for firmly opposing persecution and injustice.
"The World is Watching China" says Australian Official, Councillor Jamie
Parker.
The
Deputy Mayor of Leichhardt--speaks publicly and provides details about the
shocking reality of the peaceful group's bloody encounters at Tiananmen Square.
Throughout
the whole day there were violent arrests that mainly consisted of people
raising yellow flags or throwing leaflets in the air. "The reaction from
the authorities was very severe. We were very shocked and it sickened us,"
said Parker
In
his public statement Councillor Parker continues:
“The obvious
concern I raise is if this the type of brutality that is meted out against old
women and others in public, what happens behind the scenes?…”
...It's important that our government makes sure the
Chinese government will not get away with the human rights abuses against the
Falun gong practitioners. As Australian citizens and active people in our
community, we can make a difference. “
While
brutality continues in China, violence spills over into Chicago USA.
"If
you sue us, we will kill you." These chilling words were the conclusion of
a violent attack on Falun Gong practitioners that seemed to belong more to the
streets of Beijing than to the streets of Chicago.
Carolyn
Lu and Bill Fan show the local media their destroyed camera and tell their
story at a press conference across the street from their local Chinese
Consulate.
Bill
Fans was beaten and his camera smashed after he took photos of some Chinese men
cursing fellow practitioner Carolyn Lu.
At
around 4:40 p.m. Friday, September 7, three Chinese men drove up in front of
the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. They were angrily cursing the practitioners
across the street from the consulate.
Carolyn
Lu tried to reason with them and hand them a flier. They responded saying "Why don't you return to China and
die!" They continued "We are going to beat you now. Do you believe
us?"
Across
the street, Bill Fan began to take pictures.
Immediately, two men sprinted out of the car after Bill. They caught him, smashed his camera and
beat him in the back of his head and body.
All the
while Carolyn was calmly writing on her hand the phone numbers that appeared
where the rear license plate should have been. The three men then surrounded
her and threatened to kill her if they were sued.
Chicago Police detectives are now investigating, and
the F.B.I. has been contacted.
News
from China
In news
from China there more reports of Falun Gong family members are being persecuted
even if they don’t practice.
When
Police in Wei Feng city of Shandong Province can’t find Falun Gong
practitioners they capture their family members. During detention they are beaten with belts, iron bars, and
electric batons.
One practitioner who now wanders the
streets has sent us a photo of his wife a non-Falun Gong practitioner that was
taken after her detention.
From the middle of July to the end of August, Baoqing
County's 853 Farm Custodial Centre has illegally detained nine practitioners
and forced their families to pay huge fines of 7,000 Yuan (one year's
average salary).
One family member who is over 60 years old could not
afford the fine. Consequently, this person was thus put into the custodial
centre and forced to do hard labour like a common criminal for one and a half
months.
However
evil deeds don’t go unpunished.
In
March 2000, Tang Liguo, head of a transportation unit in the transportation
bureau of Fusong County Jilin Province, was on his way to Xianrenqiao to
illegally arrest Falun Dafa practitioners.
In the
car, he cursed at Falun Dafa and founder. In the middle of his talking, he
died. He was just over 40 years of age!
Police
Officer Liu Wenya arrested many Falun Gong practitioners on their way to
Beijing and put them into a detention center. Afterwards, Liu was missing for
over two weeks. It was later reported
that he was killed during a domestic crime and his body was cut into more than
45 pieces. Later, the criminal cremated the remains.
On Sept. 12, 2001, the City Council of Jersey City,
New Jersey held a meeting in City Hall. 9 council members unanimously passed a
resolution condemning the violence and repression against Falun Gong
practitioners in China and particularly Jersey City's Sister City --
Nantong. The resolution also commends
Falun Gong as a body, mind and spiritual practice that offers great health
benefits.
Falun Gong practitioners were invited to hold
a press conference at the National Press Club on September 7, 2001.
Falun
Gong spokesman, Erping Zhang gave a speech for rescuing detained American
permanent resident, Dr. Teng Chunyan from China.
Teng, was sentenced to a three-year term for
passing evidence to foreign journalists of psychiatric abuses of Falun Gong
practitioners, including documentation of how China's authorities are illegally
detaining and abusing those in mental hospitals and elsewhere.
Falun Gong called on President George Bush to use his
trip to China as leverage to demand the release of Dr Teng.
On the following day, on the other side of the
continent Falun Gong practitioners in the San Francisco Bay held their own
press conference and SOS walks in 6 cities and towns at the same time to call
for the urgent rescue of Dr. Teng.
Although the
recent tragedy in New York has taken the world by storm, it seems Falun Gong
hasn’t missed a step. SOS walks are
continuing in Canada, US, Europe, Australia and Taiwan.
Their
perseverance has touched the hearts of many.
In the face of vicious attacks on humanity everyone can do their part to
help. Just as these two youngsters from
Australia are doing what they can by folding flyers for their walk team, on
route to Brisbane from Sydney.
I am Zenon
Donyckyj. That’s all for this weeks
news see you next time on FGMTV.