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Hello, and welcome to the weekly FGMtv news review. I'm Susan Mitchell.

§ Here at FGMtv we focus on programs and news that illuminate the truth of Falun Gong, which is also known as Falun Dafa.

§ Falun Dafa is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that includes exercise and meditation. Its principles are based on Zhen, Shan, Ren - being true, good, and enduring, which is also translated as Truth, Compassion and Tolerance.

§ The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout the country.

§ In 1998, a government survey concluded that the number of practitioners exceeded membership in the communist party.

§ One year later, dictator Jiang Zemin began a brutal persecution that violates not only the Chinese constitution, but also international treaties signed by China.

Our top story this week:

Falun Dafa helps young offenders in Taiwan

In the summer of 2003, authorities at the Changhua Youth Jail in Taiwan invited Falun Gong practitioners to give weekday seminars for the month of August.

They wanted to relieve the psychological stress on the inmates and provide a change to their intellectual studies.

About 70 young offenders took part in the reading and exercise sessions.

Mr. Wang, the education section chief told the practitioners that after these inmates learned Falun Gong, they not only became more energetic, but quarrels and fights among the students were significantly reduced. He said, "They did not violate any rules this month."

One of the inmates recorded his life-changing experience: "Having been nurtured in Falun Gong for nearly a month, we experienced countless changes in our minds and bodies, in our daily life and our relationships with each other. How should I describe it? Before learning about Falun Gong, I was an aimless person, and I did not know what I wanted. I lived a dissipated and ignorant life. It seemed that there was no goal in my life's journey, and I never knew how to plan my life. At that time, I really always thought that I was like a dying tree. Sometimes, I really wanted to give up on myself, but it seemed that there was a voice in a corner of my heart which always drew me and asked me not to give up my life."

Moving now to Chicago…

It rained on the parade – but that didn't seem to matter to the crowds that turned out in Chicago recently!

Along with the cheerleaders and the bands and marchers, the Falun Dafa float showing the exercises, and Chinese schools and associations, a very happy lady in bright green, and a traditional lion dance added lots of colour to brighten up a very gray day.

The weather wasn't much better in Hong Kong either!

Typhoon force winds and rain didn't stop practitioners from bringing out their banners and marching to continue their peaceful appeal to authorities to release the Falun Gong practitioners detained in China for their beliefs.

Associated Press reported on an appeal in the High Court of 16 practitioners fined after being convicted of public obstruction during an appeal outside the the Chinese government's liaison office on March 14, 2002.

Ms. Jie Lu, one of the 16, said that "This is absolutely a politically motivated prosecution. We took up a small space." Ms. Lu called the appeal a "symbolic" case to show whether Hong Kong's rule of law can withstand political pressure from Beijing.

Falun Gong is banned in mainland China, but remains legal in the former British colony that reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

Rescue Charles Li Tour Reaches Toledo, Ohio

§ Everywhere they travel through the USA, reporters are interviewing the practitioners who have taken time off from their jobs and their studies to raise awareness of the plight of Dr. Charles Li.

§ Dr. Li, an American and a resident of Menlo, California, is currently being held and tortured in Nanjing Prison in China.

§ Leejun Ivie of the Times Union newspaper in Albany, N.Y. wrote, "I find it hard to believe that he would travel all the way to China to damage some equipment. It is far more likely that he wanted to tap into a local broadcast (which can be done without damaging equipment) to expose the brutal persecution.

§ When hearing about the plight of Dr. Li, one might ask, "Why did he go to China, knowing how dangerous it could be?" Undoubtedly, Dr. Li knew the risks involved. But, like the 9/11 firefighters who lost their lives in trying to save others, he probably didn't give it a second thought."

September is back to school month after the summer holidays and around the world, new Ming Hui schools are springing up, giving children the opportunity to learn more about traditional Chinese culture, to study the poetry and teachings of Falun Dafa, and to practice the exercises together.

Looks as if the three year-olds are having the best time of all!

Thanks for watching the FGMtv weekly news review.

I'm Susan Mitchell. See you next week!