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Hello, and welcome to the weekly FGMtv news review. I'm Susan Mitchell.
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Here at
FGMtv we focus on programs and news that illuminate the truth of Falun Gong,
which is also known as Falun Dafa.
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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.
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The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of
mouth throughout the country.
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In 1998, a government survey concluded that the number of
practitioners exceeded membership in the communist party.
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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:
Luo Gan,
Head of Chinese agency for persecuting Falun Gong in China, is sued in Iceland
for crimes against humanity, during his visit to Reykjavic.
The Daily News from Reykjavic, Iceland, reported that
nearly 150 people took part in a protest in front of the Culture House while
Luo Gan had lunch there with Mr. Bjarnason, the Minister of Justice.
Several individuals and associations have filed charges
against Luo Gan for his crimes against humanity. The Minister of Justice said
the charges will be looked into by the Icelandic government.
One of the people pressing charges is Dr. Li Shao. He is
shown here with his lawyer Mr. Ragnar Adalsteinsson, an Advocate to the
Icelandic Supreme Court and a renowned human rights attorney. Dr. Shao's
sister-in-law was arrested and sent, without trial, to a labour camp, where she
endured severe torture.
The Daily News advised that when a journalist from another
paper, the daily "Morgunbladid" asked Luo Gan a question about human
rights, he was immediately surrounded by Chinese security guards and taken from
the premises.
From Russia – with love
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One good turn deserves another, so they
say.
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In St. Petersburg, this year,
practitioners have given many performances of traditional Chinese dances and
music and have sponsored art exhibits.
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Recently, when they received a copy of the
program about their activities, the art editor from the TV station presented
the practitioners with his own artwork: a jade-white plate on which he had
carefully painted: "I love Falun Dafa" – in Russian, English, and
Chinese!
Moving now to Toronto where
practitioners had a busy weekend.
Toronto
Falun Dafa practitioners were out on the weekend to bring some Chinese colour
and energy to the annual Cabbagetown Parade.
The
Toronto Minghui School and Lotus Performing Arts group also took part in the
United Way walk to raise money for the city's charities.
How to
Impress a Chinese Farmer in the Summertime!
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Ever since Jiang Zemin began to persecute Falun Gong
four years ago, the practitioners in China have used every way they could think
of to remind people that Falun Dafa is a very peaceful and good practice.
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In China, most farmers do not have much education and they don't
usually read books or newspapers. In the summer of 2003, some
practitioners bought some folding fans and wrote short sentences on them such
as, "Falun Dafa is good," and "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance is
good."
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Those bearing the little gifts to the farmers
reported that the reactions to the truthful slogans were quite good, and the
response to the fans themselves was even better! Some people said, "You
see, Falun Gong practitioners think about us all the time. When the weather is
hot, they buy fans for us!"
August 23rd 2003 was
the first Falun Dafa Day in the U.K.
and the Birmingham
Post reported that "Birmingham's
Chamberlain Square was a picture of serenity when practitioners of Falun Gong,
a traditional form of Chinese meditation, visited the city on Saturday.
Eliza Li
practises a meditation exercise which helps to improve mind and body. Falun
Gong was first made public in 1992 and quickly became popular as people were
drawn by stories of great health improvements." – coverage from a British
newspaper with a photograph by Jeremy Pardoe.
Thanks for watching the FGMtv weekly news review.
I'm Susan Mitchell. See you next week!