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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:

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

§        One good turn deserves another, so they say.

§        In St. Petersburg, this year, practitioners have given many performances of traditional Chinese dances and music and have sponsored art exhibits.

§        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!

§        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.

§        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."

§        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!