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Falun Gong rallies in US on anniversary
AFP: Falun Gong rallies in US on anniversary
(AFP) 3 days ago
WASHINGTON Hundreds of supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual movement have rallied in Washington ahead of the 10th anniversary of its ban by China, with a special push to free a prominent rights lawyer.
China banned Falun Gong, whose Buddhist-inspired teachings focus on exercises, on July 20, 1999. Beijing has since branded Falun Gong an "evil cult" and sometimes brutally suppressed its practitioners.
Hundreds of Falun Gong members wearing yellow shirts converged outside of the US Capitol, holding banners demanding that China "end the persecution" and handing out fliers to passers-by.
"One must wonder exactly why Falun Gong, a serene movement based upon traditional Chinese breathing exercises and meditation, has drawn such a frenzied response," Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told the rally.
"The answer, my friends, is all too simple," the Republican said. "Falun Gong stands for the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. These principles represent the very antithesis of what the Communist Party of China stands for -- lies, brutality and intolerance."
Dana Rohrabacher, another outspoken critic of Beijing in the US Congress, pledged that "we will not forget the persecution and the prosecution of the Falun Gong.
"You have remained courageous. You have gained the attention of good people throughout the world. That is what will change the world -- not violence, but open hands and open hearts," he said.
Falun Gong supporters pleaded for the release of Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer who has been tipped for the Nobel Peace Prize who defended the spiritual movement, underground Christians and other unpopular groups.
Chinese authorities took him away on February 4 and he has not been heard from since, colleagues say.
His wife Geng He, who defected with their children to the United States in March, told the rally that Gao felt obliged to fight persecution that has gone "beyond anyone's imagination."
"Gao has said that to end this nation's sufferings, we need people with high morals. Falun Gong practitioners have done so, and we must also do our part," she said.
ChinaAid, a Christian rights group, said it delivered petitions with 100,000 signatures seeking Gao's release to the Chinese embassy in Washington and the US State Department.
AFP: Falun Gong rallies in US on anniversary
(AFP) 3 days ago
WASHINGTON Hundreds of supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual movement have rallied in Washington ahead of the 10th anniversary of its ban by China, with a special push to free a prominent rights lawyer.
China banned Falun Gong, whose Buddhist-inspired teachings focus on exercises, on July 20, 1999. Beijing has since branded Falun Gong an "evil cult" and sometimes brutally suppressed its practitioners.
Hundreds of Falun Gong members wearing yellow shirts converged outside of the US Capitol, holding banners demanding that China "end the persecution" and handing out fliers to passers-by.
"One must wonder exactly why Falun Gong, a serene movement based upon traditional Chinese breathing exercises and meditation, has drawn such a frenzied response," Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told the rally.
"The answer, my friends, is all too simple," the Republican said. "Falun Gong stands for the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. These principles represent the very antithesis of what the Communist Party of China stands for -- lies, brutality and intolerance."
Dana Rohrabacher, another outspoken critic of Beijing in the US Congress, pledged that "we will not forget the persecution and the prosecution of the Falun Gong.
"You have remained courageous. You have gained the attention of good people throughout the world. That is what will change the world -- not violence, but open hands and open hearts," he said.
Falun Gong supporters pleaded for the release of Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer who has been tipped for the Nobel Peace Prize who defended the spiritual movement, underground Christians and other unpopular groups.
Chinese authorities took him away on February 4 and he has not been heard from since, colleagues say.
His wife Geng He, who defected with their children to the United States in March, told the rally that Gao felt obliged to fight persecution that has gone "beyond anyone's imagination."
"Gao has said that to end this nation's sufferings, we need people with high morals. Falun Gong practitioners have done so, and we must also do our part," she said.
ChinaAid, a Christian rights group, said it delivered petitions with 100,000 signatures seeking Gao's release to the Chinese embassy in Washington and the US State Department.