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Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) is an ancient form of qigong, the practice of refining the body and mind through special exercises and meditation. Like tai chi, qigong is a vital part of many people's lives in Asia; almost every Chinese park is brimming by the break of dawn with people practicing these arts.

In just eight years since its public introduction, Falun Dafa has grown to become the most popular form of qigong ever in Chinese history. The major reason for this is that Falun Dafa distinguishes itself from other qigong practices by emphasizing not only physical cultivation, but also cultivation of one's moral character in daily life according to higher principles taught by Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Dafa's founder.

Falun Dafa's effectiveness in improving health and its profound principles have quickly made the practice immensely popular throughout the entire world. Since being introduced to the general public in 1992 by Mr. Li, Falun Dafa has attracted tens of millions of people in over 40 countries. Most major cities and universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe have English-speaking Falun Dafa practice groups.

The people who practice Falun Dafa come from every imaginable walk of life, as Falun Dafa transcends cultural, social, economic, and national boundaries. The practice has spread largely by word of mouth, as those who learn it usually find the benefits simply too good to keep to themselves.

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According to incomplete statistics, within the past five years beginning on July 20, 1999, more than 996 practitioners have been verified as being tortured to death in over 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. However, according to the government's official internal statistics, the actual number of practitioners who died after being arrested had reached 1,600 by the end of 2001. In addition, there are at least 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners who have been illegally sentenced to prison. Over 100,000 practitioners have been sentenced to forced labor camps. Thousands of practitioners have been forcefully sent to psychiatric hospitals to be tortured with injections that are damaging to the central nervous system. Large groups of Falun Gong practitioners have been forcefully sent to local brainwashing classes, where they have been subjected to both physical and mental torture. Many more practitioners have been severely beaten and had large sums of money extorted from them by so-called "law-enforcement officials." When large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners are beaten to death, injured, and their families are broken up, when they have to leave home and go from place to place because of the persecution, millions of Falun Gong practitioners' families, relatives, good friends and colleagues are also implicated and brainwashed to varying degrees.

Listed below are the names of the Falun Gong practitioners who have died from torture, and a brief description of their cases. Hopefully, these dreadful experiences and agonizing scenes will arouse consciences and stir hearts all over the world.

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Delivered to the U.N. Human Rights Commission on International Women's Day
(3/22/2004 17:29)


To Concerned Individuals around the World,




Amidst the campaign against Falun Gong in China, women have been the victims of widespread abuses, including sexual assault, rape, torture and death from torture and beatings.



We are female Falun Dafa practitioners from the People's Republic of China. With great indignation, we relate the inhumane torture we have been suffering over the past four and one-half years. We are seeking your help.


We follow the teachings of Falun Dafa [Falun Gong], which expound upon the universal characteristics of Truth-Compassion-Tolerance, and practice gentle exercises and meditation to maintain our health. On July 20th, 1999, the former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin launched a campaign to eliminate Falun Dafa. We have been deprived of our basic human rights ever since, and have been physically and mentally tortured in many ways.


Throughout China's labor camps and police stations, we have been subjected to torture and humiliation. Some female practitioners have been forced to stand still for days and nights while being denied food, the use of a restroom and sleep. Many have been beaten and shocked with high-voltage electric batons. Others have been sent to mental hospitals and injected with unknown substances. Many have been exposed to extremely hot or cold weather.


There has been sexual torture, including stripping 18 women of their clothes and forcing them into the jail cells of male criminal offenders. Some women have been subjected to forced abortions. Some have been force-fed urine and feces. Many so-called �policemen� in China have exhibited the most base and inexcusable behavior. One said: "Don't you say you practice tolerance? I will see if you can tolerate it when I rape you!" They have ripped off our clothes in public and shocked us with electric batons. Iron wire has been used to pierce our nipples. They have sexually violated our bodies using eggplants, toothbrushes and plastic water bottles. In one Female Labor Camp located in Jilin Province, the police inserted hot pepper powder into women's vaginas in order to force them to give up their belief and practice of Falun Dafa. They have forced electric stun batons into female practitioners' vaginas to torture and shock them.


In Beijing, a policeman raped a practitioner under a bridge. Ms. Zhao Jing, a 19 year-old practitioner, was beaten to death after she escaped the persecutors by jumping from a bus that was being used to transport her against her will. Ms. Xinyan Wei, a graduate student from Chongqing University, Sichuan province was arrested on campus simply because policemen suspected that she was distributing Falun Dafa fliers. She was sent to a police detention station and was raped by a policeman in front of two prisoners. Ms. Wei has disappeared, never to be heard from again. None of the policemen who have conducted such sadistic acts have been punished. Instead, they are rewarded and promoted by the government! The head of the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, where the 18 female prisoners mentioned above were abused, was rewarded. He was given 50,000 Chinese Yuan, which is equivalent to about six thousand dollars in the United States. This reward came from Jiang Zemin and his followers. Masanjia's deputy director was rewarded with 30,000 Yuan for mistreating us.


During the past four and half years, Jiang Zemin's followers have built more jails and prisons to detain Falun Dafa practitioners. Hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been suffering tremendous pain and are forced to live away from their spouses and families throughout China. So many of us have been expelled from our jobs, from school and have been forced to become destitute and homeless. So many have been beaten, arrested and sent to forced labor camps. Many have lost their lives due to brutal torture.


Jiang Zemin and his followers have attacked our dignity, violated our bodies and our womanly nature because we practice Falun Dafa.


Please help uphold justice, help stop the vicious persecution and protect the dignity and basic human rights of women! This issue should be of concern to all women everywhere, not just in China.


Please help us.


� Female Falun Dafa Practitioners from the People's Republic of China on the occasion of International Women's Day.


# # #


For more information on the abuses against women, see http://faluninfo.net/women/index.asp


NEWS - Mar. 22, 2004
Falun Dafa Information Center, http://www.faluninfo.net/

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PRESS STATEMENT
(6/29/2004 2:57)


(FDI) � The drive-by shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner in South Africa on Monday marks a new level of violence and recklessness in former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin�s worldwide persecution of Falun Gong.


David Liang was driving one of two cars en route from the Johannesburg airport to Pretoria around 8:30 Monday evening when a white car with three occupants overtook them and fired at least five shots into the vehicle. Liang was hospitalized with bullet wounds and his car was disabled in the incident.


Two Chinese government officials heavily implicated in the persecution of Falun Gong in China are currently visiting South Africa. Vice president Zeng Qinghong and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai both have had legal cases submitted against them, the latter earlier this year in the United States and Poland. The charges: torture, genocide and crimes against humanity. (news)


Liang and eight other Falun Gong practitioners from Australia arrived in South Africa to assist locals in revealing the nature of the persecution of Falun Gong in general, and the heinous actions of the two visiting officials in particular. They intended to hold a press conference to expose the crimes of the two officials and to have legal papers served against them.


The shooters did not stop when Liang was shot and his vehicle was disabled. Liang is of Chinese origin, was the only one shot, and was the only one in the car wearing a jacket with the words �Falun Dafa.� These facts, and others that are sure to emerge, point to this conclusion: the shooting was a premeditated action specifically targeting Falun Gong during the two officials� visit.


Zeng, Bo, and other high officials have given orders in China that have resulted in torture and death. During the nearly five years of persecution against Falun Gong, harassment, interference with basic rights, death threats, beatings, break-ins, and now an assault with guns have targeted practitioners of Falun Gong outside China, on foreign soil. (special report)


Hiring someone to kill others due to belief or association is the act of terrorists, and this is what we believe has happened in South Africa at the behest of Chinese officials.


A local resident noted that this was not a random act of violence, but definitely �an act of political persecution.� Police have opened a case and assigned an inspector.


We urge the authorities in South Africa to thoroughly and carefully investigate this incident and uncover the people behind this reprehensible act. We further urge all governments to condemn the actions of the Chinese authorities in persecuting Falun Gong inside China, as well as outside China.


# # #


PRESS STATEMENT - June 29, 2004
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

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A Husband and Wife Who Practice Falun Gong Explain the Facts of the Persecution to the Public As Authorities Parade them Through the Streets

By Li Min, a Dafa practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) In a small city in the border area of Northeast China lived a husband and wife who practiced Falun Gong. The authorities, following Jiang's directive to "ruin their [Falun Gong's] reputations," decided to punish the couple by using the cultural revolution style method of publicly parading them through the streets. The practitioners were both under 30 years old. The wife's name is Xie Qiang. From the beginning of their learning to practice Falun Gong, Ms. Xie and her husband did what Dafa practitioners should do, by studying the Fa [universal principle and law], disclosing the evil deeds done to practitioners, explaining the facts about the persecution to the public, and sending forth righteous thoughts.

One could often see displays of posters on city streets and suburban bridges, reading "Falun Dafa is good" or "Falun Dafa is righteous." Falun Gong truth-clarifying fliers were often seen everywhere overnight, which the local police investigated for a long time as a big important case without getting any results. Then the authorities offered a reward of 2,000 yuan (1) to anyone who reported the practitioners responsible for posting the truth clarification materials. One time when Ms. Xie was handing out fliers door to door in a building, a child saw her and reported her. The police arrested her and put her into a local detention center.

The Chinese New Year approached. One day the police tied Ms. Xie up and pushed her onto a prison truck, to parade her through the streets. Her husband was also tied up on the truck. When they met each other in the truck, they didn't say anything but gave each other understanding smiles.

The truck started and ran slowly through the main streets of the whole city. Seeing that passers-by expressed concern in their eyes, Ms. Xie thought: I have previously sent fliers door to door to explain the facts of the persecution, today I'd better explain the facts to them in person. She thus shouted, "Fellow villagers: we are Falun Dafa practitioners and are both good people. We are being persecuted! Falun Dafa is righteous! Be sure not to believe the deceptive propaganda." The police beat her, trying to stop her from speaking out loud; however she kept up her efforts to expose the police crimes without stopping.

Later, Xie Qiang and her husband were illegally sentenced to two years of forced labor.

Note:

(1) 500 Yuan is the average monthly salary of an urban worker in China


Direct Link to article: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/7/26/50677.html

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Falun Gong followers build 'Great Wall of Courage' to draw attention to cause

EJP
372 words
23 July 2004
03:53 pm
Agence France Presse
English
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.

WASHINGTON, July 23 (AFP) -

Hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners traveled to Washington for a rally Friday to raise awareness about their movement and protest repression in China, which outlawed the group in 1999.

Organizers had expected some 3,000 people to turn out to build a two-mile (three-kilometer) human "Great Wall of Courage" stretching from the National World War II Memorial to the Chinese embassy.

Sporting lemon-yellow T-shirts with blue letters reading "Falun Dafa is Good" and touting the group's central tenets of "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance," men, women and children stood along a wide avenue, while others sat on straw mats doing exercises, meditating or reading.

In front of the memorial, the practitioners stood shoulder to shoulder, holding banners in Chinese and English with slogans like "Stop Genocide in China!"

"Falun Gong practitioners are being tortured, brutalized and killed in China's slave labor camps and brainwashing centers. Genocide is happening right now in China," organizers said in a statement.

Lynn Yang drove from Windsor, Canada, to take part in the rally. Originally from China's Shangdong province, she said she started practicing Falun Gong in 2000 to alleviate debilitating joint pain.

With her eight-year-old son Yu Ming by her side, she said the demonstrators were hoping to draw attention to the "persecution" she said was being carried out against Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government.

The group claims at least 1,600 Falun Gong followers have been killed, 20,000 sent to re-education camps and 100,000 jailed.

Al Whitted, an environmental educator from Hillsborough, North Carolina, who has been practicing Falun Gong for five and a half years, said former Chinese president Jiang Zemin felt "threatened or jealous of the popularity" of the movement, which combines meditation with Buddhist-inspired teachings.

He said people from some 30 different countries, including Japan and Australia, were on hand for Friday's event.

Organizers said the demonstration was carried out to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Chinese government's "persecution" of the group, beginning in July 1999, when China outlawed Falun Gong as an "evil cult."

ejp/cl

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Fed: Victim of South African shooting speaks out

450 words
23 July 2004
Australian Associated Press General News
English
(c) 2004 Australian Associated Press Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved

L By Maria Hawthorne

CANBERRA, July 23 AAP - Sydney taxi driver David Liang was driving a hire car from Johannesburg Airport to Pretoria when another car drew alongside and an assault rifle was pointed out the window.

"They opened up the window and pulled out an AK-47, a Chinese military gun, and shot the lower part of the car," Mr Liang, 42, said.

"Then they shot about five bullet holes in the car and two bullets hit my feet."

The shots shattered his right ankle, tore into his left foot and blew out his car's front tyres.

As his four friends inside the car screamed in terror, Mr Liang struggled to control the car.

Unable to brake, he managed to steer the car to the safety of the side of the road.

His attackers did not stop.

The shooting happened on June 28, and shortly afterwards the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued a statement saying an unnamed passenger in the car had told them they believed the shooting was random, not politically motivated.

Mr Liang doesn't think so.

He and his friends were in South Africa to file a lawsuit against Chinese officials accused of persecuting practitioners of Falun Gong, a meditation and exercise regime which is legal in 60 countries but has been banned in China since 1999.

They had been in South Africa only a few hours when the shooting happened.

Mr Liang said local police confirmed that they were treating the shooting as attempted murder.

"I felt very upset and let down by the Australian government because they didn't take anything seriously," Mr Liang said.

"They didn't take any notice of my story. This was a terror attack and the government should protect Australians.

"None of us told DFAT that this was not involving Falun Gong, so I don't know why they did it. I understand that there's trade between China and Australia, but that's not an excuse to sacrifice citizens' rights."

He called on the government to undertake a full investigation with South African authorities.

A DFAT spokeswoman stood by the statement issued in June.

"We're pleased Mr Liang has recovered sufficiently to allow his return to Australia," she said.

"The South African authorities are investigating the shooting and it would be inappropriate at this time to comment on motives.

"But shortly after the incident, an occupant of the vehicle informed us that they believed it to be a random act."

If any of the passengers had any information to the contrary, they should go to the police, she said.

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If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.