United Kingdom: 2004 Scotland Car Tour continues to Meet Many Supportive People

Four UK Falun Gong practitioners have been on a week long car tour of Scottish cities since Sunday to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong. The tour particularly focused on exposing persecution against Falun Gong practitioners committed by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), because they have been invited to take part in this year’s Edinburgh Military Tattoo, one of Scotland’s most prestigious events. China’s military head, Jiang Zemin, is responsible for instigating the brutal persecution against 100 million Falun Gong practitioners and his crimes against humanity have brought suffering to people all over the world.

On Wednesday the 2nd of June, the car tour reached the city of Dundee. Practitioners went to visit the local police and told them the purpose of the tour as well as explaining the facts about Falun Gong and the brutal persecution. The practitioners hoped to hold an appeal activity in Dundee city centre, but permission for this type of activity usually must be obtained weeks in advance. After hearing the facts, police were very supportive of Falun Gong practitioners’ activity and directed them towards the council offices. After reaching the council offices, the practitioners told the staff there that they would like to appeal in Dundee city centre to let people know about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. After hearing about the persecution, the staff were instantly sympathetic and supportive and practitioners were given permission to hold the activity on the same day.

Dundee’s local newspaper “The Evening Telegraph” spoke to the practitioners about their appeal and published a supportive article on the same day, which outlined the repression happening in China and explained how all Falun Gong practitioners uphold the values of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.

As the practitioners reached Dundee city centre, they set up an information stand so that people could approach them and find out more about Falun Gong. Practitioners demonstrated the exercises and distributed leaflets explaining the practice of Falun Gong and exposing the crimes against humanity committed by Jiang Zemin and his regime in China. People were very supportive of practitioners who are suffering in China. They asked about learning the exercises and were moved by the practitioners’ peaceful nature. They were surprised to find out that all exercise classes are free. The practitioners noticed that they did not really have to hand the leaflets out because people approached them of their own initiative and came to get more information. Hundreds of leaflets were given out in a short space of time; many people signed a petition recognising Jiang Zemin’s leading role in the campaign of Genocide against Falun Gong and questioning the validity of the PLA’s visit to the democratic country of Scotland.

The practitioners met with local Amnesty International secretary Lorraine Smith who listened carefully as they talked in depth about the brutal persecution that is happening in China. Only a few days before, Amnesty International had published its annual report on human rights in China, which outlined the brutality of the persecution of Falun Gong. Lorraine Smith was very interested as she heard two of the car tour practitioners talk about their personal experiences of persecution: one of them was tortured whilst imprisoned in China and the other was arrested in France for wearing a Falun Gong scarf after Jiang’s regime pressured French authorities. The Amnesty Secretary asked for Video-CDs and leaflets to give out at her next Amnesty International meeting. She also took a Falun Gong exercise video for her family. After delivering some leaflets to the local library, practitioners moved on to the next city.

Car Tour reaches the city of Dundee	Lorraine Smith signs the petition
People came to find out more	Appeal in Dundee city centre

On Thursday the 3rd of June, the 2004 Scotland Car Tour visited two more Scottish cities: Perth and Stirling. In Perth, a local newspaper was very enthusiastic about reporting on Falun Gong and met practitioners at the council building for a photo shoot. The photographer was touched by the beauty of the exercises and the journalist interviewed practitioners in depth. Practitioners took leaflets and exercise videos to the local library before distributing leaflets to people on the street.

Perth journalist interviews practitioners

The practitioners visited Perth’s local police station and told them about the purpose of the car tour. After hearing about the persecution of Falun Gong the police officers were very concerned. Practitioners told them how the police in France had been pressured into violating Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights and one of the Scottish officers declared, “That would never happen here!” The officers wished the car tour success and were happy to receive some information on Falun Gong that they could take home and show to their families. Practitioners visited the local Women’s Aid office and explained the facts about Falun Gong to the staff there. After hearing about the death of Falun Gong practitioners Wang Lixuan and her 7-month old baby, who died after torture from Chinese police officers, one lady was very concerned. She said, “The persecution against Falun Gong is terrible,” and that she will tell everyone about this in a meeting she was attending later that day.

In the city of Stirling the practitioners visited the office of a local political party, a local newspaper and the city’s Lord Provost. Everywhere they went people were supportive and concerned after hearing the truth. People asked how something so good and peaceful could suffer such brutal persecution and where they could learn the exercises. The practitioners were glad that their car tour is having such positive effects as they moved on to the final city of Glasgow.