Argentina: Falun Gong Practitioners Clarify the Truth Outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs During Human Rights Criminal Bo Xilai's Visit

On May the 31st 2004, Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai arrived in Argentina to attend a Chinese Commerce Symposium held at the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 1. Prior to his arrival, Argentine Falun Gong practitioners prepared truth-clarifying materials about Bo Xilai, who persecuted Falun Gong during his term as Dalian City Mayor and Governor of Liaoning Province, and delivered the materials to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various media outlets.

On the day of the symposium, practitioners arrived at the front gate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the early morning and unfurled two banners in both Chinese and Spanish. The banners read, "Bo Xilai, Genocida" and "Bring Bo Xilai to Justice." At that time, many people lined up in front of the gate waiting to enter. The practitioners handed out truth clarification materials about Bo Xilai's persecution of Falun Gong to each person in line. Everyone read the materials carefully. When Chinese Embassy officials and Bo Xilai arrived in a van, most people had entered the gate with the truth-clarification materials. The embassy staff immediately sent people to ask practitioners who were handing out flyers to move away from the gate and they tried to not allow us to come across the street. The police officer who was there to maintain order didn't say anything and only watched. He then said quietly, that in Argentina, only uniformed police have the authority to deal with people on sidewalks due to any traffic problems. We told the police officer that this staff member should not have the right to force us to leave. The police officer smiled and said, "You heard what I said." The practitioners then explained to the embassy staff that in Argentina, there is no law against standing on the sidewalk and peacefully handing out flyers. Later, after Bo Xilai's motorcade left, we explained to the embassy staff member again about the truth of Falun Gong. He did not reply.

Argentine plainclothes police officers who arrived along with Bo Xilai in the same van did not dare to accept our truth-clarification materials because of the presence of embassy staff. Later when the embassy staff was not around, we gave them the materials, and they all immediately took them. Therefore, they also knew what kind of Chinese official they would be with during those days, and the facts of Jiang group's persecution of Falun Gong.

We continued handing out flyers at the gate. One woman came out from the building and stood inside the gate. If anyone entered with Dafa materials, she would take those materials away. We told her that this is not China, it is Argentina, and she should not do this. We also told her that we would wait until the last person came out. The police officers at the gate shook their heads at the Chinese official's behaviour. Later, the practitioners decided to resist the evil, and told those Argentine people who entered the gate not to give away the precious and important materials we presented to them. That woman standing inside the gate had no right to take away anything from Argentine citizens. Hearing this, people began resisting the woman's evildoing. Some people asked her, "Who are you?" "Why do you want to confiscate my things?" Being asked by several persons, the woman had no choice but to give up her behaviour.

An officer from the Argentine Security Bureau came out to talk to us. He said they all know Falun Dafa is good, peaceful and righteous. The materials they obtained from other countries also said that Falun Dafa is good. We were very pleased to hear this. More and more countries and people have begun resisting Jiang's lies. We gave him a Falun Dafa magazine. Because he was in a business suit and carried a walkie-talkie in hand, there was no place to put the magazine, so he hesitated to take it. But he thought for a while and said, "Please give it to me, I want to read it."

Practitioners who entered the conference site handed out materials before the meeting began. The Chinese Embassy staff interfered and called the security officers to drive the practitioners out. The practitioners explained that they also had the right to attend the meeting. The security officers disregarded the Chinese Embassy's unreasonable request, and allowed the practitioners to remain to attend the meeting but not to hand out flyers at the conference site. Prior to Bo Xilai's speech, people who were sitting at the site had all read the materials about Bo's persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. Many people took out the flyers again to read during his speech. The meeting ended without providing any opportunity for people to raise questions.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out and talked with us. He asked for a piece of paper and pen from us, and on his own initiative, wrote down many government officials' names and telephone numbers, and told us to clarify the truth to them.

That night, Bo cancelled an invitation to a concert and did not attend any other activities. The Sheraton Hotel where Bo stayed informed the journalists that Bo had moved out of the hotel ahead of the scheduled time.

The next day, practitioners went to the Chinese Embassy to present truth clarification materials to the Chinese and the Argentine people. The practitioners also delivered a copy of materials to the Chinese Embassy containing the names of 102 people on a list of perpetrators of the persecution, and also enclosed a report on the lawsuit against the Chinese General Consul in Canada, reminding all diplomats to pay attention to their words and actions when dealing with the Falun Gong issue.