Since the Jiang regime began its suppression of Falun Gong in July 1999, this is the fourth time that Falun Gong practitioners from around the world came to Geneva to hold peaceful appeals during the UN Human Rights Commission annual meeting.
 |  |
 |  |
At 8:00 a.m., Falun Gong practitioners came to the Parc de Pastion near Place de Neuve, and began the parade. Two female practitioners in white led the parade while holding a banner bearing the words, “Human Rights” in Chinese. Following them were Ms. Dai Zhizhen from Australia whose husband was persecuted to death by the Jiang regime, Ms. Wang Yuzhi who was successfully rescued by the Canadian government a few months ago, Mr. Zhao Ming who suffered nearly two years of brutal torture in China’s forced labour camps and was later rescued by the Irish government, and Ms. Zhang Tianxiao from Canada whose sister lives away from home in China to avoid persecution and whose mother and brother-in-law have lost their lives due to the persecution. Following them were dozens of practitioners in white holding photos of the Falun Gong practitioners who have been persecuted to death.
To show support for Falun Gong practitioners, Mr. Patrice Mugny, Councillor of the Swiss Federal Parliament and Chairman of the Green Party, Geneva City Councilwoman Madame Marie-Paule Blanchard, and Mr Jean-Marc Brule, Chairman of the Asian Affairs Committee of the Green Party of France participated in Falun Gong practitioners’ parade.
The procession was long and grand, moving through the downtown area of Geneva and passing the Mont-Blanc Bridge, alongside beautiful Lake Geneva heading northward, and reaching the front of La Palais des Nations around 11:00 a.m.
More than a thousand Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference at La Place des Nations. The host and vice-chairman of the Swiss Falun Dafa Association said in his opening speech, “We warmly welcome people from around the world. You come here to appeal for stopping the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The persecution has made tens of thousands of people become victims and hundreds of thousands of families suffer.”
“We are now standing at the La Place des Nations, the famous symbol on this public square constructed with the joint proposal of the UN, enables the world to hear such a voice: Injustice, violence and crimes will definitely be eliminated.”
“We are standing here, because it has been almost four years since the Chinese Gestapo launched and directed this absurd and horrific persecution. However, for us, it is the opportunity to reiterate our steadfast belief in the universal values of ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance’ that safeguards human dignity.”
“In this chaotic period, also an occasion when lies, hatred and intolerance opposing ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance’ run rampant, our Falun Gong cultivators, on the day when the UN Commission on Human Rights began its annual meetings, use our sincerity and actions to appeal: Please listen to the voices of millions of innocent persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, so that freedom of belief and basic human rights in China and other countries can receive special attention.”
Mr. Patrice Mugny, Chairman of the Swiss Green Party, Mr. Peter Muller from Germany representing the International Human Rights Association, Mr Jean-Marc Brule, Chairman of Asian Affairs Committee of the Green Party of France and Lord Thurlow from the UK gave speeches at the press conference to show their support for Falun Gong.
Mr. Peter Muller said, “Though the Chinese government claims it is People’s Republic, today’s China is not a people’s republic, rather it is a dictatorial regime. Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted by the dictator, suffered brutal torture, being raped and even murdered, all this is absolutely unacceptable.” He also called on the Chinese government to immediately release a German student, Xiong Wei and a German resident Lin Wenrong who are currently unlawfully detained in China. He encouraged Falun Gong practitioners to forever depend on themselves, depend on Falun Dafa, and hold firm the belief that Falun Dafa will ultimately win over the dictator and become even stronger and more powerful.
Mr. Jean-Marc Brule said that he supports Falun Gong because the Falun Gong movement is non-violent. The Jiang regime has gone mad; it not only persecutes its own citizens, but also persecutes the most peaceful and non-violent Falun Gong practitioners.
Lord Thurlow is in his 90’s, but he still actively supports Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights. He said that across the ocean in China, the most brutal persecution in human history is going on, tens of thousands of citizens, men, women, and even children only a few-months old have been subjected to persecution because of their belief that is non-violent and apolitical. Falun Gong’s principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” will bring hope to the world when the international community becomes more and more chaotic.
After that, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhao Ming from Ireland, Ms. Zhang Xiaotian from Canada and Steve Ispas, friend of Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Charles Li, a US citizen who was recently arrested and detained by Chinese authorities, gave speeches respectively.
Zhao Ming said, “This is the fourth time we have appealed in front of the United Nations, because the inhuman persecution has been going on in China for four years. Support from the Irish Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as senior UN human rights commissioners played an important role in helping me to gain release from China and return to Ireland to continue my study. I would like to express my appreciation to all these kind-hearted people. I would also like to appeal to all representatives from all UN countries and all human rights representatives, that at the present, more than 600 innocent Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death, how would the UN human rights representatives help them?”
Zhang Xiaotian told of the painful experience of her family members being tortured death, to appeal to the UN to help end the persecution soon. Her sister was forced to leave home and became destitute to avoid being imprisoned. Mr. Steve Ispas appealed to the international community to help rescue Charles Li to return to America as soon as possible. He talked about his experiences to describe the brutality of the persecution. He has been to Tiananmen Square, and was arrested and beaten because he shouted, “Falun Dafa is good.”
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
* * *
You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.
more ...