Albania: Introducing Falun Gong in Tirana

From September 19 to 21, 2012, Falun Gong practitioners went to Tirana, the capital of Albania, and held events to introduce Falun Dafa to local people and help Tirana's overseas Chinese quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. Local residents said that this was the first time they’d ever heard of Falun Dafa. When they saw the three Chinese characters for Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, some exclaimed, “Today is the day we Albanians learn of Falun Dafa!”

A Falun Gong practitioner distributing informational leaflets in Tirana city centre

Practitioners doing the exercises in Tirana Lakeside Park
Practitioners handed out leaflets about Falun Gong well into the evening

Albania is located in the southwest of the Balkan Peninsula and was once a communist country in Eastern Europe. After the great political changes in Eastern Europe, in 1990, Albania passed a constitutional amendment and is now ruled by the Democratic Party of Albania and the Socialist Party of Albania.

In 2003, an Australian Falun Gong practitioner, Ms. Zhang Cuiying, held an art exhibition for one week at the international cultural centre in Tirana. The local TV stations and newspapers reported not only on the exhibition, but also on the persecution that the painter had endured because she practiced Falun Gong.

Telling the Customs Police about Falun Gong
When the European Falun Gong practitioners went to Albania and passed through Customs on September 18, 2012, a Chinese practitioner joked with the officer in charge, saying “You are an old friend to China.” The officer said, “That was 40 years ago. Now we’re a democratic government, but China is still under a dictatorship.” The practitioner handed him a Falun Gong leaflet. He took it and examined the contents closely, then asked a few questions. The practitioner answered each one. All the officers on duty at Customs that day asked for a leaflet and read it carefully.

People in Tirana: “Today is the day we Albanians learn of Falun Dafa!”
On the 20th, practitioners distributed informational materials at the Department of State Transportation, the Department of Food Ministry, and other government departments. The guards and police officers all asked for copies, and stood there reading them.

When practitioners went to distribute leaflets on the streets of Tirana, almost everyone took one. Some people didn’t know what was being given away, but they ran over and asked for one, then held it and stood there to read it. Several locals said, “This is the first time we’ve heard of Falun Dafa, we have no idea what Buddha is, what Dao is.” Practitioners explained that Falun Dafa has been embraced in over 100 countries. When some people saw the three Chinese characters for Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, they exclaimed, “Today is the day we Albanian learn of Falun Dafa!”

That evening, practitioners went to Lakeside Park to spread the Fa to the many visitors. A lady with a child watched practitioners doing the exercises. A practitioner overheard the lady phone home to say that she would be back late because she found an exercise called Falun Gong in the park, that it was great, and that she wanted to learn. She said to the practitioner, “We haven’t seen this in Tirana, and it’s free. I’ll definitely come to learn!”

A man who was jogging asked a practitioner to tell him more about Falun Gong. Afterwards he showed great interest and asked for some informational materials and contact information. He also said that he would come to learn Falun Gong.

When the practitioners left the hotel, they noticed that the hotel manager and the staff had displayed the colourful leaflets they had received at the hotel reception so that new arrivals would surely see them. Practitioners had given out all the materials they had prepared for that day, so they rushed over night to produce a thousand more, which were also given out.

Almost all of Tirana's Chinese wholesale market businessmen quit the CCP organizations
On the 19th and 21st, practitioners went to a Chinese wholesale distribution market in Tirana. Most of the Chinese businessmen were born in Qingtian. At a big storage depot, some of the Chinese businessmen said, “We have heard about withdrawing from the CCP, but that is not our concern. We don’t care whether the CCP is good or bad, we only care about making money, it has nothing to do with us, we don’t want to get involved.” A practitioner explained, “The CCP has done untold evil, and even the heavens will not stand for it. When you joined its organizations, you swore allegiance till the end. If you do not withdraw from it, you are still very much a part of them, and when the CCP meet its end, you will go down with it. So it is imperative that you renounce and disassociate yourself from this evil organization.” Those present said, “What you say makes sense. Should we have to pay for the bad deeds they did? That simply will not do! We can’t lose our lives for them like this! We will withdraw.” The storage depot’s two owners and seven other workers all decided to withdraw.

A side shop owner said to a practitioner impatiently at the beginning, “I don’t want to look at your brochures. Take them away!” But after he listened to practitioners telling about the CCP’s evil history, he said, “What you said makes sense, that’s a fact, it’s true. Well, I quit.”

Another Chinese businessman said that many Chinese in the area knew some facts about Falun Gong, that the persecution of Falun Gong is led by Jiang Zemin, and that he is bad. This was the first time this Chinese businessman had ever seen informational materials and he was a bit surprised. A practitioner told him that they were all made with Falun Gong practitioners' own money in order to tell Chinese people the facts about Falun Gong, especially those who have been brainwashed by the CCP’s lies, and to encourage people to learn the truth and to quit the CCP for self-salvation. He was moved afterwards and kindly reminded the practitioner, “Keep it away from the Chinese Embassy, otherwise they might cause trouble.” The practitioner said, “Don’t worry. Some of the embassy staff themselves are also quitting the CCP.” The man said in surprise, “Oh, really?” He thought about it and said, “It seems the tide has turned. I’m quitting. I’m also a member of the CCP!”

A Chinese businessman came over and said angrily that he would phone the Chinese Embassy to report that someone was encouraging people to quit the CCP. The practitioner said, “Calm down first. You can ring the Chinese Embassy after listening to the facts about Falun Gong. As far as we know, staff at the Chinese Embassy themselves are quitting the CCP quietly. They know it’ll be dangerous if they haven’t quit.” The man immediately settled down, but still murmured, “I’m a member of the CCP, I won’t quit.” Nobody showed any interest in him, and he stood aside, watching others quit. Just then a kind looking lady greeted him and then asked a practitioner to help her quit the CCP. On seeing this, he followed suit and said, “I also want to quit in order to be safe!” Then his two daughters came over and also quit the CCP organizations.

Overseas Chinese: “They cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, nothing wrong with that!”
A bunch of youngsters in their 20s, the ex-servicemen who had joined the CCP, and the elderly who had worn the red scarf all quit the CCP organizations. They said to practitioners, “Falun Gong must be redressed! They cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! If everyone does things according to those principles, the whole society would change for the better.”