Former French Defense Minister Supports Falun Gong Practitioners’ Efforts to Counter the Persecution in China

On September 7, 2021, the French Falun Dafa Association received a response letter from Hervé Morin, former French Minister of Defense and the current President of Normandy in France, expressing his support for Falun Gong practitioners’ anti-persecution efforts for over 20 years.

In his response letter, Morin said he had carefully read the letter sent to him by the French Falun Dafa Association regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, a meditation system that upholds universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

“Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted [by the Chinese Communist Party] for 22 years,” Morin wrote in his letter. “On July 20 this year, the 22nd anniversary of practitioners’ anti-persecution efforts, Falun Gong practitioners from around the world have taken actions to oppose the persecution. They have also received support from many governments and parliamentarians to make public the persecution you have suffered.

“It is particularly close to my heart that the Normandy Region asserts itself as a major player in promoting values of Peace and Freedom on the national and international level,” the letter continued, citing framework of the “Normandy for Peace” initiative as an example. Morin encouraged practitioners to contact the European Department and international department of the initiative to further discuss these issues. In the end, he sent his best regards wishing practitioners well.

Morin served as French Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2010 and has been President of Normandy North since 2016. Normandy is one of the 18 regions in France and home to more than a dozen large municipalities. Close to Paris and Belgium, it is also the fourth largest region in France by population.

It has been 22 years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa in 1999. The CCP’s illegal arrest, sentencing, and detention of practitioners continue throughout China today.

Like Falun Dafa practitioners in other countries, practitioners in France have also been persevering in exposing the persecution by the CCP while sharing the benefits of Falun Dafa with the public. Many French residents have begun practicing Falun Dafa in major cities. Upon hearing what has happened in China, many elected officials have also publicly condemned the persecution.

On July 20 this year, the 22nd anniversary of Falun Dafa practitioners’ countering the perseuction, practitioners in 10 cities across France held events simultaneously to oppose the suppression in China. Many French politicians, from the Prime Minister’s Office to local councilors, also sent letters in support of practitioners.