Germany: Letter to the Chinese Embassy in Berlin on the 4th Anniversary of the April 25 Appeal

25th April 2003

Dear Ambassador Ma Chanrong and other embassy staff

Today is the 4th anniversary of the April 25th 1999 Zhongnanhai appeal. On this day four years ago, due to an error of judgement from Chinese authorities, there were many misunderstandings and conflicts in China which were severely damaging to China’s stability and peace.

This day four years ago, 10,000 peaceful Falun Gong practitioners went to the Beijing National Appeals Office to legally appeal for Falun Gong. The appeal was due to the fact that Falun Gong practitioners had been slandered by a national magazine article and some practitioners had been beaten and detained by police in Tianjin.

Practitioners peacefully waited for more than 13 hours without banners or slogans, until the Prime Minister Zhu Rongji made clear the official stance on the matter. In July 1999, to justify the crackdown on Falun Gong, it was made out by Xinhua, the state-run press agency, that Falun Gong practitioners surrounded the central government compound, Zhongnanhai.

The ban and persecution of Falun Gong has endangered the lives of more than 70 million Chinese citizens and their relatives, as well as threatened their chances of education and work. We are here to urge you to please listen to the truth about the Zhongnanhai event, and witness the facts.

We would like to emphasise again that Falun Gong has never had any political motives and will not have any in the future. However, social conflicts have been heightened terribly due to the deception and lies of the self-immolation incident, which was directed by the Chinese government on Tiananmen Square. It is illegal and wrong to brutally and irrationally persecute Falun Gong in China by using propaganda to slander and by using inhuman methods to torture Falun Gong practitioners.

Those Falun Gong practitioners who went to the appeals offices or Tiananmen Square to appeal for Falun Gong did not do so out of personal interests, rather they did so out of the responsibility toward the whole society. Please think about it, what will happen to a country that persecutes “Truth, Compassion and Tolerance”? How will the future people view the Chinese state when peaceful and innocent people are being persecuted there? Falun Gong practitioners are trying their best to prevent more people from committing sins, simply because doing good deeds will be rewarded, and being evil will be met with evil returns [an ancient Chinese principle].

Just like some Qigong practices, Falun Gong spread widely at the beginning of the 90’s when Qigong reached its peak of popularity nationwide, teaching people a natural way to heal illness and keep fit. According to official statistics, Falun Gong is helpful in overcoming physical illness and relieving stress.

However, it is ridiculous to ban this practice, that is taught free of charge and is good for improving health and moral standards.

“Truth, Compassion and Tolerance” does not damage society’s stability and unity, and does not interfere with the Chinese people’s everyday life. What is really disturbing the society is persecution, torture and killing. This extremely brutal and indescribable persecution has damaged Chinese society more than ever, and threatened China’s peace and unity. We urge you to listen to us calmly and have peaceful dialogue with us. Also we hope that you will please pass this letter to the Chinese government as along with our heartfelt wishes: immediately stop persecuting Falun Gong and annul the ban on Falun Gong.

Falun Gong is not only a part of Chinese people’s life, but also a part of people’s life around the world. Falun Gong allows people to maintain a spiritual life within each society and culture. It does not interfere with society, but only serves to better that society and improve that culture.

Yours faithfully,

Falun Gong practitioners from Berlin and other parts of Germany

Translated from Chinese at http://yuanming.net/articles/200304/19708.html