Support From the SOS Walk in Northern Sweden

During the last two weeks of July, a group of Swedish Falun Dafa-practitioners set forth on a two week long journey to clarify the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa [also known as Falun Gong] in China in the northern part of Sweden. The starting date was the 21st of July, the day after two years had gone by since the persecution in China began. Consequently the SOS message was carried on from the 270 kilometre long march to Stockholm and the 48-hour candle light vigil outside the Chinese embassy in Stockholm.

Activities were held in ten towns and at one music and cultural festival. In two of the towns there were also large festivals going on at the same time. Many of the passers-by stopped to look at the beautiful, tranquil Falun Dafa exercises and were drawn to the memorial wreaths of practitioners in China who had died trying to reveal the truth of the persecution to the public and reveal Falun Dafa’s magnificent characteristics of Truthfulness – Compassion - Forbearance. A lot of people took information fliers about Falun Gong and the evil persecution in China, signed the petition and some even learnt the exercises of Falun Dafa.

Throughout the trip Falun Gong received much support from the major local media in the northern part of Sweden for example, from newspapers, radio and local news programs on TV. Moreover, some local newspapers published articles or letters to the editor written by practitioners addressing the persecution in China. Some had published articles earlier about Falun Dafa practitioners’ activities. Also, in one newspaper, Vasterbottenskuriren, a big article had been published one week earlier about the mass murders of the fifteen female practitioners in Wanjia labour camp. The province in which Wanjia is located, Heilongjiang province, is a so called "friendship province" to the province of Vasterbotten in Sweden.

The practitioners also received support from several local politicians. For example, In Ostersund, the Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board (much like a mayor in other countries) came and held a very good and supportive speech at local activities, he also wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the two local newspapers. In Sollefteå, the chairmen of both the Local Council and Municipal Executive Board met with practitioners and discussed the situation in China then signed a petition asking for an end to the persecution. In Skelleftea, the practitioners received a statement from local representatives of the Swedish Liberal party, in which they among other things expressed their support to the forbearing practitioners in China. In Umea, a local politician expressed his opinions about the persecution of Falun Gong in China, in the local TV-news.