Ireland: Irish Student Organisations Appeal for Falun Gong Practitioners Suffering Persecution in China

On Friday the 27th of November, Irish Dafa practitioners were joined by students from the main Dublin universities in a rally to call for the release of Dun Laoghaire students Mr. Liu Feng and Ms Fang Yang. These two students are suffering persecution in China because they are Falun Dafa practitioners. Mr Liu Feng returned to China at the 1999 Christmas break and is now illegally imprisoned in a notorious Dalian labour camp. The Irish students were very concerned for Liu Feng’s safety: Five Falun Gong practitioners have been confirmed dead from maltreatment in this labour camp.

Representatives from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the Students’ Union of Trinity College (SU of TCD) and the Graduate Students’ Union of Trinity College (GSU of TCD) gave speeches during the rally. They showed strong support for Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights. Mr. Michael Dowling, the president of GSU of TCD, said in his speech that he could still remember the large-scale campaign for TCD student Zhao Ming’s release. He then said “We should double our efforts to get these two Chinese students Mr. Feng Liu and Ms. Fang Yang released.”

Zhao Ming also spoke about the suffering he went through in Chinese labour camps. Ming was imprisoned for almost 2 years because he practises Falun Gong, before being released after rescue efforts from the people of Ireland and the rest of the world. Ming went on to outline the lawsuits that have been launched against Jiang Zemin and his accomplices, charging them with genocide and crimes against humanity in their persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

The rally was followed by a march to the Irish Prime Minister’s Office, where representatives of eight Students’ Unions and Societies from USI and major Dublin universities handed in a co-signed letter. They then went on to the Chinese Embassy to hand in a letter appealing for justice but the Embassy officials refused to accept it.

Students from Dublin University prepare to hand in a letter to the Irish Prime Minister	Students taking part in the rally
Mr. Garech Keogh, Vice President of the Irish Students Union	Mr. Donal Maddock, President of the Falun Dafa Society of Dublin City University, speaking outside the Chinese Embassy
Speech by Ms. Annie Gatling, President of Students' Union of Trinity