Radio Free Asia Report on Falun Gong Practitioners Press Conference

Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners from various places worldwide have continuously arrived in Paris, France to participate in the celebratory activities of the Spring Festival. Below is a summary of a Radio Free Asia report from the 22nd of January by Tian-yi, an RFA special correspondent in Germany.

Due to interference from the Chinese government, Falun Gong practitioners’ application to participate in the Spring Festival celebrations was refused. Now this has become a great event that has attracted many people’s attention in Europe. For this, Falun Gong practitioners in charge of the Spring Festival celebrations held a press conference in Paris on the eve of the event. Mr. Zhang Jian-ping, a spokesperson for the Falun Gong Information centre informed reporters about what has happened on the streets of Paris.

Mr. Zhang stated that at 4 o’clock on the afternoon just gone, a press conference was held in the press club in France. Well-known media, such as RTF station, Currier International, the Central News Agency, the Sunday Daily, the New Tang Dynasty, and the Epoch Times, came for interviews. Practitioners introduced the situation and said that it should not be allowed for French citizens rights to be infringed upon. France is the place where human rights began and people should stand up for this principle, especially to protect the rights of all French citizens.

He then introduced the situation to all reporters present at the time.

Mr. Zhang continued to say that this matter involved the cruel persecution of Falun Gong in China. Practitioners also answered some questions in this regard. The press conference was originally to be held for an hour, however it lasted beyond this as there were two Falun Gong practitioners who were directly persecuted in China and gave their testimony on the spot. One was Dai Zhizhen, whose husband was persecuted to death because he said “Falun Dafa is good.” The other Falun Gong practitioner, whose husband worked in the Chinese Embassy in France, was locked up and experienced various cruel torture and brainwashing for more than a year when she went back to her hometown to tell people about how China persecutes Falun Gong. Both were interviewed because the reporters were interested in their stories.

Based on the reporter’s understanding, the effect of rejecting Falun Gong’s application has become enormous because the scale and impact of the Spring Festival celebrations this year was greater than in previous years. Some of the media present criticised the French government, who were overlooking morality and principle at a time when Chinese president Hu Jintao was visiting France.