United States: Falun Gong Practitioners Invited to Participate in Atlanta's Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Activities

To commemorate the 75th birthday of famous American slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated non-violent resistance, an annual large-scale memorial activity was held on January 19 in Atlanta. On the morning of January 19, a traditional wreath-laying ceremony and ecumenical service was conducted in the well-known Ebenezer Baptist Church. Dr. King's widow, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Dr. King's four children and family members, their friends, members from the Kennedy family, Georgia State Governor, Sonny Perdue, Lieutenant Governor, Mark Taylor, Georgia Secretary of State, Cathy Cox, Mayor of Atlanta, Shirley Franklin, and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis attended the service.

Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Becky Yao and Mr. Robert were invited as honourable guests to attend the breakfast reception and the memorial ceremony.

Ms. Yao introduced that since July 1999, Falun Gong encountered an unprecedented persecution. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Centre has continuously paid attention to this and supported Falun Gong practitioners peaceful and rational appeals. They also agree with Falun Gong practitioners' spiritual belief of "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance." In April 2001, Mrs. King wrote a letter to Ms. Mary Robinson, the President of the United Nations Human Rights Committee at that time and called for her to stand up to speak for Falun Gong practitioners' human rights and give full support to have imprisoned practitioners released. Mrs. King also wrote a congratulation letter in November 2003 to the Falun Dafa Southeast Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference held in Atlanta. In the letter, she expressed her respect towards Falun Gong practitioners for their persistent non-violent resistance and praised Falun Gong practitioners' courage, dedication and leading role in counteracting the persecution. She called upon all people throughout the world who love peace to unite together to support the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners in China. She also called on the Chinese government to have a more tolerant policy.

Mr. Lu Zhaohui, who has drawn great attention from Georgia government and local citizens, accepted media interviews. He said, "Through international communities' effort in rescuing my wife, my wife was just released from the labour camp after 3 years and 2 months of detention. In fact, she did not obtain real freedom. She is under severe surveillance from local police and neighbourhood committee. Her phone is tapped. On this special day to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I call upon international communities and kind people who support human rights to pay attention to this inhuman persecution of Falun Gong in China. Only when this persecution is stopped, can Falun Gong practitioners truly obtain freedom of belief."

After the ceremony, a few dozen Falun Gong practitioners from Atlanta joined in the march that was attended by thousands of people in the afternoon. They hoped more people could learn about Falun Gong and help appeal for the very basic human rights for Falun Gong practitioners in China. In the cold wind, there were still thousands of people watching the march.