EFGIC: The Colour Yellow is Illegal in France!

STOCKHOLM (EFGIC) – During the Chinese New Year celebrations over the last weekend in France, 20 Chinese and Western practitioners were arrested, simply because they wore yellow scarves or yellow sweaters with the words of "Falun Gong" or "Zhen Shan Ren" (meaning Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance). The French police told them that they were arrested because “Yellow was illegal in France”. Even people not wearing yellow, but just wearing blue scarves with the words “Falun Dafa” were arrested.

Earlier on, appeals from the French Falun Dafa Association to participate in the official parade on the Champs Elysee to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a lion dance and drummers, as well as other activities, were refused by the Paris police due to the "Chinese government's attitude towards Falun Gong". According to a local policeman, it was decided during a meeting on Saturday morning that all clothing that could refer to Falun Gong - be it a plain yellow jacket, or a scarf reading "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" - but also to pro-Tibetan movements, would lead to immediate arrest when worn in the proximity of the official activities. One Falun Gong practitioner, who was arrested by plain clothes police for wearing a blue scarf, met some people in custody wearing jackets that read the Chinese characters "Beijing Bike Association". Because the police couldn't read the characters, they were arrested just the same.

This blatant form of discrimination and violation of one's freedom of expression during a festival that should praise and celebrate the magnificence of Chinese culture, clearly results from the pressure of the dictatorial regime that suppresses the Chinese people. It is a shocking fact that this is taking place in France, a democratic country that traditionally upholds justice and human rights.

The following open letter has been signed by a number of leading human rights lawyers:

An Open Letter to the Government of France

We, human rights attorneys from the U.S., Taiwan, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Spain, are deeply disturbed to hear that scores of practitioners of Falun Gong spiritual movement were detained yesterday by the police in Paris. It appears that these individuals were singled out for detention simply because they were wearing yellow scarves or yellow shirts, indicating that they were practitioners of Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual meditation exercise now banned in China. We understand that the individuals who were detained were peaceful and had not harmed or threatened anyone. This incident occurred during the official state visit to France by Hu Jintao, Secretary General of the Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China. We regret that the French government failed to demonstrate its support for human rights in China and to urge that the Chinese government respect freedoms of conscience, expression, and association. The French government, through these acts of repression, has not only sent the wrong message to the Chinese government, it regrettably appears to have violated basic principles of civil and human rights. The French government’s action raises disturbing questions about whether France is willing to restrict hard-won freedoms solely to appease the Communist Chinese state.

While together here at an international conference on genocide in Stockholm, Sweden, in affiliation with the Stockholm International Forum, we would like to call on the government of France to immediately initiate an investigation of this incident, and to ensure that essential human rights to freedom of association and freedom of belief are fully respected. France has been known as a democratic country with a long-standing history of liberty and freedom. What occurred yesterday brings doubt to the free world that France intends to respect that history.

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NEWS – 28 January 2004
European Falun Gong Information Centre, www.clearharmony.net

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Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practise of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” It is a practise that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practises such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practised in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practising Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practise in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang’s regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practise while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practise it.

The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 869 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE EUROPEAN FALUN GONG INFORMATION CENTRE
Peter Jauhal 44 (0) 7739 172 452. Nicolas Schols 32 (0) 479875734
More contacts. http://www.falungonginfo.net/europe.htm
Email: [email protected]