Leipzig People’s News: On foot from the City of Borna to the City of Chemnitz, Germany

Leipzig People’s News,
November 15, 2001
By Nikolaus Natsidis

Leipzig People’s News: On foot from the City of Borna to the City of Chemnitz, Germany

Members of the Falun Gong Community Pause in Borna along their Protest Walk
(The walk took place in what was formerly Communist East Germany; translator)

From Borna: Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are three principles of Falun Gong, a Chinese cultivation system and meditation practice which has been popularized and made headlines for the past two years here, especially through their mention of their members’ persecution in China. Yesterday was the first time that Falun Gong members raised eyebrows in Borna. Three women and two men had walked the seven hours from Leipzig to Borna. Their route was a part of their protest march with which the Chinese – three students as well as a housewife and a German language student – wanted to raise awareness of the problems the group faces in China, which has been dubbed an undesirable group by the Chinese government. The walkers handed out informative flyers and newspapers along their route.

“We want to walk from Berlin to Munich,” said 31-year-old Ms. Zhihong Zheng, adding that she and her [fellow practitioners] were at first very welcome in their practice during the early 1990s. Only after the Chinese government began to fear for their power base did the repressions start. Since the prohibition of the movement, supposed to be more than 70 million strong, “are being persecuted at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.” Many of those have actually disappeared in re-education-through-labor-camps. There are even Communist party members who practice Falun Gong, so relates Ms. Guang Yang who studies economics at Berlin’s Humboldt University.

At their arrival in Borna, the young Chinese became even more aware of the differences between their home country and Germany. While they would prudently avoid contact with any security personnel in their land, they turned to the police in Grimmaer Street for information and assistance. The police officers referred them to a pastor couple, Elisabeth and Martin Roth, who arranged for an overnight stay for the walkers with young people of their congregation.

These young marchers manage to walk 30-50 km per day and speak excellent German. “We look for lodging with people who have a good heart,” said Ms. Zhihong Zheng. Three days before they found a family who shared their three-room apartment with them for the night. The five Chinese felt welcome and recognized the three principles of Truth, Compassion and Forbearance.