November 17/18, 2001
Chinese nationals protest persecution in their homeland
Limbach-Oberfrohna/Chemnitz (These are names of German towns; translator).
Young Chinese nationals who are presently walking from Munich to Berlin wish to create awareness for Falun Gong practitioners who are wantonly persecuted for their belief system in their home-country of China. These young people spent the night at the deacon’s residence of the city church of Limbach. “ Falun Gong is a meditation system for body and mind. The practice strengthens one’s health and improves mental harmony. Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are the three principles which are bringing her followers a lifestyle change,” so said Miss Guang Yang.
The 29-year-old woman is a student at Berlin’s Humboldt University. “ In 1992, Teacher Li made this practice public. Until then it had only been told to select individuals. Until 1999, the number of followers in China was approximately 70 million. The Chinese ruling party did not have that many members,” she continued. That number alone was a thorn in the eyes of the ruling Chinese party, which now viewed Falun Gong as a threat. They reacted with repression. The young Chinese hope to create awareness about this situation with their walk. Human rights abuses include torture, incarceration in mental facilities and brutal abuse in re-education-through-forced-labour-camps. Up until now the persecution has cost 309 Falun Gong members their lives.
Sponsor of this visit in Limbach originated from the parsonage in the City of Borna, where the demonstrators had spent the previous night. “We wish to send signals against the persecution, repression and human rights abuses,” said Pastor Ulrich Naumann of Limbach, adding that, “hospitality is a Christian virtue.”
Yesterday the group left for Chemnitz, where they will deliver a letter to officials describing their plea.
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