Before the Meeting of UN Human Rights Commission, International Human Rights Organisations Held a Human Rights Dinner and Dance

“The human rights dinner and dance held tonight is to convey a powerful message: culture is the most effective medium to safeguard every citizen’s basic freedom and rights. In a world full of violence and injustice, we know that human nature is longing for brightness and harmony. Culture and art can give us courage and enable us to feel sympathy for the suffering of others. Culture links people’s emotions together and inspires us to join hands to safeguard the most beautiful thing in our society. Since July the 20th 1999 when the Chinese government banned Falun Gong out of fear, they have persecuted traditional Chinese culture which emphasises harmony and balance. We firmly believe that the ill-treatment that Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to will further strengthen their belief in the principles of ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.’ I hope that the pleasure we feel tonight can be spread out through the medium of culture.”

The human rights dinner and dance organised by the Association of World Citizens and the International Society for Human Rights was held today in the Grand Casino de Geneva near the beautiful Lake Geneva. Just like the President of the Association of World Citizens, Mr. Rene Wadlow, said in his congratulatory speech, the Association of World Citizens and Society for Human Rights, which has long been devoted to safeguarding human rights, hoped to convey to people the ideals of peace and kindness. Through beautiful music and dance, the human rights evening hoped to remind people of the continuous violations of human rights in other parts of the world, telling people the holiness of safeguarding human rights, and encouraging people to help stop the persecution with their conscience and courage. Taking place before the meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission, the human rights evening appeared more meaningful.

European Choir sang ‘Coming for You’

Dance: Fa’s Light Shining from the Heavens	Dance: Dunhuang Dance
Piano solo: Returning	Violin solo: Melody of the Early-Morning Grass, Predestined Relationship with Master
Dance: Flying Heavenly Girl dance	Dance: Fan Dancing
Mime Act: Human Rights	Male Vocal piece: Boundless

Since July 1999, the Association of World Citizens and the International Society for Human Rights have focused their concern on the severe persecution of Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights by the Chinese Government and have taken action to call on the international society to pay attention to these violations and to ask the Chinese Government to immediately stop the persecution. The International Society for Human Rights based in Germany had already held petition signature collection campaigns to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong, calling on the German Government to take action against the severe violations of Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights.

In January 2002 Xiong Wei, a Falun Gong practitioner who studied in Berlin Technical University was arrested in Beijing while handing out literature exposing the persecution of Falun Gong, and was sentenced to two years in a forced labour camp without trial. When the German based International Society for Human Rights heard the news, they immediately held a petition signature collection and postcard campaign calling for the release of Xiong Wei. At the same time, they staged public demonstrations to call on the German government to help secure her freedom. With the help of the International Society for Human Rights, other human rights organisations and the German government, Xiong Wei was released from the labour camp on January the 5th 2004. But she has not regained real freedom because she is still under severe monitoring in China. International human rights organisations claimed that they will continuously offer all possible help until Xiong Wei regains her freedom, until all the imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners are released and until China stops the persecution of Falun Gong. In 2003, they submitted the cases of persecuted Falun Gong practitioners under the “1503 procedure” and demanded that the UN create a commission to investigate China’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioners, artists from Germany and Sweden, and the ‘Coming for You’ choir were invited to attend the human rights dinner. With their original music and dance, Dafa practitioners displayed to the audience the beauty of Dafa and the harmony and brightness that “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance” brings to people. The pieces “Tiananmen, Do You Know Why?” and “Release Xiong Wei” truthfully told the audience about the evil persecution that millions of Falun Gong practitioners and their family are suffering from, and displayed their peaceful and rational attempts to stop of the persecution when faced with the evil. The song “Coming for You” concluded the human rights dinner, telling the people the heartfelt wish of Falun Gong practitioners all over the world.