On the 7th of April 2004, the student union of the Free University in Amsterdam organised a public debate for candidates of the EU parliament presidency. The participants also included members of the EU parliament, important Dutch politicians from all parties, well-known professors, Dutch Falun Gong practitioners, the chancellor of the Free University Amsterdam, and representatives from many Dutch communities.
The debate started at 11:30 am in the Main Hall of the Free University. The theme of the debate was “How to promote the EU’s future economic development and strengthen its security.” But the human rights issues raised by Falun Gong practitioners were an indispensable and major topic, and this was agreed by all the participants.
The practitioners handed a report on the Chinese persecution of Falun Gong to the president of the Dutch Pro-EU Movement, the former Dutch Defence Minister, the leader of the Dutch Labour party and several of the candidates. During the recess, a university student told one practitioner: “We have just got the news from the Dutch Foreign Minister who is currently visiting China that ‘the human rights situation in China is very good.’” The practitioner replied: “The Dutch Foreign Minister has been deceived by the present Chinese Government and Jiang’s regime.”
The debate continued. Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xianghe was given an opportunity to speak. With a cordless microphone in her hand, she informed everyone of the true picture in China, the brutal persecution faced by hundreds of thousands of Chinese Falun Gong practitioners for insisting on believing in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, five of Ms Wang’s relatives were also affected.
Wang Xianghe’s personal experience effectively exposed the lies of Jiang’s regime. She said “The Chinese Government has always deceived other countries and their people. The fact is, the human rights situation in China today is worst than ever. For example, Falun Gong is a practice that teaches people to be kind and to maintain a healthy body; its practitioners only practise the five sets of exercises and follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. To be good people, is a fundamental right of human beings, but, in China, such rights have been taken away. Falun Gong practitioners in China are brutally persecuted because they want to keep the right to be good people, by practising Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. Thousands of practitioners have died from all kinds of horrific torture methods and hundreds of thousands are currently suffering inhuman torture in prisons. Five of my relatives have been subjected to the persecution: my 87 year old mother was detained seven times; my eldest brother has been in prison for nearly three years; my second eldest brother and his wife and children are now closely monitored by the police. I hope the Dutch Government and everyone here can pay greater attention to the situation, and extend to Falun Gong practitioners in China a helping hand! Thank you!” The hall was dead silent everyone had been listening quietly; moments later, thunderous applause erupted.
After the meeting, most people received an introductory flyer on Falun Gong and some more relevant information.
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