United States: On the Fifth Anniversary of April 25 Appeal Eyewitnesses Hold an Outdoor Symposium to Clarify the Truth

This was the fifth anniversary of the April 25 Appeal by 10,000 people on April 25, 1999 in Beijing. Many people still have many questions about why Falun Gong practitioners went to appeal to the central government. In order to let people learn the series of events that led to the historic appeal, Bay Area Falun Gong practitioners held an Outdoor Symposium at a park known as, Garden Corner, in San Francisco's Chinatown. Five eyewitnesses who participated in the April 25 Appeal briefly recounted their experiences to the audience, and answered their questions. The assistant of Congressman Thomas Lantos, Ms. Farr, came to attend the symposium and gave a speech.

Eyewitness of the April 25 Appeal Mr. Bian Xuzhuang gives a speech	The assistant of Congressman Thomas Lantos gives a speech
During the symposium, passers-by request materials	The audience member carefully looks at the truth-clarification photos
Clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution in China	Three young children are learning the Falun Gong exercises

Tom Lantos' assistant, Ms. Farr, expressed her happiness to be invited to attend this event. She continued that Congressman Tom Lantos and the Human rights Caucus learned about the incident soon after the April 25 appeal by 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners, and appreciated the satisfactory resolution to the appeal. On one hand, practitioners who were appealing acted peacefully, rational and responsibly and the government leaders wisely resolved the matter on the same day. Congressman Lantos and Human Rights Caucus were very happy to see evidence of the progress of China's democracy and rule of law.

Ms. Farr also said that unfortunately, some people in the Chinese government overturned such a good resolution later and began all-out political campaign of persecution targeting Falun Gong.

Ms. Farr expressed that based on her understanding of China's value of traditional culture, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" is the most fundamental and essential principle in China's traditional culture. She said that China's wise people's teachings of thousands of years should have helped the Chinese government become more reasonable and responsible in dealing with the Falun Gong issue. She hoped that the Chinese government leadership would make a wiser decision in future, begin a dialogue with Falun Gong practitioners, or would not interfere with Falun Gong practitioners' freedom. This would be progress in China, at least it could heal some wounds and pains.

Eyewitness Ms. Shen Shumin introduced her experience in participating in the April 25 Appeal. She said that where Falun Gong practitioners went at that time was the State Council Appeals Office on Fuyou Street in Beijing, and the police directed practitioners to line up outside Zhongnanhai. The practitioners' peaceful and civilized behaviour made the nervous police relaxed. Some police officers came to practitioners to get to know the facts about Falun Gong.

Ms. Yang Li who used to work as paediatrician in Beijing said that the second day after the appeal, on April 26, some large newspapers in Beijing published a notice from the State Council Appeals Office, it didn't say "siege." The so-called "siege Zhongnanhai" was slanderous words created after July 20, 1999 when overall persecution of Falun Gong began. But in fact, harassing Falun Gong's regular activities and human rights persecution had started before April 25, 1999, but they were not publicly announced to the public. Ms. Yang said Zhuan Falun had remained as one of the best seller books in Beijing's newspapers in 1996 for several months, but banned from publication in 1997.

Several eyewitnesses introduced that Falun Gong had been widespread nationwide and was very popular before 1999. They also talked about their benefits after practicing Falun Gong, and successive harassment and persecution in different places. They said that police officers in some areas even showed practitioners No. 555 document issued in July 1998 by the Ministry of Public Security when they harassed practitioners' activities. They adopted a policy of convict first and then investigate, which resulted in the police in different areas' harassing practice sites, confiscating tape recorders, even breaking into homes to ransack them so as to "gather evidence."

Mr. Bian Xuzhuang answered the audience' questions and said that Falun Gong practitioners' appeal was treated unfairly, practitioners presented to related departments' leaders the true situation of Falun Gong. The practitioners believed that the government could make a just decision for its people. Falun Gong practitioners had no political agenda involved with their appeal. Practitioners home and abroad, have been peaceful, rational and sincere in their appeal activities. The accusation of "getting involved in politics" is nothing but a label Jiang forced on Falun Gong in order to justify his illegal and political campaign of persecution.

Western practitioner Lan Ning introduced through a translator that the chief culprit Jiang who launched the persecution and some of his followers have been sued in many countries and regions including the US, Germany, Taiwan and Belgium on charges of torture, genocide and crimes against humanity. Some officials have already been found guilty. Lan Ning expressed that the lawsuits aimed to stop the persecutors' behaviour through legal approach.

Lan Ning said that in China, many people are captive to Jiang's despotic power and have been coerced into participating in the persecution out of fear of losing jobs, houses and other personal interests, even when they themselves became the target of persecution. The persecution of Falun Gong has been forced by Jiang on different levels of government and the society. Talking from this perspective, those who were persecuted are not only Falun Gong practitioners but also include all the people who carried out the persecution against their conscience and under great pressure. The lawsuits against Jiang and the "610 Office" that should bear direct responsibility for the persecution do not target the Chinese nation but on the contrary advocate for the benefits and human rights of China and all Chinese people.

The day was shiny. During the symposium, some passers-by took the initiative to request information and materials on the topic, some talked with practitioners to learn the facts. Three children learned the exercises from practitioners. A passers-by named Guo listened to the discussion, and learned that nearly a thousand Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of the persecution. Many practitioners suffered brutal torture. The Jiang's group encouraged the use of such brutal torture methods, they are really too evil.