On May the 9th 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in Washington DC gathered in front of the United States Capitol and celebrated the Fifth World Falun Dafa Day. Large banners that read "World Falun Dafa Day" and "Worldwide Celebration" were hung on tents. The practitioners gave various performances.
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| Beginners learn Falun Gong exercises | Exercise demo |
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| Ms. Fan Yagu call for help to rescue her mother |
Appreciation to Master Li for his spreading Falun Dafa worldwide
The host said that every practitioner has a story. Many people recovered from severe illness after practising Falun Gong. The more important thing is that everyone understands the real meaning of life and follows the principles Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.
Falun Gong practitioners sang a chorus of Coming for You in both Chinese and English, and performed a dragon dance, fairy dance and Falun Gong exercise demo. Several young Falun Gong practitioners performed solo of bamboo flute, lute, and violin. Students from Minghui School sang a chorus of Pure Flow in Dirty World, and Be Saved.
A grand exhibition of nearly one hundred large photos of The Journey of Falun Dafa was held on the lawn in front of the Capitol. The exhibition showed photos of Falun Dafa, spreading from China in 1992 to around the world, photos of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and the peaceful protest and clarification of the truth by Falun Gong practitioners. Many passers-by including Chinese visitors stopped and looked at the photos.
Falun Dafa Spreads to over 60 Countries
Falun Dafa has spread to over 60 countries and Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa, has been translated to 25 languages. Many governments (including certain government departments in China before the persecution) issued a total of over 1200 awards and proclamations to Falun Gong. A lady said that she recently often received phone calls from people interested in learning Falun Gong. Ms. Yu from Maryland said that recently people came to several practice sites to learn Falun Gong. More and more Westerners are beginning to learn Falun Gong.
Appealing on Mother's Day
Sunday May 9 was Mother's Day. However, Ms. Fan Yagu's mother is being detained in No. 1 Detention Centre, Department of Public Security, Zhongzhou, Henan Province, China. She was arrested three times for not giving up Falun Gong practice. She has been detained for over five months this time. Her family members do not have information about her current situation. Ms. Fan lived in Maryland and came to DC to participate in the event and collect signatures to help gain her mom's release. Ms. Fan appealed to people to help rescue her mom. Many passers-by expressed sympathy and signed an appeal letter. More information about Ms. Fan's mother can be found at the report "The Appeal from A Daughter in the U.S.: Please Help Rescue My Mother, Who is Being Persecuted in a Prison in Henan Province, China" http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200403/18495.html.
In China, many people have similar or even worse suffering than Ms. Fan's mother. Jiang group's persecution of Falun Gong results in many broken families and arrests of many practitioners. So far at least 950 practitioners have been tortured to death and tens of thousands of practitioners are still imprisoned in jails, labour camps and mental hospitals. Jiang Zemin, the culprit of the persecution, and his followers have been charged in lawsuits in over 10 countries for their genocide, torture and crimes against humanity. On May 27, lawsuit in Chicago will have a debate of lawyers from both plaintiff and defendant and judge will make a rule afterwards. Recently, former governor of Liaoning Province, Bo Xilai has been charged in lawsuits in Washington DC and Britain for his persecution of Falun Gong.
Meeting with Congress Representatives
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| Congressman Jim Moran with Falun Gong practitioners | |
On another lawn in front of the Capitol there was a Rally of One Million Mothers on the same day. Many congressmen came to give speech. Falun Gong practitioners met several representatives from Maryland and Virginia.
A high school student, Falun Gong practitioner Nie Hao talked with Congressman Moran about the Pedals of Peace and the bike ride from Washington DC to Chicago. On May 13th, 2004 a group of teenagers will leave Washington DC to embark on a 700 mile bicycle ride to Chicago. More information can be found at /www.pedalsofpeace.org.
Ms. Shi also narrated about her passport issue, whereby the Chinese Embassy has refused renew her passport. Congressman Moran expressed sympathy and said that quite a few Falun Gong practitioners have had a similar experience.
Ms. Fan Yagu also met a congresswoman from Maryland and narrated her mom's suffering. The congresswoman said that she would meet Ms. Fan again in her office to discuss issues related to rescuing Ms. Fan's mother.
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