Article from UK Newspaper Aberdeen Evening Express: 'Chinese Group Is Supported by Scots'

29 June 2004

Supporters of a spiritual movement outlawed by the Chinese authorities visited Aberdeen yesterday as part of a Scottish tour.

The Falun Gong practitioners put on demonstrations of their exercise regime and drummed up support outside Marks & Spencer in the afternoon.

The movement, created in 1992, incorporates meditation and breathing exercises which are designed to harness energy in the body. It is based on a philosophy of compassion and tolerance.¹

But controversy has surrounded the movement for the past five years since it was outlawed by the Communist government in China after supporters there surged to 70million. The Chinese authorities [have] cracked down heavily on followers.

Hundreds of thousands of people in China are estimated to have been sent to labour camps, and hundreds handed jail sentences. Falun Gong supporters, who number 100million worldwide, condemn this persecution.

Scots supporters are angry that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been invited to take part in the Edinburgh Tattoo this summer. Former president Jiang Zemin, who outlawed Falun Gong, is leader of the PLA and Scots practitioners feel this invitation sends out the wrong message about human rights.

Rosemary Byfield, an adult literacy teacher from Edinburgh, taking part in yesterday's event, said: "There is an army involved in the persecution of innocent people doing meditation, which is a great infringement on human rights, and I don't think they should be honoured. I just feel it is not a good message."

Mrs Byfield, who has been involved in Falun Gong for five years, has experienced the Chinese authority's persecution first hand, when she was arrested in Beijing in 2002.She was there with a group of western followers, due to take part in a demonstration for the movement in Tiananmen Square, but she was arrested, detained and interrogated before being deported.

Yesterday, Mrs Byfield said she was delighted with the visit: "It went very well and more than 100 people signed our petition against the Chinese army being invited to the Edinburgh Festival."

The group will also visit Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aviemore and Fort William.

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1 Falun Gong which has a long history was first introduced to the public in 1992. It contains five sets of exercises which does not have breathing method involved. It is based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.
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