Thailand: Falun Gong Practitioners Hold a Candlelight Vigil

On the morning of July 24, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in Thailand came to a park in Bangkok to hold a candlelight vigil to commemorate fellow practitioners who have given their lives for persisting in their belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" over the past five years.

Practitioners sat peacefully on the lawn, holding the photos of Falun Gong practitioners who have died as a result of the persecution, and wreathes and lighted candles were laid out to commemorate these uncompromising souls.

Over the past five years, the regime of the ex-president of China, Jiang, began a brutal suppression of Falun Gong. Hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been deprived of their freedom of belief and basic human rights, more than 1,000 practitioners have died as a result of the persecution, and countless practitioners have been subjected to torture.

Practitioners in Thailand commemorated fellow practitioners and exposed the Jiang regime's evil nature.

Besides suppressing Falun Gong inside China, Jiang Zemin has also extended the persecution outside of China, instructing Chinese Embassies and Consulates in different countries to infringe upon Falun Gong practitioners' human rights. In Thailand, whenever there are international conferences held or when Chinese leaders visited Thailand, the Chinese Embassy would demand that the Thailand Police intensify the surveillance of Falun Gong practitioners. Recently on July 11-16, the 15th International AIDS Conference was held in Thailand, and the Chinese Embassy demanded again that the Thailand Police closely monitor and follow some Falun Gong practitioners. The request for unreasonable intervention was rejected by the police.

Over the past five years, Falun Gong practitioners have continuously introduced Falun Dafa to the people and government officials, who show sympathy and support Falun Gong. More and more people have learned about the facts and have stood up to resist the persecution.

During the candlelight vigil, practitioners distributed Falun Gong truth clarification materials to people passing by. Some passers-by were attracted by the solemn and serene scene, and immediately asked the practitioners to teach them the exercises.