Russia: Introducing Falun Gong in the Far East and Exposing the Persecution (1)

On the evening of August the 7th 2004, five Russian Falun Gong practitioners met two others in Blagovescensk city. They had let people know about Falun Dafa and distributed information in Chita city several days before and had prepared thoroughly for the trip to the Far East this time. They brought sleeping bags in case they could not find a hotel on the trip. Besides daily necessities, all they brought were leaflets and information about Falun Dafa. Even so, their baggage far exceeded the permitted weight

After arriving at the hotel that had been arranged, we discovered that a local television station was in the same building. There was also a national television station not far away. We decided to go out and talk to the local Chinese first thing the following day and then to different media and government departments. Everyone’s bags were full of materials in Chinese.

A day later we visited all the Chinese markets and shops. The Chinese people were happy to receive our leaflets. While we distributed the materials, we sent forth righteous thoughts all the time.

In the evening, we arrived at the dock of the Amur River (China’s Heilong River). China was on the opposite bank of the river. Many people take a walk along the riverbank in the evening. We started to practise the meditation exercise on a flat place under some stone steps beside the river, and then sent forth righteous thoughts. Two practitioners distributed leaflets at the side of the road.

Maybe because it was the first time that Falun Dafa practitioners practised the exercises publicly in Blagovescensk City and China was just in the other bank of the river, but when we practised the fifth set of the exercises, our legs were extremely painful. One practitioner had the symptoms of fever. We were aware it was interference, so we started to send forth righteous thoughts together. After more than ten minutes, the situation became better; even the clouds seemed to respond. Many passersby gathered to enquire about the exercises, including two brothers, who seemed to sense the energy we emitted when practising the exercises. They wanted to learn the exercises, so we exchanged our telephone numbers and promised to give them Falun Dafa materials such as books and a Falun Dafa Exercise Instruction Video-CD.

On August the 9th, we got up early to practise the exercises. Afterwards, we waited in front of a nearby TV station. We explained to the persons in charge why we were visiting them. We told them we were from different cities and travelled far to Blagovescensk city in order to tell them the facts about Falun Dafa. Because the city was near China and affected by economic factors, the lies that the Jiang regime in China spread to persecute Falun Gong practitioners also influenced Blagovescensk City. People in Blagovescensk were also cheated by the lies that Chinese media used to slander Falun Gong. We wanted to tell people in Blagovescensk that Falun Dafa was good, and to expose the lies of the Jiang regime.

After hearing the truth, the persons in charge immediately asked reporters and photographers to interview us. They took pictures of us practising the exercises and interviewed practitioners. Practitioners talked about their personal experiences of improved health and elevated morality from practising Falun Dafa. They also answered the reporter's questions as to why the innocent practitioners in China were persecuted. The interview was broadcast on the evening news later that day.

The interview at the Television Station

In the afternoon, we went to talk to different government organisations and news media in small groups. Another TV station also interviewed us and reported on the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

We left Blagovescensk city by train that night and went on to Habarovsk.