Switzerland: Speeches of Support for Falun Gong Day

1.
We wish you the best for you and your fellow walkers for your proclamation.
Sincerely,
Your EDU Canton Zurich
Daniel Sauter, Secretary of the Canton

Declaration of the EDU (a Swiss political party) of Canton Zurich on the occasion of the peace proclamation on Saturday, December 15th, 2001 at Buerkliplatz (a public square) in Zuerich/Switzerland

The EDU of Canton Zuerich salutes today’s peace proclamation and thanks the organizers and participants for their valuable efforts.

This proclamation supports the endeavour for peace and justice on the basis of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. It is these principles that even today enable people to live in a free and dignified society.

That is the reason why the EDU condemns any state or private persecution on the basis of race, religion or societal affiliation.

Specifically, the EDU condemns discrimination and persecution of Christians and Falun Gong practitioners because of their belief system at the hands of the Chinese government.

2.
“The Greens (a political party) as the Party for peace and human rights support this world-wide undertaking for exactly these reasons. When we as human are attempting to have a future we have no shortcuts or detours to make human rights and peace a reality. It depends on all of us to become active and remain active.”

[…]

Green City of Zurich
Ralf Margreiter, Party Secretary

3.
“The Young CVP (a political party) harshly condemns all those human rights abuses which are perpetrated in many nations. Especially in China, where the Olympic Games will take place in 2008, an outmoded Communist regime is trying to survive by torturing and murdering its opponents.

Our greatest wish for the 21st Century is this: that this century will see the end of this totalitarian, human rights-ignoring regime.

With heartfelt thanks for your efforts and greetings,

Elias Welti
President of the JCVP, Canton Zuerich

4.
I wish to greet you all and thank you for coming here, together to work against war and terrorism and to accomplish something with Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

I also thank those who were able to free time on short notice, within one week, to be here, either in person or to contribute something in writing to this proclamation day. It made me happy to realize that all those who were not able to be here in person did everything in their power to support this special effort. I received the last written communication at 12:38 A.M., which made a big impression on me.
[…]

The central tenets of Falun Gong are Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and to live by them. [..] To research these three principles on your own and to recognize them by living [according to] them is the basis of Falun Gong. That is not a question of belief but instead a way of thinking and experiencing.

The practitioners in China, out of love for their fellow man and for future values in human society, risk everything and come to the public, often under the most precarious circumstances to convey their conviction in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

Once one has lived these values, which are not solely taught by Falun Gong, one will never again be willing to give them up, something that has nothing to do with being fanatical. I find these people admirable, they who make active contributions to see that honesty, respect and cordiality are once more becoming values to be lived by in China. With these values a foundation is built for peace.

The Chinese government shows its rotten-ness and ill will by terrorizing such values and the attempts to destroy them; by persecuting those citizens who attempt to live by these good values; by demonstrating contempt for human rights; by slandering Falun Gong as an undesirable group; by spreading lies, saying that Falun Gong’s founder, Master Li Hiongzhi is rich and living in luxury.

The Chinese government, with their false statements gives the impression and wants the rest of the world to believe that Falun Gong practitioners are under economic duress, that Master Li is exploiting them financially.

This information is also slanderous. The Falun Gong movement has absolutely no financial goals. The movement is loosely organized and has no membership lists and does therefore not collect any membership fees. All activities associated with Falun Gong and participation in the exercises are free of charge and are non-binding. One can practise in a group or by oneself. All of Master Li’s written materials are available without cost through the Internet.

If Master Li would need money, he could market all his writings via the Internet and through bookstores. With over a million practitioners he could be wealthy in a short time. But because of his compassion he does not do that, the main reason being that he then would no longer be credible and so would all his practitioners.

Many wise men throughout history,.., when pointing people toward happiness, have never asked for money, telling people instead that everyone has to find freedom and happiness within their own hearts. That then is a question of one’s lived and recognized compassion.

I find it hard to believe that people have given credence to the Chinese government’s position in the beginning, a government that even today insists that no one was killed in the student massacre (1989), in spite of the fact that photographs to the contrary were shown around the world and everyone knows that there were hundreds of victims who were murdered. This makes it evident that this lying, modern regime has no interest in human beings who themselves have recognized and are attempting to live by the values of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

To cite one example: Mrs. Wang Lixuan, 27 years old, was arrested along with her eight-month-old infant. They broke her neck and smashed her skull. While she was tortured, they killed her son. His body was covered with wounds. From that example alone one can recognize Jiang Zemin and his cronies’ value system – rottenness and contempt for human life.

5.
Worldwide Recognition for Peace…

Li Hongzhi and the Falun Gong movement have received more than 600 commendations, in Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia and the United States, and, before the ban of the movement in 1999, even China bestowed an award. A committee of the European Parliament had nominated Mr. Li Hongzhi as candidate for the EU 2001 Sakharov Prize. This honour recognizes those personages and organizations who work tirelessly for human rights and against oppression and for basic human rights and intervene for injustice. This year, The Honorable Mr. Kofi Anan of the UN was nominated for and received the Nobel Peace Prize. Among the candidates was also Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong.

(Original text in German)