Holland: During the EU-China Summit, People were Shocked by the Brutal Persecution Against Falun Gong Practitioners in China

On the 8th of December, during the EU-China summit, Falun Gong practitioners from Holland, Belgium and Germany held an anti-torture exhibition on the square outside the Houses of Parliament in The Hague. This was the third day of activities in the square for Falun Gong practitioners, continuing their efforts to raise awareness of the persecution from the 6th and the 7th of December. A large number of people, including lots of staff working in the Houses of Parliament, saw the anti-torture exhibition and were very shocked. One by one they condemned Jiang Zemin and his regime’s crimes against Falun Gong practitioners. Many people signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution. Plenty of media organisations came to report on the appeal, including a Finnish TV station.

Many people find learning about the atrocities that are happening in China a very emotional experience. One lady was riding her bike past the exhibition and a practitioner went to give her a newspaper so she could find out more. She took it and burst into tears.

Members of the Tibetan human rights community saw the anti-torture exhibition and said to practitioners, “The way you use this exhibition to express your feelings today convinces people and is so very powerful.”

A Dutch girl and her boyfriend told a practitioner that they had been living in Jiangsu in China for a long time and they have neither heard of Falun Gong nor know what is happening to Falun Gong practitioners. After seeing the anti-torture exhibition and learning the truth about Falun Gong, they were very shocked. They are professional teachers in China and they said they would tell their students the truth about Falun Gong when they go back.

When some practitioners went home by train, we saw a newspaper lying on the seat. Randomly flicking through the pages, we saw an enormous picture of Falun Gong practitioners doing the exercises entitled “Falun Gong practitioners protest against the Chinese Government” (Please note: Falun Gong practitioners are in fact only protesting against Jiang and his regime’s persecution of Falun gong). That newspaper is free and has a huge circulation.