Chile: Introducing Falun Dafa During the 2004 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit

In mid November 2004, Peruvian Falun Dafa practitioners held a series of activities to introduce Falun Dafa during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held in Chile. The following are some related reports.

I. On November 16th, 2004, practitioners from Peru arrived in Santiago, the capital city of Chile, and joined practitioners from France, Spain, Sweden, the US, Mexico, Australia, Dominica, Venezuela and Chile. We practised the exercises and studied the principles of Falun Dafa in a small park opposite the hotel where we stayed. At noon, practitioners from Chile showed us where we could demonstrate the exercises in a downtown square. A television station reporter conducted an interview of us there. When we arrived at the square, we found that the police were setting up road blocks to the square. Practitioners handed out flyers to the police and clarified the truth about Falun Gong to them. The police showed us to a park in nearby residential area. We began practising the exercises. Reporters from TV stations interviewed practitioners from Chile, Peru, Australia and the US.

Sitting in front of the APEC conference centre	Handing out flyers to people in cars headed for the APEC meetings

On November 17th, we went to the downtown square to demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises and display picture boards in Spanish exposing the Jiang faction's persecution of Falun Gong. Many people stopped, looked at the boards and requested flyers. We often heard people exclaim in great surprise that practitioners were different from what the Chinese Embassy described on TV. VOA Broadcasting Station interviewed the practitioners.

In the afternoon, we went to the Chinese Embassy. Before reaching the embassy, we found the police standing in lines blocking our way. I was surprised why there were so many police. I smiled and greeted these police officers whose faces were tight and expressionless. I handed out Falun Gong truth clarification flyers to them, but they did not let us go near the embassy. They said during the APEC summit, considering the Chinese leaders' security issue, we had to hold activities at designated areas. We hung up banners, set up information display boards and began practising the Falun Gong exercises on the street opposite the embassy. Some practitioners distributed flyers to tourists. The police took turns looking at our display boards and gradually left. Opposite the street, four police officers stood still facing us. Peru practitioners walked up to them and gave them flyers. At the beginning, they did not accept our flyers, and asked the practitioners to leave. With our strong righteous thoughts, they began to feel relaxed, and peacefully listened to practitioners explaining the facts about the Jiang faction's persecution of Falun Gong. They had been observing us the whole time, and they couldn't help but say, "You just do this (making gesture of erecting a palm) and this (making gesture of lotus palm), and then practise exercises. You are very quiet and peaceful, without doing anything extreme." They pointed at the Chinese Embassy and said, "Why are they so afraid of you? They asked our boss to send more people here, and said the more the better. A hundred police came here at 5 o'clock in the morning, and we haven't had our lunch yet."

II. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit was held from November 18-21, 2004 in Santiago, the capital of Chile. Chinese president Hu Jintao visited Argentina first and arrived in Santiago with the Chinese delegation on November 18.

In the afternoon, practitioners from Peru, France, Spain, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic went to the hotel where the Chinese president stayed to send forth righteous thoughts. The staff of the hotel told us that the Chinese president selected this hotel, and the Chinese delegation occupied the 14th to 25th floors (the hotel has 28 floors in total).

The banner hung opposite the hotel where the Chinese delegation stayed

On November 20, the APEC summit began. In early morning, practitioners from Spain, France, the UK, the US, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and practitioners who just arrived the day before from Argentina gathered at the entrance to the conference centre of APEC to practise the exercises. They divided into two groups and waited at the two sides of the conference centre.

Practitioners stood at the roadside while holding a banner reading: "Falun Dafa is great" and banners calling for an end to the persecution. Motorcades with media staff from various countries continuously passed us. A Japanese TV station showed great interest and interviewed practitioners. The area the police designated for us to hold activities was the park not far from the APEC conference centre. The road where we stood was the way in for vehicles to the conference centre. People in the vehicles could see clearly the banners and truth clarification display boards we placed at the roadside. Several media interviewed us.

A large bus full of Chinese people stopped in front of us, the driver got out to remove the road blocks. The woman sitting in the front seat saw us standing at the door. She quickly stood up to close the door, but seeing that she could not move the door, she used the small curtain to try and wrap her body. We were surprised that she was so scared. The man sitting behind her waved his fist at us. I smiled and said to him, "Falun Dafa is great." Other Chinese people in the bus dared not accept our flyers, but most of them looked favourably at us.

Several thousand flyers were quickly distributed. Some practitioners went back to our hotel to get more. We distributed flyers until nightfall. We went directly to the hotel where Chinese president Hu Jintao stayed. We practised the exercises and sent forth righteous thoughts at the police designated area opposite the hotel. Banners hanging at both side of the road were facing the road where the Chinese delegation's motorcade would pass. The lights of vehicles shone on the banner reading "Falun Dafa is Great," making the words very eye catching. When we about to leave, the police came to help us hail taxis.

Interview by Chile Magazine Agency	Being interviewed by a local TV station while introducing Falun Dafa in Iquique, in northern Chile

On November 21st, as the APEC summit concluded, leaders and delegations from various countries began leaving Chile. In the morning, the police did not allow us to move near the hotel. We guessed that the Chinese delegation had not left yet. Two practitioners and I stayed at the airport overnight to wait for the arrival of the Chinese delegation. On the morning of November 22nd, we stood at the roadside of the airport entrance and sent forth righteous thoughts. A police officer came over to talk to us. We told him that we were waiting for the Chinese delegation. He understood and told us that the Chinese delegation was leaving today, and pointed out which plane was theirs.

When the Chinese plane stopped at the gate, the motorcade of the Chinese delegation slowly drove into the airport. As we could not hold banners at the airport, each of us wore a yellow T-shirt inside our overcoat. When the motorcade of the Chinese delegation passed us, we took off our overcoats. I shouted loudly to the motorcade, "Falun Dafa is great!" The police around us gave us a path to show our T-shirts. I made a big stride forward and waved to each car and shouted, "Falun Dafa is great!" I believe all Chinese people in the motorcade saw us Falun Gong practitioners wearing yellow T-shirts, and also heard us saying, "Falun Dafa is great!"