United Kingdom: Falun Gong Practitioners Invited to hold a Seminar at Southampton University

In the afternoon of the 12th of January 2005, after receiving an invitation from Amnesty International of Southampton University (AISU), Falun Gong practitioners in the UK held a seminar dedicated to the subject of Falun Gong for members of AISU. Using videos as an introduction, practitioners explained to the audience what exactly Falun Gong is. Chinese and western practitioners shared their own personal experiences to expose the atrociousness and wickedness of this persecution started by Jiang Zemin’s Communist regime.

A UK practitioner gave the audience a brief introduction to Falun Gong and the persecution Jiang Zemin started against the practice in China. Drawing on numerous real cases, she thoroughly analysed the reasons why such systematic and ferocious persecution lasted for five years. Mr. He from mainland China shared his personal experience with the audience. Mr. He benefited mentally and physically from practising Falun Gong. But for telling the government “Falun Gong is good,” he was sacked from his job, arrested and tortured. Mr. He’s brother is still to this day being persecuted in China. A friend of Mr. He’s was arrested for practising Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. Soon afterwards, this friend was tortured to death. Nobody could bear to lay an eye on his body.

A British practitioner gave an account of how he came in touch with Falun Gong and started practising, how he petitioned in front of the Chinese Embassy in London against the persecution and how he went over to China for peaceful appeals. In conclusion, he emphasised that torture also exists in other parts of the world, but what is different is that Falun Gong practitioners can be released as long as they betray their conscience and sign documents saying that they will no longer practise.

Members of Amnesty International were shocked by the truth of this brutal persecution which Jiang’s regime had done everything to cover up. Some couldn’t help shedding tears at the miseries of those Falun Gong practitioners who suffered torture. Everyone listened intently during practitioners’ recounts. The whole room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. The seminar lasted for two hours. At the end practitioners answered questions from the audience. When the seminar finished, the audience applauded to show appreciation. An Amnesty International member from France said that as a matter of fact she had heard news reports on this topic in France. But at the time related official news coverage was all negatives. She could not believe the facts were like this. Her experience showed precisely the evil acts of Jiang’ Zemin’s regime trying to extend the persecution outside of China.

After the seminar, many people went forward in person and thanked practitioners time and again. Some stayed behind with intense interest to talk with practitioners one-to-one. The Amnesty International’s director promised to help Falun Gong practitioners with concrete efforts in the future.