United Kingdom: Anti-Torture Exhibition in Southampton University Receives Strong Support from Students

On Tuesday 18th January 2005, after receiving an invitation from Amnesty International of Southampton University (AISU), Falun Gong practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition on the campus. This exhibition exposed the Chinese Communist Party and the Jiang regime’s brutal five plus years of persecution against Falun Gong practitioners and called on the public to pay attention to this matter.

Poster exhibits and a live anti-torture exhibition were held simultaneously both in and outside of the Student Union hall. Indoors, Amnesty International provided video players to continuously show films revealing what Falun Gong is and exposing the persecution happening in China. Outdoors, the peaceful scene of practitioners demonstrating the five sets of Falun Gong exercises to beautiful music bore a strong contrast with the live anti-torture exhibition displaying some of the methods of torture used to try to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their beliefs. Human rights workers have documented over 38,000 specific cases of torture or severe abuse against Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Live anti-torture exhibition	Video about Falun Gong and the persecution
A member of Amnesty International collects petition signatures	Members of Amnesty International with practitioners

The Southampton University students expressed their concern and sympathy for China’s persecuted Falun gong practitioners. Hundreds of people did not hesitate to sign their names on a petition after learning the truth. Many students kept saying, “Unbelievable, unbelievable” upon learning that such a peaceful cultivation practice is being persecuted by Jiang’s regime in China and at over 1300 deaths through police abuse and torture have been confirmed, with government sources inside China indicating that the actual number could be over 7,000.

This event was initiated by Amnesty International of Southampton University (AISU) after they contacted and helped Falun Gong practitioners. AISU Members also collected signatures to support taking legal action against Jiang Zemin, the driving force behind the genocide against Faun Gong in China.

Before the anti-torture exhibition started, some members of the City Council called or wrote letters to wish the event success. One Member of Parliament wrote to thank practitioners for providing information on Falun Gong’s anti-torture exhibition: “As a member of Amnesty International, I know about the Chinese Government’s human rights violations. I support any means that can change the current status of China’s appalling human rights record.”