The Shorthorn (University of Texas at Arlington) Reports Falun Gong Activity on Campus

On noon of March 8, Tuesday, 2005, The Student Peace Action Network (SPAN) at University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and Falun Gong practitioners from Dallas-Forth Worth Area held an activity on the Central Library mall on the campus to raise the awareness of Falun Dafa and the persecution in China. Practitioners demonstrated the five-set Falun Gong exercises. After learning about the plight of Mr. Qu Yanlai, a Falun Gong practitioner and a graduate of Shanghai Jiaotong University, who has been imprisoned for several years and went on hunger strike for more than 780 days for upholding his belief in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance, student organization SPAN of UTA decided to sponsor this activity. They helped make and distribute flyers introducing Falun Dafa, exposing the persecution, and calling for the urgent rescue of Qu Yanlai. The Shorthorn, a UTA student newspaper of came to cover the event and published a report on the event the next day and a huge photo on its front page. Below is the report entitled, "Falun Down", authored by Tristan Vawters, the Shorthorn Assistant news editor.

Nine Falun Dafa practitioners sat with their legs crossed Tuesday afternoon on the Central Library mall and performed their forbidden exercise.

The Student Peace Action Network and engineering professor Bei Gou demonstrated how the Chinese communist government denies Dafa practitioners their civil rights.

Falun Dafa is an ancient practice for the mind, body and spirit which is guided by the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. It started in 1992, but since [1999], China's practitioners have been jailed and tortured for their activities.

"There's a lack of human rights in China," said Gou, who is also a practitioner. "What we have are practitioners being persecuted because there's more practitioners than members of the communist party."

Former communist leader Jiang Zemin ordered their persecution because he feared losing control over the people's minds, according to the Falun Dafa Web site. More than 100 million people practice Falun Dafa worldwide.

The practitioners on campus performed Falun Dafa exercises by stretching out their arms and moving them in controlled circular motions. They ended with a meditation session.

Practitioner Yucy Luv of Richardson sat side-by-side with her three children to the event throughout the demonstration.

"I have been a practitioner since 1997," Luv said. "Before, when I didn't practice, I felt tired, but now I have more energy. My body is comfortable. It has changed my personality a lot. I'm a better person."

The network's president Zach Salo said Gou came to him wanting to focus on the Chinese civil rights issue.

"It was important to inform students of what Falun Dafa is, and how they are being denied their human rights based on what they exercise," the biology junior said. "Everybody knows of the persecution of Christians and Muslims, but not Falun Dafa."