United Kingdom: Activity During Edinburgh Festival to Rescue Orphaned Children of Falun Gong Practitioners Receives the Support of Many People

In order to promote the rescue of the orphaned children of Falun Gong practitioners cruelly persecuted to death by the Chinese Communist Party, UK Falun Gong practitioners held an activity on Prince's Street on August 7th, 2005, the opening day of the Edinburgh International Art Festival. Practitioners used various means including music, singing, dances, demonstrations of Falun Gong exercises, a photo exhibition and petition signature collection, to let people know about the persecution and to appeal for people’s support. Many onlookers were deeply shocked when they learned about the situation in China and offered their support.

This activity gave people a chance to learn about the cruel persecution of Falun Gong practitioners carried out by the evil Chinese Communist Party and instigated by Jiang Zemin, and which began on July 20th 1999. This persecution has harmed a great number of innocent Chinese children whose parents have been persecuted to death or sent to prison because they would not give up their belief in Falun Gong. Of the children, some are deeply lonely and depressed, some are looked after by relatives and some depend on other children.

Lawyers have defined the persecution of Falun Gong as genocide. Many millions of children have suffered in this persecution. Many have been cruelly tortured because they practise Falun Gong. Many others were orphaned or neglected when their parents were tortured to death or detained for a long period of time. In some cases, they are forced to leave their schools and their homes.

In addition to the slander concocted by the Chinese media toward Falun Gong practitioners, the Chinese authorities’ ill-treat Falun Gong practitioners by "defaming their reputation, bankrupting them financially, and destroying them physically" and apply much pressure to those relatives who adopt Falun Gong practitioners’ orphans, who also have a hard time as they are discriminated against in school and in society.

UK Falun Gong practitioners hope that these activities will cause people to become aware of the plight of those children and assist in their rescue.