Turkey: Falun Gong Practitioners Expose the Persecution of Falun Gong in China at an International Peace Conference

Jointly hosted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT), Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the International Local Governments Peace Conference was held in the renowned tourist site Cappadocia in Nevsehir province of Turkey from 25th to 28th of September 2005. Over 1,200 people attended the conference, including many officials from the above international organisations, local government heads from forty-five nations and regions, some representatives from Non-Governmental organisations and officials from many Turkish provinces and cities. Three Falun Gong practitioners representing Turkish Falun Gong Association also attended the conference with permission.

During the conference, Falun Gong practitioners made wide contact with representatives from the world’s five continents, and distributed introductory materials about Falun Gong (written materials, VCD and leaflets) to many participants including UN officials. They also talked to them about the six-year-long brutal persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in China. The conference organiser gave special permission for Falun Gong practitioner to give a brief speech in the conference.

Exposing to the conference participants the Chinese Communist regime’s brutal persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China, one practitioner said, "Since July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party and the Jiang regime have carried out genocide and persecution against Falun Gong practitioners believing in “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance”. To date, over 2,740 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death, many thousands were forcibly sent to mental hospitals because of their belief in Falun Gong, over 6,000 innocent people were illegally sent to prisons and over 10,000 practitioners have been illegally detained in forced labour camps. This six-year long brutal persecution is still going on today. Because of the total control of the media by the Chinese Communist regime, many people are still unaware of the true situation of this persecution."

Ending the speech, practitioner whole-heartedly hoped that all conference participants could learn about the Chinese Communist regime’s genocidal persecution against Falun Gong practitioners and appealed to all peace-loving organisations in the world to stop this ongoing brutal persecution.

After hearing about the persecution, all conference participants and reporters were shocked. Officials from some international organisations and representatives from many countries expressed their great concern for the persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Ms Cristina Monteys from UNESCO met practitioners twice during the conference. Talking to the practitioners, she repeatedly stressed, “The constitution and role of UNESCO is to contribute peace and security by promoting collaborations among nations through education, science and culture, to help build a peaceful culture among nations, and at the same time maintain and develop the freedom of belief of humankind.” She expressed that she would work together with Falun Gong practitioners to bring this persecution to an end as soon as possible.

Ms Sera Poole, the principal UN representative to Turkey, came and talked to practitioners during the conference break. She said, "We should let more people know about the persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in China." She hoped that in this land of freedom and democracy in Turkey, more people would hear the voices of Falun Gong practitioners and that Falun Gong would get more and wide sympathy and support.

During the conference, UN officials who met with practitioners and expressed their support included: Mr Ananthakrishman from UN-HABITAT, the general secretary of the Turkish Local Governments Association Mr Saffet Ozdemir and Mr Hasan Soyguzel from UN 21st Century Programme in Yalova City of Turkey.

After learning of the sufferings of Falun Gong practitioners in China, Ms Fatimata Traore from Mali’s Women Association angrily said, “The Chinese Communist regime’s inhuman violence would surely be condemned by all the people and organisations believing in justice. They will be discarded by all kind-hearted people.”

The head of the largest Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajans, Ms Funda Okcu, Mr Himmet Polatel from the Turkish media company Plato Medya Yapim and reporters from other news agencies all expressed that to show their support to Falun Gong they would expose the Chinese Communist regime’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in the media, letting more people learn the truth about the persecution.

During the short four-day conference, the great efforts by practitioners helped the conference participants truly understanding the genocidal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners occurring in China. They won concern, sympathy and support.