Why Did We Come to the Conference in Geneva?

From the 1st to the 4th of April 2006, Falun Gong practitioners from over thirty European nations and Taiwan gathered in Geneva to attend the 2006 European Falun Gong Experience Sharing Conference and its related events. During the conference, a series of activities were organised to expose the atrocities taking place in the Chinese Communist regime’s concentration camps. Falun Gong practitioners appealed to all nations of the world to help stop the regime’s relentless persecution of Falun Gong.

The experience sharing conference is a good opportunity for sharing and learning from each other

Namscoz from Eastern Europe said: “I was very impressed with the conference. Many practitioners spoke about their cultivation experiences. I am deeply moved by many of them and couldn’t stop the tears. I was very encouraged by other practitioners’ experiences. We could do many things ourselves as well. I also saw lots of my shortcomings. This was a very good opportunity which helps me to look inward and cultivate inward. I learned a lot for my future cultivation.”

Mike from Denmark said: “I have come to Geneva for experience sharing conferences many times. I think it is very good. Many practitioners come together to share and learn from each other. After listening to the sharing by many practitioners, I am very motivated and have lots of ideas for my future cultivation. The conference is very helpful to my cultivation.”

Practitioners from Latvia thought that compared to the previous conferences practitioners in general have changed a lot. They have stepped out from their personal cultivation status and walked into the cultivation of the Fa-rectification period.

Jia Ning from Taiwan returned to Taiwan after living in Germany for many years. She said: “Although there are various projects in the work and practitioners come from different countries with different languages and some languages I could not understand at all, we all cultivate in the same way and can cultivate well and upgrade ourselves. This is the most moving part.”

From the experience sharing speeches, some practitioners realised that there is still a big gap between Europe and North America. Especially in some important events, practitioners in Europe could not react as promptly as their North American counterparts.

Sixty-seven year old Pan Weiqin managed to come to Germany after three difficult years in China. This was the first time that she attended a large-scale experience sharing conference abroad. She was extremely excited. She told the reporter: “Prior to 1999, there were many conferences in each district of Beijing on a similar scale. Once there were ten experience sharing conferences at the same time. After the persecution, there were no more large-scale conferences.”

In 2001 the police and agents from the “6.10” office arrested Pan’s daughter to be brainwashed and planned to arrest her as well. She ran away with her grandson in the night and managed to escape to Germany afterward. Among people with whom she practised Falun Gong, some were illegally sentenced for many years, some lost all contacts after being taken away by the police and some are still running around without a home. Pan continued: “The truth-clarification efforts by overseas Falun Gong practitioners play a crucial role in suppressing the persecution in China. In China when I went out to give out material telling people the truth about Falun Gong, I was not sure if I would return home safely. The conditions abroad are much better. I treasure this period greatly when I can tell people the truth, expose the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party and validate the Fa. Because I don’t know German very well, I go to tourist attractions to give out truth-clarifying materials every afternoon. I talk to people from China face-to-face. I will try to do even better.”

Appeal to the all nations in the world to stop Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong

This was the third time French Falun Gong practitioner Hanna went to Geneva. She considered Geneva very important because experience sharing is different every year. Attending experience sharing conferences is very important to her so that she would be able to follow the pace of the Fa-rectification. She also wanted to join the demonstration to show her objection to torture and to call for the end to the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners around the world cultivate by the same principles. However practitioners in China are subjected to such brutal persecution, especially the atrocities in the secret concentration camps where organs are harvested for profit from Falun Gong practitioners while they are still alive made her realise how important the Geneva event was. She was from Poland. The atrocities reminded her of the terrible scenes suffered by the Jews in concentration camps in Poland. She planned to have a seminar in Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp in Poland to expose to the world the atrocities that are occurring in China.

Falun Gong practitioner Andrea from Germany said: “It is necessary to let everyone know about the atrocities being committed in the secret concentration camps. Especially [if we look at how] the Nazis persecuted the Jews before. At that time the concentration camps were secret. Even when someone knew of their existence, they chose to stay silent. We have to tell people about the terrible events happening in China. The atrocities are even worse than those that happened in the Nazi concentration camps against Jews. We must stop these terrible things occurring again. Because the United Nations Human Rights Commission is holding its conference, we can appeal to them to stop the atrocities. This is my first purpose for coming here. Through a large scale parade, we also hope to raise awareness of the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong.”

Practitioners from Taiwan

Some practitioner from Taiwan came to Geneva after attending activities in New York and Washington DC. This was the third time Mr Li came to Geneva. He just retired. He said: “The United Nations’ Human Rights Commission sites are in Geneva. China is a permanent member of the UN. It should abide by the UN’s human rights treaties. Falun Gong is a most peaceful activity. The Chinese constitution stipulates that its citizens have rights to their belief, union and gatherings. Why, against its own constitution, did the Chinese Communist regime ban Falun Gong in China and persecute Falun Gong? It is therefore necessary to let the whole world know the truth. We want to expose to the UN the crimes committed by the Chinese Communist regime against Falun Gong and appeal to the whole world to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong. This is my ultimate aim of coming here.” About atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist regime in the secret concentration camps, Mr Li said: “I was extremely shocked and saddened when I heard this news. It’s a government’s responsibility to protect its citizens. But the Chinese Communist regime always persecutes its own people. The organs were harvested for profit while they are still alive. This is against heavenly principles. The Chinese communist regime must be dissolved so that its citizens can truly enjoy freedom.”

Distributing “the Nine Commentaries” is the most urgent task

Lechovsky from Latvia said: “Coming to Geneva is such a good opportunity. It would help people to raise their concern about terrible human rights problems in China. I hope through international communities, a way can be found to peacefully solve the conflicts between different cultures and beliefs. The Chinese Communist regime’s large-scale persecution of Falun Gong and other groups, and its wide abuse of human rights, must be stopped.”

Shenbokos has practised Falun Gong for three years. When he learned about the atrocities in the secret concentration camps, he was saddened, but not shocked because people should not have any illusion about the Communist Party. He felt he should hurry up to distribute the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and let the media know about this book to help them report the atrocities, helping more people to learn the events occurring in China. The book would help people to know exactly what the Communist Party is and why such atrocities can occur. He considered distributing the “Nine Commentaries” as the most urgent task.

Practitioners from Latvia

Because the Communist Party also ruled Latvia, practitioners in the photo said that they joined the activities of the Communist Party’s youth league when they were young. Because they grew up in such environment, many things that were obviously wrong became correct and good in their eyes. After reading the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, they realised their thoughts were wrong and it was a great obstacle to their cultivation. Only through repeatedly reading the “Nine Commentaries”, could they completely break through these obstacles.