United Kingdom: "Truthfulness, Compassion & Tolerance” Art Exhibition Held in Cambridge with Compliments from MP and Mayor

On August 15th, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners held an exhibition of paintings with the title "Truthfulness, Compassion & Tolerance” in the Lord Rank Room of Wesley House in Cambridge. The opening ceremony was attended by MP David Howarth, Mayor Robert Dryden, Ms. Joanne Gray, a staff member of Cambridgeshire Council in charge of community learning and development, Mr. Jim Stirmey, representative of Wesley House, a Cambridge city councilor and several local artists.

Mr. David Howarth delivers a speech at the opening ceremony	A visitor views a painting	A practitioner discusses the persecution with a visitor

In the opening remarks, Mr. Stirmey hoped that visitors would benefit from the two week long art exhibition and he looked forward to professional discussions about the paintings on display. In Mr. David Howarth’s speech, he reminded the UK government and the international community that in addition to paying attention to China’s economic growth, they should also watch over China’s human rights issues.

Mr. Howarth commented that he was very glad to see the art exhibition held in Cambridge city as the paintings revealed a serious problem in China where the Falun Gong cultivation group is being severely persecuted. He indicated that he had started a campaign in parliament to keep close track on China’s infringement against freedom of belief. He also pointed out that even though China’s economic situation has undergone drastic changes, nothing has changed in terms of human rights and political reforms. He insisted that the western countries should take China’s deregulation as a business opportunity only when human rights are not sacrificed. Therefore, he called upon the UK government and citizens as well as all the people in the western countries to bring up human rights issues to the Chinese communist regime, especially those related to freedom of belief and freedom of thought.

Mrs. Shu made a statement on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. She gave an account of the persecution that she and her family members and friends had suffered in China because of practicing Falun Gong. She urged all of the people who were aware of the truth help to stop the persecution.

Mrs. Arezoo Miraftabi, a coordinator of the art exhibition, also gave an introduction to the audience about the brutal persecution that the Chinese communist regime has committed against Falun Gong. She highlighted the crime of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese communist regime.

After visiting the art exhibition, a retired art lecturer and sculptor said the art exhibition would bring Chinese culture to the western society and motivate the westerners to identify the root inside the Chinese culture where they could find consonance. He added that holding art exhibitions is an important way to leave a deep impression on people. From this art exhibition, he understood the situation of Falun Gong’s persecution in China and he knew the efforts made by the UK government to stop the persecution was not enough.

The forty three paintings displayed in the art exhibition were categorised into four subjects, including “The wonderfulness of practicing Falun Gong,” “The brutal persecution committed by the Chinese dictatorship against Falun Gong,” “Voices of anti-persecution around the world,” and “Justice will prevail over Evil.” All of the artists whose paintings were displayed in the exhibition are Falun Gong practitioners. Among them, three have been cruelly persecuted in China because of practicing Falun Gong. This exhibition was the third time that the "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance” Art Exhibition has been held in Cambridge.