France: People are Concerned with the Ongoing Persecution of Falun Gong in China

Using the opportunity of International Human Rights Day, for three days between the 8th and 12th of December 2006, Falun Gong practitioners showed the film "Sandstorm" in two cities. The film exposes the Chinese Communist regime’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China. A daily newspaper reported the activity and the article also mentioned the CCP's atrocity of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

The movie “Sandstorm” is an independent film produced in Canada, which depicts the torture and abuse suffered by a Falun Gong practitioner in China. This movie has received many prizes around the world. Falun Gong practitioners hope that by showing the movie, more people could learn about the persecution taking place in China. The mayors of the two cities all supported this plan. With the cooperation of relevant cultural departments, the movie was successfully screened.

A table was arranged at the entrance to the hall where the film was screened in every city. On the table were materials about Falun Gong, versions of the “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party” (an editorial published by The Epoch Times newspaper), a petition form calling for the end to organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist regime and a signature book.

To support the first screening of the film, a representative of Amnesty International and a representative of the Human Rights Alliance and lawyers all came to view the film.

After the show, some young students came to tell Falun Gong practitioners how they were shocked by the torture depicted in the movie. They asked practitioners to show the movie at their universities so that more students could learn the facts. They also said that they would talk to their fellow students about the movie. At the entrance, many stayed around to discuss the issue with Falun Gong practitioners. They thanked practitioners for letting them know about the persecution.

The effect of the screening was also very good. After the show, an eighteen year old girl expressed shock at how such horrific events could happen. She raised a few questions to practitioners. She also wrote in the signature book saying, "Please don’t forget to show the movie in schools."

December 10th was “International Human Rights day”. The movie was screened in a local cinema. The audience actively discussed human rights issues with practitioners. A reporter from a weekly newspaper also came to the cinema and stayed until the discussion was over. He looked to be very shocked and said he would write a relevant article. A qigong enthusiast, who had visited China a few times, wanted to know why other qigong types are not suppressed. She thought that Falun Gong was involved in politics and posed a threat to the Chinese government. Practitioners told her that Falun Gong is never involved in politics and is not a threat to any government. It is the Chinese Communist’s character of “lying, evilness and violence” that determined it cannot tolerate people who believe in “truthfulness, compassion and forbearance” central to Falun Gong. Jiang Zemin’s jealousy and desire for power made him unable to tolerate the goodness of Falun Gong practiced by hundreds of millions of people. Jiang Zemin and the Chinese Communist regime helped each other to initiate the brutal persecution campaign against Falun Gong.

During the three day screening, many people wrote in the signature book:

“I liked this movie very much. Thank you for bringing news from the outside world. I hope the decision to persecute Falun Gong will be reversed as soon as possible.”

“The movie is excellent. However I feel very bad. It is very difficult for us to imagine that in today’s world there are still such terrible things happening.”

“After seeing this movie, we cannot stay silent any more about what happens in China. We must do something. We are very sorry we didn’t do anything. Hope these cultivators have a beautiful future.”