United States: Practitioners Rally in front of Chinese Consulate in New York to Commemorate the Eighth Anniversary of the April 25th Appeal

Eight years ago, on April 25th, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful appeal in downtown Beijing to request the release of 45 practitioners arrested in Tianjin, to protect their practice environment, and to obtain permission to publish Falun Gong books.

The then Prime Minister talked with several practitioners and the issues were resolved. This is the well-known April 25th peaceful appeal. The international community has expressed admiration for practitioners' rationality, confidence, self-discipline and high social ethics. This was the first time that the international media reported on Falun Gong. But on July 20th, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), under the control of Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan, initiated a widespread persecution against Falun Gong. They implemented all of their propaganda tools to slander Falun Gong, filling China and the whole world with lies.

Vice president of Business Development of the Epoch Times: Don't sacrifice yourselves for the CCP

The persecution has lasted for eight years, and it has caused the CCP's disintegration. Facing brutal persecution, Falun Gong practitioners continue to clarify the facts with compassionate and kind-hearts.

On April 25th, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners in New York gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate to explain the facts of the April 25th appeal, commemorate fellow practitioners who have been tortured to death and condemn the persecution. More than ten practitioners gave speeches. Two Chinese people, who are not practitioners, also announced their withdrawal from the CCP on the spot and exposed the CCP's persecution. The speeches were conveyed to the Chinese Consulate with a loud speaker and resounded clearly.

It was rainy with a cold wind in front of the Chinese Consulate in New York.

Dr. Shi Caiwei, who participated in the appeal in 1999 and met the then Prime Minister, said, "On April 25th eight year ago, we went to the National Appeals Office with great sincerity and kindness and requested the Chinese government to respect the basic rights of freedom of belief stipulated in the constitution. The Prime Minister, Zhu Rongji, dealt with our appeal properly and ordered the release of the practitioners arrested in Tianjin. He also wished to further resolve our other reasonable requests through discussion."

Dr. Shi said, "Under that condition, especially facing a group of sincere, kind-hearted, and rational practitioners, he was given an opportunity to do a beneficial thing for people with his own conscience. But such an open-mind solution was quickly denied by the evil CCP led by Jiang Zemin."

Western practitioner Ben Zgoudny said, "Falun Gong teaches me to be a good man. I have benefited physically and mentally. The persecution is brutal and has lasted eight years. The CCP even harvests organs from live Falun Gong practitioners. The CCP regime is evil. Twenty million Chinese people have renounced the CCP. I hope all Chinese people quit the CCP and all western people come to know about the brutal persecution and killing of innocent people in China."

Ms. Cherrie Yang from Massachusetts Institute of Technology told of the arrest of her mother, Yan Ling, on March 26th in China. She said, "My mother was arrested at home in Tianjin for distributing three hundreds copies of Minghui Weekly... [Editors note: a paper that clarifies the facts of Falun Gong]. The police beat my father for trying to put a coat on my mother. My mother did not commit a crime. She was taken away for more than one month. No one can tell how my mother is being treated in detention centre. To this day, the CCP denies the persecution. My family's suffering is evidence and confirms that the CCP tells lies. Today, I demand the CCP regime to release my mother and let her return home."

Ms. Jin Yudan renounced the CCP on the spot. She said, "I announce my withdrawal from the CCP today for many reasons. The number of people persecuted by CCP is too many."

"The CCP will be under historical trial," said spokesperson Wang Zhiyuan of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), "WOIPFG has been supported by many righteous people from all circles and has obtained numerous evidence of the CCP's crimes. Preparations for a grand trial have been accomplished. The staff in the Chinese Consulates have been involved in the CCP's persecution, whatever your purpose of working here. Working for the people and helping to stop the persecution is your only hope for a good future."

Mr. Wang Yuanqing, Vice President of Business Development of the Epoch Times, said, "Falun Gong practitioners have kept clarifying the facts peacefully and rationally for eight years. CCP officials, are you not touched? Actually, you know the CCP is inhumane. I hope that people with conscience will help stop the persecution. The day when the CCP disintegrates draws near. Don't follow the CCP and sacrifice yourselves for it."

Falun Gong practitioner Li Jinyu condemned the CCP, saying, "On November 10th, 2006, Shanghai Putuo Court sentenced my brother-in-law, Mr. Lin Mingli, to a six-year term of in prison without evidence on suspicion that he spread the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. Another practitioner, Shao Hongzhen, is a good mother and wife in her neighborhood and was sentenced to three years in a labour camp for persisting in practising Falun Gong. Even her child was sentenced to a labour camp for one and a half years. Recently, Ms. Shao was unlawfully sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for distributing CDs of the Nine Commentaries. Ms. Shao's parents passed away in 2002 and 2006 due to harassment by the police. These are just a few cases of countless brutal persecution. The CCP always stays above law and uses the law as a tool to suppress dissidents. The Nine Commentaries have spread to every country. Ms. Shao has a right to distribute this book. Why is the CCP so afraid of it? Because the CCP is so evil that it cannot allow any criticism. Therefore, the great tide of twenty million withdrawals has occurred."Ms. Yi Rong, worked as a staff in the Chinese Foreign Ministry and later went to study at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She said, "We Falun Gong practitioners keep protesting the persecution and clarifying the facts and hope people stand on the side of righteousness. We don't hope the CCP will change since its evil nature cannot change. The number of withdrawals from the CCP now stands at twenty million. We hope that those people with a conscience in the consulate will be clear-minded and quit the CCP for a safe future."

At the end of the rally, practitioners spoke out together, "Falun Dafa is good", "Spread the Nine Commentaries" and "Heaven will destroy the CCP".