Ireland: Commemorating April 25th, 1999

At 10 am on the 25th of April 2007, Falun Gong practitioners in Ireland held a protest at the Chinese Embassy to Ireland. They commemorated the 25th of April 1999, when ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners in China peacefully appealed at the Beijing Bureau of Complaint. Practitioners in Ireland protested against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) eight years of brutal persecution, raised awareness about the peaceful appeal on the 25th of April 1999 and exposed organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners, which is taking place today. They also supported the twenty million Chinese who have quit the CCP.

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Dai gave a speech at the press conference, explaining exactly what happened in 1999 from several aspects. If the CCP had given any thought at all to the future of the nation, it would not have started or continued with this inhuman persecution for as long as eight years.Falun Gong has spread across the world and practitioners’ peacefulness, rationality and perseverance in righteous beliefs are highly regarded by the international community.

According to Ms. Dai, the “4.25” appeal was not the cause of the CCP’s persecution, which had systematically started as early as 1996 when Guanmin Daily published articles attacking Falun Gong.

Not only was the mass appeal of “4.25” reasonable, it was also legal. As such the appeal was not the cause of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, rather it was an excuse to make the persecution public. The CCP’s reign is based on tyranny and mind control. As Falun Gong quickly spread across China, more and more people could tell right from wrong and chose to follow the principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.” The CCP was losing mind control of the public, which was what the CCP feared most. With or without the “4.25” appeal, the CCP would anyhow commit genocide against the hundred million practitioners of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.” It is in its evil nature.

Ms. Dai also shared the view that “politics” is a neutral word in the western society. It was the CCP that twisted the word to mean “to fight for political power”. During various political movements in the CCP’s history, the party would always put a political label on someone before downing them. In order to persecute Falun Gong, the CCP branded Falun Gong as “being political”. Faced with the CCP’s eight long years of vicious slandering and atrocious persecution, Falun Gong practitioner did not give in to the evil forces. Upholding righteous belief in “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance,” they peacefully clarified the facts to people in the world. If even this could be branded as “being political”, would one not be better off the more “political” one became? Why not expose the persecution and dissolve the evil in a dignified way so as to be completely freed from the persecution of the “Party Politics” of the CCP?

Some questioned why Falun Gong, which follows the principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance,” would appeal rather than forbear. Ms. Dai’ answer was that “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance” are the nature of life. To give up the nature is not “forbearance” but rather “decay”. “Forbearance” is not disregarding the evil crimes of poisoning and destroying people. It is not compromising or conniving with evil either. It is rather manifestation of a practitioner’s selflessness, strong will power, and peaceful mindset while protecting the truth of the universe. Using “Forbearance” as an excuse to avoid moral responsibility or to connive with evil is not the compassionate forbearance of a practitioner.

At the press conference Falun Gong practitioner Zhao Ming who suffered persecution in China condemned the CCP’s atrocities of organ harvesting in various labour camps, jails and secret concentration camps. Zhao called upon the international society to openly condemn and help to stop this brutal persecution. Zhao said, “After organ harvesting was exposed, some reporter made telephone inquiries to the hospitals about availability of Falun Gong organs. The hospitals bluntly admitted as if doing promotions. China’s source of organ transplant is executed prisoners. But no Falun Gong practitioner has been sentenced to death. Doesn’t the admission that some organs came from Falun Gong practitioners mean those organs were harvested when the victims were alive? Especially since the two Canadian independent investigators published their Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China, the international society should openly condemn the CCP’s atrocities and help to stop the butchering of Falun Gong practitioners.”

During the eight years of persecution, through various means practitioners living in Ireland called upon the Irish government to pay attention to the persecution Falun Gong suffers in China. Till this day, rain or shine, they hold a peaceful protest against the CCP’s tyranny in front of the Chinese Embassy to Ireland. When the organ harvesting crimes came to light, they gained support from the Irish government and many Irish people.

Note: On the 25th of April 1999, over ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful appeal in the centre of Beijing, demanding the release of forty-five practitioners that had been arrested in Tianjin, the promise of a legitimate environment to practice, and the permission to publish Falun Gong books. The CCP Prime Minister at the time held talks with Falun Gong representatives, which largely resolved the issues. This was the famous “peaceful appeal of 4.25”. Since the CCP started the crackdown on Falun Gong on the 20th of July 1999, practitioners persevered in raising awareness about the persecution. More and more people learned the truth and chose to support Falun Gong against the persecution. More and more righteous people publicly support Falun Gong and condemn the CCP’s tyranny.