France: "The Persecution of Falun Gong Must End"

As on previous Sundays, Falun Gong practitioners in Paris exposed the Chinese Communist regime’s inhuman persecution of Falun Gong practitioners to tourists at Human Rights Square near the Eiffel Tower on the afternoon of January 13th, 2008. After learning about the extent and severity of the persecution, some people said, “The Chinese Communist Regime’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners must end.”

Talking to practitioners and looking at information about the persecution of Falun Gong
Signing to support an end to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners

Placed on a small table were leaflets and information newspapers in Chinese, French and many other languages. The two banners reading “Stop the Evil CCP’s Persecution of Falun Gong” and “The Things Happening in China……” were erected at a eye-catching spot in the square while a series of photos exposing the Chinese regime’s cruel persecution of Falun Gong practitioners were displayed on the ground. Some practitioners, with leaflets and signature forms in their hands, explained the background about Falun Gong to the tourists and collected signatures on a petition condemning the persecution. Over a dozen Falun Gong practitioners of various ages practised the Falun Gong exercises peacefully despite the wind. Without any microphones the scene was so peaceful that it was like what is described by the lyrics of the song “Sit by My Side” as follows:

Sit by my side, closing your eyes;
together in silence, we call for
the end of torturing, the end of killing,
the end of persecution; compassion grows in our hearts;
together in silence, our wishes can make a difference.

On that day, Falun Gong practitioners met many tourists from Poland, Korea, Ireland, China, France, the U.K., Israel, Switzerland, etc. Many of them, including those who live in France, heard of the persecution of Falun Gong in China for the first time. After viewing the photos, talking to Falun Gong practitioners and watching their peaceful demonstration of the Falun Gong exercises, they could not help but exclaim, “I cannot imagine how such peaceful people might do any harm to society and why the Chinese Communist regime would use these torture methods to persecute them.”

A student from Poland said, “Poland once suffered the atrocities of the communist regime until it broke away from communism at the end of 1989. I was then too young to have deeper feelings or experiences in this regard, but through my parents’ explanation, I realised that only after we got rid of communism did we really have genuine freedom.”

Some Korean teachers came to view the photos, along with a dozen or so Korean students who came there to participate in their Green Camp activities. The teachers signed to support an end to the persecution. Some of the teachers had already had been aware of Falun Gong before they came to France. When the teachers explained the meanings of the photos to the students as well as the Chinese regime’s atrocity of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, the students listened attentively. Since the Korean leaflets were no longer available, a teacher who didn’t know the fact about Falun Gong picked up the English-version. She said that she would tell her students about the information in the pamphlet after reading it.

After seeing practitioners practising the sitting meditation for a while, a man could not help walking up to the practitioners and having a picture taken with them. Upon hearing that they could access more information about the truth of Falun Gong, two tourists from China picked up various materials before they left.

Upon seeing the posters in simplified Chinese characters, two Western experts on China who had studied in China said that the CCP has damaged Chinese culture by simplifying traditional Chinese characters. In response to their enquiries about Falun Gong activities, practitioners told them, “We usually hold activities here every Sunday afternoon. During the New Year, we also participated in a New Year parade to show Falun Gong practitioners' magnificence and genuine Chinese traditional culture. Falun Gong itself is rooted in the five thousand year long Chinese culture and its main principles, truthfulness, compassion and forbearance are in fact the essence of Chinese culture.” These two Westerners were very glad and they said that they would be back to hear more.

There were some students from Ireland. As soon as they heard the truth, they signed the petition one after another. When their tour guide told them it was time to leave, they still insisted on signing their names to uphold justice.

After signing the petition, a French lady said, "What I’ve done is so little." A Falun Gong practitioner replied sincerely, "In fact, what you’ve done is very precious. If everyone who knows the truth about Falun Gong is willing to reach out their hands, then the outcome will be so enormous that the evil CCP can no longer persecute Falun Gong".