Sweden: Falun Gong Practitioners Commemorate “April 25”

On April 25th, 2008, Swedish Falun Gong practitioners were holding activities at the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm to commemorate the peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25th nine years ago.

Swedish Falun Gong practitioners opposite the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm ...	... and in front of the Chinese Consulate in Gothenburg

Nine years ago, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners went to the Office of Letters Complaint from the People in the State Council asking for the release of 45 Falun Gong practitioners who had been arrested in Tianjin, the legal protection of Falun Gong practitioners’ exercise environment, and the permission for the publication of Falun Gong books. Zhu Rongji, the then - Premier held a talk with representatives of Falun Gong practitioners and the matter was initially resolved on the same day. This is the “great Peaceful Appeal on April 25th” which shocked the whole world. Subsequently, Falun Gong practitioners have been subject to brutal persecution for nine years.

In his speech, practitioner Anders Eriksson said, “The purpose of my coming here today is to express my strong protest against the CCP, for nine years, who have brought the sufferings to practitioners who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance! The persecution of Falun Gong must be stopped! I think that all practitioners or those who do not cultivate should stop the CCP from persecuting, torturing and killing these kind innocent and good people by using such cruel means! Such deeds are illegal.”

In 1998, Anders Eriksson started practising Falun Gong and loved it very much. He feels so comfortable when doing the exercises. He has gained the key to human life and understood the true meaning of life and has been gradually improving himself using the principle of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance” at the same time. His attitude to others has become more harmonious.

Anna Bender started practicing Falun Gong in 1995. She felt a kind of peace in her heart when participating in earlier classes by Mr. Li Hongzhi. In the past, she was very friendly to others and now she is even more so.

In her speech, Viveka Enoksson said, “What a pity it is that Falun Gong is not allowed in China. They are very good exercise. I have practiced for almost ten years. I have become even more peaceful and kinder and not easily as angry as I used to be. Falun Gong has benefited me both in mind and body. I think that Chinese people should also have their rights of belief. Today, we are here showing the Chinese Embassy and passers-by what is happening in China. We will keep calling on kind-hearted people in all circles to help stop the persecution and killing, and support justice and kindness!”

Gulli is a store owner living in Stockholm. She expressed her strong protest again the CCP intensifying the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners using the occasion of the Olympic Games. She said, “I am here today telling those in the Chinese Embassy that Chinese people and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are not the same thing, which should be made clear. The CCP promised that it would respect human rights but there are still no human rights in China and they are now still arresting many human rights advocators and Falun Gong practitioners in great numbers. And the CCP has been doing something wrong.

Tony Lingefors feels heavy hearted on knowing that the CCP is intensifying its persecuting of Falun Gong using the occasion of the Olympic Games. He said:,“Using people’s patriotism, the CCP stirred up Chinese people who don’t know the truth to oppose the foreign media because they have been completely deceived by lies. I think that the Chinese people should wake up: we are not against China, what we want is to stop the persecution. People should not be cruelly persecuted just because of their belief. The persecution must be stopped. And what we are against is the persecution.

Li Zhihe, now living in Sweden, participated in the Peaceful Appeal on April 25th 1999 and personally witnessed the whole story of 10,000 people appealing. When interviewed, Mr. Li said that the fact that the CCP determined the nature of 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful appealing as “attacking Zhongnanhai from all sides” was a premeditated plan to deceive people and find an excuse to further crack down on Falun Gong.

He said, “I remember very well what happened on April 25th 1999. On that day at 6:00am, I came to Fu You Street. Although there were many people there, they were all in order. There were no slogans and no loud voices and the whole process was very peaceful. In fact, what we only wanted to do was to tell the Office of letters of Complaint from People our real situation. We had no wish of going to Zhongnanhai. The Office of Letters of Complaint from People is near Zhong Nanhai. All of us were standing there according to the arrangement by police. We stood there quietly waiting for the result of the negotiation. Looking back now, what the CCP did was premeditated. It was a good director, what it did was find an excuse for suppressing Falun Gong in its next step.

Originally, Li Zhihe had an enviable family and a job. He became the focus of being persecuted after July 20th 1999 because of his participation in peaceful appealing on April 25th. At that time, the 610 Office was planning to force him to be persecuted in a brain washing class. Because of their firm in belief and resistance to the persecution, he and his wife both lost their jobs. They had to leave China and reached Sweden by passing through many different places and have been accepted by Sweden as refugees.

Li Zhihe said: “It is already nine years that the CCP has persecuted Falun Gong. For these nine years, with the heart of kindness and forbearance, Falun Gong practitioners have been telling people why the CCP wants to persecute Falun Gong and how the CCP framed the Tiananmen self-immolation to Falun Gong, and disclosing the atrocities of the CCP removing organs from live Falun Gong practitioners. We don’t have any political pursuits. What we want is to stop the persecution. Several old ladies in their 60s’ or 70’s who used to practice the exercises with us were taken away from their homes and they are now still being detained in a forced labour camps. It is not so that will do if they are doing the practice at home as what the CCP says is all propaganda. Why it does is to find an excuse to persecute Falun Gong in order to deceive the world people?

Li Zhihe said: “Now the CCP is illegally intensifying its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China like mad using the occasion of the Olympic Games. Their life and safety are worrying us. Now I am calling on international communities to pay attention to the nine-year and cruel persecution of Falun Gong practitioner happening in China, hoping all governments in the world can stand out in support of justice and kindness, and end the catastrophe lasting for almost nine years as soon as possible.”