Switzerland: Falun Gong Practitioners Commemorate April 25th.

On the evening of April 25th, 2008, Falun Gong practitioners in Switzerland held candlelight vigils at the Chinese Embassy in Bern and the Chinese Consulate in Zurich, commemorating the peaceful appeal in Beijing by over ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners nine years ago and protesting against the Chinese Communist regime’s intensified persecution of Falun Gong practitioners using the Olympic Games as an excuse.

Falun Gong practitioners protest at the Chinese Embassy in Bern	Falun Gong practitioners protest at the Chinese Consulate in Zurich

The candlelight vigils commemorated all Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted to death by the Chinese Communist regime in the past nine years. Their photos exposed the atrocities committed by the regime in its brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Practitioners also hoped that staff working in the Chinese Embassy and Consulate would learn the truth and don’t become an accomplice in persecuting good people.

Practitioners distributed leaflets to passers-by in Zurich, informing them of what Falun Gong is and exposing the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong.

A gentleman immediately started to read the leaflet under the streetlight: “We come here today to commemorate this special day nine years ago. On April 25th 1999, ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful appeal in Beijing, asking the government to release all illegally detained Falun Gong practitioners and grant them a peaceful environment to practise Falun Gong. That day the then Chinese Premier came out and met representatives of Falun Gong practitioners. When the news that all illegally detained Falun Gong practitioners had been freed was announced that evening, ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners immediately dispersed, leaving behind a clean and tidy place. Even the cigarette ends thrown away by the police were picked up and taken away.” A practitioner told the gentleman the reason for the candlelight vigil: “Less than three months after the peaceful appeal, the then head of the Chinese Communist Party Jiang Zemin initiated the brutal persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance have been illegally detained and subjected to torture. Many of them died. The Chinese Communist regime even harvested organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.” Practitioners also told him: “We hope that through our activity here more people would be concerned with this persecution and help to stop this persecution. Over a hundred million people benefited from practising Falun Gong. You can read this newspaper that provides more information. It would be great if you can read the information and share it with others so that more people would learn the truth. This way the Chinese Communist regime’s lies would have no place.” The gentleman listened very carefully and said he would read them well.

The activity in Bern wad held in an elderly couple’s courtyard that is just opposite to the Chinese Embassy. The couple said that because of their poor health, they were normally not willing to have so many people in their courtyard. But because Falun Gong practitioners are doing a good thing, they are willing to support them. The owner of the Zurich activity location was also happy to provide it to Falun Gong practitioners because she also believes that Falun Gong practitioners are doing a good thing.

The Consulate staff in Zurich seemed to be fearful of the peacefully meditating Falun Gong practitioners. They called the police. Falun Gong practitioner Aleardo said: “Some policemen already knew Falun Gong very well because they issued activity permissions to Falun Gong practitioners before. Today I talked to them and told them the persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners again. I told them that in China, police even harvest organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.” During the two hour activity, eight policemen from four groups learned the truth.

The activities ended at 11:00pm. But Falun Gong practitioners will continue to peacefully tell more people about the truth. For nine years, Falun Gong practitioners around the world, like the peaceful appeal on April 25th 1999 and have been telling people the truth peacefully and rationally.