France: French Falun Dafa Holds a Press Conference in Paris

On August 19th, the French Falun Dafa Association held a press conference at Place de la Reine d'Astride near the Chinese Embassy in Paris to expose the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s persecution of Falun Gong. MP Ms. Francoise Hostalier and the former head of the Chinese Department of France International Radio Station, Mr. Wu Baozhang, came to support and gave speeches. The event was covered by various media, including the Paris People newspaper.

A few days before the closing ceremony and when the international spotlight fell on Beijing Olympics, the French Falun Gong Association held the press conference precisely because the CCP failed to keep its promise to improve human rights in China, despite demands from international human rights organisations and western governments. The CCP blatantly trampled on the Olympic spirit and used the Olympics as an excuse to step up the persecution and incarceration of Falun Gong practitioners.

The President of the French Falun Gong Association, Mr.Tang Hanlong, made the first speech to condemn the CCP’s nine years of barbaric persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Tang introduced Falun Gong as a cultivation practice and its principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.” He urged everyone not to be deceived by the superficial prosperity of the CCP, see through its true nature, and work together to stop the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

MP Ms. Francoise Hostalier, came to shore up support. Prior to the Olympics, Ms. Hostalier demanded entry to Tibet to conduct investigations but was refused a visa by the Chinese Embassy to France.

Ms. Hostalier urged the media to continue to pay attention to human rights in China after the spotlight turned off on the Olympics. She was concerned about the CCP’s repression of overseas dissidents who campaigned for the freedom of belief and the CCP’s threat to democratic systems. Ms. Hostalier said, “We stand by you. In China as well as in other countries, those who dare to speak up and tell the truth, those who insist on their own religious belief and ideals under a government that has long been repressing its people. We stand by you.”

A veteran media person, the former head of Chinese Department of France International Radio Station, Mr. Wu Baozhang, also spoke at the meeting. Mr. Wu said, “Falun Gong is yet another case of injustice. Sooner or later the truth will be known. The sooner the persecution stops, the smaller the damage. This group will not give in as easily as other groups. If the CCP continues to persecute, it will only meet its own demise.”

While in Paris, the head of Public Relations of New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV), Ms. Fang Fei, also took part in the event. Ms. Fang said, “Before the Beijing Olympics, a satellite company headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat, dropped NTDTV’s broadcast to Asia under the excuse of power failure. The discontinuation of NTDTV’s signals has direct links with Falun Gong. NTDTV is the only non for profit TV station that dares speak out on the truth of Falun Gong and for other under-privileged groups in China. As such it has long been a thorn in the CCP’s side.”

According to Ms. Fang, after Voice of America and Radio Free Asia left the W5 satellite, Eutelsat has plenty of power and space to restore NTDTV’s signals. Ms. Fang urged Eutelsat to uphold France’s ideal of freedom, not to side with dictators. She hoped that Eutelsat would take this opportunity to choose freedom and justice for the Chinese people.

Ms. Feng Yajun who suffered inhuman torture for practising Falun Gong and who finally settled in Paris after innumerable trials and tribulations recounted her family’s plight of being brutally persecuted by the CCP for practising Falun Gong and the abuse she endured in Chinese labour camps.

The Beijing Olympics focused international attention on Chinese human rights. As the media dig deeper into Chinese human rights, the persecution of Falun Gong is also attracting more and more attention in the west. Last week, French news TV BFM aired 24-hour continuous coverage of a special Falun Gong report and was widely followed. As a result, this press conference was attended by the Paris People newspaper and an internet media of French intellectuals.