My Experience of being in Riga at the Same Time as Chinese President Jiang Zemin

I would like to share an experience I had in Riga – the capital of Latvia – on 12th June, this year. Myself, my husband and our two children – aged one and five – had decided to go to Latvia to appeal during President Jiang Zemin’s state visit there.

The Chinese president conducted state visits in several European countries during the spring and early summer of 2002. I was aware of the fact that people from various regions had tried to inform the governments of these countries about human rights in China and to encourage them to ask Jiang questions regarding this. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were not prepared to make demands or put pressure on the Chinese president.

Previously, I had heard about Falun Gong practitioners who had, during Chinese state visits, been on the spot and how their presence had considerably influenced the situation. Merely because of the fact that they had worn yellow jackets or sweaters upon which was written Zhen, Shan, Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance), President Jiang Zemin had become very agitated. The presence of Falun Gong and people who wore yellow clothes created obvious panic in the president, which manifested itself in absurd demands on the various European countries. Blockades and security regulations were created in order to keep all possible practitioners of Falun Gong away. These paranoid measures were taken despite the fact that all those who practise Falun Gong are very peaceful people who would never shout or fight, let alone break the law. By being present and having yellow clothes and flags upon which Falun Dafa was written, they wished to remind the president about what is happening in China and to show that the surrounding world knows about the persecution.

When I heard that the Chinese president was going to visit the Baltic countries, which are situated so close to Sweden, my family and I decided to go to Latvia. On the morning of our last day in Riga we found a place near to the hotel where Jiang Zemin was staying. We had found out that he was going to leave the country that morning in a motorcade and we therefore stood on a public footpath at the side of the road. We stood in a place that was intended for pedestrians and we in no way disturbed the traffic. Together with us, there stood three middle-aged women and three middle-aged men; there were ten of us in total. We managed to stand there for approximately three minutes before security guards, police and other security personnel came and forced us to leave. The reason for this was that we were wearing yellow jackets or sweaters!

We were forced to stand further away, obscured by bushes and trees. Despite the fact that we had conducted ourselves with the greatest tranquillity and dignity throughout the entire incident, they drove forth two large mini-buses and parked them in front of us. We were, under no circumstances, allowed to be seen; the president was not to see us and our yellow jackets. Six guards surrounded us but we remained calm and waited. Some of us did a serene meditation exercise, Fa Zheng Nian, which spreads tranquillity and harmony among the practitioners. One of us spoke to the policemen and explained to them about Falun Gong and the situation in China. At last the motorcade came and we took out our yellow flags. But behind trees, bushes, mini-buses and policemen I do not think we were so visible. A minute or so after the president had driven past, our attendants disappeared and we once again stood alone on the public footpath.

In the very middle of this sad story, it was, nevertheless, rather comical that they had wasted so much of their resources on us; yet it was so tragic that a country in Europe that is meant to be democratic, blindly obeys a vicious dictator’s demands and fancies. I have always been a law-abiding person and would never want to hurt or cause harm to another person, yet was all the same treated like a terrorist. It was an unpleasant situation, but most of all a violation of the democratic right of freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate.

How Could This Happen in Europe?

I think that it is of utmost importance that people throughout Europe, and the world over, know what is happening in China. By acquainting themselves with the information and facts regarding the persecution of Falun Gong and even other groups that are subjected to acts of cruelty, one is not as easy to manipulate. Instead one can remain objective and stand up for basic human rights.

Even if business relations and contracts are important in today’s society, they are never allowed to become more important than democratic values! Furthermore, it is really important that we become aware of morals and ethics in our society. Without brotherly feeling and consideration our society becomes a stony desert where the strong survive through brutality and evilness.

Falun Gong teaches that the Characteristic of the Universe is Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance

This is a characteristic which is really beautiful and which exists in all living things. Cultivating entails assimilating oneself more and more to this characteristic, and becoming enlightened entails being this characteristic completely. How fantastic it would be if only all people could think about these characteristics a little and tried to live according to them as well!