John Nania, a spokesman for Falun Gong practitioners, gave a speech at the press conference. He expressed Falun Gong practitioners' immense gratitude towards the U.S. House of Representatives for unanimously passing House Concurrent Resolution 188 with a 420-0 vote. (Resolution 188 urges the Chinese government to cease its persecution of Falun Gong.) He also emphasized that Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful appeal is not against the Chinese government, but to strive for the freedom of belief.
Mr. John Nania also stated that Falun Gong practitioners love the traditional culture of China. It is the existence of the Chinese traditional culture - cultivation that deeply benefits Falun Gong practitioners around the world.
At the press conference, Australian Falun Gong practitioner Jane Dai told of how her husband was detained, fined, and eventually tortured to death merely because he persisted in his practice of Falun Gong. Mrs. Dai was carrying her two-year-old daughter, Fadu, and showed the guests their family photo before her husband was tortured to death. She said that because her husband, Chen Chengyong, persisted in practicing, he was arrested and tortured many times, and eventually led to his death. His body was abandoned in the wilderness. He was only 34-years-old when he was taken away from his young wife and little daughter. What is more inhumane is that Mrs. Dai's request of retrieving her husband's ashes was denied. Eight months after Chen's death, Mrs. Dai and little Fadu were finally able to obtain their loved one's ashes with help from the Australian government. Mrs. Dai said there are many more innocent people like her husband still suffering from this illegal persecution in China. Tears poured down her face as she said, "This persecution should not continue! Falun Gong is rooted in people's hearts, Falun Gong is good!" Her speech moved many audience members to tears.
Crawford is a small city in Texas, U.S.A. Its population totals about 700 people. Crawford is well known because it is the hometown of two Presidents, George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush. The Old Amstler building is located at the entrance of Crawford, and is normally used for public activities and cultural exhibits. Today in this building, besides the press conference held by Falun Gong practitioners, there is also a Falun Gong photo exhibit. An eye-catching 87-yard long banner reading "Falun Dafa" was hung from the top of the building.
Starting from 10 a.m., more than 1,500 Falun Gong practitioners gathered at Tonkawa Falls Park in Crawford, to do Fa Zheng Nian [rough translation - sent forth righteous thoughts, this can be understood as a type of meditation] every 15 minutes on the broad lawn, and practiced the exercises between the Fa Zheng Nian. Practitioners spent much of the night traveling but still were very energetic. The temperature in Crawford was less than 10C (50F), the ground was wet, and there were many dark clouds in the sky. Falun Gong practitioners quietly sat on the lawn in a dignified manner. The entire "welcoming group" left their Chinese flags and hats on the lawn, and hid in the bus to keep warm.
One security guard of the park said to the Falun Gong practitioners: "Your appeal is very peaceful, very good, and the accounts of persecution in China are very sad."
That day, a truck sent by the Chinese Amnesty International was driven slowly through Tonkawa Falls Park. The front of the truck displayed these words: "Jiang sold out the country." On all four sides of the truck, large yellow banners read: "Jiang, return my motherland" "Traitor of the people! Infamous criminal!" "344 square hectares of Chinese soil sold to Russia!" "Infamous criminal, you can't escape punishment!"
At the same time, approximately 150 Falun Gong practitioners quietly meditated and did Fa Zheng Nian in downtown Crawford and outside Tonkawa Falls Park .
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