Politiken (Danish Newspaper): Let Falun Gong dance

Below is an article that was written by the editors of one of the biggest newspapers in Denmark during the Asia-Europe Summit Meeting (ASEM 4) held in Copenhagen in september. Many practitioners from all over the world gathered in Copenhagen in order to clarify the truth and expose the evil persecution in China to the many politicians, Chinese people, tourists, as well as the Danish people.

Parallel to the summit was held an Asian Cultural festival in town, where different asian countries performed their traditional music or dancing. Falun Gong, as an independent group showing traditional Chinese dancing, was the only group excluded from the festival after pressure and protests from the other Chinese organisations that participated and the Danish Foreign Ministry that was partly responsible for the festival. Instead, Falun Gong had their own beautiful dance performances and parade elsewhere in Copenhagen. It was all a very big success and many people both Danish and tourists, as well as chinese people, were touched to see our peaceful appeals and dance performances and happy to learn more about Falun Gong.

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Politiken (Danish Newspaper): Let Falun Gong dance

20/09/2002

DISGRACEFUL. Nothing else can be said about the decision to exclude the Chinese meditation movement Falun Gong’s prized dance performance from the festival Asian Comments that started yesterday in Copenhagen.

Followers of Falun Gong, who practise a kind of meditation and eastern philosophy, are known to be brutally suppressed in China. When the organiser of the festival, Olaf Gerlach, explained in yesterday's newspaper the reason for the exclusion - that he does not want political messages mixed into the festival - it had a very, very hollow sound.

How do Olaf Gerlach, and the rest of the leadership of the festival, actually distinguish between culture and politics?

In some of Gerlach's previous and very successful festivals, such as Images of the World and Images of Africa, a very important point has been to strike a blow for the cultural diversity, draw attention to the sufferings in Africa or the problems concerning globalisation.

Why is it different when it comes to Falun Gong, a movement with millions of followers without any other political goals than to practise their meditation?

Why are they not allowed to dance and draw awareness to their art and existence?

NO MATTER HOW much the organisers deny it, there is only one explanation, namely that they did not want to offend China.

Whether there has been actual pressure from China, or if it stems out of self-censorship is not really interesting; the crux of the matter is that they have allowed considerations for a suppressing dictatorship to decide who can perform in Copenhagen.

And this it nothing less than a scandal. China is certainly a big and powerfully country, but if all our principles regarding political freedom and freedom of expression should make any sense, it is crucial to hold on to them, even when facing big countries.

Otherwise it would not matter.