Germany: Parade on International Human Rights Day Asking for Help to Rescue Ms. Xiong Wei

By a German practitioner

Tuesday December 10 2002 was “International Human Rights Day”. Practitioners from northern Germany gathered at Bremen City Railway station where they hoped to tell people about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China. The other purpose of the activity was to rescue Ms. Xiong Wei, who was a student at Berlin Industrial University. She was arrested in Beijing and has been detained in a forced labour camp for over a year now. Her friends in Germany know that she could be suffering torture, beatings and other mistreatment and they have been trying very hard to secure her immediate release.

Urgent Rescue parade through the centre of Bremen
Telling people the facts about the persecution
Meeting with the Mayor	Exercise demonstration

Ms. Xiong Wei is one of thousands of people detained in China because of their belief, and these people are enduring the most inhumane treatment in the world. All practitioners of Falun Gong in China, whether they are women, children or the elderly, are regarded as the most serious criminals by the Jiang regime. They are given enormous jail sentences without a fair trial and after committing no wrongdoing, just because they want to become healthier and nicer people. They are tortured with mediaeval devices because they try to live by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance. Horrific evidence shows that beatings, rape, electric shock treatment and sleep-deprivation are happening every day. This cruel persecution affects not only Falun Gong practitioners, but also their relatives who are intimidated and threatened, and have their property stolen and their families destroyed by the criminal police officers.

Despite the cold weather, many practitioners went to Bremen to tell people the facts of this persecution and continue in their urgent efforts to rescue Xiong Wei. The practitioners set up an information desk outside of the railway station with display boards. They distributed flyers and collected signatures on a letter appealing for Xiong Wei’s release.

Around midday, the practitioners started a 4-hour parade to the city hall. They stopped at many places to demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises and distribute flyers. In the end, the parade arrived at Bremen provincial hall. Three practitioners handed a letter to the Mayor who accepted the letter in person and promised to help. The practitioners talked with him for an hour, introducing Falun Gong to him in detail as well as the persecution in China and Ms. Xiong Wei’s situation. Later, the practitioners talked with a representative of the Mayor who showed great interest in Falun Dafa. He invited the practitioners for a quick tour around the government building.

Outside, the practitioners held a rally calling on the German people to help rescue Ms. Xiong Wei. The International Human Rights Association (IGFM) wrote an open letter to support the event through its member Mr. Mueller.

Whilst the three practitioners continued to talk with the Mayor and his representative, the parade headed back to the railway station and successfully finished at 6PM. During the activities, many residents showed their compassionate side and signed their names against the injustice in China. They know what is right and wrong and they want to help to end the persecution of millions of innocent Chinese people.

Chinese version available at
http://www.yuanmingeurope.net/articles/200212/15289.html