Press Releases and Media Reports, Persecution Spreads from China to Europe, Voices of Support, Latest Events

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  • BBC: Falun Gong Sues China Minister

    'Four members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement have filed a lawsuit in Paris against visiting Chinese Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng. The members said Mr Sun was responsible for "crimes of torture" against the group, which is banned in China.'
  • Testimony: Policewoman Does Not Understand Why We Were Taken to the Police Station for Doing Nothing

    "At the metro exit of Arc de Triomphe, I got a leaflet handed out by an air-hostess of Air France, but then I accidentally dropped it at the exit. Upon returning to retrieve the leaflet, I saw a few men standing next to my friends waiting for me, waving to me and gesturing me to go to them. As I got close, a few big men suddenly clamped both my arms very roughly. I asked them "why--" in English. They said they didn't understand English and they squashed my arms even harder, lifting me up, before pushing me into a police van that was parked nearby."
  • Amnesty International UK: China's E-repression Leads to Dramatic Rise in those Imprisoned for Expressing Opinions Online

    'Amnesty International says in a report published today (Wed 28 January 2004) that since November 2002 there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people arrested and imprisoned for expressing their opinions online or for downloading information from the internet in China...Those detained in China include students, political dissidents, Falun Gong practitioners, workers, writers, lawyers, teachers, civil servants, former police officers, engineers, and businessmen.'
  • French Authorities Bow to Jiang Regime Pressure and Arrest Falun Gong Practitioners during Chinese New Year Event in Paris

    Over weekend of January 24th and 25th, 2004, France began the “Year of China in France" cultural event with a large parade and other similar events. During the activities, 20 Chinese and Western Falun Gong practitioners were arrested, simply because they wore yellow scarves or yellow sweaters displaying the words “Falun Gong" or "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance". Practitioners were told by the French authorities that they were arrested because “Yellow is illegal in France".
  • All Sections of European Society Support Falun Gong Practitioners' Legal Rights in Paris

    Some advocates stated in their letters that they were surprised to hear that the Chinese Embassy in Paris attempted to put pressure on France, the first country to advocate human rights, in order to stop Falun Gong practitioners taking part in the Chinese New Year celebration activities. The Falun Gong Association in France is a legally registered group and it has won the recognition of the French government for peacefully observing and obeying the law in the past four years.
  • The Epoch Times: Chinese New Year in Paris is Eventful and The Chinese Embassy Challenges the French Spirit

    'There will be thousands of Chinese attending the parade on the Avenue des Champs Elysees in downtown Paris on the 3rd of January in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. As a registered group, the Falun Dafa Association also handed in an application for participation in the spring festival parade. However, it was blocked by the Chinese Embassy in France for “the Chinese governments attitude toward Falun Gong", which has been brought to the attention of the members of the European Parliament and human rights groups.'
  • France: Photo Report - Sending Righteous Thoughts Outside the Paris Chinese Consulate

  • Radio France Internationale Interviews Falun Gong Practitioners

    According to out understanding, the situation is that the Paris city authorities proposed to hold the Spring festival parade on the Champs Elysees. This is an event related to Chinese culture, and is open to the general public. Since the French Falun Dafa Association is an organisation officially registered in France, and has received support from government circles, as well as human rights associations, we deem it to be our right to participate in the parade.
  • NTDTV Press Release: Summary of the Exclusive Interview with Mr. Li Hongzhi, Founder of Falun Gong

    An exclusive interview with Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of the Falun Gong spiritual practice, aired globally at 9:00 p.m. EST January 20, 2004 on New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV). This is the first interview that Mr. Li has granted to media since 1999.
  • Ireland: Dafa Practitioners Wish Our Respected Master a Happy Chinese New Year

    Using words of the human worldNo language can describe Master’s boundless grace...Most respectfully yoursAll Dafa Practitioners in Ireland
  • France: Nearly 1,000 Falun Gong Practitioners Hold a Parade in Paris

    After Jiang's regime unjustifiably impeded Falun Gong practitioners from joining in the Chinese Spring Festival Parade in Paris, French Falun Gong practitioners decided to invite fellow practitioners from other European countries to come to Paris and jointly hold two parades. Local Chinese people who love Chinese culture and support Falun Gong also joined the parades.
  • France: Falun Gong Practitioners Hold a Press Conference to Condemn the Chinese Embassy's Unreasonable Conduct

    As a result of pressure from China, permission for Falun Gong to hold activities during the Chinese New Year was withdrawn despite practitioners obtaining permission through proper legal channels. This has caused an infringement upon the public rights of a legal group in France. French Dafa practitioners held a press conference to expose the Chinese Embassy's actions.
  • A Letter From the President of the Austrian Branch of the International Human Rights Association to the Mayor of Paris

    The International Human Rights Organisation is a worldwide organisation for human rights, with twenty-five branches worldwide. It enjoys the attention of the European Parliament as well as having an Observer's Seat in the United Nations. As the President of the Austrian branch of the International Human Rights Association, Mrs. Glibb wrote a letter to the Mayor of Paris to express her concern about the Chinese Embassy blocking Falun Gong's application to participate in the Chinese New Year's parade.
  • UK: “Suing Jiang" in London's Trafalgar Square

    On January the 11th 2004, London's Trafalgar Square saw UK Falun Gong practitioners gather to demonstrate the five Falun Gong exercises and perform a symbolic trial entitled “Bring Jiang to Justice”, which attracted many tourists. The Falun Gong practitioners who didn’t perform handed out materials to passersby. At times, people came to enquire about the activities and the persecution in China. Practitioners were happy to answer their questions.
  • Denmark: Practitioners Promote Falun Gong on Chinese New Year's Eve

    Danish practitioners held activities and a picture exhibition in front of the city hall in Copenhagen on Chinese New Year's Eve. They appealed to bring Jiang Zemin to justice in a public trial and to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. They also celebrated the New Year with local people and let them know more about Falun Dafa.