Clearwisdom Weekly

Montreal: The Canadian People Celebrate May 13 Together

The weather was pleasant on May 7, 2005 in Montreal after a cold winter and rainy spring. A constant stream of people came and went in Chinatown. Here, with police officers clearing the way, a procession accompanied by the sound of waist drums and music could be seen on the streets of Chinatown. Shoppers, store owners and passersby automatically stood on the two sides of the street and watched the parade. Later, they followed the procession to Zhongshan Park in Chinatown. Suddenly, the park was swarming with people and it was quite bustling and joyful. Falun Gong practitioners from Montreal and Ottawa were celebrating World Falun Dafa Day together.

The procession set off from downtown Montreal and passed through major streets before ending in Chinatown. Local Falun Gong practitioners conduct parades several times each year, but this was their first time to enter into Chinatown. Lots of Chinese people took the initiative to take truth-clarifying materials, take pictures and applaud the practitioners. This activity received great support and assistance from local police officers, who provided practitioners with special permission to allow the parade to end in Chinatown. In addition, the police van drove back and forth to clear the way for the parade.

A Falun Gong practitioner who just came from Mainland China said, "They are also police officers, but they treat Falun Gong differently from the police in China."

At the parade's starting point, something funny yet sad took place: A Falun Gong practitioner who had just immigrated to Canada from Singapore brought her nearly-one-year-old daughter to join the parade. This was her first time participating in an activity to promote Falun Gong. When she saw the police coming, she was very nervous and said to fellow practitioners around her, "The police are coming!" At first, others did not understand why she was so nervous. When they learned that she came from Singapore, practitioners became silent.

The lady later told this reporter: that two years ago, she studied at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for her Master's degree. When she graduated, she also applied for permanent resident status in Singapore as other graduates. Usually, all graduates from NUS could be granted permanent residency without further interviews. However, she and several other schoolmates who are Falun Gong practitioners had to be interviewed by immigration officials. The question that they had to answer was whether they still practice Falun Gong. In the end, their applications were all turned down because none of them wanted to give up their practice of Falun Gong. Her other schoolmates had to return China. Because she also applied for Canadian permanent resident status and eventually got her immigration visa from Canada, she came to Canada. People really feel sad over the Singapore government's discrimination against Falun Gong under the Chinese communist regime's pressure.

During the march, many citizens carefully viewed the posters which depicted the persecution and torture suffered by practitioners in China after they enjoyed the performances of the waist drum and dance troupes. The posters called for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong and the rescue of Falun Gong practitioners' orphans. More and more people accepted and read the truth-clarifying flyers.

Along the route, we met four Chinese people who came here from the Mainland on business. They did not express any hostility to the Falun Gong practitioners at all. In fact, their attitude was quite friendly. Three of them kept taking pictures with great interest. They said that people like them who often visited other countries all understood what Falun Gong is all about.

A western gentleman voluntarily joined the march and helped to unfurl a Falun Gong banner until the march concluded.

Kind-hearted people will all feel and experience the beauty brought by Falun Gong. Some people put their palms together to Heshi to practitioners' procession from time to time to show their respect.

On April 25, 2005, Munich Falun Gong practitioners appealed outside the Chinese Consulate to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the "April 25" peaceful appeal by Falun Gong practitioners.

While practitioners were peacefully appealing in front of the consulate, a consulate staff member purposely concealed himself in the crowd queuing up at the consulate to disguise his identity. He stood in the queue for a while and then went to talk to a German police officer standing outside the Consulate. After returning to his position in the queue, he stayed there for less than two minutes before scurrying off in a rush.

After the German police officer standing outside the Consulate talked to practitioners, practitioners realized that the consulate staff member was there to say that they felt uncomfortable about the banner reading "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice" and wanted to ask the practitioners to remove the banner. The police officer said that she didn't think there was anything wrong with the banner, and that she would report the matter to her superiors.

Later, three high-ranking police officers came over to take pictures of the banner, saying that they would use the photos to report the matter to their superiors, but the banner could be hung in front of the Chinese Consulate before they got further instructions. In this way, the banner was even read by more people.

Seeing that the banner was still there, the consulate thus sent another person to pressure the German police officer to take action. As a practitioner approached him that person stopped his conversation with the officer and rushed back to the Consulate immediately. Afterward, the police officer received instructions from her superior. She told the practitioners that there was no problem with hanging the banner in front of the Chinese Consulate.

In this way, the banner that reads "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice" continued to be hung in front of the Chinese Consulate, signifying that the evil is collapsing in the face of justice. Jiang instigated the persecution against Falun Gong and should be brought to justice for his crimes in a court of law.

On the afternoon of April 24, 2005, the General Association of Armenian Descendants in France held a rally at Place du Canada, Paris to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the liberation from Nazi concentration camps and commemorate the 90th anniversary of the holocaust of Armenians in Turkey. Around 18,000 people participated in the rally. The association invited the chairman and representatives of French political parties, and public figures from mainstream society. Mr. Hanlong Tang, Chairman of the French Falun Gong Association, was also invited to attend the rally.

Mr. Ara Toranian, Chairman of the General Association of Armenian Descendants in France expressed his appreciation to Mr. Tang for coming.

A representative of the Armenian veterans told the Falun Gong Association representative, "I would like to express our support to peaceful movements such as Falun Gong and all of the dissidents suppressed by the Chinese government."

An Armenian priest told Mr. Tang, "I know the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes those people who believe in freedom. I also understand the CCP's persecution against Falun Gong very well." He strongly condemned the CCP's merciless massacres.

On the 6th of May 2005, Dutch Falun Gong practitioners went to the Singapore Consulate in Holland and peacefully appealed against the Singapore court's unjust action towards Falun Gong. Practitioners demonstrated the exercises, talked to the staff of the Consulate and gave them leaflets and video-CDs that contained information about Falun Gong and the human rights abuses happening in China.

Although the Singapore practitioners were no longer incarcerated, the Singapore Government still has not corrected its unfair judgement. Therefore, a representative from the Dutch Falun Gong Association sent a letter of appeal to the Consulate, requesting that the Singapore Government uphold justice, stop helping the CCP to persecute Falun Gong and rescind its unjust verdict.

Falun Gong Practitioners Calling on the Singapore government to stop participating in the persecution

On April 30, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners from various cities in south Germany, including Passau, Augsburg, Ulm and Munich, gathered at Karlsplatz in Munich. They organized an anti-torture exhibition to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the peaceful appeal by ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners on April 25, 1999.

A young engineer called Daniel stood in the busy centre of Munich holding a plaque in his hands, which read "Forever 4.25". Behind him hung big banners in both Chinese and German: "Falun Gong" and "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice". Several practitioners quietly demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises next to him.

On the other side of the Falun Gong stall, a live anti-torture exhibition was simulating scenes from a Chinese forced labor camp. A young man in a Chinese police uniform waved an electric baton in his hand. A bloodstained female Falun Gong practitioner was tied to a tiger bench while another lady was locked up in a small cell. The Tiger Bench is a torture where the victim is tied on a narrow wooden or iron bench by the thighs and knees, with hands tied behind the back, then the legs are bent in the opposite direction by adding bricks under the heels. The torture creates excruciating pain. A small cell is a room with just enough space for one person. Since the dimensions of the room are less than 1.5 meters, one cannot stand straight or lie down. It has dirty water on the floor and the walls have nails protruding everywhere. There is no light at all. Victims are thrown barefoot into the cell for months.

The square in Munich was filled with people. Falun Gong practitioners' anti-torture exhibition soon attracted a huge crowd. Shocked by the scenes, people kept asking practitioners questions and asking for more information. After learning the truth about Falun Gong, many people took the initiative to sign the petition in support of bringing the instigator of the persecution, former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, to justice and another petition to rescue the family of Jiang Renzheng. Jiang Renzheng is a practitioner who was based in Germany but was recently deported to China by the German Government with his wife and two children. He was sentenced to three years in a forced labor camp and his whereabouts are now unknown.

Before the event, the group of practitioners in Munich discussed the meaning of the famous appeal on April 25, 1999. According to the recollection of a practitioner who took part in the "April 25" appeal, at the time everybody went to appeal spontaneously. They genuinely wanted the Chinese Government to understand Falun Gong, and also gave the government a very good chance of establishing an image of progressiveness internationally. The practitioners conducted themselves extremely well. This could not have been achieved through any kind of organizational effort, but only through practicing Falun Gong.

In the beginning, the attitude of the government had indeed been tolerant. Nearby shops also trusted practitioners a great deal. They would not count the money practitioners paid when selling things to practitioners because they trusted them so much. Trivial as it might seem, this showed the positive impression people held towards Falun Gong at the time. But after the persecution began, the government went to great lengths to slander and disparage Falun Gong. The public was tricked by the communist propaganda and could no longer see the true situation.

On April 25, 2005, the "Uncompromising Courage" art exhibition was held at the state capitol in Indianapolis, Indiana. The exhibition displayed more than 40 precious paintings, giving the people of Indiana the opportunity to experience the wide spread of Falun Gong and the persecution of practitioners in China.

The exhibition was held inside the capitol for one week. Every day, many people, including students, teachers, artists, disabled persons, and employees in the building came to view the artworks.

On the first day of the exhibit, a group of high school students under the direction of a teacher came to visit the capitol. They did not know there was a painting exhibition, but were excited when seeing the exhibition as they were an art class. Thus the teacher viewed each of the paintings with the students and talked to them about righteousness vs. evil, good vs. bad and the use of color. The teacher and students thought that the exhibition was set up just for them as they were looking for such a topic. Before leaving, they came over to talk with us and took truth-clarification materials. Knowing that the exhibition would last for only one week, the teacher said that she would tell other teachers about it. Two days later, another teacher brought her students to view the exhibition.

Some disabled persons sitting in wheelchairs viewed the paintings one after another and read the legends. They expressed their appreciation when a practitioner gave them truth-clarification materials. On the second day, a person who could neither hear nor speak viewed all the paintings and picked up truth-clarification materials and information about the paintings. He took out paper and pen and wrote his questions about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. When he learned that the persecution was still going on, he was surprised. He wrote, "After viewing the painting exhibition, I am here but it's as if I feel the torture..." He bent forward to shake hands with the practitioner to express his sympathy and respect.

On May 4, 2005, Fukuoka's annual cultural festival was held and around 2.1 million residents enjoyed various performances and activities. So that the Japanese people could experience the grace and beauty of Falun Gong, more than 100 practitioners participated in the grand parade and received a warm welcome from spectators along the parade path.

In May in Japan, it is sunny and Spring is in full bloom. Practitioners in Kyushu made careful preparations for the parade, and practitioners from other areas joined them after participating in activities in Hiroshima a day earlier.

Around 6 p.m., the practitioners' procession appeared and caught the attention of spectators. At the forefront was a large banner reading, "Falun Gong is good" and "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance". The traditional Chinese dragon and lion dance team was next. The team's wonderful performance won the spectators' acclamation and applause. After that, practitioners in ancient Tang costumes danced. Many spectators took photos of the dancing. At the end of the procession was the waist drum team.

After viewing the practitioners' grand procession and touching performances, some Chinese students changed their misunderstanding about Falun Gong and realized that they had been deceived by Chinese Communist regime's media. Many Japanese viewers were excited at the wonderful performances. Local media covered the event on site and introduced Falun Gong and its worldwide spread to their audiences in Japanese and English.

In this cultural festival, there were also stage performances. To the harmonious music, practitioners demonstrated the graceful Falun Gong exercises. At the end, the festival announcer represented the Japanese audience and expressed sincere appreciation to Falun Gong practitioners for their graceful performances.

After the International Women's Day activity in March, Falun Gong practitioners were invited by the Isadora Duncan Women's Association to promote Falun Gong in the second largest city in the Canary Islands. Tacoronte City is fifteen miles from the capital.

The members of the Isadora Duncan Women's Association were very interested in Falun Gong when they first learned about it on International Women's Day. They not only learned the exercises but also told their friends and acquaintances about Falun Gong.

Most of the people who practiced the five exercises looked radiant afterwards, even though the weather was cold. One lady said that her whole body felt easy and free. Another said that she would tell her husband about Falun Gong and would share this good thing she had found. A young girl said that this was the third time she participated in group practice of the exercises and she felt great. This girl learned about Falun Gong while participating in an activity in the southern part of the island. At that time, she said she felt a strong energy flow and it was like her whole body was in a serene, peaceful and supernatural state. She said that since then she had been deeply attracted by the beauty and peace of Falun Gong and that the practice is so beautiful, magical, and powerful.

A lady in the Isadora Duncan Association had a one-hour show on the local radio station. She invited Falun Gong practitioners to be her guests to introduce Falun Gong. Thus, the practitioners had a chance to tell more listeners on the air about the beauty of Falun Gong, as well as the persecution in China. A young man in the production team told the practitioners that he hoped to practice Falun Gong in the park with them.

On the morning of April 30, 2005, "World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, Los Angeles" was held at Irvine Valley College in Orange County. More than 300 people of different nationalities participated. Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles also participated in this annual grand celebration as they have in previous years. They hoped to introduce more people to the beauty of Falun Gong during this celebration of traditional China culture.

At 10:00 a.m. when the celebration began, participating groups including Tai chi, qigong and martial arts groups came to the stage to give their performances. Falun Gong practitioners' exercises demonstration was the last on the program. While three practitioners demonstrated the graceful and peaceful exercises on the stage, people in front of the stage followed along with them as they did the exercises. A practitioner explained that Falun Gong takes assimilation to the highest characteristics of the cosmos -- "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" as the central to the practice. After the presentation, the audience requested introductory materials and asked for information about local practice sites.

The sponsor of the event, a teacher at Irvine Valley College, said that the activity has been held for several years and that the participation of Falun Gong practitioners played a positive role in the well being of the community, both physically and mentally.