Not long ago, Russian-speaking Falun Gong practitioners filed an application to register the Falun Dafa Association with the local government in order to facilitate Fa promotion and truth revealing activities. The Chinese Consulate in Russia disrupted the process. Government employees returned the original application using a myriad of excuses. When practitioners gently asked how to improve the application, they were told they wouldn' pass the investigation no matter what they did or how hard they tried. In spite of the obvious interruption, practitioners kept on clarifying the true facts regarding Falun Dafa. They soon got the understanding and support from the relevant governmental departments and people. Thus they succeeded in the registration process. A few days ago, the Baltic Falun Gong and Falun Dafa Association was formally declared founded. We believe the founding of the Association will be a great help to the Russian-speaking practitioners in clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and in exposing the evil. For this, all of the practitioners in North America would like to extend our most sincere greetings to all the Russian-Speaking practitioners! The Latin name of the Falun Dafa association: Baltijas Falungun un Falun Dafa asociacija The English name of the Falun Dafa association: Baltic Falun Gong and Falun Dafa Association The Russian name of the Falun Dafa association: Áàëòèéñêàÿ Àññîöèàöèÿ Ôàëóíüãóí è Ôàëóíü Äàôà

[Minghui Net] The 40^th Annual Amnesty International Meeting was held from April 20 to 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. Falun Gong practitioners from California, Georgia and Tennessee were invited and attended the meeting. Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, the 1987 Nobel peace prize holder, attended the meeting and gave a speech during the opening ceremony. The theme of this year' annual meeting was: "Stop Torture!" Professor Zhang Kunlun was invited to give speeches both in the general assembly and the small group meetings. In his morning speech at the general assembly, Professor Zhang described all sorts of tortures he had suffered in China simply because he would not give up practicing Falun Gong. Professor Zhang further unveiled the mental torture implemented by Jiang Zemin' criminal group. In a nearly completely isolated environment, the evil group used deceitful methods to torture and manipulate Falun Gong practitioners around the clock until they suffered mental collapse. Professor Zhang pointed out that this kind of mental torture is more difficult to endure than physical torture. Professor Zhang also declared that, for the tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who are still suffering physical and mental torture, he must step forward and reveal the truth to the world. Professor Zhang' speech stunned the entire audience. They all stood up and gave a long applause, many of them in tears. In the past month, Professor Zhang was invited to give speeches in many countries, including Switzerland, Sweden, England, Germany, France, Holland, Denmark, Belgium and the United States. By sharing his story, he is effectively exposing the crimes of Jiang Zemin' group in the brutal suppression of Falun Gong. During a meeting recess, a reporter from Tennessee, the largest newspaper in Tennessee, interviewed Professor Zhang and the news report was published the next day. Regarding his field of study, Professor Zhang believes, "Only with a pure and peaceful heart can you create art that shines with a sacred spirit." Through cultivation, Professor Zhang truly feels the sublimation in art. In the afternoon group meeting, Professor Zhang Kunlun described the bitter experience of Falun Gong practitioners who were detained in the same prison. A female Falun Gong practitioner spoke about the brutal persecution and abuse of female Falun Gong practitioners by Jiang Zemin' accomplices. During the meeting, attendees and meeting organizers came to shake hands with Professor Zhang from time to time, expressing their sympathy, admiration, and gratitude. They also invited and welcomed Professor Zhang and other Falun Gong practitioners to participate in their future activities, so more people will pay attention to torture in various places of the world. Let' join together to stop the torture! By Falun Gong practitioners who attended the 40^th Annual Amnesty International Meeting on April 21, 2001

In October 1999 I went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa, and was sent back to the detention center in my hometown. I was held there for 26 days, before being transferred to the Heizuizi Female Labor Camp in the city of Changchun. One of the "newcomer" teams of practitioners at the camp practiced Falun Gong so the guards encouraged the other inmates to beat the practitioners. In the dead of winter they also poured water on the ground and forced practitioners, clad only their underwear to sit there for several hours and to run on the icy ground. Practitioners were not allowed to sleep. They were beaten if they even closed their eyes. They were beaten with a flagpole until it broke into pieces. Other inmates (non-practitioners) used a bamboo board to beat practitioners about the head. In December when I was transferred to another section, several guards beat one practitioner with a bamboo board that was approximately 2.5 inches wide and 1 foot long, until her entire face was deformed and bloody. The practitioners continued to practice so the guards secured them to a "death bed" [Note: form of restraint that is reserved for criminals who are sentenced to death]. Arms and legs are spread apart and cuffed to the bed. They had to eat, drink, and relieve themselves secured to the bed for days on end. Yang Shumei was tortured by three guards using electric batons from 2:00 pm until the end of the workday. They burnt the inside of her mouth so badly she couldn' eat for days afterwards. We could also smell her burning flesh. Zhang Yuhui was sent to a "special cell" for 20 days after being electrically shocked. She was handcuffed to a fixed place for the entire time even during sleeping hours. Then she was transferred to a small warehouse and secured to a bed for 10 days, where she was not permitted to get up to go to the bathroom. Han Cuiyan and Weng Yuje refused to write repentance statements after being shocked so they were bound and forced to sit on the bathroom floor or in a urinal for a day and a night without sleep. Then they were secured to one bed for several days without rest and finally became mentally disordered from the torture. Huang Jingru went on a hunger strike for over 10 days and was beaten, shocked, and force-fed many times. Even though practitioners were tortured until they were unrecognizable they remained steadfast toward Dafa and their cultivation. We appeal to international human rights organizations to come to China to investigate, verify, obtain evidence and stop the persecution. Dafa practitioners from China April 10, 2001