(Clearwisdom.net) During Jiang Zemin's personal visit to the United States, Falun Gong practitioners will hold large-scale appeal activities in Chicago and Houston.
According to overseas news media reports, Jiang will visit the United States from October 22 to October 25, stopping at Chicago, Illinois, Houston and Crawford, Texas, and certain other locations. Jiang is the chief human rights criminal and instigator of the persecution of Falun Gong; therefore, Falun Gong practitioners will hold a series of peaceful appeals during his upcoming visit.
In September 2000 when Jiang visited the U.S. for the first time, over 3,000 Falun Gong practitioners from all over the world gathered in New York City and peacefully appealed to Jiang, urging him to stop the persecution.
Knowing that his persecution of Falun Gong practitioners violates the Chinese Constitution and goes against the people's will, and that he is being widely criticized overseas, Jiang does not dare to meet with Falun Gong practitioners face to face. Each time when he leaves China, he makes an all-out effort via all possible channels to spread rumors that defame Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners, as well as foment hatred and misunderstanding among the public.
In order to show to the world their firm belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," to let more people know the truth of the persecution, and to protest this illegal persecution, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners, mainly from North America, will hold a series of peaceful appeal activities between October 21 and October 25.
1) On October 21, practitioners will hold a press conference at the Federal Plaza in Chicago. Then, practitioners will have a parade to introduce Falun Gong and expose the persecution to the public.
2) On October 22, the day Jiang is scheduled to arrive in Chicago, practitioners will hold group practice in front of the Chinese consulate and other places.
3) On October 22, practitioners will hold a press conference in the City Hall of Houston, and will have group practice and a parade afterwards.
4) On October 23 and 24, practitioners will hold a peaceful appeal, large-scale group practice, photo exhibition and candlelight vigil near the Houston Military Airport and other places where Jiang will visit.
5) On October 25, practitioners will hold group meditation in Crawford.
These activities are jointly coordinated by the Mid-U.S. Falun Dafa Association and Houston Falun Dafa Association.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
Since July 20, 1999, Jiang's regime has been conducting a persecution aimed at ruining Falun Gong practitioners' reputations, draining their financial resources, and destroying their bodies. By the end of October 2001, the government's official internal statistics indicated that over 1600 practitioners had been tortured to death. At this time, 503 deaths have been verified and reported overseas. Tens of thousands of people have been detained, sent to labor camps and sentenced to prison terms without legal trials. Many have been subjected to various tortures. Thousands of sane, healthy people have been sent to mental hospitals, and some female practitioners have been raped.
During the past three years, Falun Gong practitioners around the world have been firmly practicing their belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." With an indomitable spirit, they have tirelessly conducted peaceful appeals in the form of a grassroots movement. They have been clarifying the facts to governments and people, opposing the political persecution launched by Jiang, which not only violates the Chinese Constitution and Law but also undermines human morality. Government officials, media and human rights organizations in the U.S. and other countries have condemned Jiang's trampling on human rights. At the same time, governments around the world have issued over 800 proclamations commending the practice of Falun Gong.
Through this series of appeal activities, Falun Gong practitioners will show to the world their elegant, peaceful demeanor and thereby once again sternly warn Jiang's regime: "Coercion Cannot Change People's Hearts." The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has been doomed to fail since the very beginning.
Falun Gong practitioners will persist in their peaceful appeals. Falun Gong practitioners will keep clarifying the facts to the entire society in hopes of ending this persecution launched by Jiang as soon as possible.
Mid-U.S. Falun Dafa Association
Houston Falun Dafa Association
New York Falun Dafa Association
Canada Falun Dafa Association
Washington Falun Dafa Association
Boston Falun Dafa Association
West-U.S. Falun Dafa Association
South-East-U.S. Falun Dafa Association
Category: News & Events
