(Clearwisdom.net) During the Chinese New Year holidays, Dafa practitioners from Guadalupe and Paris joined local practitioners to introduce Falun Gong to people in Martinique (a small island in the Caribbean), France.
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| Falun Gong press conference | Report on Falun Gong in the largest local newspaper France Antilles |
Schoelcher City government warmly received us. On Saturday and Sunday, February 1-2, 2003, the practitioners demonstrated Falun Dafa exercises at the Arawaks Square in the city of Schoelcher. The practitioners also showed videos about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China and held a press conference. Martinique people showed great interest in Falun Gong exercises and felt shocked to learn that Falun Gong practitioners in China are not allowed to practice the exercises, and they have suffered inhuman persecution.
This nation that used to be under slavery is very sensitive to human rights issues. The name of Shoelcher is to commemorate Frenchman Victor Shoelcher, who drafted a bill to abolish slavery in Antilles in 1848.
On February 8, Saturday, the Schoelcher City government offered the practitioners the use of their meeting hall to hold a press conference. The practitioners introduced in detail the history of Falun Gong, its five sets of exercises, wide spread of Falun Gong around the world, and the persecution of Falun Gong in China. They also showed videos and answered questions raised by the audience.
After learning facts of Falun Gong, the culture commissioner of Schoelcher and the Town of Morne Rouge, expressed that they would invite Falun Gong practitioners to introduce Falun Gong on more occasions. The Morne Rouge Town culture commissioner invited practitioners to attend a large sports meet on February 23 to introduce Falun Gong to local people and guests.
During the week, the practitioners had extensive contact with the media. Local media conducted interviews with the practitioners and made reports on Falun Gong. Cable TV LCL/KMT broadcast four times during one week about Falun Gong in its programs. RADIO RCI and PELEE FM also broadcast interviews with the practitioners several times. The largest newspaper in Martinique, France Antilles with a daily circulation of 35, 000, published twice announcements of Falun Gong activities respectively on January 15 and January 31. It also published an article entitled, "Martinique People Understand Falun Dafa" on February 5.
A Western practitioner who obtained Dafa in 1996 in Paris had a 45-minute conversation with the chief editor of France Antilles, and talked about her personal cultivation experience in Falun Gong. A reporter was eager to know why Westerners would regard a traditional Chinese cultivation method as something that is suitable for all people. In the end, he wholeheartedly admitted that "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" could make people become good.
