(Clearwisdom.net)
Every July 20, Dafa practitioners all over the world hold activities, share experiences, expose the persecution and hold candlelight vigils for fellow practitioners who have been tortured to death in Mainland China. It is also a time when practitioners gather in Washington DC for the annual Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference there. Some 5000 practitioners participated in this year's event. As reported earlier, Teacher Li Hongzhi came and gave an approximately 40 minute lecture.
One of the coordinators of the conference -- Ms. Wang from Washington DC said, "On July 20, 1999 when Jiang began persecuting Falun Gong in Mainland China, more than 800 practitioners gathered in Washington DC to protest the suppression. In 2000, about 1,000 practitioners gathered here to peacefully protest, and this year, a record number of participants has come, reaching 5,000."
Several separate conference sites
In addition to activities like we've held in previous years, this July 20, Dafa practitioners have put Jiang on trial for launching and continuing the persecution, allowing the courts and public opinion to try him simultaneously.
Over the last four years, Dafa practitioners have become more rational and clear-minded, better able to play more positive roles in the big stage in the human world, and trying their best to let more people clearly see the truth of the persecution, so as to have a brighter future.
Four years of suppression led Falun Gong practitioners around the world to extensively clarify the truth. All have tried hard to clarify the massive lies concocted by Jiang and the criminal "610 Offices" who manipulated state media and resources. Mr. Liu from Kaohsiong, Taiwan expressed that prior to the suppression in Mainland China, there were only about 3,000 practitioners in Taiwan. Over the past four years, the number of practitioners in Taiwan has increased to 300,000. He himself joined the practice at the beginning of the suppression.
One of the hosts of the conference, Dr. Huang Zuwei, PhD, is a scientist with a US space agency. He got to know Falun Gong in 2000 when he traveled to China, and witnessed Falun Gong practitioners, even the elderly or young, being beaten. After returning to America, he immediately began practicing Falun Gong. He expressed that
he genuinely felt the spiritual strength of Falun Gong. Dr. Huang said, "Four years has passed, Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland and overseas have walked through. Falun Gong practitioners have walked steadfastly, in a dignified and bright manner." He emphasized, "This cannot be done on a moment's impulse."
The focus of practitioners' speeches at the Fa conference was how they had called for the support from the international community through various peaceful channels, and how they conveyed the truth about the persecution to those in Mainland China where the information is closely guarded.
Outside the main conference site, a truck covered with a huge posters explaining that Jiang is being sued for the genocide of Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Liu from Kaohsiong expressed that practitioners in Taiwan are holding a signature collection drive for bringing Jiang to justice. Tens of thousands of signatures have been collected within a few days. They would deliver the signatures to Taiwan's Legislature to petition.
