London
Telegraph: Seven key dates for China in 2009
"April 25: 10th anniversary of the Falun Gong protests, when10,000 members of
the spiritual movement gathered outside Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the
Communist Party, in a silent protest against beatings and arrests that had been
doled out to some members in Tianjin... the Communist Party banned Falun Gong in
July and began a campaign against , arresting thousands of members. According to
Manfred Nowak, the UN special rapporteur on torture, Falun Gong members make up
half the population of China's prison camps."
To read more: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/malcolmmoore/blog/2009/01/02/seven_key_dates_for_china_in_2009
For a timeline on the persecution of Falun Gong: http://www.faluninfo.net/topic/4/
Freedom
House: "Escalated persecution of minorities" in China in 2008
January 13, 2008: "During the year, there was an evident backtracking when
it came to core institutions and freedoms... Of particular note was a nationwide
escalated persecution of minorities. From Tibetans to Uighurs to Falun Gong
adherents to "house church" Christians, thousands of believers found themselves
facing an intensified campaign of arbitrary detention, labor camp sentences and,
in some cases, death in custody."
To read more: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/01/13/2003433620
See also: http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/fiw09/FIW09_OverviewEssay_Final.pdf
Epoch
Times: Fifteen Chinese Lawyers Demand an Open Retrial of Falun Gong
Practitioners
January 17, 2009: "Fifteen lawyers have stepped forward to defend Falun
Gong practitioners after the Chengdu People's Intermediate Court sentenced 11
people, including Falun Gong practitioners and their family members, to prison
terms of from 3 to 17 years in October 2008. The 15 lawyers are asking the court
to find the 11 defendants not guilty....
Lawyer Mou Jiyuan said, 'The case deserves a second trial, mainly because of uncertain facts and insufficient evidence, which led to the sentencing and a misjudgment. We have therefore joined forces and reported the case to the local Procuratorate asking for an investigation.'"
To read more: http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10499
For more information on Beijing lawyer Mou Jiyuan, see: http://en.zhaojuncn.com/newEbiz1/EbizPortalFG/portal/html/InfoContent.html?InfoPublish_InfoID=c373e9177c6f80518ffbe5fb839355d1
Times
of India: Channel your energy with this Chinese therapy
December 30, 2008: "Practised in 80 countries, Falun Gong was first brought to
Mumbai in 2000 by a group of foreign practitioners who held a nine-day seminar
in Bandra, says Suren Rao, follower and ad film-maker. Falun Dafa India was
registered as an association only in 2004....
Rao, who exudes the beatitude one usually finds in godmen, found his calling in Falun Gong after trying his hand at various spiritual techniques. ... the number of serious practitioners in Mumbai is limited to a handful. In Bangalore, on the other hand, over 50 schools have taught their students the practice."
To read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Channel_your_energy_with_this_Chinese_therapy/articleshow/3910602.cms
Winnipeg
Sun: Rights advocate Matas named to Order of Canada
December 31, 2008: "Local human rights lawyer David Matas is among the 60 newest
members of the Order of Canada...The longtime advocate -- currently senior legal
counsel to B'nai Brith Canada and a former president of the Canadian Council of
Refugees -- was recognized for his contributions to human rights legislation as
well as to immigration and refugee law...Recently, he co-authored a report
investigating claims the Chinese government has been harvesting organs from
imprisoned practitioners of Falun Gong. The report concluded the allegations
were true."
To read more: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2008/12/31/7887036-sun.html
Background
Founded in 1999, the Falun Dafa Information Center is a New York-based organization that documents the rights violations of adherents of Falun Gong (or "Falun Dafa") taking place in the People's Republic of China. In July of 1999 China's autocratic Communist Party launched an unlawful campaign of arrests, violence, and propaganda with the intent of "eradicating" the apolitical practice; it is believed certain leaders feared the influence of the practice' 100 million adherents. The campaign has since grown in violence and scope, with millions having been detained or sent to forced labor camps. The Center has verified details of over 3,000 deaths and over 63,000 cases of torture in custody (reports / sources). Falun Gong is a traditional-style Buddhist "qigong" practice, with roots in the Chinese heritage of cultivating the mind/body for health and spiritual growth.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER
Contacts: Gail Rachlin (+1 917-757-9780), Levi Browde (+1 646-415-0998), Erping Zhang (+1 646-533-6147), or Joel Chipkar (+1 416-709-8678)
Fax: 646-792-3916 Email: contact@faluninfo.net, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/