(Clearwisdom.net) At a press conference on September 24, the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Foundation announced that Master Li Hongzhi has won its award of Outstanding Spiritual Leader for his contributions to improving morality and promoting traditional Chinese culture.

Mr. Zheng Cunzhu, a trustee of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Foundation and in charge of the China Social Democratic Party Los Angeles Chamber, said the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong has been going on for 10 years, but Falun Gong practitioners, under Master Li Hongzhi's direction, have spread Falun Gong all over the world in its peaceful resistance against the persecution.

Mr. Liu Yinquan, a trustee of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Foundation and the secretary of the China Social Democratic Party, said: "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is a universal principle. There are lots of problems in China associated with people's corrupt moral standard and the fact that people don't believe in higher beings anymore. When people don't believe in higher beings, they dare to conduct all kinds of bad deeds. We issue the award to Master Li, hoping this will encourage people to obey the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When people's moral standard improve, the world will have peace."

The Asia-Pacific Human Rights Foundation was founded in New Zealand, and moved to Los Angeles in June 2008. It has chambers in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and several European countries. The award ceremony will be held on September 26.

Background:

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. The practice involves slow, gentle movements and meditation. It is easy to learn, enjoyable to practice, and free of charge. Its principles are based on Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and then beyond. Today, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people in over 100 countries. The main works of Falun Gong are available in over 30 languages.

On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Since the start of the persecution, Falun Gong practitioners throughout the world have been constantly speaking out about the truth of Falun Gong and exposing the CCP's crimes in a tireless effort to end the persecution.