Anniversary of the Cruel Persecution in China

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—20 July, 2010 marks the eleventh anniversary of the Chinese communist regime's bloody persecution against Falun Gong. New Zealand Falun Gong practitioners held a rally in Auckland’s Elizabeth Square, on 17 July, calling for an end to the persecution.

On display, in Elizabeth Square, was a demonstration of the Falun Gong exercises, which many say have changed their lives; also a demonstration of the inhumane methods that are used for torturing Falun Gong practitioners.

According to Falun Gong’s official website, there have been 3,833 deaths since the beginning of the persecution although the real number is unknown as officials refuse to reveal the whereabouts or condition of many practitioners.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese spiritual practice which is based on truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. Since it was brought to the public in 1992, by its founder Li Hongzhi, an estimated 70 million-100 million Falun Gong adherents were practicing in China before the ban in 1999.

It was on July 20, 1999, the then-Party leader Jiang Zemin, fearing Falun Gong’s rapidly growing popularity was overshadowing his own legacy, instigated a crack down on the peaceful practice and unleashed the full power of the communist regime vowing to eradicate it from Chinese soil.

Outside China, Falun Gong practitioners have been joined by government officials, heads of NGOs, lawyers, and ordinary people in calling for a to stop the persecution.

The persecution has been ongoing, with Amnesty reporting that “Falun Gong practitioners were among those most harshly persecuted by the government [in 2008]. In the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, thousands were reported to have been arrested."

The Public Were Shocked

A photo exhibition also details the many incidents of torture.

The anti-persecution exhibition drew a great deal of attention from the passing public. Many people were extremely shocked and said that although they had heard about it, they had not previously been exposed to its horrors. They had heard about the live organ-harvesting issue but found it hard to believe that this brutal persecution is still happening in China today.

UN Special Rapporteurs, in 2006, asked for a full explanation, from the Chinese regime, of the source of organ transplants that would disprove the allegation of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners: The reply did not explain the discrepancy between the number of transplants carried out and the number of available sources.

John Yu, coordinator for the Falun Dafa Association in New Zealand said, “We want more people to know the truth about what is happening in China. Then we can all gather together to stop this evil persecution.”