By a Falun Dafa Practitioners in Sydney
A
one-week-long series of activities were held in Australia to commemorate the fifth
anniversary of the April 25 Appeal by Falun Gong practitioners. Starting from
April 22, Falun Gong practitioners in Australia held exercise demo sessions, displayed
photos, demonstrated torture methods and held press conferences to recount the
historical April 25 Appeal and to expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong
practitioners in China over the past four years. More than a thousand signatures
have been collected in support of the global legal actions against Jiang for genocide
and crimes against humanity.
 Photo Exhibit on Sydney Municipal Square |
 Passersby Visit Photo Exhibit |
 Truth Clarification to Park Visitors |
 Truth Clarification in front to Chinese Embassy in Canberra |
 |
 |
| Group Exercise in Hyde Park |
Demonstration of Torture Methods on Sydney Municipal Square |
On April 22, more than one hundred Falun Gong practitioners participated in
the activity on Sydney Town Hall Square. Twenty large display boards told the
story of Falun Gong's wide spread around the world and facts about the persecution
of Falun Gong in China. It was the first time that products made by slave labor
in labor camps were displayed, including Zhenglin watermelon seeds, wool sweaters,
plastic flowers, etc. Explanations in English were provided.
Falun Gong
practitioners' group exercise to peaceful music fascinated many people, who
received introduction materials and signed their names in support of Falun Gong.
At night, a big banner reading “In Memory of Falun Gong Practitioners Who Died
from Persecution” looked solemn in candlelights. A truth clarification video in
Chinese with English subtitles was played on a big projector screen. Many people
stopped to watch the video. This activity lasted four hours.
On April 24,
a photo exhibit and an exercise demo were held in Hype Park, a scenic tourist
spot in Sydney. Those practitioners who had experienced the appeal in person told
people their experience while distributing flyers and collecting signatures. Ms.
Liu Jinghang, former associate professor of Chinese Academy of Science who was
involved in the April 25 Appeal, told her story, “Our appeal happened when there
was absolutely no other way to solve the issue of Falun Gong practitioners being
detained and beaten in Tianjin. Our input of opinion was ignored and didn't
bring any result. We had to go tell the central government our opinion.”
Another
lady, Ms. Man said, “Those who live in Beijing know that you can walk by but cannot
stop along red walls. That was why we stood across the street [from the red wall].
But before we knew it, we were led to stand along red walls. If the appeal office
wasn't located in Zhongnanhai, but in Xidan or Dongdan instead, why would
we have gone to Zhongnanhai?”
Commemorative activities were also held in
Hurstville, Edgecliff and other cities where most Chinese Australians live.
On
April 25, Falun Gong practitioners sent forth righteous thought in front of the
Chinese Embassy in Canberra. Some distributed flyers to tourists and told people
about April 25 Appeal.
On April 29, Falun Gong practitioners demonstrated
torture methods used in the persecution of Falun Gong in addition to their flyer
distribution, signature collection and group exercise on Sydney Municipal Square.
People were shocked to see the torture demos including hanging, confining in a
cage and tiger bench. A passerby said, “Please give me a signature form. I will
tell everyone what is happening in China.”
An elderly couple had strong
feelings about the torture methods. They had just come from China to Australia
to visit their family. Mr. Chen said he had been in forced labor camp for two
years for practicing Falun Gong. He almost died from the physical and mental tortures
in the camp and had to be sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. He had
to wear handcuffs and shackles even in the hospital. Under his strong protest,
they took off his shackles. But he had to keep wearing handcuffs. He said, “The
way they treat Falun Gong practitioners has gone too far. It is very inhuman.
I told them that I would reason with Jiang if he was there. What is wrong with
practicing Falun Gong to get good health and be a good person?”
Ms. Li Ying
had been subjected to tortures when she was in China. She said, “What is demonstrated
here is only a small fraction of the torture methods actually used. Many tortured
methods that Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subjected to have never
been known to the world. I was once handcuffed from the back and hung on a cell
door for three days at a detention center. They wouldn't let me down even
when I ate or needed to use the restroom…”
Rainstorm suddenly started
pouring in the middle of the activity. People hurried to leave. However, under
Falun Gong practitioners' righteous thought, it got better and better. More
and more people began to stop to watch the video. To our happiness, some Chinese
took the initiative to come ask us questions about the April 25 Appeal and to
ask for truth clarification materials. It was a drastic change from previous years,
when Chinese tried to avoid us.
Posting date: 5/May/2004
Original
article date: 3/May/2004
Category: Australian
News
