by Queensland Falun Dafa Practitioners
Published last month by Allen
& Unwin, Jennifer Zeng’s Witnessing History – One Woman’s Fight for Freedom
and Falun Gong is a true story of the triumph of the human spirit. It is a powerful
and moving account of how a bright, successful young scientist and happily married
mother survived illegal detention and torture, only to be forced to flee her family
and homeland to seek asylum in Australia. Witnessing History is a tale of courage
and conviction over the most grueling adversity, revealing a hidden tragedy that
is continuing to this day behind closed doors in Mainland China. Jennifer’s story
is representative in nature of the similar plight that millions of innocent Falun
Gong practitioners are currently facing under China’s brutal Communist regime.
One week after its release, the publishers of Witnessing History initiated
another reprint to meet the demand of interest from bookstores Australia-wide.
Falun Gong practitioners on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, invited Jennifer to
officially launch Witnessing History in our local area between 30 March and 2
April 2005.
With the opening book launch, a book signing, live radio broadcasts
and excellent media coverage in at least five local newspapers and magazines (which
covered the entire coastal area), many people came to know of Jennifer’s remarkable
story and expressed their heartfelt concerns that such a large-scale persecution
could still be carried out within our civilised world and the 21st Century! One
interview was also broadcast to the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas of South-East
Queensland.
The book launch Jennifer attended on the Sunshine Coast was
organised through a local bookstore by invitation and was a sell-out on the night!
The audience was riveted as Jennifer shared her inspiring journey of how she first
came to Falun Gong, the extraordinary benefits she experienced to her health after
practicing the exercises and meditation and her personal and gripping account
of spending one year illegally detained in a forced-labour camp where she was
subjected to all manner of inhuman treatment for simply refusing to renounce her
peaceful beliefs. Many people were moved to tears and shook their heads in disbelief.
Others nodded as if to confirm their understandings that the horrors of the Communist
Party throughout its torrid history had, in fact, never changed. The staff at
the bookstore sincerely thanked us for inviting Jennifer to share her incomparable
story with the local community and wished us every success with our goal of bringing
the truth of the persecution to the world’s attention.
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One live radio interview lasted for over an hour and a half, and was broadcast
across the Sunshine Coast. The interviewer mentioned that it was the most amazing
interview that she had ever conducted in her four years at the radio station.
She was so captivated that she could hardly think ahead to the next question as
she attentively listened to Jennifer’s retelling of her experiences during her
incarceration inside the forced-labour camp. The interviewer seemed reluctant
to bring their discussion to close even when nearing the time for the next radio
program to commence. The interviewer also kindly presented a selection of music
composed by Falun Dafa practitioners to her listening audience, including “Pu
Du” and “De Du”.
A Freelance journalist, who had just started
learning the exercises at our local site also read Jennifer’s book and interviewed
Jennifer during her visit. The report could be potentially published in a number
of popular Australian magazines in future editions.
One local bookstore,
unaware of Jennifer’s visit to promote her book on the Sunshine Coast, was so
deeply touched after reading Witnessing History that they published their own
book review in our local newspaper. This excellent review not only clarified the
truth of the persecution, but its publication also coincided with the day of Jennifer’s
arrival to the Sunshine Coast. Two days later, the owner was delighted when Jennifer
and another Falun Gong practitioner visited the bookstore to thank her for her
contribution in attempting to raise awareness of the persecution.
The book
signing was held in a popular bookstore in the Sunshine Coast’s largest and busiest
shopping plaza. Jennifer once again shared her story and many purchased the book
and asked her to sign their personal copies. The bookstore owner, having previously
read the book, was also deeply touched after listening to Jennifer’s harrowing
story of detention and torture in contrast to seeing Jennifer’s gentle and quiet
disposition when meeting her on the day. The owner also reviewed Jennifer’s book
on the morning of the launch broadcast on a popular radio station segment reviewing
new and interesting publications for its many listeners.
The response to
Jennifer’s visit on the Sunshine Coast by all of whom we met whilst organising
the activities and from the public in general was simply overwhelming. Unfortunately,
due to time constraints, Jennifer’s schedule could not accommodate all of the
invitations she had received prior to her visit. Witnessing History is currently
being launched in other major cities throughout Australia.
Witnessing History
can be purchased in all good bookshops, or on-line at:
www.allenandunwin.com/shopping/product.asp?ISBN=1741144000&string%3DJennifer+Zeng
Posting
date: 22/Apr/2005
Original article date: 18/Apr/2005
Category: Australian
News
