Falun Gong
ATHENS – The Chinese and Greek ancient cultures are two
of the greatest cultures in the world. The teachings of Socrates in Ancient Greece
and Lao Tze in Early China lay the spiritual and moral foundations for Western
and Eastern Culture. The Olympic Games celebrate Greece’s ancient cultural and
moral traditions. As the Greek poet Pindar noted, the Olympic contestor’s victory
is based on the principle of the “KAIROS,” a principle of balance and
harmony between the athlete, the gods, and nature. Similarly, ancient and contemporary
Chinese self-refinement practices such as Falun Gong are based upon harmony between
human and the divine.
We hold this press conference in honor of the spiritual
traditions of the two nations, and in so doing, we urge the faction within the
Chinese Government who are carrying out a systematic and brutal persecution of
Falun Gong to stop and allow China to return to her true self – a nation and a
people who, like the ancient Olympic athletes celebrated by Pindar, embrace balance
and harmony between man, nature and the divine.
An ancient practice of
exercise, meditation and teachings of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance,
Falun Gong was introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992 in China. Within
a year, more than a million persons in China practiced the five sets of slow and
gentle exercise every morning before work. Members of the influential Politburo,
high ranking government officials, academics and many others embraced the spiritual
principles of Falun Gong. Like the disciples of Socrates, practitioners of Falun
Gong look inward to improve both morally and spiritually, and cultivate their
character to enlighten to spiritual truths.
Yet, as Socrates was denounced
by narrow minded persons in Ancient Athens, the practice of Falun Gong has been
maligned by the former Chinese leader, Jiang Zemin, and the faction within the
Chinese Government he controls.
Human rights groups such as Amnesty International,
Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, the U.S. State Department Country Reports,
etc., have reported that since 1999 over 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners have
been sent to forced labor camps, jail, and mental institutions. According to some
verified reports, more than 1,000 individuals have been tortured to death while
in police custody, notwithstanding the prohibition against torture in Chinese
law and international instruments ratified by China. The US Congress, European
Parliament, and many governments have publicly condemned the persecution. Lawsuits
have been filed in the United States, Europe, Asia and now Greece to bring those
responsible for the atrocities to justice and put an end to the persecution of
Falun Gong in China.
The Olympic spirit, since its very beginning in Ancient
Greece has promoted peace, harmony, fairness, justice, and humanity. There is
no better venue than this event to highlight the importance of human rights and
dignity in China especially, but also elsewhere around the globe.
Posting
date: 7/Aug/2004
Original article date: 6/Aug/2004
Category: World News
