[Minghui Net] Following the stepped--up persecution in China, some officials in the Chinese Embassy in France recently started a smear campaign against Falun Gong among overseas Chinese and Chinese students. Europe Times, a newspaper backed by the Chinese government, published a series of articles attacking Falun Gong. In addition to echoing the lies by the Chinese government, Europe Times invited a famous Buddhist scholar to criticize Falun Gong with so--called Buddhist principles, although this person knows nothing about Falun Gong.
Many French Chinese living in Paris are disgusted by this campaign.
Recently we met a Chinese man who is quite well known in Paris. As we talked about this topic he exclaimed "This is too much, unbelievable." We asked for further clarification and he replied "Have you read the speeches published in Europe Times against Falun Gong? I know every one of the speakers. Many of them have trouble expressing themselves in everyday life. How could they speak so eloquently in the anti--Falun Gong meeting?" The Europe Times story is, in fact, unbelievable to him and to us.
Some French Chinese also say, "We overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia suffered a great deal under the [the party name omitted] Party. We know the officials in the embassy and these people [who criticized Falun Gong] too well to believe what they are quoted as saying. When the embassy called upon us to attend a meeting to criticize Falun Gong, we did attend but made no comments. Some people spoke against Falun Gong to protect their own economic interests. Right after the public denouncement, they would travel to China to do business. We suggest that you talk to these people and ask them why they make such irresponsible speeches."
Some people advise us not to be bothered by this malicious attack. To these people we explained that we are cultivating in the Buddha school and therefore we strive to have compassion toward those who cause damage to us, and we must spread the Truth so people can be exposed to Dafa and possibly change their ways. As they recommend, we could ignore the assault against our beliefs but instead we have to take this opportunity to reach out to the perpetrators and urge them to stop condemning their own spirit by their actions to gain approval from Jiang Zemin's cohorts.
More people contacted us to tell us about the Chinese diplomats' effort to solicit support in the anti--Falun Gong campaign. They all expressed their outrage.
A Falun Gong practitioner in France
March 3, 2001
Category: Perspective
