October 29, 2003 Wednesday

THE children in Ashfield Mall at a recent rally carefully moved through their Falun Gong meditation to show how the exercise promoted truth, compassion and tolerance.

However, the story told by Dai Zhizhan described torture and death at the hands of the Chinese government.

Falun Gong is outlawed in China and Ms Zhizhan's husband, Chen Chengyong, was killed after he went to Beijing to deliver a letter to the Chinese government stating its benefits.

"He was arrested and taken to the 610 office which is especially for kidnapping and torture," she said. "It's like the gestapo in World War II."

Ms Zhizhan and her three-year-old daughter Fadu, are now travelling the world to raise awareness of the injustice Falun Gong practitioners face in China with a project called Petals of Peace.

The project allows children to help by folding paper lotus flowers to form a collection that will travel the world.

"Children can do something to help the children in China," she said.

"In Australia children take for granted peace and comfort."