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Hong Kong Falun Gong Practitioners March on July 20 to Protest the Persecution (Photos)

July 23, 2003

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(Clearwisdom.net) July 21st report: This morning Hong Kong issued a tropical storm warning, but the morning's downpour didn't stop Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong from protesting the four years of bloody suppression in Mainland China. The Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners pointed out that in the past four years, former Chinese leader Jiang has used his power to defame Falun Gong practitioners in China, hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been illegally detained for persisting in practicing Falun Gong, and more than 750 practitioners have been tortured to death. As Jiang's lies have been exposed one after another, people have stood up to condemn Jiang's atrocities. Jiang and those who assist him to persecute Falun Gong practitioners will be held accountable for their actions.

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Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners parade on July 20 to protest the persecution
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Falun Gong practitioners peacefully protest to the central government in front of the government headquarters. A Falun Gong practitioner delivers a petition to a police officer, intended for Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

On the morning of July 20, about 50 Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside the West Ring Police Station, facing the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong across the road. They peacefully sat behind the cordons the police had placed there. Behind them were banners with the words, "Falun Gong practitioners bring lawsuit all over the world against Jiang for genocide", "Together let's end Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong, release detained practitioners, and bring Jiang, the prime culprit of the persecution, to justice," and "Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. " In front of them were photos of practitioners who were tortured or killed.

The Hong Kong Falun Dafa Association pointed out in a statement that since July 20, 1999, Jiang single-handedly launched an irrational campaign of suppression against innocent Falun Gong practitioners. Over the past four years, Falun Gong practitioners have persistently gone to Beijing to appeal and to have people understand the facts, but Jiang's regime has deprived them of their rights of free speech and appeal. Jiang mobilized the state propaganda machine to slander Falun Gong and had the police arbitrarily arrest practitioners. 756 confirmed torture death cases have been exposed so far. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Countless practitioners have been incarcerated in labor camps, prisons and mental hospitals, receiving physical and mental torture.

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners also explained why Falun Gong practitioners all over the world, particularly practitioners in Mainland, have risked their lives to expose to the world the slander and inhumane persecution over the past four years. They want to let the public know about Jiang's criminal activities and that everyone will be rewarded or punished for their actions in the end. History has shown that when people respect Gods and Buddhas, value morality and kindness, society is stable and prosperous. When people turn selfish and do evil for personal gain, then chaos would reign. When Jiang uses his power to defame and suppress Falun Gong, which teaches people to be good, he is destroying the moral foundation that humankind relies on to survive, and he is pushing people who do not know the truth to a point that's beyond redemption.

Four years later, the suppression has become intolerable to more and more people. In China, from ordinary citizens to high-ranking officials, more and more people have expressed indignation at the dictator's irrational and brutal actions. The dictatorship's attempt to extend the persecution to overseas has completely failed. In Hong Kong, Article 23 legislation aimed at banning Falun Gong has been postponed. In the U.S. Federal Court, Jiang has been sued for torture, genocide and crimes against humanity. Several high-ranking officials who participated in the suppression, including former Beijing Mayor Liu Qi and others, have been judged by default in Northern California District Court in the U.S. Government officials including congressmen, human rights organizations and religious groups of different countries have condemned the Chinese authorities' suppression of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioners believe that no matter what lies Jiang's regime fabricates, most people who have a chance to be exposed to the truth will not be deceived. The suppression based on malicious lies is falling apart as the lies are being exposed. Those who are rampantly assisting the persecution and do not want to repent are facing complete failure, and they will be held accountable for their evildoings.

The peaceful sit-in concluded at 11:30 a.m., and at noon, about 200 Falun Gong practitioners set off from Revenue Building at Wan Chai and marched to government headquarters in Central. The practitioners held a candlelight vigil at night.