(Clearwisdom.net) June 26 marks the United Nations International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors. It was originated in 1987, a day to commemorate torture victims and call for eradicating torture around the world. On Saturday, June 24, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners participated in the commemoration of the day for the fourth year at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle, Washington State. They also held a press conference to raise people’s awareness of Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering torture and abuses in China. The reenactment of brutal tortures that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) adopts to persecute Falun Gong practitioners was staged. The tortures demonstrated included being hung up and beaten, being locked up in a small metal cage, and live organ harvesting for sale.
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People are shocked by the brutality of the persecution and want to learn more about it
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First Mr. Green made a speech representing the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong." (WOIPFG) Mr. Green said, "The aim of the ‘WOIPFG’ is to investigate the persecution of Falun Gong in China and safeguard Falun Gong practitioners’ most basic human rights in China." Why is Falun Gong banned in China, even though its practitioners are completely peaceful and follow the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance"? Mr. Green said that it is because of the wonderfulness of Falun Gong cultivation. Since it was introduced to the public for the first time in 1992, in as short as seven years, Falun Gong attracted 100 million people to practice. This far outnumbered the CCP’s 60 million members. Jiang Zemin and the CCP launched the brutal persecution of Falun Gong to protect their power against an imaginary threat.
Mr. Huo Mingxue from The Solidarity Union of Democracy of China said in his speech, "When the world enjoys the prosperous civilization today, why do we still mark this date? " "People living in Western democratic countries many take this for granted, because their countries are full of freedom, democracy and love for humanity, and torture is strictly prohibited by law." "But in China, a country that is controlled by an autocratic regime without humanity, torture still exists and is rampant."
Mr. Jerke made a speech on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. He pointed out that the international community chooses to remain silent for the sake of their economic interests, even though they have learned about the CCP’s gross violations of human rights. But just such silence, "enables such persecution to go on unchecked."
There was a crowd of people on Westlake Square. Many people were shocked upon seeing the truth clarification display boards and reenactment of torture, and wanted to learn more about the facts. Some people watched for a long period of time. They found practitioners to ask questions, get truth clarification materials, and earnestly wanted to know what had happened. Some people immediately signed their names on the petition calling for an end to the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.
A couple said that their whole family is Christian. The torture that Falun Gong practitioners suffer reminded them of the persecution of Christians in the past.
A young woman looked carefully at the reenactment of torture methods and photos depicting the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and said that she was touched. She said that it is good to raise people’s awareness this way, and no one has the right to torture others.
Another woman said that she had been to Sudan, and saw very horrible and tragic things. She said that she felt heartbroken when a life dies an unnatural death, no matter where the life is. She said, "It is so important that you do so." She took one copy of each piece of literature we provided.
People expressed that they would let their friends know or write to their government representatives to help put an end to the persecution.
