(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners in New Zealand held a rally at Queen Elizabeth Square in downtown Auckland on July 16, 2011, calling for an end to the 12-year persecution of Falun Gong. Many New Zealand government officials sent letters expressing their support, and several government officials came to the rally. The activity also drew attention of passersby.
Young practitioner Kai Xin carries the image of her mother during the rally calling for an end to the 12-year persecution in downtown Auckland. Kai Xin's mother Ms. Luo Zhixiang died in police custody after she had been arrested and detained for 12 days.
Political Leaders Support
Keith Locke, Green MP and spokesperson for foreign affairs
Keith Locke, Green MP and spokesperson for foreign affairs, gave a speech at the rally, He said, “Falun Gong has been persecuted for 12 years, thousands of innocent people have been detained, subjected to forced labor, physical abuse, and even tortured to death. It's a sad thing.”
MP Locke said that it's of great importance for the Australian politicians to take part in Falun Gong's activities opposing the persecution. It is necessary for everyone to pay attention to and intuitively see the practitioners' protests and the severity of the persecution. He hopes that the New Zealand government will step forward to safeguard victim groups like Falun Gong, and speak out for thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who have been subjected to torture.
Margaret Taylor, spokesperson for the Amnesty International New Zealand chapter
Margaret Taylor, spokesperson for the Amnesty International New Zealand chapter, said that Amnesty International supports Falun Gong practitioners' beliefs and their activities. She said that the Chinese Communist regime has violated international human rights regulations. Amnesty International strongly requests that the Chinese government immediately release detained Falun Gong practitioners.
Barry Wilson, chairman of the Auckland Civil Rights Association
Barry Wilson, chairman of the Auckland Civil Rights Association, disclosed that the Chinese Consulate once asked the Auckland Council not to allow Falun Gong practitioners to hold truth clarification exhibits and parades to expose the persecution. He said that they support Falun Gong practitioners' activities, and thank all practitioners for their efforts to appeal for human rights and freedom of belief.
Many New Zealand politicians also sent letters expressing their support of Falun Gong practitioners' efforts to end the persecution. Dr Pita Sharples from the Maori Party, Foreign Minister Hon Mr. Murray McCully, and Phil Goff, Labor Party leader wished the rally a success.
Passersby Show Concern, Chinese People Quit the CCP and its Affiliated Organizations
Practitioners demonstrated Falun Gong exercises during the rally, and held an anti-torture exhibit and truth-clarification photo exhibit, which exposed the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) horrendous persecution, and depicted the wide spread of Falun Gong around the world. Many passersby stopped to watch, and carefully read introductory materials. Some took photos. Many people signed the petition to support the efforts of Falun Gong practitioners to end the persecution. Twenty seven Chinese people also submitted their statements of quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Ms. Ellen Rhodes viewed the anti-torture exhibit, and showed her sympathy and concerns. She said that she knew there were many unfair things taking place in China, but seeing them torture Falun Gong practitioners in such cruel ways, she said she gained a deep understanding how bad the CCP is. She felt it was horrible that people treat others so ferociously in today's civilized age.
Falun Gong Practitioners' Voices
Ms. Song came to New Zealand not long ago. She recalled her experience of being held in a detention center in 2001. She witnessed how guards force-fed practitioners who were on hunger strikes. She was arrested again in 2008 for distributing information about Falun Gong, and was subjected to two years of forced labor. Ms. Song said that the detained practitioners were deprived of the most fundamental rights, such as sleep, restroom use, and showering. They suffered physical abuse and mental torment.
Ms. Song said that she persists in clarifying the facts about Falun Gong to the public, because those who have been taken in by the CCP's lies and propaganda are innocent, and the real victim group under the CCP's persecution.
Ms. Yuan from Shanghai started practicing Falun Gong in 1995. She said that she is a doctor and had been plagued by illnesses for many years prior to beginning Falun Gong practice. After she began practicing, her health problems soon disappeared.
Mr. Yu said that the CCP is the root cause of the Chinese people's sufferings, and the origin of all social crimes in China. He suggests that overseas Chinese read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, to see clearly the nature of the CCP, and quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations as soon as possible.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. The practice involves slow, gentle movements and meditation. Its guiding principles are based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practice was first introduced by Master Li Hongzhi in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and then beyond. Its beneficial effects in uplifting an individual's physical health, spiritual well-being, and moral character, not to mention its positive influence in the community and society as a whole, are undeniable. In fact, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people in 110 countries.
On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a brutal persecution of Falun Gong.
According to figures from the Minghui/Clearwisdom website, up to now at least 3428 Falun Gong practitioners are confirmed to have been persecuted to death. Experts estimate that the actual figures are much higher. Hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured in prisons, forced labor camps, and psychiatric hospitals. Moreover, the CCP-controlled military, public security, judiciary, and health care systems have collaborated with each other to harvest organs from living Falun Gong practitioners in one of the most horrendous crimes in human history. Over the past twelve years, practitioners around the world have been speaking out about the truth of Falun Gong and exposing the CCP's crimes in a tireless effort to end the persecution.
