(Minghui.org)

RFA: Falun Gong Practitioners in New York Commemorate the April 25 appeal

On the evening of April 25, Falun Gong practitioners in New York held a sit-in rally in front of the Chinese Consulate to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal in Beijing. Dr. Yi Xu, a participant of the event in Beijing and former Associate Professor in Tsinghua University, narrated his experience.

Thirteen years have passed. Falun Gong is still persecuted in China. Falun Gong practitioners in New York commemorate the April 25 Appeal every year. Dr. Xu was imprisoned in labor camps for two years and then came to the US after many hardships.

RFA: Falun Gong Practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area Commemorate the 13th Anniversary of the April 25 Appeal in front of the Chinese Consulate

On the evening of April 25, more than 300 Falun Gong practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in the rain. They commemorated the 13th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal by sitting-in and practicing the exercises.

Falun Gong spokesperson Xuerong Zhang said, “Tonight, several hundred people in Bay Area, including senior engineers, teachers, and doctors, stand here quietly. They look similar to the appeal 13 years ago in Beijing to demand their basic rights. You see it is raining, but we know it will be clear after the rain.”

Practitioner Po Dongwei was a participant of the appeal in Beijing 13 years ago. He said, “We peacefully requested a non-threatening environment to practice the exercises and for the government to lift the ban on publishing Dafa books. We did not have extra requests. If the CCP had solved the issue, the conflict in China now would have not been so intense.”

Mr. Po was imprisoned for three years for practicing the exercises. He said, “The 13-year-long persecution of Falun Gong ignores China’s current law and crushes traditional morality.”

At the rally, Falun Gong practitioners held banners that read “Falun Dafa Is Great,” “Truth-Compassion-Forbearance,” and “Bring Jiang Zemin and Zhou Yongkang to Justice.” The rally ended at 10 p.m.

RFA: Falun Gong Practitioners in Los Angeles Commemorate the 13th Anniversary of the April 25 Appeal in front of the Chinese Consulate

On the evening of April 25, Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles held a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the April 25 Appeal. Over one hundred practitioners participated in the rally.

Practitioner Yongnian Wu was among the practitioners in front of the Chinese Consulate and explained the purpose of the rally. He said, “First, it is to commemorate the 13th anniversary of April 25 Appeal. Second, it is to strongly protest and condemn the CCPs brutal persecution of Falun Gong during the past 13 years, and call attention to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and help to stop the persecution.”

The reporter asked the practitioners whether China has relaxed control on religious beliefs. Mr. Wu said “I believe that there are people with conscience in the CCP. We are a group of practitioners who have no interest in politics or power. But we hope that Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and others listen to the people and stop the 13-year-long persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by Jiang and his followers.” Over one hundred practitioners participated in a candlelight vigil. Practitioners who participated in the April 25 Appeal in Beijing shared their stories.

Practitioner Yulin Zhou said, “On April 25, 1999, I went to the Beijing Appeals Office a little after 7 a.m. Police questioned me as soon as I stepped off the bus. There were many people there in lines. Some read books, some stood; nobody shouted, nobody held up a sign. At a little after 9 p.m., news came that the issue was solved. Everyone was asked to leave. I was part of the first batch that left. The atmosphere was peaceful.”

Practitioner Yulin came to the US four years ago. She stressed that the whole process was peaceful and the then prime minister met with a handful of practitioners who volunteered to speak on behalf of the group.

Practitioner Ke Ye said that practitioners’ effort to protest the persecution and spread the facts would not stop as long as the CCP does not stop the persecution.

Mr. Ye said, “We are here to let people know that practitioners in China are peaceful, but have been persecuted severely for the past 13 years. It is unfair. Falun Gong practitioners continue their efforts and hope to stop the persecution as soon as possible.”