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Stop torture in China!
From april 25 1999 the chinese goverment has used lies and deciet to cover up the genocide of it's own people. Falun gong practitioners in the San Francisco bay area are peacefully appealing for the stop of these crimes against humanity and urging others in our world community to speak out.
Falun Gong Practitioners in Northern California Gather to Commemorate Four-Year Anniversary of April 25th Peaceful Appeal (Photos)
On April 25, 2003, Northern California Falun Gong practitioners held a large-scale peaceful appeal in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the grand peaceful appeal of more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners on April 25th, 1999, and condemn Jiang Zemin regime's unreasonable persecution of Falun Gong practitioners over the past four years.
Falun Gong Practitioners in Northern California Gather to Commemorate Four-Year Anniversary of April 25th Peaceful Appeal (Photos)
On April 25, 2003, Northern California Falun Gong practitioners held a large-scale peaceful appeal in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the grand peaceful appeal of more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners on April 25th, 1999, and condemn Jiang Zemin regime's unreasonable persecution of Falun Gong practitioners over the past four years.
April 25th, 1999 is a special day with historic meaning. That day, more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners came to the Appeals Bureau of the State Council in Beijing to hold a peaceful group appeal, requesting that the authorities release more than 40 Falun Gong practitioners who had been arbitrarily detained by the police in Tainjin City. With great compassion and tolerance, Falun Gong practitioners exercised their most fundamental rights as citizens and used the most peaceful manner to present the truth to the authorities. However, Jiang's regime, taking this as an excuse, abused its authority and launched an extensive and slanderous attack, using barbaric methods to brutally torture Falun Gong practitioners. Over the past four years, in order to speak the truth, millions of Falun Gong practitioners have paid a tremendous price, but they have continued to follow the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." In the face of slander, lies and brutal torture, they have steadfastly persevered to expose the dictator's atrocities to the world.
The appeal activity began at 10:00 a.m. The practitioners sat opposite the Chinese Consulate to continuously send forth righteous thoughts. When it was getting dark, they lit candles to commemorate the hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured to death by Jiang's regime. The appeal lasted until 10:00 p.m.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
April 25th, 1999 is a special day with historic meaning. That day, more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners came to the Appeals Bureau of the State Council in Beijing to hold a peaceful group appeal, requesting that the authorities release more than 40 Falun Gong practitioners who had been arbitrarily detained by the police in Tainjin City. With great compassion and tolerance, Falun Gong practitioners exercised their most fundamental rights as citizens and used the most peaceful manner to present the truth to the authorities. However, Jiang's regime, taking this as an excuse, abused its authority and launched an extensive and slanderous attack, using barbaric methods to brutally torture Falun Gong practitioners. Over the past four years, in order to speak the truth, millions of Falun Gong practitioners have paid a tremendous price, but they have continued to follow the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." In the face of slander, lies and brutal torture, they have steadfastly persevered to expose the dictator's atrocities to the world.
The appeal activity began at 10:00 a.m. The practitioners sat opposite the Chinese Consulate to continuously send forth righteous thoughts. When it was getting dark, they lit candles to commemorate the hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured to death by Jiang's regime. The appeal lasted until 10:00 p.m.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.
The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 670 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.
On April 25, 2003, Northern California Falun Gong practitioners held a large-scale peaceful appeal in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the grand peaceful appeal of more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners on April 25th, 1999, and condemn Jiang Zemin regime's unreasonable persecution of Falun Gong practitioners over the past four years.
Falun Gong Practitioners in Northern California Gather to Commemorate Four-Year Anniversary of April 25th Peaceful Appeal (Photos)
On April 25, 2003, Northern California Falun Gong practitioners held a large-scale peaceful appeal in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the grand peaceful appeal of more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners on April 25th, 1999, and condemn Jiang Zemin regime's unreasonable persecution of Falun Gong practitioners over the past four years.
April 25th, 1999 is a special day with historic meaning. That day, more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners came to the Appeals Bureau of the State Council in Beijing to hold a peaceful group appeal, requesting that the authorities release more than 40 Falun Gong practitioners who had been arbitrarily detained by the police in Tainjin City. With great compassion and tolerance, Falun Gong practitioners exercised their most fundamental rights as citizens and used the most peaceful manner to present the truth to the authorities. However, Jiang's regime, taking this as an excuse, abused its authority and launched an extensive and slanderous attack, using barbaric methods to brutally torture Falun Gong practitioners. Over the past four years, in order to speak the truth, millions of Falun Gong practitioners have paid a tremendous price, but they have continued to follow the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." In the face of slander, lies and brutal torture, they have steadfastly persevered to expose the dictator's atrocities to the world.
The appeal activity began at 10:00 a.m. The practitioners sat opposite the Chinese Consulate to continuously send forth righteous thoughts. When it was getting dark, they lit candles to commemorate the hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured to death by Jiang's regime. The appeal lasted until 10:00 p.m.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
April 25th, 1999 is a special day with historic meaning. That day, more than 10, 000 Falun Gong practitioners came to the Appeals Bureau of the State Council in Beijing to hold a peaceful group appeal, requesting that the authorities release more than 40 Falun Gong practitioners who had been arbitrarily detained by the police in Tainjin City. With great compassion and tolerance, Falun Gong practitioners exercised their most fundamental rights as citizens and used the most peaceful manner to present the truth to the authorities. However, Jiang's regime, taking this as an excuse, abused its authority and launched an extensive and slanderous attack, using barbaric methods to brutally torture Falun Gong practitioners. Over the past four years, in order to speak the truth, millions of Falun Gong practitioners have paid a tremendous price, but they have continued to follow the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." In the face of slander, lies and brutal torture, they have steadfastly persevered to expose the dictator's atrocities to the world.
The appeal activity began at 10:00 a.m. The practitioners sat opposite the Chinese Consulate to continuously send forth righteous thoughts. When it was getting dark, they lit candles to commemorate the hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured to death by Jiang's regime. The appeal lasted until 10:00 p.m.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.
The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 670 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.
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For the first question, closer looks have suggested that Falun Gong is not a cult and does not have the main characteristics of being a cult. I can go into details later if you want. "Cult" is rather a pejorative term used by the Chinese government to justify their campaign. They were playing on the fear of cults after the Aum Shriyoko cult terrorist act in the Japanese subway and David Koresh's Waco, Texas incident. But Falun Gong really has nothing to do with such groups. It is more like a Chinese form of yoga.
As for who Li Hongzhi is, I know he has been attacked by a lot of propaganda which has turned out to be false. For example, the Wall Street Journal once copied the news from China and wrote an article about how Li Hongzhi supposedly had big houses, etc. They later had to take it back when it was found not to be true. The journalist who wrote the article is no longer with the paper.
As for whether Falun Gong is responsible for being persecuted, I would ask: is any group responsible for being persecuted? One of the main reasons for the Chinese government's persecution campaign is jealousy and fear of Falun Gong's popularity, especially given that Falun Gong is an independent entity outside of the Communist Party (which some have said is now practicing Market-Stalinism instead of Marxist-Leninism). Nobody has been able to show that Falun Gong practitioners or Li Hongzhi had any political agenda or where against the government in any way. Now, understandably, Falun Gong is against the government's persecution campaign.
I will wrap up with this note from Canadian China scholar David Ownby who is not a Falun Gong practitioner but has done extensive research on the practice in North America. In a lecture at Rice University he said:
"Once the idea is implanted that a group is a cult then it is very hard. I think the Falun Gong practitioners in North America had a difficult challenge. They were practicing peacefully here before the suppression began and no one knew anything about them. There was just no information. No one cared. They were just doing their own thing just like anyone else. Then all of a sudden after April 1999, it shows up in the news and they have to go out and say, "We are really not a cult". And if that is your first phrase it is very hard to get past that... It is just really tough."
For me and the Falun Gong practitioners that I know (including those who came from China after the persecution started), Falun Gong is a practice of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. This is our belief system and we take it very seriously. To say that Falun Gong is lying is like saying that a tri-athlete cannot swim.
All of our efforts, including posting articles like these, are to try to help the public understand who we are and to recognize the persecution we are suffering in China. We believe this is saving people’s lives.
You know, for four years of persecution we have remained peaceful and not resorted to violence, even while being tortured and slandered day and night. I myself have experienced the persecution first-hand in China.
I have also experienced the beauty of Falun Gong, and have heard Mr. Li Hongzhi speak several times, and was impressed with his genuine kindness. I am certainly thankful to him but I don't worship him. The path of self-improvement in Falun Gong is an individual path. We are just trying to be good people and lead a life with Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and that for that we are being persecuted.
I'll answer this from two different angles.
First, the commonly referred to traits that would define a group as a "cult" from the academic perspective are: 1) worship of a charismatic leader, 2) financial dependence, 3) an "us versus them" mentality and a departure from ordinary society.
1. Falun Gong does have a charismatic leader, but he is not worshipped in the practice. In Falun Gong’s main teaching text, Zhuan Falun, Li Hongzhi says: "We do not practice the ritual of kowtowing or bowing. That kind of formality serves little use, and it performs like a religion. We do not practice it." Most practitioners I have spoken to see him in the role of their teacher in meditation practice.
2. Financial dependence - there is no induction fee in Falun Gong, and the practice is taught for free. The books, too, are free online (I just copy pasted the above quotation, for example). So practitioners are not financially dependent as they are in real cults, where they are often required to donate all their belongings and even sell their houses to the cult and move in somewhere else. Even if you were to try to give a donation to a Falun Gong practitioner he or she wouldn't accept it (there is an organization called Friends of Falun Gong, for people who are not practitioners, which accepts donations for the purpose of stopping the persecution only).
3. As for the "us versus them" mentality and the departure from ordinary society, these too are not present in Falun Gong. Anyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation can become a practitioner and practitioners do not isolate themselves from those who do not practice. Practitioners hold onto their jobs and families and are required by the practice to improve themselves through the problems they encounter in everyday ordinary society.
From a different angle, where did this term “cult” come from? The Chinese term (“xiejiao”) does not translate as cult, but rather as heterodox. The idea behind it, some say, appears to be the China's top leaders' decision to set up a dialectic between the Marxist Communist Party (presented by them as orthodox) and Falun Gong (presented by them as heterodox). Shortly afterwards, however, they changed this approach because they didn't want to place Falun Gong as an equal to the Communist Party by creating this dualism.
The term "evil cult" was adopted by Jiang Zemin for public relations overseas where, as I mentioned earlier, there was a growing fear of cults. This is what led to the initial confusion.
The term was then picked and copied by the mainstream media in the US (after all writing about a weird cult is more interesting than writing about a peaceful meditation practice). The fact that Rupert Murdoch and CNN have big contracts with the Chinese government also did not help produce accurate coverage. I guess I’m thankful we have this forum to pursue alternative definitions.
I am happy to keep the discussion going...
Here are the websites mentioned in the comment above:
for reading the book for free: http://www.falundafa.org
Friends of Falun Gong http://www.fofg.org
I thought the link about the fabrication of the staged-immolation was particularly telling:
http://faluninfo.net/tiananmen/immolation.asp