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First Anti-Torture Exhibition Held at Taiwan Religious Expo (Photos)

Dec. 13, 2004 |   By a Taiwanese Falun Dafa practitioner in Yunlin County

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Falun Gong practitioners reenact tortures suffered by practitioners in China

(Clearwisdom.net) The Fourth National Religion Expo is an annual grand meeting for different religious and spiritual groups in Taiwan. This year, the Expo moved to Yunlin County Stadium and the square in front of the County Council building in Liudou City, Taiwan. The exhibition took place from November 21 to November 28, 2004. This year, Falun Gong attended the expo for the first time. Even more remarkable is that Falun Gong practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition, a reenactment of the tortures experienced by Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Falun Gong contact person for Yunlin County said that Falun Gong is not a religion, and this was the reason that the group didn't accept invitations to the Expo in the past years. This year, however, in order to display the beauty of Falun Dafa and to clarify the truth about the persecution in China, Falun Gong practitioners participated in the Expo for the first time.

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A large audience listens to the Falun Gong chorus during the opening ceremony
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Many people come to the Falun Dafa booth at the Expo
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Reading the informational posters
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Exercise demonstration
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The waist drum troupe doing the sitting meditation
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The Falun Dafa booth

At the opening ceremony on the afternoon of November 21, a Falun Gong chorus performed many songs composed by Dafa practitioners. Practitioners also demonstrated the five sets of exercises. The movements were smooth and slow, and the music was soothing, which attracted many spectators. In addition, the waist drum team gave a performance.

At the Falun Gong booth, the Falun Dafa Association displayed pictures of the Jiang 'faction's torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China, as well as torture devices. A signature petition drive, calling for justice for Falun Gong, was also held during the Expo. In addition to these activities, for two days, on November 21 and 28, the practitioners also held a live torture reenactment. Cruel torture methods 'employed by Jiang's faction on Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China were acted out. The tortures included the "Tiger Bench," being held in a small cage, hanging up, burning with a red hot iron rod, and piercing the fingernails with bamboo sticks. Many people watched the reenactment.

One couple came to the booth to ask about the persecution in China. After they heard the truth about Falun Dafa, the couple immediately wanted to learn the exercises, and took the address of the group practice site.

A young lady saw the torture pictures and torture reenactment and she cried out that it was so scary. But she didn't want to listen to the truth and showed no sympathy for the practitioners in China. So a practitioner asked her, "If even the pictures of torture are so scary to you, can you imagine the feeling of those people being tortured?" Finally, a feeling of compassion began to show in the young woman's eyes.

A visitor said that practicing the exercises was an individual's freedom. It was inhuman to persecute people just because of doing the exercises. A Falun Gong practitioner from Nantou said that there was nothing wrong with practicing "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," the principal teachings of Falun Gong. The persecution in China is trampling on civilization and human rights. He hoped that all kind-hearted people will stand up against the persecution.

One gentleman already had a favorable impression of Falun Gong. After visiting the Expo, he had a deeper understanding of Falun Dafa. He wanted to learn Falun Gong and took the address of the group practice site.

Because of their participation in the Religion Expo, Falun Gong became known to more people. Besides, it also provided a valuable opportunity for the public to learn the truth of the persecution and see the beauty of Falun Dafa.