WorldWatch News Service

May 13, 2004

Falun Gong practitioners from Ottawa and Montreal, Canada perform in front of Canada's Parliament building to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day.

Falun Gong practitioners from Ottawa and Montreal, Canada perform in front of Canada's Parliament building to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day.

On the days leading up to May 13th, 2004, people around the world, from San Diego, USA to Melbourne, Australia, got a glimpse of traditional Chinese culture through colorful and beautiful dragon dances as well as dances from "celestial maidens".

These were part of the fourth World Falun Dafa Day celebrations hosted by Falun Gong practitioners of different countries. Falun Gong is a peaceful spiritual meditation that was introduced in China and is now practiced in over 60 countries around the world. There are an estimated 100 million people across the world who practice this form of meditation, and many of them have reported that practicing Falun Gong and integrating the teachings of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance," the three main principles of Falun Gong has lead to healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. In the words of Robin Farmer, a Falun Gong practitioner from Florida, "I finally found in Falun Gong what my life had been missing - harmony, health and a profound sense of peace and spiritual awakening."

World Falun Dafa Day celebration in Japan

The first Falun Gong class was taught to a small audience by its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, in Changchun, China on May 13th, 1992. May 13th of this year marks the 12th anniversary of the introduction of Falun Gong to the public. Falun Gong practitioners from around the world host celebrations using traditional Chinese culture to celebrate the anniversary of this event, which is called World Falun Dafa Day.

At the same time, the celebration is soberly tempered, and alongside the dances, vivid pictures display the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China.

Falun Gong was banned in July 1999 by the former Communist Party leader, Jiang Zemin. Ms. Farmer said, "Despite the remarkable effects Falun Gong was having on Chinese healthcare costs and decreasing crime rate, when the number of Falun Gong practitioners who were gathering in parks to practice peacefully everyday grew into the millions, the communist leadership felt threatened and ordered the persecution on July 20, 1999.

Washington D.C. Falun Gong practitioners perform a Chinese Dragon Dance in honor of World Falun Dafa Day.

Since the ban was instituted, hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been arrested, beaten, and thousands murdered (1) for refusing to denounce their peaceful and healthful practice. Governments all over the world have spoken out against the persecution, which is the single largest transgression of basic human rights happening anywhere in the world today.

Large scale events are expected to continue around the world, especially in Chicago, where events will be held from May 22th to May 27th to coincide with the hearing for a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, who has been charged with torture, genocide and other crimes against humanity.

(1) The current verified death toll stands at 960, but the actual figure is believed to be in the thousands.

http://english.epochtimes.com/news/4-5-13/21447.html