(Clearwisdom.net) Austrian Falun Gong practitioners held a "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" Art Exhibition on June 16, 2006 in Payerbach. They aimed to expose the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong in the form of art, and at the same time convey the message of Falun Gong's "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." The mayor of Payerbach made an opening speech, saying that "These pictures tell you more than any media report in the entire world can tell you." He also hoped that "Let these pictures have a lasting effect on all of us, and let's go home with the intention to always and everywhere, not only in China, stand up against human rights violations."
The following is the translation of the opening speech:
The association ARS CARA (Austrian Association for Art and Cultural Exchange) has been on tour throughout Austria for quite some time. ARS CARA is hoping to expose the unending human rights violations in China.
This is China, which is viewed as the dream partner for all industrial nations worldwide. With a consumption potential of 1.4 billion people, its awakening economic power, China is seen to become in the foreseeable future the largest economic market on this earth.
This is most likely the reason why we, the "wealthy nations" (and I'm including Austria in this) have such a difficult time to constantly and with a lasting effect point to what happens in that country. One cannot, given the future economic benefits, alienate an economic partner of such magnitude!
Again the art, its artists and intellectuals have to take on the task that politics is unable to achieve: To constantly expose how [the Chinese government] runs roughshod over the human rights of the Chinese people (and we are referring to 100 million people at this time).
Dear ladies and gentlemen we in Payerbach can help, even if just a little, to achieve the end [of human rights violations].
Please, look at these pictures. Take your time! Each of these pictures tell an entire story -- a story that happens in that country [China] and will continue to happen. These pictures tell you more than any media report in the entire world can tell you.
Let these pictures have a lasting effect on all of us, and lets go home with the intention to always and everywhere, not only in China, stand up against human rights violations.
I thank you for being here tonight!
The original text in German: http://www.clearharmony.de/articles/200606/32087.html