August 11, 2006

A guard used a baton to beat and poke a woman locked in a cage, and a pair of surgeons removed healthy organs from a man. Friday's exhibition at the Centrum Metro Station demonstrated how practitioners of Falun Dafa are persecuted in China.

This is an ancient Chinese meditation practice. It is based on five sets simple exercises, which improve the spirit and cultivate the character according to universal principles: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The popularity of Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) in China provoked the anger of Jiang Zemin and the Communist Party. Practitioners continue to be persecuted and horrific crimes are being committed. David Kilgour, a Canadian Secretary of State for the Asia and Pacific region published a report documenting the removal of healthy internal organs from thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners.

The demonstration and teaching of the exercises, as well as the exhibition taking place all day on the small square by the Centrum Metro Station are meant to show residents of Warsaw the history and the difficult situation of the Falun Dafa movement in China.

"The Communists hate it because there are over 70 million of us in China, which is probably more than members of the Party. Besides that, we represent tradition, and the authorities don't like that either," says Tomasz Kowalski, one of the organizers of the activities.

"We organize similar exhibitions all over the world. Today, practitioners have come from the Ukraine, Russia, Germany, USA, Israel, Canada and Switzerland to be part of this. We want to affect public opinion, the media and politicians. The world must condemn the actions of the Chinese authorities and we're looking for a resolute stand from Polish politicians," added Dorota Pasternakiewicz, an organizer of the exhibition and member of the Polish Falun Dafa Association.

The Association is organizing a Grand Parade on Saturday. It will start from Matejki Street at 12 noon and will traverse along Al. Ujazdowskie Street, Three Crosses Square, Nowy Swiat Street, Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street, Zamkowy Square and Old Town. It will end in a peaceful demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy, planned for 2:30 pm. The organizers have a permit for it from City Hall and will do their best not to impede traffic. The parade will take up a single lane on two-lane streets, and on single lane streets will confine itself to the sidewalk.

Translated from the original article at: http://miasta.gazeta.pl/warszawa/1,34888,3545287.html