(Clearwisdom.net) Annie, a businesswoman in her forties, spent one and a half years in a Chinese forced labor camp because she refused to renounce her belief in Falun Gong. From October 15th - 19th, 2007, almost exactly one year after being granted asylum in the UK, Annie toured the southwest of England to give a series of talks about what she endured and to ask for people's help in bringing the persecution of Falun Gong in China to an end.
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| Annie talks to members of the public in Launceston, Cornwall | A local practitioner reads from the Bloody Harvest report during an introduction to Annie's talk at Exeter University | Annie with the student co-ordinators of Exeter University's Amnesty International group |
With the support of local Falun Gong practitioners, Annie spoke to the media and around 350 people in different towns and cities across the region, including Amnesty International and secondary school students. Audiences were stunned by what Annie endured and touched by her peaceful demeanor as she retold her story. Several audience members were moved to tears. Many people asked questions at the end of each talk, wanting to understand why the persecution is taking place and to know what they could do to help. Some also wanted to learn Falun Gong after watching Annie's beautiful demonstration of the five exercises.
An article about Annie in the West Briton newspaper, distributed throughout Cornwall
The talks were a huge success with most everyone in the audience signing petitions and taking information. There were also many requests for the Annie's statement, which formed the basis of her talks. One of the Amnesty International coordinators commented, "I think her talks left people overwhelmed with admiration for her as well as fired up to be very active. There were so many people who left the talks vowing to pass the information on to others and to write letters to their MPs. A university Amnesty student group also expressed interest in writing letters to practitioners detained in labor camps after Annie explained how support from people outside of China helped her and lessened the severity of her treatment.
This was the first time Annie left London to share her story; she was deeply touched by the number of people that came to listen and encouraged by their support. She now plans to travel to other parts of the UK to let more people know about Falun Gong and the cruelty of the persecution against practitioners in China.
http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200710/41817.html
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Category: Accounts of Persecution
