(Minghui.org) The Taiwan Tourism Bureau recently issued an official notification to the Tour Guide Association asking the tourist industry and tour operators not to interfere with Falun Gong practitioners' truth-clarification activities. The notification reassured that Falun Gong practitioners' activities at tourist sites are legal and harm no one.
Since the Chinese regime began the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China, practitioners around the world have made great efforts to tell the world the facts about the persecution. They hold various activities, display posters and banners at touristic spots, and distribute fliers and CDs to expose the lies told and crimes committed by the Chinese regime against Falun Gong.
A handful of tour guides recently attempted to block Chinese tourists from having any contact with Falun Gong practitioners at Taiwan tourist sites. Some of them even took away the fliers the Chinese tourists received from practitioners.
The legislators and scholars spoke out against the tour guides' conduct.
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau recently issued an official notification to the Tour Guide Association asking the tourist industry and tour operators not to interfere with Falun Gong practitioners' truth-clarification activities.
The legislators and scholars spoke up against the tour guides' conduct, and supported Falun Gong practitioners' actions of clarifying the facts of the persecution. Top left to right: Huang Kuo-Chang, associate researcher as Academia Sinica, legislator Lo Shu-Lei, legislator Tien Chiu-Chin. Bottom left to right: legislator Chen Ting-Fei, legislator Apollo Chen Hsueh-Sheng, professor Edwin Yang Tsung-Rong.
Many Chinese tourists ask for Falun Gong fliers and take pictures of Falun Gong posters and banners to show their friends and families back home.
Tourism Bureau: Preserve the Values of a Free Democratic Society
“Taiwan is a democratic society ruled by law. Whether the tourists want to communicate with or take fliers from any group, the travel industry and tour guides should respect the free will of individual tourists. They should not take inappropriate actions to intervene and prohibit it, so as to preserve the values of a free democratic society,” stated the tourism bureau's notification.
Mr. Chang Shi-Chung, Deputy Director-general of Taiwan Tourism Bureau, said, “Falun Gong practitioners are friendly. They promote Truth-Compassion-Forbearance. The tour guides should not say things that are not true. We should present democracy and freedom in Taiwan at the beautiful scenic sites.”
Tourist Guide Association Reiterates Its Position to Support Falun Gong's Freedom of Speech
The Tourist Guide Association has received the official notification and stated that “the Association has always been supportive of Falun Gong's freedom of speech. In the future training courses, the Association will assist communication between the Falun Gong group and the tour guides.” The Association has over 2,000 members and provides professional tour guide training for the Tourism Bureau.
Chang Ching-Hsi, President of Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan, responded positively to the Tourism Bureau's action, “We hope to be present at the future training courses so that we can further explain the truth or answer any questions.”
Legislators and Scholars Speak Up for Falun Gong
Legislator Chen Ting-Fei said that the Falun Gong activities at scenic spots allows the Chinese tourists to understand the Chinese regime's crimes of forced organ harvesting and human rights violations. “Such activities should be allowed to continue and be free from intervention,” said Chen.
Legislator Apollo Chen said that being a spiritual group, Falun Gong's freedom of speech should be respected in a free democratic country. “Falun Gong's protests against the persecution is the basis of Taiwan's democracy,” said Chen.
Professor Edwin Yang Tsung-Rong from National Taiwan Normal University believes that Taiwan should guard its scenic views of human rights, “There shouldn't be any intervention for anyone to obtain information about Falun Gong.”
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