(Minghui.org) More than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners participated in a large group exercise at Taipei City Hall Square on April 24, 2016. The event was organized by the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association to commemorate the April 25th peaceful protest in Beijing 17 years ago, and to call on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to end the suppression.

Shortly after Falun Gong practitioners were illegally arrested in Tianjin, a major city near Beijing in April 1999, over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners participated in a peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25. Jiang Zemin, head of the CCP at the time, ordered a ban on Falun Gong in July. The ban was followed by nationwide arrests, detentions, and torture of innocent practitioners.

Practitioners in many regions around the world have since been holding events every year to raise awareness of the severe human rights violations. Several city councilors from both Taipei and Kaohsiung, the two largest cities in Taiwan, attended the event at Taipei City Hall Square on April 24.

Over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners joined the group exercise in Taipei on April 24, 2016.

Speaking Out for Justice

Chang Chin-hwa, president of Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, said that then Chinese premier, Zhu Rongji, met with some practitioners during the appeal and addressed their request. “This peaceful solution impressed Western society and international news media. However, Jiang nonetheless chose to suppress Falun Gong three months later. The atrocity has continued for the past 17 years, and includes harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, which is beyond imagination.”

Falun Gong practitioners are not the only victims of the totalitarian CCP regime. About 80 million Chinese died during the series of political campaigns launched by the Party in the past few decades. More than 230 million Chinese have renounced their memberships in the CCP and its affiliated organizations since the publication of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in 2004.

Chang Chin-hwa, president of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, spoke at the event. The three Chinese characters in front of her are: “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.”

She said practitioners in Taiwan have joined efforts to end the persecution of Falun Gong in China and hold Jiang responsible for his crimes. “We must speak out for justice and we must stop the CCP's brutality,” remarked Chang.

A Better World

Chen Lina, a member of the Kaohsiung City Council, traveled to Taipei to support the Falun Gong practitioners. From her observation, she found practitioners are nice people and they bring positive energy as well as hope to the society.

Because of the positive changes Falun Gong has brought, “I would recommend Falun Gong to my friends,” she said.

Looking back at the events of 17 years ago, Chen said it was a turning point in history. It takes efforts to do things that will benefit the entire society, but Falun Gong practitioners have been doing so, with determination and persistence. She believes this will lead to a better world and a brighter future for everyone.

Suppression Will Stop

Taipei City Councilor Hung Chien-yi said he came here to help Chinese people gain freedom, human rights, and justice. “The Chinese communist regime is one of the few regimes that suppress people so badly.” He said this goes against the society, and he called on more people, including tourists from the mainland, to condemn Jiang's directorship, and the harm he has caused to the people.

Despite the ongoing persecution, Hung said the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance will prevail, and the suppression will come to an end.

Chang Mao-nan, another Taipei City Councilor, praised Falun Gong practitioners for their persistence in freedom of belief. “What I do not understand is, what makes the CCP scared and what basis does it have to suppress Falun Gong?” He encouraged tourists from China to learn the facts about Falun Gong during their trip, and pass on the information after returning.

Taipei City Councilor Chang Mao-nan said he believes Falun Gong will be freely practiced in mainland China in the future.

Chang reiterated that Falun Gong practitioners are innocent and peaceful. It is Jiang and the CCP who act against people's will, causing harm to Chinese people. He expects Falun Gong will once again be widely practiced in mainland China in the future.

Both Hung and Chang hoped to initiate a resolution in the Taipei City Council to hold Jiang responsible for the severe human rights violations.

Tsai Shou-jen, a practitioner who attended the event, said many Taiwan residents heard about Falun Gong for the first time during the appeal 17 years ago. “It was amazing that the group was so peaceful. What impressed us more was that when practitioners left the site, they voluntarily cleaned up the place, and even cigarette butts left by police officers were picked up.”

Tsai said that on the day following April 25, 1999, more than 20 people went to a group exercise site near Tsai's home to learn the exercises. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands of people practicing Falun Gong in Taiwan.