(Minghui.org) Nearly 10,000 practitioners of Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) from over 50 countries held a rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Park, across from the headquarters of the United Nations in Manhattan, New York, on May 13, 2016.
The rally aimed to let more people know about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese communist regime, especially the harvesting of organs from living practitioners imprisoned for their faith. Speakers at the event called for the prosecution of Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese leader who initiated and directed the campaign against Falun Gong.
Organ Harvesting Ongoing
Chairman Alan Adler of Friends of Falun Gong pointed out in his speech that the state-sanctioned live organ harvesting crimes in China are still going on.
He reflected that such inhumane crimes can happen in China because the Communist Party has damaged Chinese morality, and ancient spiritual beliefs and values, over the past 60 years.
People Across Asia Support Prosecution of Former Chinese Leader
Director Chang Chin-hua of the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan spoke at the rally. She is a professor at the College of Social Sciences of National Taiwan University. She said that over 600,000 people in Taiwan have signed a joint criminal report against the former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. The document has been mailed to the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court in Beijing.
Since last July, practitioners worldwide have collected signatures in support of Chinese citizens' efforts to hold Jiang Zemin accountable for his role in leading the persecution of Falun Gong. Over 1.3 million people in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have signed the petition so far. In addition, eight city or county councils in Taiwan have passed resolutions to support the lawsuits against Jiang since last December.
Director Chang Chin-hua of the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan speaks at the rally across from United Nations headquarters on May 13, 2016.
Disintegration of Communist Party 'Inevitable'
Director Kan Hung-cheung of the Falun Dafa Association in Hong Kong speaks at the rally across from UN headquarters on May 13, 2016.
Director Kan Hung-cheung of the Falun Dafa Association in Hong Kong said in his speech, “Falun Gong practitioners have raised awareness of the persecution over the past 17 years. The disintegration of the Chinese Communist Party is inevitable.”
He continued, “More than 100 high-level Party officials who actively followed Jiang in the persecution of Falun Gong have been dismissed or imprisoned. Thousands of perpetrators met with [karmic] retribution. Bringing the perpetrators Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong to justice will occur in the near future.”
He concluded, “More and more people in Hong Kong have become aware of the persecution. The number of people accepting Minghui Weekly has doubled compared to one year ago.”
International Society for Human Rights: Standing on the Right Side of History
Council member Wenxi Wu of the International Society for Human Rights in Germany spoke at the rally across from the United Nations headquarters on May 13, 2016.
Council member Wenxi Wu of the International Society for Human Rights in Germany said in representing all members of society in 35 countries, “The International Society for Human Rights was established in 1970s with a mission to support Eastern Europeans to strive for basic rights, including freedom of belief. The persecution of Falun Gong in China is a grave violation of freedom of belief. Our society and all members condemn the CCP's persecution from the beginning and support Falun Gong. Today, I believe that we stand on the right side of history.”
Chinese Immigrants Quit the Communist Party
Six Chinese people agreed to withdraw their memberships in the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations during the rally. So far, over 237 million have stated their withdrawals from the CCP and its youth organizations on the Epoch Times website.
Jiang Yu emigrated from Liaoning Province two weeks ago. He gave a speech representing the other five who withdrew from the Party. He said, “I think the Party has become a bureaucratic capital gang. Its core interest is in keeping power and exploiting China. Actually, the contamination due to the Party's control is not only in the natural environment but also in spirituality. Falun Dafa can solve the spiritual contamination.”
Human Rights Advocate: “So Many People Don't Know” About Atrocities in China
Pryscilla Nicolau from St. Thomas University in Miami passed by the rally venue on May 13.
Pryscilla Nicolau from St. Thomas University in Miami encountered rally on her way to the UN to attend a meeting. She was touched by the practitioners' messages. She said, “This is a moment to remind us to reflect. Some people are discussing issues. But we do not stop to listen to what they say due to our busy lives.”
Regarding the persecution and live organ harvesting in China, she said it is important for more people to speak out. She said, “Some people keep silent. So many people don't know it. It's fortunate that Falun Gong practitioners keep raising awareness.”
Introducing Falun Gong in Manhattan’s Chinatown
Practitioners introduce Falun Gong in Chinatown.
Falun Gong practitioners from Taiwan and Hong Kong went to Chinatown in Manhattan on May 12, 2016, where they distributed flyers, talked about the practice, and raised awareness of the persecution to passersby.
Ms. Ou gives out Falun Gong flyers.
One young man was touched by the practitioners' kindness and sincerity. He asked for a photo with Ms. Ou from Taoyuan, Taiwan, and said he would share it with his friends.
Forms to record names of those withdrawing their CCP memberships in Chinatown.
There is a Falun Gong information site in Chinatown, where practitioners raise awareness of the persecution and crimes committed by the Chinese communist regime. The site has been there for over ten years, and includes forms to record the names of people who want to withdraw from the Party.
Related report in Chinese:曼哈顿中国城法轮功学员传真相（图）
All content published on this website is copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Rallies & Protests
