(Minghui.org) Practitioners in the Netherlands held an event on April 25, 2023, to commemorate the April 25 Peaceful Appeal by Falun Dafa practitioners in China 24 years ago. After they learned about Falun Dafa and how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes it, many people expressed their sympathy and support and thanked practitioners.
Practitioners in front of the Chinese Embassy in The Hague on the morning of April 25 to commemorate the April 25 Appeal.
Calling for the Persecution to End
In the morning, the practitioners went to the Chinese Embassy, held up banners, and called for an end to the persecution of Falun Dafa. They also called on the CCP to stop live organ harvesting from Falun Dafa practitioners and minority religious believers. The practitioners demonstrated the exercises and distributed fliers to passersby.
Practitioners in front of the Chinese Embassy in The Hague on April 25
Several residents in The Hague expressed their concern for the plight of Falun Dafa practitioners in China after learning about the persecution. Retired teacher Ms. Bettie van Alkemade and her husband stopped to read the banners. Ms. Van Alkemade and her husband were shocked by the inhumane treatment that Falun Dafa practitioners are suffering in China.
She said, “The persecution in China is really bad. They (Falun Dafa practitioners) are being killed and their organs are even harvested while they are still alive.” She also said, “I think that is ridiculous. I cannot understand. I think that it is terrible. I see that these Falun Dafa practitioners are all very kind and calm. I do not understand why they (the CCP) persecute these people.”
Ms. Bettie Van Alkemade and her husband
When Ms. Van Alkemade saw the photos of Falun Dafa practitioners who were tortured to death by the CCP, she expressed her concern.
“I saw the photos of these people,” she said. “I think that these people are no longer on earth because of the CCP’s persecution. This is painful, really painful.”
A practitioner explained the meaning of the April 25 Peaceful Appeal to Ms. Van Alkemade, telling her that more than ten thousand Falun Dafa practitioners stood outside the State Office of Appeals in Beijing to request the release of the practitioners arrested in Tianjin. However, this peaceful appeal was later deliberately misrepresented by the official media in China as a “siege” on the government compound. This was used by the CCP’s propaganda machine as an excuse to persecute Falun Dafa.
Ms. Van Alkemade said the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance deeply resonated with her: “Who does not feel that they are good?” Ms. Van Alkemade and her husband were happy to be photographed in front of the banners and expressed their support.
Software developer Mr. Maarten van Dungen
Software developer Mr. Maarten van Dungen also stopped and talked with practitioners. He said he knew the CCP violates human rights, “It suppresses Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, and Hong Kong residents. This (persecution) is really frightening. It has gone on for such a long time. They even made use of false information. In the West, we must also be careful, because they have been stepping up their suppression. They suppress the media and threaten enterprises to lobby and support them.”
Mr. Van Dungen said that the CCP’s persecution of human rights, which includes the persecution of Falun Dafa, should end. He said that Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are wonderful values.
A Chinese embassy staff member came out to ask about the practitioners’ event.
A staff member from the Chinese embassy also came out from time to time to learn about the event. She accepted the flyer a practitioner handed her. She praised the practitioners for their efforts to raise people’s awareness about the persecution in China and for bringing positive energy.
Event in the City Center
That afternoon, practitioners held another event at The Hague’s city center. People signed the petition to call for an end to CCP’s organ harvesting from practitioners who were still alive. Many people stopped to read the banners.
A Chinese person listens to a practitioner explain Falun Dafa and the persecution that is still happening in China.
Passersby stop to read the information.
People sign the petition calling for an end to the persecution.
Saleh Alwer joined the crowd in front of the banner. He is studying for a master’s degree in computer science at Leiden University. He said he could not wait to share the information that he got from this event with the rest of the world. “This is the first time I’ve heard about Falun Dafa and the situation in China. Anybody who hears about this kind of situation will feel deeply uneasy about it,” he said. After learning that the CCP kills Falun Dafa practitioners and harvests their organs while they are still alive, he felt sad and signed the petition to show his support.
Saleh Alwer, a student at Leiden University
Alwer said the CCP twisted the facts about the April 25 Appeal. “It is commonly seen that an autocratic government creates certain types of propaganda,” he said. “After that, they will collude with secret police to aggravate the persecution. What is important is to let the Chinese people and everyone in the world learn the truth.”
Alwer was also interested in Falun Dafa and agreed with the values that Falun Dafa promotes. “(They) seem graceful and peaceful. I am not a spiritual person but I respect and admire them. The more of such kinds of people, the better. This practice shows people that there are good things in this world. It brings people hope. I will definitely share this information with people who want to know more about China.”
When Mr. H. Sloots and his wife Ms. C. van den Dobbelsteen heard about the persecution, they were shocked. Mr. Sloots is a retired crisis therapist and teaches qigong. He said that a practice like Falun Dafa, “improves people’s health. Falun Dafa should spread even more far and wide.”
Mr. Sloots was interested in Falun Dafa. He said, “This practice seems to be very good. I will check it out and see if I can find a local practice site.” Mr. Sloots and his wife both agreed that the values that Falun Dafa promotes are humanity’s core values.
Reza Khazaei, a student majoring in software development
Reza Khazaei stopped to talk with practitioners. He said, “I think that Falun Dafa sends a very good message. I also think that more people should be cultivating. Unfortunately, China does not allow cultivation, but it can be practiced in the rest of the world as this practice is peaceful and calm. I think that China’s suppression of Falun Dafa is shameful. However, this information needs to be spread more. The media should also report the persecution.”
Khazaei also said that he found it hard to believe that the CCP made use of the non-violent appeal as a pretext to suppress a group of law-abiding citizens.
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Category: April 25 Events
