(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium on April 25, 2024 to mark the 25th anniversary of the April 25 appeal. They introduced Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) and condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution.
Group practice in front of the Chinese Embassy on April 25, 2024
Mr. Nico Bijnens, Director of the Belgian Falun Dafa Association, spoke at the rally. He said, “On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners petitioned the Appeals Office of the State Council in Beijing, asking for the release of 45 practitioners who were violently arrested in Tianjin a few days before. They defended their right to practice Falun Gong freely in China.”
Nico Bijnens, Director of the Belgian Falun Dafa Association
Mr. Bijnens said, “Starting in 1996, practice sites in some areas were harassed by the CCP. The authorities openly published articles with lies slandering Falun Gong, which eventually turned into violent arrests of practitioners. This petition took place ten years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, but Chinese Falun Gong practitioners were able to show great courage and uphold justice in an admirable way.
“I started practicing Falun Gong in 2007. When I first heard this story, I was very impressed when I checked the reports. After the Prime Minister met with practitioner representatives that day, news came that the practitioners who were violently arrested in Tianjin had been released. Afterwards, the practitioners returned home in a peaceful and orderly manner. They even cleaned up the garbage on the streets, including the cigarette butts discarded by the police. The kindness and self-discipline of Falun Gong practitioners are obvious to all.
“When I learned about the way Falun Gong practitioners deal with problems, as a Westerner, I admired the kindness and orderliness displayed by them,” he said. “It fully illustrates the perseverance and peaceful nature of Falun Gong, and also shows how the social environment can benefit from the good deeds of a group of Dafa practitioners. Unfortunately, Jiang Zemin, the former CCP head, acted wantonly and launched a brutal suppression of Falun Gong for his own selfish purposes.”
He pointed out, “Today, we adhere to the spirit of the April 25 appeal and raise awareness to society peacefully and rationally. In order to stop the persecution, we expose the CCP’s lies and talk about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong to people of conscience, including politicians, CEOs, the media, and the general public. Human society is not a paradise for evil to commit crimes. It is the duty of a human being to stick to kindness and uphold morality. We are making it clear to people all over the world that what this regime did to Falun Gong is wrong, the crimes are horrific, and the number of practitioners persecuted is huge.”
“Twenty-five years have passed,” he said. “The CCP uses lies to deceive the world and uses various means to frame Falun Gong. We are showing everyone the truth and beauty of practicing Falun Gong. I believe that once the truth of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are understood by the world, mankind will usher in a brand new world.”
Hopes Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance Spread across the World
Retired engineer Charles and retired teacher Thierry passed by the event venue. They carefully read the banners and talked to a practitioner. They wanted to know about the persecution and Falun Gong. They are also concerned about the safety of Falun Gong practitioners from China. They asked where they could learn the exercises and how to download Falun Gong information from the Internet.
Retired engineer Charles (right) and retired teacher Thierry (left)
They also said that they wished to share the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and let peace spread across the world.
Mr. Wilfried Duchamps started practicing Falun Gong in 2006 and talked about his experiences, “Practicing has enabled me to look inward and find my own shortcomings when encountering conflicts or obstacles. I get along well with my family, colleagues, and friends. I handle problems according to the principle of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, which has a real impact on me and many people. I try to live according to that principle. I know that if everyone can follow the principle, the world will be a better place.”
Mr. Wilfried Duchamps
“Twenty-five years ago, more than 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners in China petitioned for the right to practice their belief with their peaceful and rational actions,” said Mr. Duchamps. “They proved that people who practice Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are a group of kind and moral people. They did not make any noise, but just silently waited for the solution to the problem. Today we use banners to express our voices to the public, and we want to use group exercises to introduce Falun Gong.
“The CCP spreads lies to mislead the world and has continued the persecution for 25 years,” he said. “When more people learn about Falun Gong and the CCP’s persecution and the mainstream media cover the brutality, the persecution will end.”
Mr. Filip Petitjean started practicing Falun Dafa in 2002. He said, “I think it was just that Falun Dafa practitioners in China petitioned the government. They persisted and took a stand to defend their belief and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. What they did also showed the extraordinary power of Falun Dafa to the world.”
Mr. Filip Petitjean
Mr. Petitjean said, “Since the CCP persecutes Falun Gong, as a Falun Gong practitioner, I have talked with people from all walks of life, participated in various activities to promote Dafa and expose the CCP’s persecution, and called for an end to the persecution. When people learn the facts, they see how extraordinary Falun Dafa is and support our efforts to expose the persecution. This is my biggest wish.”
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