(Minghui.org) As July 20, 2026 marks 27 years of their protesting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution, Falun Gong practitioners held a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra that evening to mourn their fellow practitioners in China who died from the persecution.
Practitioners held a candlelight vigil on July 20, in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra.
Ms. Hao Li, a Falun Gong practitioner representative, recounted the CCP’s crimes against practitioners in the past 27 years, including imprisonment, forced labor, brainwashing, torture and murder, and especially its atrocity of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners while they are alive. She quoted the Minghui website statistics, saying that 5,359 practitioners have died from persecution, and many more are missing, and their disappearances are being investigated. “We work together with our common belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Braving the Communist Party’s atrocities, we stand firmly and have not wavered for the past 27 years. As we continue to expose the CCP’s lies, more people have learned the truth about [the persecution] of Falun Gong.”
Ajithkumar, a Falun Gong practitioner and engineer, said that July 20 serves as a reminder about the persecution, and is an opportunity for people to learn Falun Gong’s story. “It’s important to tell Australians about the human rights violations in China as well as its extension to Australia.”
Gordon, a twenty-six-year-old from China, recounted the persecution he experienced when he practiced Falun Gong with his parents in China.
“I only practiced for a few months when the CCP launched the nation-wide persecution on July 20, 1999. My parents took me with them to appeal for Falun Gong at our city government. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners meditated on the square in front of the city government building. They were arrested and their information was recorded. Afterwards, we were constantly monitored.
“My parents, my sister, and I had to keep moving to avoid being arrested. My parents often had to send me to stay with their relatives or friends, but their requests were turned down sometimes. I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t stay in one place.
“One time, my dad sent me to a friend’s home and said I was to stay there for only one day, but I wasn’t picked up for almost a month. I got up early every day and cleaned, hoping I wouldn’t be considered a burden or be sent away. After I returned to my parents, we had to move again. My parents always told me not to answer the door no matter who knocked.
“I often had to stay home by myself and eat instant noodles when I was hungry. Any knock on the door scared me. I hid in the bathroom and tried not to make any sound. If anyone knocked on our door at night, I hid in mom’s blanket in fear. My entire childhood was filled with fear.
“My mom and sister sold things in a market to support us. One day, they were taken away from the market by the police. I was also taken to the police station and thrown into a separate room. It was a dark room without any surveillance camera or lights. I was ordered to squat facing the corner with my hands behind my head. A while later, they tied me to an interrogation chair and repeatedly forced me to tell my family’s names, workplace, address, and the people they had been in contact with. I kept silent and refused to answer their questions. I was eventually released because I was still a minor.
“I’m recounting my experience so that more people will learn the true story and not be deceived by the Chinese Communist Party. We have suffered the persecution for decades just because we follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
“I will never forget my painful experiences, but they’ve made me more determined to practice Falun Gong. I’m also determined to tell people my personal experience and that Falun Dafa is good, and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
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Category: July 20 Events
