By a practitioner from L.A.

(Clearwisdom.net) On November 25, 2007, the Hollywood Christmas Parade was held on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. More than 100 famous movie stars participated in the parade and more than 500,000 spectators attended. The first annual Hollywood Christmas Parade was in 1928. The participants must meet a high standard to qualify. Falun Gong practitioners were invited to the parade, based on their excellent performances in the last two years. They were the only Chinese group in this year's parade.

The banner leading Falun Gong practitioners' procession

The Divine Land Marching Band

The theme of the float was "divine culture"

The waist-drum team

Traditional Chinese dance

Flag team

People watching the parade

The parade started on Hollywood Boulevard and then went on to Vine Street. It ended on Sunset Boulevard. The parade went on for a little over three miles. Falun Gong practitioners' procession consisted of the Divine Land Marching Band, waist-drum team, float, traditional Chinese dance team and flag team. They brought pure traditional Chinese culture to the spectators. People warmly welcomed the procession and many of them took photos and video.

Practitioners' float was very eye-catching. A grand lotus flower sat at the head of the float, which was decorated as a big boat. In the lotus flower, there was a large rotating LED television playing the performances of the Divine Performing Arts at the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular. Behind the lotus flower, Falun Gong practitioners were dressed as a Chinese emperor and gods in Chinese legends. Practitioners played the music from the NTDTV Chinese New Year Gala. The host of the parade said repeatedly: "Beautiful! The float is really beautiful!"

Mr. Lee, the contact person of the local Falun Gong group, expressed that the theme of the float was "divine culture." He said the lotus flower is the symbol of purity and represents Falun Gong practitioners' spirit.

Posting date: 11/28/2007
Original article date: 11/28/2007
Category: Falun Dafa Worldwide
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/11/27/167289.html
We welcome your comments and suggestions, please email:
feedback@clearwisdom.net

(Clearwisdom.net) My name is Pan Yu, and I sued former Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai for torture. As Bo failed to provide a defense for the case, the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney issued a default judgment in favor of me on November 5, 2007. The court ruled that I won the case, and that I may ask for compensation for injuries caused by Bo.

I am very pleased with this ruling as it symbolizes a victory for all Chinese Falun Gong practitioners. In the past 8 years, numerous practitioners have been subjected to brutal persecution because they refused to denounce their belief in the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance", and many are still suffering in labor camps and prisons in China.

I have been practicing Falun Gong for more than 10 years, and have benefited from the practice from many perspectives. I have gradually learned to be a person with tolerance, sincerity and compassion. Falun Gong teaches us to look inside when we are in a conflict and always try to put others first. Following these teachings, I have experienced many big changes: I can control my temper now and I live in harmony with people around me. I feel more joyful and energetic. Like me, tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have experienced such positive changes from practicing this ancient art. However, this good practice is still being persecuted in China.

Bo Xilai, the defendant, is a chief culprit of the persecution. While serving as the governor of Liaoning Province, Bo implemented persecution policies and many practitioners were arrested and sent to labor camps or prisons for "transformation". Consequently, at least 300 practitioners died in Liaoning Province, and most were subjected to brutal torture. I am a victim of such torture.

On March 17, 2000, I was sent to a brainwashing session in the Longshan Detention Center, where I was tortured. A group of guards beat and kicked me. My whole face swelled and my lips were broken. I was beaten to the ground and could not stand up on my own. Once, I was continuously tortured for 2 days. The most unbearable torture was electric shocking with 40 kV electric batons. I was repeatedly shocked with these batons to the point of losing control of my bladder and bowels.

The guards also used the batons to shock my face and head. It was really painful. As I refused to denounce Falun Gong, they started to shock my penis, and the pain was unspeakable. I felt my heart speed up and I could hardly breathe. I cried out in pain and crawled on the floor. They continued to shock me and kick me. I could not bear the pain and unwillingly wrote a letter promising that I would not practice or appeal for Falun Gong. This is how the regime "transformed" me.

But I survived the torture. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to come to Australia, and as a direct victim I sued Bo Xilai for torture. I am very pleased with the court ruling, which gives me more confidence in the Australian justice system.

In China, it is still impossible to file any lawsuit against these persecution culprits because the whole justice system in China is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Anyone who dares to speak out for Falun Gong is persecuted. One famous example is attorney Gao Zhisheng. Gao conducted an independent investigation on the persecution of Falun Gong and then wrote three open letters to CCP leaders. In his letters, he revealed the tragic sufferings of Falun Gong practitioners and urged the CCP to stop the persecution. In response to his letters, his law firm was closed and his family was repeatedly harassed by plainclothes police. He was unlawfully arrested and tortured. On September 12, 2007, Mr. Gao wrote a letter to the US Congress to express his concern over the coming 2008 Olympic Games. Using the Olympic Games as an excuse, the CCP regime continues to persecute dissidents and minority groups. Mr. Gao urged the Congress to pay close attention to the persecution of Falun Gong, naming the persecution as the largest humanitarian disaster of this era. Because of this open letter, Mr. Gao was arrested again and now his whereabouts remain unknown.

One who lives in a democratic country may find it very hard to imagine the crimes committed by the CCP and one may not see any of those crimes during a visit to China. However, such crimes are happening throughout China, mostly in labor camps and prisons which are behind steel doors and brick walls.

In the past 8 years, Falun Gong practitioners have been peacefully resisting the persecution and urging the international community to take action. As more and more people have learned the true story of Falun Gong and the persecution, people in succession has stepped forward to support the practice. Most recently, on October 22, 2007, Wang Zhaojun, a standing member of Anhui Provincial Political Consultative Council, wrote an open letter to the Chinese president and prime minister. In the letter, Wang urged the leaders to end the persecution of Falun Gong, bring the chief culprits to justice, and pay damages to the practitioners. His letter has received worldwide support.

The persecution of Falun Gong not only violates the Chinese Constitution, the International Declaration of Human Rights, and other related international laws, but also violates fundamental rights and values of human beings. The persecution must be stopped and all the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Reportedly, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Downer recently approached the New South Wales Supreme Court in favor of CCP official Chen Shaoji who was sued for arbitrary detention and torture. I am very disappointed by this. Apparently, Australian officials are under pressure from the CCP regime. The regime often use commercial interests to put pressure on other countries.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to humbly remind Australian government officials and the general public: You must see clearly the coercive nature of the CCP regime, uphold the justice and independence of the Australian justice system, and say no to CCP pressure.

This is a serious issue. We are witnessing a very important period in history; a battle between good and evil is taking place. In this mundane world, Falun Gong and all people who support Falun Gong stand for justice while the Chinese Communist Party is evil. Every one of us is facing a test of conscience. I sincerely hope that everyone will pass this test nobly.

Posting date: 11/28/2007
Original article date: 11/28/2007
Category: Falun Dafa Worldwide
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/11/25/167194.html

We welcome your comments and suggestions, please email:
feedback@clearwisdom.net

Ms. Lan Guiqin from Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia, Brutally Tortured

In 2002, Shao Jun, Wang Bo, and Liu Batu, police officers from the Ke'rxin area in Tongliao City, went with officers from Kongjia Security Office to break into the home of Ms. Lan Guiqin. They arrested her and took her to Hexi Detention Centre, where she was held for over 13 months. She was eventually transferred to Baoanzhao Women's Prison and then to Huhehot City Women's Prison. She was detained for almost three years. Because Ms. Lan believes in Falun Dafa, she has been subjected all to kinds of tortures, including being handcuffed in very painful positions for long periods of time.

Ms. Lan Guiqin, 46 years old, is from Qianjiadian Town, Sifandi Village in the Ke'rxin area of Inner Mongolia. She started practising Falun Gong in April 1998. On May the 13th, 2000, she went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Dafa and consequently was taken back by police from the Ke'rxin area and Kongjia Security Office. Ms. Lan was detained in Hexi Detention Centre for a month. She was forced to pay the travel expenses incurred by local officials when they went to Beijing to bring her back, as well as taxi fares that an official's family member incurred going to the hospital. She had to pay over 1,000 yuan1 (she kept the receipt as evidence).

In 2002, police officers Shao Jun, Wang Bo, and Liu Batu went with officers from Kongjia Security Office in two police vans to break into Ms. Lan's house. They confiscated Dafa books and arrested her and her husband, Mr. Wang Gang, also a practitioner. In the Security Bureau Division, she and her husband were put in separate rooms. The police beat them ruthlessly, pulled their hair, and threw them against the wall. Later, the two were put in Hexi Detention Centre. Mr. Wang was forced to pay 1,000 yuan and another 3,000 yuan (this was later returned). He was released one and a half months later.

Ms. Lan remained in Hexi Detention Centre for nearly 13 months. She was then transferred to Baoanzhao Women's Prison. Seven months later, she was sent to Huhehot City Women's Prison. She was detained for nearly three years altogether.

In Hexi Detention Centre, because Ms. Lan insisted on practising the Falun Gong exercises, she was subjected to the "Pig chain" twice, first for seven days and then for six days. When someone is tortured with the "Pig chain," both wrists and ankles are chained together less than twelve inches apart. She could not straighten up her back, put on her clothes, use the toilet, or sleep. The torture is extremely painful. She could not do anything but stay in that position. To protest this abuse, Ms. Lan went on a hunger strike both times.

In Baoanzhao Prison, Lan Guiqin was forced to do hard labour. Because she again insisted on practising the exercises, guard Zhou Jianhua forced her to squat as he kicked her head. She was handcuffed with her arms behind her back for two days and not allowed to move. She refused to wear a prison uniform and was reported, so the guards took away her clothes and printed "prisoner" on them [Ed. Note: Falun Gong practitioners often refuse to wear a prison uniform in detention because they are not criminals and have broken no laws]. As a result, she could only wear thin layers of clothes during the autumn of 2003. They only returned her clothes when Ms. Lan was transferred to Huhehot City Women's Prison.

In Huhehot City Women's Prison, Lan Guiqin was beaten by inmates because she refused to wear a prison uniform. When she shouted "Falun Dafa is good," guards shocked her with electric batons for half an hour and put her in a humid toilet (also used as a shower room) because the solitary confinement room was not yet ready. She was handcuffed with her arms behind her back for eleven days. She went on a hunger strike to protest. In the evening, encouraged by guards, criminal inmates beat Ms. Lan until she fell unconscious. Later, she was again beaten by over 20 inmates because she refused to have her hair cut short. She was again locked in a toilet for four or five days,

In May of 2007, Wang Bo, the newly appointed director of the National Security Division of the Public Security Bureau, led police to Ms. Lan's home. They broke in and harassed her. Ms. Lan Guiqin sternly rebuked them and locked the door. They had no choice but to leave.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/10/17/164662.html

You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.

http://en.clearharmony.net/articles/200711/42214.html
Email editors: editor@clearharmony.net

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

The European Parliament Human Rights Branch Committee held a hearing on the human rights situation in China on November 26th 2007.

Falun Gong practitioners from China, Cao Dong, Niu Jinping and his wife Zhang Lianying, were invited to the hearing. On May 21st 2006, Niu Jinping and Cao Dong met with the Vice-President of the European Parliament Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott in Beijing, and informed the Vice President of the brutal persecution suffered by himself, his wife and other Falun Gong practitioners around him. Two hours after the meeting, Mr. Cao was arrested by Chinese Communist regime security agents and was charged with "accepting an illegal interview". Mr. Cao was sentenced to five years imprisonment and has been secretly detained in the No. 3 Prison in Tianshui.

During her imprisonment in the Beijing Women's Forced Labour Camp, Ms. Zhang was beaten mercilessly many times, hung up in the air, deprived of sleep and subjected to mental torture. On March 20th 2007, in the labour camp, Zhang Lianying was fiercely assaulted about the head while her neck was restrained with a rope. This torture resulted in massive hemorrhaging inside the skull and Ms. Zhang was on the verge of death. Nonetheless, the labour camp authorities continued to completely cut off her contact with the outside world and repeatedly refused requests by her family to see her.

Chinese lawyers Gao Zhisheng and Li Heping, who have spoken for Falun Gong and other human right activists in China, were also invited. Mr. Gao Zhisheng has been collecting the evidence that Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted. The CCP’s policemen have harassed him for a long time. On September 20th 2007, Mr. Gao wrote to the U.S. Congress, calling for attention to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. In the letter, Mr. Gao listed evidence of the persecution and how the CCP takes the chance of the Olympics to violate human rights. Two days later, Mr. Gao was taken away by the police. No one has heard from him since then.

The European Union is aware of the persecution against Falun Gong and it has been mentioned during every meeting between the EU and the CCP. On different occasions, the EU has asked the CCP to stop the persecution. The European Parliament passed a resolution to condemn the persecution on September 7th 2006 before the EU-China Summit. The Vice President of the European Parliament Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott has put in a lot of effort to rescue Falun Gong practitioners and Mr. Gao Zhisheng. He has written to the leaders of the EU, asking them to take action. On September 26th 2007, he expressed to the representatives from China that the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and Mr. Gao is unacceptable. He expressed that he would exert more pressure until they are released.

The invitation of Falun Gong practitioners to the hearing shows that the European Parliament is concerned about the persecution and also shows their support for Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights. The hearing will be held right before the EU-China Summit on November 28th.

You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.

http://en.clearharmony.net/articles/200711/42223.html
Email editors: editor@clearharmony.net

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners in the German town of Tuebingen exposed human rights violations in China by demonstrating the exercises to peaceful music, displaying poster boards and distributing fliers.

By publishing the following in the Swabian Daily newspaper on the day before the activities, the practitioners were able to inform local people about the event:

Informational activities will be held on Saturday October 13th between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Tuebinger lumber market. According to the Tuebinger group, more than 3,000 people lost their lives from torture and abuse in China over the past eight years.

The practitioners erected an information booth on the north side of the Church of the Halls, at the church of Saint George. The area was bustling with people enjoying the beautiful autumn weather. Free classical and jazz concerts in the old town drew many visitors. Also, a church choir sang hymns.

To support the event, practitioners came from Stuttgart, Boeblingen and Leonberg. Passers-by enjoyed taking a flier in the hope that they would hear about the situation in China. At the same time, many discussions were held around the practitioners' information booth.

A number of people expressed that the persecution in China is hard to believe, especially in the face of the serene and peaceful Falun Gong exercises. One of the passersby recognized a former mountaineer friend doing the exercises and said in amazement, "What are you doing here? What is Falun Gong? I have not heard of it!" Also, other practitioners from Tuebingen met old acquaintances. One professor from a Tuebinger clinic greeted one of his nurses and gladly signed the petition.

A Chinese practitioner brought beautiful handmade paper lotus flowers. Passers-by happily accepted them. Many people heard the truth about the situation in China.

Interested individuals posed many questions about the horrible human rights situation in China during the rule of the Chinese Communist Party

Practitioners demonstrate the five sets of Falun Gong exercises

Chinese tourists hear the truth about Falun Gong

Originally published in German at http://de.clearharmony.net/articles/200710/40165.html

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200711/42159.html

Posting date: 11/24/2007
We welcome your comments and suggestions, please email:
feedback@clearwisdom.net