"Falun Dafa" (Falun Gong) at Independence Hall Philadelphia,(right next to the Liberty Bell). Come join us Sunday Morning's on the front lawn of Independence Hall were Freedom Rings. Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that is Buddhist in nature. It consists of moral teachings for daily life, a meditation, and four gentle exercises. Falun Gong is always taught free of charge and is practiced in over 80 countries. While Falun Gong is practiced openly in 70 countries, today in its homeland of China it is subject to severe human rights violations. The scale and scope of abuses taking place make it possibly the largest religious persecution in the world today. *New York Times: China Still Presses Crusade against Falun Gong (excerpt) April 27, 2009: In the decade since the Chinese government began repressing Falun Gong, a crusade that human rights groups say has led to the imprisonment of tens of thousands of practitioners and claimed at least 2,000 lives, the worlds attention has shifted elsewhere.But 10 years on, the war on Falun Gong remains unfinished. In the past year, as many as 8,000 practitioners have been detained, according to experts on human rights, and at least 100 have died in custody. In recent months, scores of practitioners have been given long prison terms, including Zhang Xingwu, a retired physics professor from Shandong Province who last week was sentenced to seven years after the police found Falun Gong literature in his apartment. The continued crackdown highlights the difficulty of eradicating a movement whose adherents stubbornly cling to their beliefs, but it also provides a window into the psyche of an authoritarian government that, despite its far-reaching power, remains deeply insecure. The excesses and the savagery have really lowered the quality of the government and harmed [Chinas] reputation abroad, said Jerome Cohen, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on Chinese law. Theyre paying a high price for the cruelty to these people.Among those swept up in the purge were Yu Zhou, the musician, and his wife, Xu Na. They were stopped for speeding in January 2008, according to their lawyer. After the police found Falun Gong materials in their car, both were detained. Ten days later, Mr. Yus sister was told that he was gravely ill, the result, she was told, of a hunger strike complicated by diabetes. His sister, Yu Qun, says her brother did not have diabetes. She contends that he died at the hands of his captors. The familys efforts to investigate Mr. Yus death have been thwarted by the police and prosecutors, who refuse to allow an autopsy or even issue a death certificate. Ms. Xu, who is a well-known poet and painter, was given a three-year term. I dont understand why this happened to them because they didnt do anything to break the law and they werent promoting the group, Ms. Yu said. According to former detainees and human rights organizations, Falun Gong detainees are frequently subjected to harrowing abuse, particularly those who refuse to swear off their faith. Bu Dongwei, 41, a longtime adherent who spent three years in a labor camp, said he was forced to share a room with about 30 people, most of them petty thieves and drug addicts who were encouraged to abuse the Falun Gong detainees. Mr. Bu, a trained geneticist, left China in December and now lives in Los Angeles. While the groups initial goals were official legitimacy and an end to persecution, the ceaseless campaign against them has radicalized many adherents, especially those living outside China. In cities around the world, Falun Gong devotees — and their offbeat re-enactments of torture and gory visual aids — have become a common sight. The group has dedicated itself to the demise of the Communist Party, which has complicated the lives of adherents inside China. Falun Dafa, the organization that oversees the movement from its headquarters in New York, is led by Li Hongzhi, a former grain clerk who began spreading his mystical brand of qigong in 1992 but fled China before the crackdown began. Once known for charismatic preaching, he has spent much of the past decade living a reclusive life in Queens.
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Nice video and Theme!!!
deepbluedtd2 2 years ago 3
I can't believe the denial of basic human rights & persecution the Chinese are going through just for practicing simple Falun Gong that is merely a relaxation & spiritual exercise. How is it this is not making the National News at all? Is the USA government closing its eye's & turning its back to this blatant violation of basic human rights against the Chinese people because were in so much financial debt to the Chinese government? Why would the USA want to be associated with such a government?
backtoharmony 2 years ago