Forum at Parliament House 25 June 2008 Background to Falun Dafa and the Persecution in China

1. Forum at Parliament House 25 June 2008 Background to Falun Dafa and the Persecution in China

2. China has a 5000 year history where teachings like Buddhism and Taoism helped human society enlighten to spiritual truths through cultivation of the body and mind

4. What is Falun Dafa? Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline. It consists of moral teachings for daily life based on the principles of Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance and five gentle exercises including meditation. Falun Gong is always taught free of charge and is practiced in over 80 countries.

5. The Founder of Falun Dafa, Mr Li Hongzhi Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Dafa to the public in China in 1992 and then taught the practice publicly for two years in China. By 1998 there were over 70 million people in China practising Falun Dafa. In keeping with Chinese tradition, Mr. Li is respectfully referred to as "Master" or "Teacher." He is not accorded special treatment, nor does he accept donations from students of Falun Dafa. He has ensured the practice is freely available to all people.

6. Zhen Shan Ren Truthfulness Benevolence Forbearance

7. Falun Dafa Exercises & Meditation

8. The Falun emblem is the symbol of Falun Dafa. The character in the center is the symbol called "wan", which has been used in many cultures for thousands of years to denote good fortune. The Falun Emblem as described by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Zhuan Falun: "The Law Wheel of the Buddha School, the Yin-Yang of the Tao School, and the ten-directional world are all reflected in the Falun -the Law-Wheel."

9. Falun Gong Class by Master Li Hongzhi in Wuhan, China

10. Falun Gong Class by Master Li Hongzhi in Tianjin, China

11. Falun Gong class by Master Li Hongzhi in China

12. Falun Gong Classes by Master Li Hongzhi in China

13. Falun Gong can be practised at any age

14. Falun Gong practice site in Beijing

16. Falun Gong practice in Chendu, China

18. Website: http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/index.php?news=184 1998 Health survey of 12,000 practitioners in Beijing

19. Sweden

20. Chicago, USA

21. Denmark Canada Australia USA

24. Why is Falun Gong Persecuted in China? “The Communist Party of China, for no apparent reason other than totalitarian paranoia, sees Falun Gong as an ideological threat to its existence. Yet, objectively, Falun Gong is just a set of exercise with a spiritual component.” – David Matas, Canadian human rights lawyer Number of Falun Gong practitioners exceeded the Members of the Communist Party CCP has a history of persecuting various groups to maintain its power through terror. Falun Gong is the latest victim.

25. 10,000 peaceful appeal 25 April 1999

27. “The police can hold people without trial or access to lawyers for up to four years… There is also the full weight of the state propaganda department, which directs a hostile media campaign against Falun Gong… There is no legal redress for abuses.” Hamish McDonald, Former Beijing Correspondent for The Age was Awarded The 2005 Walkley Award for this story on Tang Yiwen

28. Basic statistics • Millions illegally arrested, detained and/or abused by Chinese police. • 200,000 - 1 million illegally sent to forced labour camps without trial. • Human rights workers documented 51,000+ specific cases of torture or severe abuse. • 1,000+ healthy individuals incarcerated in mental hospitals and tortured there, an act condemned by World Psychiatric Association. • 500+ have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 18 years. • 3,150+ deaths through police abuse and torture have been confirmed, with government sources inside China indicating that the actual number could be has high as 10,000 or more. • Plus unknown number of deaths from organ harvesting

29. WARNING: Graphic images of torture victims appear on the following slides

30. “Gao Rongrong a 37-year-old Falun Gong practitioner from Shenyang city, Liaoning Province, reportedly died in custody on 16 June 2005 at the China Medical University Hospital. “This prolonged torture allegedly involved using electric-shock batons on Gao Rongrong’s face and neck and reportedly caused her severe blistering and difficulties with her eyesight.” Amnesty International, 28 June 2005 http://www.web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170142005?open&of=ENG-380

31. Mr Ma Xuejun Mr Qing Yongjie Ms Wang Xia Mr Zhang Xiaohong Ms Wang Xia Mr Liu Yufeng Ms Wu Lingxia

32. On 29 September 2006- US Congress Hearing on CCP's Organ Harvesting from Living Falun Gong Practitioners Congressman Rohrabacher said that ‘facing such evil in the world, we cannot keep silent. We should not ignore such evil just because of commercial interests from such a totalitarian regime .’ David Matas & David Kilgour testify at the US Congress hearing

33. On January 2007 - revised Report“Allegations into Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China” Mr Matas and Mr Kilgour's second report includes interviews with organ recipients in 30 countries and Canadian hospital staff who cared for more than 100 patients who had undergone suspicious transplant surgeries in China. Their report is accessible at the following website. http://investigation.go.saveinter.net/ David Kilgour & David Matas

34. Beijing's Olympic Preparations "STRIKE HARD" AGAINST BELIEFS "We must make efforts to create a harmonious society and a good social environment for successfully holding the 17th Communist Party Congress and the Beijing Olympic Games […] We must strike hard at hostile forces at home and abroad, such as ethnic separatists, religious extremists, violent terrorists and ‘heretical organizations’ like the Falun Gong who carry out destabilizing activities." Zhou Yongkang, Minister of Public Security. Amnesty International report in November 2007 http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170522007?open&of=ENG-2S2

35. Beijing's Olympic Preparations Chinese security agencies have been conducting large-scale arrests of Falun Gong adherents throughout China in recent months as authorities step up efforts to “stamp out” the practice in advance of the Olympic Games, in August.....There have been 1,878 arrests across 29 provinces, major cities, and autonomous regions since January 1 of this year. Since January 2007, the Center has documented the cases of 129 Falun Gong practitioners who died of abuse in police custody or upon release as a result of injuries incurred while in detention. Falun Dafa Information Centre

36. CCP's Latest Extension of the Persecution Overseas Since 17 May hundreds of Chinese people have gathered in Flushing, New York to abuse and attack Falun Gong practitioners

37. “Falun Gong’s continuingexistence and growing strengthare among the most prickly anddifficult problems facing theauthorities in Beijing today. Thisis not because of anything FalunGong practitioners themselveshave done. Rather, it is becauseof what Beijing has tried to do tothem—and failed.”Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania.

38. The persecution has now lasted 9 years Your voice will hasten its end Please speak up Thank you