January’s newsletter includes reports on Falun Gong practitioners’ receiving of a special award from the Lord Mayor of London and their participation in the Chinese New Year’s Day celebrations around Europe last weekend.

In contrast we report also on the attack by a guest at the New Year party at the Chinese embassy in London on a Falun Gong practitioner.

There are accounts of demonstrations and peaceful appeals around Europe against the latest attempts by the Chinese authorities to export their own unique brand of persecution beyond the boundaries of China.

We also include the official figures for 2005 of practitioners persecuted to death in China. The total number since 1999 has now reached almost 3000.

Editor

• United Kingdom: Falun Gong Practitioners Attend 2006 New Year's Day London Parade Award Ceremony at Westminster Town Hall
• EFGIC: London Falun Gong Practitioner Assaulted Near Chinese Embassy
• European Friends of Falun Gong Expose Recent Assault opposite the London Chinese Embassy
• Italy: Falun Gong Practitioners Call on Thai Government to Resist the CCP's Exportation of Persecution
• Thailand: Protest outside the Chinese Embassy Attracts the Attention of Media
• Russia: Falun Gong Practitioners Introduce Falun Dafa and Expose the Persecution in St. Petersburg
• 1641 Deaths of Practitioners by Torture or Murder Confirmed in 2005
• France: Falun Gong Practitioners Invited to Participate in Parade Celebrating the Lunar New Year

United Kingdom: Falun Gong Practitioners Attend 2006 New Year's Day London Parade Award Ceremony at Westminster Town Hall

The ceremony was attended by many of the parade participants as well as Mayors of other London districts. The Mayor, the Lieutenant and the event director expressed thanks to the two practitioners and asked them to convey their gratitude to the rest of the group for having such a colourful and interesting display as a part of the London parade. They also expressed their heartfelt wish for Falun Gong to continue being a highlight of the parade.

Source http://clearharmony.net/articles/200601/31194.html

EFGIC: London Falun Gong Practitioner Assaulted Near Chinese Embassy

Press Conference and Rally to Protest the Chinese Embassy

LONDON (European Falun Gong Information Centre) A female Chinese Falun Gong practitioner was punched in the head by a Chinese man while she sat in meditation at the ongoing 24-hour protest opposite the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place around 9:00 p.m. on January 24.

Speaking to reporters, Ms. Gao Yudong said, "The bruise on the side of my head caused by the blow felt very hot. By the next morning I started to feel pain, and I could feel a swelling on my head. During the day at work, my head felt painful and numb. I had difficulty concentrating."

Falun Gong has been slandered and vilified repeatedly by the Chinese Embassy in London under orders from the Chinese Communist regime. Embassy staff, taking advantage of their diplomatic immunity to propagate hatred towards the exercise and meditation discipline based on Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, do so against their own Chinese constitution and against human rights.

Fortunately, the police stationed across the road witnessed the attack and were able to chase the man and detain him. Footage of the attack, caught on CCTV films from buildings nearby, has been requested by the police as evidence in the case.

Speaking about the attack on behalf of the Falun Gong Association, Mr. Peter Jauhal said, "We are appalled at this flagrant disregard of human rights on British soil by agents of the Chinese regime. We call on the police to charge this man with assault following incitement by the Chinese Embassy."

European Friends of Falun Gong Expose Recent Assault opposite the London Chinese Embassy

(Clearwisdom.net) The following speech was made by a representative of European Friends of Falun Gong at a press conference opposite the Chinese Embassy in London. The press conference was to expose the recent assault of a Falun Gong practitioner by someone who emerged from the Embassy. For more details on this assault, please see http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200601/31161.html. European Friends of Falun Gong is a non-governmental organization of people who don't practice Falun Gong but who support freedom of belief for practitioners.

We wish to register our shock and disgust at the act of gratuitous violence perpetrated against Falun Gong practitioner Gao Yudong, by a man emerging from the Chinese embassy on the night of Tuesday 24th January 2006.

Ms. Gao was attacked by a drunken assailant while taking part in the peaceful round-the-clock protest against the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. The man was attending the embassy's party to celebrate the Chinese New Year, but clearly allowed the alcohol and the high spirits of the party to accentuate his true feelings of disdain towards Falun Gong.

This attitude of hatred, as we know, has been nurtured over a long period of time by an intricate and insidious network of officials and henchmen, whose influence within the circles of government and the Chinese Communist Party knows no boundaries.

We hope that the perpetrator of this attack will be brought to justice by the due course of the law of the land. He will of course be afforded a fair trial, all the evidence will be fully considered before any conviction. That is the way it should be. Contrast this with the way Falun Gong practitioners in China have been dealt with, tortured to death and locked away in prisons and labour camps with little chance of release, and certainly with no fair trial.

This is the point we would wish to make absolutely clear to the Chinese officials in the embassy opposite us right now. They must be made to understand that the way their government treats Falun Gong practitioners is morally wrong and has no justification in law. They must reject their government's stance on Falun Gong and stop supporting the slaughter of innocent people at home, nor should they contribute towards that attitude of hatred being transferred onto the streets of other countries.

European Friends of Falun Gong

Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200601/31206.html  

Italy: Falun Gong Practitioners Call on Thai Government to Resist the CCP's Exportation of Persecution

By a practitioner in Italy

 The protest concerned recent events in Thailand: On December 10, 2005, practitioners in Thailand protested peacefully across from the Chinese Embassy calling attention to policeman He Xuejian's raping of two women practitioners in China. Thai police were seen entering and coming out of the Chinese Embassy several times. Dozens of police officers and plainclothes police then came across the street, searched practitioners' handbags forcefully, wrote down their ID numbers, brutally manhandled the practitioners and ripped their banners, leading to physical pain and the loss of their personal belongings. On December 15, Thai police, again under the instigation of the Chinese Embassy, without cause arrested eight practitioners protesting across from the embassy. As of this time, five practitioners are still being detained. After the incident, practitioners worldwide protested in front of local Thai Embassies and consulates to demand that the Thai authorities immediately release the practitioners being unlawfully detained. Practitioners condemned the CCP's exportation of persecution to Thailand and warned the related officials in the Thai Government not to collaborate with the CCP, which hurts their own and their nation's future.

Thailand: Protest outside the Chinese Embassy Attracts the Attention of Media

By Falun Dafa practitioners in Thailand

On January 6, 2006, Falun Dafa practitioners in Thailand went to the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok to denounce the Chinese Communist regime for the pressure it brought to bear on the Thai government that led Thai police to arrest five refugee Falun Dafa practitioners on Thai soil last December 15. Practitioners have protested at the Embassy one to two times per week since the arrests.

When practitioners arrived, there were approximately ten reporters and photographers already there waiting. As soon as practitioners started sending forth righteous thoughts and unfurled their banner, the reporters excitedly approached and proceeded to take many photos and conduct interviews for almost an hour. The Associated Press and The Epoch Times were there, as well as several Thai media including Matichon, Post Today, Bangkok Today, as well as the English-language Bangkok Post and The Nation.

Also waiting for practitioners were several police officers. As soon as the protest began, many more police arrived, until there were about 30 officers. Many different police departments were present, as well as a representative from the Prime Minister's office. Practitioners made sure to take the opportunity to clarify the facts in-depth to the officials and passers-by.

The detained practitioners are appealing their arrests and the cancellation of their visas. Both actions are against the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Thailand has signed, not to mention articles 38 and 44 of the Thai constitution.

Thailand practitioners sincerely urge the Thai government to quickly come to its senses, immediately release detained Falun Gong practitioners and not to associate with the evil CCP, and ruin the future of the country and the people.

Russia: Falun Gong Practitioners Introduce Falun Dafa and Expose the Persecution in St. Petersburg

From January 6th to 8th, 2006, practitioners from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pjatigorsk, Yekaterinburg, Vladimir State and Ukraine held a group Fa study and experience sharing gathering during the New Year holiday. To introduce Falun Gong to the public and let them know about the persecution happening in China, they also held an anti-torture exhibition on the streets.

Practitioners spent two days focusing on studying Master Li's new articles, "Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago" and "Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005." They also exchanged thoughts on how to let the Chinese people in their local areas know the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution. Many practitioners shared their experiences and ways on how they changed their local circumstances, by studying the Fa diligently, strengthening their righteous thoughts and telling people about the persecution. Practitioners learned a lot from each other and the whole sharing created a unique, peaceful atmosphere.

On January 6th, practitioners held gatherings at two subway stations in St. Petersburg's city centre. They displayed truth-clarifying boards and staged anti-torture exhibits with actual practitioners re-enacting the torture methods, to disclose the cruel persecution that Falun Gong practitioners have suffered over the past six years. Practitioners talked to people about the persecution and distributed leaflets. Many people signed the petition to help stop the persecution.

After one woman, who was a Christian, learned the truth, she asked practitioners for extra leaflets, as she wanted to give them to her friends. In a short time, she came back again with a couple of people. They walked directly to the petition table to sign the petition.

When a practitioner went to talk to a passer-by who just stopped to watch, the gentleman did not take the persecution seriously at the beginning. He asked, "Does what you are doing here have anything to do with me?" The practitioner answered, "If someone in Russia was put into prison simply for believing in the Orthodox Church, would you agree with it?" He replied, "I am against it, there should be freedom of belief." Then the practitioner asked him again: "In China, people are ruthlessly persecuted simply for believing in 'Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance,' do you support it?" He said, "No, I do not." He nodded his head signalling that he then understood the truth.

Later on, a local official who granted practitioners the space for this activity came with a policeman. When a practitioner tried to hand a leaflet to them, the official opened his document case and told him that he had seen it long ago. The policeman asked for a flier to read. When they were talking with practitioners, they said, "This is Russia, it's not China. You don't need to worry anything while you're holding activities here." The practitioners expressed their sincere gratitude for their righteous support.

Source http://clearharmony.net/articles/200601/30957.html

1641 Deaths of Practitioners by Torture or Murder Confirmed in 2005

By Li Ming and Gu Anru

During 2005, the Clearwisdom website posted 1,641 reports of Falun Gong practitioners in China being persecuted to death. The reports came from 29 provinces, cities and several "autonomous regions." Jiang Zemin, his regime, and the CCP began persecuting Falun Gong practitioners on July 20, 1999. From then through December 31, 2005, at least 2,805 practitioners have died due to the persecution. Of these deaths, 392 occurred in 2005. These are only the known deaths. Because the persecutors try to hide their crimes, the true death toll is certain to be higher.

Among the 1,641 deaths cases uncovered in 2005, female practitioners numbered 953 (58 percent) and 928 people were over age 55 (56 percent). Among the 1,641 victims, the youngest were three 14-year-old girls: Zhang Zheng, a student from Quantang High School in Chaohu City, Anhui Province; Wang Wenlan, a first year student from the Shuangcheng City No. 8 High School, Heilongjiang Province; and Tang Shiyu, a student from the Fucun Primary School in Dandong City, Liaoning Province.

Because the CCP tries to block information about the persecution, among the 1,641 death cases, we have not been able to verify the former residences of 25 victims. In 2005, Hebei Province had the highest known death toll in the country, 252 people. In descending order, the rest of the death counts are: Liaoning Province with 202; Heilongjiang Province, 181; Jilin Province, 180; Shandong Province, 169; Sichuan Province, 89; Hubei Province, 75; Henan Province, 71; Hunan Province, 57; Beijing, 52; Inner Mongolia, 40; Guangdong Province, 35; Jiangxi Province, 24; Chongqing City, 23; Tianjin City, 22, Anhui Province, 21; Guizhou Province, 20; Jiangsu Province, 18; Gansu Province, 16; Shaanxi Province, 13; Shanxi Province, 12; Guangxi Chuang, 9; Xinjiang Uygur, 9; Yunnan Province, 8; Zhejiang Province, 6; Fujian Province, 5; Shanghai City, 4; Hainan Province, 1; Tibet, 1; and one Taiwanese person who returned to China.

Luo Gan and Zeng Qinghong, diehard followers of Jiang Zemin who are entrenched in the top levels of the CCP hierarchy, led a new round of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in 2005. Throughout China, practitioners were arrested en masse, and hundreds were tortured to death. The CCP has not stopped the persecution of Falun Gong for one moment. The death cases posted on the Clearwisdom website have exposed numerous cases of persecution cases that might not have been otherwise revealed. The bloody torture methods are shocking, revealing the CCP's true nature.

Fifteen More Deaths Verified in December 2005

In December 2005 alone, through informal channels we verified 15 more deaths of Falun Gong practitioners. Twelve were killed during the year, and four died in December. The age range was from 34 to 73 years old. Eight of them were women. These 15 deaths occurred in 10 provinces and autonomous regions. The victims were from all walks of life. They had endeavoured to be good people according to Falun Dafa's foundational principle of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. They all benefited physically and mentally, and they told people the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong. Because they tried to live good lives and tried to expose the persecution, the authorities, lead by the CCP, arrested them. The authorities tortured some practitioners to death right at the scene. Some died from torture later on. In some cases, practitioners were injected with unknown drugs. Others died from slave labour or from being in toxic environments. In some cases, the authorities sent some of them home just before they were about to die so that their deaths would not occur while they were in custody.

Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Zhang Yuzhi, 48, lived in the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Autonomous Region in Jilin Province. She was imprisoned in the Heizuizi Forced Labour Camp in Changchun City and forced to work in a toxic environment 16 hours per day. The surrounding air was thick and contained many cancer-causing chemicals, which made people feel dizzy, have headaches, and even vomit. She was tortured psychologically during brainwashing sessions. Under the physical and mental pressure, she developed leukaemia. The camp officials did not allow her family to take her home until she could no longer take care of herself. Ms. Zhang went home on August 31, 2002, and passed away two weeks later. (See http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/12/25/68308.html )

Ms. Sun Guifeng, 34, lived in the residential area of the Yanzhou Mining Bureau in Shandong Province. In December 2004, she went out to clarify the truth to people. Mining Bureau security section personnel and police from the Jidong Police Department searched her home and confiscated her property. They took her and her husband to a detention centre. Two weeks later, the authorities sent her to the "Judicial Training Centre" in Shandong Province where she was brutally tortured. Luo Guangrong and others were in charge of her "transformation." She was in critical condition when her family took her home. She passed away in mid-April 2005. (See http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/12/21/68166.html )

France: Falun Gong Practitioners Invited to Participate in Parade Celebrating the Lunar New Year

By a French practitioner

On January 28^th, 2006, French Falun Gong practitioners, at the invitation of a local overseas Chinese organization in the Paris Saint-Denis province, participated in a parade celebrating the Lunar New Year. Falun Gong practitioners' performances of waist drumming, the five sets of Falun Gong exercises and several dances -- including the Lotus Dance, Fan Dance and Lion Dance -- were highly acclaimed by the throngs of people who lined the pavements. Many people learned about Falun Gong through this activity.

Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200601/31219.html