Overview of Death Cases of Falun Gong Practitioners Due to Persecution (Graphs and Photos)

By a Clearwisdom correspondent from China

 

(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong is an ancient practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Since first being made public in China by Mr. Li Hongzhi in May 1992, it quickly spread to more than 100 countries around the world and brought physical and mental health to over 100 million people. The practice has received over 1500 awards and proclamations worldwide. 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Jiang's regime began persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. During the past 12 years of persecution, the CCP has employed many methods of inhuman and brutal torture. Over 3,428 deaths of Falun Gong practitioners have been documented. The actual death toll well exceeds this, as getting such information out of China is extremely difficult and dangerous for those who report such cases. Other organizations (NGOs, Matas and Kilgour, etc.) estimate that the deaths of Falun Gong practitioners number in the tens of thousands. In addition, hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been sent to jails and forced labor camps. Several thousand have been forced into mental hospitals and given injections that destroy the central nervous system, and countless practitioners have been sent to brainwashing centers. Many were forced to become homeless in order to avoid persecution. Countless numbers of practitioners are harassed and monitored, and their families restricted to varying degrees. The CCP pushes the persecution to a fanatical extreme. 

This article provides a few statistics on the 3,428 documented death cases that the Minghui website received from July 1999 to March 2011. The average number of deaths is 24 per month. Behind the numbers, one can see that the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners that is being carried out by the Chinese Communist regime is systematic, brutal, and secretive. 

 

Graph 1: Total number of deaths of Falun Gong practitioners each year from July 1999 to March 2011 (incomplete statistics) 

Death Cases Spread Out All Over the Country

 

These death cases of Falun Gong practitioners are spread out over 31 provinces and autonomous regions in China. The provinces with the highest number of deaths in decreasing order are Heilongjiang, Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Shandong, Sichuan, and Hubei. 

 

Graph 2: Distribution of deaths of Falun Gong practitioners by province from July 1999 to March 2011 (incomplete statistics) 

The CCP fabricates rumors and falsifies facts to defame Falun Gong and deceive the world's people. It tries hard to cover up the brutality of the persecution. From central to local government, the persecution is carried out in a systematic way. The 610 Office is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems. 

Jiang Zemin, the previous CCP leader, issued many secret orders, including, "Deaths of Falun Gong practitioners from beatings is nothing and shall be counted as suicide," "The body shall be directly cremated without investigating the person's identity," "Defame their reputations, bankrupt them financially, destroy them physically." The 610 Office enforces these policies. In some of the death cases, the perpetrators who participated in the persecution frequently mentioned the policy of “Death of Falun Gong practitioners from beatings is nothing.” 

Du Jie, head of the Political Security Office of Gongyi City Police Department, instructed police to mercilessly beat Mr. Chang Baoli. Du Jie shouted, "Beating one to death won't matter, since it will be counted as a suicide." Twenty-year-old Mr. Chang was beaten to death on the very first day. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/3/31/46600.html) 

Mr. Lu Xingguo, 45, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Shanghai. On October 15, 2003, he was beaten to death in No. 3 Forced Labor Camp in the Qingpu District, Shanghai. Xiang Jianzhong, head of the ward, said, "I have orders from above (to torture and “transform” Falun Gong practitioners). A 5% mortality rate is normal for the prison, so the death of a practitioner is nothing. We don't care." (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/11/22/121550.html) 

Women and the Elderly Rank High in Proportion Among the Deaths

 

Of these deaths, 53 percent or 1,841 of the victims were women (Graph 3), and 62 percent or 1,932 of the victims were over 50 years of age (Graph 4). The average age of death is 53. There were even teenagers among the victims. 

 

Graph 3: Deaths of Falun Gong practitioners from July 1999 to March 2011 broken down by sex (incomplete statistics) 

 

Picture 4: Distribution of deaths of Falun Gong practitioners by age from July 1999 to March 2011 (incomplete statistics) 

Ms. Song Yaqin from Yanji City, Jilin Province, was 77 years old. In 2009, Ms. Song visited the Helong City Police Department to request the release of her injured son. The police pushed her down, dragged her down the stairs, and violently beat her. After that and up until her death, Ms. Song suffered from incontinence and her health diminished day by day. She passed away on the morning of July 18, 2010. Ms. Song had been subjected to mistreatment many times. In the summer of 2002, she was arrested while handing out leaflets about Falun Gong in the Wenmiao Market. Officers handcuffed her hands, brutally beat her, and hung her up by her handcuffs, causing the metal to cut deeply into her flesh, leaving permanent scars on her wrists. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/8/11/119184.html) 

Re-enactment photo: Hung up by handcuffs

Torture – The Major Cause of Death of Falun Gong Practitioners

 

Among the 3,428 death cases, most of the victims were subjected to brutal physical torture. Some were killed in a short time or even on the same day. Some were detained and tortured several times, and died after long-term suffering. 

The persecution was carried out at police stations, detention centers, labor camps, and prisons. More than 40 torture methods are used to brutalize Falun Gong practitioners. These include: Deprivation of sleep for many days; shocking with multiple high-voltage electric batons at the same time (the body parts shocked include mouth, head, face, chest, breasts, other private parts, and others); various kinds of handcuffs and shackles and being hung up; different kinds of sticks, clubs and whips including rubber clubs, spiked sticks, leather whips, copper wire whips, steel bars, etc.; hammering bamboo sticks and metal nails into the practitioners' fingers so deeply that they touch bone; pinching the practitioners' flesh with pliers; force-feeding pepper water, concentrated salt water, and feces through a large-diameter plastic tube; pouring cold water all over the practitioners during the winter; stripping the practitioners of their clothes and throwing them outside; forcing them to stand under the sun in the heat of summer; burn them with hot iron rods; denial of restroom use; injection of various drugs to attack the nervous system; etc. Among the death cases, more than 20 victims were cremated while they were still breathing. 

Examples: 

1. Mr. Huang Cheng from Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, was brutally tortured by officials from Panjin Prison and the Taihe Public Security Bureau in Jinzhou. Police tortured him by using ten large medical needles to puncture his fingers between the nails and the flesh. They also wrapped electrical wire around him and used electric batons to shock and torture him for three hours non stop. He ended up in critical condition. On February 24, 2011, he died at the age of 56. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2011/3/26/124052.html) 

Re-enactment photo: Puncturing fingers with large needles

2. Mr. Li Guang was a TV program host employed by the Laizhou City TV Station in Shandong Province. On December 3, 2004, he was tortured to death in Huaibei Prison by guards Xu Haiming, Wang Xiyun, and others. They brutally tortured him, shocking him 40 times with electric batons. Each torture session lasted three to four hours, and up to seven batons were used, causing his neck to swell as thick as his head. Hot water was poured on his arms and over his neck, and he was covered with burns. Aluminum wire was twisted tightly around his penis so that he could not urinate. (http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/11/25/115213.html) 

3. Mr. Wang Houge was a villager from Xiabao Village, Luqiao Town in Huanghua City, Hebei Province. He was subjected to many types of cruel torture during his three years of detention in Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp. He was tortured "tying the ropes" three times in the same day. Long-term torture reduced Mr. Wang to a very weak condition. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure and heart disease and was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. He lost three quarters of his lung capacity and also had other diseases. Mr. Wang died in May 2005 at the age of 39. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/6/26/62282.html) 

Re-enactment photo: Tying the ropes 

The CCP Tries to Cover Up These Murders by Falsifying the Cause of Death as Suicide or Illness

 

The CCP consistently denies any responsibility or provides no explanations about the deaths of Falun Gong practitioners. Actually, in order to avoid responsibility, practitioners are usually released once their conditions become critical, bodies are quickly cremated to destroy evidence, families are threatened, news is concealed, and the murders are covered up by falsely reporting that the deaths were from suicide or illness. All these evildoings damage the reputations of deceased practitioners and have caused families great distress. 

Examples: 

1. Mr. Peng Guangjun, 55, was from Houqiaoxin Village, Qiaoxin Town, the Huairou District, Beijing. He suffered violent beatings, electric shock, and sleep deprivation. He was tortured to death in Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp on January 24, 2004. His dead body, including his face, was covered with black and bleeding bruises. His face had signs of burns from electric shock. Some of his bones had been broken. The labor camp authorities claimed that Mr. Peng died of a heart attack. Mr. Peng's family members requested an autopsy, but the officer in charge threatened them by telling them they would lose their jobs. Mr. Peng's family was forced to compromise under pressure. Mr. Peng's body was cremated afterwards. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/9/24/52762.html) 

2. Mr. Jiang Yiyun, 59, was a farmer from Taiping Town, Jiangyou City, Sichuan Province. Several police officers from Jiangyou State Security Bureau tortured him to death and discarded his body in the woods on May 17, 2005. The police then spread rumors that Mr. Jiang had committed suicide. There were severe injuries on his head and face, and his body was covered with wounds from torture, making it clear that he had been tortured to death. The police would not allow the family to take the body. Instead, they shipped the body to a crematory for cremation that same morning. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/6/9/61669.html) 

Re-enactment photo: Severe beating 

3. Mr. Ding Gangzi, 47, was from Chengguan Township, Zanhuang County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. He died in Zanhuang County Detention Center in June 2001. He was abused in many ways, including beatings, being handcuffed behind his back, wearing foot shackles, being shocked with electric batons, and not being provided enough food. The guards ignored him when he was in critical condition. On June 11, 2001, the guards took his corpse, still in handcuffs and foot shackles, to the county hospital, falsely claiming that he needed emergency treatment. Medical personnel at the hospital wanted to send the corpse straight to the morgue, since they determined that Mr. Ding had died days prior and that his corpse was decayed and attracting flies. However, the police forced the doctors to "treat" him and give him infusions. The doctors pretended to "treat" the patient and "diagnosed" the cause of death “no breath, no heartbeat, and no returned blood during the transfusion.” They then sent Mr. Ding to the morgue. The police also forced the doctors to provide false evidence by filling out a report claiming Mr. Ding "died after failed emergency treatment" in order to conceal the truth of their crimes. The police suppressed the news of Mr. Ding's death and did not even notify his family of his death. When Mr. his family learned about his sudden death and rushed to the hospital, they were not allowed to see Mr. Ding's body. (http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2001/6/19/12279.html) 

Psychological Abuse--Another Cause of Death

 

Among the death cases, some practitioners died from psychological abuse. These practitioners usually had illnesses prior to practicing and became physically healthy after practicing Falun Gong. However, they were harassed and threatened to such a degree after the persecution began on July 20, 1999, that their illnesses reoccurred. People then think that they died from their illnesses. In fact, their deaths were caused by the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong. The CCP has incessantly stirred up the Chinese people's hatred of Falun Gong. This has also caused great pressure from society. 

Examples: 

1. Mr. Feng Min, 75, was from the Nankai District of Tianjin. He had previously undergone heart bypass surgery before practicing Falun Gong and was in poor health. In 1994, his health greatly improved when he began practicing Falun Gong. He was harassed and threatened by local police many times since July 20, 1999. He died in 2004. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/12/29/56054.html) 

2. Tang Shiyu was a student at Fucun Elementary School, Dandong City, Liaoning Province. In 1995, the hospital claimed he had only six months to live due to heart disease he had suffered since early childhood. After he started practicing Falun Gong in 1996, his health had improved, and he was able to go to school. After the CCP began persecuting Falun Gong, Tang's home was ransacked five times. He was detained once and his parents were imprisoned. He was under great pressure and suffered psychological pain, which caused his heart disease to recur. He died on April 25, 2005, at the age of 15. (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/5/17/60859.html) 

Addendum:

 

Many other torture methods are used in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, including brainwashing, injection of poisonous drugs, and even organ harvesting. Some practitioners were killed in shockingly inhuman ways. The brutal persecution of Falun Gong continues today.

 

Posting date: 5/18/2011
Category: Death Cases
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/4/28/中共迫害致死法轮功学员案例概述（图）-239576.html

Review of Falun Gong Human Rights Lawsuits in Canada and the U.S.A. (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched the persecution of Falun Gong in China in July 1999. Since then, the CCP has tried to use its embassies, consulates and other organizations overseas to promote its propaganda against Falun Gong all over the world. Meanwhile, the CCP has also tried to exert pressure on governments and organizations in the free world, inciting hatred towards Falun Gong. However, Falun Gong practitioners persist. They keep clarifying the truth to the public, file lawsuits against human rights violators overseas, and gain support from all directions. In this article, we review a few cases in Canada and the U.S.A. 

Falun Gong Practitioners in Vancouver Win Lawsuit for Their Protest Site

 

On October 19, 2010, the British Columbia Court of Appeal struck down the city bylaw that prohibited Falun Gong practitioners from placing their protest billboards and hut in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver, and ruled it to be unconstitutional and against the practitioners' right of free speech granted by the Canadian Constitution. 

British Columbia Court of Appeal judge Carol Huddart announced that all three judges had reached an agreement that it was a mistake for the lower level Supreme Court to require Falun Gong practitioners to remove their protest signs in front of the Chinese Consulate. The Falun Gong practitioners' protest with billboards and a small hut is protected by the Canadian Constitution, which grants them the right of free speech. It is unconstitutional for the city bylaw to prohibit them from expressing their opinions with structures.

Protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver 

Since 2001, Falun Gong practitioners in Vancouver have protested the communist regime's brutal persecution around the clock in front of the Chinese Consulate. In 2006, pressured by the Chinese regime's authorities, then mayor Sam Sullivan proposed to the B.C. Supreme Court to pass an injunction requiring the removal of the protest billboards and the blue shelter outside the consulate, based on the city transportation bylaws. Vancouver practitioners appealed the decision. In January 2009, the B.C. Supreme Court made the judgment to order the practitioners to dismantle their structures, so they appealed again to the B.C. Court of Appeal. On October 19, 2010, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that the city bylaw prohibiting protest structures is unconstitutional. 

Lawyer Joe Arvay, who appealed for Falun Gong, said: "The court has ruled that it's unconstitutional for the city of Vancouver to prohibit Falun Gong's protest site." In the ruling statement, the city is allowed to have six months to modify its regulatory bylaws. "Meanwhile, the practitioners can now apply to the city and ask for a location to place their protest boards and restore their small blue hut at the front of the consulate. The city's decision has to be consistent with the Constitution." 

Twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week, Vancouver practitioners take turns protesting the brutal persecution by sitting quietly and peacefully in front of the Chinese Consulate. No matter if it's in freezing winter or the heat of summer, raining or snowing, the practitioners have never stopped their peaceful protest. One female practitioner has spent five Christmas Eves in front of the consulate. 

Many practitioners have such experiences: When they clarify the truth of Falun Gong to a stranger, that person would say, "Oh, I know Falun Gong." When asked where they heard about Falun Gong, many people said they have seen Falun Gong's display boards on Granville Street.

When a bus with Chinese tourists passes by, the tour guide would automatically point out to them: This is the Falun Gong protest site, that is the Chinese Consulate.

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Declares Ottawa Chinese Senior Association in Violation of Human Rights Code for Discrimination against Falun Gong

 

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ruled on April 27, 2011 that the Ottawa Chinese Senior Association (respondent) breached the Ontario Human Rights Code and discriminated against Ms. Daiming Huang (complainant) on the basis of her belief. 

Ms. Huang is 78 years old. She immigrated to Canada in 1992 and started practicing Falun Gong in 1998. After practicing, her illnesses of sinusitis and spondylolisthesis disappeared. Huang was attending a New Year’s celebration at the Chinese Senior Association on December 29, 2001, when she noticed that a Chinese Embassy official in attendance was looking at her. Minutes later, the secretary of the association, Feng Xu, approached her and told her that the board of directors had decided that they would no longer accept Falun Gong practitioners. 

Ms. Daiming Huang at a press conference on January 18, 2006 

When she returned in February for a Chinese New Year celebration and to ask the chair about the decision to cancel her membership, she was berated by other board members who said that she was part of a group banned in China while seniors visiting the center looked on. 

This case is about Ms. Huang's involvement with the corporate respondent, the Ottawa Chinese Senior Association, a social organization composed mainly of seniors who are new immigrants from China. The personal respondents were members of the Association’s governing body (“Council”): Shen Guo was the Association’s president and Feng Xu was its secretary. 

Ms. Michelle Flaherty, vice chairman of the Tribunal ruled, “The Falun Gong is a creed and the Association offers a service within the meaning of the Ontario Human Rights Code. I conclude that the respondents breached the Code and discriminated against the complainant on the basis of her creed. The Tribunal orders the corporate respondent to pay the complainant the sum of $15,000 for loss arising from the infringement of her rights under the Code.” 

“This is not just a success for Daiming Huang, it is a victory in the worldwide battle against the Communist Party’s oppression of Falun Gong,” said David Matas, legal counsel for Huang. 

$21K Awarded in NYC Restaurant Discrimination Case

 

On June 1, 2008, Sun Zhenyu, Huang Wei, and Huang's daughter, Feng Xinye, went to a New York City restaurant for a bite to eat after attending a Falun Gong rally near the library in Flushing. 

Sun was wearing a yellow t-shirt saying "Falun Dafa is Good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," the core tenets of the spiritual discipline, in Chinese and English.

Employees soon made it clear that the three women weren't welcome. "We don't sell to Falun Gong," the man taking orders said, according to Sun and documents of the judgment.

When pressed for an explanation, he said simply, "We're just not going to sell," in Chinese, before holding his arms wide and shooing the three out the door, shouting, "Get out of here!" pointing at the exit.

Huang Wei's daughter, Xinye, who was nine at the time, was confused and scared at their treatment, and began to cry.

Sun, 48, who came to the U.S. in 1992 and works as a biologist, said she found the situation "very unpleasant" and "humiliating."

"I'd never experienced this kind of thing before," she said in an interview. "I never thought this kind of thing could happen, being in America so many years. Any religion, any belief, shouldn't be discriminated against here in the U.S."

The New York State Division on Human Rights handed down its ruling on Oct. 2, 2009, ordering the Lucky Joy restaurant in Flushing to pay damages and prominently affix an anti-discrimination poster provided by the human rights body. Ms. Sun, Ms. Huang and Xinye, were each awarded $7,000 in damages. 

The poster starts with the words "Discrimination Really Hurts," in red. 

In addition, the restaurant is required to establish anti-discrimination training and procedures. 

Quebec Court of Appeal Issues Verdict that La Presse Chinoise is Guilty of Libel in Defamation of Falun Gong

 

The Chinese newspaper La Presse Chinoise had published articles defaming and slandering Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners since November 3, 2001. On December 7, 2001, Falun Gong practitioners in eastern Canada filed a lawsuit against the newspaper. The court issued an order to ban the newspaper and He Bin from publishing similar articles against Falun Gong. 

The lawsuit lasted for four years. The Quebec Superior Court held hearings several times. In November 2003, the hearings concluded.

However, the verdict was not issued within six months as the judge promised. On December 7, 2005, over two years after the final hearing, the court issued the verdict, saying that the plaintiffs' evidence was not sufficient to draw a conclusion.

The practitioners filed an appeal with the Quebec Court of Appeal, the highest court in Quebec. The court issued its verdict on May 14, ruling La Presse Chinoise guilty of libel.

Well-known human rights lawyer Mr. David Matas said that defamation by the La Presse Chinoise is the same as defamation by the Chinese Communist Party. The significance is in the greater meaning of this verdict, which underscores that the CCP's propaganda against Falun Gong is understood to be lies and slander. The case also indicates that the CCP's defamation of Falun Gong is illegal. 

Deputy Consul General of China in Toronto Found Guilty of Libel

 

On February 3, 2004, the Ontario Superior Court began proceedings for the libel lawsuit filed by Toronto Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Joel Chipkar against the Deputy Consul General of China in Toronto, Mr. Pan Xinchun. Defendant Pan Xinchun was convicted of libel and ordered to compensate for losses he caused to the plaintiff. 

Joel Chipkar and his wife 

Pan Xinchun defamed Falun Gong practitioner Joel Chipkar in a letter that appeared April 25, 2003, in the Toronto Star. Pan's letter was a response to an earlier letter by Mr. Chipkar that berated the Chinese government for covering up the SARS epidemic, as they do the persecution of Falun Gong. This coverup helped SARS to spread worldwide where it killed Canadians as well. 

At the February ruling, the presiding judge concluded that Pan was not acting in his official capacity when he made statements about Mr. Chipkar and was therefore not protected by diplomatic immunity. Pan did not attend in his defense. The judge awarded Mr. Chipkar $1,000 for the defamation and compensation for his legal fees that amounted to $10,000.

"This ruling sends a clear message that the promotion of China's persecution of Falun Gong in Canada will be condemned by the Canadian courts. I am hopeful [this case] will draw the attention to the community at large of the wrongful promotion of hatred in this country," said Peter Downard, Mr. Chipkar's lawyer. 

Posting date: 6/16/2011
Category: Lawsuits against Persecutors
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/6/10/正义不容邪恶玷污（图）-242258.html

Spreading the Fa in a Small Town in Utah (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net) On June 11, Falun Gong practitioners participated in Fort Herriman's Day activities in Herriman, Utah. They demonstrated the exercises and taught tourists how to fold paper lotus flowers.

Learning the exercises 

Many people showed great interest in learning the exercises. According to a Western practitioner, 75 people learned the exercises at the practitioners' booth that day. 

A gentleman came with his family. He told the practitioners that he worked for the FBI and asked them if they had been harassed by the Chinese Communist Party during the event. They told him that everything went smoothly. He then said that Falun Gong is protected in the U.S. 

Practitioners taught tourists how to fold paper lotus flowers. Many people talked to the practitioners as they learned to make the flowers. They learned the truth about Falun Gong and the facts about the brutal persecution of the practice in China. 

Practitioners said that they would be participating in many community events in Utah this summer to share the beauty of Falun Gong with the public. 

Posting date: 6/18/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/6/17/真相在美国犹他州小城传播（图）-242602.html

World Renowned Bubble Artist to Perform in China

Fan Yang, a renowned American bubble artist, landed in Shanghai on Monday to prepare for his upcoming show in July. The giant show will show off Yang’s extraordinary bubble feats, including his Guinness World Record bubble which covered 150 people.

Yang prepared his own bubble formula.

[Fan Yang, Renowned Bubble Artist]:
“This is a very special bubble formula. I prepare the formula in my lab in Canada. So I bring the concentrate and I mix it with water here. I use all non-toxic elements and ingredients. There are seven different kinds of ingredients.”

The first show is set to take place in the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, where Yang will perform a fascinating display of different bubble-blowing techniques. The bubbles range in color, shape, and size, as well as special effects.

Yang has performed around the world and is the setter and holder of seventeen Guinness world records.

HK Animation about Tiananmen Becomes Internet Hit

An animation depicting the Tiananmen Square Massacre has become an online hit in Hong Kong. It comes before the 22nd anniversary of the event, which is known as the June 4th incident in Chinese.

Hong Kong cartoonist Ronnie Chau says he made the clip to remind people of what the students at the time were fighting for, rather than just the massacre itself.

[Ronnie Chau, Animator]:
"Our generation - the post-80s and 90s - is beginning to forget June 4th. We are no longer clear what it is about. I want to use this clip to show to others what I want to discover myself."

Although Chau works from a tiny flat, at least he is able to artistically express himself freely.

[Ronnie Chau, Animator]:
“Under such severe suppression of freedom of speech in China, being an artist has become very dangerous. But you cannot act against your conscience. If you don't like the Chinese government, you should not be forced to celebrate it.”

Hong Kong and the Internet have become a refuge for the suppressed Chinese art community.

HK Protestors Mark Tiananmen Massacre Anniversary

Thousands of Hong Kong activists rallied with a "Goddess of Democracy" replica statue on Sunday. It's to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre—called the "June 4th Incident" in Chinese—where hundreds of pro-democracy students were killed.

Hong Kong Legislator Lee Cheuk-Yuen speaks about what the statue stands for.

[Lee Cheuk-Yuen, Hong Kong Legislator]:
"This is a symbol of defiance on the part of the Hong Kong people to demand the vindication of June 4 and democracy in China. It also has another meaning being that this year is the darkest age for Chinese human rights, and there are waves and waves of arrests and suppression of Chinese human rights defenders."

This year, the persecution of dissident artist Ai Weiwei and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo furthers concerns that the Chinese regime is going backwards on human rights.

Students, politicians, and unionists joined the rally to mourn the lives lost in 1989, and speak out against the Chinese regime.

One protestor says he's fortunate to be able to protest here—because his friends in mainland China cannot.

[James Hon, Protester]:
"Hong Kong up till now is the only Chinese territory that people can come out to the street and voice our protest and we are lucky to have this freedom."

But, even in Hong Kong, protests have not always gone smoothly. Last year, 13 protestors were arrested for putting up two similar statues, which were then confiscated by police.

Taiwan: One-Girl Band a YouTube Sensation

While Asian girl bands such as the Wonder Girls and AKB 48 are achieving success around the globe, a "one-girl band" is attracting worldwide attention on the Internet with a video that has generated more than four million YouTube hits within three weeks.

The video shows 25-year-old Shara Lin performing Jolin Tsai's "Dancing Diva" on the piano, violin, and zither all at the same time.

Lin put the trio performance together within five days for a music training session mixing the classical music into Taiwanese pop music.

To incorporate the different instruments, she held the violin by her neck, adjusted the positions of the zither pick, and arranged the positions of the instruments.

[Shara Lin, Musical Artist]:
"I think the toughest part is to play the piano and the zither simultaneously. We tried many times to finally figure out this position for my left hand to play the piano, and right hand to play the zither. When I have to look at both the piano and the zither, I really wish my eyes could grow wider apart, so if I have to play together, I must play by feel. I have to either feel the keys on the piano and look at the zither, or feel the strings on the zither and look at the piano."

Lin is a music major at National Taiwan Normal University and has been playing the piano since she was three.

Her love of music quickly expanded into other instruments including the violin, zither, guitar, jazz drums, and harmonica.

[Shara Lin, Musical Artist]:
"After people saw this video, they suggested that I play the drum on my foot and also add a harmonica. I said ok, I will consider that. Of course, I can only play a little bit on the harmonica. If I have to perform, then I must design another set of performance. I will definitely try, if I have a chance in the future."

Lin said she is willing to try other creative music performances, and whether or not she becomes famous, she looks forward to bringing her music to a wider audience.

World's Biggest Floating Island Unveiled in South Korea

Thousands of onlookers turned out in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday for the unveiling of the world's largest artificial 'floating island'.



Situated on Seoul's Han River, the island houses a cultural center and is the latest addition to the city's multi-billion dollar makeover.



[Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul]:

"We're progressing [with] works to make an icon symbolising the city by adding cultural and arty functions to representative natural landscapes such as Han River or Namsan. This 'floating island' is precisely [such a] representative and symbolic place."



Only part of the nearly 220 thousand square-foot development was opened on Saturday. The rest is scheduled for completion in September. The project is privately funded at a cost of about 88 million US dollars.



A Seoul Metropolitan Government official in charge of the Han River project said about 59 million people visited the river last year. He expects the island will make it an even more attractive place for visitors.



[Liu Kyoung-gee, Assistant Mayor, Seoul Metropolitan Government]:

"People will visit this 'floating island' for sure when they come to Han River. They can enjoy Han River's beautiful scenery here and this island will provide a place to hold various meetings and great performances."



Liu said the three-part island can accommodate 6,200 people.



The biggest of the three islets is three stories high and includes a 700-seat convention hall.



The other two islets will be used for cultural and aquatic events, including yachting.



Many Seoul citizens welcome the new floating island.



[Ahn Hyo-jin, Seoul Resident]:

"I hadn't come to Han River often because there was nothing much to do. I'm glad that now it has a place where I can have some tea and talks with my friends near the river after school."



Twenty-eight mooring chains secure the island, kept afloat by a giant buoy. This ensures it stays in position and afloat in case of a flood or bad weather.



Over the past decade, Seoul has morphed from a drab, concrete jungle into a modern Asian super-city.

Germany: Falun Gong Welcomed at the City of Dortmund International Arts & Culture Week (Photos)

By a practitioner in Germany
 
(Clearwisdom.net) Three weeks ago, 400,000 German football fans celebrated Dortmund winning the 2011 Bundesliga title. Beginning on May 28, 2011, this West German city again celebrated, this time in honor of its "International Arts & Culture Week." Falun Gong practitioners participated in the opening ceremonies and in the exhibitions.

A constant stream of visitors visited the Falun Gong information desk.

Three Turkish girls were delighted with the pretty paper lotus flowers.

A Constant Stream of People Visit the Falun Gong Information Desk


The city of Dortmund is located in the western part of Germany near the River Rhine. On May 28, the 13th Münster Street Multicultural Festival in North Dortmund marked the start of this cultural week. During the day, Münster Street was full of people from India, South Korea, Turkey, China, Africa, and almost every other country in Europe and America displaying their folk cultures. Cuisines, music, and dance were highlighted. Practitioners at the Falun Gong booth gave people interesting information and paper lotus flowers.

The Falun Gong booth was only 20 meters away from the central stage. Practitioners originally from China, Germany, and Russia introduced Falun Gong to the visitors. Falun Gong has spread to more than 100 countries.

A great variety of informative Falun Gong materials were displayed on the desk at one side of the booth. Behind the desk was a huge banner with the words “Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance.” With this principle in mind, plus the exercises, Falun Gong practitioners benefit from better health and improved standards of behavior. Everyone interested in Falun Gong received a handmade paper lotus flower and was happy to have it.

On the other side of the booth was a large display board with a collection of pictures showing Falun Gong both in China and worldwide. Practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises to passersby. Many people inquired, took photographs, or gathered to watch; some even tried to mimic the hand gestures of the exercises.

Two teenagers stayed near the booth the entire time. They sometimes followed the exercises, sometimes read the displays, and sometimes asked for balloons and paper lotuses. They also asked Falun Gong practitioners many questions.

A lady working in a German school came to visit as soon as the booth was set up. She was seeking a way that could help her feel peaceful. On seeing Falun Gong, she felt that Falun Gong was exactly what she was looking for and wanted to give it a try. She asked in detail the time and place of the practice sites, and repeatedly said that she would join. Learning that other Falun Gong practitioners were going to demonstrate the exercises on the central stage, she waited to see it. During the demonstration, she listened carefully.

Passing by the Falun Gong booth, a security officer on duty said that his mother was also practicing a kind of meditation. He asked for a Falun Gong introduction leaflet for her.

Many people not only understood Falun Gong, but also asked for details of the practice site. They encouraged Falun Gong practitioners to continue their efforts.

Exercises Demonstration on the Stage


Around 1 p.m., eight practitioners in yellow costumes demonstrated the exercises on the 13-meter-long central stage. Among them were Chinese and German men and women, ranging in age from their 30s to their 70s.

Exercise demonstration on the stage

The five Falun Gong exercises are easy to learn, and each movement is gradual, slow, and round. With the serene music in the background, people listened to a practitioner’s explanation of each movement carefully. These people of various nations applauded warmly afterward.

A German lady came to the information desk after seeing the demonstration. She left and came back again. When the exhibition was to finish, she came once again. She was very interested in Chinese culture.

A couple from Hong Kong passed by the information booth. They said they saw a lot of people practicing Falun Gong in Hong Kong, and some in Dusseldorf, Germany. They were very happy to see Falun Gong again that day.

Falun Gong in the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper

Large picture in the Ruhr Nachrichten: Chinese introduce Falun Dafa, an ancient Chinese wisdom, at the Munster Festival

On May 30, the Ruhr Nachrichten, the second largest daily newspaper in the city of Dortmuond with a daily circulation of 150,000, carried a large photo on its front page of Falun Gong practitioners holding a red banner with yellow words saying, “Falun Dafa is good.” Against the background of a blue sky, a yellow umbrella held by a young Falun Gong practitioner in traditional clothing was very striking. The well-known Der St. Joseph Kirche was behind the practitioners in the photo.

Explanation under the picture: Chinese introduce Falun Dafa, an ancient Chinese wisdom, on Munster Festival.

Posting date: 6/7/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2011/6/2/德国多特蒙德市国际文化周-法轮功受欢迎（图）-241840.html

Organ Harvesting Exposed, Part 3

Zooming In - Organ Harvesting, Part 3

Kean Wong: It was his first official visit to the US, and the most important event since the last two superpowers had engaged. On April 20, 2006 probably close to 100 hundred cameras were pointed towards visiting head of the Chinese Communist Regime Hu Jintao... But none of the people present at the White House lawn expected that the media's attention would suddenly change focus to a Chinese woman's impassioned appeals.

Narrator: Wenyi Wang is 47 years old, She earned her medical degree from the University of Chicago where she trained as a pathologist. Her shouts demanded of the Chinese Communist party to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She also attempted to display a banner. Two minutes later security guards removed her from the scene. But her momentary shouting at President Bush and Hu Jintao became top news in the world media. Later, when a CNN reporter interviewed her, she explained her reasons for coming forward: it was because of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Wenyi Wang: During the past two months, I contacted the two witness from China who exposed the harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners in the Sujiatun District, Shenyang City. By exposing these facts they have risked their lives. Black market live organs available for transplant carry specific price tags: live organs are sold for $60,000 to $200,000 US$. Converted to Chinese currency, a heart sells for two million yuan. No language can describe such atrocity. I had no other choice but shout at him (Hu Jintao) to let him hear our voice, to stop the killing and stop the atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

Narrator: That same day in McPherson Park, only a few blocks away from the White House, there was another special outdoor assembly. It seemed the two events echoed each other from a distance. The two key witnesses who exposed the incidents of live organ harvesting at the Sujiatun Concentration Camp harvesting showed themselves openly.

Witness Peter: We have no regard for life and death. What I knew should serve as evidence.

Witness Annie: Many people's organs were harvested before they died.

Witness Peter: I have repeatedly said that the crimes committed in Sujiatun are merely the tip of an iceberg.

Narrator: Two days later, C-Span TV in the U.S. featured a live interview with Falun Gong spokesman Erping Zhang.

Kean Wong: With headlines like "Sujiatun Death Camp"; "Harvesting Falun Gong practitioners organs for profit..." the western world is beginning to wonder what's really going on in China, and how can this be happening in this day and age. And more specifically how could a world super power who's just entered the WTO be faced with allegations of selling organs harveste

Organ Harvesting Exposed, Part 2

Zooming In - Organ Harvesting, Part 2

Kean Wong: It has been four weeks since the Sujiatun Extermination Camp was exposed to the world. A series of rather disturbing developments have surfaced during this time. First, two informants have stepped forward and revealed that the Sujiatun Extermination Camp has been harvesting internal organs from living Falun Gong practitioners and then disposing of their bodies in a crematorium. After the camp was revealed to the world, Beijing remained silent for three whole weeks. Afterwards, a spokesman from China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry denied the report in an unprecedented press conference. The denial sparked a series of responses. Two days later, The Epoch Times received a letter from a veteran military doctor from Shengyang City where the camp was located. He confirmed the existence of the underground Sujiatun Extermination Camp. Moreover, he revealed there are in fact dozens of such camps all over China. Meanwhile, the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) published its second investigative report, which includes the tran scri pts of all the telephone dialogues between its investigators and medical doctors in China. The tran scri pts confirmed that Sujiatun is not the only place that harvests living Falun Gong practitioners’ internal organs.

Narrator: After the second informant stepped forward with more details about Sujiatun, people spent three weeks in shock, anxiety and all kinds of surmises. During those three weeks, Beijing remained unusually silent until March 28 when a spokesman at its Foreign Affairs Ministry denied all the reports of concentration camps in a first time ever press conference.

Wang Zhiyuan, M.D., Spokesman for WOIPFG:

It is impossible for Beijing to make any response immediately after Sujiatun camp was exposed because they needed some time to clean it up and cover it up. In three weeks time, I believe Beijing has done a series of damage control before it responded publicly to the reports.

Narrator: Two days after the press conference in Beijing, a veteran military doctor in Shengyang City, which is the same city where the Sujiatun camp was located, wrote a letter to The Epoch Times. Perhaps this was in response to the ministry’s denial. He confirmed the existence of the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. He added that there are dozens of such camps all over China.

An excerpt from the veteran military doctor’s testimony:

The so-called hospitals in Sujiatun are b

Organ Harvesting Exposed, Part 1

KEAN WONG: Hi and welcome to a special edition of Zooming In. I'm Kean Wong. This week we delve into one of the darkest places in China, the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. The first of an estimated 36 concentration camps in existence, these places are where organs are allegedly harvested and sold for profit. But the allegations go further - the organs are taken out by force, often while the victims are still alive and conscious.

NARRATOR: This is Sujiatun in Shengyang City, Liaoning Province. This remote, ordinary city has a gruesome secret that has been exposed to the world outside of China. An insider from the Chinese Communist regime has revealed a concentration camp here, where at least 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners are detained. Their organs are forcefully harvested on demand for huge profits, and some the surgery happens while the Falun Gong practitioners are still alive. Then their bodies are thrown into a cremation furnace located at the camp. Both the living and the dead have been thrown in there. Soon after this shocking discovery was made public, another witness leaked more information about this death camp. More witnesses will step forward, and more evidence will be discovered in the near future. Now, let's review the facts about the Sujiatun concentration camp.

NARRATOR: On March 9, 2006, an insider from China identified as Mr. R, leaked the existence of the camp to a
reporter from The Epoch Times.

REPORTER: What's your estimate of how many Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned in this death camp?

MR. R: I don't have the specific number because the number changes constantly. The actual statistics are kept in internal records, but the statistics I obtained at the time was about 6,000.

REPORTER: When did you obtain the information?

MR. R: About two years ago.

REPORTER: So this was in 2004?

MR. R: Yes. Around that time.

NARRATOR: Mr. R used to be part of a Japanese television news team, responsible for news about China. He also worked for a news company established by the Chinese Embassy in Japan. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) arrested him for reporting the suicide of a Japanese diplomat from the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai, and the CCP's massacre in Shanwei. He later fled from China to the United States. To protect his identify and personal safety, he asked us not to disclose his real name.

REPORTER: In order words, these Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned in the concentration camp might have been subjected to brainwashing, beating, torture and imprisonment until they were on the brink of death. Then they will be killed after their organs are harvested for profit. Is this the operation of the death camp?

MR. R: I think so, but I don't know under what condition they were sent to the operating table for organ harvesting. They might not even have known before they were sent to the table where their organs were removed. But I think that's the typical operation of the concentration camp.

REPORTER: Is it possible that the practitioners will get out of the death camp alive?

MR. R: I can only pray that they will get out of there alive and reunite with their families, safe and alive.

REPORTER: How did you find out about the Sujiatun Concentration Camp?

MR. R: I didn't find out about it by luck. You have to understand one thing: I am a journalist. As a journalist, I am very proficient in searching for information. As a journalist, you must know that today's journalists in China do not look for news in any formal investigation or research. Instead, we discover news at dinners in restaurants, at Mahjong tables, in sauna bathrooms, etc. It's during chitchat that we

Chinese Regime Invests Heavily in Cyber Army

Chinese leaders are pouring millions of dollars into training a new and highly specialized branch of its military—an Internet attack and defense force.

This news has Western governments and companies that do business in China questioning the regime’s motives.

[Li Baohua, China Political Commentator]:
"I think the Chinese military's Internet development and that of local governments are coordinated, and support one another. The development serves both political and military purposes, and it's very important for safeguarding the regime."

Chinese hackers have repeatedly targeted governments and businesses around the world. News that the Chinese Communist Party seems to be massing these hackers into an organized branch of its military is disquieting to some.

U.S. diplomatic cables published on WikiLeaks suggest the United States government suspects Chinese hackers of attacks on targets ranging from Google to the Dalai Lama.

According to Chinese state media, the “cyber force” includes an elite 30-member core team based in Guangdong Province. They routinely engage in what the regime’s People’s Liberation Army calls “cyber warfare drills.”

Chinese Woman Appeals Mother's Freedom

On Tuesday, this 22-year old woman protested in front of the Chinese Consulate in New York. She's urging Chinese officials to release information about her mother's whereabouts.

[Han Yi, Daughter of Jailed Falun Gong Practitioner]:
"Today I came here for my mom. The police arrested her last December illegally. She was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in jail."

For more than a decade, Han Yi's mother—Wu Shunzhen—has been persecuted simply for doing this in China. It's a meditation practice called Falun Gong.

For that—she's been tortured in Chinese labor camps more than once.

[Han Yi, Daughter of Jailed Falun Gong Practitioner]:
"One time, they didn't let her sleep for a month. What's worse is that the male guards sexually abused her, and then they [brought in] snakes and scorpions to bite her."

Yi practices Falun Gong, too. She came to America on a student visa. But her mother and millions of other practitioners in China face severe persecution.

[Levi Browde, Falun Dafa Information Center Spokesman]:
"The Chinese Communist Party, which rules China today, uses all these instruments—governmental and nongovernmental—to try and get every single person who practices Falun Gong to relinquish their beliefs. And again, you have to keep in mind we're talking about literally tens of millions of people inside China."

And to force them to stop practicing Falun Gong, the Communist Party uses a variety of methods—including putting them in labor camps to be tortured.

[Levi Browde, Falun Dafa Information Center Spokesman]:
“They are coerced, physically and mentally, until they give up the practice, a lot of people have died in these situations.”

In fact, the Falun Dafa Information Center has documented the deaths of more than three thousand Falun Gong practitioners from torture and abuse.

That's why Han Yi is worried. She doesn't know where her mother is now—or even if she's still alive.

[Yi Han, Daughter of Jailed Falun Gong Practitioner]:
"They don't even tell us where my mom is... They don't allow us to contact her."

But she's determined to do what she can to see her again—and to help stop the persecution of millions of other people in China, too.

[Yi Han, Daughter of Jailed Falun Gong Practitioner]:
"I want to reveal this brutal persecution my mom [has been suffering] for 10 years and let more people know about the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong."

Milene Fernandez, NTD News, New York.