Human Rights Day: Falun Gong Practitioners Raise Awareness Worldwide
Falun Gong practitioners raise awareness of the persecution on Human Rights Day events worldwide.
Human Rights Day is an annual holiday that commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. Since 1999, however, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been persecuted for their faith, violating freedom of conscience and religion, and have been subject to arbitrary arrests and a multitude of dehumanizing tortures.
Preceding Human Rights Day this year, Falun Gong practitioners worldwide held events to raise awareness of the persecution of practitioners in China.
Government officials also expressed their support through speaking at rallies, sending letters of support, and championing legislation to combat organ harvesting.
As Canadian MP Garnett Genuis expressed in a video of support,
Below is an overview of events by continent.
Europe
Across Europe, events were held in the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France.
In the United Kingdom, rallies were held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Parliamentarians also sent letters to express their support and highlighted actions being taken to end the persecution.
Milling also said, “We regularly raise our concerns about human rights with the Chinese authorities. The Foreign Secretary did so most recently in a telephone call with her Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on 22 October.”
On December 8, MP Chris Bryant also chaired a debate on the Magnitsky Act, which included the sanctioning of the perpetrators of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong and other human rights violations.
In Germany, practitioners held events in four cities, including Nuremberg, Berlin, and Frankfurt. Many people stopped by to learn more and signed petitions to end the persecution.
In Greece, practitioners set up an informational booth near the Acropolis Hill in Athens, holding events over three days from December 5-12. Practitioners’ serene music and exercise movements drew crowds of onlookers. Some took photos of the exhibition boards after reading them.
Practitioners held an Information Day at Place de la Republique in Paris. Many passerby stopped by to learn more.
Practitioners rallied in front of the Chinese Embassy in Vienna. Four Austrian parliamentarians also sent letters to express their solidarity with the practitioners.
The other statements can be read here.
North America
Canada
Practitioners held rallies in Vancouver and Toronto.
Practitioners held a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver on December 8.
Former Canadian Senator Consiglio Di Nino (left) and former Member of Parliament Wladyslaw Lizon (middle) speak at Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto’s City Hall ; Liu Mingyuan(right), a student at Sheridon College, calls for help to rescue her mother detained in China.
The Toronto rally also featured guest speakers, such as former Canadian Senator Consiglio Di Nino. He said:
“We need to make our voices loud and clear, to tell the CCP that human rights violations are unacceptable.”
MP Garnett Genuis, the co-chair of the Friends of Falun Gong in Canada’s Congress, also made a video to show his support and talk about the cases of 12 Canadian practitioners who have family in China that have been detained. He said,
MP Judy Sgro, also sent a letter to Trudeau, raising awareness of the plights of two Canadian students whose parents in China have been detained for their faith.
The MPs statements can be viewed in full here.
Asia
Australia
Practitioners held activities in King George Square in Brisbane and were invited to participate in a rally commemorating victims of the Chinese Communist Party in Sydney.
As Professor Feng Chongyi, Chairman of the ANZ Alliance for Victims of the Chinese Communist Regime and longtime supporter of Falun Gong, said:
Japan
Japanese practitioners raised awareness of the persecution in front of the National Diet Building.
Practitioners in Indonesia peacefully protested in front of the Chinese embassies in Jakarta and Surabaya on December 11.
Despite the rainy weather later at both locations, practitioners persisted and many people stopped by to examine their eye-catching banners. Many drivers also honked their horns in support.
Based on reports from Minghui.org
