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Falun Gong marks crackdown

Over 1,100 Falun Gong followers from Taiwan gather in Taipei's Ta-an Park yesterday evening to hold a candlelight vigil for the 256 Falun Gong followers whom they claim have died in China from maltreatment since the authorities started their crackdown on the meditation movement two years ago. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

More than 1,000 members of Falun Gong gathered yesterday evening at Taipei's Ta-An Forest Part in memory of those who they claim have been killed in China since a crackdown on the group began two years ago.

Sitting on the ground at the park, the members of the meditation group held fluorescent glow sticks in their hands and pictures of members of the group who have been killed or tortured to death in China.

The gathering included prominent local figures, politicians as well as human rights activists.

"Falun Gong over the past two years has chosen to stand for justice. Standing for justice is a lonely choice, but we believe that history will prove that we are right," said Li Ching-mei (李青玫), a practitioner from Taiwan.

DPP Legislator Chien Hsi-chieh said that despite China's brutal oppression of the group its practice was helpful in promoting democracy there.

"Falun Gong practitioners are not only cultivating their own spirituality but they are also cultivating China. How Falun Gong has been treated in China is a reflection of the state of human rights and democracy in China," Chien said.

Falun Gong followers from Taiwan go through their exercises in Taipei's Ta-an Park yesterday. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

Political commentator and social critic Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) expressed his doubt of China's ability to change its ways, even after it recently won its bid to host the 2008 Olympics.

"The world believes that because China will host the Olympics it will improve its human rights record. But China's record since [the Tiananmen massacre] shows that it has very little ability to change or improve," Chin said. "Their handling of Falun Gong is unlikely to change either, it will just be carried out in a more quiet manner."

Falun Gong says at least 250 followers have died from police brutality since July 1999, more than half of them in the past six months. The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy says it has confirmed 153 deaths in the crackdown.

Tens of thousands of followers have been detained for protesting in Tiananmen Square in that period.

China claims Falun Gong cheats its members and is responsible for the deaths of 1,800 people by suicide or refusing medical treatment.

In Beijing, meanwhile, five Falun Gong followers were put on trial for their alleged role in a fiery group suicide attempt in Tiananmen Square in January, the Beijing Daily reported yesterday.

Also yesterday police detained at least six people in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.

It wasn't immediately clear whether those detained were Falun Gong members, but the square has been the site of repeated protests by the group, especially on key anniversaries.

Those who went on trial on Thursday for "using an evil cult to organize a homicide" included a survivor of the Chinese New Year's Eve self-immolations that resulted in two deaths.

The Beijing First Intermediate People's Court heard the case of survivor Wang Jindong, as well as four others who were accused of plotting the fiery Jan. 23 suicide attempt by five alleged Falun Gong adherents, the newspaper said.

One woman died shortly after the self-immolations and her 12-year old daughter died seven weeks later. The badly burned girl was the centerpiece of a government campaign to discredit Falun Gong and its US-based leader Li Hongzhi (李洪志).

Falun Gong, which is based on elements of Taoism, Buddhism and traditional Chinese meditation and exercises, has denied that the five self-immolators belonged to the movement.

The group says it does not condone suicide.

In Hong Kong yesterday, Falun Gong followers marked the second anniversary with demonstrations that demanded an end to mainland China's campaign to eradicate the group.

"The suppression is evil and unjust," said Kan Hung-cheung, a local Falun Gong spokesman.
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