Dear All,
I saw Courtney Love on Jonathan Ross (UK chat show) yesterday evening. I didn't know much about her, but when she began talking about her life and that her beliefs always return to Buddhism, this inspired me. I want to try and get in contact with Courtney to try and raise awareness of terrible persecution and torture currently happening in China towards Falun Gong, a Buddha School Qigong practice (please see
www.falundafa.org for further info). I felt this forum may be a way to do so.
Falun Gong was banned in 1999, because it was too popular. The practice had attracted more people, because of its gentle exercises and teachings of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, than the Chinese government had members. Feeling threatened by this, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned the practice and outlawed it. When people who practiced Falun Gong peacefully stood up and did not acknowledge the ban, and continued practicing, the CCP began illegally arresting people, detaining them and sentencing them to prison and forced labour camps. In order to force practitioners to renounce their practice, many severe torture methods have been used. Concentration camps are used to house practitioners (whose numbers exceeded 70 million people in China before 1999). Of late, independent investigations into the persecution have revealed a high likelihood that these concentration camps are used as facilities whereby organs are removed from living practitioners (whose bodies are then cremated) in order to sell the organs to high paying customers for organ transplant (
www.davidkilgour.ca).
How can this happen in modern society? China has strict control of all media outputs from the country. Try to find out about Tianamen Square or Falun Gong on any search engine from within China, and your usage will be blocked. Discuss these issues, and you face a high likelihood of being arrested. Therefore, with this fear of expression within China, denial of any human rights abuses becomes easier. Why are other countries governments reluctant to enage China on these issues? It is only my understanding, but because Chinas economy is booming and many countries are heavily influenced by this, they do not want to jeapordise this. Also, in order to try and support its actions, the Chinese government has wrongfully portrayed Falun Gong in many negative ways. Many have come to accept these words.
Please, if you are able, try and support an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. There are online petitions and a good access to further information on
www.faluninfo.net.
I can only give my personal experience of the practice, but it brings such calmness and compassion to ones mind. The exercises give oneself energy and health, while the teachings provide you with a way to improve your character and heart, making you a better person. This should not be banned.
Thank you for your time,
Kindest regards,
AndyM
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