Taiwan: International Youth Chamber of Commerce Invites Falun Gong Practitioners to Attend "Activities Showing Compassion for Young People"

On August 22nd 2004, at the Rende Sports Park in Tainan County, Taiwan, the International Youth Chamber of Commerce held a series of activities to show compassion for young people. Sponsors invited the Falun Gong practitioners' waist drum troupe to perform at the opening ceremony. Other performances included music ensembles, games, and Falun Gong exercise demonstration.

Young Falun Gong practitioners cultivate themselves according to "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance" and become healthy and bright. They performed the waist drum, demonstrated the five-sets of Falun Gong exercises, and their performances were highly praised. At the site, practitioners also demonstrated the torture methods used against fellow practitioners in Mainland China, which were extremely appalling. After watching the demonstration, people remarked that they were too horrible to imagine. The Jiang group's atrocities have been constantly exposed. When people learn that Jiang's group even punished youngsters, and used school education to defame Falun Gong and poison children's pure hearts, nongovernmental organizations in Taiwan consecutively called on all people throughout the world who have a sense of justice to come together and resist the Jiang group's inhuman persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr. Yang You-Chong, the director of the Rende Youth Chamber of Commerce, said that he had watched Falun Gong practitioners' waist drum band's powerful performance and felt it was very good. He therefore insisted on inviting practitioners to perform at the opening ceremony. Under the scorching sun, more than 80 practitioners performed with waist drums and also demonstrated the Falun Gong five-sets of exercises. They were highly praised by guests at the event.

Constant stream of people come to watch the anti-torture exhibit	Supervisor of Rende County watches the anti-torture exhibit

Spectators attentively listen to the explanations	Live re-enactment of a torture method	A young practitioner plays the role of a persecuted child who was locked in a small cage with her mother

Local people, including the supervisor of Rende County, Director of the Youth Chamber of Commerce, and leaders of other organizations, watched the live torture re-enactments. Some spectators shed tears upon seeing the demonstrations and listening to the explanations. A formally-dressed middle-aged gentleman had tears in his eyes as he watched the demonstration of a woman and her young child who were confined in a small cage. A middle-aged lady told her 5- or 6-year-old child, "See! How cruel is that! The mother practises Falun Gong, but they even imprisoned her child!"

The young practitioner who played the role of a persecuted child said that she wanted to let the entire world know that there are also young practitioners being subjected to torture in China, and she hoped that her performance would help more people to learn about Falun Gong.

The Rende County Supervisor said, "Falun Gong practitioners really use their hearts to spread the information!" The Director of the Youth Chamber of Commerce remarked that Taiwan is free country, where people enjoy the freedoms of belief and religion, while in China, people don't enjoy these freedoms. In addition, they even used such brutal means as these to torture practitioners, so as to force them to give up their belief. That is so horrible!

A retired teacher remarked that he was unable to understand why Jiang's group would use such fierce means to suppress Falun Gong. He also expressed his admiration and support to Falun Gong.

The director of the Tainan Female International Youth Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Cai Bi-fen, said, "I am aware that the persecution has been very ruthless, but I could not feel it before today. When I saw the live re-enactment, I realised that they are really brutal!"

The executive chief of the Chi-Chiang International Lion Association said that he could not accept the facts, but he believed that this could happen, taking the overall human rights policies of Mainland into account. He said that using torture to suppress Falun Gong was really not a wise act.

Mr. Yang Sheng-hua, director of Rende International Youth Chamber of Commerce remarked, "I truly feel sympathy toward those who are subjected to such cruel persecution. Therefore in Taiwan, we need to call upon all people throughout the world who love freedom to resist Jiang's regime, because we love peace and we should emphasise that we need freedom of belief. We support Falun Gong practitioners!"

Mr. Chen Jin-ching from the International Lion Association pointed out, "We should promote human rights in the entire world. We should widely publicise Falun Gong practitioners' hard work and contributions."