WASHINGTON, D.C—On Thursday, April 30, 2009, The Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners (GMR) and the Falun Dafa Association hosted a press conference on Capitol Hill. The press conference commemorated ten years of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by bringing victims of the persecution forward to tell their stories.
Sixteen Falun Gong practitioners, including those who have been persecuted and those whose relatives are currently detained, participated in the event. Also in attendance were representatives from GMR, The Falun Dafa Information Center (FDI), and five Congressmen: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL).
Congressman McCotter’s office reserved the room for the event, while the others spoke in turn of their solidarity with Falun Gong and their strong support for ending the persecution of the practice.
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) described the persecution of Falun Gong as “brutal and incessant” and said that Falun Gong has both “friends and admirers” in the U.S. Congress.
Sixteen Falun Gong practitioners, including those who have been persecuted and those whose relatives are currently detained, participated in the event. Also in attendance were representatives from GMR, The Falun Dafa Information Center (FDI), and five Congressmen: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL).
Congressman McCotter’s office reserved the room for the event, while the others spoke in turn of their solidarity with Falun Gong and their strong support for ending the persecution of the practice.
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) described the persecution of Falun Gong as “brutal and incessant” and said that Falun Gong has both “friends and admirers” in the U.S. Congress.
