NEW YORK—A panel of eight Chinese democracy activists spoke at the fifteenth session of a series of Flushing Forums at the China Democracy Journal office in Flushing, Queens on July 21.
The Flushing community began to hold the forums and other activities exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) involvement in a sequence of violent assaults of Falun Gong practitioners by the CCP organized individuals that began on May 17, 2008 on the streets of Flushing.
Based on the theme “Condemning CCP’s Atrocities,” Gao Dawei, chairman of Global Service Center For Quitting the Chinese Communist Party, said that since the CCP’s establishment in 1949, more than 80 million Chinese people have lost their lives from the many movements and persecutions perpetrated by the CCP.
Movements such as the Cultural Revolution caused the destruction of Chinese traditional culture, belief, environment and basic morality, he said.
Volunteers at the Global Service Center For Quitting the CCP have initiated some of the 57,648,093 (as of July 21, 2009) Chinese who have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations in the past four-and-half years.
He said that at first, only Falun Gong practitioners—the largest group persecuted by CCP currently—quit the CCP. Later on, more and more people of all kinds were inspired to quit as they recognized the “nature of the Party.”
“It’s a manifestation of courage and realization,” he said.
He said “miracles” are beginning to happen nowadays. Many ordinary citizens—for the first time in history—dare to stand up for themselves against corrupt CCP leaders, because they are no longer scared of the Party and no longer believe in its propaganda.
“They [CCP leaders] are using Chinese people and their resources to continue this massive persecution [of Falun Gong] … They also extended the state media-control system abroad. Their persecution is so comprehensive and worldwide. That’s why the anti-persecution force is also international,” said Zhu Wangqi, executive director of the Asian branch of United States Human Rights and Law Association.
Since the introduction of Falun Gong in 1992, it wasn’t long until the former CCP chairman Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide persecution and propaganda campaign against the traditional Chinese spiritual discipline on July 20, 1999, as there were more Falun Dafa practitioners—between 70 to 100 million— than Chinese Communist Party members.
“Falun Gong practitioners have been persevering and peacefully protesting for the past 10 years,” said Zhu, a Taiwanese lawyer.
“Now we not only have to save Falun Gong practitioners [in China], but also Falun Gong lawyers [who are currently jailed by CCP]. How ridiculous is this? Yet many people still claim that the persecution of Falun Gong has alleviated. … The evil nature of CCP has not changed at all. … The only way to fundamentally end the persecution is to dissolve CCP,” she said.
Though the “Flushing Incident” of May 2008 has quieted down, Tang Boqiao, spokesman of China Interim Government, a rights organization composed of members both inside and outside of China, was physically attacked by a dozen CCP-hired gang members in a karaoke bar in Flushing on July 6.
“Although I’m in America, I still don’t feel safe today. However, none of these things will stop me from going towards my dream [of bringing democracy to China,]” said Tang, who was once jailed by the CCP.
“Yesterday I heard many Falun Gong practitioners’ sharing of their experiences in Chinese jails. They were tortured in the most inhuman ways.”
He said that when most people hear about the brutality of the persecution, they think it is “unbelievable.”
“I personally know no less than 100 practitioners who experienced persecution. How can I not believe a single one of them? I cannot not believe any one of them. … Then back to my case. I was beaten. Then should I say I don’t believe in myself and I was just dreaming? I understand that others may not believe in my attack, because once I did not believe in the persecution of Falun Gong either. … However, today I know all of these are truth.”
“Actually, if the CCP even has a little bit of wisdom left, it should stop the violence toward me and every one of us. Otherwise it’s going to dissolve very fast.”
Flushing District Leader Martha Flores-Vazquez attended the forum and gave a few words of encouragement.
“Now, we all know that the motivation ... whether it’s verbal or physical—is to control you and to silence you. Today’s forum is a very important forum, because you are breaking the silence,” she said.
The forum was hosted by An Na, a news anchor from New Tang Dynasty Television, a New York-based independent Chinese television station. Also at the forum were Li Dayong, executive director of Global Service Center For Quitting the CCP, Liu Guohua, member of “Flushing Incident” Victims’ Committee, Li Jianhui, representative of World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, and Charles Li, representative of Falun Gong practitioners.
The Flushing community began to hold the forums and other activities exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) involvement in a sequence of violent assaults of Falun Gong practitioners by the CCP organized individuals that began on May 17, 2008 on the streets of Flushing.
Based on the theme “Condemning CCP’s Atrocities,” Gao Dawei, chairman of Global Service Center For Quitting the Chinese Communist Party, said that since the CCP’s establishment in 1949, more than 80 million Chinese people have lost their lives from the many movements and persecutions perpetrated by the CCP.
Movements such as the Cultural Revolution caused the destruction of Chinese traditional culture, belief, environment and basic morality, he said.
Volunteers at the Global Service Center For Quitting the CCP have initiated some of the 57,648,093 (as of July 21, 2009) Chinese who have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations in the past four-and-half years.
He said that at first, only Falun Gong practitioners—the largest group persecuted by CCP currently—quit the CCP. Later on, more and more people of all kinds were inspired to quit as they recognized the “nature of the Party.”
“It’s a manifestation of courage and realization,” he said.
He said “miracles” are beginning to happen nowadays. Many ordinary citizens—for the first time in history—dare to stand up for themselves against corrupt CCP leaders, because they are no longer scared of the Party and no longer believe in its propaganda.
“They [CCP leaders] are using Chinese people and their resources to continue this massive persecution [of Falun Gong] … They also extended the state media-control system abroad. Their persecution is so comprehensive and worldwide. That’s why the anti-persecution force is also international,” said Zhu Wangqi, executive director of the Asian branch of United States Human Rights and Law Association.
Since the introduction of Falun Gong in 1992, it wasn’t long until the former CCP chairman Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide persecution and propaganda campaign against the traditional Chinese spiritual discipline on July 20, 1999, as there were more Falun Dafa practitioners—between 70 to 100 million— than Chinese Communist Party members.
“Falun Gong practitioners have been persevering and peacefully protesting for the past 10 years,” said Zhu, a Taiwanese lawyer.
“Now we not only have to save Falun Gong practitioners [in China], but also Falun Gong lawyers [who are currently jailed by CCP]. How ridiculous is this? Yet many people still claim that the persecution of Falun Gong has alleviated. … The evil nature of CCP has not changed at all. … The only way to fundamentally end the persecution is to dissolve CCP,” she said.
Though the “Flushing Incident” of May 2008 has quieted down, Tang Boqiao, spokesman of China Interim Government, a rights organization composed of members both inside and outside of China, was physically attacked by a dozen CCP-hired gang members in a karaoke bar in Flushing on July 6.
“Although I’m in America, I still don’t feel safe today. However, none of these things will stop me from going towards my dream [of bringing democracy to China,]” said Tang, who was once jailed by the CCP.
“Yesterday I heard many Falun Gong practitioners’ sharing of their experiences in Chinese jails. They were tortured in the most inhuman ways.”
He said that when most people hear about the brutality of the persecution, they think it is “unbelievable.”
“I personally know no less than 100 practitioners who experienced persecution. How can I not believe a single one of them? I cannot not believe any one of them. … Then back to my case. I was beaten. Then should I say I don’t believe in myself and I was just dreaming? I understand that others may not believe in my attack, because once I did not believe in the persecution of Falun Gong either. … However, today I know all of these are truth.”
“Actually, if the CCP even has a little bit of wisdom left, it should stop the violence toward me and every one of us. Otherwise it’s going to dissolve very fast.”
Flushing District Leader Martha Flores-Vazquez attended the forum and gave a few words of encouragement.
“Now, we all know that the motivation ... whether it’s verbal or physical—is to control you and to silence you. Today’s forum is a very important forum, because you are breaking the silence,” she said.
The forum was hosted by An Na, a news anchor from New Tang Dynasty Television, a New York-based independent Chinese television station. Also at the forum were Li Dayong, executive director of Global Service Center For Quitting the CCP, Liu Guohua, member of “Flushing Incident” Victims’ Committee, Li Jianhui, representative of World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, and Charles Li, representative of Falun Gong practitioners.
