WASHINGTON-Practitioners of Falun Gong practiced tranquil exercises on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on July 20, the anniversary of when the Chinese Communist Regime began its campaign of persecuting Falun Gong.
Adjacent to the men and women moving slowly in unison stood boards that told the story of the severe torture and human rights abuses endured by their fellow practitioners by the hands of the Communist Regime in China. Some passersby stopped to read the materials. Others spoke with the volunteers who were presenting and sharing information.
“We hope to get more people to know about this human rights atrocity,” said Kim Eng, a volunteer speaking with people and collecting signatures for a petition to request that law makers support a Congressional resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
House Reolution 281 calls upon China to end organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience, most of whom are Falun Gong practitioners.
In part, the resolution says, “concern over the persistent and credible reports of systematic, state sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of conscience, in the People’s Republic of China, including from large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned for their religious beliefs, and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups.”
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) sponsored the bill on June 27. It has thirteen co-sponsors according to OpenCongress.org.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about it,” said Stephanie who signed the petition while visiting Washington, D.C. from North Carolina. She said, the people sitting quietly caught her attention, causing her to stop and look more closely.
Others that stopped to speak with volunteers had already heard of Falun Gong. A group of cyclists from the UK stopped at the site, and indicated that they were already familiar with the persecutions in China.
Later in the day, the practitioners held a peaceful protest and candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. The practitioners acted to send a message to the Chinese Regime in Beijing. They urge that China end the murder of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
