This past Saturday, the U.S. State Department called on the Chinese Communist Party to end its persecution of Falun Gong and to release practitioners who have been detained for their beliefs.
The statement was made exactly 25 years to the day since the persecution of Falun Gong began in China.
On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party began a violent campaign to eradicate Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa—a peaceful practice of meditation and spiritual cultivation based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Since then, millions have been imprisoned for their belief in Falun Gong. Over 100,000 have been tortured or abused in custody, and over 5,000 have been tortured to death. Tens of millions more have been denied basic rights and freedoms.
This persecution has drawn condemnation from around the world.
This video report looks at Falun Gong practitioners’ recent efforts in Manhattan to tell the world about this persecution. It also examines some of the progress made by House lawmakers, who recently passed a bill called the Falun Gong Protection Act. To find out more, NTD spoke with people in New York’s Chinatown at a march to end the persecution of Falun Gong.