Speech from the office of Congressman Tom Lantos, at San Francisco's Portsmouth Square on the 5th Anniversary of the April 25 Appeal

Good Afternoon! I am very appreciative to be able to represent Congressman and Mrs. Lantos today at the invitation of Falun Gong practitioners.

First I want to express an appreciation and greetings to all the guests of San Francisco Bay Area who may be in the square today.

Second I want to express respect and appreciation to all those who usually consider Portsmouth Square their home, their daily gathering and meeting place, their social home, civic home, those Chinese American people, who we are visiting and whose guests we are today in some way. Thank you.

Third, I want to express admiration to all of the Falun Gong practitioners who have been sitting here a long time in the sun and I encourage you very much if you begin to feel a little faint, to stand up and sit over in the shade for a short time. It will not be rude, it will be taking care of yourself, which is a good thing.

And fourth, not necessary in that order and could be in any order, I want to express respect and friendliness to representatives, either official and unofficial, of Chinese consulate and Chinese government, who may be there today to listen and to report back as to what is happening at this very quiet and peaceful commemoration of the 5^th anniversary of the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and their defamation of Falun Gong practitioners all over the world.

The Congressional Human Rights Caucus is a group of more than 200 members of the US Congress. Congressman and Mrs. Lantos are co-founders. It is bi-partisan. There are Democratic and Republican Co-Chairs, and also Democratic and Republican members of the Congressional Human Right Caucus. The Congressional Human Right Caucus, and I as Congressman Tom Lantos' Human Rights staff member in the district, learned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China very shortly after it began to happen about 5 years ago in 1999. We learned that about approximately 10,000 very peacefully appealed in Tianjin, I believe it was, regarding the defamation that happened there, and very peacefully, when they were directed to do so, went to Beijing to appeal to the correct office that they were told to appeal to, about the mistreatment beginning at that time. And they were guided to stand around a major government building because there were so many of them. They were directed very quietly and peacefully. A few of practitioners were allowed to meet and did meet leadership of Chinese government at that time, and very peacefully dispersed, and only expressed their concern that many millions of Chinese Falun Gong practitioners not begin to be defamed. Because in fact, Falun Gong practitioners are friends of everyone in china. They practice Truth, Compassion and Tolerance for everyone and that includes everyone in Chinese government that has been so badly misbehaved.

It is a pity that Chinese government has behaved with such ignorance, with ignorance of such a very long and profound tradition within China, of which Falun Gong is a modern representation. The many wise classics written by many wise scholars of various persuasions in China over the last thousands of years should be instruction to the current Chinese government that they will do much better in dealing with and working with Falun Gong practitioners, to have a dialog and to engage in enough openness so that Falun Gong practitioners can do the only thing they ask for: which is - to practice quietly and openly, a very non-threatening behavior and very healthy behavior for all of China; to practice Truth, which is very hard, trying always to tell the truth; to practice Compassion, always being compassionate about how to tell that truth; and to practice always being tolerant and forbearing in exercising Truth and Compassion. The Chinese government would be so much wiser, and we hope they eventually will, were they to engage a dialog with Falun Gong practitioners, or even just let them be, it would be no harm to them. It would be a slow benefit and healing benefit to all of China.

Truth Compassion and Forbearance are some of deepest values for thousand of years, as I respectfully understand the Chinese culture. China has at times followed a more socialist way and there had been those who believed strongly in socialism quite truthfully that that was best for China. China more recently is following a more Capitalist growth way or trying to combine (them), Falun Gong practitioners are not threatening to any way of trying to make China better or any combination of it. They don't speak about politics at all. They just imply: please what we want to do, what we believe in, is Truth, Compassion and Forbearance and that would include, of course, forbearance to those who had made mistakes so the Chinese government couldn't hope for a better friend than Falun Gong practitioners.

Human Rights Caucus and members of Congressional Human Rights Caucus have had, entertained and sponsored many programs urging the Chinese government to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Today again on this solemn occasion of this 5 year commemoration, of the beginning of the persecution and defamation of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government, we ask most deeply and sincerely once again to the Chinese government: please do what is best for you, Chinese government rulers, and what is best for China and what is right. Please stop persecuting practitioners of Falun Gong and stop defaming practitioners of all Falun Gong over the world.

Thank you!