Singapore: Dafa Practitioners Commemorate April 25 Appeal

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Singapore held a commemorative event at Hong Lim Park on April 16, 2026 to mark the 27th anniversary of the April 25 peaceful appeal. The event drew from people of ages and different ethnic backgrounds to learn about the appeal.

Practitioners perform the Falun Gong exercises at Hong Lim Park to mark the 27th anniversary of the April 25 appeal in Beijing on April 16, 2026.

Ms. Huang, a member of the Singapore Falun Dafa Association, said, “If I had been in China at that time, I would have stepped forward to uphold Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Even under today’s high-pressure environment, practitioners in China still hold fast to their faith. Over the past 27 years, practitioners across the world have consistently clarified the truth, allowing more and more people to learn about Falun Dafa and its guiding principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”

Peaceful Appeal of April 25, 1999

In April 1999, after ongoing harassment and finally, the unjust arrest of 45 practitioners in Tianjin City, more than ten thousand practitioners went to the State Council Appeals Office in Beijing to petition for their release and for a reasonable environment for practicing Falun Dafa. Then-Premier Zhu Rongji met with and talked with practitioner representatives. The incident ended peacefully that evening after the issue was resolved.

Despite the widespread popularity of Falun Dafa, Jiang Zemin, then head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), became enraged and actively planned a comprehensive suppression. Three months later, a systematic genocidal persecution began, which continues to this day.

Chinese Passers-by Impressed by Freedom of Belief

Many Chinese passers-by said they were deeply moved by the practitioners’ event in Singapore. They said that such a scene could never be seen in today’s China, and they took informational materials to learn more about Falun Dafa.

A middle-aged man, using the alias Shunfu, declared his withdrawal from the CCP’s Young Pioneers and said he would go to a bookstore to purchase Falun Dafa books. Four young men aged 18 or 19 talked with a practitioner. The practitioner told them that Falun Dafa teaches Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, while the CCP promotes falsehood, violence, and struggle. This surprised them and they said they now understood why the CCP is so against Falun Gong.

A young man from China who was visiting Singapore said he felt the atmosphere of freedom there, and listened carefully to the practitioner’s explanation. The practitioner told him that the CCP’s suppression of Falun Dafa practitioners is also a persecution of all Chinese people, and that suppressing kindness leads to moral decline and the breakdown of the law. As such, everyone bears the consequences. The young man told the practitioner, “I understand everything you said.”

People talk to practitioners to learn about Falun Dafa and the persecution.

A local Chinese woman asked a practitioner about the background of the April 25 appeal. The practitioner explained that practitioners went to Beijing to appeal after they heard that dozens of practitioners were arrested in Tianjin, despite the fact that China’s Constitution stipulates freedom of belief. The practitioner said that Falun Dafa practitioners follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance to be good people, and they were simply asking for their right as citizens to practice their faith. The woman agreed with the practitioner, and said that freedom of belief is a fundamental human right.

People view the paintings from the Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance) Exhibition displayed along the park walkway.

People stopped to view paintings from the Art of Zhen Shan Ren Exhibition, which was on display as part of the event. They talked with practitioners, reflected on the meanings behind the artworks and learned about the CCP’s persecution of belief. Some said that the paintings emitted a kind of energy, while others said they felt distressed to hear about the persecution. Jeremy, a Singaporean in his thirties, showed great interest in the painting Teaching the Fa. A practitioner told him about Falun Dafa, and invited him to attend a free nine-day class. She also told him that the Falun Dafa Association in Singapore is a legally registered organization, and told him about the brutal persecution in China.

A young Chinese woman in her early twenties carefully viewed each painting and said that Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance resonated with her. A practitioner recommended that she read three articles by Falun Dafa’s founder, Master Li Hongzhi: “How Humankind Came To Be,” “Why the Creator Seeks to Save All Life,” and “Why This World Is a Realm of Unknowing.” The practitioner also gave her informational materials.

April 25 Appeal Participant: Practitioners Demonstrated High Moral Character Through Peace and Self-Discipline

Ms. Xiu, a practitioner who took part in the event in Singapore, also participated in the April 25 appeal in 1999. As she recalled her experience, she said that even now, the scenes from 27 years ago remain vivid in her memory.

Early in the morning of April 25, 1999, after they heard about the arrests in Tianjin, Ms. Xiu and four fellow practitioners rode their bicycles to the train station, hoping to catch a train to Beijing. She said, “My only thought was: Falun Dafa is so good, and that arresting practitioners is wrong. I wanted to tell the authorities that this practice is good.”

She noticed there were many practitioners on the train, but no one had asked practitioners to travel to Beijing and their going there was not coordinated by anyone. After she arrived in Beijing, Ms. Xiu followed the crowd and arrived at Fuyou Street near the State Council Appeals Office.

Ms. Xiu said that there were people of all ages, and they all quietly stood along the road and waited. Even though they did not know each other, their hearts were united and they stood silently. She recalled that he police were relaxed. Around 9 p.m., after learning that the practitioners detained in Tianjin had been released, practitioners quietly left. As the crowd dispersed, she saw long lines moving away in an orderly fashion, leaving in small groups. Even today, recalling the orderly dispersal of ten thousand people, and the high moral character demonstrated by practitioners from beginning to end, she is still deeply moved.

When Ms. Xiu left home that day in April 1999, she brought no food and did not drink any water the entire day, yet she felt good. She recalled, “I wasn’t thirsty, hungry, or tired. I was truly not tired at all.” Around midnight, when she arrived back at the train station, “It felt like everyone had left and then a heavy rain suddenly poured down.” In the latter half of the night, while waiting in the station for a morning train, she slept for two or three hours. She recalled, “I slept so deeply.”

At the time, Ms. Xiu did not analyze the experience, and everything just seemed to have unfolded naturally. Afterward, when reflecting on it, she realized how extraordinary it truly was. The many things she witnessed that day touched her deeply and are unforgettable.

Lawyer: Practitioners’ Requests Are Highly Reasonable

Ms. Fu talks about the April 25 appeal.

In the 1990s, as Falun Dafa spread widely, the practice became well known across China and also drew the attention of Singaporean professionals. Ms. Fu, who is a lawyer, began practicing Falun Dafa in 1998. Her work is full of challenges. The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance not only give her wisdom to handle complex situations but also allow her to remain energetic, calm, and composed when she’s under intense physical and mental pressure.

The day after the April 25, 1999 appeal, Ms. Fu saw reports about it in The Straits Times. She said that practitioners who went to the State Council Appeals Office in Beijing had a legal basis and that their demands were entirely legitimate. She said, “More than ten thousand practitioners petitioned in accordance with the law, making three requests: to release the Falun Dafa practitioners illegally arrested by Tianjin police; to allow the legal publication of Falun Dafa books; and to provide a lawful environment for practicing Falun Dafa. These requests are highly reasonable, because practitioners want a safe environment to practice their guiding principles, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”

Regarding the CCP’s accusation that the appeal was a siege, Ms. Fu said, “The gathering that day was very peaceful and orderly. No one attacked the government. Jiang Zemin, then head of the CCP, spread malicious lies to defame good people, which only shows that the CCP is an evil regime that cannot tolerate Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.” She expressed heartfelt admiration for the practitioners in China, “The fact that so many people could remain so calm, be full of hope, and express their requests is truly remarkable.”