On February 11, 2001, over 180 practitioners from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sendai, Nigata, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Omiya and other cities gathered at Ikebukuro Park in Tokyo, which is one of the busiest areas in the city, to meditate and exercise. The practitioners held a two-hour parade through the main streets of the city center to clarify to the public that the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident was staged by the Chinese government to further defame Falun Dafa.
Shortly before the walk started, a press conference was held. Mr. Tsuruzono Masaaki, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Associations of Japan, explained that the event had three main purposes. The first was to inform the public about the Chinese government's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Second was to describe the harassment and surveillance of practitioners by Chinese officials outside China. Finally, to explain the practitioners' perspective of the Tiananmen self-immolation incident and the inconsistencies in the state-run media's reporting of the event.
Reporters from many major newspapers and broadcasting stations form Japan and China, including Yomiuri Shimbun, Oriental Times, and Chinese Weekly, asked questions at the conference. Mr. Tsuruzono Masaaki fielded all the questions, emphasizing that Falun
Gong enhances health and moral standards among its practitioners and that the Chinese government's persecution was fraught with human rights abuses, and that self-immolation was not something that a Falun Gong practitioner would do.
At one o'clock, accompanied by the solemn music of Pudu and Jishi, practitioners walked onto the streets of the business area handing out Falun Dafa newspapers to pedestrians. Some of the onlookers cheered for us, recognizing us as Falun Gong practitioners. The walk lasted for 2 hours and 10 minutes. Afterwards, reporters interviewed some of the Japanese practitioners. The reporters were apparently impressed by the inner strength and kindness of the practitioners who adhere to the teachings of Mr. Li Hongzhi.
In the evening, practitioners studied Master's new articles together and shared experiences.
Practitioners from Japan
February 14, 2001
Category: Rallies & Protests
