(Clearwisdom.net) The Republic of Khakassia is a federal subject of Russia, located in south central Siberia. It covers an area of 62 thousand square kilometers. The city of Abakan is the administrative center of Khakassia. It has a population of around 160,000, making it the largest city.
In June 2007, Falun Gong practitioners from Abakan and other areas of Russia held a large scale activity in the downtown area to promote Falun Gong and raise awareness of the persecution of the spiritual practice in China. It was the first time that practitioners had held such a large-scale activity in Abakan.
Many local citizens had never heard about Falun Gong before. When they learned the facts about the persecution, they condemned the Chinese Communist Party's brutality and signed their names on a petition to bring the persecution to an end.
Demonstrating the exercises
Clarifying the truth
Signing petitions to condemn the persecution
Like all Falun Gong activities, this one was very peaceful. According to the local practitioners, there were some policemen at a previous activity where practitioners handed out information materials and clarified the truth to citizens and police. After learning the facts about Falun Gong, the police didn't come this time.
Many people accepted the truth-clarifying materials, and a lot of people learned how to make paper lotus flowers.
The activity ended at nightfall. Afterwards, practitioners held a local Fa conference for practitioners from the Siberia area. Practitioners discussed how to form a unified body to clarify the truth in Siberia.