Florida: Three Cities Proclaim Falun Dafa Day and Commend Practitioners for Their Contributions to Their Communities
(Minghui.org) May 13, 2021, was the 22nd World Falun Dafa Day and the 29th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction. Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando, Mayor Enid Weisman of Aventura, and Mayor Russ Owen of New Smyrna Beach proclaimed May 13, 2021, “Falun Dafa Day” in their cities.
Proclamation from Mayor Russ Owen of New Smyrna Beach
Mayor Russ Owen wrote in his proclamation, “Falun Dafa emphasizes moral value, health improvements and leads sincere practice toward enlightenment.
“Falun Dafa has helped numerous people turn away from alcohol, drugs, violence and other bad habits.
“...the people who practice Falun Dafa come from all walks of life, as it transcends cultural, social and national boundaries.
“Falun Dafa’s contribution to humanity has been widely recognized and honored in the United States.
“Falun Dafa classes are always offered free to the public, and the City of New Smyrna Beach wishes to recognize Falun Dafa’s many contributions made to society.”
Proclamation from Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando
The proclamation issued by Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando says, “In 1999, the Chinese Regime, which estimated that 70-100 million Chinese were practicing Falun Dafa, launched a brutal all-out campaign against the peaceful group on a nationwide scale. The ongoing suppression has potentially claimed hundreds of thousands of lives according to researchers. Since 1999, numerous western governments and human rights organizations have expressed condemnation of the Chinese government’s suppression of Falun Dafa.”
Proclamation from Mayor Enid Weisman of Aventura.
Background: What Is Falun Dafa?
Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the practice, which is based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance and includes five gentle exercises, and experienced improved health and wellbeing.
Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline's growing popularity as a threat to the CCP's atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.
Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.
There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.
Under Jiang's personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.