12th October 2003

Falun Gong practitioners are widely known for the persecution against them in China, where the movement began. Vaasa was introduced to Falun Gong yesterday, where those who were interested met for their first ever class.

But what is Falun Gong?

It is a practice of mind and body and is referred to as cultivation or refinement. It differs from Yoga, for the emphasis is more on the mental side than the physical side. Falun Gong is not a religion though, a practitioner from Jyväskylä who is holding the class explains.

There are five sets of exercises in Falun Gong. All movements are gentle and smooth. They are not very physically demanding, so everybody can practise at his own level. Handicapped people can also practise; for example, a person confined to a wheel-chair can practise the sitting exercise on a chair. It is a question of an individual and personal practice.

Health Improvements

One practitioner explained how their health and morality have improved after practising Falun Gong.

A research survey of 12,000 Falun Gong practitioners was conducted by a group of practitioners and scientists in five areas regarding the health effects of Falun Gong. According to the survey, 90 percent of those examined were suffering from illnesses and almost half of them had suffered from at least three diseases before they started to practise Falun Gong. After beginning the practice, 99 per cent of them improved their health in some regards, and 60 percent had completely gotten rid of their illnesses.

A person dedicated to practising Falun Gong feels that it is just as important to talk about the persecution as about the practice.

Why is it being Persecuted?

At the beginning of 1999, A [Chinese] government survey showed that over 70 million Chinese people were practising Falun Gong. The government's positive opinion then turned hostile, a practitioner explains. The reason was that there were more people practising Falun Gong than members of the Communist Party. The former president, Jiang Zemin, declared the practice illegal later that year.

To this day, tens of thousands of people have been illegally sent to labour camps, mental hospitals and prisons, because they have been unwilling to renounce their beliefs. Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have reported hundreds of death cases that have resulted from police violence. Torture is a common way to pressure Falun Gong practitioners [into renouncing their belief].