South African Consul in New York Meets With Falun Gong Practitioners

On July 1, 2004, Mr. Ivan Vosloo, Consul of South Africa in the United States, met with several Falun Gong practitioners and discussed the recent shooting incident in South Africa.

The practitioners introduced Falun Gong to Mr. Vosloo. They talked about the spread of Dafa in China and its positive effects on society. Before the persecution started in 1999, the Chinese Government and state-run media also commented very positively on Falun Gong. The practitioners then spoke of the persecution over the past five years, why practitioners overseas have brought lawsuits against the responsible persecutors and the positive effects of the lawsuits, the real reason behind the shooting incident in South Africa, and the escalation of the persecution against Dafa practitioners overseas by Jiang's followers.

Mr. Vosloo attentively listened to the practitioners' introduction, including the background of the shooting incident. He indicated that the South African Government would resist interference from the Chinese Government and would thoroughly investigate the incident. He also said that he would pass the related files to the proper government agencies. Mr. Vosloo talked to the practitioners about the cultural and political background of South Africa as well as the history of the country, and indicated his support of Falun Gong practitioners' pursuit of freedom of belief. The practitioners left some fliers with Mr. Vosloo, and the consul expressed his interest to learn more about Falun Gong.