Over weekend of January 24th and 25th, 2004, France began the “Year of China in France" cultural event with a large parade and other similar events. During the activities, 20 Chinese and Western Falun Gong practitioners were arrested, simply because they wore yellow scarves or yellow sweaters displaying the words “Falun Gong" or "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance". Practitioners were told by the French authorities that they were arrested because “Yellow is illegal in France".

Some advocates stated in their letters that they were surprised to hear that the Chinese Embassy in Paris attempted to put pressure on France, the first country to advocate human rights, in order to stop Falun Gong practitioners taking part in the Chinese New Year celebration activities. The Falun Gong Association in France is a legally registered group and it has won the recognition of the French government for peacefully observing and obeying the law in the past four years.

'There will be thousands of Chinese attending the parade on the Avenue des Champs Elysees in downtown Paris on the 3rd of January in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. As a registered group, the Falun Dafa Association also handed in an application for participation in the spring festival parade. However, it was blocked by the Chinese Embassy in France for “the Chinese governments attitude toward Falun Gong", which has been brought to the attention of the members of the European Parliament and human rights groups.'

According to out understanding, the situation is that the Paris city authorities proposed to hold the Spring festival parade on the Champs Elysees. This is an event related to Chinese culture, and is open to the general public. Since the French Falun Dafa Association is an organisation officially registered in France, and has received support from government circles, as well as human rights associations, we deem it to be our right to participate in the parade.

It has been a whole year since U.S. citizen, Falun Gong practitioner Dr. Charles Li was arrested at the Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou City on January 22, 2003. The numerous physical and mental atrocities the authorities of Nanjing Prison have subjected Charles Li to have allowed the world to see the true face of the Chinese judicial system in carrying out Jiang's policies of eradicating Falun Gong.

While in detention the police tortured her relentlessly. A once healthy elderly lady was turned into a person plagued with illnesses. The labour camp hospital diagnosed her illness as breast cancer. Not wanting to take any responsibility, the camp released her on medical parole. After Ms. Wang returned home, she went to her work unit to ask for her pensions. However, her work unit colluded with the "610 Office" and heartlessly again sent her to labour education.

The authorities for Jintang County Detention Centre asked the Chengdu City "610 Office" if Meng Xiao was to be released. The response was, "Just let her die at the hospital or detention centre. Don't release her!" As a result, the abuse against her escalated. Jiang Zengyao, head of the detention centre, said, "It's impossible for Meng Xiao to get out on hunger strike; if she is going to die, she'll have to die at the detention centre or the hospital." At the hospital, numerous police officers tied up Meng Xiao and gave her injections.

For example, practitioners could not talk, nor could they move their lips, close their eyes, cross their legs, or even have their legs touching each other when sitting. They were rarely allowed to use the toilet during the work time and they had no more than 10 minutes to use the facilities, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If they had an urgent need to use the toilet, it had to be authorised by the room leader, the team leader, and the Captain. There was no time allowed for bowel movements, which was said to be "too time consuming." Practitioners had to wait until bedtime. As a result, many people developed constipation, haemorrhoids and were in great pain.

Recently, we also heard that another woman, Ms. Han, from Baiyun District, was tortured to disability in the forced labour camp. She died soon after she was sent home. After hearing this news my father and I became disheartened. Because of Ms. Han's death, we can see how wicked the Women's Forced Labour Camp is. In fact, all the Dafa practitioners I've ever met are good people. Why does Jiang persecute them? How can being a good person be a crime?

From January 16 to 21, 2004, the fourth World Social Forum was held in Mumbai, India. Falun Gong practitioners set up two display booths in two main exhibit halls, respectively, to introduce Falun Dafa and expose the persecution that Falun Gong practitioners in China are encountering.

On January 19, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners from San Antonio and Austin participated in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March and rally in San Antonio. The march's local theme was "struggle for peace through non-violence."

Somewhere, a touch of flame,
Awakenings upon lifetimes emerging…
Eyes widened, come beckon heart beyond self, my place of true origins.
Destined, towards the “Great Law”,
Here, I and millions more enter!