THE STAR [Irish newspaper]: Student Arrested in Chinese Demo

Irishman to be deported

By NIALL O’CONNOR
Wednesday, November 21, 2001

AN IRISHMAN who was arrested at a humans rights demonstration in China yesterday, is expected to be deported from the country.

Corkman Brian Trought (22) was among a group of 35 people arrested by police yesterday as they protested in Tiananmen Square.

Brian, from [..] in Blackpool, Cork went to Beijing on Sunday where he joined an international group from the United States and Europe.

The group was protesting against the Chinese government’s treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.

Refines

Falun Gong experts claim the practice refines the body and mind through exercise and meditation.

The Chinese government bans the practice …

Last night Brian’s anxious dad Shaun said he was delighted that his son was safe.

“We are standing by him, of course. I wouldn’t like anything to happen to him but he has guts to stand up for what he believes in.

“I just want him home,” he said.

He said his son has practised Falun Gong for a number of years and said he feels strongly about human rights.

“He said that it has helped him – he doesn’t need glasses any more – he has been able to train his eyes.

“It is a very peaceful thing and he has become very calm since he started it,” he added.

Shaun said the group was in Beijing to highlight the treatment of their Chinese colleagues.

The department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin was unable to confirm if an Irish citizen had been arrested in China.

However, reports from the Xinhua News Agency claimed that 35 foreigners had been detained – including demonstrators from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the US.

Last night it was reported that the Chinese government had ordered the deportation of the 35 demonstrators.

WHAT EXACTLY IS FALUN GONG?

FALUN Gong, otherwise known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient form of refining both the mind and body, through the means of exercise and meditation. Like Tai Chi, it is a vital part of many Asian people’s lives.

In just eight years since its public introduction in 1992, it has grown to become the most popular form of body and mind meditation ever in Chinese history.

It emphasises physical cultivation and the cultivation of one’s moral character in daily life, according to the principles of Falun Gong’s founder, Li Hongzhi.

Falun Gong’s effectiveness in improving health has quickly made it popular throughout the entire world and has largely been spread by word of mouth.