Media Release
28 November 2008
Falun Dafa Association

Panmure Chinese Association Brings Chinese Communist Politics to Santa Parade

In a letter sent to the Panmure Santa Parade Committee, The Panmure Chinese Association (the Association) has called for the exclusion of the Falun Dafa (aka Falun Gong) Association's Divine Land Marching Band from the 2008 Panmure Santa Parade.

In language which bears a striking similarity to that which the Chinese Communist Party uses to defame and slander Falun Gong, the Association, without even attempting to substantiate its claims, attacks the character and integrity of Falun Gong. It makes no reference whatsoever to the fact that the practice of Falun Gong has benefited millions of people physically, mentally and spiritually neither does it mention the fact that the Chinese Communist Party persecutes Falun Gong practitioners, and that this fact is confirmed by respected independent authorities such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United States Department of State in its Country Reports on Human Rights practices.

Even worse, it claims that it is concerned with the possibilty of an "...unpleasent outcome during (sic) parade, which Chinese onlookers may have confrontation with the Divine Land Marching Band". In the seven years that the Falun Dafa Association has been participating in Christmas, and other, parades throughout New Zealand and overseas there has never been any confontation of any kind. Falun Gong is a peaceful, non-violent spiritual practice which condemns viloence. The Panmure Chinese Association's allusion to confrontation is entirely inappropriate to the spirit and nature of Christmas, which is a time of goodwill, benevolence and harmony.

The Falun Dafa Association has participated in the Panmure Santa Parade having won three prizes for its entry over the years. Clearly, the Falun Dafa Association's entry fits perfectly with the spirit of Christmas. As Falun Gong practitioners cultivate the virtues of truthfulness,compassion, forbearance we celebrate the life and example of Christ who called upon his disciples to live according to these same virtues.

We therefore hope that the New Zealand media now enables the New Zealand people to learn of the existence of this misleading, harmful and entirely inappropriate communication from the Panmure Chinese Association.

ENDS

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