California Governor Gray Davis Commends Falun Dafa Founder Li Hongzhi as China Continues Its Persecution

PRNewswire, July 24, 1999

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A letter of commendation written by California Governor Gray Davis opened a national Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) experience sharing conference held today at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose, California.

Commending Master Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Dafa, the letter stated "Your spiritual leadership has been an inspiration to many Californians and to people all over the world. I commend you for your devotion to public service and your commitment to improving health in mind, body and spirit."

The Mayor of San Jose, California, also extended an official welcome letter to Master Li.

In contrast to the good will in California today, the government crackdown by the Chinese Communist regime has escalated to the point of crisis. Tens of thousands of practitioners have been forcefully detained throughout the country and held in stadiums for days without food, water, electricity, or sanitary facilities.

Police brutality has extended to beating elderly women and children as the effort to root out this popular practice continues. The large number of Falun Dafa followers, an estimated 100 million according to Falun Dafa representatives, is viewed as a potential threat to the Communist regime whose party members number around 55 million.

Falun Dafa practitioners throughout North America and Europe are saddened and shocked by the situation in China, and are seeking ways to resolve this crisis in a peaceful manner.

At the San Jose conference today, practitioners recounted to the nearly 1,000 attendees the tremendous improvements brought about in their lives by this widely accepted form of Qigong. Accounts ranged from an improved overall sense of well being to significant healing.