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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Ride to Freedom, composed of 30 young cyclists
3from around the world, embarked on a 3,000 m1le journey from
4Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C. to call attention
5to the plight of orphaned children of Falun Dafa practitioners
6who were persecuted and killed by the Chinese Communist Party
7for their spiritual beliefs; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) is a
9traditional Chinese spiritual discipline founded by Mr. Li
10Hongzhi in 1992 that consists of spiritual and moral teachings,
11meditation, and exercises based upon the universal principles
12of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance; and
 
13    WHEREAS, During the mid-1990s, Falun Dafa acquired a large
14and diverse following, with at least 70 million practitioners
15at its peak; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Falun Dafa has been persecuted in its country of
17origin since June 10, 1999, when the then-President of the
18Chinese Communist Party Jiang Zemin ordered the creation of the
196-10 office, an extrajudicial security apparatus designated to
20"eradicate" Falun Gong; practitioners have been arrested and
21tortured to death, their children left without families or
22homes, often pursued by the state, and abused for their

 

 

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1parents' beliefs; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The young cyclists are rallying their way across
3the United States, meeting with supporters at every stop before
4reaching Washington, D.C. to meet with national leaders to
5expose the persecution; the cycling team will travel to New
6York City to address the United Nations General Assembly; some
7riders will then attempt travel to China to rescue specific
8orphans; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Ride to Freedom team arrives in Illinois on
10July 4, 2015; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in
13recognition of the noble actions of Ride to Freedom in bringing
14awareness to the persecution of Falun Dafa and the impact it is
15having on millions of children and families throughout China
16and the bravery of the riders who plan to travel to China to
17rescue children orphaned from the persecution, we do hereby
18proclaim July 4, 2015 to be Ride to Freedom Day and urge all
19citizens to commend these determined young riders in bringing
20peace to Falun Dafa practitioners and their families.