HR0592 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0592 LRB099 12780 MST 36592 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Ride to Freedom, composed of 30 young cyclists from around the world, embarked on a 3,000 m1le journey from Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C. to call attention to the plight of orphaned children of Falun Dafa practitioners who were persecuted and killed by the Chinese Communist Party for their spiritual beliefs; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline founded by Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992 that consists of spiritual and moral teachings, meditation, and exercises based upon the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance; and

WHEREAS, During the mid-1990s, Falun Dafa acquired a large and diverse following, with at least 70 million practitioners at its peak; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa has been persecuted in its country of origin since June 10, 1999, when the then-President of the Chinese Communist Party Jiang Zemin ordered the creation of the 6-10 office, an extrajudicial security apparatus designated to "eradicate" Falun Gong; practitioners have been arrested and tortured to death, their children left without families or homes, often pursued by the state, and abused for their parents' beliefs; and

WHEREAS, The young cyclists are rallying their way across the United States, meeting with supporters at every stop before reaching Washington, D.C. to meet with national leaders to expose the persecution; the cycling team will travel to New York City to address the United Nations General Assembly; some riders will then attempt travel to China to rescue specific orphans; and

WHEREAS, The Ride to Freedom team arrives in Illinois on July 4, 2015; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in recognition of the noble actions of Ride to Freedom in bringing awareness to the persecution of Falun Dafa and the impact it is having on millions of children and families throughout China and the bravery of the riders who plan to travel to China to rescue children orphaned from the persecution, we do hereby proclaim July 4, 2015 to be Ride to Freedom Day and urge all citizens to commend these determined young riders in bringing peace to Falun Dafa practitioners and their families.