(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to participate in two Vietnamese New Year celebrations in Melbourne.
The event at Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, was held February on 17 and 18, 2024. Footscray is a Vietnamese hub in the state of Victoria and the event attracted thousands of people. The other celebration was held on February 4 in Richmond, another suburb east of Melbourne. Both neighborhoods feature authentic Vietnamese culture and food.
The weather was warm and sunny during the event at Footscray Park, and the Falun Dafa booth attracted lots of attention. Many people stopped to watch as practitioners demonstrated the exercises and enjoyed the practitioners’ waist drums and Vietnamese dance performances.
Host: Falun Dafa Makes People Better Citizens
Tan Nguyen, a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) recipient, hosted the celebration at Footscray Park. He had heard about Falun Dafa previously and paid attention to the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He said it’s hard to imagine that practitioners are detained and tortured in China for their belief and are even killed for their organs. He said the entire world needs to condemn these crimes and pay attention to the fact that communism is infiltrating into Western societies.
Nguyen agreed with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance because he thinks that they make people better citizens and that it is unfortunate practitioners are being suppressed in China. He is happy to see Falun Dafa is well received in Western countries including Australia.
Community Leader Thanks Practitioners for Their Contributions
Dressed in traditional costumes including bamboo hats, Vietnamese practitioners performed a dance titled Cheerful Pace. The dance showcased the graceful beauty of Vietnamese women and was very popular.
Kim Thien Truong, a former Deputy Mayor of Brimbank City Council, is also a coordinator of the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association. She was pleased that Falun Dafa practitioners performed a traditional dance during the celebration at Richmond. She commended them for introducing traditional culture, highlighting their bright colors and bamboo hats, and said it made the event very special.
Truong also thanked the practitioners for teaching the Falun Dafa exercises for free over the years. She said she’s seen practitioners at various parks throughout Victoria, and knows practicing Falun Dafa not only improves one’s health but also helps people become patient and peaceful by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance—which is why she considers Falun Dafa a great contribution to society.
Interviewed by News Media
Mai Pham was interviewed by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), a mainstream news media in Australia on February 18. She talked about what led her to practice Falun Dafa.
Pham is the owner of a healthcare clinic. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, she applies the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in her daily life, and her business has thrived. She hopes more people will learn about Falun Dafa and benefit like she has, which in turn enriches communities.
Through her clients, Pham knows many people long for a healthy and happy life, but are unable to achieve it. After she began doing the Falun Dafa exercises and applying the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in her interactions with her employees and family, her life was blessed. She hopes others can also benefit from Falun Dafa and enjoy a happy life.
Interested in Learning Falun Dafa
Brian, 62, a retired mechanical technician, likes to meditate and said he was immediately drawn to the Falun Dafa booth.
Brian said he’d noticed a Falun Dafa group practice site in Melbourne many times. He’s also seen news reports on how practitioners peacefully call for an end to the persecution in China. He hopes that one day practitioners in China can freely practice their belief.
“I’m very interested in learning Falun Dafa,” he said. “The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are great.”
Organ Harvesting Is Evil
Many passersby stopped and took photos as practitioners demonstrated the exercises. Some also talked with practitioners and said they were saddened to hear about the persecution in China.
Van Ngoc Le said he’d heard about Falun Dafa through online videos. He praised the Vietnamese dance performed by practitioners. He said it is wrong for the CCP to mistreat practitioners, torture them, and even remove their organs. He called it an “evil deed” and signed a petition urging them to end the tragedy in China.
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