‘FALUN DAFA IS GOOD’ Billboard and ‘FALUN DAFA’ Banner
–To rise up public’s positive understanding toward Falun Dafa

    

Posting “FALUN DAFA IS GOOD” Billboard facing testing

Early this year, Malaysia practitioners have appointed an advertisement company to put a Billboard poster “FALUN DAFA IS GOOD” beside a highway. The advertiser informed the practitioners that when everything is in order then they will put up the poster. However some passers by misunderstood that Falun Gong is not registered in Malaysia. (It was registered as FALUN DAFA RESEARCH CENTRE SDN BHD. which is a non profit company.) They made a complaint to authority. Then, the advertiser informed the practitioners that they normally put up the poster first after checking that the poster was not offensive. Then they will proceed with their procedure to apply for the permit from the authority which is normally given. It will take some time before the authority give the approval as time is money. This simple error has caused the billboard poster to be taken down.

After learning the mistake, the practitioners tried to correct it and improved themselves. However, the practitioners were disappointed that this incident was made use by some media to make adverse reports on Falun Gong. These news reports have created a phenomenon that it seemed like our government does not recognize Falun Gong. Consequently, the Malaysian people misunderstood further about Falun Gong. However, in reality how many people really know about Falun Gong and the real situation about the incident?

In order to negate the bad influent by the public, this time the proper procedures were followed when application was made to the relevant authority for the permit Although it comply to the requirements and including the Falun Dafa Research Centre register letter, unfortunately the authority do not approve the application merely because of pressure from some factors. This matter was not reported by even a single media. Thus reader will never know the cause.

Application for displaying Falun Dafa Banner

On May 2004, a practitioner arranged for Falun Dafa banner to be displayed on the lamp posts. After learning from the billboard incident, he felt that it is better for practitioners to make a complete arrangement from start to finish. Therefore, although the procedure is very complicated for a first timer, he is determined to work on it. He followed every procedure, from getting a company to make the banner to applying for permit from the relevant authorities until the Falun Dafa banners were displayed. During the whole process he clarified the truth with all the people involved. Having clarified the truth on Falun Gong, the people began to understand better about Falun Gong.

Display ‘FALUN DAFA IS GOOD’ billboard poster at a new site.

At the same time, the practitioner applied for permit to display ‘FALUN DAFA IS GOOD’ billboard poster at a new site from relevant authorities. The practitioner managed with some help from the advertisement agent who has been doing ‘FALUN DAFA’ banners. The agent offered a special price to the practitioner after knowing that the practitioner had to bear the cost himself. Finally the ‘FALUN DAFA IS GOOD’ billboard poster appeared again at a busy roadside in Kuala Lumpur. Again, there was no media coverage to pass the information to the readers.

Displaying FALUN DAFA banners encountering ‘test’

Surprisingly, the displaying of Falun Dafa banners attracted some media attention. Initially, a newspaper made a right report about the banner. Later, there was another newspaper published a report which mentioned that they were suspecting the legally of our organization. They even pointed out that some banners were hanged up earlier than agreed date at a certain road. Therefore the town council officer wanted to investigate and if found to be true. They will ask the practitioner to take down the banners concerned, if had broken the rule. That news also reported the local town councillor will investigate the issue.

This news surprised many of the practitioners. The practitioners thought that they had already followed the proper application procedures. Why was there still something wrong? What had we not done well? The practitioners were searching themselves for the mistake. Finally some practitioners realized that this may caused by the one sided long term public influent by the media adverse report on Falun Gong. There is a quotation if a lie is repeated many time, people will treat it as real. Conclusion, there are still many people who do not understand Falun Gong. The practitioners have to clarify the truth to enable more people to understand Falun Gong.

Checking the truth on the incident from the Town Council

Therefore, some practitioners went to town council and other relevant authority to check the truth and clarify the truth on Falun Gong to the officers concerned. During the whole process the practitioners met with different people. They were uncooperative and they blamed the practitioners for not telling them that Falun Gong is banned in China. This time, the practitioners were looking for town council to find out about banner display earlier than agreed date. He was not aware of the incident and assumed that the practitioners were at fault as this was the first time they met each others. The practitioners explained to him about the incident of persecution of Falun Gong in China, but he seemed unconcerned.

However, there were also kind people that the practitioners met. The practitioners met the town council public relationship officer to check out the issue. Here the officer told the practitioners that there was no problem at all regarding the banner application. The person in-charge told the practitioners that there was a reporter who raised the issue regarding FALUN DAFA banners displayed earlier than agreed date to her. She thought that it was true and said some statement without doing any investigation first. She expressed her regret on this incident. The practitioners told her about the persecution of Falun Gong in China and difficulties faced by the local practitioners. She felt sympathy to the practitioners and mentioned that she would write an apology letter to Falun Dafa Research Centre regarding the incident. (Anyway, the town council wrote a clarification letter but not an apology letter.)

Further clarify the truth to local town councillor and media

Beside that, the practitioners met up with the local town councillor and showed all the approved application documents for his information. Later, practitioners clarified to the newspaper office regarding the whole real situation. The practitioners clarified the truth base on compassion and truth heart without any request to the newspaper. A few days later, that newspaper published a statement that the Falun Gomg banners displayed on the lamp posts were legal and not earlier than the agreed date.

There were reports from different newspaper saying that Falun Gong banners are illegal. The practitioners have many times clarified the truth to newspapers, but the newspapers still published untruthful reports. Why? Where is the responsibility towards our society? Where is the conscience for the truth?

Falun Gong practitioners show willingness to change from mistake

One day, a practitioner found that some banners were missing from a road. Therefore, he investigated the caused and found that we made a mistake. In this part of road, permit from three agencies were required. So the practitioners applied accordingly.

Falun Dafa banners raise the public’s positive understanding toward Falun Dafa

Falun Dafa banners created a few incidents, including banners were taken down, stolen and burnt. Falun Gong practitioners were facing unfair and unfriendly encounters yet they still showed compassion and tolerance heart. The practitioners still continue to clarify the truth to the people. Today, Falun Gong practitioners still apply for extension to display the banner. It shows the high moral of Falun Gong practitioners. FALUN DAFA banners stand steady, raising public’s positive awareness toward Falun Dafa.

Article completed: 25-August-2004
Translated: 24-October-2004