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1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, Ride to Freedom, composed of 30 young cyclists
3		from around the world, embarked on a 3,000 m1le journey from
4		Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C. to call attention
5		to the plight of orphaned children of Falun Dafa practitioners
6		who were persecuted and killed by the Chinese Communist Party
7		for their spiritual beliefs; and
8		WHEREAS, Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) is a
9		traditional Chinese spiritual discipline founded by Mr. Li
10		Hongzhi in 1992 that consists of spiritual and moral teachings,
11		meditation, and exercises based upon the universal principles
12		of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance; and
13		WHEREAS, During the mid-1990s, Falun Dafa acquired a large
14		and diverse following, with at least 70 million practitioners
15		at its peak; and
16		WHEREAS, Falun Dafa has been persecuted in its country of
17		origin since June 10, 1999, when the then-President of the
18		Chinese Communist Party Jiang Zemin ordered the creation of the
19		6-10 office, an extrajudicial security apparatus designated to
20		"eradicate" Falun Gong; practitioners have been arrested and
21		tortured to death, their children left without families or
22		homes, often pursued by the state, and abused for their

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