Reply #2: Falun Gong (From Wikipedia) [View All]

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Falun Gong
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The Falun emblem is the symbol of the Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) created by Li in 1992. According to Li “this Falun emblem is the miniature of the universe.” The central character is the Chinese "wan", also known as manji. To Western eyes it resembles the swastika used by Nazi Germany (except that it faces right and is rotated 45 degrees)

.Falun Gong (Traditional Chinese: 法輪功; Simplified Chinese: 法轮功; Pinyin: Fǎlún Gōng; literally "Practice of the Wheel of Law") is also known as Falun Dafa (Traditional Chinese: 法輪大法; Simplified Chinese: 法轮大法; Pinyin: Fǎlún dàfǎ; lit. "Great Law of the Wheel of Law") is a system of qigong introduced by Li Hongzhi in 1992. Falun is also sometimes translated as dharma wheel or chakra. Central to Falun Gong is five sets of meditation exercises (four standing, and one sitting). A few years after its public introduction in 1992, Falun Gong quickly grew to become one of the most popular forms of qigong in Chinese history, and has been growing in popularity around the world.

Falun Gong has been the focus of international controversy since the government of the People's Republic of China began a nationwide suppression of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. Concerns were triggered especially when 10,000 practitioners assembled in peaceful protest at the Central Appeal Office at Foyou street, outside Zhongnanhai. Not since the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 had so many people gathered together to protest the government.

When the clampdown began, the number of Falun Gong practitioners in China was estimated by the government at 2.1 million <1>. The membership claimed by the Falun Gong was much larger; it claimed to have 100 million followers worldwide with 70 million in China.<2>


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falun_Gong