《盐湖论坛报》6月21日报道，6月13日在南镇会展中心举办的2009年犹他州亚洲艺术节上，艺术节组织者与法轮功学员之间爆发了一场冲突。

　　艺术节发言人Michael Kwan同时也是Taylorsville法官，他说：这是个简单事件，法轮功不遵守规则，令组织者感到生气。而犹他州法轮功社团则称这是中国政治。

　　盐湖城亚洲艺术节一直以来备受人们欢迎。在艺术节举办前，法轮功练习者Patrice Loung申请活动展位。法轮功集团表示，它们宣传一套独特的冥想练习，旨在了解人类生命的真谛和通过修炼以达到更高层次。2007年亚洲艺术节上，法轮功曾占有一席之地。练习者们确信亚洲艺术节是一个很好的场所来消除对他们信仰与训练的荒诞说法。

　　起初，组织者批准了法轮功的申请，但经过进一步调查后拒绝了他们。

　　Kwan表示，拒绝法轮功是基于他们在2007年艺术节上的负面表现。当时，法轮功没有经过申请就在舞台上表演的最后一分钟，用自己的标语遮住了组织者的横幅。法轮功成员还散发传单，称中国政府在过去十余年迫害了七千万法轮功学员。

　　Kwan说：“他们走极端，既没有支付展台费用，也得罪了组织者。所以，委员会决定，五年内不允许法轮功参加亚洲艺术节。对于他们的宗教，我们没有任何看法。但是我们来到这里是为了在犹他州庆祝我们的文化。这不是一个宣传中国或者其他地方政治信息的场所。”

　　法轮功成员Aubrey Yarper辩称2007年横幅上仅仅写着：“真、善、忍”和“法轮大法好。”

　　法轮功代表随后向参议员鲍勃·班尼特（Bob Bennett）办公室、议员Jason Chaffetz办公室和犹他州亚洲事务负责人Linda K. Oda寻求帮助。Kwan称：“我们无意不让团体参加活动，但你不能破坏规矩。”

Falun Gong excluded from Asian fest

Sltrib.com By: Peggy Fletcher Stack

A small skirmish erupted at last weekend's Asian festival, pitting festival organizers against Falun Gong practitioners.

Festival spokesman Michael Kwan, a judge in Taylorsville, said the problem was simply a matter of the group not following the rules and pleasing the sponsors, while Utah's tiny Falun Gong community claims it's about Chinese politics.

Sometime before the festival, Patrice Loung, a practitioner of Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa, as it is also called) applied for a booth at the popular event. The group, which says it preaches a unique set of meditative exercises meant to understand the truth of human life and to cultivate higher levels of existence, had space at the 2007 Asian event. Members decided it was a good venue to dispel some myths about their beliefs and practices.

Initially, organizers approved the Falun Gong application. After further investigation, organizers denied it.

The rejection was based on a negative experience at the 2007 event, Kwan said.

Falun Gong came in at the last minute without properly applying, and, while performing on the stage, covered up sponsors' banners with their own.

"They went overboard with not paying for their booth and offending sponsors," he said. "Because of this, the committee decided they would not be allowed to participate for five years."

Falun Gong members also distributed fliers about how the Chinese government had persecuted some 70 million Falun Gong practitioners during the past few decades.

"I have no problem with their religion," Kwan said, "but we are here to celebrate our culture in Utah. It's not a place for political messages about China or anywhere else."

A Falun Gong practitioner said the 2007 banners simply read, "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance," and "Falun Dafa is good."

Falun Gong representatives then sought help from Sen. Bob Bennett's office, Rep. Jason Chaffetz's office and Linda K. Oda, the state's director for Asian Affairs.

Festival organizers plan to meet with Falun Gong members in the coming weeks.

"We have no interest in not letting groups participate," Kwan said, "but you also can't break the rules."

(The Salt Lake Tribune, June 21, 2009)

原文网址：http://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_12651435