August 8, 2001
The Honorable Governor Vilsack:
In the wake of the communist government's total assault on the freedom of spiritual belief in China, Falun Gong practitioners have suffered greatly, particularly in the last six months. During this time the Jiang Zemin regime has let it be known to police in the field that when dealing with Falun Gong practitioners, "no measures are too excessive," and that "those who are beaten to death will be counted as suicides." As a result, we know that at this point in time, over 250 innocent people have been tortured to death, and over 50,000 have been sent to labor camps without benefit of trial, where they are routinely beaten, shocked with electric batons, sexually abused, and subjected to countless other brutal measures. But overall, the toll of human suffering cannot accurately be measured, because even though the persecution is primarily directed against Falun Gong practitioners, no segment of society in China is unaffected by this reign of terror. Those who are not being persecuted are subjected to a constant barrage of brainwashing from the state-controlled media and are forced, often against their will, to take part in the persecution.
A good example of this was in the so-called "million signature campaign" launched earlier this year, in which even young middle school children were pressured into signing their names on petitions denouncing Falun Gong. Those who had the strength of character to refuse would be rebuked and promptly kicked out of school. A person would not be safe in his workplace either, as anyone not taking a "politically correct" position toward Falun Gong could forget about promotions or raises for the foreseeable future. And if you were a Falun Gong practitioner, you would be either dismissed from your job, or forced into "transformation" classes designed to brainwash and torture you into giving up your belief.
Falun Gong practitioners strive to be good people in all aspects of their daily lives, eschewing the common vices that lower the quality of life in society. The qi-gong exercises and meditation which they perform on a daily basis keep them in good health and in a positive frame of mind, even in the midst of the most brutal persecution of innocents since Hitler's Germany. Before Jiang Zemin and his gang of followers became fearful that Falun Gong's great popularity in China posed a threat to their power, Falun Gong's founder, Li Hongzhi, had been granted many honors by the Chinese government for his teachings' positive contributions to the health, welfare, and productivity of Chinese society. It was estimated that with seventy to one hundred million people practicing the ancient discipline on a regular basis, the government was able to save billions of dollars every year on health care costs. The country benefited in other ways as well, for as more and more people began following the principles of "Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance," the crime rate went down, and as people began showing up for work in the factories on time, sober, and with the desire to do a good job, factory production also increased.
All this is gone now. Corruption of government officials is rampant, and murderers and gangsters prowl the streets because most of the government's crime-fighting resources have been diverted to capturing Falun Gong practitioners and beating them into submission.
For Falun Gong practitioners, one of the worst places to live happens to be the sister city of Des Moines, Iowa, Shijiazhuang City. Because of the particularly aggressive and ruthless behavior of the authorities there, many practitioners have lost their lives and have been tortured in jails, detention centers, and labor camps. The city council of Edison, New Jersey (also a sister city) has recently drafted a proclamation denouncing the human rights violations in Shijiazhuang, and we hope the city fathers of Des Moines will let their voices be heard on this subject as well. These public resolutions are not just empty gestures, as they are taken very seriously by the Chinese government, which, in spite of its unwillingness to act like a civilized nation, dearly wants to be treated like one.
Falun Gong practitioners in Iowa have been actively and energetically trying to educate the American public about the terrible human rights tragedy that is unfolding in China. We have held many free workshops to introduce the great benefits of the meditation and exercises to Iowa's citizens. Hundreds of Iowans have signed their names to our petitions calling for China to end this persecution, while a number of cities have also supported us by granting proclamations. To commemorate the second anniversary of the persecution, an "SOS: Rescue the Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted in China" campaign began in early July and culminated in a large rally of practitioners in Washington DC on July 20. All over the country, including Iowa, practitioners held press conferences and other local events to tell people the truth about what is happening in China. Practitioners traveled in small groups to cities and towns all over the state, generating a great deal of newspaper and other positive media reports in support of this truly wonderful spiritual practice.
But the wall of propaganda built by the Communist Chinese government is massive and not easily destroyed. Just as Hitler demonized the Jews in Germany in order to more effectively persecute them, so also has Jiang Zemin demonized Falun Gong practitioners in China and throughout the world. Fortunately, because we have freedom of the press in America, we can also get our side of the story out and tell people the truth; but in China, the great majority of people only hear the lies of Jiang Zemin and his accomplices.
We feel the tide is turning, as more and more members of Congress, and government leaders at state and local levels are standing up for "Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance" and taking a proactive stand on this issue. We hope we can count on your support in the coming weeks and months, because we certainly need it. There is so much that a man in your position can do to advance the cause of freedom of belief and human rights in the world. For example, you could write a letter to the leaders of China stating your position on the torturing of innocent people. We guarantee that it will have an effect. You could work with the city fathers of Des Moines to put pressure on sister city Shijiazhuang to stop killing innocent people just for their spiritual beliefs. And you could speak out and help educate people all over the state on this issue.
Mr. Governor, this is an extremely serious and urgent matter. Hardly a day goes by that we do not receive new reports of atrocities that have been committed against our practitioners in China's detention centers and labor camps. As the death toll goes up almost every day, this situation is clearly getting worse. Can we count on your help?
Sincerely,
Falun Gong practitioners in Iowa
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