News and Events from Around the World
Falun Gong Practitioners' Righteous Action in China
The People Awaken to the Truth
Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experiences
News and Events from Around the World
The People of Manhattan Are Learning the Truth About Falun Gong
1.People of Manhattan Start to Spread the Facts about Falun Gong
After over two months of truth clarification efforts, more and more people in Manhattan have learned about Falun Gong and the persecution that is taking place in China. Even though people pass by Falun Gong practitioners' truth clarification spots in a hurry on the way to work or on the way back home, they have been thinking why all this is happening.
Some people told practitioners that they have noticed the anti-torture exhibitions at different locations of Manhattan and they have read the materials and display boards, but they still would like to come back and take a closer look. Some people brought their families and made a special trip to the anti-torture exhibition spots over the weekends.
They asked how they could help and what exactly they should do. Practitioners told them that they could help tell more people about the persecution, then more people will learn about it and more people will step forward to help stop the persecution. This will create a domino effect.
Some New Yorkers look at the torture and persecution from the perspective of the September 11th tragedy. They believe that terrorism should be stopped and the dictator who created the persecution should not be tolerated. Some commented that if more people practiced Falun Gong, less people would engage in terrorist activities. Others commented that if people are being tortured to death for their belief in Truth-Compassion-Tolerance, this is exposing the evil nature of the dictator and his followers. Other commented that the terrifying torture has lasted for over 5 years, and the key reason is that the leaders (Jiang and his followers) are engaging in state sanctioned terrorism.
2. A high school board requests 150 teachers to learn Falun Gong
In the past few weeks, New York practitioners have received many phone calls providing feedback. Many of the calls are requests to learn Falun Gong. One of these requests was from a high school board member requesting that practitioners teach their 150 teachers Falun Gong as soon as possible.
3. We will give a copy of the materials to my Chinese colleagues...
Some white-collar professionals in New York told English speaking practitioners that they have read the Falun Gong materials, and asked if they could have a few more copies to give to their Chinese colleagues. They also said they would like to tell their Chinese colleagues that their views on Falun Gong are wrong and they should stop repeating the official Chinese propaganda defaming Falun Gong.
4. I have written a letter to our President ...
An individual came and told practitioners that he had written to the U.S. President, the Foreign Affairs Department and Human Rights organizations, requesting their help to stop the torture and the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners' freedom of belief.
France: People of All Ages Support Falun Gong during the Haute Savoie Autumn Fair
The village of Houte Savoie is located in Southeast France. It is adjacent to Geneva, Switzerland. Swiss Falun Dafa practitioners come here in the weekends to introduce Falun Dafa to the local people.
An autumn fair took place here on the first Saturday in October. All the spaces were reserved but a last-minute withdrawal allowed us to set up a Falun Dafa information stand in the busiest part of the fair. The village mayor came to greet us and said, "This space is very good because you will have a lot of people passing here."
Members of the public were immediately drawn by the photos of the methods of torture used by the Jiang regime to attempt to force Falun Gong practitioners in China to betray their beliefs. Many came to look for a long time, listened attentively to the practitioners' explanations and were truly touched. They asked what they could do to help as they signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution.
Numerous groups of young people and children stopped in front of the photos with very serious and thoughtful faces. They asked, "Can we sign the petition?" A father who signed the petition told us that it was his little girl of eight years who had taken the flyer and had given it to him saying, "Daddy, you have to go and sign." Another little girl understood that in China there were policemen who beat and tortured people, while in the western world the police are there to help and protect us. She felt it is as if the world was the wrong way round in that far away foreign country. The upright actions of these children are particularly touching when one remembers their Chinese counterparts: the many children of Falun Gong practitioners who have become orphans due to the persecution in China.
A policeman who was responsible for security at the fair came to the Falun Gong stand several times. He had already seen the exercise demonstration outside. He said was touched by Falun Dafa's guiding principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, and is trying to put them into practice in his everyday life.
Several people who were in a hurry promised to stop by later. They returned especially to sign the petition. One lady was unable to return, but the next day we met her by chance and so we were able to talk to her about Falun Gong and the persecution.
Some who had practiced in the past came and told us that they always held Falun Gong in their hearts. They were very shocked by the torture photos.
Thus people from this village and vicinity all learned about Falun Gong and were deeply moved.
New York City: Practitioners Hold Candle Vigil in Front of Chinese Consulate and Call for Bringing Chief Perpetrators of the Persecution to Justice
In the evening of November 3, Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of Chinese Consulate at midtown Manhattan. Practitioners held a candle vigil there and call for bringing Jian Zemin, Luo Gan, Zhou Yongkang and Liu Jing, the chief perpetrators of the persecution, to justice.
In the cold wind, practitioners demonstrated Falun Gong exercises to the music and sent righteous thoughts. Some passing by vehicles greeted practitioners by blowing a horn. Among the practitioners, there were the old, the young and many visitors from overseas. Some of those present have relatives who are being persecuted in China for practicing Falun Gong.
Practitioner Sha Quan said: "We come here to hold this candle vigil tonight to send a strong and clear message to Chinese authorities--end the persecution of Falun Gong immediately; meanwhile, we want to tell them that Jiang and his accomplices have committed unpardonable crimes and we are determined to bring them to justice."
"To date, it has been confirmed that more than 1,100 practitioners have been persecuted to death, hundreds of thousands have been brutally tortured and families consequently have been broken while many practitioners have been forced to leave their homes to avoid persecution.... The perpetrators have committed genocide and crime against humanity and they have to be brought to justice in front of court of law as well as the history and conscience," Sha said.
Zhou Jianfen participated in the vigil with her 2-year-old daughter. After learned the severe persecution of practitioners from internet, her sister Zhou Jianhui, a student who were preparing tests to graduate school, went onto streets to distribute Falun Gong truth-clarifying fliers. She was caught and then sent to labor camp. Jianfen said: "It is said that my sister was forced to attend brainwashing sessions and to do heavy labor. I am very worried as the Jiang regime is so vicious and it has employed all kinds of brutal and inhuman measures against practitioners. Reportedly, several practitioners have been persecuted to death by that labor camp."
Canadian practitioner Xiao Jin also participated in the vigil. His mother, Ms. Li Guanzhen who was arrested twice for her Falun Gong belief, was released due to pressure from Canadian government and international community. Mr. Xiao said that in the past the Chinese authority strategically end persecutions such as cultural revolution by punishing some scapegoats. We won't allow it happen again this time, we are determined to bring Jiang and his accomplices to justice.
Gracy Borges, whose office is close to the Chinese Consulate, was waiting for bus. She said that she had seen practitioners conducting peaceful appeals here for 5 years and she admired practitioners' steadfast spirit. She said: "No matter rain or snow, I saw practitioners sitting here quietly. I think that the Chinese communism government has no reason not to allow people to practice Falun Gong. People have the freedom of belief."
Bomb Threat Fails to Deter National Arts Club Exhibit
--"In the market place of ideas, truth wins." -- National Arts
Club President O. Aldon James
The "Uncompromising Courage" art exhibition opened successfully at the National Arts Club in New York City last week amidst anonymous bomb threats and intruders aiming to prevent the event from taking place.
National Arts Club president O. Aldon James refused to succumb to pressure and rescind the club's support. "We believe in freedom of expression. The Arts Club is 106 years old and we've had controversial exhibits here in the past."
The artworks expose what is happening in China but also show practitioners facing adversity with grace and courage and how a spiritual path has enriched their lives. Four of the thirteen artists personally experienced torture and beating at the hands of Chinese authorities. Their art conveys equally the persecution and also the unyielding perseverance of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Li Jingyu, one of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibition tells of her husband and brother who were jailed for refusing to give up the practice. She said: "In China, millions of people suffer everyday, so many were tortured to death, but so many people here don't know what is happening. I'm trying to paint the truth."
Falun Gong which consists of slow moving exercises and is based on the principles of Truth, Compassion and Forbearance came under attack in July 1999 following a government survey that showed that 70-100 million people were practicing, which was more than registered members of the Chinese Communist Party. China's president at the time - Jiang Zemin, felt it to be a threat to his political power and vowed to "eliminate" the spiritual movement it. However he did not limit his sights to China alone.
Gail Rachlin, spokesperson for Falun Gong said: "Over the past five years, the Chinese consulates and embassies overseas have tried to defame us and block us at every turn. They have sent their agents to visit the offices of US officials and different organizations that we have contacted and use a combination of threats, coercion, and even bribery to make them rescind their support for us."
"They have sent their agents to visit the offices of US officials ... and use a combination of threats, coercion, and even bribery to make them rescind their support for us..."
A similar exhibition at the Mount Sinai Medical School was effectively stopped due to external pressure. On October 27, the morning of the opening, the response was overwhelmingly positive yet the exhibit was suddenly shut down with no explanation given.
According to Resolution 304 that was unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, "the Chinese Government has also attempted to silence the Falun Gong movement and Chinese pro-democracy groups inside the United States." The resolution lists assaults, theft, and attempts to politically pressure government officials and organizations in the United States into condemning Falun Gong.
The repeated attempts to extend the persecution beyond China's borders however, has been largely unsuccessful and in almost every instance it has only served to further expose those who undertake such despicable acts.
The exhibit runs through November 8th, at the National Arts Club, Sculpture Gallery 15 Gramercy Park South at E 20th St., New York City.
Hong Kong: Practitioners Appeal to the SAR Government, Call for Action to Rescue Fellow Practitioners Detained in Mainland China
On November 3, dozens of Falun Gong practitioners, members of rescue organizations as well as victims' family members appealed to the chief executive of Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR) and the newly elected legislative council respectively. The practitioners called for action to rescue Falun Gong practitioners and family members who are being illegally detained in Mainland China.
The appeal group first marched from Charter Park to the SAR government compound, where they submitted an appeal letter to the chief executive. Practitioners said that the persecution of Falun Gong in China didn't automatically stop after Jiang Zemin stepped down and the recent arrest of Zhang Lihong, wife of Hong Kong practitioner Kong Senqia, was just another example of that. Ms. Zhang has been conducting a hunger strike for several days since her arrest on October 27, and her life is at stake. Sun Zhongwen, a Hong Kong practitioner who has been illegally sentenced to 4 years in prison, recently wrote to his family members. In the letter, he said that his health was deteriorating. Both Zhang and Sun need to be rescued urgently. Practitioners request the SAR government not to dodge its responsibility and to take immediate concrete actions to help Falun Gong practitioners and practitioners' family members detained in China.
Four Hong Kong practitioners have being illegally sentenced to prison terms by Chinese authorities for their belief in Falun Gong. Moreover, at least six Mainland relatives of 5 Hong Kong practitioners are being detained in labor camps or prisons.
Ms. Zhen Xiulan, mother of Sun Zhongwen, burst into tears when others mention Sun to her. She said that Sun's health condition was bad before and was significantly improved after he started to practice Falun Gong. Since Sun was detained, the prison authorities don't allow him to practice and yet force him to do long hours of heavy labor. Consequently, Sun's health has gotten worse and worse and he even passed out once. The whole family worries that Sun might die at any time. They hope the SAR government can rescue him as soon as possible.
After the of appeal to the SAR government, practitioners went to the newly elected legislative council which was in session to submit an appeal letter. They called on all legislative council members to help practitioners persecuted in China: one letter, one phone call or even one signature will make a difference.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan's Letter Regarding the Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
Ottawa, Canada
The Honourable A. Anne McLellan, P.C.
October 18, 2004
Falun Dafa Association of Canada
Thank you for your correspondence dated October 8, 2004, concerning the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Canada remains deeply concerned about ongoing reports of the suppression of freedom of expression and spiritual practice in China, including Falun Gong. Canada consistently raises the human rights concerns of many Canadians during regular dialogues with Chinese leaders at all levels.
Canada registers its concerns about China's human rights record in annual public statements, including those made at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The most recent Canadian statement, delivered in Geneva on March 25, 2004, made specific mention of the persistent scale and scope of restrictions on freedom of expression, association, religion and spiritual beliefs, which reflects concerns about the treatment of both spiritual groups such as the Falun Gong and minority groups in Tibet and Xinjiang.
Canada engages China on human rights issues through a dialogue process, including the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), where the Chinese government is urged to respect rights such as freedoms of expression. At the seventh meeting of the JCHR in October 2003 in Ottawa, Canada raised a number of key human rights concerns, including the plight of Falun Gong practitioners, with the Chinese authorities.
On the event of the Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue, please be assured that we will continue to make our views known to the Chinese authorities.
Thank you again for writing on this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
A. Anne McLellan
US Congressman David Wu: "I Am Strongly Opposed to the People's Republic of China's Treatment of the Falun Gong"
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-3701
September 8, 2004
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about China's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter.
I share your concerns. As the only Chinese-American member of Congress and as a strong human rights advocate, I am strongly opposed to the People's Republic of China's (PRC) treatment of the Falun Gong and others who oppose the PRC's rule. I believe certain rights, such as the freedom of speech and the freedom of association, are fundamental rights that all people should enjoy, no matter the nationality or location.
As you may know, I have spoken frequently to advocate for human rights improvements in China. I have taken strong position opposing U.S. trade policies with the PRC, including legislation to grant China Most-Favored-Nation, permanent Most-Favored-Nation trade status, and China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Due to the PRC's volume of trade with the United States, I believe the U.S. government should use our trade advantages, as well as other appropriate means, to leverage improvements in China's human rights practices. Please know that I will continue to work on behalf of human rights in China, and I will keep your views in mind and continue to work on this very important matter.
Once again, thank you for writing me regarding your concerns. Should you have further questions or comments, please contact me.
With warm regards,
David Wu
Member of Congress
Canadian Minister of Justice: "Canada Is Not A Safe Haven For Persons Who Have Committed Crimes Against Humanity, Regardless Of When Or Where They Were Committed"
Thank you for your correspondence of January 20, 2004, on behalf of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, concerning Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program. Your views are important to me, and officials in my correspondence unit regret that your letter was delayed.
As you may know, Canada has jurisdiction under the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act to prosecute persons who were involved in genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity outside of Canada if either the perpetrator or the victim was a citizen of Canada when the crimes were committed. Furthermore, Canada may take jurisdiction over the matter if the perpetrator is present in Canada after the crime has been continued, regardless of the citizenship of the perpetrator or the victim at the time of the offence.
The policy of the Canadian Government in this matter is unequivocal. Canada is not, and will not become, a safe haven for persons who have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other reprehensible acts regardless of when or where they were c ommitted .
I am aware that you met with Department of Justice Canada officials on February 4, 2004, to further explore appropriate action. I trust that the meeting was productive, and that it strengthened your confidence in Canada's commitment to uphold human rights.
Thank you again for writing, and for your advocacy in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Irwin Cotler
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
The Honorable Irwin Cotler, RC., O.C.,
Ottawa, Canada KlA OH8
US Congressman David Price: The Shooting of Falun Gong Practitioner in South Africa Suggests a Disturbing Conspiratorial Pattern of Harassment and Intimidation Perpetrated by the Jiang Regime
Dear (name omitted),
Because you are a resident of the Fourth District of North Carolina, your letter to Representative Brad Miller was forwarded to me. I am happy to address your concerns about the incident involving Australian Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa.
I know of your support for practitioners of Falun Gong, and I share your concern about the baseless, reactionary persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese government. The shooting of Australian citizen David Liang while in South Africa is extremely troubling. This and other assaults assumed to be perpetrated by the Jiang regime suggest a disturbing conspiratorial pattern of harassment and intimidation that follows Falun Gong practitioners not only in China, but throughout the world.
Mounting evidence that Falun Gong practitioners are experiencing the same sort of terrorization on American soil has moved Congress to express its concern about Falun Gong persecution. As you know, earlier this year the House passed legislation, of which I was a cosponsor, to urge the United States' representative at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to introduce a resolution encouraging China to put an end to human rights violations. In addition, the House recently passed H. Con. Res. 304, which I also cosponsored. This resolution would express the sense of Congress that China should end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. It now awaits action in the Senate.
I will continue to monitor this human rights issue and to voice my support for ending the oppression of Falun Gong. Thank you for your letter, and I hope you will continue to be in touch with me about issues before Congress.
Sincerely,
DAVID PRICE
Member of Congress
Tanzania Human Rights Organization Passes a Resolution of Support for Bringing Jiang Zemin to Justice
A renowned human rights organization in Tanzania passed a resolution condemning Chinese ex-president Jiang Zemin's human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners, and supporting bringing Jiang to justice.
The Resolution of The University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Association
UDSM-Human Rights, Making Human Rights Reality
The resolution of the University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Association (UDSM-Human Rights) against the persecution of Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) practitioners in China:
Whereas, Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) is a traditional practice of body and mind based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," and is commended for its devotion to public service , and commitment to improving health in mind, body and spirit;
Whereas, the rights to life, liberty and security of person is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as per Article 3;
Whereas, it is provided under Article 5 of the UDHR that no one shall be subjected to torture, or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
Knowing, that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as per article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966;
Noting, that Article 18(1) of the hereinabove referred instrument stipulates that no one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice;
Recognizing, that each state has the obligation under Article 4 of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984) to ensure all acts are offences under its criminal law;
Whereas, the long time persecution of Falun Dafa in China violates severely the international human rights law;
BE IT RESOLVED that the University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights (herein referred to as UDSM-HUMAN RIGHTS) and the University members (the Undersigned) support efforts to bring JIANG ZEMIN to the court of justice (for his crimes of torture and crime against humanity);
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Dr.Kofi Annan-Secretary General of the United Nations; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (the United Republic of Tanzania); The Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania; and the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva-Switzerland.
THE PEOPLE WHOSE SIGNATURES APPEAR BELOW CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST TERMS THE PERSECUTION OF THE FALUN DAFA AND EXPRESS THEIR STRONG SUPPORT TO ALL THE LEGAL PROCEDURES TAKEN TO BRING THE PERPETRATORS TO JUSTICE.
China: Zhou Qianzhu Tortured to Death in Guizhou Women's Labor Camp in October 2004
Ms. Zhou Qianzhu, 44, died from torture suffered in Guizhou Women Labor Camp in October, 2004.
Since Jiang Zemin started the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, Ms. Zhou has firmly kept her faith. Because of this, she was detained many times, but she never gave up her belief despite threats and pressure from the police. For this reason, she was treated as a high profile practitioner. In 2003, after the local "610 Office" arrested her, they sentenced her to the Guizhou Provincial Women's Labor Camp, where she went through brutal brainwashing sessions. She was inhumanly tortured, and severely debilitated, both psychologically and physically. She died in October 2004 in the Guizhou Provincial Women's Labor Camp.
Ms. Zhou's husband and their child are not Falun Gong practitioners. They could not bear the overwhelming pressure and constant harassment, and left the area to be as far away from the situation as they could.
China: Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp Officials Plot to Deceive Investigators from the UN International Labor Organization
On January 1, 2004, the UN's International Labor Organization visited the Beijing Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp for investigation. As if facing a formidable foe, the camp authorities took all of the jailed Falun Gong practitioners inside and confined them in a single area. They did not allow the practitioners to go outdoors nor require them to work, either. To set up a so-called "free interview" for the international investigation team, Group 3 arranged for Pan Jun, a graduate from the Legal and Law University, and Mu Yuan, a graduate of Beijing University of Technology, to answer the visitors' questions. Both of these practitioners had been brainwashed and put through multiple rehearsals in advance. They were also warned that they would have to "take responsibility" if they went off track.
However, with the help of fellow Falun Gong practitioners, Pan Jun had already awakened from the brainwashing, so he decided to take the opportunity to expose the horrible persecution to the international visitors and ask them for help. Of course, everyone imprisoned there had a clear understanding of what would happen to him once he did it: he would face revenge or even murder. It was hard, solemn, and stirring to make the choice, because they hoped to take the rare chance to tell the international community the truth. But on the other hand they were worried about his safety. Meanwhile, some other Falun Gong practitioners, ignoring their life or death situation, were ready to rush out to meet the visitors in order to tell them the inside story about the persecution.
The camp police could feel a change in the atmosphere, so they immediately cancelled the meeting between the visitors and the jailed Falun Gong practitioners. The practitioners were not allowed to take lunch until 3pm, and had to "sit on a board" in groups without talking, walking or looking through windows. As a result, the elaborately planned "open and free visit" was replaced with physical punishment and hunger.
The Chinese Prison System I Know
By a Falun Gong practitioner in Guangxi Province, China
The following are facts I've learned about the Chinese prison system. Most are my personal experiences. Some were learned from my cellmates.
1. Detention Center
The inmates in the detention center are classified into three groups: administrative detainees, criminal detainees and arrestees. Administrative detainees do not need to take off their clothing items like leather shoes and leather belts when admitted. Criminal detainees are not treated as leniently, as the moment they arrive at the detention center, the guards force them to remove all their clothing and submit to a body search. The police use pliers to pull open zippers and metal closures on the clothes, resulting in many of the clothes being badly torn and damaged.
The most ridiculous thing at the center is that there is a large bamboo basket near the door of the check-up room which the guards call the "trash bin." Inmates are not allowed to bring any valuable personal items like gold rings, watches, leather shoes, leather belts, or jewelry into the cell.
The police do not behave like they do on TV, and register your personal belongings for you. Instead they tell inmates to throw their possessions into the "trash bin." Some people's personal items that are worth several thousand, or even ten thousand yuan, are thrown into that bin. Of course it is pretty obvious where all this "trash" eventually ends up. A pair of my good running shoes were lost this way. At the time I realized where the so-called used shoes at the night market came from. But even the police in other branches do not know this fact.
Goods are for sale to inmates in the detention center, but they are twice as expensive as in the market. Beer and cigarettes are also sold there. But the cigarettes are fake, not tobacco. Everyone is barefoot unless they were wearing slippers when admitted. All other shoes are thrown into the "trash bin." The wealthy inmates can buy slippers sold there. The poor inmates walk barefoot, and are forced to jog and do drills barefoot every morning. When it rains, the hardship is even more severe.
The food is also very poor. The allowance for each meal is 150 to 200 grams of cooked rice with several pieces of green vegetables and a little meat each week. Within ten seconds of the meal being served, even before I began to eat, some had inmates had already finished theirs.
My work at the center was stringing lantern beads. I was forced to thread two pieces of copper thread through a hole in a plastic base, and then position the thread equally to both sides of the base. Because the thread was thin and the hole was small, it was hard to pierce and I always pricked my hands. The assignment was 2-4 bags each day, each bag containing 1000 pieces. The older inmates' assignment was half this much. Most people cannot finish the assigned work, and they have to work overtime at night. Some even worked until three or four a.m. However, if there is a Dafa disciple inside the cell, the inmates will help each other. Many inmates, including the heads of the cell, sincerely feel that Falun Dafa is good. They respect Dafa disciples very much.
2. The "Take In" Center
Our local "take in" center was once used for brainwashing classes. The classes lasted more than two years, and illegally detained a large number of Dafa disciples. Some practitioners were sent from the "take in" center to forced labor camps. After being released from the labor camps, some were sent back to the center, and then returned to the labor camp again.
At that time the center was mainly for detaining prostitutes and their customers. The term lasts from six months to two years. From the experience of some inmates here, we can see the chaos of the Chinese judicial system. One young man was a taxi driver. He drove a customer to a "hair salon" to see a prostitute, then waited for him outside the door. Then the police came to arrest customers of the prostitutes. The driver was also detained for six months. Another detainee was the head of a construction contracting company. He was arrested for consorting with a prostitute and asked to pay a 3000-5000 yuan fine. He thought he would be detained for at most fifteen days, so he refused to pay the fine. As a result, he was detained for two years. Actually the detention term is totally dependent on the whim of the police. There is no formal policy at all. Sometimes the police directly send the inmates to the detention center without mentioning the fine. Almost all the inmates here are from other places, and the police dare not take in local people because their family members could make trouble.
The detainees are forced to do work such as threading lantern beads, tilling land, and carrying mud. Since the "take in" center is for administrative penalties, the work is not heavy.
3. Drug Rehabilitation Center
I did not personally go to the drug rehabilitation center, but I learned a lot about the center from many drug addicts who were sent there.
The drugs addicts call our local drug rehabilitation center "the darkest prison in Southeast Asia." The guards do not supervise the center directly, as other inmates, known as "big brothers," supervise this area. There is no so-called study or education inside. The drug addicts only work hard to make money for the guards. The assignment for stringing lamp beads is seven or eight bags per day. It is quite common for newcomers to work around the clock without sleep to meet their quota. Only if they work quickly enough, can they earn time to sleep. If someone cannot finish the assignment over the long term, and if beating them every day also doesn't motivate the inmate, only then were they allowed to change to another job.
The "big brothers" do not need to work. Their work is to supervise others. If inmates cannot finish their work assignments, the "big brothers" beat them or have someone else beat them. The "big brothers" carry around large wooden clubs at all times. They check up on work progress in the afternoon. If anyone has not completed enough work, the "big brothers" beat them on the spot. The drug addicts have to give most personal items that are brought to them by their family members to the "big brothers," while keeping only one or two bags of instant noodles. The guards actually cover up all these facts. Both the guards and the big brothers have beaten inmates to death, but since the center has a death quota every year, all the incidents were covered by paying out some money.
When higher authorities come to inspect, the center does something to ensure a favorable review. For example, there is usually no meat for the inmates, but during the inspection a big slice of meat will be put into every inmate's bowl. But the inmates are told beforehand, "You are not allowed to eat it!" Then when the inspection is over, all the meat is collected. Some inmates were so starved that they ate the meat. As a result, they were beaten first, then thrown into a pool to soak, then exposed to the hot sun.
According to the law, the term for drug rehabilitation is three months. But in this center the drug addicts were released after three months only if their family paid 3000 yuan. Without payment the term would be extended to one or two years.
I once heard that the center director's two sons both died a violent death. People who knew the facts called it karmic retribution.
4. Forced Labor Camp
These forced labor "re-education" camps are intended to combine labor with "education." But in Chinese labor camps, there is only labor without education. As the cadres, (1) the police at the forced labor camp describe their mission, "We educate people by labor." In fact, it is nothing but a money-making tool of the police department.
There are numerous reports on the internet of how labor camps have treated Dafa practitioners. The cadres secretly do many evil deeds. They have other inmates monitor or watch "untransformed" practitioners around the clock, but after some time many of the monitors become practitioners' friends. Some even help practitioners transmit information outside the camp. When the evildoers suspect this they change the monitor, but the result is the same. Many practitioners' monitors were changed more than ten times. In fact many inmates know that the cadre are evil.
The most common way to deal with "untransformed" practitioners is depriving them of sleep. They are put in a small cell every day, and brainwashed by one or two brainwashing specialists and cadre members. If the practitioner is sleepy, he will be pushed to wake him/her up. According to practitioners who experienced the process, it is somewhat like hypnotizing, making one dazed, unable to think normally, so one is more apt to be brainwashed.
On the women's team, practitioners are not allowed to drink water, except for the small amount of water in the vegetables served at each meal. Sometimes they are beaten in secret, but the cadres deny everything.
There are all kinds of work in the labor camp, including making colored lanterns, knitting sweaters, making cloth toys, embroidering slippers, and grinding gems. Other miscellaneous work varies with the season.
Stringing lantern beads, as I mentioned above, is part of making colored lanterns. Making colored lanterns is one of the main activities in the labor camp. During holidays there are decorations with lanterns and colored banners everywhere. Can you imagine that most of the beautiful lanterns are made by inmates under extremely arduous conditions? It is the same with embroidered slippers, cloth toys, necklaces, strings of beads, the stones mounted in utensils, and so on.
The work assignments in the labor camp are the amount one can finish from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Some inmates can finish the assignment after dinner, but most need to work until 11:00 p.m. or midnight. It was once heard that someone on the women's team died from exhaustion. After that, the labor camp gave an order to stop work by 11:00 p.m.
But actually, every team forces inmates to secretly work past 11:00 p.m. For example, the inmates in the gem team had to get up at 5:00 a.m. and go to bed at 2:00 a.m. next day. Even so, the director stated in the monthly meetings, "Our team's output last month is less than some other teams. This month we need to make greater efforts."
Extending or reducing the terms of detainment is chaotic in the labor camps. Any cadre member can alter an inmate's term for any reason. The cadres arbitrarily extend steadfast Dafa practitioners' terms. However, after all the practitioners protested these actions, the cadres restrained themselves somewhat. Even so, every practitioner's term was extended, and some were extended the maximum of one year.
Enslaved Falun Gong Practitioners Forced to Work on Preparations for Olympic Games
Falun Gong practitioners detained in Changle Labor Camp were forced to plant trees and dig ditches along the Jinan to Qingdao Highway as part of infrastructure improvements underway to prepare for Qingdao's participation in the 2008 Olympics. From March 30 to April 5, 2004, the administration of Changle Labor Camp sent detained practitioners to the center of Huangfu Village in Changle County (along the Jinan to Qingdao Highway) to dig holes, plant poplar tress, and dig ditches for the 2008 Olympic Green Belt.
Practitioners who were forced to work included those over 60 years old. Due to long-term malnutrition, poor living conditions, heavy labor, and being forbidden to practice Falun Gong, many practitioners felt very weak. Some of them had begun to practice Falun Gong as a way to improve their health, and being denied the freedom to practice was having a negative impact on them. Police shouted at them to work quickly, telling them that the hard work would help them "transform" (i.e. give up their belief).
They were all exhausted from being overworked. Many of them had never done such hard physical labor in their lives. Policeman Liu Xing-an, a key person in charge of Ward 2, reprimanded practitioners for working too slowly. Policewoman Ding Guihua, in charge of No.2 Ward, was involved in torturing practitioner Liu Shuchun to death. She insulted practitioners, claiming they could not do the work because they had learned Falun Gong.
People understand the Olympic spirit to embody courage and nobility, calling the Olympic flame a "sacred fire" passed on to humans by the gods. Jiang and his regime have tainted this spirit by enslaving Falun Gong practitioners in preparing for the Olympic Games.
We call on the International Olympic Committee to investigate this incident.
China: Husband Beaten to Death, Children Illegally Jailed in Prisons, Ms. Zhou Dongmei Has to Cry for Justice on Street
Ms. Zhou Dongmei used to live in Xishui County, Hubei Province. Her son, Nan Xiaoqing, a Falun Gong practitioner, has been detained at the Xishui County Police Department for 18 months now, and is currently in critical condition. Ms. Zhou Dongmei's husband, Mr. Nan Chuyin, was tortured to death for practicing Falun Gong.
Knowing her son's condition, Ms. Zhou went to the police department many times demanding his release, but the police refused. Having lost hope, Ms. Zhou and her daughter, Nan Tianju, went to the streets in the morning of October 11, 2004. They held poster boards explaining the injustice that their family is suffering. People on the streets were shocked to find out that Ms. Zhou's husband died from internal injuries caused by brutal beatings by the police. They could not believe that her son was being tortured to the brink of death. When Zhou and her daughter passed in front of the police department, where several police officers forcibly snatched away and smashed their boards. During the struggle, Zhou's three-year-old niece was frightened to tears. Some spectators criticized the police brutality, and others shed tears of sympathy.
On the morning of October 12, Ms. Zhou and her daughter again took to the streets with a poster board saying: "My husband died from persecution for practicing Falun Gong. My younger daughter was unjustly sentenced to six years in prison for practicing Falun Gong. My son, Nan Xiaoqing, has developed many serious illnesses after being detained for 18 months, and he is still not released. I demand that the government release my son." They went street by street crying for justice. When they walked in front of the county government building, a "110" police car and another police vehicle stopped in front of them. Two people got out of the car and five policemen came from the other vehicle. They took away Ms. Zhou's sign and forced Ms. Zhou and her daughter into the police car. They then left the scene quickly.
We appeal to the international community to condemn the crimes committed by the Chinese government and to rescue Nan Xiaoqing and his family.
Kurier Newspaper: Austria Bails Out Politically Persecuted Chinese National - Express Passport Allows a 32-year-old New Austrian to Travel Again
There has been a happy ending for a thirty-two year old politically persecuted Chinese living in southern Austria. Yong Wang was granted express Austrian citizenship, plus a passport, after the People's Republic of China revoked his freedom to travel.
The Austrian Government, outraged with the Chinese officials' action, expedited the request by the thirty two year old economist. Wang experienced, as an admitted Falun Gong adherent, political persecution. Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a meditation practice banned by the Chinese regime. Since 1999, according to information from the Vienna Falun Dafa information Centre, more than 100,000 practitioners of this practice have been persecuted and arrested in China.
Even in Austria, Wang suffered under the Chinese regime's dirty tricks. Thirty-two-year-old Wang lives with his Austrian wife and son in Vienna's Neustadt. During this summer, the Chinese Embassy refused his passport extension. Yong Wang told us, "I had no passport and was unable to travel. It was rather unpleasant."
In desperation, he applied for Austrian citizenship. This new Austrian will have a passport next week.
Translated from German at http://de.clearharmony.net/articles/200411/20224.html
Puerto Rico's Largest Newspaper La Primera Hora: A Discipline that Transforms Lives
Falun Dafa is based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Five sets of qigong exercises are part of the practice.
One of the aspirations of human beings is to have a good quality of life. To be able to have that, it is important to achieve harmony between the body, the mind and the spirit. Although that may seem difficult, there is an ancient Chinese discipline which establishes the possibility to reach such harmony in a way that is much easier than is often thought: it is called Falun Dafa. Also known as Falun Gong, this practice reached its peak at the beginning of the 90's, when it began to spread in its country of origin. Since then millions of practitioners around the world have shown their interest in the discipline, and assure that they have gained numerous benefits from the discipline as well as improved their general health.
"A human being is not just a body," says Pia-Maria Sandas, a practitioner of the discipline for the last five years. "Currently, doctors know that 70 percent of diseases are psychosomatic. So, that indicates how important it is to think beyond just the body," she explains.
Easy to Learn
Falun Dafa consists of two principal aspects: the practice and cultivation. The first part refers to the five exercises that belong to the group of exercises called qigong. "They are very easy to learn," Sandas emphasizes, who at the same time recognizes that although "ideally the five exercises are done together [in sequence]", each person can establish their own routine - taking into consideration the fast life style which is so common today.
"It depends on the time each person has (to do the exercises). I travel a lot and I don't have much time. Many times in the morning I do a few of the exercises which are done standing up, and in the evening I do the meditation exercise, or the other way around," says Sandas who is an executive of a well-known cosmetic company, for which she travels to different countries.
On the other hand, though this practice is somewhat similar to other disciplines such as Tai Chi or Yoga, Sandas explains that Falun Dafa "guides the person to a higher level and spiritual enlightenment." Moreover, it implies a routine, which is less complicated to learn. "There are people who have learned the practice through the Internet." A book that explains the exercises, as well as Zhuan Falun that explains in detail how to live by truthfulness, compassion and tolerance, are both written by Teacher Li Hongzhi, and can be downloaded from the web for free.
Learning Falun Dafa is free, which allows it to be more accessible. "No one can charge. It is taught voluntarily," she emphasizes. Neither is there a leader who represents an authority because "it is not an organization", she clarifies to rule out the idea of it being a cult or religion.
Spiritual Balance
The second aspect of Falun Dafa is the way of cultivation, which is based on the three universal principles: truth, compassion, tolerance. "The practice is based on five exercises and the cultivation is based on three words," explains the former Finnish model, who takes advantage of every opportunity in her itinerary to promote the practice that has changed her life.
In her particular case, Sandas confesses, "I now experience a harmony that I did not have before. My life was so much more chaotic before. I used to have a lot of worries, anxieties - I did not feel well. I did not have the balance or the happiness that I have today. Now I get along with everyone much easier, I feel much more peaceful inside, and my health has improved a lot. I used to have asthma and a lot of allergies. Springtime used to be terrible for me. Now I do not need any medication to control them, and I do not have allergies anymore," she gratefully explains.
"I know people who have been able to stop abusing drugs and alcohol because it [Falun Dafa] brings such internal peace, tranquility and better health. For example, it helps relieve tension and anxiety, increases energy and vitality, improves physical health significantly, and promotes spiritual development," Sandas says, in addition to emphasizing that all of this information is supported by scientific studies.
An International Practice
Taught for centuries from master to disciple, Falun Gong re-emerged in 1992
when Master Li Hongzhi, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recent years,
brought it out to the public. Today millions of people practice it in more than
60 countries, and for its contribution to society it has received more than 800
acknowledgements from well-known organizations, presidents, senators, government
leaders and other leaders in the international community.
For more information about Falun Dafa and on how to learn the exercises, you may
visit the website www.falundafa.org.
A Persecuted Practice
It is a practice that promotes truth, compassion and tolerance. Nevertheless, to practice it in China, its country of origin, could mean death. The practice of Falun Dafa was accepted during its resurgence in 1992, when Master Li Hongzhi began to disseminate the practice throughout the entire country, until 1999, the moment when former president Jiang Zemin decided to prohibit it and launched a persecution campaign. To justify the severe reprisals, which include the death penalty and imprisonment, Zemin categorized it as 'superstitious' and 'bad'.
"What is happening is very serious," Pia-Maria Sandas says with sadness. In addition to practicing the discipline, she is very dedicated to raising awareness about the other reality, which affects millions of Falun Dafa practitioners in the Asian country.
Up until today there are more than one hundred thousand people imprisoned in China for practicing Falun Dafa and 1,048 have been tortured to death by the authorities. "Thousands of healthy people have been put into mental hospitals, and they inject them with drugs that damage the nervous system; and many of them have for example been burned with irons. It is documented by Amnesty International," Sandas mentions. Other forms of torture that are used by the Chinese authorities include mutilation, sleep deprivation, rape, forced abortions, deprivation of food and electrocution. The executive also mentions how closely this reality has affected her through one of her best friends, Jane Dai, whose husband was tortured to death for practicing this discipline.
In view that the international community considers Falun Dafa an inoffensive practice, some analysts claim that one of the reasons for this persecution is the fact that in 1999 the discipline had more that 70 million practitioners. Apparently, the former Chinese President and current Head of the Military, Jiang Zemin, felt fear when he discovered the enormous number of people who practiced; it exceeded the number of communist party members. Heads of states of different countries and human rights organizations condemn the action of the Chinese Government, classifying it as genocide.
"Lawsuits have been filed against Jiang Zemin and his people in 18 countries," says Sandas. Among those who have expressed their condemnation are the president of the United States and the president of the European Parliament.
"We ask for help from the Puerto Rican people so that they will unite with other countries in this effort to stop the persecution in China," says Sandas with concern. "There are web sites where people can sign petitions. The people need to know the truth about what is happening".
Record Net (California): Film brings officials to Manteca - Chinese consul seeks movie's removal from festival
Published Thursday, November 4, 2004
MANTECA -- An independent film that was made to shock viewers and raise awareness about persecution in China has brought Chinese government officials to Manteca.
Shixun Yan, the Chinese consul general in San Francisco, and Vice Consul Zhang Wei Qing asked the Manteca Convention and Visitors Bureau on Tuesday not to show the movie "Sandstorm" at a film festival scheduled for Saturday, said Linda Abeldt, the bureau's executive director.
"Sandstorm," an independent film made in Toronto, has been shown at film festivals throughout the world, including in Moscow, New York City and India, and has won numerous awards.
The film tells the story of a Chinese police officer who is trapped in a sandstorm with a dying wife for 12 days. The officer begins to recall a woman who was tortured to death in a Chinese police station for not renouncing her belief in a spiritual practice called Falun Gong.
"Sandstorm" will be one of a number of independent international and domestic films being shown at the third annual Delta Film Festival this Saturday at PGM Theaters, 1355 N. Main St., Abeldt said.
She said the consular officials said the movie presented the Chinese government in a "bad light." Abeldt said she told them the bureau would not censor the film.
"We explained to them that this was one of the big differences in living in the United States," she said.
The consular officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Falun Gong is a worldwide practice followed by millions of people, including thousands in the United States. Practitioners take part in light exercises and meditation and live by a set of principles.
Michael Mahonen, the film's writer and director, said Chinese officials in consulates in Moscow and Houston had requested that the film not be shown at film festivals in those cities. He said the movie is based on true accounts and involved Falun Gong practitioners, some of whom were detained and tortured in China.
"It was virtually intended to shock them and wake them up to let them know what they were doing," said Mahonen, who is working on another movie script about persecution in China.
"Right now, as we speak, there are people being tortured."
Tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained arbitrarily in China since the spiritual movement was banned in July 1999, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.
The House of Representatives passed a resolution last year condemning the Chinese government for harassing, imprisoning and beating members of advocacy groups, including Falun Gong practitioners, for "demonstrating peacefully inside that country."
Pamela Liu, 38, practices the Falun Gong exercises and meditation at McKinley Park in Sacramento every weekend. She said it relieves stress and improves her physical health.
Liu, who was born in China, said her mother-in-law was detained for practicing Falun Gong's exercises and its three principles: truthfulness, compassion and forbearance.
She said she plans to go to Manteca this weekend to watch "Sandstorm."
"I just hope more people can see it," Liu said. "We want to let more people know the truth about the persecutions and to let people know that practitioners are innocent people."
DIT Online (South Africa): DIT backs Chinese student despite pressure from consul
DIT (Durban Institute of Technology) has backed a Chinese student's right to teach Falun Gong (exercises), a practice based on ancient teachings and similar to tai-chi which is banned in China, after the Chinese consul in Durban asked the institution to stop her.
Lin Li, an exchange student in the Department of Languages and Translation, has been holding free classes on Falun Gong for interested people during forum period on Wednesday and at 1pm on Fridays in front of the library at Steve Biko for the past two weeks. Li has also demonstrated Falun Gong in various parks near DIT.
However, Falun Gong is [...] banned (in China). Lin, who is 28, says she was imprisoned in China for 18 months after practicing Falun Gong there.
Two weeks ago, the Chinese consul general in Durban, Zhang Lianyun, paid a visit to Li's class, in which he denounced Falun Gong. Lin says at this meeting Zhang Lianyun warned her to desist from practicing and teaching Falun Gong.
Then last Monday, Zhang Lianyun met with Executive Director of Student Affairs Naziema Jappie, and requested that DIT stop Lin from teaching and practicing Falun Gong in public.
DIT spokesperson, Michelle Sprackett, said, " The Chinese Consulate met with Jappie last week to request that Lin Li stop practicing Falun Gong at the DIT. Jappie indicated to the consul general that the DIT supports freedom of speech and association and would not like to stop Lin Li. Jappie will be meeting with Lin Li soon to discuss the matter."
Lin said that on 19 October, she was told that Jappie wanted to meet with her. However, she said Jappie was not available when she arrived at her office, and she was told by her secretary that she was suspended from teaching her classes.
Li said when she did finally meet with Jappie, she presented her with materials explaining what Falun Gong is.
"The Chinese counselor told her that people were dying of Falun Gong. He didn't tell her the whole story," said Lin.
Asked for comment, Jappie told DITonline, "Due to freedom of speech, we can't stop her from what she's doing. It's not our policy to do so." She added that she would be meeting with Li to discuss the matter soon.
Lin has been in South Africa for three months, during which time she has taught (the exercises of) Falun Gong also known as Falun Dafa. According to www.religioustolerance.org, Falun Gong, (pronounced fah-luhn goong), relates to "the practice of the Wheel of the Dharma".
"Falun Gong refers to five sets of exercises, done to Chinese music and involving lotus postures and hand movements. Falun Dafa is the spiritual movement that practices Falun Gong. Increasingly, the movement itself is being called Falun Gong," explains the website.
Zhang Lianyun's secretary confirmed that he had met Li two weeks ago on Friday and with DIT last week Monday to discuss Li's teaching of Falun Gong at DIT. However, despite numerous phone calls from DITonline, refused to respond to questions about the incident. According to his secretary, Zhang Lianyun's would be unavailable till the middle of November. She added that he had no cell phone or email address on which he could be contacted.
"Actually, he's very busy. I don't think he has time to respond to you," said Zhang Lianyun's secretary.
Pata Ndamase, a second year electronic engineering student who observed one of Lin's classes last week, said, "If it's harming no-one, why should it be stopped? It it's good for your health I don't see why it should be stopped."
Kuena Mokuena, a first year IT student, said after completing one of Li's classes, "It's so wonderful and refreshing. I liked it from hearing about it. I'll try and bring more people to come here, so that they feel more refreshed too," she added.
Namshe Kunene, a second year accounting student, said, "I love it. You feel so relaxed afterwards, almost like you're floating," after coming to her second Falun Gong class.
According to www.religioustolerance.org, Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong, is a movement which "uses ancient Chinese methods to cultivate mind and body as a means of keeping fit and healing oneself".
According to the website, "Falun Dafa incorporates Buddhist and Taoist principles, and combines them with exercise and body cultivation ... The founder of the practice, Li Hongzhi, made the movement public in 1992 in China. The Chinese government soon became worried about the number of people practicing Falun Dafa, as the number of practitioners had exceeded the number of people in the Communist Party. Therefore, the government banned the Falun Gong from joining any other association."
In 1999, the Falun Gong group became outlawed. To find out more about Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, click here
Click here to read a letter that Li wrote detailing her experience in South Africa.
Last Monday, DIT's Monday Edition published a short article on Lin.
The Guardian (Tanzania): UDSM Condemns China's "Violation of human rights"
By Correspondent Nasser Kigwangallah
Monday October 25, 2004
Former President Jiang Zemin of China should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity, the University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Association has said.
In a press statement, the association has also condemned alleged Chinese government secret agents' June 28, 2004 attempted assassination of five Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa.
The attempt resulted in one of the practitioners becoming disabled, David Liang, who narrated his moving story on how he escaped death at the hands of the Chinese agents on Saturday during a public debate held at the campus' Nkrumah Hall in Dar es Salaam.
Liang said the agents trailed them at the Johannesburg International Airport with the explicit aim of killing them.
A two-page statement, signed by the association's president Bahati Tweve, expressed distaste for the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese government under the stewardship of Jiang.
The association expressed strong support for Falun Gong in all the legal procedures being undertaken to bring perpetrators to justice.
The statement said the Chinese government allegedly fears the practice of body and mind based on the universal principle of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.
"The University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights University members support efforts to bring Jiang Zemin to Justice for his crimes against humanity," reads part of the statement.
The association has also written to Dr. Koffi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Chinese Ambassador of Tanzania and the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland condemning China's crime against humanity.
Falun Gong Practitioners' Righteous Action in China
My Experiences Clarifying the Truth in a Detention Center
By a Falun Gong practitioner from Wuhan City
In April 2000, I was abducted and taken to Qingling Hongxia brainwashing center in Wuchang district. In the beginning, we were forced to do drills every morning. Falun Gong practitioners were open and upright cultivators. How could we listen to their illegal orders? When they gave directions, we did the Falun Gong exercises. Then they forced us to stand in the sun. Later they used more brutal torture methods, such as handcuffing our hands, handcuffing the hands behind the back, depriving us of food, and locking up the door like a prison. The personnel in the brainwashing center often brought in some political instructors to deform Falun Gong. We refused to listen and resisted by reciting "Lunyu" loudly.
Another time was in October 2000 when persecution was the cruelest. The unlawful personnel from the government abducted Falun Gong practitioners and detained them in a room all day long, depriving them of food. Falun Gong practitioners shouted out, "Falun Gong is good!" and "Falun Gong is the righteous Fa." Their voices were loud and clear, shaking the evil. Even the pedestrians in the streets could hear them. An official in the judiciary said, "As soon as I got out of the car, I heard your shouting." People in the streets said that there were a lot of Falun Gong practitioners detained there and they did not know what crimes Falun Gong practitioners had committed. The personnel of the brainwashing center felt passive and afraid at the same time
Therefore, they came to talk to us. I was very calm at that time and said to them, "We Falun Gong practitioners are all good people. Our Teacher teaches us to be better people and to have a high moral standard. It is not a crime to be good, but it is violating the constitution when Jiang suppresses good people." I pointed to myself and asked them, "Can you say that I am a bad person?" They became silent. Later the chief of the bureau came to talk with me. She said that she was moved after seeing our actions. She said, "We cannot understand your loyalty to your Master and your attachment to Falun Gong." In the end, she said, "You are risking your lives and being beaten for going to Beijing. You are detained in prison. What for? But you have no complaint or regret. Your spirit is very touching." When she was about to leave, she came to the door of my room and told me that she would go back to her work unit for good. Meanwhile her hands were held together in a fist, a sign to show me respect. I was also happy about her awakening.
The People Awaken to the Truth
Seeing Falun Dafa Practiced Overseas Awakens Visitors from China
By a Falun Gong practitioner from Hengyang, China
In my past experience of clarifying the truth to people in China, I found that two groups of people were very hard to awaken: teachers and government staff members. Most of these people were educated in schools and universities where they were indoctrinated with the atheism of the modern educational system. When they heard the word "God," they claimed that it was superstition and laughed at and criticized those who used the word as being "stupid and uneducated." A citizen's right of appeal is guaranteed by China's Constitution, but they label practitioners' legal appeals as "getting involved in politics." They insisted that if we persisted in doing something forbidden by the government, then we were against the government and challenging the country's sovereignty: therefore, we were political. The teachers and government staff members were reluctant to let me clarify the truth to them. Some even tried to avoid me.
Recently, I met several teachers from a county education bureau. Surprisingly, they brought up the topic of Falun Gong and actively talked with me. They said that when they visited Hong Kong during the summer vacation, they saw many banners stating, "Falun Dafa is Great," "Falun Dafa is Righteous," "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong," "Bring Jiang to Justice," and more. The banners were hanging everywhere along Hong Kong's streets and alleys. They also watched a big and wonderful Falun Gong parade. I immediately took the opportunity to clarify the truth further. They suddenly understood the whole story of Falun Gong and the persecution.
One time I brought my daughter to have a dinner with them. When they talked about the situation of Falun Gong in Hong Kong, my daughter took out several flyers and put them on the table. Each teacher took one and said, "While we were in Hong Kong, we were afraid and didn't dare take the practitioners' truth-clarification materials, not to mention taking them back home. Now, we are not afraid anymore."
Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experiences
Sick and Suffering Since Childhood Injury, Falun Dafa Practitioner Regains New Life
I am over 60 years old, and I wouldn't be alive today if I weren't practicing Falun Gong.
As long as I can remember, I was troubled with all kinds of afflictions. My eyesight was poor, and my mind was never totally sharp and clear. Shortly after I learned to walk, I stepped into a basin of scalding water and suffered third degree burns when I fell and the water washed over me. My skin peeled off all over my body and I could not open my eyes for seven days. I barely survived, but after that accident, I was afflicted with a multitude of conditions. I had very little appetite, and I could not bear to touch anything too hot or cold with my hands or feet. I could not eat anything too cold or spicy. I had intestinal inflammation and was cold all the time. Very often I suffered from headaches, stomachaches, joint pain, hearing loss, swollen liver and spleen, and sinus problems. My nose and mouth often festered. Because I would cough constantly due to the cold, my bronchial tube expanded and bled. Later on I had gastritis and my stomach atrophied, and bled when I slept. I was continuously undergoing one treatment or another, including both Western and Chinese medicine.
My condition became more and more serious. I had difficulty talking, as each word was a struggle. I could hardly breathe. Everything looked dark to me. I consulted with and was treated by all kinds of doctors, with no relief. The doctors said that my condition was hopeless.
I was fortunate enough to learn Falun Dafa in 1997. I learned what it meant to truly always think of others. I studied the Falun Gong teachings diligently and led my life according to the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." After four months, I could read even very tiny words, and gradually all my diseases disappeared. Falun Gong undoubtedly saved my life!
Since the persecution began in 1999, I have gone through a lot, but I have never forgotten what Falun Gong has done for me, and I will always remain steadfast.
Physically Weak and Suffering from Insomnia for Decades, My Life Changed After Practicing Falun Gong
I was born in a doctor's family. I heard from my Mom that I was born pre-maturely and was destined to be very weak physically from my infancy. She told me that I even had the chicken pox one more time than normal. The second time I had chicken pox, my eyes could not move. Due to the fact that my father was a doctor, I was rescued in time. Otherwise, I would have lost my life.
Before I retired in September 1997, in order to get good sleep, I had to take five sleeping pills and drink a bottle of beer at lunch. It was like this almost every day. The beer and the tablets were damaging my liver and heart. When I was young, I had chronic hepatitis, which was cured. However, my liver functioned very poorly for a long time. My energy level was so poor that if I slept a little bit less in the evening, I would get bad headaches the next day. I also had digestive problems and would have trouble going back to sleep if I woke up during the night. It seemed like any disruption at all in my routine would prevent me from sleeping. At that point, I had tried so many different treatments to no avail, and I was only 57 years old. I thought that after I retired, the only thing left to try was Qigong.
In September 1997, when I learned that I could retire early, I filled out the application. At this time, my cousin and her husband had started practicing Falun Gong. After learning that I had retired, they invited me to go to the practice site of the 930 Factory to do the exercises. At the beginning, I only did the exercises at night, and later we went to the practice site at Jinhua Park. This was during the Spring Festival, and I took on amazing changes after practicing Falun Gong for only three months. I did not need to take the sleeping pills that I had relied on for decades. I suddenly possessed the energy that I only dreamed about in my youth. Once I went to the railway station to pick up my niece, and because the train was delayed, I slept for only three hours that night. The next day, I felt perfectly fine and did the exercises and studied the Falun Gong teachings with no problem. This would never have been possible before I started practicing Falun Gong.
After being weak and unhappy for decades, my life changed completely. I felt so much better and could eat all kinds of foods that I dared not eat before. My wife remarked over and over on how much better I looked. When I rode my bike to my brother's place, I did not feel as tired as I was before. On the next day, I could still ride my bike to go to my other brother's place. My face turned a ruddy color, and my weight also increased to a healthy level. Everyone around me was amazed by my dramatic improvement. When one co-worker met me on the street, she was surprised and said, "If you did not say something to me, I wouldn't have recognized you." She said that I was completely a new person.
I am one of many, many cases in which Falun Gong changed the lives of its practitioners. Because of the amazing benefits that I have personally experienced, I will never stop practicing it.