News and Events from Around the World
Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experience
The People Awaken to the Truth
News and Events from Around the World
New York: Candlelight Vigil Held in Midtown Manhattan to Call for Justice, Conscience and Courage
On the evening of August 29, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners from across the world held candlelight vigils simultaneously in two locations in midtown Manhattan. One was outside the Waldorf Hotel on busy Park Avenue, the other at the intersection of 8th Avenue and 30th Street, close to the location of the Republican National Convention at 7th Avenue and 34th Street.
Altogether, nearly 1000 Falun Gong practitioners participated in the candlelight vigils. Thousands of dots of candlelight twinkled. The atmosphere was solemn but warm. Most practitioners wore yellow T-shirts and stood in orderly fashion, some practicing the Falun Gong exercises, some sending righteous thoughts. They looked peaceful and resolute.
The brutal persecution of Falun Gong over the past five years has not eradicated Falun Gong. On the contrary, it has been more like a contrast to practitioners' turning to be more mature, rational, compassionate and wise on their path of Fa rectification. A huge projection screen located at the intersection of 8th avenue and 30th street was playing the "Real Story of Falun Gong" and through a loudspeaker, a narrator was recounting stories and the greatness of Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, the amazing effect of Falun Gong in healing and fitness, the causes of and the brutality used in the persecution, and the compassion and courage that Falun Gong practitioners have displayed in face of it all. The narrator's voice touched people's hearts. Many passersby stopped to watch and ask for materials. To all people including police officers who passed by, all of these must have been very moving and unforgettable.
In the daytime, Falun Gong practitioners can be seen peacefully practicing the exercises, distributing flyers or explaining facts about Falun Gong to passersby on streets and avenues in Manhattan. In the evening, dots upon dots of candlelight conveyed to people a clear message: This persecution of the belief of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance is a persecution of the entire humankind and it must be stopped. Everyone has the responsibility to stand up to help stop this inhuman persecution.
The twinkling candlelight called for justice, conscience and courage. A great number of people expressed their indignation and condemned the persecution. Some representatives of the Republican National Convention also watched the anti-torture exhibits. They expressed their support and appreciation to Falun Gong practitioners.
South Korea Falun Gong Practitioners Appeal During the Visit of Chinese Leader Jia Qinlin
On August 26, a Chinese delegation led by Jia Qinlin, a committee member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo, began a four-day visit to South Korea. Korean Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of New Radisson Hotel Seoul where Jia and his delegation would reside, and held a peaceful appeal.
The practitioners unfurled banners that stated, "Bring Jiang, Luo, Liu, Zhou to Justice," and "Falun Dafa is Good." Other practitioners practiced the exercises and distributed flyers to passers-by to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and the persecution in China. Jia and his entourage didn't arrive until 5 o'clock in the evening. Finally, the practitioners were told that the Chinese visitors had already entered the hotel from the back door.
The next day (August 27), Falun Gong practitioners arrived at the hotel early and waited at every exit and intersection around the hotel. When Jia's motorcade passed by, they unfurled the banner. In the evening, more practitioners joined the appeal and the number of practitioners outside the hotel was close to one hundred. The peaceful activity ended after 9 p.m.
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Lin said that the purpose of the appeal was to send a message to Jia Qinlin, to let him know that anyone who followed Jiang's regime to persecute Falun Gong would only end up victimized by Jiang in the end. The people who were pressured by Jiang to commit crimes against Falun Gong needed wake up immediately and recognize their mistake. They should align themselves with justice and uphold righteousness for the Chinese nation and for themselves, and help to end the persecution of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."
It is reported that Korean practitioners in other cities also initialized a series of appeals during Jia's visit, until the delegation left Korea.
New York: Americans Condemn the Persecution of Falun Gong in China
According a report from the Epoch Times on August 25, 2004, dozens of Falun Gong practitioners held anti-torture exhibitions on August 21 and 22 on 5th Avenue near Central Park in New York City. The exhibitions attracted many passersby to watch. How do Americans view this on-going persecution of Falun Gong in China?
Ms. Marcia Delman is from New York, and she had never heard about the persecution before this exhibition. She said: "Torture is disgusting. It is surprising that such torture can still happen in this modern age. The Chinese government [Jiang group] fears everything, however, it should not fear Falun Gong. It [The persecution of Falun Gong] is totally unreasonable... I just signed a petition (to for call an end of the persecution). I will tell others. We will get the word out, and the Chinese government [Jiang group] will lose face in front of the world community for using such ridiculous torture methods."
The anti-torture exhibitions demonstrate torture methods such as the Tiger Bench, Bamboo Sticks and confinement in a small cage, and vividly re-enact the on-going persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Ms. Ma demonstrated "Confinement in a small cage." The suffering she demonstrated was so touching that many people took the initiative to ask for Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials. Ms. Ma came to the U.S. 4 years ago to visit her daughter. She found that her daughter, who used to be very weak, became very healthy by practicing Falun Gong. Moreover, her daughter's temper became much better than before. Contrary to the propaganda in China, all Falun Gong practitioners she has met are very nice. Soon after her arrival, therefore, she also started to practice Falun Gong and her high blood pressure and heart disease then disappeared.
"I felt horrible [upon seeing the exhibition]. It is very sad that the whole world is casting a blind eye on the persecution. The only reason is money--trade with China," A middle-aged gentleman who had learned about the persecution several years ago said, "U.S. government should do something to pressure the Chinese government. If the international community used economic sanction, China would for sure stop the persecution."
Next to the exhibition, several practitioners, including a 10-year-old and her mother, were demonstrating Falun Gong exercises.
"So Awful! Terrible!" James Wagner said. Pointing to practitioners who were demonstrating the exercises, he said: "Persecuting such a peaceful and beneficial practice! The Chinese government [Jiang group] just fears anything, and feels everything is a threat to its interests."
It was the first time Justin Jacobs heard about the persecution. He said: "So awful! People just want to do a practice which they feel is good and righteous, and they didn't do anything wrong. There is no reason to persecute them and the persecution is totally wrong."
"Shocked! I feel regret for the persecution," another lady said, "Everyone should be able to practice their beliefs. I can't understand why the [Jiang group persecutes Falun Gong]?"
A practitioner introduced Falun Gong and the persecution to passersby: "Since its first introduction to public in China in 1992, Falun Gong spread quickly across the whole nation and around the world. In just 7 years, more than 100 million Chinese practiced Falun Gong. This number is more than the number of Party members. This incited then Chinese president Jiang Zemin's jealousy. Jiang started to persecute Falun Gong 5 years ago. More than 100 million good citizens have been persecuted; more than 1000 have been persecuted to death."
Greece: Traditional Chinese Performances and Falun Gong Exercise in Athens
People in Athens are open and warm-hearted. While introducing Falun Gong in Greece, practitioners experienced this themselves as large crowds of people came to learn about Falun Gong, ask questions and support practitioners' efforts to stop the genocide against Falun Gong practitioners that is going on in China.
The summer in Greece is extremely hot so in the evening, when the temperature cools down, tourists go out to have dinner, and take a look around. Falun Gong practitioners also used this time to introduce Falun Gong in different places around Athens. The city is now full of people from all over the world due to the Olympic Games. The square in the centre of Athens was a perfect place for introducing Falun Gong as so many people were passing through.
As soon as a group exercise demonstration began, hundreds of people gathered around to witness the beautiful sight. Cameras were flashing and people were video taping the scene. Falun Gong has not been practised in Greece for that long, but after these successful evenings in Athens there will be many more people learning the exercises. Some people even started to learn them on the spot.
Flyers in different languages were distributed and small discussions were going on in different languages as people asked questions about Falun Gong. People used their time to read the posters and get all the information available to find out more. They learned that Falun Gong is an ancient traditional meditation and cultivation practice that is based on Truth, Compassion, Tolerance, and that it has been persecuted in China for the last five years due to the jealousy of the former president of China, Jiang.
As well as demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises and letting people know about the persecution practitioners performed music and dance for the people of Athens. Large audiences were attracted to these small outdoor concerts. Besides showing people traditional Chinese culture and music, the event was also a promotion for the upcoming musical evening that is going to be held in Athens today. A dance performer from Taiwan made people smile and laugh with her sweet, yet skilful movements. A group of ladies danced with colorful parasols to the song "Ode to the Lotus'. Some practitioners played Chinese classical instruments and sang songs. A group of Germans performed a song called " Falun Dafa Hao' (Falun Dafa is great). Invitations to the free concert were delivered to the large crowds in Greek, English and Chinese.
"Red China" Minister Sued in Former Red Capital
On August 9, a Russian resident filed a lawsuit in Moscow against top Chinese official Bo Xilai for persecuting Falun Gong in China. This is the fourth time the Minister of Commerce has been singled-out for crimes against humanity.
The plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit with the public prosecutor's office charging Bo, who had just completed a three day trip to Russia, with torture and genocide. As mayor of Dalian and governor of Liaoning Province, Bo orchestrated what experts claim has been a particularly brutal campaign in northeastern China.
Falun Gong, a spiritual practice claiming tens of millions of adherents, was banned in China in 1999 and has since received brutal treatment from the Chinese regime. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have documented thousands of cases of torture by Chinese authorities against members of the spiritual group, including 1023 death cases.
Plaintiff Li Dan, a Chinese Falun Gong practitioner who lives in Russia, was
detained three times in the province Bo governed. In February 2002, after being
tricked into going to a police station, Li was sent to a labor camp. During his
detention, guards beat and force-fed Li, a dangerous practice that has become a
primary cause of death among Falun Gong practitioners in custody.
Li's complaint, which was accepted and is being processed by Russia's
Inquisitorial Court, alleges that Bo led Liaoning Province authorities in
closely following Jiang Zemin's orders to eradicate Falun Gong. The resulting
systematic torture and killing fits the definition of genocide as outlined in
Article 357 of Russia's Federal Criminal Law Code, according to the suit.
This is the second time plaintiffs are citing the article to sue a Chinese official. Plaintiffs previously filed a lawsuit against former president Jiang Zemin under the same article at the end of June 2004.
When asked about the significance of the new lawsuit against Bo, John Jaw of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong said, "Russia has very close relations with China, as it was communist country before." Jaw says that this lawsuit shows that "other countries have independent judicial systems, unlike China."
Freedom House Press Release: APEC Should Press China on Religious Freedom [Excerpt]
Repression of Christians, Buddhists, and Falun Gong Members Reportedly Increasing
Finance ministers gathering next week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Santiago, Chile should publicly call on China to cease all religious persecution, Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom said today.
Recent developments in China point to increasing crackdowns on Chinese Buddhists, Christians and practitioners of Falun Gong.
"The finance ministers meeting in Santiago need to be pro-active in letting Chinese delegates know that their government's attacks on believers of any persuasion are unacceptable," said Center for Religious Freedom Director Nina Shea.
[...]
The Falun Dafa Information Center reports increasing government assaults against the 100-million-member Falun Gong meditation and exercise movement. In June and July, 48 Falun Gong members were reported tortured and beaten to death while in custody for refusing to renounce their beliefs. Torture techniques reportedly included brandings with hot irons, electric shock, and pepper oil applied to the mouth and genitals. One Falun Gong member, 32-year-old Zhu Xia, released on April 2 from custody in Xinjin county, Sichuan province, survived multiple rapes and torture, but has not recovered physically or emotionally and can no longer care for herself.
"There can be no justification for the gross mistreatment, imprisonment, and outright killing of Chinese citizens whose only offense is the peaceful observance of their personal religious beliefs," said Ms. Shea.
Germany: Federal Presidential Ministry Expresses Concern over the Human Rights Situation in China
Federal Presidential Ministry.
Spreeweg, 1
BERLIN.
August 3rd 2004
Dear.....
Mr. Koehler, Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, asked me to thank you for your letter, dated July 12th 2004. We appreciate you keeping us abreast concerning the Falun Gong adherents' situation in China, including the most recent South Africa event. The Federal President requested that I reply to your letter. The Federal President receives daily a large volume of correspondence from many sources. Therefore, we sincerely hope that you forgive us for responding on his behalf.
The Federal President has a high regard and deep concerns regarding human rights. This is especially true concerning such matters in China. Our predecessors have addressed human rights during all the meetings with former President Jiang Zemin and former Vice President Hu Jintao. Last year, D. Johannes Rau gave a speech on human rights at the University of Nanjing. We assume that you are aware of this event. A few weeks ago, Foreign Affairs Minister Fischer put great emphasis on adhering to human rights during his discussion with his Chinese counterparts.
We join you in the hope for human rights improvements in China. Such improvement is important to China's interests, because without the rule of law and safeguarding of citizens, especially concerning human rights, we do not believe that a modern society in China can be established.
We will assure you that the Federal President will be cognizant of your concerns before any future discussions with Chinese incumbents.
With best regards,
Translated from German at http://de.clearharmony.net/articles/200408/18784.html
Swiss Interprofessional Workers' Association Writes to Chinese Embassy to Express Concern Over Persecution of Falun Gong
Syndicat interprofessionel de travailleuses et travailleurs*
16, rue des Chaudronniers
case postale 3287
CH-1211 Geneva 3
Tel: 41 22 818 03 00
Fax: 41 22 818 03 99
www.sit-syndicat.ch
Geneva, 14 May 2004
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China
Attn: H.E. the Chinese Ambassador
Kalcheggweg 10
3006 Bern
Re.: The situation of Falun Gong practitioners in China
Your Excellency,
We hereby notify you that we have recently been made aware of the fate of some of your citizens in your country. We should like, consequently, to intervene on their behalf, as it seems meaningful and important for us to bring to your attention the following:
These persons [citizens] are practitioners of Falun Gong, a discipline practised worldwide, and based on physical exercises and meditation.
For several long years now, the Chinese Government has undertaken a series of measures to put an end to the development of this practice. Even worse, President Jiang Zemin, head of Government at that time, was to make the decision to prohibit Falun Gong and to persecute its practitioners.
From different reports, therefore, mainly from human rights organizations, it appears that there are hundreds of people who have been arrested and imprisoned, and who still remain locked up in forced labour camps.
Aside from the criticism expressed by China in regard to this population group - as to any other group, we may add - nothing could justify such a policy on the part of your former President who we know continues to exert considerable influence on the politics of your country.
May we remind you that the acts of violence for which your State is criticized are manifestly in violation of the relevant international conventions. In arresting, imprisoning and killing citizens for having practised a discipline that in no way disregards the internal security of your State, the leaders of your Government are violating several clauses in international law, and particularly the United Nations conventions and covenants on human, civil and political rights.
We request you, therefore, to kindly convey our concerns to your Government and ask you to bring pressure to bear on the latter in order to stop these practices immediately and allow individual human rights to be fully respected in the People's Republic of China.
Concerned particularly by the protection of the rights of workers (both female and male) worldwide, and driven by a strong sense of social and civil justice that we dare to believe is universal and shared by your country, we hope that this letter will receive your undivided attention.
We thank you in anticipation of your future action.
Accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
For SIT (Signed): Séverin Guelpa
Association Secretary
* Interprofessional Workers' Association
cc: Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations at Geneva
Swiss Falun Gong Association, Geneva
US Congressman Dennis Moore: I Share Your Outrage at the Chinese Government's Treatment of Falun Gong Practitioners
On July 22, 2004, US Congressman Dennis Moore, from third District, Kansas, wrote to Falun Gong practitioners to express his outrage at the Chinese Government's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.
Congressman Moore wrote in the letter: "Like you, I am deeply concerned about China's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. Partly because of these concerns, I wrote to the Norwegian Nobel Institute to recommend Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2002. I believe Mr. Li's campaign for the freedoms of belief, speech, and assembly over the past eight years deserves international recognition. Furthermore, I believe that the consideration of Mr. Li for the Nobel Peace Prize will help to focus the world's attentions on the plight of Falun Gong practitioners in China."
"You may also be interested to learn that in the last Congress I cosponsored two resolutions (H.Con.Res. 68 and H.Con.Res. 188) expressing the sense of Congress that China should stop its persecution of religious practitioners and safeguard fundamental human rights. Both resolutions call on the Chinese government to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners and stop the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments against practitioners."
Congressman Moore said: "I share your outrage at the Chinese government's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. Let me assure you that I will continue to monitor the situation and to work for advances in human rights in China. Thank you again for contacting me. I hope you will continue to keep in touch and please feel free to let me know whenever I may be of assistance."
Canada MP Keith Martin Urges South African Government to Investigate the Drive-by Shooting of Falun Gong Practitioner
Victoria, BC
July 20, 2004
Via Fax: (613) 741-1639
Her Excellency Theresa Mary Solomon
High Commission of the Republic of South Africa
15 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1M 1M8
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you about an incident reported to me by a concerned constituent of mine. On June 28, 2004 there was a drive-by shooting somewhere en-route from the Johannesburg airport to Pretoria that allegedly targeted a Falun Gong Practitioner, David Liang. There is concern that this was a premeditated attack by hit men hired by the Chinese government. If this allegation is indeed the truth, I am urging the South African government to condemn this act of violence, to conduct an investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Could you please address this issue and respond to my constituency office?
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Keith Martin, M.P
Esquimalt - Juan de Fuca
Switzerland: Statement by International Educational Development Supporting the Lawsuits Filed by Falun Gong Practitioners Outside China
On August 6 2004, at the fifty-sixth session of the UN's Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, regarding Item 6: "Specific Human Rights Issues," a representative of International Educational Development brought before the meeting the lawsuits filed by Falun Gong practitioners outside China and expressed her organization's support for the action taken by the practitioners. The following is an excerpt of her statement.
" In our statement under this item in 2001 we presented the 'State Terrorism' in China regarding the millions of Falun Gong practitioners. Since that time, courts in the United States have ruled against officials in China who were served while in the United States for gross violations of human rights against Falun Gong practitioners. Our organization participated in several of these successful legal actions. We are now pleased to report that courts in Tanzania have shown the same inclination to allow domestic legal action, as on the 3rd August 2004 a Tanzanian court issued a preliminary judgment against a member of the Chinese state council. We also note the shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner in South Africa on the 28th June 2004. This victim is an Australian, who had arrived in South Africa to file criminal lawsuits against Chinese officials visiting South Africa who are alleged to be responsible for the office in China responsible for the reign of terror against Falun Gong. We are pleased that the authorities in South Africa are investigating this. However, we must point out that the Chinese authorities have pursued Falun Gong practitioners outside of China for some years."
48 Falun Gong Deaths Reported in June and July
Medieval torture devices used regularly in labor camps
The deaths of 48 Falun Gong practitioners in China were verified during June and July. Most were tortured or beaten to death.
Information about the torture or killing of Falun Gong practitioners is officially classified as 'state secrets' in China, and therefore, people who uncover and publicize such evidence do so at great risk to themselves.
Many have been killed simply for publicizing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. (news)
The following are a few of the 48 cases reported:
Mr. Zhang Jianhua was found dead after being beaten and left on a restraining bed in Jilin Prison. A restraining bed is a torture device where the victim is tied to the bed with the limbs stretched to their extremity in four directions. A roll of quilt is inserted under the person's body, and the body is then lifted, stretching all four limbs even more. There are reportedly 17 restraining beds in Jilin prison.
Over 100 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death in Jilin province.
Ms. Wang Yaping suffered from bone and liver cancer until 1995. However, her illnesses disappeared through practicing Falun Gong. In 2001 she went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop the persecution and tell them about the benefits of Falun Gong. She was arrested by police and shocked with electric batons. Two of her teeth were knocked out and she was forced to do slave labor. As a result of the prolonged torture Wang eventually became paralyzed and passed away.
Ms. Wang Liyan from Mudanjiang City was arrested for handing out information about the persecution of Falun Gong to fellow Chinese citizens. The police suspected that she knew the location where the materials were printed so they tortured her for six days and nights, but she refused to reveal any information.
She subsequently died of her injuries.
Of the 26 Falun Gong Practitioner deaths verified in June at least half were people over 50 years old. Their names are: Xu Fuzhi, Wang Chuanping, Yang Jinying, Wang Juan, Li Zhen, Chen Ziaoqin, He Shaohuai, Jing Shuhua, Lin Youhui, Wang Yaping, Han Junqing, Li Yansong, Zhang Jianhua, Liu Xiaodong, Bi Guohua, Wang Shujun, Wang Jinzhong, Meng Qingxia, Zhang Shouxin, Zhu Jun, Cui Fu'e, Cheng Zhongzhan, Qi Shuzheng, Shu Zhusi, Shi Yueqin and Mo Niewu.
Most of the deaths revealed in July were women. They are: Cheng Zongzhan, Qi Suzhen, Li Zhi, Liu Yuzhu, Zhu Yulian, Wang Xiaodong, Jiang Yong, Li Guangzhen, Wang Liyan, Zeng Weibi, Li Qiu, Chen Fenglin, Yang Yun, Huang Dengfang, Cao Jinling, Dong Dejun, Chang Shuzhen, Gong Xuezhi, Qu Jie, Zhou Dehong, Wang Zuodian and Yang Hongyan.
Slave-Like Conditions in Shizishan (Lion Mountain) Forced Labor Camp, Wuhan City
By a Falun Gong practitioner in China
When I was jailed in the Shizishan Forced Labor Camp in Wuhan City, I personally experienced its slave-like conditions. In that camp, the imprisoned practitioners suffer physical and mental torture, economic exploitation, and personal humiliation.
Of the four squadrons in the camp, the second and third each jailed several hundred Falun Gong practitioners. Camp authorities forced the prisoners to make tinfoil sheets by hand, which is harmful to one's health. They have to prick open the machine-pressed tinfoil paper with a bamboo stick, then manually press the tinfoil onto yellow paper using an anvil. The finished products are for overseas markets. Each of us had to complete two thousand pieces everyday. However, some of the jailed practitioners were too old to complete their quota, and some with poor eyesight couldn't make a perfect product. This meant that they would be physically punished at night. They were subjected to beatings, starvation, sleep deprivation, and other physical tortures such as standing absolutely still for extended periods, bending over with the arms stretched high backward in the "flying the airplane" position and "digging the wall corner" (see Appendix below). In addition, the camp fined them from dozens to hundreds of yuan, depending on the percentage of their quota left unfinished. Some were beaten or cursed at in the shop.
Several hundred people were confined in the shop, where no fans are allowed and no window can be opened in order to prevent the paper from blowing away. We had to eat dinner in the shop, even though tin powder pervaded the air, mixing with the bad food and getting into our lungs with each breath and jeopardizing our health. After working for fifteen hours everyday, the steadfast practitioners or those who didn't finish the quota would be abused or tortured by the guards. The guards used every means imaginable to shorten the sleeping time for the Falun Gong practitioners. They forced the practitioners to wipe the floor with their hands or remove some tough dirt with their bare hands. If someone's attention faltered for a single moment, that person would be cursed and beaten.
Appendix:
1. "Dig the wall corner"
This is one of the most common tortures in forced labor camps. Facing the wall with both arms kept behind, the victim's head must lean against the corner of the wall. Then the victim must step back until his/her body forms a 45-degree angle with the wall. (The body, the floor and the wall create a right triangle, with the body forming the hypotenuse.) The victim is forced to remain in this position for hours and eventually causes a groove in the victim's forehead deep enough to insert a pen. The victim is soaked with sweat or even falls unconscious. Those who cannot maintain the posture are beaten and kicked.
2. Squat down
Another common torture in forced labor camps, this posture looks simple but maintaining it for a long period of time is harmful enough to cause permanent damage. The victim is forced to squat down with the left leg extended and the right shin and thigh forming a 90 degree angle, the right thigh parallel to the ground, both hands on both knees, no contact between feet and hip, the upper half of the body kept straight and still. The victim is forced to keep the posture unless using the toilet or eating dinner. If the torture lasts a long time, it will injure the victim's muscles and nerves, and cause permanent damage. The inmates beat or kick the practitioner if he/she changes the posture even a little bit.
3. Bridge
This is one of the tortures used by Group 3 in the Sayang Forced Labor Camp. With the victim lying flat on the ground, the perpetrators stack four or five bricks at either end of the victim. The victim becomes a board supported by two piles of bricks at each end. The victim is forced to keep his/her body absolutely straight, suspended in the air, for long periods of time. If the victim relaxes the posture even a little bit, the guards will beat him/her with belts or electric batons.
Abducted and Persecuted - The Story of Two Practitioners from Guangzhou, China
In May 2004, the "610 Office" in Tianhe, a district of Guangzhou City, abducted two Falun Dafa practitioners named Chen Chunli and Gao Dandi. The apartment that they rented in Dongpu Tianhong Garden of the Tianhe district in Guangzhou City was searched. The police confiscated their computer, laptop, cash and other property.
Chen Chunli was sent to the Tianhe Brainwashing Class in Guangzhou City. In July 2004, she was transferred to the Tianhe Detention Center in Guangzhou City. Another Dafa practitioner named Gao Xianmin was persecuted to death in this detention center in 1999. It was said that Chen Chunli was arrested and sent to the procurator for trial.
In May 2004, Gao Dandi was illegally sent to the so-called Chatou Legal System School, which is actually a brainwashing class in Guanzhou City. He has been steadfast and refused to cooperate or be transformed. In June 2004, he escaped from the brainwashing class with righteous thoughts.
The relatives and friends of Chen Chunli and Gao Dandi were also threatened. Because nobody knew Chen Chunli's situation, Gao Dandi came back to Guanzhou and hoped to rescue Chen Chunli. However the "610 Office" didn't leave him alone. On July 31, 2004, Gao Dandi left home to escape persecution and his whereabouts are unknown as of today. On August 1, 2004, his family was informed by the "610 Office" that Gao Dandi had been abducted again.
Gao Xueqi (childhood nickname Dongdong) is one and half years old. Since his mother, Chen Chunli, and his father, Gao Dandi, were abducted, his maternal grandparents were devastated both spiritually and physically, and their economic situation is not good and they are unable to raise the child. They had to send him to his paternal grandparents' home in Chongqing City. The former workplace of his grandparents is in bad shape financially, and they survive by relying on social insurance.
Since their son and daughter-in-law were abducted, this old couple has been upset and their health is getting steadily worse and they have no energy to raise this poor child. Each time Dongdong asks about his father and mother, the paternal grandparents only have a tearful look and cannot tell him the truth.
Partial List of Products Produced by Detained Falun Gong Practitioners in Chinese Forced Labor Camps
The following table summarizes slave labor practices inside Chinese forced labor camps. The information was extracted from a series of reports titled "The story behind making China's 'Sanitary' Chopsticks -- Exposing Slave Labor Practices inside Chinese Labor Camps (Parts 1 to 4)." It is thus by no means all-inclusive about the details of the widespread practice of slave labor.
|
Name of the camp |
Products |
Sponsoring Company |
Market |
Intensity of demanded labor |
|
Beijing's City Labor Education Bureau in Daxing County, Beijing, |
Sanitary Chopsticks |
n/a |
Small restaurants |
From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., sometimes work until the middle of the night to pack 7,500 to 10,000 chopsticks |
|
Xin'an Forced Labor Camp in Beijing |
Toy bunnies |
Beijing Miqi Toy Company |
Nestle Company |
n/a |
|
Shuangkou Forced Labor Camp in Jianjin |
Sanitary chopsticks, vegetarian kabobs with bamboo skewers |
n/a |
China |
From morning to night |
|
Jainxin Labor Camp in Tianjin City |
Selection of melon seeds, wrapped candy, folded cookie trays |
n/a |
China |
16 to 17 hours daily |
|
Dalian Forced Labor Camp in Dalian City, Liaoning Province |
Sanitary chopsticks, embroidered products, dry flowers, hand knitted hats or cellular phone cases, selected beans, sea weed knots, plastic flowers, popsicle sticks, coffee straws, hand made wool coats and buttons |
n/a |
Sanitary chopsticks exported to Japan |
From morning to night |
|
Shibali Forced Labor Camp, Henan Province |
Wigs, tapestries, garnitures and embroidery |
n/a |
n/a |
From dawn to dusk |
|
Hewan Forced Labor Camp in Wuhan City |
McDonalds' toys including eagle and bear toys |
n/a |
McDonalds |
From 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. next morning |
|
Longshan Labor Camp, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province |
Process and pack candles, holidays decorations, wrapped candy, etc |
n/a |
Export |
6 or 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but sometimes, extended to 1 and 2 a.m. the next day |
|
Dashaping Detention Center in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province |
Zhenglin watermelon seeds |
Zhenglin Melon Seeds Corporation, a well-known company in Gansu Province with foreign investment |
Export to USA, Canada, Australia and other countries in Asia |
From dawn to dusk; detainees are forced to sit in a squatting position |
|
Xiguoyuan Detention Center, Gansu Province |
Zhenglin watermelon seeds |
Zhenglin Melon Seeds Corporation |
Export |
From dawn to dusk; detainees are forced to sit in a squatting position |
|
Henan Province's No. 3 Labor Camp, (Xuchang City Labor Camp) in Xuchang City |
Wig products |
Rebecca Hair Products inc. |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Langfang Detention Center, Hebei Province |
Sanitary chopsticks and selected beans |
n/a |
China |
From morning to afternoon for more than ten hours |
|
Jiamusi Forced Labor Camp in Heilongjiang Province |
Making cell phone cases, flax car seats, food boxes using toxic glues |
n/a |
China |
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. nonstop |
|
Shandong Province No. 1 Female Forced Labor Camp |
Handmade quilts for export and pasting brand-name labels on products |
Shandong Lider General Corporation Ltd, Tianyi Printing Company Ltd. |
Export to US, Canada, Chile, Europe, Korea, Singapore and other countries |
Work performed in a basement for 12 to 15 hours per day |
|
Changchun Heizuizi Female Forced Labor Camp in Jilin Province |
Masks, baby cloth, handicrafts, picking beans |
Changchun Nanguan District Sanitation Materials Factory (Mask Processing Factory) and Changchun Yuping Crafts Factory |
Japan, US, etc |
500 masks per day, even though one can only finish 300 pieces in a regular work day 100-150 baby cloths 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
|
Yitong Detention Center, Yitong Manchu Autonomous County, Jilin Province |
Handcrafted Artificial B |
n/a | n/a | n/a |
Letter to Editor Regarding Anti-Torture Exhibition in Washington DC Questions Media Turning a Blind Eye to the Persecution
On August 7, 2004, in the U.S. Capital, Washington DC, Falun Gong practitioners held a live re-enactment of torture methods used against fellow practitioners in the persecution in China. Kery Nune from Annandale, Virginia wrote a letter to the editor of the Magic City Morning Star in which she criticized media for turning a blind eye to the persecution.
The following is the text of her letter, which was published August 22.
Dear Editor:
A torture exhibit held on August 7 outside the Washington, DC Convention Center depicting the Chinese government's mistreatment of people who practice Falun Gong was very shocking. More shocking than the real life actors appearing bruised and bloodied, is the fact that the U.S. State Department and human rights organizations documented this cruel punishment of the spiritual group yet it is not in the news.
Nearly all Americans are familiar with the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, yet the media seems to have turned a blind eye to an even larger population being persecuted to death today. One-hundred thousand people who practice Falun Gong are in forced-labor camps in China. Women have been raped by Chinese policemen or they are thrown naked into jail cells with criminals sometimes resulting in unwanted pregnancies. Children, including honors students, are thrown out of school. Further, many children become orphans when their parents are arrested or beaten to death by the Chinese government. What is their crime? It is simply their belief. These people are harmless yet they are treated worse than dogs.
While I understand that not all media cover China in great detail, I am surprised that I haven't heard more reports about a U.S. congressional resolution (H Con Res 304 with 74 co-sponsors) urging the Chinese government to stop harassing and intimidating people who practice Falun Gong right here in the United States! Chinese, who come here to avoid persecution in China, have been subject to Chinese government surveillance, death threats, break-ins to their homes, and even a car was set on fire. To top it off an American is imprisoned in China for attempting to reveal the human rights abuses to the Chinese public. Despite Dr. Charles Lee's U.S. citizenship, he has been deprived of his legal rights and subjected to severe torture. When foreign government's go after U.S. nationals or when our citizens are imprisoned abroad, the American public has a right to know.
Until now, I have seen reports simply stating that Falun Gong says it has been "mistreated" by the Chinese government, coupled with China's anti-Falun Gong propaganda to justify its actions. I've only seen a couple of Washington Post articles and one Wall Street Journal article explaining China's political motivation for labeling Falun Gong as a [slandering word omitted]. Falsely labeling innocent people in order to eradicate them is very serious. And if reporters outside of China are not covering this, how can the public know what is happening?
As genocide began in Rwanda, reporters were busy covering the Tanya Harding story. And during the early years of the Holocaust, major newspapers in the west downplayed the human rights violations in Germany, which quickly turned to genocide. This massive persecution was a human tragedy that we should learn from. But perhaps, far worse than that tragedy, is allowing history to repeat itself.
Sincerely,
Kery Nunez
Annandale, Virginia
Canadian Newspaper Burnaby Now Reports on Falun Dafa Practitioners' Meeting with City Council
By Jullie MacLellan, Burnaby Now reporter
In its August 11 edition, correspondent Jullie MacLellan, writing for the newspaper Burnaby Now, reports from a recent City Council meeting at which Falun Dafa practitioners appealed for help against the state-terrorist policies of Jiang Zemin's followers in China. The main focus of the discussion centered around a recent incident in which Falun Gong practitioners were targeted by gunmen in South Africa. According to the report, Falun Dafa spokesperson Sue Zhang related the following facts:
"On June 28, nine Falun Gong practitioners from Australia arrived in that country to help raise awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong, as well as the role of two visiting Chinese officials.
While on the way from Johannesburg airport to Pretoria, a white car overtook them and fired at least five shots at their vehicle.
The driver, Australian David Liang, was hospitalized with bullet wounds after being shot in his feet.
Johannesburg police have characterized this incident as attempted murder," Zhang told the council, noting that a random shooting incident has been ruled out.
A number of factors backed up that suggestion: Liang was, at the time, the only passenger wearing a yellow jacket with the words Falun Dafa on it; there was no robbery; the gunmen were armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Sadly, Zhang told the council members,, it's not an isolated incident.
She said Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted and tortured in China. She said more than 1,000 people have been verified as dead from torture in custody, thousands more sent to mental hospitals for persecution and over 100,000 placed in labor camps.
And she noted that persecution has been "exported," with incidents happening around the world.
Noting that in Burnaby, practitioners gather at Central Park, Simon Fraser University and the Metrotown Library, as well as taking part in local celebrations such as the Hats Off Day parade, Ms Zhang urged the council members to become informed about the persecution of Falun Gong that is happening around the world, and to write to federal ministers in support of a case being brought by a Canadian citizen, Kunlun Zhang, against Chinese officials
Mayor Derek Corrigan said, "All of us encourage Burnaby citizens to learn more about the persecution."
He suggested that, if people find they want to get involved, they should contact their MPs and federal cabinet ministers.
"Hopefully, worldwide attention is going to be able to help bring these human rights abuses to an end," he said.
More information about Falun Gong and the Kunlun Zhang case is available online at www.faluninfo.net.
Crosswalk (CNSNews.com) Reports that a Worldwide Campaign is Forming to Highlight Human Rights Abuses Ahead of the Beijing Olympics
Original report filed by Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief
August 24, 2004
CNS news is reporting that as the Olympic Games come to a close this weekend, many groups around the world are gearing up for a four-year effort to draw attention to the human rights record of the authoritarian government that will host the next summer event.
The article goes on to say: "At Sunday's closing ceremony, the city of Athens will hand over the Olympic flag to representatives of the city of Beijing. In 2008, China's capital will host what will likely be the most politically-charged Olympics since Hitler's Berlin hosted the Games in 1936.
Some human rights groups would like to see a boycott of Beijing 2008, but most are taking another approach, hoping that the event -- and the years leading up to it -- will provide new opportunities to highlight China's human rights violations and force improvements.
When the International Olympics Committee (IOC) in July 2001 picked Beijing over four other candidate cities vying to host the 2008 games, groups like Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres or RSF) called for a boycott.
The Paris-based watchdog said there were as valid reasons for boycotting Beijing as there had been to justify the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980, when 60 nations stayed away to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Since the OIC decision, RSF says the repression of dissident movements and ethnic or religious minorities in China has not stopped.
That appears to be the view held by many monitoring bodies, including the U.S. State Department, whose annual report on human rights around the world enumerates "a broad range of abuses by the communist authorities."
The article stated that in its most recent report, the US State Department accused Beijing of "backsliding" on its rights record during 2003. It cited extra-judicial killings; the arrest of democracy activists, Christians, journalists and labor protestors and the repression of the Falun Gong meditation movement, among others.
China, the report went on, is very sensitive about international criticism of its rights record.
"For the past five years in a row, China's State Council has issued a report accusing the U.S. of abuses and slamming its foreign policies, just days after the State Department releases its annual global evaluation.
And whenever the U.S. has sponsored a resolution at the annual U.N. Human Rights Commission gathering in Geneva censuring Beijing for abuses, China mobilizes sufficient support to prevent the measure from being brought to a vote - or even debated.
It is this sensitivity that human rights organizations are hoping to exploit in the run-up to 2008.
As the Athens Olympics draws towards a close, an organization based in Prague called Olympic Watch says it is intensifying its campaign for human rights and democratic reform.
The group, which was established as a result of Beijing's selection as Olympic host, plans to draw attention over the next four years to the situation in the world's most populous country and press for improvement.
In New York, Human Rights Watch on Monday launched a new "China Olympics Watch" website, with the same aim in mind.
"Responsibilities come with the international prestige China receives by hosting the 2008 Olympic Games," said the organization's Asia division director, Brad Adams.
"An embarrassing record of continuing human rights abuses is no way to welcome the world to Beijing."
Human Rights Watch called on the IOC to press China for freedom of expression, not just for the thousands of foreign journalists who will visit for the event, but for all Chinese citizens before, during and after the Games."
Radio Free Asia: Chinese Embassies Refuse Passport Extensions for Falun Gong Practitioners
Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on August 26 that more than ninety Chinese Falun Gong practitioners living in 19 countries overseas were refused passport extensions by their Chinese embassies. Chinese student Qing Li of Stanford University, USA talked about the refusal of her passport extension. The following story is based on an RFA report on August 26 in San Francisco.
Ms. Qing Li came to the USA in 1996 as a student and now is a post-doctoral candidate at Stanford University. She began practicing Falun Gong after she came to the US. Her passport was valid until July 2001. On April 19, Ms. Qing applied to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco for a passport extension. She did not receive any response for a long time.
Ms. Li said, "I called the Passport Division. Upon hearing my name, the person who answered the phone said, 'How come you are asking me? You attend activities against the government.' He then hung up on me. I did not have any other choice, so I asked my advisor to write a letter to the consulate."
"My advisor said immediately, 'This is a very good student, how come her citizenship is refused?' He sent a fax to the consulate. At the same time, I asked for help from the director of the International Student Center. He was indignant too. He said, 'Ten years ago, they treated students from the Tiananmen democracy movement like this. We contacted them but they refused to respond.' He said, 'However, for you, I'll help you and contact them.' He sent a fax too."
Qing's advisor and the director of the International Student Center did not get any response from the consulate after sending the faxes. Without other options, Li Qing went to the consulate in person. She told officials in the consulate that Falun Gong helps people to improve health and to be good people. Then what was the result?
Ms. Li said, "The consul in the Passport Division said mercilessly, 'Practicing Falun Gong is illegal.' He refused to extend my passport."
Since July 2001, Qing Li is a Chinese student being deprived of her citizenship. Qing said, "I was born and grew up in China. My Chinese citizenship is my basic right. What the consulate is doing does not any basis on any rule or law. We Falun Gong practitioners ask for our passports again and again. I have asked them to give me a written statement. But they never issue a written statement."
It was learned that many of the Falun Gong practitioners who were refused for passport extensions fell into a dilemma of having no legal status overseas, but were unable to return to their home country.
Qing said, "We are currently contacting the United Nations and human rights organizations to stop this kind of act and to get back our passports. On the other hand, if there is any danger to us, we hope to get support."
Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experience
Husband's Stomach Cancer, Wife's Heart Disease Disappear after Practicing Falun Gong
By Zhiwu, a Falun Gong Practitioner in China
I am a Falun Gong practitioner in Baishan City, Jilin Province. I was formerly afflicted with stomach cancer before practicing Falun Gong on November 19, 2003. I am very healthy and happy now. It is Falun Gong that saved my family, because as a result of my experience, my whole family began the practice.
On June 18, 2003, I was near death from my illness. The doctor had diagnosed me with late stage stomach cancer. My wife did not tell me the truth, and said I was sick with an ulcer. But I found they were always weeping behind my back. Then I asked my wife, "Am I sick with stomach cancer?" She thought I knew, then cried out loud, "Since you know, I will not hide it from you. You have stomach cancer; please look at it with a bigger heart and you will be cured."
I knew this disease had no cure! I was the main support of the family. My wife was not well. She had slipped a disc about a year ago and could not do any heavy labor. Our child needed money to learn job skills. My wife's condition had not improved despite much money spent on her. Facing such heavy financial pressure, I felt the sky was about to fall. How could we live our lives! I cried together with my wife, as neither of us could bear the pressure.
For the sake of our child and our livelihood, we ran a small business to survive. My wife stopped taking medicine to save money for my treatments. I took a lot of medication, but nothing worked. I was getting thinner and thinner. My wife saw me getting worse. She was often crying behind my back and worrying about our financial difficulties. She then developed heart disease and a deteriorating retina condition. Bad things kept happening one after one another.
We had lost hope. My wife wanted to commit suicide many times. When we were at this dead end, my old schoolmate saw me. She asked, "How come you are so thin? Are you sick?"
I answered, "Yes, I am terminally ill."
She said, "If that is true, I can help you."
She invited me to her home and took a book out. She said, "Read this book at home. My younger sister's lymphatic cancer was cured from reading this book. Not only she was cured, her health is better than ever." I gladly received the book known as, Zhuan Falun, from her.
I immediately took the book back home and began reading it. The more I read, the more I felt that it was a precious book containing many profound principles. I clearly realized that Falun Gong was a high level practice from the Buddhist branch teaching people to be good, and to assimilate with the characteristics of the universe, "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance." I realized the profound inner meaning inside this book, and also started learning the 5 Falun Gong exercises, and practiced them daily while I continued to read through the book. After 15 days, a miracle happened. My stomach stopped hurting, I was able to do many things that I could not before. My wife, who only had a superficial understanding of Falun Gong expressed and interest in learning to practice it too when she saw my sudden health improvements.
We were practicing together for 20 days when another miracle happened. Her heart disease disappeared, and her retina problem fully recovered. She used to have difficulty even putting on her socks, but now she can carry the large laundry basket. Her illnesses disappeared and she became very healthy.
I went to the doctor to have my stomach checked. The cancer was gone, and my weight had increased by almost 20 pounds.
The miracle of Falun Gong brought our family boundless fortune, and also amazed all our friends and family members. They were wondering why Jiang Zemin and his political followers were prohibiting people from practicing Falun Gong which they clearly saw was such a good practice. Our friends and relatives all began thinking differently about Falun Gong after witnessing our positive experience. Many of them are even learning to practice themselves!
My Illness Went Away After Practicing Falun Gong
By a young practitioner from China
I am a fifteen-year-old, who just started cultivation practice in Falun Dafa in 2004. Falun Dafa is the most precious treasure in the world, and I have attained it. Before attaining Dafa, I couldn't deeply understand it. When I saw the banners that said "Falun Dafa is good" and "Falun Dafa is righteous way" on the walls of the buildings or on the utility poles by the streets, I would think, "The government didn't allow the practice of Falun Gong, so they should stop practicing, why do they opposed the government order?"
In February 2003, I was diagnosed spinal cord inflammation. I was forced to be bedridden, and this was very difficult because I used to be a very happy and active teenager. I was unable to go to school. Even when I took a walk, my parents had to hold me up. I couldn't go to sleep because my spine and joints were filled with so much pain, especially in the evening. To escape from the pain temporarily, I had to ask my parents to massage the painful areas of my body. In order to cure my illness, my father and I went on a trip seeking a cure for a year.
We went to all the famous hospitals in Jilin Province. I spent an especially long time in Changchun City Medical School First Hospital. I had a treatment that lasted over a month and cost us over twenty thousand yuan (1). However the treatments still had no effect. Doctors that that my condition was caused by a genetic disorder and could only be treated with chemotherapy just to maintain the current state. They said that if the disease didn't get worse, it would be the best result already.
In February 2004, I had been absent from school for almost a year, but my health wasn't improving at all. My parents had taken me to see everyone they could think of.
In March 2004, a person told us his experience while cultivating in Falun Gong. He said, "Practicing Falun Gong can improve people's health. If a person is a true practitioner, Teacher will purify the person's body." During the conversation with the practitioner, my parents and I only said nice words to him, but in reality we didn't believe him at all. After the practitioner who introduced Falun Gong to us had left our home, I thought: "I saw each one of the famous professors in Changchun City and the doctors in Shenyang City, and even the folk healers in the surrounding villages, but still no one could cure my disease. I have gone through a lot, I can't believe what has happened to me. Can reading a book and practicing Falun Gong exercises cure my illness? The hospitals can't even cure my disease, how can I get cured by practicing Falun Gong and reading a book? This is a joke! How can a book change my life?"
Two weeks later, I saw the book Zhuan Falun that was left by the old practitioner on our television stand. My body was so painful that days passed as if they were years. In order to kill the time, I opened the book. Out of curiosity, I read one page, two pages, three pages, until I finished reading lecture one. I became very interested in the book, so I went on reading it. It seemed like something I was seeking for from deep within my heart. My parents shouted at me: "Go to sleep! It's past midnight!" I replied: "Let me read a little longer." I kept reading the book, and that night I was energetic and not tired at all. I read over and over "the Issue of Treating Illness" and "Hospital Treatment and Qigong Treatment" in lecture seven of Zhuan Falun. After I finished reading Zhuan Falun, I started to practice the Falun Gong exercises with my parents' help. The Teacher started to purify my body in less than a week. The process of eliminating the black karma made it seem like my disease had gotten several times worse than before, especially in my hip joints. It was so painful that I almost fainted. My mom sat next to me, and she cried so much. Soon my knees and ankles were so swollen that I was unable to stand up, symptoms that I never had before. However, I had a special felling in my heart. I persisted in reading Zhuan Falun and practiced the exercises every day. A month later, my health was improved a lot and I became stronger and stronger.
April 16, 2004 was my happiest day because I could return to school after quitting for over a year. Falun Dafa has changed my life and my fate, which gave me a second chance to live.
The People Awaken to the Truth
Falun Gong Practitioner's Husband Demands Justice from the "610 Office"
By a Falun Gong practitioner's husband from Nanchong City,Sichuan Province, China
My wife was abducted and taken to a brainwashing center on July 17, 2001. Authorities at the center tried to force the practitioners to write the "Three Statements", and they cruelly beat those who refused. My wife is in her 60's. I was afraid of her having to suffer physically and mentally, so I paid a 500 yuan bail. However, that very afternoon, I was told that the money was simply a fine, not bail.
In May, 2004, I realized that my wife was not guilty of any wrongdoing for practicing Falun Gong. I felt that I should ask for my money back. So I arranged appointments with the "610 Office" of Yingshan County, the Police Department, the members of the National People's Congress from our local area, and our town government.
First I found the policemen of the "610 Office" and asked them to return my money. The policemen told me that money had been used to pay the cost of living and transportation. I said to them, "You policemen defraud money from the common people, and use our money for personal pleasure." The policemen didn't know how to answer me and shifted responsibility toward the town government.
Then, I went to the "610 Office" and found Yang and Li. I asked them to return my money; I said, "When you hold brainwashing sessions, you deceive people and take their money. The first day, we had to pay 20 yuan. The second day, we had to pay 30 yuan. The third day, we had to pay 50 yuan, and the fourth day, we had to pay 100 yuan. It is so easy for you to make money! That is my hard-earned money. I would rather donate the money to the disaster area than be deceived by you. As long as I breathe, I will appeal to the provincial government, and even the central government. If you like, you can come and arrest me. The only thing you know and the only you do is persecute Falun Gong. But I'm not afraid of you." They had a guilty conscience, and they were afraid that their actions would be exposed. The head of my town returned my money personally and he said, "Don't let this become widely known. I yield."
Before this event, some old illnesses would recur every 3 or 5 days. I would become dizzy and tremble with cold sweat that would soak my clothes. But after I asked for the money back, the old illnesses completely stopped recurring, for over two months now. My appetite is much better and I feel very happy.
Outraged Villagers in Hubei Province Prevent the Xishui County Police from Arresting a Good Person
On the afternoon of August 8, 2004, six policemen from the Xishui County Police Department's First Precinct stormed into the home of Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Yao Wanglai, in Jiuping Village, Zhudian Township, Xishui County, intending to arrest him.
Mr. Yao Wanglai resisted the persecution with his strong righteous thoughts and clarified the truth to them but the six policemen would not listen to him. Without any legal procedure, they tried to forcibly abduct Mr. Yao. Such a lawless action irritated Mr. Yao's family, and his two young brothers, with strong arguments based on reason, insisted that the police did not have the legal right to take Mr. Yao away. At that point, the police resorted to violence, and the sounds of a noisy scuffle shattered the peace of the entire village.
The news traveled like lightning throughout the village. Soon, one villager after another came running from field and home to Mr. Yao's house to explain to the police that Mr. Yao Wanglai was the best person in their village; that he was honest and kindhearted, observed discipline and always obeyed the law. Even the head of the village government stood up to the police and vouched for Mr. Yao's character as a rare and good person. Not only did the police ignore all the testimonials, they became increasingly aggressive toward the villagers.
By this time, about a hundred villagers had gathered at Mr. Yao's home. His seventy-six-year-old mother had become so indignant and frightened by the police violence that she fainted on the spot. The huge crowd became highly agitated, loudly condemning the lawless violence of the six officers and shouting, "Don't allow them to take him away! Those who practice Falun Gong are all good people!"
The strong righteous field and the villagers' insistence upon justice caused the police to leave Mr. Yao's home in a panic. Such a brave and just action on the part of the Jiuping Villagers sent shock waves throughout the entire county.
On the following morning, August 9, the police again came to Mr. Yao's home to take him away, but by that time, Mr. Yao Wanglai had already left home.