(Minghui.org) Fifteen years ago on April 25, 1999, over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners peacefully demonstrated in Beijing, asking for the right to practice their belief and for the release of 45 Falun Gong practitioners arrested in Tianjin. The large-scale peaceful demonstration made history in contemporary China and drew the attention of many from across the world.
In the past 15 years, many people have learned the facts about the persecution through practitioners' persistent efforts. The following conversation between three overseas Chinese illustrates how Chinese people are seeing this historical event in a new light.
Mr. Fu, an engineer, is a typical middle-class Chinese-American. Ms. Zhang, a manager in a Chinese company, was sent to work in the U.S. last year. She is married to an official in the Chinese government. Both of them are colleagues of Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhuo.
One day, Mr. Fu joined Ms. Zhang and Ms. Zhuo for lunch. He said to Ms. Zhang jokingly, “Wow, you are having lunch with a 'Falun Gong element' today!” Ms. Zhang turned to him and replied, “Why do you sound so unpleasant? Don't do that! They have been terribly wronged!”
Mr. Fu said, “I agree. I used to have a young Falun Gong practitioner colleague back in China. He is a very nice guy. He got up early every morning to do the exercises. I asked how he could manage to do that everyday, and he started telling me many things about Falun Gong. He later went to work at the Chinese Academy of Science. I admired him so much! I don't know what happened to him after the persecution was launched.”
Mr. Fu turned to Ms. Zhuo and said, “To be frank, if you hadn't gone to demonstrate at the Zhongnanhai Compound, you wouldn't have been suppressed.”
Ms. Zhang didn't agree, “There were many explanations of this demonstration. But whether they went to demonstrate spontaneously or had some other reasons for doing so, they wouldn't have held on until today if they didn't truly believe in Falun Gong. Looking at them in and out of China, there is no denying that Falun Gong's power is real.”
Mr. Fu replied, “Sure, that's reasonable. Take our friend here, she has a Master's degree. Her husband has a PhD. They are no bumpkins that can be easily fooled by some scam. Both of them have been practicing Falun Gong for years.”
He asked Ms. Zhuo, “Can Falun Gong really cure your diseases?” Before she could answer answered, Ms. Zhang chimed in, “You have been living in the States for too long. You have medical insurance. You and your family won't have to worry about medical expenses. But how many people in China can afford to go to the hospital? Many Chinese have health problems but can't afford even the most basic medical treatment. They practiced Falun Gong and got well. I have been all over China and met many people in this situation. That's why I said Falun Gong's power is real. Their diseases were truly gone.”
Ms. Zhuo then told them about how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) slandered Falun Gong with the staged self-immolation on Tiananmen Square and harvested organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Her two friends were silent for a moment, stunned into silence.
Finally Mr. Fu let out a heavy sigh, “The CCP hasn't done anything good. Everything it did was based on lies. It's killed so many people. It's really...” He was choked up and didn't continue.
Mr. Fu and Ms. Zhang are normal overseas Chinese. Thanks to Falun Gong practitioners' efforts, many people have seen through the CCP's deception and know what Falun Gong is about. Falun Gong's non-violent and rational resistance to the persecution has helped people to see the CCP's deceiving and brutal nature, starting from its peaceful April 25 appeal. Fifteen years later, its effects are still being felt all over the world today.
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Category: April 25 Events
