(Minghui.org) In a recent speech at the Wisconsin State Capitol on September 23, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s infiltration into Western society through various associations. Disguised under benign names, these organizations operate through China’s United Front Work Department to achieve the purpose of propaganda, one of the Three “Magic Weapons” of the CCP coined by Mao Zedong next to “armed class struggle” and “party-building.”
As the international community became more weary of the CCP’s expansion of its totalitarian power, many countries have taken measures to hold the regime accountable. In response, the CCP ramped up its domestic propaganda machinery in an attempt to strengthen its connection with the Chinese people and delay its doomed fate. This move was again recognized by Chinese netizens, as seen in the examples described later in this article.
When looking into it further, one would find that—contrary to the CCP’s claim that it is the “savior of the Chinese people”—it has always exhausted resources to exploit and harm Chinese people. This is clearly evident on the issue of Falun Gong, where peaceful, innocent practitioners face the most brutal persecution for upholding their faith.
What the CCP Claims
The following episode provides a glimpse of what CCP propaganda often looks like.
When current CCP leader Xi Jinping recently visited Hunan Province on September 16, he went to a museum in Chenzhou City where half a quilt was exhibited. He retold the story of how a soldier cut her quilt in half and gave the half to a villager in 1934 during the Long March (when the CCP's Red Army retreated from the pursuit of the Kuomintang army). Xi promised that the CCP in the modern day could still share one quilt with people to overcome the difficult days.
Fed up with the CCP’s brutality and lies, some netizens left sarcastic comments on this news.
“I don’t want half a quilt. How about returning my house that was forcibly demolished?” one person wrote. Forced demolition (qiangchai) has become frequent across China in recent years with local officials destroying homes with or without the owners' consent in order to push forward urban development projects. According to Chinese law, all land belongs to the country (in effect, the CCP).
On the same day Xi visited the museum, it was reported on the Weibo social media platform that Shi Fenggang, an official from Shifeng Village in the Fengtai District in Beijing, was given a life sentence for corruption. Investigators had found 7.2 million yuan ($1.1 million USD) cash plus 31 kilograms (68 pounds) of bullion worth $1.9 million in Shi's home. While people were surprised how a village-level official could accumulate so much wealth, Hong Kong writer Yan Chungou wrote, “Keep that half quilt to yourself—but please work with the corrupt village official and return the money he squeezed from people.”
Yuan Bin, a renowned Chinese dissident living in the U.S., said the story presented by Xi was most likely fabricated, similar to other propaganda from the CCP. “Even if the story did happen, it still cannot justify the legitimacy of the CCP,” he added.
“In the early days of the CCP's founding, lots of young people were deceived by communist theory. With the simple hope of helping ordinary people, they joined the regime—some kindhearted people could probably do things like that [sharing a quilt],” wrote Yuan, “But such actions of individuals, if at all real, could not represent what the CCP is.”
From violently seizing private property and killing the owners to causing countless tragedies before and after the CCP took power in China, the Party selects only the most brutal, totalitarian figures as its leaders in order to help maintain its rule.
Reality in Chenzhou
There is a saying in modern China, “In the old days, bandits were deep in the mountain; nowadays, they are in police uniforms.” Police are supposed to serve the people, but they have become the CCP's weapons to attack innocent people in its persecution of Falun Gong. In Chenzhou City, which Xi visited, many Falun Gong practitioners have been targeted for their faith. Below are a few examples.
Mafia-Style Robbery
Mr. Li Muduo, former employee of the Suxian Industrial and Commercial Bank, had poor health since childhood. After he began to practice Falun Gong, not only did he recover from his numerous illnesses but he also became a better citizen following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. During a major flood in 1998, he donated 3,000 yuan and was praised by officials. When wildfires broke out in a nearby mountain, he volunteered to rescue stranded people.
After the persecution of Falun Gong began in July 1999, however, Mr. Li was detained for three months in 2000, and his home was ransacked twice. The police seized his cash and bank deposit book and took pictures of him and his wife. With forged IDs, the police then took money from the couple's bank accounts.
When Mr. Li went to Beijing again in 2001 to appeal for justice for Falun Gong, officials took him to a labor camp for a one-year term. His employer later fired him, leaving his family in poverty.
Ms. Fan Liying, a kindergarten teacher in the Beihu District, learned to be a better person by following the Falun Gong teachings and treated children with kindness. Because of her belief, she was detained ten times and demoted from her position. The former teacher became a babysitter and later a cleaner. Between pay cuts and police-imposed fines, she lost 110,000 yuan (or $16,000) in total.
Wife Imprisoned for Seeking Justice for Husband’s Death
Ms. Li Jumei, a 63-year-old elementary school teacher in Jiahe Country of Chenzhou, used to suffer from bone cancer. With no money for medical treatment, she attempted suicide multiple times due to the pain: she threw herself onto a railroad track, jumped into a river, and swallowed a large number of sleeping pills. Fortunately, she was rescued all three times.
Three months after beginning to practice Falun Gong, Ms. Li became totally healthy. Health professionals were amazed and asked her for a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong. Ms. Li’s husband, Mr. Guo Huisheng, who worked at the Jiahe Legal Office, became interested and also took up Falun Gong. The practice, too, made him a better and more conscientious worker.
After the persecution started in 1999, Mr. Guo was arrested and taken to a labor camp. Ms. Li was also detained six times and taken to a labor camp twice. The economic losses the couple suffered added up to over 100,000 yuan. While in detention, Ms. Li suffered from over 10 types of physical and mental torture. In addition, she was taken to a brainwashing center in March 2000, followed by another detention in August 2000 with more fines.
After Mr. Guo urged Xi Xiaogang, Lanshan County police chief, not to persecute Falun Gong, he was beaten in July 2009 by a team of officers led by political instructor Hu Yonghui. As a result, Mr. Guo had blood all over and lost consciousness. Without Mr. Guo or Ms. Li at home, officials ransacked their home twice, taking many bags of their personal belongings.
On October 12, 2009, Mr. Guo died at 52, leaving two daughters and elderly parents, already in their 80s, unattended.
In June 2015, Ms. Li submitted a criminal complaint to China’s Supreme Court suing former CCP leader Jiang Zemin for launching the persecution resulted in her husband’s death. In October 2015, she was arrested and later sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Violation of Legal Procedures
Mr. Lei Anxiang, a practitioner in his 70s, was on trial at Beihu Court on October 31, 2019. There were no lawyers defending him, and he was not allowed to defend himself.
The secret trial occurred in a small room in No. 198 Military Hospital. After his wife and daughter answered some basic questions, the prosecutor included Falun Gong informational materials confiscated from his home as evidence against him. Although there was no legal basis to sentence him, the prosecutor recommended two years of prison.
Judge Luo Hongrong sentenced Mr. Lei to three years and fined him 5,000 yuan on November 12, 2019. Mr. Lei appealed, only to be rejected.
Almost Cremated Alive
Mr. Lei Jingxiong, a 24-year-old practitioner from Jiahe County, was arrested on August 18, 2004. Police officers beat him badly at 4 p.m. By that evening, he had lost consciousness. The police then took him to a crematorium.
Right before Mr. Lei was to be cremated, a female guard found him moving a bit.
“He’s still alive, and we cannot burn him,” suggested the guard.
“He’s already like this, plus we’re already here. Why not?” several officers insisted.
But the guard did not budge, and Mr. Lei survived.
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Category: Perspectives
