(Minghui.org) A 63-year-old woman stood trial on May 7, 2021, for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Wang Lihua, 63, recounted at the hearing how practicing Falun Gong helped her regain hope after her husband and son died within two years of each other. Its teachings also helped her better handle the conflicts among her extended family. Having benefited from it so much, she hoped to let more people know about the goodness of Falun Gong and the illegality of the persecution imposed on its practitioners.
The prosecutor accused Ms. Wang of “undermining law enforcement,” which is the standard pretext used by the authorities to imprison Falun Gong practitioners. The prosecution evidence against her included a painting with information about Falun Gong and some banknotes with information about Falun Gong printed on them (as a way to spread information given the strict censorship in China).
Ms. Wang asked how having a painting at home or having those banknotes violated the law or obstructed law enforcement. Her two lawyers also entered a not guilty plea for her. The judge interrupted her lawyers several times, but they were able to finish reading the defense statement.
One of the lawyers said at the end of the defense statement, “Needless to say, we are in a battle for spiritual freedom and it’s a battle between good and evil, right and wrong. The persecution of Falun Gong that has been going on for two decades is becoming an international issue and has a global impact.
“It’s no longer an issue that concerns only individual Falun Gong practitioners or the Falun Gong community, but it also concerns the life and dignity of everyone in the world and humanity’s future. No one can stay out of the ultimate battle between peace and violence, civilization and barbarism, freedom and slavery, and good and evil.
“Those who pursue a bright and beautiful future would surely choose kindness, love, truthfulness, and compassion—that’s what connects us. We will support and encourage each other. This will help us to overcome fear and eventually win the battle against the evil.”
Gaining Strength from Practicing Falun Gong
Ms. Wang took up Falun Gong in May 1998. She credits the practice for curing her childbirth complications, including headaches, dizziness, and anemia.
After the communist regime ordered the persecution in 1999, both she and her husband, who worked for the same employer, were pressured by the authorities because of her faith. The pressure took a toll on her husband’s health, and he suffered a heart attack on his way to work and passed away.
Only two years after her husband’s death, her son committed suicide after he was deceived by a business partner and saddled with major debt.
Ms. Wang's world almost collapsed after the losses of her loved ones. It was Falun Gong’s teachings that pulled her through the darkest time of her life.
A few years ago, her parents’ house was demolished by the government as it pushed forward urbanization projects. After her brother and his wife refused to accept them, Ms. Wang took her parents in and took good care of them. She didn’t hold a grudge against her brother or sister-in-law and still maintained a good relationship with them.
Her husband’s brother had some conflicts with him and they didn’t contact each other for years. When her brother-in-law later contracted cirrhosis of the liver, she helped his wife to take care of him. Her brother-in-law was moved by her care and apologized for his past wrongdoing.
Latest Arrest
Ms. Wang was arrested at home on February 13, 2020. The police confiscated her Falun Gong books, a photo of Falun Gong’s founder, and her computer. She was released that evening but was arrested again on April 21 for interrogation. The officers returned twice more, on July 2 and July 10, and took her to the Beichen Procuratorate to be questioned by the prosecutor.
The prosecutor said to Ms. Wang during her second trip there that they would reduce her term if she admitted guilt for practicing Falun Gong. Instead of complying, she urged the prosecutor and the police to stop participating in the persecution, which has no legal basis to begin with.
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