(Minghui.org) Practitioners gathered on Bellaire Blvd in Houston's Chinatown on July 15, 2023, to condemn the 24-year long persecution of their faith by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Some practitioners who escaped China years ago recounted the torture they endured before they left. They called on the U.S. government to take action to help end the persecution and hope the general public can help get the word out.
Falun Gong practitioners held banners with messages, “The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,” “Falun Dafa Is Good,” “Help Stop the CCP’s Persecution of Falun Gong,” and “Help Stop the CCP’s Forced Organ Harvesting.”
Some practitioners held banners, while others participated in a car parade to let people know about the persecution. Many drivers gave them a thumbs up and some showed their support by honking their horns.
Hold the CCP Accountable for Its Crimes
Mr. Yang, the head of the Southern USA Falun Dafa Association, addressed the rally and said, “We gather here today to call upon all forces of justice to help us stop the persecution of Falun Gong. In China, millions of practitioners have been subjected to ongoing persecution in the past 24 years. Just in the first six months of this year, 120 deaths of practitioners have been documented. It’s even more chilling to know that the CCP is harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners on a large scale.”
Mr. Yang said that the CCP should be held accountable for its crimes. “This isn’t a persecution that targets Falun Gong practitioners. It’s also a test for everyone’s conscience. We—humanity as a whole—can’t let such things continue to happen. We are happy to see that the Texas state government passed a law to prevent people from traveling to countries involved in forced organ harvesting. Of course, this is only the starting point and there will be more bills about this in the future. Justice will eventually prevail for Falun Gong practitioners.”
Ms. Chen Hua: My Mother and I Were Both Arrested and Tortured
Ms. Chen Hua from Guangdong Province, China, spoke about the persecution she and her family endured.
Ms. Chen Hua
Ms. Chen said that her mother started to practice Falun Gong in 1997, when she was struggling with late-stage breast cancer and paralysis after a severe stroke. After practicing for only a few months, she miraculously recovered. Witnessing the dramatic improvement in her mother’s health, Ms. Chen began practicing Falun Gong.
On July 20, 1999, the day the persecution started, Ms. Chen boarded a train to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. She hoped to let the government know how she and her mother benefited from the practice. As soon as she arrived in Beijing three days later, she was arrested and taken to Fengtai Stadium, where tens of thousands of practitioners who came from around the country to appeal were also detained.
“I lost my job, my home was searched, and my belongings were confiscated. My mother and I were repeatedly arrested and detained in lockups and brainwashing centers. I once served time in a forced labor camp and was forced to work 16 hours without pay in very poor conditions. The products I made included artificial flowers, Christmas lights, and toys, including some toys with the Disney label,” said Ms. Chen.
In addition to the forced labor, she was also subjected to appalling torture, including being starved and deprived of sleep. “The most brutal torture I suffered was force-feeding. The guards and inmates held me on the ground and force-fed me concentrated brine water. I went into convulsions and lost consciousness. For the next few days, I vomited blood and brine water. I couldn’t talk or eat. I knew a male practitioner who died after being force fed.
“My mother also suffered horrific torture. While shocking her with electric batons, the guards poured water on her. She eventually died of complications of the torture shortly after she was released. She was 63. She didn’t die of cancer or some other disease but was killed by her own government. My heart was broken.”
Former Judge: My Family Torn Apart in the Persecution
Ms. Li Huiying, who started to practice Falun Gong in 1994, was a judge in the Xigang District Court in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. She said that, although the judiciary system in China is plagued by corruption, her practice of Falun Gong helped her to maintain her integrity.
But because of her faith, she was arrested and given a three-year labor camp term. “Between 2002 and 2005, I was held in the Dalian City Forced Labor Camp and the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang City. I was forced to work at least 16 hours a day without pay. I was held in solitary confinement and deprived of sleep, which caused my memory to quickly decline. When my three-year term expired, the Masanjia Labor Camp officials extended my term for another four months before releasing me.”
Ms. Li’s father, Mr. Li Maoxun, was a retired prosecutor with the Dalian City Procuratorate. For upholding his faith, Falun Gong, he was arrested twice, in August 1999 and June 2000. He was given one year in Dalian Forced Labor Camp without due process. Due to the torture, he passed away not long after being released.
“When I was finally released, my father had died. Unable to bear the pressure, my husband divorced me. My teenage daughter was so devastated by our family’s tribulations that she became withdrawn. Meanwhile, the police continued to monitor my daily life and harass me from time to time. I was unable to live a normal life. In 2009, I was forced to leave home and seek protection (asylum) in the U.S.” Ms. Li said.
“My family’s ordeal is also the ordeal of countless other families in China. I call on the international community to stand up for justice and help us stop the persecution. We hope to welcome a free and peaceful society in China without the evil Chinese Communist Party.”
Ms. Wang Tingting: Help My Sister Who Is on the CCP’s Wanted List
Another practitioner who lives in Houston described how her sister in China was persecuted. Ms. Wang Tingting said that her sister, Ms. Wang Dandan, is a teacher in Fuxin City, Liaoning Province. Because of her efforts to raise awareness about the persecution, the police broke into her home on June 21, 2023 by prying open the door. They confiscated her Falun Gong books and computer. Ms. Wang escaped and the police put her on the wanted list and she is being searched for nationwide.
Ms. Wang Tingting
Ms. Wang Tingting herself was arrested twice and lost her job before she escaped to the U.S. Her family also suffered enormous pressure and pain as a result of the persecution.
“I’m lucky to be standing here today. But many other Falun Gong practitioners like my sister are still upholding the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in China at the risk of their lives. I hope everyone can help us stop the persecution that has lasted for 24 years.”
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Category: Rallies & Protests
