The Right Honorable Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada

309-S, Center Block

House of Commons

Ottawa

K1A 0A6

February 7th, 2001

Dear Prime Minister,

We are deeply troubled by the severe and unabated persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China.

"Reports of the arrest, imprisonment and torture of a Canadian Citizen, Kunlun Zhang, in China have drawn nation-wide attention and concern; starkly bringing home to Canada two of China's most pressing human rights issues: the ongoing, serious persecution of Falun Dafa followers, and the widespread useof torture throughout the country." (Amnesty International)

The Chinese government outlawed the practice of Falun Dafa in July 1999, and since then has detained, imprisoned, and tortured more than 50,000 practitioners. Most detainees were sentenced to prisons and labor camps, and many were unlawfully sent to psychiatric institutions. In all cases, reports of torture (resulting in over 130 deaths to date) are pervasive despite the fact that the Falun Dafa movement is explicitly apolitical and poses no threat to Chinese authorities. Its members seek only to cultivate truth, compassion, and tolerance through lifestyle, meditation, and exercise.

Mr. Zhang's release demonstrated the effects of international pressure on the Chinese authorities. However, he is just one of millions of Falun Dafa practitioners who are suppressed by the Chinese government. Significant and continued international pressure must be brought to bear on China, whose unwillingness to ensure the basic fundamental human rights of its citizens is a tragedy. Canada cannot remain silent in the face of suffering on such a large scale. We cannot avoid our moral duty any longer.

If the protection of human rights is to remain a priority for the Government of Canada, we request thatthe human rights situation in China, in particular the persecution of Falun Dafa, be added to the Team Canada trade mission agenda during meetings with China.

We urge you to convey to the Chinese government, in the strongest possible terms, our desire for the Chinese authorities to release all Falun Dafa practitioners and to stop the persecution of Falun Dafa,and to initiate a resolution, in bodies such as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, dealing specifically with China's disastrous human rights record.

Sincerely yours,

Amnesty International, Regina, Canada

Injusticebusters

Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians

The Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture

Atlantic Council for International Cooperation

The Canada Tibet Committee

College of Santa Fe Students for a Free Tibet

Seva Service Society

Association for Awareness and Networking

Olive Branch International

Memorable Charms

ANKORS

MakePeace International

Canadian Center for Victims of Torture

Student Environment Center

Buddhist Social Action Network

In China and across the world there are more and more people obtaining Dafa. However, there are those who oppose such a great Fa (Truth, Compassion, Forbearance) such as Ding Guangen, who is in charge of state propaganda at the Central Political Bureau. Ding uses the power in his position to participate in conspiratorial activities in suppressing Dafa in a league comprised of other malicious beings such as Luo Gan, He XX, Yu XX, etc. Through the Central Propaganda Bureau, they banned publishing Dafa books. They used the method of spreading slanderous rumors similar to that of the Cultural Revolution. They used every opportunity to recklessly attack Falun Dafa in the newspapers and other forms of state controlled media. Their perverse acts are totally against the country's policy of "Three Nos" towards Qigong [Note: It is a state policy regarding Qigong, which says that the state will not "advocate, promote or intervene" in Qigong activities]. When XX [Note: the vicious person's name omitted] collaborated with some individual journalists and working staff on Beijing TV station to slander Falun Dafa in a TV program, Dafa practitioners voluntarily gathered together to make a peaceful protest. They went to the Beijing TV station to clarify the truth. I got to know that later and went to the TV station in the afternoon on the last day. There were several hundred practitioners there at that time. By clarifying the truth, the TV station made a reasonable apology.

On another note, let's talk about a new attack towards Falun Gong (a.k.a. Falun Dafa) generated by He XX in Tianjin. I got to know this from one of my fellow practitioner's phone calls. She told me that He XX went to Tianjin and slandered Falun Gong in a magazine article. When Tianjin practitioners went to put forward the facts, on that day, a great number of policemen went there to beat and arrest Dafa practitioners. This particular practitioner said that she would go to the State Council Appealing Office the next day to report this event. Early next day (April 25, 1999), I rode my bicycle to the Appealing Office and arrived at Xisi Street at 9am. I noticed that there were lots of bicycles parking on both sides of the street. I also left my bicycle there.

Walking on Fuyou Road where the Appealing Office sits, there were already a large number of Dafa practitioners gathered there. Under the guidance of the police, they were standing on both sides of Fuyou Road. I joined the ranks on the west side of the road and my position was about ten meters from the Appealing Office. There were police vehicles passing by back and forth to direct the traffic. The atmosphere was a little bit intense. Some time later, as directed by the police, all practitioners, who were standing on the east side of the road, which is located on the other side of the red wall of Zhongnanhai, the State Council, moved to the west side of the road. The rearrangement of such a large group of people was done within 10 minutes. It became apparently crowded on the West Side of the road. Vertically positioned to the road were rows of people, each row consisting of about 10 people, row after row, the crowd was numerous. We were almost unable to turn around. Along Fuyou Road, the practitioners' contingent was more than one kilometer long. Only those on Fuyou Road were numbering over ten thousand people. Towards the north, there were practitioners standing on the east-to-west street from Xisi all the way to Beihai Park. The length of the lines was surely several miles long. On my left were more than 10 Dafa practitioners from Tianjin. On my right were several practitioners who were flown over from Urumqi City, Xinjiang Province. Everyone was very calm and stood there quietly. One by one, people passed down what was happening up front. Shortly after 10am, as a Premier Minister should do, Zhu Rongji walked out of the Appealing Office from Zhongnanhai and talked to those practitioners who stood in the front. Zhu Rongji asked us to select a few representatives. One of the practitioners said, "We follow the 'Great Dao without formality.' We do not have any organizations and we cannot dispatch a representative." I took a look and I knew this practitioner. At this time, Premier Zhu said, "I cannot talk with so many people at the same time." Therefore, he appointed seven practitioners as representatives who stood in the front and went in to talk with him. Two hours later, another group of representatives took their turn and went in. There were in total three groups. Later, Premier Zhu went out to handle something else and later continued the talk with practitioners' representatives after he came back in the evening. At first, Premier Zhu said "I already wrote a comment on your report letter. Have you seen it yet?" Everyone replied "No." Premier Zhu was very surprised. On that day, Dafa practitioners' representatives mainly gave an introduction about Dafa and talked about their personal experiences. They asked to release Tianjin practitioners and restore the legal right of publishing Dafa books.

Throughout the day of April 25, Dafa practitioners stood outside of the Sate Council Appealing Office - a location appointed by the police. Everyone was very quiet and calm. Some practitioners used some large plastic bags to collect small amounts of food wrappers. They even picked up the cigarette butts on the street left by the policemen. As a means to not block the traffic, practitioners not only made way to the road, but also made way to narrow lanes. Later on, the police drove jeeps with wide diameter camcorder and took repeated pictures of the practitioners. Until evening, the government agreed to release arrested practitioners in Tianjin. Through the phone contacts it was confirmed that the arrested practitioners in Tianjin had been released; this request was successfully settled.

At that time, the police came out of the Appealing Office and distributed fliers saying "Be on your guard against a few bad persons spreading rumors and confusing people", "We have never arrested any practitioners", etc.

As for restoring the legal publishing of Dafa books, Primer Zhu agreed in principle. Detailed book lists were planned to be made on April 26. Therefore, Dafa practitioners dispersed at 11pm on April 25. The next day, no one went to the appeal office again.

Later, newspapers and TV stations played the "Notice from the two offices" which again emphasized the "Three No's" policy toward Qigong and also stated that there had never been any restrictions to any Qigong schools. Everyone has the right to either believe or not believe.

A few days later, there was a meeting for Party member leaderships in my work unit. The Party Secretary said, "There are two issues for today's meeting. The first one is about Falun Gong. The second one is about the bonus. Let's first talk about the bonus." At the end, he said, "There is not much time left. It is time to have lunch soon, so Let's talk about President Jiang's speech. I need to give the paper back once I finish reading his speech. I will choose several paragraphs to read." I remember at the beginning of the speech President Jiang said, "Falun Gong came with no form and left with no trace. It surrounded Zhongnaihai at one night." "It is stipulated that none of the XX Party members are allowed to practice Falun Gong." "I do not believe that atheism cannot win over theism. That communism cannot defeat Falun Gong." At the end, the Party Secretary at our work unit said, "In my view, practicing Qigong has physical benefits. You all can practice at home . Please do not go to some crucial places."

Later on at one of our group Fa studies, I said, "It didn't solve the essential problem on that day when we appealed. The decision within the Party was 'Party members are not allowed to practice Falun Gong.'" One of the female practitioners might not have heard about the internal notice. So, responding to my comment, she said, "The Notice from the Two Offices states clearly the policy of the country towards Qigong (Note: the "Three Nos" policy / translator), the newspapers also published the policy and the TV stations also played it, will that not be counted?" I thought what she said was correct and we needed to be aware that there might be somebody who would try to sabotage our practice of Falun Dafa. However, later on there were more and more policies passed down within the Party, which conflicted with those from Premier Zhu and the Party's policy. Finally, in the middle of July, a full-blown suppression of Falun Gong began.

A veteran practitioner January 2001

The Minister of Home Affairs in Singapore says, while discussing the Falun Gong issue, "that it is good for a person to have religious faith because he can acquire spiritual peace from it". The Minister also says, "that generally speaking faith is an individual's free choice". The Minister's comments were reported in the Sunday issue (February 4, 2001) of the Singapore United Evening Daily in the General News Column. The full text of the report is cited here.

People Receiving Falun Gong Flyers Can Dispose Them as They Please

Mr. Huang Gencheng, Minister of Home Affairs , said that those who receive the Falun Gong flyers containing information on the persecution of its practitioners in China can disposed them as they please. The Minister indicated that the dissemination of the flyers is permitted as long as the Falun Gong practitioners and their supporters in Singapore have not done anything against the law such as assembling without a permit from the government. "It is important for the practitioners to have religious activities and places for the activities regardless whether they believe in Xingdu Religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity or Islam, the religious activities are part of their religious faith and thus part of their lives," continued the Minister. Finally Minister Huang commented: "that it is good for people to have religious beliefs because they can find spiritual peace in them and of course some people do not believe in any religion though generally speaking, having a faith or not is purely an individual's freedom and his or her free choice".

Reported by Practitioners from Singapore on February 9, 2001.

New regulations on all media, coming from the Chinese Communist Party's

Central Propaganda Department, allows for only three "negative" stories before a media outlet is closed down.

Clearly, top officials in China believe that if no-one is allowed to print or broadcast something, it will go away in the minds of the general public.

They are wrong.

When people find that they cannot get any information from official sources, and non-governmental sources can only provide from official sources, the general public will go to underground sources and pass word from one to another. Since they have already seen that official sources are known to be unreliable or actively false on sensitive issues, such as Falun Gong or high-level corruption, even verifiable facts and reporting from official sources will be discounted, and unverified reports from underground will take on credibility out of proportion from their veracity.

In addition, journalists who bring up issues which need to be addressed will have nowhere to go with their work. Either they will have to sit on their stories and give up their professional integrity to the whims of official choice, or they will find themselves on the receiving end of the "state secrets law" -- including the recent twist which could put them into prison or into the grave, courtesy of Chinese Supreme Court guidelines.

Foreign journalists certainly will not accept such restrictions. Ordinary citizens already know how to get around them, or will learn quickly. Common sense tells us that the results of the regulation will be contrary to its constructors' intent: news will flow more freely than before, and less under control of those who think that "being in command" means that they are "in control".

Hang onto your hats, friends! The loose cannons are shooting at Falun Gong, and hitting bystanders and Chinese society instead. Again.

February 21, 2001 HONG KONG -- The top U.S. official in Hong Kong has come under attack from China for a speech he made calling on the international community to renew its scrutiny of Hong Kong's freedoms amid growing concern over Beijing's treatment of the Falun Dafa movement.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Hong Kong on Tuesday used its strongest language yet on the issue, calling remarks made by Michael Klosson, the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, "totally inappropriate" and "irresponsible."

The ministry said it was "widely acknowledged" that Beijing hadn't interfered in Hong Kong's autonomy and that "Hong Kong's ... affairs are the internal matter of China."

The harsh response followed a speech last Thursday by Mr. Klosson to the Asia Society in Texas in which he raised concern about the future of Hong Kong's freedoms. Although his speech was largely positive about China's handling of Hong Kong since it took control in 1997, he said the international community should give "continued attention" to the city, citing Beijing's barrage of verbal attacks on Falun Dafa as a possible threat to the city's autonomy. Mr. Klosson also cited attacks on press freedom, Beijing's warnings to Hong Kong businesses not to trade with Taiwanese businesses favoring the island's independence, and the abrupt resignation of Anson Chan, the head of the city's civil service.

Observers say Beijing's upbraiding of Mr. Klosson is the latest sign of its sensitivity to allegations that it has been overzealous in efforts to have the meditation group declared illegal in Hong Kong. The movement, which practices [...] exercises and meditation, has been the subject of a massive crackdown in China that practitioners say has resulted in more than 100 deaths. However, it remains legal in Hong Kong, where the group's ability to practice freely and criticize the actions of the government in Beijing is widely viewed as a litmus test of the city's continued autonomy.

Just three weeks ago, China rebuked the Dutch government for canceling a high-level mission to Hong Kong and the mainland following Beijing's refusal to let officials of the European nation meet Falun Dafa practitioners in Hong Kong.

Law Yuk-kai, director of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, a coalition of social activists and lawyers, said he believed Mr. Klosson's remarks about Falun Dafa had triggered the reprimand. He said the open conflict between Beijing and Hong Kong on the issue made it especially sensitive.

After weeks of pressure on the Hong Kong authorities to control the group's actions in the city, Beijing last week appeared to have eased its campaign following a high-profile meeting of two pro-Beijing politicians with senior members of the group. On Monday, however, Beijing rekindled the attacks. Ye Xiaowen, the head of the State Administration's Religious Affairs Office in Beijing, appeared at a seminar in Hong Kong and called Falun Dafa [Chinese government's slanderous words].

Michael DeGolyer, an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University's department of government and international studies, said Mr. Klosson's comments, which weren't couched in the usual diplomatic tones, touched a raw nerve. He said China is especially prickly about the remarks because they were delivered in the home state of U.S. President George W. Bush at a time when relations between the two national powers are strained.

China wants "to send a message that these are sensitive times," he said. Dr. DeGolyer said that Beijing might also be hoping to get Mr. Klosson replaced by someone who put less stress on Hong Kong freedoms and more emphasis on business.

The U.S. consulate in Hong Kong said Tuesday that it had no comment on the matter.

The new administration of U.S. President George W. Bush faces its first major decision on China policy next month with the annual convening of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. In past years the U.S. has sponsored a resolution condemning China's failure to live up to its promises, and while the resolution has never passed, it has come as close as one vote. Will Secretary of State Colin Powell choose to expend the diplomatic effort to give it a reasonable chance of passing this year?

Doing so would be an important signal that the new administration will pursue a balanced policy of engagement, and Beijing will not be allowed to push Mr. Powell around on human rights as it did Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright. It's true that passage of the resolution most likely wouldn't bring with it economic sanctions or other forms of punishment. But it would be an indicator that while the U.S. and other sponsor nations want to maintain cooperative relations with the Beijing regime, they are not prepared to wink at the more unsavory aspects of its rule.

Some might reasonably question how a resolution in far-off Geneva can have an impact in, say, rural Sichuan. After all, increased trade and economic freedom mean conditions for the average Chinese citizen are already improving. This holds out hope that in the future a growing middle class will demand greater participation in government. Why bother with diplomatic wrangling that just creates ill feeling?

The best answer is that changes in China will be much slower to come unless Chinese individuals take a courageous stand by telling the truth about government misdeeds and demanding their rights. The representatives of free nations have a responsibility to support those who would do so by recognizing where the Chinese government has failed to live up to its international commitments. Telling the truth is a powerful act that inspires others to do the same.

The Chinese government recognizes this. True, Beijing tries to deflect criticism on human rights grounds with a moral relativist argument; last November President Jiang Zemin told the U.N.'s high commissioner for human rights, Mary Robinson, that "each country has its own way" and "the world should be a colorful one." It has its allies in Geneva, many of them countries like Cuba with their own human rights abuses, who will parrot the line about "interference in China's internal affairs." Yet Beijing makes a major effort to defeat the resolution every year, and then celebrates when it succeeds, suggesting that it, at least, feels that censure in Geneva would carry a cost.

That's because moral relativism isn't being accepted within China itself anymore. One reason the evidence of tortures and political imprisonment is mounting is because society is becoming more open. Activists and human rights organizations can talk to families of those imprisoned. Rights consciousness is growing, meaning that more citizens are demanding their inalienable rights, a significant number of them by suing the government. The difference between "rule by law" and "rule of law" and the need to evolve from the former to the latter is a topic of debate in intellectual circles.

Yet at the same time, the government is as ruthless as ever in using the tools at its disposal to stifle those who try to form opposition political parties or free labor unions. As Robin Munro writes nearby, some of these people end up in government-run psychiatric hospitals, labeled crazy because they won't toe the political line. Recently the world learned about the case of Cao Maobing, who tried to form a union at a silk factory in Jiangsu. He is now in such a hospital and his family says he has been heavily medicated. As this paper has reported, local officials have been pushed by Beijing to control the Falun Dafa spiritual movement by any means, which has led some to torture practitioners to death.

These abuses suggest that the government is becoming more desperate in its fight to snuff out any organization that could raise a challenge to Communist Party rule. Official work units no longer control all details of Chinese people's lives, meaning individuals have the power to choose how to live their lives. The Party wants to set political limits on their choices, but it is fighting a losing battle.

The Bush administration has an opportunity to help tip the balance in this battle. In 1998, the Clinton administration agreed not to sponsor a resolution in Geneva in return for Beijing signing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. That was a reasonable trade-off, as long as the U.S. can now hold China to its promise to ratify the covenant and bring its legal system into compliance. The Helsinki Accords gave courage to dissidents within the Soviet Union; the same kind of dynamic can be created within China. But only if the U.S. and other nations have the courage to tell the truth.

A diplomatic row has erupted between the Greater London Assembly and China over the communist regime's alleged abuse of followers of a spiritual movement.

The argument has reached ambassador level with a sharp exchange of letters and accusations of "hysterical over-reaction" and "damaged reputations".

It started when GLA members voted to condemn the superpower's persecution of Falun Gong and its followers after a British woman who believes in its teachings was refused a visa to China. The Chinese were condemned for the "murder, torture and arbitrary detention" of Falun Gong members.

The GLA resolution outraged the Chinese Ambassador Ma Zhengang. He defended his country's decision to ban the [Chinese government's slanderous words].

[...]

He urged the authority to reconsider its stance. "By associating with a [Chinese government's slanderous word], the Greater London Assembly will gain nothing except harming its own reputation and its image in the minds of the Chinese people."

But GLA member Brian Coleman, who raised the issue on behalf of his barred constituent Ze Xia, accused the ambassador of reacting "totally hysterically". A meeting between the two sides proved fruitless.

In the latest GLA letter to the embassy, Mr Coleman said: "The [xx] status or otherwise of the Falun Gong is not the issue. The issue is that people should be allowed to practise their beliefs freely and without threat of persecution.

"We are obviously interested in fostering good relations between China and London, however this will never be to the deficit of upholding or reinforcing issues of human rights." Mr Coleman's constituent, Miss Xia, said she desperately needs to visit her ailing parents who are being harassed by the Chinese authorities over her tuition of Falun Gong in London. She said: "Their First Secretary of the Visa Section told me that they wouldn't give me the visa if I didn't give it up. The way the Government treats us is so harsh." The 44-year-old charity worker, who has been a devotee of Falun Gong for five years, added: "My parents are not very well and I want to see them. They authorities are harassing them to put pressure on me to stop doing Falun Gong here. Some letters I've sent them have been opened."

But with the support of her MP, Glenda Jackson, and the Foreign Office, she is still hopeful of a breakthrough.

She said: "I very much appreciate the support of the GLA and the British Government because it's a global human rights issue. I believe the international community will help."

February 20, 2001

PASADENA - Chinese officials trying to squelch the spiritual movement known as Falun Gong lobbied vigorously to prevent the group's conference this past weekend at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, according to city officials.

Their efforts included firm suggestions that alluded to Pasadena's sister city relationship with west Beijing, according to a letter Mayor Bill Bogaard wrote to the City Council.

The Falun Gong Experience Sharing Conference drew more than 1,000 followers to the city-owned facility.

It also drew the attention of the Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Los Angeles. The Chinese government banned Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, in 1999. China says the group is an [Chinese government’s slanderous word].

The consulate's efforts to make the auditorium off-limits to Falun Gong, however, were unsuccessful.

"What I told them was, I was providing it, (Falun Gong) had contracted for the auditorium and we did not discriminate based on beliefs," General Manager Rick Barr said.

This isn't the first time Chinese officials have lobbied against such events in the area. Last year they tried stopping a workshop at Caltech and the consulate later complained to Alhambra after the heavily Asian city recognized Dec. 4-8 as "Falun Dafa Week."

A day after they called the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the consulate dropped off anti-Falun Gong pamphlets and a letter reiterating their request, Barr said.

[..]

Barr said the group seemed peaceful. Practitioners say it's simply a spiritual movement whose members are being persecuted by the Chinese government. Members at Sunday's conference distributed literature showing pictures of people who were allegedly beaten by the Chinese government.

"They're trying to create hatred among the local people," Falun Gong practitioner John Li said of Chinese officials. "The Chinese government, they don't show their respect for the law (in America)."

Falun Gong organizers wrote in December asking the city to issue a proclamation in support of the weekend event. City officials, aware of the Chinese government's stance and not wanting to get involved in international political issues, declined. The consulate's lobbying efforts, meanwhile, included an appeal to Pasadena's "sister city" relationship with west Beijing, Bogaard said.

Bogaard wrote fellow council members that "The Chinese consul general has called, making several firm suggestions relying on the relationship that exists between our city and China through our sister city agreement with the Xicheng district in Beijing."

He said in an interview, however, the Chinese consulate did not threaten the relationship.

"It was a friendly conversation," Bogaard said. "I explained that as long as the fees were paid we were required to make the space available."

City Councilman Paul Little said he interpreted the reference differently.

"Apparently, the Chinese government is trying to leverage our sister city relationship into fodder for their repression of religious practitioners in their country," said Little, one of three council members who voted against the sister city arrangement with China in 1998. He said he did so out of concern over China's human rights record.

[…]

February 19, 2001

PASADENA - As a prisoner in China, Alicia Zhao was forced to manufacture plastic hairbrushes for 14 hours a day and sleep on a concrete floor in 30 degree weather.

The U.S. citizen, who was on vacation in China, was arrested and thrown in jail for eating dinner at the home of a Falun Gong practitioner in Shen Zhen.

"That really shocked me because I'm an ordinary citizen," Zhao said. "That experience has forever changed my life."

She said her fate is shared by many who practice Falun Gong, a spiritual movement outlawed by the Chinese government in July 1999.

To protest their treatment, Zhao joined more than 1,000 at the Pasadena Civic Center on Sunday to speak out against what they say is the violation of human rights in China. The event was day two of the Falun Gong Experience Sharing Conference, with peaceful demonstrations staged in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual movement […], founded by Master Li Hongzhi in 1992. The practice, with millions of followers worldwide, combines spiritual teachings with five meditative movements to balance the body and mind.

John Li, of Pasadena, said the healing practice of Falun Gong eased the constant pains from his ulcer surgery and allergies. Until he took up the practice, he said he was a regular at the Caltech health center, where he received 10 shots per week for his condition.

"All of a sudden my diseases disappeared," said Li, who helped organize the event. "I still cannot understand it."

The Chinese government banned Falun Gong in July 1999, contending the movement [Chinese government’s slanderous words].

But Falun Gong leaders say the Chinese government fears the strength of the movement, prompting a crackdown that has led to the incarceration of more than 30,000 and the deaths of more than 100 for practicing Falun Gong. They claim a protest in Tiananmen Square last month, where one reported follower was killed and four others were seriously burned when they set themselves ablaze, was rigged to cast doubt on the movement.

For citizens in China, the truth is concealed by propaganda, said Lisa Li, of Los Angeles, who helped organize the conference. She said the Chinese government controls most of the media, resulting in skewed broadcasts and articles.

"The Chinese government is very malicious and very powerful - they brainwash the people," Li said. "My parents in China are very nervous. When they hear bad news, they call me. They don't know I'm free here."

To head off the movement, the Chinese government has extended its suppression of Falun Gong across the Pacific Ocean to Southern California.

Last year, the Chinese Consulate lobbied officials to cancel a Falun Gong conference at Caltech in Pasadena, and in December, took issue with the mayor of Alhambra backing "Falun Dafa Week" in the city. The Chinese Consulate also asked the Pasadena Civic Center to cancel the Sunday conference.

In recent months, a number of cities in Southern California - including Alhambra, Rosemead and the city of Industry - have passed resolutions supporting the movement.

[…]

At the conference, more than 1,000 turned out to advocate the practice, many wearing bright yellow pullovers inscribed in red with the three pillars - truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance. Some followers practiced the slow movements while listening to speeches or standing in line.

Gina Sanchez, of Pasadena, said Falun Gong helped her recover from a car collision that left her with a concussion and recurring back pain. Her studies of Chinese medicine inspired her to visit China, but she did not feel safe making the journey.

"I had aspirations to go to China, but the reality of the abuse and torture hit me," Sanchez said. "It could easily have been me in their place."

Gary Pansey's search for origins came to him in a dream one night in May 1999. Granted, he already was an avid searcher, scanning for intersections of science and mysticism. But he claims he knew nothing of the troubles simmering on the other side of the world.

Pansey had been studying Qigong - the Chinese discipline of energy cultivation through stretches, meditation and slow movement - since 1996. So, it was no surprise that the image of a teacher should appear to him in his sleep. The surprise was when his guide jumped out the window of a tall building and landed on his feet unharmed.

"My falling master," Pansey muses. "I woke up feeling good, feeling that I was an apprentice, but I didn't know who the teacher was. Falling."

The dream was a doorway into Falun Gong, a practice said by adherents to transform mind and body into enlightenment through five basic exercises keyed to moral principles. That last part wasn't stressed by Qigong.

The more Pansey explored, the more Falun Gong made sense. There was no charge, no hierarchy, no dogma. He converted, without so much as an application fee.

Three months after the dream, however, the ripple effect Falun Gong unleashed in its own country exploded inward on a tidal wave of violence. In July 1999, China's Communist Party outlawed the movement, conducted mass arrests and book burnings, dispatched troops to seize and ransack property, and sent thousands of practitioners to labor camps without trial.

The official reason: Falun Gong was "[Chinese government’s slanderous word]" that threatened national security. Adherents argued the real reason was that - in less than seven years - a philosophy of self-empowerment through mental and physical health had eclipsed the Communist Party's membership roles.

But Party strong-arms, still haunted by the 1989 student protests in Tiananmen Square, hardly could have envisioned what happened next.

Amid the maelstrom of reports describing jailings, torture and murder, a backlash of global curiosity has - Falun Gong followers contend - accelerated practitioners' worldwide numbers to more than 100 million.

Today, Falun Gong defenders say they have one goal in mind.

"We're determined," Pansey says, "that reports from the (government) Xinhua News Agency be seen for the propaganda that they are. We want the truth to get out and let the people decide for themselves."

Political turmoil

Pansey's stage is a lonely one in Brevard County. He exercises by himself at Wells Park outside the Melbourne Public Library, where motorists usually can see his methodical performance on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. For those who give this visual curiosity more than a passing glance, Pansey - a 46-year-old independent stockbroker will distribute fliers and brochures.

What they contain is an abbreviated history of Falun Gong, how it was founded in 1992 by one Li Hongzhi on the principles of Zhen, Shan, Ren: Truth, Compassion, Forbearance. There are details on the exercises, the attendant philosophies and how to visit Web sites to obtain more information free of charge.

And there are graphic images of alleged government brutality against Falun Gong prisoners, accompanied by first-person and eyewitness accounts. Dozens reportedly have been killed and tens of thousands imprisoned. […]

Presidents Clinton and Bush have called for the release of practitioners and an end to the persecution. State Department spokesman Rick Marshall says a formal assessment will be released Friday in its annual Human Rights Report. The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., did not return phone calls from Florida Today.

"Why are they so paranoid? Because the Communist Party knows it's left a huge gap in the Chinese people's daily lives," Pansey says. "This isn't just something for peasants - Communist Party officials, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, they're all involved with it, because it works. And the irony is, this isn't political.

"Master Li has never advocated the overthrow of the government, and advises people to stay out of politics. And that may be one of the strengths of Falun Gong. It has not, and cannot be allowed, to degenerate into an organized hierarchy like other religions, with preachers and the exchange of money. But for this, we get government labor camps, a phenomenon that should've died out with the 20th century."

[…]

Spreading the word

Beginning with Qigong in 1996, Pansey began delving into a training regimen connecting wellness to a comprehension of the body's energy meridians. But not until his dream led him to Falun Gong - and the writings of Li Hongzhi - did Pansey discover what he feels was the missing complement: a behavior code.

"You don't tell a lie, you don't get angry, you go out of your way to help people, you thank them - these sound like very simple things, and they are," he said. "Science will never define good and evil, but there is a supernatural activity in the universe that mitigates evil. Good is rewarded with good, evil is rewarded with punishment, and these are physical laws that are as real as our knowledge of photons and orbiting electrons.

"On a practical level, I haven't gotten sick in four years. That's why exercising across the street from (Holmes Regional Medical Center) isn't an accident. I'd love to share this information with patients and doctors."

Spreading the word has been a busy but thankless task, so far. Pansey says he's sent fliers to all the churches, and has landed a few speaking gigs here and there.

In December, he achieved a symbolic coup by getting the city of Melbourne to proclaim a Falun Gong Week, which, according to the statement, "encourage(d) citizens to become aware of this ancient practice that studies the universal principles of truth, benevolence, and tolerance."

The tide of public awareness in America is rising. Last month, the first Falun Gong conference in Florida was staged in Orlando. Some 250 people showed up, according to organizer Chris Jasurek. Significantly, only 30 of them spoke Chinese only.

"That's important, because Falun Gong is viewed by Westerners as a Chinese thing. We say no, this is something universal," Jasurek says. "That's why I admire Gary tremendously for sticking it out over there in Brevard. He doesn't have a support group, but he's getting the word out."

[…]

"We live in exciting times, in terms of history," Jasurek says. "Falun Gong is now a worldwide movement with local human faces. All we're saying is that it'll help anybody with an open mind be happier and healthier."

Han Yuzhu: Yushu city resident

On January 19, 2000 (on Chinese lunar calendar): she was sent to Weizigou Labor Camp in Changchun city. On July 12, 2000, she was transferred to Fenjin labor camp.

On January 8, 2001, she was transferred back to Weizigou labor camp for forced transformation. On February 9, 2001, Han Yuzhu died in the Weizigou labor camp.

Zhang Yuanming: Nongan county resident

Before the 2001 Chinese spring festival, he was persecuted to death in Fenjin labor camp of Changchun city. After his death, the guards of the labor camp lied to other prisoners that Mr. Zhang was released because he had some mental problem.

Wang Xianyou: Yushu city resident

He was persecuted to death before 2001 spring festival. The exact time of his death remains unknown, however, the death is confirmed.

Family members are denied the right of weekly visits to practitioners and they can meet with practitioners at most once every other week. Clothes are not allowed to be delivered to practitioners.

February 18, 2001

I am a fifty-year-old woman. On January 1, 2001, I broke through one check point after another to come to Tiananmen Square in Beijing and carry out my long-cherished wish to validate Dafa.

When I went into Tiananmen Square, what I saw was one police van after another. Police and plainclothesmen thickly dotted the square. A few sparse visitors looked very serious. This was not a happy atmosphere for entering the new millenium, but it gave people a sense of ferociousness.

When another practitioner and I had just entered the Square from the south side, two plainclothesmen came over right away to interrogate us. I thought we should not hesitate, so I rapidly drew out our already-prepared banner and shouted loudly: "Falun Dafa is good! Return our Master's clean reputation!" A gang of plainclothesmen swooped down at once, seized the banner and kicked me. The electric stun baton spitting out a long tongue of fire stabbed at my body at random, but I did not feel pain at all and continued to shout: "Falun Dafa is good! Return our Master's clean reputation! Police are not allowed to beat people!" Several plainclothesmen pushed me down to the ground and wrestled my hands. Later on they hypocritically smiled at me and changed their attitude. Once the police van came over and people could not see, they revealed their fierce looks and there was another round of fitful beating. Their original smiling look at me was merely for show.

We were sent to different places in batches. Since every place was full of practitioners, I was relocated four times in succession. At last I was sent to a place in Changping County and pushed into a room. Bunches of iron-chains were hanging from the ceiling. There were also shackles, electric needles and so on. It looked like a place of torture. Several police, including a policewoman, came over and interrogated me. "Where are you from?" "I will not tell you." "What is your name?" "I will not tell you." The policewoman began to speak: " If you do not tellme, in a while we will let you speak to a dog!" Two policemen used batons to beat me from head to foot. I bled during the whole time and there already was a red area on my chest, but I did not feel pain at all. At that time, they led in a tall wolfhound. The wolfhound showed its teeth and its two front legs lunged noisily on the ground. It made a threatening gesture toward me. The police let it go and said: "Bite her!"

My mind was in righteous way and with my two eyes I looked straight at the dog and said: "Beast, you dare to bite me?! I am a Buddha cultivator. If you do evil, I will not save you." It was truly miraculous. Right after my voice stopped, that wolfhound groveled on the ground slouching its head and did not dare to look at me. That policewoman shouted loudly: "That is strange. That is strange!" When she said this, she kicked the dog's backside twice and shouted : "Go bite her. Go bite her!" However, no matter how much she shouted and kicked, the dog did not move and painfully looked towards its owner. At this time I felt bitter and thought: These people are not as good as a beast and a beast can understand what I said. No wonder Lu Dongbin [Note: Lu Dongbin is a famous deity in Taoism] said he would rather save an animal than a human being.

Seeing that this cruel trick did not work, they began to beat me again and cursed at me with foul words. One evil policeman shouted: "Take her clothes off!" I was firm in not cooperating with them and told them with justice: "You do this wicked thing, so you pay for it." They abused me with dirty words while saying "Today, that girl's body looks good." and other words intolerable to the ear. They weren't able to take my clothes off no matter how hard they tried, so they resumed the beating. After beating me, they abused me, and after beating me again, they again abused me. Later on I was beaten until fresh blood poured from my mouth and nose. They pressed my hands on the ground and used the heels of their leather shoes to trample on my hands. Soon, the flesh on my hands was torn and blood was all over the place. They tortured me for several hours like that. It was dark. I lost consciousness, but I could still hear clearly what they said. I just had one thought on my mind: "Do not cooperate with the evil."

They saw that I had passed out, so they stopped. In order to determine that I really had no consciousness, they lit a candle and burned both palms of my hands, but I just felt a warm tingling. Not getting any reaction, they asked a doctor to come over. The doctor examined me and said: "The pulse is very weak and the blood pressure is very low. Send her to the hospital emergency room in a hurry." Not wanting to bear the responsibility, they used a police van to take me to a lockup. After a person in the lockup had a look, he said: "We cannot accept this person. You beat people like this then you want to slough off the responsibility?" They had to take me to a hospital. Several police got out and registered. The driver turned around to the back and asked: "Can you walk by yourself?" I shook my head, so he got out of the van and entered the lobby, leaving me alone in the van. Suddenly I realized that Master was giving me a chance to escape. I took the lock out then the van door was open. All of sudden, I had a burst of energy and I ran away in the dark of the evening. After a while, I heard sirens whistling behind and saw the lights of the police van flashing. I ran into a residential building in a moment of desperation. The people who saw me drove me out and some even threatened to call the police. I received a blast of bitterness and felt the people were without benevolence. At this time those policemen searched for me door to door. I saw there was an abandoned dustbin at my side and I got into it without thinking whether it was dirty or not. Right after I hid, several motorcycles stopped suddenly alongside the dustbin, but they did not find me. They checked over and over again for a long time. It gradually became quiet. I came out.

In the pitch-dark night, I could not distinguish directions, so I walked blindly. I did not know how long I had walked. I dimly saw a sign with the words "XX department of XX county". Hey, I had walked out of Changping County. I thought there were practitioners in Beijing and I had to go to Beijing. But police took my money away. I did not eat anything at all and I felt cold and hungry. It was dark and unlighted, and I was in a big valley. How did I go there? Just at this time, I heard the sound of a person riding a bicycle. When I went over to the sound, in the moonlight, I saw a man riding a bicycle to come over. I stopped him and asked: "Please tell me how to go to Beijing." The person looked stunned for a long time and he didn't say a word until he was sure that I was a woman. "You took the opposite direction. What did you do? Why are you here at midnight? There are wolves." I stalled him off with a vague answer. He suddenly asked again: "Do you practice Falun Gong?" I said: "If I do and police are still chasing me, what will you do?" He said: "people who practice Falun Gong are good people. I once hid several Falun Gong practitioners at my home. If you trust me, please follow me." I felt warm in my heart and thought there were still some sensible people, but I said to him: "Thank you. That is enough if you just tell me what road to take." He said: "That is fine. You just go over along the front crossroad and pass it; then you will be on the highway. There are buses going to Beijing."

Then, I went along that road. A north wind was whistling. I was cold, hungry and tired. I found a tree and leaned against it for a while, but I did not dare to lie down. I feared that I would not be able get up. I walked away after taking a rest. I walked and walked when suddenly a clear and colorful Falun slowly rose from the ground in front of me, along with some lotus flowers. The scene was really magnificent! They flew high into the sky and I could see stars move to both sides so as to save space for Falun and lotus flowers. After a little while, Falun disappeared leaving a flash of light behind. Then a green dragon came out of the ground with its eyes winking at me. Shaking its tail and spreading its dragon claws, it also rose to the sky. I was very delighted and forgot tiredness, coldness, and hunger. I bounced and jumped in the dark night just like a child and shouted loudly: "Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good!" The spacious valley resounded: "Falun Dafa is good! Dafa is good! Good! Good! ... ..." My heart was very light and I did not feel lonely and afraid at all. I knew that Heavenly dragons and Falun were protecting Dafa (and me). Full of confidence, I continued to walk.

I did not know how long I had walked. At last I saw there was a lamplight ahead. When I went over there to have a look, it turned out to be a highway. I watched the Big Dipper in the sky and discerned the direction and estimated the time to be around 2:00am. I walked some more for a while. I saw a work shed and people still sleeping soundly. I walked again for a while and saw a young man working in a work shed. I went over and said: "Young brother, I pass by here and beg a cup of water to drink. Is that fine?" He turned his head but was scared to back off several steps. I realized it was my bloody body, my disheveled hair and dirty face that had frightened him. I felt sorry for this but I couldn't find water on my way to wash myself. I then said: "I am not a bad person. I had an accident. Can I have a place to take a rest?" He did not answer me so I left. Soon he caught up with me and said: " I know there is a place where you can have a rest and I'll bring you there." Therefore, I followed him and came to a boiler room, where it was very warm inside. He warmly cooked water and boiled noodles for me, and said: "You do not like having an accident." I said: "Anyway, I am a good person. If there are police to chase me, what should you do?" He asked again: " Do you practice Falun Gong?" I said: "If I say I do, will you call the police?" He patted his chest and said: " I am a brave Shandong man. I am not afraid. How can I do like that? Falun Gong are all good people." He also said that there were Falun Gong practitioners in his hometown. He also revealed that he had a thought of letting his family members learn the Fa. I told him: " I do not have anything to give you. I give you a word--The Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and good people will be met with good rewards."

It looked like daylight. I started to leave. He searched all his pockets and said: "I just have twenty yuan. The ticket to Beijing is ten yuan. You can buy something to eat with the rest. I wish you good luck in Beijing." He sent me to the bus. Later on, I came back to my hometown with the help of Beijing practitioners.

I don't have more to say and I just know I should go to validate Dafa like this right now. In fact, what Dafa gives me is much more than what I pay out.

A Dafa disciple

January 8, 2001

[Minghui Net] We are an old couple who joined the revolution before communism took over China. We both are veteran [party name omitted] party members. We have been loyal to the party and we do whatever the party directs.

"Unfortunately", our son had believed in Falun Gong. Although after starting to practice Falun Gong our son had stopped his bad habits of smoking and drinking, and became healthier. Since practicing Falun Gong, he had become a dutiful son and was never disrespectful to us. Also due to practicing Falun Gong our son stopped making dirty money and became a model and steady worker. Since practicing Falun Gong our neighbors never called him a playboy anymore...

The list can go on and on. We always stood in agreement with the "central government" and did not accept Falun Gong. Against our will, we never had said a good word about Falun Gong. When dealing with our son, we reached out for a yard after taking an inch. We often picked on him and tried very hard to make him stop practicing Falun Gong. However, our son became gentler and more faithful to Falun Gong.

Since July 20, 1999, our son had appealed and then was arrested many times. He said he would use his legal rights to appeal to restore justice to Falun Gong. Each time when released from custody, he was very weak and thin. Whenever we had an opportunity, we worked with the government and tried to make our son change his mind. We had tried every means to lock him up at home but we were never able to lock up his heart.

Eventually, because of telling the truth to people, our son lost his job and was on the police wanted list. Police came to our house frequently and asked us about our son's whereabouts. They were under orders to arrest him. They told us to report to them right away if we heard of anything about our son. We knew our son was a good citizen and we just could not understand why they wanted to arrest him. However, we still forced ourselves to listen to the "party", to keep our integrity above our family loyalty. We hoped the government would transform and "save" our son.

In the end, the police caught our son. And then we did not hear anything about him for a few months. Because of our special status (being veteran party members), we were given permission to visit our son. On the way to the prison, we were thinking of how to persuade him to change his mind.

Finally, we saw our son. It was a very shocking scene: he had bruises all over his body; his hands and feet were locked onto the bed with cuffs and shackles. He was very weak. When he realized his parents came to see him, he opened his eyes with difficulty and exhaustedly said: "Please take care of yourselves and look after the child." Then he turned his head over and lost consciousness. He was still unconscious when we were forced to leave. Even in this situation they did not loosen his shackles a bit.

In the past, we had heard that Falun Gong practitioners were severely beaten and some were tortured to death. We all thought these were rumors and never believed it. We trusted the government that they could never have done such inhumane things. But now we saw with our own eyes and it happened to our son. We could not understand at all that our son, who abided by the law, was "transformed" into such a shape! It pierced our hearts! Though the outside cold wind chilled us to the bone, it could not compare to such a tragic scene that chilled our hearts. Did the "party", which we had devoted our whole life to, do this? Perhaps even the fascist was too inferior to bear comparison.

We were not willing to believe in Falun Gong because our party chairman was against it. However, Falun Gong indeed had changed our son to be a better person. We could not help coming to the conclusion that Falun Gong is good. We had loyally followed the footsteps of Jiang Zemin, but Jiang Zemin instead brought this tragedy to our son and to our family. There are so many families like ours hurt by the tragedy.

We finally realize now that Jiang Zemin does not represent the government nor does he represent the [party name omitted] party in China. He is a sheer tyrant and a murderer of innocent people. He has ruined the [party name omitted] party. No matter what kinds of contemptible means Jiang Zemin has tried, he could not transform our son who believes in Falun Gong. On the contrary, he "transforms" us to believe Falun Gong. This is called "dropping stones onto one's own feet".

Now Jiang Zemin has conducted the contrived "self-immolation" and "suicide-bomb rumor" in Tiananmen. No matter how he has tried to frame Falun Gong, we will never believe him. The real Falun Gong practitioners like our son would never do such a thing and will never even think of that. It is Jiang Zemin who does not let people have the right to live their normal life. As real [party name omitted] party members we should hold to the truth. We will never again adhere to the tyrant's ruling and we will not help a tyrant to do evil. We should realize the benefits that Falun Gong has brought to society. We appeal to all kindhearted people to uphold justice and save our son, save all persecuted Falun Gong practitioners. February 17, 2001

[Minghui net]

Persecution of Falun Dafa in Rushan City in the Weihai area of Shandong Province started in July of 1999 and has continued ever since. The number of practitioners held in detention buildings and prisons there has reached several hundreds. The police department has conducted illegal sentencing, labor education, imprisonment, searching of houses, monitoring, bugging, and other cruel physical torture to induce confession, such as shocking with electric batons, burning with cigarette butts, lashing with belts, and force-feeding with salt water. The atrocity of the methods are unrivaled by the Fascist invaders and those of the infamous "Scum Hole Prison" [Note: a prison from the time of the Chinese Civil War, famous for the tortures meted out by Jiang Kaishi's government to Chinese Communist Party members, then the rebels.) Nevertheless, Dafa practitioners in Rushan City continued to spread the truth, offering salvation to people with a benevolent heart, validating that Dafa is the great law of cosmos and the righteous law that can only be encountered in a thousand, even ten thousand years of time.

Cao Yuguo is an employee of Rushan Fruit Company. He was arrested in Beijing along with his wife Jiang Ping, and another practitioner called Ni Gaojian. While being escorted to Rushan City, he was kept chained to the leg of the seat on the train and kept in a squatting position for the entire journey. Back to the Police Station of Rushan City, he was again kept chained in a corridor and humiliated by passing police. After being put in prison, Cao received beatings every day to make him confess. Back in his cell after interrogation, he was bullied by the guards, and had to finish the work left before the night was out. Now he has been sentenced illegally to three years in jail. About 20,000 Yuan were taken from his person and his home, along with a motorcycle, three cell phones, and a copy machine. Now, Cao's wife Jiang Ping has been fired by her employer because of her practice of Falun Gong. Without any income, their parents and children have nothing to live on.

Yu Juan is a worker in Fuhao Leather Company in Rushan City. She was arrested on October 7, 2000 while she was at work, for giving out materials telling people the truth. She didn't cooperate with the guards in the prison, nor when she was under interrogation. She was beaten severely by Secretary Jiang Wen, Captain Yuan Yu Zhiwen, and another man named Sha. They shouted at her: "It is stated in the national law that no beating is permitted. But you have nobody to turn to even if we beat you to death." Practitioners heard the noises of beating lasting for a whole morning. Yu Juan's firmness and the guards' frenzy drove them to tears.

Yu Qinli is from Zhaiqian Village of Kouzhen Town in Rushan City. His wife Yu Shufeng was sentenced to three years of labor education in November of 2000, for giving out materials telling the truth to people. Yu Qingli himself was then under penal custody. Only their aged parents and their children are left at home. The harshness of their lives is pitiable. Nevertheless, Jiang Cuimin, director of the women's society (the chief persecutor of Dafa practitioners in the village.), often took local policemen to their home and threatened and menaced the elderly parents and the children. These persecutors show absolutely no humanity.

List of practitioners illegally sentenced to jail or labor camp by the police department in Rushan City during October and November of 2000:

One person sentenced to jail:

Cao Yuguo, male, 37, employee of Fruit Co. in Rushan City, arrested in October, 2000, sentenced to three years in jail for printing articles from Minghui net to tell people the truth.

Twelve practitioners sentenced to three years' labor education:

Li Duoji, male, 34, from Yuli Town of Rushan City, a self-employed worker, repairing instruments and meters, has been to Beijing three times. He was arrested at home on October 1, 2000, for no explicit reason.

Sui Xiangyun, male, 35, worker of Furniture Company of Rushan City, sentenced for taking part in printing materials telling people the truth.

Xu Yunlong, male, 37, worker of Sanjia Gold Mine Co. in Rushan City, sentenced for holding up a banner reading "Falun Dafa Is Good" in Tiananmen Square.

Ni Gaojian, male, 27, worker of Jinji Corporation in Rushan City, sentenced for taking part in printing materials telling people the truth.

Wang Zengzuo, male, farmer of Yuli Town in Rushan City, sentenced for giving out materials telling people the truth.

Yu Min, female, 43, employee of Transportation Company in Rushan City, sentenced for giving out materials telling people the truth.

Li Xiangrong, female, 34, self-employed worker, sentenced for going to Beijing four times to appeal.

Wang Aiqin, female, 45, self-employed worker, sentenced for giving out Dafa books to practitioners.

Yu Shufeng, female, 49, from Rushankou Town of Rushan City, sentenced for passing out materials telling people the truth.

Gong Yunxiu, female, 49, from Fengjiazhen Town of Rushan City, sentenced for going to Beijing to validate Dafa.

Duan Guina, female, 43, worker of Can Company in Rushan City, sentenced for taking part in printing materials telling people the truth.

Written on Feb 19, 2001 by practitioners on Mainland China.

Since being released from jail, I have become destitute and homeless for nearly one month. Now I am staying at a fellow practitioner's home that is not in my hometown. The only hope that I have is to double my efforts in helping our Teacher with the Fa rectification in order to make up the six months that I spent detained by the evil forces for no reason.

The Lantern Festival was on February 7, 2001. Three practitioners and myself decided to hang Dafa banners in my hometown in order to suffocate the evil and help Master rectify the Fa.

Beginning at 8pm, all four of us set out in the severe cold to walk to my hometown, which was about 20 kilometers away. We hung up banners reading, "Falun Dafa is Righteous ", "Zhen-Shan-Ren is the Universal Dafa" along the highways. In order to let as many people as possible see the truth and eradicate the evil, a Dafa disciple climbed a huge willow tree and hung a four-meter long banner from the top of it.

We came to a section of the highway where there were no trees to be found on either side of the highway, there was only one street light pole where the town government's Vice-Secretary's house was located nearby. However, we did not hesitate or become fearful because our thoughts were righteous and our purpose was clear---we wanted to tell the common people the truth from the bottom of our hearts. As we prepared to hang the banner, the Secretary came out of his house. When he saw us, he appeared to be afraid. He did not raise his head and he turned around in a hurry. He pretended that he did not see us hanging our banner and quickly went back into his house shutting the door behind him...

At around 10pm, there were a lot of people that were watching the fireworks and lanterns. The wind was blowing strong, which twisted the banner's corner to one side. We worried that the villagers would not be able to read it clearly, so we used bamboo poles to keep the banner straight. We made sure that it was centered before we left.

The next day, some practitioners passed around the following news: People in the town were discussing the astonishing scene on the highway last night. Many of them said: "Falun Gong (practitioners) are really great! They are so wise and capable!" The banners appeared in many large and small intersections during that night.

A Dafa disciple from Hebei Province

February, 9, 2001

The college gave a lot of attention to this activity because of the professor's effort. They donated $500 towards the expenses for this activity. The vice- president of the college attended the discussion.

It was decided that the forum would be held at 8:00 PM on Jan 24^th. The dinner started at 7:00 PM. In addition to the vice-president and professor S, there were two other Americans who practice Qigong attended the meeting. They raised many questions regarding Falun Dafa and cultivation during the dinner. They were very satisfied, and felt that they had learned a lot after we answered each question.

The forum was held at the small auditorium of the college. At the entrance we set up posters, which displayed the pictures of the Chinese government persecuting Falun gong practitioners. We put Dafa materials and letters for collecting signatures on a table. We started with a general introduction of Dafa, and listed the detailed numbers of practitioners who have been persecuted. This was followed by showing the video "Falun Gong: The Real Story". One practitioner explained while two other practitioners demonstrated the five sets of exercises. The students asked questions and we patiently answered each of them. The atmosphere of the discussion was very friendly. . All of the students expressed their sympathy to the practitioners and showed their interest in the exercises. After the discussion, many students signed their names on the letter and asked where they could learn the exercises.

We gave professor S, the vice- president, and some other guests the Falun gong books and the exercise teaching video. They were very happy. One of them even said that he would read the book "China Falun Gong" overnight. At the end, professor S and the vice- president expressed their gratitude once again. The vice- president said: " Falun gong is so good. I will give it a try."

It was already 10:00 PM by the time we left the college. Doctor Viviana had to drive 5 hours to get back; and he had to work the next day. However, we were all very happy to help them learn the truth about Dafa and better position themselves for the future.

Practitioners from Cincinnati

Feb 14^th, 2001

[Minhui. net] On Jan. 31^st, Dr. E from the Cincinnati University invited us to give a talk on Falun Dafa to her research students in psychology. Dr. E hoped that we could teach her students Falun Dafa cultivation in conjunction with their studies. It was a three-hour session, and Students obtained class credits for their attendance.

One of our practitioners, also a psychologist, planned to talk about her own physical & psychological changes from her cultivation practice; and about how the cultivation has benefited her work in psychology. We also planned to present a report of a survey of 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing, China. The report details changes prior to and after their cultivation. This was to be followed with an introduction to Falun Dafa, and the topic of the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese government. After that, we were going to show the videotape "Falun Gong: The Real Story", have a demonstration of the exercise and a "Questions & Answers" session.

The class finished at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Many students thanked us. Dr. E said she would go to the exercise site on Saturday too. She was quite excited. She thinks that Falun Dafa has opened the door for her students to this ancient profound oriental wisdom and the spiritual power it gives mankind. All of these will help her students to better understand peoples' spiritual pursuits, and help with their work in psychology.

Practitioners in Cincinnati

February 15, 2001

First we showed an 8-minute introduction tape on Falun Gong, followed by instruction on the 5 sets of exercises. Everyone was very attentive and shortly after starting the exercises they all felt the energy flowing in their bodies.

Afterwards we all discussed the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Most of the students were not surprised by the Chinese government's authoritarian practices; in fact, they were sickened by its record on human rights. We talked about the crackdown on students in Tiananmen Square on June 4^th, 1989, as well as the recent brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Professor Downer was impressed by the peaceful demonstration of Falun Gong practitioners and he compared it to Gandhi's non-violent, peaceful movement and Martin Luther King's civil rights movement. Some students compared us to early Christian martyrs.

We were able to answer all of the many questions. In addition, we showed the videotape of the Mayor of Santee, California, recounting how he refused to be intimidated by the Chinese consulate. We also told the group stories of how officials from the Chinese consulate came to University of Houston and tried to harass practitioners when they were trying to organize activities promoting Falun Dafa. We would like to warn the officials from Chinese consulate not to continue to work for Jiang Zemin and tell lies around the campus. In fact, since they came to the University, more professors have been in touch with us to find out more about Falun Gong and invite us to teach the exercises to their students. Some professors and students even decided to choose Falun Gong as their research subjects.

As one of the professors put it, they tended to ignore the attacks launched by the Chinese government. In fact, they believed that it must be something good and remarkable if the Chinese government cracked down on it. Another professor called us to say that the introduction of Falun Gong in his class had made his course very exciting.

We are happy for these sincere, kind-hearted people. We feel sorry for those who participated in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. "Please cherish it. The law of the universe is right in front of you."

Practitioners in Houston

On February 10, a Qigong organization invited the local practitioners to introduce Falun Gong to them. Most of the people were Qigong instructors. When our practitioners met them, they saw one person wearing a yellow "Falun Gong" T-shirt. She told us that she attended the Florida Falun Gong conference. She said, "I did not know the movements, I just followed along with what others were doing. I felt I was surrounded by a huge energy cover; I have practiced Qigong for so many years but never had such a feeling." After we finished teaching the movements, she asked when we would teach them the exercises again. On the second day, we went there again and practiced the exercises with them. A practitioner said, "Yesterday when I was doing the exercises at the beginning, I saw many different colors, and I saw the structure of molecules." She suggested organizing a group practice periodically.

On February 11, Orlando practitioners gave an introduction to Falun Gong and talked about the persecution in China to the church members at a church in Eustis City. Almost half of the 60 plus attendees had heard about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. However, they did not have much knowledge about Falun Gong. After listening to the introduction, they immediately wanted to learn the exercises. After the exercises, a person came up and told the practitioners, "I had a bad headache when I came today; after the exercises, the headache disappeared." Many people bought the books and videotapes and asked us to organize the practice regularly.

Falun Gong became a regular weekly class at a senior center. The seniors ranged from 65 to 91 years old in this senior center. All the seniors who have learned Falun Gong enjoyed it very much. A senior said, "When I was doing the holding the Law Wheel movement, I felt a strong energy flowed from one hand to the other, and I also saw different colors floating in front of my eyes." The manager of this senior center said, "Falun Gong is easier to learn than Tai Chi and Yoga. Falun Gong also promotes morality which is good to our bodies and minds." She also said, "After practicing Falun Gong I understood why the Chinese government could not stop people from practicing it since Falun Gong indeed makes us feel better."

Provided by Orlando practitioners.

February 14, 2001

Practitioners demonstrated the five exercises several times around the burning torch. There were many Dafa banners hung around the square. We also displayed pictures of Falun Dafa practitioners from around the world and photos of the persecution of Mainland China practitioners. The silence and peacefulness of the practitioners encouraged many passengers to stop to watch. For most of the western visitors, this was their first time to meet Falun Dafa practitioners and many people asked questions. There were also a few who posed in front of the practicing practitioners to take pictures. Now, having seen Falun Dafa practitioners face-to-face, it became more than some far away news report. It is now not so strange.

The Miami Herald interviewed several practitioners. The journalists were shocked to hear about the horrific and tragic experiences of practitioners in China. They felt sick when learning about how the Chinese government engineered the "self-immolation" only to defame Falun Dafa. It was interesting that one of the photographers, who merely came to take pictures, decided to be a reporter this time and wrote everything down, as he was apparently moved by the event.

The next day, Sunday, we stayed in Miami to promote Dafa. We heard there would be a Chinese New year celebration in Miami-Dade Community College at noon. We got there in time and stood in front of the entrance to hand out materials clarifying the true facts. This event attracted around 1000 people. In the noisy, busy atmosphere of this holiday celebration, Dafa practitioners handed out Dafa newsletters and flyers one by one into people's hands. Both Chinese and Westerners were very glad to accept our materials. Many people said that they were looking for "Falun Gong". They finally found it today! By the time the event concluded, we'd handed out all of our Dafa materials.

The two days' activities are now over and everything that happened seemed normal, but we know that this was a wonderful opportunity that our merciful Teacher gave to us. Master said in the US Western Falun Dafa Experience Sharing conference, "I'd also like to take this opportunity to really thank the various levels of government in the United States and Canada for the honors they've bestowed upon us and upon me. Under this special circumstance, I can't thank them individually, but I will bring them a wonderful future. On the surface, we're seeking public support for Dafa. This is the thinking of the worldly human side, manifest in this human place. Yet it's reversed on the other side. Whoever supports Dafa or advocates for Dafa is establishing for himself his being's existence in the future and is laying a foundation for obtaining the Fa in the future." As a Dafa particle, we should do whatever we can to let people know the truth about Falun Dafa and we also hope all kind-hearted people will chose a beautiful future for themselves.

Reported by Florida Practitioners

February 12, 2001

I still remember the naïve voices of these little kids. They are mischievous and innocent, while I, the adult, tend to be dreary. They are very playful, sometimes pulling my face, sometimes climbing on my back and sitting on my shoulder. They are little Dafa practitioners- my little fellow practitioners!

I'm always moved by these little, mischievous friends when they read Zhuan Falun with their clear, pure voices. So innocent they are! I feel shameful compared with their innocence and purity. By comparison, the voice of my reading of the Fa is a mess and mixed with various feelings and desires.

At the moment when these children were reciting the poems one by one in Hongyin (the poetry of our teacher) and this boundless Fa is being melted into their hearts, I realized again my defects and would like to express my sincere gratitude to these little fellow practitioners.

I remember that in the afternoon of Feb. 11^th, we brought with us many little kids and went to Zhongzheng Commemoration Hall to practice, Hongfa [ Note: the Chinese term for spreading Dafa to people], and tell the truth of Dafa. We have brought Dafa introductions and balloons with us and turned on the music "Pu Du"[Note: Dafa music, it maybe translated to "Salvation"]

Each person carried several balloons with the big characters "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" and "Falun Dafa" on each balloon. Perhaps it created a chance for their future cultivation if pedestrians who looked at the balloons felt moved. Some couldn't stay to read the free handout materials, but exclaimed, "Oh, Falun Dafa! Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance!"

Such remarks appeared continuously. Righteous thoughts are spreading among the public. The music "Pu Du" led all of us onward. These children gave their balloons as presents to other children passing by. Nobody knows what a kind of relationships and promises are fulfilled among them when they met and held the balloons with the characters "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance". A little girl came over to ask for a balloon, however it sounded to me as "I want to practice cultivation!" Even this mere thought can shake the world of ten directions.

The children stood in the plaza- no noise and no argument! They began to practice the five sets of exercises of Falun Dafa with the music playing while we adults handed out Dafa introduction materials. Many curious people were watching them and wondering what those children were doing. I immediately gave a copy of Dafa introduction to them. One child wanted to stay and watch the practice with his mom. A Canadian said he wanted to learn Falun Dafa for quite a while but couldn't find it until he came to Taiwan.

Many foreigners stood by and watched us. Some remarked: "Falun Gong is very powerful. Look at these energetic children, how quiet and lovely they are when they sat still and mediated together." At this moment, the lies from Chinese authorities are washed away. The surrounding field of righteousness doesn't allow any room for the existence of evil.

One hour was over! One child shouted with laughter: "Oh, it is painful!" Everybody laughed. Then we left along with the music. All these children were very happy and didn't think about what they have done for today, they just did it. Our teacher says: "Doing but not pursuing - Always abide in the Tao." (From a poem by our teacher: In the Tao), which inspires me yet again.

For those little practitioners, Going to Zhongzheng Commemoration Hall is no different than going to Tiananmen Square. Wherever they go, they all practice and promote Dafa with their own, pure nature. Without the hindrance of adult mentality, these little practitioners are very lucky. I become enlightened to the idea that all of us are actually children within the Dafa, the only differences are our attachments and mentalities. If we, as particles of Dafa, can let go of all these mentalities formed in human society and step forward with joy and purity like these children, then this will radiate the purest rays from us no matter where we are.

Perhaps you are an adult, I am a young man, and he is an elderly in this human world. However we are all children in the universe, just as kids, it doesn't matter you and me. We are all the children of the universe. Let's all go home together, OK? Please never have our teacher slandered? Please don't have other children (I'm referring to the practitioners, especially in China) suffering with tribulations while waiting for us. Please don't play with mud any more in this human society! We are the children from the universe and should go back to our heavenly home.

A practitioner in Taiwan

Feb. 13th, 2001

More than 1000 practitioners attended the grand parade protesting persecution and appealing for human rights (Los Angeles)

Peacefully doing the Exercises (Los Angles)

Experience Sharing Conference

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