Personal Statement of Nathea Lee for SOS Walk Across America

Nathea Lee

September 6, 2001

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is Nathea Lee, and I practice Falun Gong. What a privilege to stand before you and say that I practice Falun Gong. I practice Falun Gong.

If I were Chinese and we were in Beijing, rather than in Washington, D.C., I could have been arrested by now. It would not matter that I have a family to take care of, or a good job, or that I am a citizen in good standing. But, because I say those few words and because I believe that Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance are the highest principles in the universe, I could be arrested. And if I insisted on saying it, and refused to denounce my belief in the inherent power and goodness of Falun Gong, I could have my children taken away from me, I could lose my job, my home, and my good standing in my community. For just saying, "Falun Gong is good," I could be tossed into a labor camp or a mental hospital. I could be tortured, raped, or even killed.

Unbelievable, isn't it? Yet, that is exactly what is happening in China today. Over the past two years, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained. Well over 250 have been killed. And as I stand before you now, untold numbers are imprisoned in China. One, a permanent resident of the U.S., Dr. Teng Chunyan, has been sentenced to three years for giving Western journalists proof about what happens to healthy Falun Gong practitioners who are locked up in mental hospitals.

The Chinese government has declared war on Falun Gong. Jiang Zemin has said that Falun Gong is evil and that no one is allowed to practice it, and he is using every means at his disposal to stamp out Falun Gong. He is using the media, the police, government officials, employers, even friends, neighbors and family members of Falun Gong practitioners. School children are taught that Falun Gong is bad. Bosses are told to fire any workers who talk about Falun Gong. Neighbors are encouraged to report on neighbors. Husbands, wives, and parents are pressured to turn in loved ones. And local authorities are under strict orders to use any means necessary to stamp out Falun Gong in their areas.

What is it about Falun Gong that is so dangerous? We believe that if we embody the characteristics of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance instead of dishonesty, selfishness, and hatred that not only are we better people, but society as a whole benefits. How is that dangerous?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I came here today to tell you that Jiang Zemin is wrong and that Falun Gong is good. In a few minutes, I will leave here on foot with my fellow practitioners and take that message everywhere I go. And I won't fear for my life. My friends and family won't worry about me being arrested or beaten. The mayor of Washington, D.C. won't be concerned about his political standing, and my boss won't have to fire me.

What's happening to innocent people in China is vicious. It is brutal. It is inhumane -- and it's got to stop. The war against Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance must end and people in the U.S. and across the globe have the power to help it end.

President Bush is going to China next month. I urge you to write to him. Ask him to demand an end to the persecution. Write to your Congress member. Write to AOL. Write to Disney. Write to all the corporate giants who want to do business in China. Let them know that the persecution is wrong and that the killing must stop. The war against Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance must end.

Thank you.

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