A German Reporter/ Practitioner's Experience at a Press Conference for Jiang

By a Germany Practitioner

(Clearwisdom.net) On the afternoon of April 9, the second day that Jiang was in Berlin, Germany, I watched the greeting ceremony by the German Prime Minister in front of the gate of the Prime Minister's Building as a reporter with a formal German press card.

I stood on the journalist stand with other reporters before Jiang arrived. I looked over at the Prime Minister Building and couldn't see any group protesting in my view. The German police set up a huge "Safety Area" on the request of the Chinese delegation. I knew the practitioners were practicing and sending forth righteous thoughts at one corner about five hundred meters away, but none of their banners could be seen. I suddenly saw three reporters near the guard fences opposite the stand, three meters away. The red rugs for Jiang to step on were put between these two groups of journalists. If I could stand near the fences over there, I would be so very close to Jiang - three meters away. I still remembered a very restricted security measurement had been used for reporters only the day before in the airport and I realized that there was a very slim chance even for a journalist to be so close to Jiang. I should utilize this chance. The righteous thoughts came forth immediately and there were not any other thoughts. I felt my mind and will unshakeable.

Jiang's motorcade arrived right after I located myself there. He got out of the car, shook hands and posed for the journalists. When he turned around and stepped on the rug and was just three meters away, I shouted in Chinese: "Stop persecuting Falun Gong!" Right away, a Chinese security agent close behind me grabbed me by the arm and turned me in to two German policemen. But Jiang had heard my words very clearly.

In the Prime Minister's Building, a police officer wrote down my journalist certificate number and passport number. He said: "You know you shouldn't shout." I said: "You also know that I wouldn't shout if Jiang hadn't persecuted Falun Gong." His voice lowered and said, "I can't comment on this issue as a policeman." I showed the policeman the pictures of Falun Gong practitioners beaten to death in the Witness brochure, and told him the recent incident in Changchun city and the "killing without pardon" order commanded by Jiang. I pointed to the outside of the window and said: "You all know what kind of person Jiang is; there are many groups protesting in Berlin--have you seen them here? I know Falun Gong practitioners are practicing around a corner five hundred meters away from here. The inhumane persecution is happening now in China; however, people do not even have a chance to protest in Germany, a democratic country, which is not right. They can't be seen or heard, so I speak up for them instead."

The police said all of these were security measures. I said: "Will one banner be dangerous to someone? Those people who meditate with closed eyes will put someone in danger?" The police said they all knew these things but Jiang was a guest. I said: "Hitler was treated as a guest when he visited other countries at that time. Now who would say that is an honor? Former Yugoslavia president Milosevich was sued in an international court as a war criminal. A murderer is a murderer, no matter what kind of title he has. A country's leader first of all is a human being, and whatever wrong deed he has committed needs to be repaid."

I thought I had said what I should say. It was time for me to send forth righteous thoughts. The fellow practitioners were at least five hundred meters away, and only I stayed at the same place with Jiang. So I crossed my legs and put my palm upright to send forth righteous thoughts. I would only answer the questions the policeman asked when they asked me occasionally. One hour later, the police said everything had been done, but I couldn't leave until Jiang left. I thought it's ok and I could send forth righteous thoughts more. After 20 minutes, I opened my eyes and saw a policeman watching outside the window. Then I spotted the motorcade right in front of the big window.

The motorcade left and I was escorted by two policemen to the gate of the Prime Minister's Building. Two guards and I walked around two hundreds meters away from the warning line. I told them the truth in those few minutes. One policeman told me secretly: "I agree with you personally and admire you as well."

One hour later, a Chinese officer from the hotel where Jiang stayed kept staring at me from very far away. When he came close to me, he suddenly laughed and asked me: "Falun Gong?" I said "Yes." He told me: "I have seen you before. Why do you come again?" I said: "I have come to have a look. This hotel is the best one in Berlin." He laughed harder and spoke to the German next to him, "Falun Gong is everywhere."

Several hours later, another reporter who was also there in the Prime Minister's Building came to our practice site to find me. He worried about my safety and felt happy to see me practicing. He said the duty of a reporter is to deliver the information and messages, and my way is the best one to achieve this goal and to deliver a strong and true message to Jiang. He considered me a hero. But I told him I was not and didn't risk anything in comparison with Mainland Chinese practitioners.

Because the German policeman confiscated my press card (my passport and journalist card were returned to me) used only for reporting the visit of Jiang in German, I wrote a report that day to one human rights organization, and my journalist associate, to describe the incident and my view of it.
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/4/16/28556.html

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