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Letter from A Non-Practitioner: TV Stations in Mainland China Leak "State Secrets"
By Chen Qing I just heard a friend who works at a TV station in Mainland China complain about the
"reaction" of his employer to the broadcast in Changchun of the truth about Falun Gong. To
guard against similar incidences, his TV station put a picture of Falun Gong's founder at a spot
that everyone had to pass when entering or leaving, and forced them to tread on it. The picture was
monitored by a person full-time; if anybody refused to do as demanded, he would be treated as a
Falun Gong practitioner and be detained on the spot. This friend also said in disbelief, that it was
hard to imagine that Falun Gong practitioners could be "truthful" to such an extent that a
gimmick like this would work. He was also grumpy that all his colleagues at the TV station had been
monitored like convicts; besides, they had to tread on a stranger's picture against their
conscience. I really didn't know what to say upon hearing his words. It is well-known that Falun Gong preaches Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, but I had been
doubtful whether it was for real or not. From this episode, it seems certain that when it comes to
pursuing Truthfulness, it is for real; otherwise, who would be so stupid? Before, I had heard
that it was the easiest job for police to catch Falun Gong practitioners. All they needed to do was
to ask whether the person practiced Falun Gong. Those who were real practitioners would answer
"yes." Since those people would never say anything untruthful or tread on the picture of
their Master, even at the cost of being detained, the police could identify them from one remark or
picture. However, for such a dignified place as a national TV station, isn't it true that its
resorting to such a device is the same as openly admitting to everyone, "Falun Gong
practitioners tell the truth?" And I couldn't figure out whether this was guarding against
Falun Gong or promoting it. In the long-running propaganda battle between Jiang--and behind him, the whole state machinery at
his disposal--and Falun Gong, I had been confused over who was telling the truth and who was telling
lies. The story about the TV station, however, did help me understand. Although Falun Gong adherents
should have been more flexible on this, rather than being honest in those circumstances, when doing
so would put their personal safety at risk, their courage was truly admirable for me. No wonder back
in August, 2000, there were two Falun Gong practitioners, Mr. Zhu Kaiming from Hong Kong and Mr.
Wang Jie from Beijing, who were so courageous that they openly delivered their letter to the Chinese
Supreme Court accusing Jiang of the illegal persecution against Falun Gong. Of course, they were
immediately rounded up in secret. Needless to say, those two people were a bit too na ve, that they
were willing to risk prison, for these days, who would believe the mainland government was really
serious about its "rule of law?" But after all, this was not something an ordinary,
faint-hearted person was able to do, and it was an act that was truly commendable. Actually, the
fact that the Falun Gong founder has mentored such honest-speaking students is definitely gratifying
to him in person. We are often told by the mainland government that somebody has leaked state secrets, but isn't
it true that this plot by a national TV station leaked a highly classified state secret? Who would
be deluded by them in the future? |