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(Clearwisdom.net) On the eve of July 20, 2002, the day marking the third anniversary of when the Chinese government first officially began its campaign of suppression against Falun Gong, six Canadian cities passed resolutions condemning the brutal persecution. The cities are: the Township of Carling, the Town of Harbour Brenton, the Town of Torbay, the Township of Coleman, the Municipality of the County of Richmond, and the Town of Burin. These resolutions were forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office, the Minister of Foreign Affairs' Office, the office of Chinese President, the Chinese Ambassador to Canada, and the United Nations Secretary's Office.

(Clearwisdom.net) Ye Fenglin, a 45-year-old man, used to work in Tuanjie Village Armed Force Department in Bijie City, Guizhou Province. At 7:30 a.m. on June 27, 2002, he died of torture while being held in Team Six of the Zhongba Labor Camp.

Ye Fenglin started to practice Falun Gong in 1996. At that time, he quit smoking and drinking and steadily improved his character. The village locals who knew him, all witnessed these positive changes.

In November 2000, Ye Fenglin was working when he was summoned by the local police to attend a so-called meeting. He was thus illegally arrested. While in detention, he was brutally beaten. In October 2001, he was sentenced to 3 years of forced labor education and sent to Zhongba Labor Camp in Guizhou Province.

In the labor camp, because Ye Fenglin firmly resisted the forced brainwashing and refused to give up cultivation in Falun Dafa, he was brutally beaten. At 7:30 a.m. on June 27, 2002, he died of torture in Team Six.

After learning of the death of Ye Fenglin, his family and members of his work unit rushed to the labor camp. Seeing that he died such a sudden death, they questioned the labor camp, "Why did such a healthy person die so suddenly in this labor camp?" Since the labor camp could not give any reasonable explanation of his death, they strongly requested an autopsy to find out the cause of his death. Under pressure from the villagers, the labor camp performed the autopsy and the results indicated that there was coagulated blood in his liver, one of his ribs was broken, and there was no food in his stomach. The medical doctor said the cause of his death was not clear.

Later, the labor camp and the relevant provincial departments bargained with Ye Fenglin's family and work place, and they reached a certain agreement. Ye's family and work unit signed a certificate agreeing to cremate Ye's body. Later they took Ye's ashes back home to be buried. Since Ye had a lot of friends, many people came to his funeral. People all said that it was the police that tortured such a good person to death.

(Clearwisdom.net) On April 19, 2002, Dafa practitioner Sun Shizhong was tortured to death at the Yinmahe Labor Camp in Jiutai City, Jilin Province. Liu Wenli, Liu Xianzhong, Lu Chunhai, Xue Quan and Hui Shouyi were directly responsible for Sun Shizhong's death. Policeman Gao Ke was the instigator behind the scene.

(Clearwisdom.net) Last year, Falun Gong practitioners' parade procession attracted a great deal of attention from the people of Springfield, Missouri. This year, the parade hosts especially invited us as representatives of Chinese culture to attend the parade in Springfield. They even provided a driver and a large flatbed truck, which we decorated as our float for the parade.

Practitioners from a nearby city, Columbia and other remote areas including Tennessee came to join the parade. Some practitioners stayed up most of the night making a beautiful big lotus flower, while others arrived very early in the morning to decorate the float.

During the parade, practitioners dressed in yellow practice suits demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises on the float. Others distributed Dafa truth-clarifying materials to bystanders. Our float drew a lot of attention and was warmly welcomed along the parade route, due in part to practitioners' serene and peaceful expressions, smooth and gentle movements, the big brilliant words: "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" on the float, the graceful and moving Dafa music "Pudu" as well as the compassionate energy field surrounding us. Lots of spectators waved their hands to express their appreciation. Our truth-clarifying materials were also very well received. Some people even took the initiative to ask for flyers. Many people used both hands to take the materials to show their respect. Some citizens even said "Thank you" in Chinese while taking the leaflets.

After the parade ended, we went to a Chinese restaurant to have lunch. Because we were wearing the Dafa yellow T-shirts, as soon as we entered the restaurant, two waitresses shouted, respectively: "Falun Dafa!" "Falun Gong!". One of them thus came to chat with us. She asked a few questions, such as what exactly was the "Self-Immolation" broadcasted by CCTV, why would the Jiang regime persecute Falun Gong, and some basic facts about Falun Gong. We answered her questions one by one and gave her a copy of "Journey to return one's original true self". She said that she wanted to learn about Falun Gong for a long time, but she only had the chance to watch CCTV's programs whose reports on Falun Gong were all negative. Now she finally had the opportunity to learn about Falun Gong. She said that she would definitely carefully read the booklet. She also told us that she had no doubt of the fact that Falun Gong practitioners were beaten to death by Jiang's government. "Because the Party has always been this way," she said. Shortly after talking with her, we saw her telling her boss and other waitresses and waiters the truth about Falun Gong. We felt very happy that another group of people received the chance to learn the truth about Dafa.

In the afternoon, to display the beauty of Dafa, some practitioners performed dances and songs and also demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises on the stage. Practitioners' natural and easy performances as well as the refined contents deeply touched spectators' hearts. A mother and her daughter from Yunnan came over to say hello and accept some Dafa truth-clarifying materials. When we talked about the Jiang regime's deceiving propaganda, the mother indignantly said that those were shameless lies and they didn't believe them at all. The daughter asked us a number of questions such as: What is cultivation practice? How can we start cultivation? What experiences do we have? What kind of person is our Teacher? She talked with us for over one hour. Later she said that she would also like to practice Falun Gong. A practitioner gave her a copy of Zhuan Falun. She took it and happily read the table of contents to her mother. In the end, they said that they were very happy to meet us and promised that they would read the book.

A western practitioner went on stage to introduce Dafa's principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." When she asked the audience if they would like to learn how to say "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" in Chinese, all responded with a "yes." So, in a very touching scene, she taught the audience to say the three words in Chinese.

(Clearwisdom.net) On July 13, 2002, Falun Dafa practitioners from Iowa State participated in the Summer Festival Parade in the City of Ankeny. Accompanied by Dafa music, practitioners' beautiful float and female practitioners dressed like "lotus fairies" won much applause and cheers from the audiences. Some people smiled and pressed their hands together like "Heshi" to show respect to Dafa and us. Some said, "How beautiful!" "China!" A young girl presented us with a white rose. An elderly couple talked to us after the parade finished. They said that the Falun Dafa team was very beautiful and they liked the Falun Dafa music very much.

During the parade, we distributed many flyers and we were happy that more people had seen the beauty of Falun Dafa.

(Clearwisdom.net) Saturday (July 13 2002) was Falun Dafa Day in Greater Dandenong, the second largest city of Australia. A celebration was held in the largest shopping center of the city.

Exhibition and tables for Fa promotion	Little practitioners performing Lotus Dance	Exercise demonstration

This event received support from the city parliament and many other authorities. The shopping center provided a large area inside the front gate for us and set up a temporary stage for us. The event started at 12 noon. First, over ten Western practitioners demonstrated the exercises on the stage. At the same time, Mr. Wols, a member of city parliament, gave a short speech. His speech stated that the city was composed of multiple cultures, and Falun Gong is one of its cultural components. They are actively involved in community activities and give free classes every weekend to help people to retain sound minds and physical health. He acknowledged his appreciation for the principles that Falun Dafa promotes, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," and that we should also encourage all people to treat others with compassion like that taught in Falun Dafa.

There were dancing and singing performances and exercise demonstrations after the opening ceremony. Many people stopped to watch the performances. Three western practitioners stepped up on the stage and introduced their cultivation experiences. Their sincere words moved the audience. One of them was a young teacher Ms. Jason. She said, "I have only practiced Falun Dafa for eight months so far. Before that, I was a mean and self-willed person and didn't care about others. I had heart disease starting when I was 18 years old. I had visited many doctors in many cities. But for 20 years, the disease was not cured. After I practiced Falun Gong for less than two months, the heart disease has improved so much that I gradually stopped using any medicines. Now my disease is totally cured. At the same time, my other diseases are also gone. I quit smoking. Maybe you don't believe it, but this miracle really happened to me. I learned Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance and it turned me into a good teacher, a good wife, a good mother and a person that cares about others and thinks about others."

The event lasted over two hours. All materials we prepared were gone in a short time so practitioners had to make a lot of copies near the site, but those copies were taken faster than we could copy them. Many people came to ask for details about Falun Dafa. We understood that more and more people are approaching Falun Dafa.

(Clearwisdom.net) On the afternoon of July 13, 2002, practitioners from different areas of the state of New Jersey came to Monmouth County to celebrate "Falun Dafa Week" with local government officials and citizens in the county library conference room.

The conference room was decorated, serene and peaceful. In front of the presidium's tables were banners reading "Falun Dafa" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." The proclamations and award certificates from various levels of government were set out on the tables. Many pictures and display boards were set up along the wall.

The ceremony started at 2 p.m. First, a practitioner addressed the audience and briefly introduced the "Falun Dafa Week" event and the response and support from various segments of society. He also sincerely expressed appreciation to the congressmen and senators of Monmouth County, county council members and city mayors who had supported Falun Dafa.

Second, County Council Member Mr. Narok read the proclamation letter from the County government and encouraged people to participate in activities during "Falun Dafa Week." He happily accepted the "Falun Dafa" videotapes and books from the practitioners.

After that, all attendees watched videos introducing Falun Dafa and "Falun Dafa in New Jersey."

After the video program, practitioners chatted with people and taught the exercises. Many people wrote down their phone number to be informed of more Falun Dafa group practice activities.

A reporter from "World Journal Daily" interviewed the ceremony and exercise teaching event.

(Clearwisdom.net)

On the morning of July 13, 2002 (Saturday), Falun Dafa practitioners of the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom came to Victoria Square in front of city hall to attend a local district event. Practitioners set up banners and Dafa introductory materials in both English and Chinese on the table reserved before hand.

The Falun Dafa practitioners cooperated with each other. Some demonstrated the exercises and others distributed the truth-clarifying materials. The serene scene of practitioners meditating in the peaceful Dafa music attracted many visitors. One old man who came to visit his children from China recently brought his grandson to our booth. He carefully watched and read through "The Journey of Falun Dafa" picture show. When he left, he sincerely thanked us. A young man from Pakistan told us that he could feel our strong energy field and said he would come to our classes. He also told us that he knew the evil persecution in China because he saw us promoting Falun Dafa in the city often. Another man from Spain met us again this year. He came to our booth last year. He wanted to learn more about Falun Dafa because he could feel that our energy field was very righteous. When he learnt that the Spanish version of Zhuan Falun was available, he was very happy and said he would come to our practice site to learn exercises. Many visitors came to our tables to ask questions and request flyers.

The weather was supportive, too. It was bright and sunny all day long. When the event finished near 5 p.m., about 2000 flyers were distributed. Our understanding is that we need to demonstrate more. Besides distributing flyers, our exercise demonstration and Dafa music both will give audiences a good memory of Falun Dafa. This will help those who didn't get our truth-clarifying materials to build up a righteous mindset toward Falun Dafa.

A related report:

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/6/26/23495.html

(Clearwisdom.net)

All Canadian practitioners send sincere congratulations for the founding of the Spanish Dafa Association!

Canada Falun Dafa Association
July 7, 2002

The founding of the Spanish Falun Dafa Association lays a solid foundation for Falun Dafa practitioners to offer salvation to all sentient beings and to create a bright future in Spain and in Spanish-speaking areas. "With righteous thoughts and righteous actions He is diligent without letting up." (from Teacher's poem, "A Righteous God") Let's better fulfill the historic mission bestowed on Dafa disciples.

U.S. New England Falun Dafa Association
July 8, 2002

We're very pleased to hear of the official founding of the Spanish Falun Dafa Association. All practitioners in Australia send sincere congratulations!

Let's work together and compassionately offer salvation to all sentient beings while validating Dafa and clarifying the truth. Let's greet together the coming of Fa-rectification to the human world!

Australia Falun Dafa Association
July 8, 2002

(From edited Minghui articles: http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2002/7/9/33034.html; http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2002/7/9/33038.html)

Script:

Falun Gong is freely practiced in at least 57 countries around the world, but relentlessly persecuted in China. The peaceful courage of practitioners there has shocked their oppressors and moved the people of the world. While China continues to block all information, FGMtv brings you the stories you may not hear anywhere else.

Hello, and welcome to FGMtv on July 2nd, 2002

I'm Susan Mitchell.

The number of Falun Gong practitioners verified to have died as a result of mistreatment by Jiang Zemin's regime is 429. However, a new publication out of China that seems to have access to privileged information puts the actual number at over 7,000.

Our top story this week:

The Chinese government's Falun Gong black list re-appears, this time in Hong Kong, and nearly 100 practitioners are denied entry

And some of our other stories:

• Two Toronto practitioners are honored by the City of Toronto for being outstanding volunteers in the community.
• And in China, a woman writes that she was almost buried alive by police.
• Video footage from July 1st Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
• A criminal detained in a Changchun forced labor camp is moved to appeal to the international community to save Falun Gong practitioners tortured there.
• Thermal geyser in Iceland spews black liquid during Jiang Zemin's visit.

First, our top story: the Chinese government's 'Black List' of Falun Gong practitioners, is used in Hong Kong this week to deny entry to almost 100 practitioners who came to appeal the persecution on the 5th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China.

• After Jiang Zemin learned that the number of Falun Gong practitioners outnumbered membership in the Chinese Communist Party, he instituted the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20th, 1999. Until that time, the government encouraged people to practice, saying that it would add to social stability and improve peoples' health.
• The Chinese president's decision to persecute violated his country's constitutional law that guarantees freedom of belief, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly to its citizens.
• Since July 20th, 1999, practitioners around the world have often reported that people of Chinese origin have come to meetings and practice sites and have taken photographs and/or asked questions that have nothing to do with their personal spiritual lives. Instead, their questions have to do with peoples' names.
• Falun Gong has no membership lists. Those who want to keep in touch with each other share their personal information. Those who don't keep their information to themselves.
• In mid-June, just prior to Jiang Zemin's visit to Iceland, the Icelandic Ministry of Justice suddenly issued a directive to Iceland Air to deny boarding to Falun Gong practitioners travelling to Iceland.
• This directive contravened the Schengen Agreement, signed by Iceland on March 25, 2001. That Agreement exempts Schengen Visa holders from Visa obligations for up to 3 months in the Schengen area, which includes Iceland. Entry was denied to six from Canada, all valid Schengen VISA holders.
• They were told that their names appeared on a black list of 47 Falun Gong practitioners.
• Last week, Hong Kong authorities deported 58 practitioners from Taiwan who had come to appeal peacefully during the 5th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China.
• Not only were they prevented from entering the territory, they were also humiliated unnecessarily by police who stuffed them in canvas bags and carried them on stretchers into the cabin of a return flight to Taiwan.
• After dumping them in the flight cabin, one police officer then videotaped all the passengers.
• How did Hong Kong authorities know that they were practitioners? Most of them are not contact names listed on the Falun Dafa Web sites. How did the Chinese government compile their 'Black List"? It could only be through espionage.
• Since June 22, immigration authorities in Hong Kong have turned away 96 practitioners, including two Americans, 67 Taiwanese, 13 Australians, four Japanese, two Swedes, one Swiss, two Singaporeans and one Indonesian.

moving now to Toronto, where 2 practitioners were honored for outstanding volunteer contributions to the city.

• On June 25th, the City of Toronto held its annual ceremony to honor outstanding volunteers in the community.
• Ms. Tiejun Zhang and Mr. Zhaojin Zhang (no relation) were among the 66 people receiving certificates.
• Tia and John, as they are known by their English names, both work tirelessly to share the goodness of Falun Dafa with people, and to help to clarify the truth of the unjust persecution.
• As a former ballerina and current teacher for more than 20 years at the National Ballet School of Canada, Tia has often performed traditional Chinese dances at various cultural events. Her sparkling smile and wonderful grace and beauty are a tremendous inspiration to everyone.
• John is one of the volunteer contact people in Toronto who has focused his energy on making sure that elected officials at all three levels of government - municipal, provincial and federal - are kept up to date on the persecution. Through the efforts of John and his wife, Carolyn, Canadian officials have extended their friendship and concern to practitioners and are working within their mandates to help bring a just solution to the persecution.
• FGMtv extends congratulations to Tia and John and agrees wholeheartedly with the statement made by the Celebration Committee president at the ceremony who said, "They deserve the awards!"

and from China...

• FGMtv has often stated that it sometimes takes a long time for practitioners to smuggle their stories out of the country. Here is a harrowing account of experiences two years ago, written by a 34 year-old Falun Gong practitioner in Hunan Province.
• She reports that on July 1, 2000, after appealing on behalf of Falun Gong in Tiananmen Square, the Beijing police attempted to murder her. They beat and kicked her until she was black and blue before sending her to a local police station in Daxing County, Beijing.
• After continuing interrogation, and without explanation, several policemen drove her to a place called the "Great Sand Pit," which is said to be an execution ground.
• They dug a large ditch and violently pushed her into it. As the dirt reached the level of her mouth and nose she heard someone ask, "Would you like to die?" She replied, "I will not die. I must go on to speak on behalf of Falun Gong."
• After some discussion, the police dragged her out of the hole and sent her back to the police station where they continued to interrogate and threaten her.
• The next morning, another shift of police officers unleashed some police dogs that bit her and tore into her clothes.
• An account by a 34-year-old woman of the treatment she endured because she practices the Falun Gong exercises and studies the teachings based on the universal principles of truth, compassion and forbearance.

Moving back to Canada now, for video footage from Canada Day celebrations in the country's capital city.

• July 1st, 2002 marked Canada's 135th birthday. Canadians from all over the country came to Ottawa to celebrate.
• Canada is a strong supporter of Falun Dafa, and was the first country to publicly condemn the persecution in China.
• As a thank-you to Canada and in an effort to continue to introduce the peaceful practice of Falun Gong to Canadians and tourists in town for the big birthday party, practitioners from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa traveled to Parliament Hill. They presented an exhibition of the graceful Falun Gong exercises and also performances of traditional Chinese culture and songs composed by talented Falun Dafa musicians.

A former criminal appeals on behalf of Falun Gong:

A criminal detained in the Changchun Chaoyanggou Forced Labor Camp in Jilin Province was so moved by the kindness and innocence of the Falun Dafa practitioners that he was forced to monitor, that upon his release, he sent the following report to the Clear Wisdom Web site. Here is a short excerpt:

• Currently, over seven hundred male Falun Gong practitioners are detained in Chaoyanggou Forced Labour Camp, and they are subjected to severe torture on an ongoing basis.
• When I entered the camp I was appointed by the prison guard to be a "clamper"--that is, one of two criminal prisoners who "clamp" onto one Falun Gong practitioner without leaving his side, monitoring his daily life whether he is dressing, eating, sleeping or walking. [This was one way to prevent practitioners from talking to or interacting with one another.]
• At the end of March 2002, the Secretary of the Provincial Standing Committee visited the camp and gave the following order, "Within three months, Falun Gong's 'transformation rate' must reach 95% -- use any methods and at all costs punish the remaining 5%."
• It was reported that Luo Gan, [charged by Jiang Zemin to carry out the persecution], was staying in Changchun to monitor the situation.
• On April 5th, the supervisors, prison guards and prisoners in every team began a concerted effort to torture the Falun Gong practitioners using electric batons, police clubs, iron sticks, police ropes, triangular belts, axe handles, punches and kicks. They used all sorts of methods to torture the practitioners, staining the walls with their blood.
• This former criminal ends his report by saying, "As a Chinese citizen with a conscience and a Changchun city resident who knows the truth about Falun Gong, I can't bear to see so many innocent citizens tortured. I hope all people both on the Mainland [of China] and overseas will pay close attention to them and give them support and help, so they can be out of danger as soon as possible."

Iceland's thermal geyser 'welcomes' Jiang Zemin:

• One of Iceland's natural attractions is its thermal geysers that spout pure clear water high into the air.
• During Jiang Zemin's visit to Iceland, it seemed as if not only the sky protested, but also the earth - from deep within! One of the thermal geysers suddenly spewed out black liquid! It was captured in these pictures.

TV propaganda gets a break in two more Chinese provinces:

• From June 23rd for several days, prime time propaganda in Shandong province was interrupted with short messages of "Falun Dafa is Good!"
• Reports of the current series of tapping into the networks were received and reported to major newswire services of Reuters and Agence France Presse from Laiyang county and Yantai city in Shandong and also from Hunan province.
• With the limited means at their disposal, and under life-threatening pressure from the authorities, Falun Gong practitioners in China have resorted to ever increasing creativity in doing their best to expose the illegal persecution against them.

Natural disasters abound in China this year:

• Falun Dafa's founder, Teacher Li Hongzhi, has said, "When people do not have virtue, natural calamities and man-made disasters will abound."
• While parts of China have been reeling under the worst floods in decades, the worst snowstorm in the past 30 years hit the Baluntai mountain area of northern Jing County in Xinjiang Autonomous Region this June.
• The deepest snow was measured at 50 to 80 centimeters [about 20 to 31 inches], causing more than 100 kilometers of highway closures, while more than 50 vehicles and nearly 100 people were stuck on the road.
• The snowstorm cost the local herdsmen heavy losses.

and as if the weather wasn't bad enough...

• One news agency in Hong Kong broadcast that half of China has been hit with floods and the other half is being infested with locusts.
• One of the areas worst hit is Tianjin, where the persecution against Falun Dafa initiated the one-day appeal of more than 10,000 people around the government compound in Beijing.

Many officials who have persecuted Falun Gong practitioners are now suffering personal calamities:

• This week, reports were received of disasters that have overtaken the lives of two Chinese officials who have extorted exorbitant sums of money from innocent practitioners:
• Mr. Changzeng Li, the former director of the Dongzhangbu Police Station in Feixiang County, Handan City of Hebei Province, was discharged from public office and stripped of his party membership in March 2002.
• Mr. Jiqiao Chen, the former Deputy Director General of the Boyujuan District Port Office in Yingkou City of Liaoning Province, was fined 100,000 Yuan for drunk driving and causing a traffic accident.
• We believe that one cannot escape the well-known universal law of "good will be rewarded and evil will be punished."

A Magnificent Concert in Taiwan's National Concert Hall Recently, renowned Belgian pianist and composer, Peter Ritzen was inspired to make an orchestral arrangement of a song composed by practitioners.

• The result was his symphonic poem, "Falun Dafa is Good". He performed his work in a magnificent concert setting in Taiwan, accompanied by a choir of more than 100 voices and an orchestra of more than 100 musicians.

Thanks for watching FGMtv, dedicated to breaking through China's information blockade, revealing propaganda, and bringing you the truth of Falun Gong.

(Clearwisdom.net)

The Falun Dafa Information Center Reported on July 12, Falun Dafa practitioner Yoko Kaneko from Japan passed out Falun Gong Truth Clarifying Materials on the streets of Beijing in May, and was sentenced to 18 months in a labor camp by the Beijing police on June 24. The labor camp administrator would not disclose her current whereabouts. The Falun Dafa practitioners in Japan are holding activities to rescue her.

At the end of April, four Singapore Falun Dafa practitioners were refused entry into Hong Kong for no reason, and were deported against their will. The Falun Dafa Association wrote a letter to the Hong Kong Government to ask for an apology concerning this incident, and for them to withdraw the recent illegal lawsuit against 16 Falun Dafa practitioners. The Hong Kong government should treat Falun Gong with justice, and bring good fortune to the residents of Hong Kong.

A suggestion for overseas practitioners who use telephone calls to clarify the truth: we should first introduce ourselves after we dial the phone and use a simple greeting such as "hello." If we start clarifying the truth immediately after they pick up the phone, we would give the listener a bad first impression. When we are calling, we should use harmonious and polite actions to show non-practitioners the beauty of Dafa.

"Focal Point Interview" [a Chinese government-run TV program] tried its best to cover up for the Shayang Forced Labor Camp during its interview of Wang Bo. My first-hand experience at the Shayang Forced Labor Camp in Hubei Province is: before the upper government officials came to check on things, our practitioners were forced to do cleaning work including cutting the grass and taking care of plants and flowers. During an interview, practitioners were forced to dress up or everyone had to hide in one place. The labor camp guards are very vicious. People like Wang Bo who lies on TV are the result of cruel brainwashing.

As the people that run Masanjia Forced Labor Camp are completely conscienceless, storms of wind and rain, thunder and lightening are attacking the City of Shenyang, Liaoning Province (where Masanjia is located). On the evening of July 12, a strong rainstorm accompanied by very strong winds hit most areas of Liaoning Province, causing 100,000 mu [Note: one mu is equivalent to 0.165 acre] of crop damage. The windstorm left one dead and many injured. During that night, transportation and communication establishments in the Shenyang area were also damaged. The Municipal Bureau of Utility received over 150 reports of power outrages.

Jiang is both corrupt and cruel, and is offending heaven and reason; swarms of locusts have invaded Beijing. Starting in the evening of July 12, swarms of locusts successively appeared at the southern and western parts of Beijing. A large quantity of dead locusts, each as long as 5 to 6 centimeters, lay on the ground outside a KFC. People there were terribly shocked when they saw a dense mass of locusts fly over the city.

Clearwisdom News Brief (July 14, 2002)-part 4

Large area of bamboo-locust infestation has developed around Daweishan in Liuyang City in Hunan Province. The density has reached 15 locusts per square meter in the affected areas. Bamboo-locust is one of the four major forest-endangering bugs. Once they infest an area, they eat all the bamboo leaves, leaving only stalks. The affected bamboo forest cannot grow new shoots for another three years, and it will not fully recover for ten years. Eventually the entire forest will be destroyed.

There are over 5 million people in China infected with tuberculosis, the highest rate of infection in the world. The number of deaths due to tuberculosis has reached one hundred fifty thousand per year. In Guangdong Province, there are about two hundred fifty thousand people with active tuberculosis. There are at least seventy five thousand new cases each year. The approximate death rate per year is five thousand. Among all the infectious diseases, the tuberculosis has the highest mortality rate.

(Clearwisdom.net)

In April 2002, Saertu District Police Department arrested Chen Xiuli on a bus while she was clarifying the truth. Her husband Zhang Xinye was suspected of being the responsible person in charge of Falun Gong in Daqing. In order to force Chen to reveal Zhang's whereabouts, the police in the Politics and Security Section even put bamboo sticks under her fingernails. Dong Fenglin, the head of the Politics and Security Squad, arrested and persecuted hundreds of Dafa practitioners. Chen Xiuli is currently detained at Harbin Drug Rehabilitation Center and Forced Labor Camp. Zhang Xinye was also arrested later and is now detained at Daqing Detention Center.

Female Dafa practitioners Ma Yuhuan, Guo Lixiang, and Guo Limin from Hailun City were arrested at the beginning of July 2002, and are being illegally detained at a detention center.

Dafa Practitioners Wu Chunru, Zhu Dongmei, and Kong Linzhen from the town of Zhujing in Jiangpu County went to Tiananmen for a peaceful appeal. Jiangpu county Police Department and Zhujiang Police Station have been illegally detaining and torturing them in the Nanjing Zutangshan Psychiatric Hospital since March 2002. It was said that Wu Chunru had been transferred to another mental hospital.

Chen Gang, male, 28, went to Beijing to peacefully appeal in November 1999. The police sent him back and illegally detained him for 15 days. In January 2000, the Tianshui Politics and Law Committee illegally detained him for one month, after which they sent him to a forced labor camp for one year in Lanzhou Pingantai. He was released in March 2001. The police did not allow him to go back to work and the work unit stopped his salary. The police often went to his residence to harass him, so he was forced to live on the streets and become homeless. In April 2002, the Lanzhou police again arrested, brutally beat and tortured him. Currently, he is being illegally detained in Tianshui Lurgou and is in critical condition.

Ankong Hospital in Shenyang Police Department Drug Rehabilitation Section is actually a psychiatric hospital. It is illegally holding several female Falun Gong Practitioners. They have been on a hunger strike, without water, to protest the Shenyang Police Department's illegal detention and persecution.

On the morning of June 26, 2002, Zong Lirong and Sun Guimei were arrested by the police while distributing Dafa materials and clarifying the truth. The police beat them and confiscated their homes. They are now detained at Yaojia Detention Center in Dalian City.

Recently, Wuhan "610 Office" [a bureau specifically created by the Chinese government to persecute Falun Gong. It has absolute power over each level of administration in the Party, as well as over the political and judiciary branches] took over the brainwashing center in Wuchang Yangyuan. It was said that brainwashing centers in other part of Wuhan were gradually phased out. The practitioners that firmly persisted in Falun Dafa were transferred to Yangyuan brainwashing center and brutally tortured.

Former practitioner Liu Zhuoli, the former vice director of Wuhan Qiaokuo District Audition Bureau, went astray. She aided the "610" Office to brainwash the practitioners and the brainwashing center and to damage Dafa.

07/11/2002

(Clearwisdom.net) As practitioners in China face tremendous pressure to give up their beliefs under the Chinese regime's brutal persecution, there are those who have given in and signed documents renouncing Falun Dafa. However, many of these people deeply regret doing so after they are released from detention and labor camps. "Solemn declarations" are the public statements made by such practitioners, often at great risk to their personal safety, to declare to the world that the documents they signed under duress are null and void and that they will continue to practice Falun Dafa.

Here are some of the Solemn Declarations from the practitioners:

• Solemn Declaration: Fellow Practitioners, Please Learn from My Mistake [07/13/2002]
• A Solemn Statement From a Young Practitioner [07/13/2002]

Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.

(Clearwisdom.Net)

I. Local Police Stations

On the anniversary of April 25, a dozen practitioners from Jingjing County went to Beijing to validate Dafa. After that, every town in Jingjing County started to persecute Falun Dafa practitioners, forcing them to write promises to give up practicing Falun Dafa. Practitioners who refused to write promises were illegally detained. Among them, female and male practitioners from Weishui County were detained in the same room and had to share one barrel as a toilet. The stench in the room was overwhelming. Officials in Xiulin County detained practitioners in a dark, wet cellar, and many practitioners developed diarrhea. Practitioners who were escorted back home after they validated Dafa in Beijing or were found to have Falun Dafa materials hidden at home were arrested and tortured in police stations. At the Weishui Police Station, Officer Ma Zhanyuan violently beat Falun Dafa practitioner Wu Zhanming with a thick metal pipe one-inch in diameter. He also beat Wu Zhanming with a chair until the chair collapsed. Practitioner Wu Zhanming was beaten so severely that he bled internally for several days. Another policeman Wang Guoqiang maliciously hit female practitioners' breasts with his fists and ferociously kicked practitioner Fan Qingjun's legs with his leather boots. Officials in Weizhou County illegally confiscated Wei Ruilin's home and grabbed two jars of wheat from his poverty-stricken dwelling for their personal consumption.

II. Brainwashing Center

On June 1, 2001, Jingjing County set up a brainwashing center at the Civilian Soldier Military Base in Biao Village. The brainwashing center was created by the "610 Office" and the police departments and officials from each town in Jingjing County. All of the practitioners detained in each town were transferred to this central brainwashing center for further persecution. The methods of coercion included physical torture, threatening, beating, separation, persecution of practitioners' relatives, sleep deprivation, and deceit.

Physical torture

Practitioners were forced to get up at 5 a.m. to undergo military-type training, including running laps. Then they were forced to sit on the sports grounds for the rest of the day. They were not allowed to move and remained under the surveillance of guards until 11 p.m. Many practitioners' hips were injured.

Threatening and Beating

Officials in the brainwashing center first forced practitioners to listen to them slander Dafa and then watch a video with fabricated stories. Practitioners didn't cooperate with these demands. Officer Lu Zhiqiang seized a walking stick from handicapped practitioner Gao Baoyuan and ruthlessly beat him to the floor. He also hit other practitioners with this walking stick. Second, they forced practitioners to sign their names to a paper slandering Falun Dafa. Practitioner Fan Qingjun refused to sign. Guard Jia Huimin immediately dragged him out of the room and severely beat him with a thick, wooden stick until the stick was broken. After torturing Fan Qingjun, he forced 65-year-old female practitioner Li Guiqing to stand for such a long time that she collapsed, losing control of her bladder and bowels.

Once guard Liu Pingjun slapped practitioner Li Guiqing's face just because the guard thought Li finished his dish a little too slowly. When another practitioner tried to stop him, he turned around and beat that practitioner. In another occasion, policeman Yu Chongwang slapped the faces of some practitioners who once gave in under the high pressure of persecution to the authorities against their wills and later declared to resume their practice of Falun Gong. Practitioner Luan Shunsheng's tooth was knocked out.

Intimidation, Isolation, and Implication

The Jingjing Police Department sent fourteen Dafa practitioners from the brainwashing center to Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp. Police in the brainwashing center often warned other practitioners, "Your transformation is obligatory. If you don't give up, you won't be able to leave this center. Don't accumulate evidence for your forced labor camp education." If practitioners refused to give up practicing Falun Gong, they were forced to pay a heavy fine and were sent to the Law Education Center of Hebei Province for further persecution.

Sleep Deprivation

Since November 2001, guards have deprived Falun Dafa practitioners of their right to sleep. Collaborators [former Falun Gong practitioners who have gone astray due to brainwashing and torture] Liu Lihui, Deng Guoyun, Gao Genrong, and Wei Ruilin helped to torture Falun Dafa practitioners physically and mentally.

Deceit

At the end of 2001, a police station promised those who, against their wills, gave up practicing Dafa that they would be released because of the county's financial shortage. Some of them, however, continued to be detained. Policemen convinced three collaborators in the forced labor camp that they would be released after some paper work was completed. But after the collaborators actively helped the police, the Jingjing County Police Department sent them back to the forced labor camp with the excuse that the paper work wasn't finished yet.

III. Falun Dafa Practitioners' Righteous Thoughts

In order to resist the persecution, practitioners Xu Genchun and Ren Yanzhen began a hunger strike on Chinese New Year's Day 2002. Two weeks later, their lives were severely threatened, so the "610 Office" decided to temporarily release them in the condition that the officials in town and/or village sponsored their release and made sure that they gave up practicing Falun Gong. Police said that they would be subjected to further persecution if they still refused to give up their practice after they recovered. Practitioner Fan Qingjun broke away from the prison under the strengthening of righteous thoughts and Teacher on March 24, 2002.

Here we warn those villains who persecuted Falun Dafa and practitioners: Don't help a tyrant to do evil for a tiny amount of personal gain. The principle of heaven is "Good is rewarded with good and evil meets evil."

Persons responsible for the persecution in Jingjing County:

Party leader in Jingjing County: Zhen Guangzhi

Head of Jingjing "610 Office": Wang Chunshu

Jingjing County "610 Office": Lu Zhiqiang

Head of Police Department: Wang Xue

Vice head of Police Department: Li Zhongyong

Head of Political Guard Division: Wang Xichang, Jia Huimin

Head of Public Security: Liu Pingjun and Yu Chongwang

Xiulin Town Police Station: Liu Yongbin, Wang Jihong, Wang Guoqiang

Head of Weizhou Town Police Station: Tian Yongfeng

Head of Weishui Town Police Station: Zhang Yanrong

Weishui Town Police Station: Ma Zhanyuan

Phone number of Jingjing County Civilian Soldier Military Base: 011-86-0311-2335163

(Clearwisdom.net)

• Li was sent to a labor camp for clarifying the truth of Dafa. After he was released, however, the "610 Office" took his salary unjustly even though he was given back his job. He went to the "610 Office" in person and asked, "What right do you have to confiscate my salary? What you are doing is illegal." Consequently, Li received his full salary for that month.

• A Dafa practitioner went to clarify the truth of Dafa, and was very busy when he arrived. When he returned home he thought, "there must be little gas left since I have traveled a long way." Then he looked into the tank and found that the petrol had not been used at all. This is a miracle demonstrated by Dafa.

• There is a lady in northeastern China who met a police officer who came to the building where she lives to look for Dafa practitioners. The lady said to the police officer seriously, "Why should you look for them! They are good people! Why don't you look for and arrest thieves out there?" The policeman was silent for a while, and after a short consideration he turned away and left. Nowadays, there are more and more people who stand out to protect Dafa practitioners.

(Clearwisdom.net)

On January 4, 2002, Villagers from the third team of the first unit surrounded the Liuli Township Hall of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Villagers requested the township officers to issue the land occupation fee, which should have been paid a long time ago. On the morning of the same day, reporters from Channel 33 of the Chengdu City TV station gathered to report on the event.

It was a simple issue. The villagers had long been unable to receive the payment for the land occupation, which they relied on for their livelihood. So villagers Qiu Wansong and Feng Xinde from the third team went to audit the accounts in the first brigade office, and found a deficit of several hundred thousand Yuan. They asked the village officers to explain where the money had gone. But the village officers threatened them and said: "You can appeal to the township government if you dare to!"

So on the morning of January 4, several hundred villagers surrounded the township government for a whole day. Channel 33 of the Chengdu City TV reported the whole event. The township officers firstly tried to lie to the villagers and then threatened them. Seeing no effect, they asked the villagers to choose representatives to talk with them. Qiu Wansong and Feng Xinde were thus selected as the representatives.

After two days of discussion, the township officers still did not agree to make up the already delayed payments, and they told the representatives to go home and wait for an answer. In the evening, Qiu and Feng were told by township officers that somebody was looking for them. Right after they left their home, they were handcuffed and arrested by local safety deputies. Qiu and Feng were outraged and shouted: "We didn't break any law, why do you arrest us!"

The deputies said: "You are Falun Gong!"

Approximately 40 days later, Qiu and Feng were released and their bodies were covered with scars.

With grief Qiu told the villagers what had happened. The policemen tried to force them to sign on a preprinted arrest warrant with charges like "Joining the activities of an (slanderous term omitted) organization, leading thieves to make trouble." He refused and told them that he had never practiced Falun Gong, and asked for an attorney. The policemen sneered at him while beating him, and said: "It's useless even if you appeal to the premier, you would be better off begging us not to beat you as badly. Who dares to question the case if it's associated with Falun Gong? There are orders from the superiors that we would not be held accountable even if we beat you to death." Qiu shouted that he is not a Falun Gong practitioner. The policemen then told him: "If we say that you are then that's what you are, if you do not admit it then you'll be heavily sentenced!" Qiu resisted for 40 days but finally gave up and was released. Feng suffered even more miserably. He was charged with being "a thief, making trouble against the government under the instigation of Falun Gong." He was released after paying a huge fine and being detained for more than a month.

The authorities took away what rightfully belonged to these villagers, and then the villagers were beaten for asking for what was theirs in the first place. The event astonished the neighboring townships. The villagers said: "Who didn't know that Qiu and Feng never practiced Falun Gong? This just goes to show how Falun Gong is set up, and how the TV stations lie. We finally know how Falun Gong has been treated so badly. Do those officials and policemen have a human conscience left?"

05/29/2002

(Clearwisdom.net) Xinhua Net reported on July 6 from Huhehaote: recently within six days, Liangcheng City in Inner Mongolia has been attacked by hail on 8 separate occasions. The longest period the hails came down was 25 minutes. The largest hailstone had a diameter of 3 cm, and they accumulated on the ground as deep as 10 cm. The length, strength and intensity of hail this time has been severe and a rare incident.

It was calculated that the hail disaster has affected 9 towns and 35 villages, in which 30,000 residents and 125,000 mu (Chinese unit of area, 1 mu=0.1647 acre) of crops were affected. During the rain, after the hail, 5,500 mu of crops, 3 bridges and 33 water conservancy projects were destroyed, with an estimated combined cost of 15,600,000 Yuan.

(Clearwisdom.net) My niece came to see me today. In a serious tone, she told me of many car accidents that she had witnessed or heard about. She asked me, "Are these all karmic retribution?" I started to explain to her patiently:

My youngest uncle is an official in his village, and he had persecuted Falun Gong practitioners there. His wife was also deceived by the propaganda and mistakenly thought that Falun Dafa was bad. The thirteen pigs they had raised suddenly all died right before they were going to sell them, and all the meat turned black. My aunt didn't understand why it was only her family that had suffered the hog cholera. She told my mother, "Those pigs would have been worth over 10,000 Yuan RMB. I'm so upset. Now I also have heart disease, and have to come in town to see a doctor. I think that it might be the last time I see you, my sister."

My mother held her hand and said, "You've got me worried sick about you! Aren't you suffering retribution? How could you believe what they are saying on television? Those are all lies and deceit. You can't blindly follow them to say nonsense, or else you will suffer retribution. Over the years, I, too had been having physical problems, but after practicing Falun Gong, they are now all gone. But I'm not that great a speaker, just listen to the Fa that Teacher Li has lectured on, and you will come to understand what has happened."

Thus my youngest aunt was blessed after having suffered retribution. Not only was her heart disease in remission, but she had also understood how to live from then on. My youngest uncle also came to understand that he should treat Falun Dafa practitioners well. A few days ago, the flu was going around their village and the doctor was busy with flu patients. Surprisingly, none of the five members of her family got the flu. The doctor was surprised and asked, "I used to do the inoculations for your family every year. What happened this year?"

The compassion of our Teacher is immense. He is giving opportunities to every one of those deceived by lies, including government officials and police who are being used by the old evil forces to persecute Falun Dafa. The old saying says, "Do do unto others as you would have others do unto you." The principles of the universe are fair and selfless. Those who persecute Dafa practitioners for their own personal gain, what will their future be like? In Zhuan Falun, Teacher says, "The human moral standard is declining tremendously, and human moral values are deteriorating daily. People only pursue self-interest and will harm others for a tiny bit of personal gain. They compete and struggle against each other by resorting to all means. Think about it, everyone: Will this be allowed to continue?" "? If humankind does not do something about it, heaven will."

My niece silently nodded her head after hearing my words.

Editors' Note: In both Western and Chinese culture, the principle of karmic retribution, that is, being held ultimately accountable for one's own actions, is widely accepted. The fundamental teaching of Falun Gong is the characteristic of the universe, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." The universe will reward actions that are in harmony with this principle, while actions such as beating, torturing and murdering people, or causing such things to take place by informing on innocent people, will incur karmic retribution. Stated another way, good deeds will be rewarded with good, while evildoings will meet due retribution. Articles such as this one are meant as a compassionate reminder of this principle to those who would commit wrongdoing. While many of those who persecute Falun Gong are merely "following orders," the universal law requires that they, too, be held responsible for their actions, and that only by reversing their course of wrongdoing may they escape retribution.

(Clearwisdom.net) On June 4, 2001, upon receiving reports from informer Ma Jingyao, police arrested 13 Falun Gong practitioners who were gathering to study the Fa in Ms. Wang Lanxiang's home at Majia Village, Sunji Town, Shouguang City, Shandong Province. Two days later, the police tortured two of the female practitioners, Wang Lanxiang and Li Yinping, to death.

Retribution came to the greedy informer, Ma Jingyao, four months later as his second son died suddenly of liver cancer. Before this son's death, his wife sobbed to her friends, "It was Ma Jingyao who reported [the practitioners] to the police; it was his bad deeds that brought bad fortune to the family. Otherwise my husband wouldn't have got liver cancer so suddenly." Near death, Ma's son cried and said to his friends, "Wang Lanxiang was reported [to the police] by my father, and his bad deeds affected me. I will not regret dying after I tell you the truth. Wang Lanxiang was so kind to me when she was alive." Ma's son died four months after Wang Lanxiang was tortured to death.

To all informers: Have you thought of the retribution that will come to you or members of your family when you report good people and harm their lives?

(Clearwisdom.net)

On June 16, 2002, a very strange fire occurred in the Lanjisu "Internet Cafe on Haiding District's College Road in Beijing City. Within a day, all internet cafes in Beijing were shut down. Then a nationwide campaign of "condemning" and "cleaning up" internet cafes was carried out. Internet cafes were "demonized" and internet cafes all over the country were shut down. This extreme action has directly harmed many internet cafe owners and users' interests.

I would like to discuss some of my understandings from Fa-rectification and cultivation standpoints.

1. The Chinese authority's real goal in making use of this internet cafe fire

Nowadays, the internet is a very important information pipeline. Since July 20, 1999, in order to block Chinese people from knowing the truth, the Chinese authorities have been increasing internet restrictions and official censorship. Because the internet connects Dafa practitioners from overseas with practitioners in China, it has been an invaluable resource for the precious Chinese people to learn the truth of Dafa in spite of the evil's attempts to block information. Undoubtedly, this crackdown on internet access has created a huge obstacle in our efforts to clarify the truth. I think this is the real reason that Jiang's political group tried to make use of the Internet cafe fire -- to further block the truth and to control the people.

2. The reasons for the events that happened in Germany, Iceland and Hong Kong

Those are the so-called devastating "tests" arranged by the old forces. Because we still have gaps in our cultivation they can be used by the evil forces to interfere with Dafa practitioners.

I think that the many recent tribulations suffered by numerous practitioners were aiming at Dafa practitioners as a whole. The evil also focused its forces on sabotaging key events in key areas. The recent incidents in Germany, Iceland, and Hong Kong are all examples. I think this nationwide internet blockade triggered by the Beijing internet cafe fire was also for the same reason. Facing such sabotage, we Dafa practitioners should act as a united body to eliminate the evil.

However, we still have many shortcomings in participating in the Fa-rectification and in advancing together as a whole, which provided opportunities for the old forces to "test." For example, in the beginning when Dafa was persecuted in China, some practitioners overseas thought that tribulation was for those practitioners in China and they could not do much about it; when Jiang was in Germany, practitioners in other countries were not as dedicated as the German practitioners; when overseas practitioners were stopped in Iceland, practitioners in China did not send forth powerful righteous thoughts in time to help; practitioners who were not working on the internet almost never sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil internet interference. I think those kinds of shortcomings were used by the evil forces, causing the incidents in Germany, Iceland and Hong Kong as well as the closing down of the internet triggered by the Beijing internet cafe fire.

Also, some practitioners have not understood enough about experience sharing and advancing together with practitioners from different countries all over the world. When they made progress in their cultivation, they did not write articles about their righteous understanding, enlightenment, experience, or lessons to share with practitioners worldwide. Some practitioners have a narrow understanding of truth-clarification. For example, when some overseas practitioners realized the importance of clarifying the truth to Chinese people, they gave up the work of clarifying the truth to local governments and media. Some practitioners in China felt that there was so much work to do to clarify the truth to the surrounding people that they forgot to cooperate with the Fa-rectification work overseas. Actually, our truth-clarification should be an all-around effort by all practitioners: practitioners in China break the information blockade to expose the evil persecution and practitioners outside of China use those real examples to clarify the truth to local governments and people; practitioners in China provide the addresses and phone numbers of those vicious people and practitioners overseas make the phone calls to suffocate the evil; etc. Also, the good image of Dafa created by practitioners outside of China and the existence of well-known people and experts becoming Dafa practitioners could be used by practitioners in China to clarify the truth to the general public. Teacher told us,

"Clarifying the truth is what we need to do at this time. Do it on a large scale, do it with all the wisdom that you can, and as long as something can save the people, go do it. It doesn't matter if what you do is expose the evil, or if you use all sorts of approaches, be they direct, indirect or from different angles--as long as you can have people recognize this persecution, you are saving them, and you are extraordinary." (Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, USA)

If all practitioners in the world would consider things from the overall situation of Fa-rectification and form an indestructible whole body, the evil would be completely eliminated, and the old forces would have no excuse to "test."

3. What should Dafa practitioners do about the evil blocking of the internet?

We should realize this is a sabotage aiming at all Dafa practitioners as a whole. The purpose is to prevent Dafa practitioners from communicating with each other and to prevent people from learning the truth. I suggest practitioners all over the world use righteous thoughts to create an environment for all sentient beings to know the truth.

In the meantime, there are many suspicious elements surrounding the closing of all the Internet cafes by the evil forces. Many people have questioned the way the Chinese government dealt with this issue. All kinds of evidence indicate that the so-called "Internet Cafe Fire" incident was very likely another staged event, just like the "Tiananmen Immolation" incident. I would hope that people who know the truth reveal it, providing a great benefit to the Chinese people.

(Clearwisdom.net)

Recently, when I saw overseas media running daily reports about the Falun Gong practitioners who were refused entrance into Iceland and Hong Kong, an idea popped into my head. If we fully take advantage of this opportunity with righteous thoughts, we can turn the old forces' arrangement into a good opportunity to have practitioners from every country clarify the truth about the persecution to their own media, government, human rights organizations, and Embassy in Hong Kong; or to airport personnel, policemen, all social organizations, and for the purpose of saving all sentiment beings.

The majority of media reports on the recent events have focused on total numbers of those denied entry, their citizenship, their mistreatment by the airline, and "the freedom in Hong Kong." I feel these reports only contain a few true stories about the practitioners being persecuted in China, and it would be sad to see that we missed these wonderful opportunities to clarify the truth to all beings and organizations. If all the participating practitioners can put more effort into thinking about "what truth needs to be clarified" and if they can use these good opportunities to clarify the truth, then the media reports will all have positive stories about Falun Gong, the persecution in China, the brutal sufferings endured by the practitioners in China, and why Falun Gong practitioners want to spend so much effort to peacefully appeal for the truth. Then the whole world will clearly see the evil acts and results of Jiang's regime. Human beings will understand that what the persecution has done to Falun Gong practitioners is a threat to every single human being and that all of mankind will pay respect towards Dafa and Dafa disciples for their righteousness and magnificence. Therefore, this will not only have the effect of eliminating the evil, but the whole world will also benefit from it.

Teacher has repeatedly taught us that the persecution is not persecution of humans by humans. Therefore under the old force's pre-arrangements, the overseas practitioners should not constrain themselves or use any ordinary thinking to do things. While saving sentiment beings, we can use many convenient methods employed by ordinary people. At the same time, we should send forth righteous thoughts, which work in other dimensions. Clarifying the truth in person can also have a very good and direct effect and it can't be neglected easily or given up on.

(Clearwisdom.net)

(This article was translated from a report in Morgunbladid, the main Icelandic newspaper, on July 4, 2002)

I have been practising Falun Gong for about one year. Because of the extremely positive effects of the practice, I will continue to practice it. Perhaps my name has already been included on a name list of Falun Gong practitioners, which was created by the Chinese government. The name list was used for all the spying activities they have carried out against Falun Gong practitioners.

In relation to what has just happened (here in Iceland) I have been thinking about my own freedom to travel. Suppose that the President of China or another high-ranking official from the Chinese government was to pay a state visit to Denmark, and I decided to go there as well to point out the human rights violations in China, or for a completely different reason. At Kastrup [Copenhagen Airport] I was told that because Denmark did not have a sufficient police force, I was not allowed to enter Denmark this time, and the police would then try to make me take the next plane back to Iceland, or keep me as a hostage in a Danish elementary school. In a situation like that, would the Icelandic government offer me any support and help? If Icelandic citizens who had no criminal record whatsoever were being treated in such a manner, would the Icelandic government just accept it and stand by? In a situation like that, especially when Denmark had violated my rights of personal privacy (as it was obvious that Denmark had already obtained information about a kind of practice I do at home), I would naturally count on my own government to condemn the violation of my personal freedom of travelling by another democratic country on my behalf.

Falun Gong was first introduced to the public in1992. However, the practice was not invented in 1992. It has a very long history, only that it had never been introduced to the public before then, a phenomenon not uncommon in the culture where it originated. The practice of Falun Gong has profound and long lasting positive effects on practitioners and it was quickly embraced by the general public in China. Within seven years since its first introduction to the public, 70 million Chinese people had taken up the practice and did it on a regular basis. Falun Gong's wide spread was not a secret to the Chinese government. In fact, because of the positive impact Falun Gong had on individuals as well as society as a whole, Falun Gong and its founder Mr. Li Hongzhi, were honoured with two highly prestigious awards in China, and Mr. Li Hongzhi was also nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Price.

In 1999, Jiang's regime started to worry that the popularity of Falun Gong was becoming a threat to their own power, especially after the number of practitioners exceeded the membership of the Chinese Communist Party. Jiang then decided to ban the practice of Falun Gong across China and started to persecute and slander the practitioners. The persecution includes murdering and torturing Falun Gong practitioners, as well as deliberate fabrication of lies in order to destroy the reputation of Falun Gong. Jiang's regime uses all kinds of evil means to achieve their goals, such as the staging of the so-called self-immolation incident. The fundamental principle of Falun Gong, namely "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," embodies a deep respect for all living beings, which in itself provides sufficient evidence to expose the Chinese government's slander and lies about Falun Gong practitioners alleged suicides. The cruelty of Jiang's regime is clearly shown in his recent order against Falun Gong practitioners: "Kill without mercy." When Jiang's regime tortures Falun Gong practitioners to death, they simply claim that those people committed suicide.

In spite of all this, it is not an easy task for Jiang's regime to eradicate the practice of Falun Gong in China. The facts have proven that nothing can be achieved through violence and brutality. Truth will always triumph over deceit; peace is always more powerful than war and tolerance is much stronger than revenge. Falun Gong practitioners will never adopt any means of violence, retaliation or lies, even when facing the most vicious persecution and torture, not a single case of practitioners using violence has occurred.

Falun Gong practitioners do not protest in the usual way. Their appeal to the Chinese government is peaceful and steadfast, and democratic countries in the world should respect such legal and peaceful appeals instead of interfering with them. The Icelandic government was not aware of the seriousness of this matter, and they undermined extremely important moral values. Falun Gong is not a religion, nor has it any churches. There is no worshipping of any kind; even less is it a political organisation or an organisation in a general sense. There are no "professional protestors" in Falun Gong nor is there any membership list as there is simply no such thing as "membership." Falun Gong is a personal cultivation practice that strives for self-improvement. There are approximately 100 million people in 50 countries in the world practising Falun Gong. Being such a positive and beneficial practice, Falun Gong has received numerous awards. For example, Falun Gong received around 600 awards in America alone, and there are also many in Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and other places. Human rights organizations and governments all around the world have condemned the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China. The Committee on Human Rights of the U.S. Congress stated, "As we came to know Falun Gong our respect built up in our hearts. We find the horrible, cruel and bloody persecution against Falun Gong in China terrifying, intolerable and blameworthy." (Tom Lantos, co-chair of the U.S. Human Rights Committee.)

The means of the Icelandic government to ban Falun Gong practitioners from entering Iceland were unbelievable. How did they get a blacklist of the practitioners? As I mentioned earlier, Falun Gong is not an organisation of any sort, so practitioners do not need to sign their names anywhere nor do they need to go through any application procedures. Then people who are spying on them must have created the blacklist. They found out their names and kept a record of them. If the Icelandic government did not get the blacklist from Jiang's regime, where could they have got it? Which other country would have exhausted such a great amount of human resources in order to find out who practices certain Chinese exercises?

Toutiz, Haukz'dout

Teacher, BA in Philosophy

17.07.2002

Auckland Airport has bowed to pressure from the Chinese Government and removed a display promoting a spiritual movement banned in China.

The display promoting the Falun Gong, outlawed in China in 1999, was removed last week after the Chinese Embassy complained.

In April, Falun Gong New Zealand practitioners signed a 12-month contract with advertising agency Look Outdoor to display a sign showing a woman meditating and the words, "The world needs truth, compassion and forbearance", at the airport.

But Look Outdoor received complaints from the Chinese Embassy, which wanted the sign removed.

The embassy said it was offensive to Chinese travelers because Falun Gong was banned in China.

Aimee McKay, a media consultant for Look Outdoor, said she explained to the embassy that advertising the movement was not illegal in New Zealand and that the agency had a contract with Falun Gong.

But the agency received instructions from Auckland Airport to remove the sign.

The airport's commercial general manager, Murray Barclay, said the decision to remove the sign was made after complaints were received from the embassy.

"The decision was made on the balance of everything," he said.

A spokesman for the embassy said the consulate-general in Auckland made the complaints because Chinese residents and tourists were offended by the message, which was deceptive and misleading.

[...]

Shelley Shao, one of around 100 Falun Gong [practitioners] in New Zealand, said she was shocked that China had so much influence in New Zealand.

"It breaks the law because we have a contract; it also breaks human rights."

She said Falun Gong was a meditation system, similar to yoga or tai chi - which were allowed in China.

It was founded on high moral values, and China had made a mistake in [persecuting] it.

Ms Shao said it had not been decided if the movement would take legal action over the removal of the sign.

Look Outdoor had offered to refund its money, but she would prefer the sign to be reinstalled.

The Falun Gong movement was formed in 1992 by Li Hongzhi and has [practitioners] in more than 40 countries.

Organizers say that since China [suppressed] Falun Gong, more than 50,000 [practitioners] have been jailed, sent to labor camps or put in mental institutions and many have been tortured, some to death.

The Chinese Government accuses Falun Gong - which stunned China's leadership with a mass protest outside its central Beijing compound in April 1999 - of wanting to overthrow it.

Falun Gong denies that it has any political aims.

The Chinese Government has acknowledged several deaths in custody, but said they were as a result of suicide or illness.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=2098086&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

VALERIE NELSON of Hartford, left; Ted Lin of Glastonbury, right; and Karen Nichols and James Bendzinski of Middletown, top, read a Zhuan Falun book during a Falun Gong gathering at Bushnell Park.

(Marc-Yves Regis I)

Jun. 25, 2002

ENTERTAINMENT

Forbidden In China, Falun Gong Finds [Practitioners] In Connecticut

July 16, 2002

On a warm and peaceful Sunday morning in Hartford's Bushnell Park, a man and woman stand facing each other, eyes closed, slowly raising their arms in unison, palms facing inward.

In the morning stillness, small sounds can be heard clearly - chirping birds, water fountain splashes, distant church bells and soft Chinese music from a tape recorder at their feet.

A few passersby watch as the pair slowly move through a series of five tai-chi-like exercises. The more curious tend to linger, and some even settle on the grass to watch.

The first contact with Falun Gong often occurs this way. Those seeking spirituality may find it in the serenity of the meditation and the discipline of the movements. For those who adopt the practice, it becomes a way of life.

"I was an atheist before I started this practice. I had no belief in the existence of a higher spiritual life," said Dr. Tracey Zhu, who began the practice in 1997 while doing her internal medicine residency at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven. She was introduced by a friend whose mother saw Falun Gong in a park in China. "I became a calmer person in the face of strife, my interpersonal relationships have improved, I have a better understanding of humanity."

Since its introduction in China 10 years ago, Falun Gong has spread through that country and around the world, with [...] already claiming as many as 100 million practitioners in 40 countries. It is a spiritual practice that focuses on the ideals of truth, compassion and forbearance, [introduced as a form of] ch'igong, the traditional Chinese form of exercise and meditation.

"A Gem Shining Through the Twilight of China," a photo exhibition about Falun Gong, is on display in the Legislative Office Building on Capitol Avenue in Hartford through July 26. Admission is free, and a demonstration of exercises takes place from noon to 1 p.m. daily.

Falun Gong frequently makes news due to the persecution of its [practitioners] in China by President Jiang [...], who is said to be alarmed by the popularity and rapid spread of the movement.

In 1999, the Chinese government [suppressed] Falun Gong [...]. Since then, hundreds have been jailed or forced into labor camps, and many have been killed, according to press reports.

Last week, the BBC World News was suspended from broadcasting in China for several days after broadcasting a news report about Falun Gong. The Chinese government blamed the group for the shutdown, accusing them of sabotage.

The practice of Falun Gong is spread in the United States much the way it is in China - person to person, by word of mouth. [Practitioners] often practice together outdoors, in a manner similar to traditional ch'igong.

Valerie Nelson, 45, first encountered Falun Gong at Hartford's West Indian parade last summer.

"What drew me was their banner that said 'truth, compassion and forbearance,' and I decided to check into it," said Nelson, now a dedicated practitioner who comes to the park most Sundays during the summer. "I picked up the book that day and started reading it, and I couldn't put it down."

The book, "Zhuan Falun," or "The Law Wheel," was written by Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong. It is a detailed explanation of the elements of the practice. It has tenets that are similar to Buddhism and Taoism, though it attracts members of many different faiths. Falun Gong has no hierarchy.

[Master Li] is the master teacher, and while he is respected, [practitioners] do not worship him. [Master Li], 50, whose arrest was ordered by the Chinese government, fled China in 1996 and now lives in New York with his wife and two daughters. [Master Li], who is seldom interviewed and rarely seen by [practitioners], has objected to the Chinese [suppression] on practitioners. Some websites have claimed that [Master Li] advocates racial purity, but [practitioners] say such statements are a result of the Chinese government's propaganda campaign against the group.

The spread of Falun Gong also has been helped by the Internet. Beginners can download books free, watch instructional video clips and find local practice sites.

Nelson was seeking direction in her life when she was introduced to the practice, and she now believes she has found what she was looking for.

"I used to drink beer. I quit drinking that day," Nelson said. "And I eventually quit smoking. My whole attitude toward life has changed. Negative things don't affect me any way. And I never get sick either."

Nelson was taught by Shun-Tien "Ted" Lin, who has shown Falun Gong to more than 200 people in Bushnell Park and other locations in the past two years. Lin, who grew up in Taiwan, was introduced to Falun Gong by a co-worker in this country more than five years ago.

Lin said mind cultivation is what makes Falun Gong different from other forms of ch'igong, and what gives it the power to affect health. "We know from acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine that there are meridians in the body that circulate energy, and disease can occur when energy is trapped and cannot go through the body," he said.

Lin, 40, an engineer at Hamilton Sundstrand, routinely works with complicated concepts, yet he felt challenged to understand the complexities of daily life.

"Before I learned this, I had no idea where I was going," Lin said. "There were so many 'whys' I could not answer. But from reading this book, I understand."

Many practitioners credit Falun Gong with dramatic improvement in their physical and spiritual health. After years of chronic health problems, Pin Li began Falun Gong three years ago.

"I was 30 years old, not in good health. I felt very deprived, with little interest in life," said Li, of Storrs.

Last year, she was among a group that walked from Boston to Washington, D.C., to protest the Chinese government's treatment of Falun Gong [practitioners]. "I continue to do the exercise, and my health problems disappeared, I began to feel very powerful. I wanted to introduce other people to it" and to support the people in China who are being persecuted, she said. "The Chinese government is lying, and I can't accept this kind of thing."

Tracey Zhu has, on occasion, introduced the practice to some of her patients. "One man was able to go off his blood pressure medication, and he lost 10 pounds. When he stopped [the practice], his weight came back, and he had to go back to his medication."

The Chinese government has dealt harshly with [practitioners] because it is threatened by a movement that has touched people from many walks of life, Zhu said, adding that the government fears Falun Gong because it encourages ideas and thinking they cannot control.

"The people are well disciplined and well behaved. They [government officials] thought they could easily suppress this, as they did other movements, but the more they did, the stronger the practice became."

http://www.ctnow.com/entertainment/hc-falungong.artjul16.story?coll=hc%2Dheadlines%2Dentertainment

July 16, 2002

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Different Faces of 21st Century China

Re "[Group Transited] Into TV, China Says," July 9: I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I had the opportunity to live in China and teach English there three years ago, when it was safe to practice Falun Gong exercises in public. I asked one of my students to teach me, and in a short time I was waking at sunrise to practice the tai chi-like exercises and meditation in a nearby park, which was brimming every morning with Falun Gong practitioners. What was notable about the practitioners I met was their tranquility; they were quiet, yet friendly.

I left China in July 1999. Since then, my former student and his mother have been jailed because they practice Falun Gong, and another Chinese friend has been tortured by police. The Chinese government's persecution against the Falun Gong is well documented.

Now, Falun Gong practitioners are allegedly disrupting China's state-run broadcasts with images of the meditation practice. China's leadership publicly vows to punish Falun Gong practitioners for this "crime." Let's take a step back. This month marks three years that Chinese police have slandered, tortured and murdered Falun Gong practitioners. I think it is easy to see who has committed the crime.

Albert Roman

Palos Verdes Peninsula

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-le-roman16.1jul16.story

07/16/2002

BBC Monitoring
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists press release, New York, in English
15 Jul 02/BBC Monitoring/(c) BBC

Text of press release by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists

(CPJ) on 15 July; subheading as published

New York, 15 July: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is gravely concerned by the passage of new regulations restricting online news in China. The regulations, together with a voluntary pledge signed by more than 300 companies and organizations including the US-based Yahoo! - to prevent distribution of "harmful" material online, indicate a clear step backward for freedom of expression in China.

The "Interim Regulations on Management of Internet Publishing," which were promulgated jointly by the State Administration of Press and Publishing and the Ministry of Information Technology, go into effect on 1 August, according to a report by the official Xinhua News Agency.

The regulations outline topics that are forbidden on online news sites, including reports that "harm national unity, sovereignty or territorial integrity;" "reveal state secrets, endanger national security, or damage national honor or interests;" or "disturb the social order or damage social stability." They also outlaw news "advocating cults or superstition," which could cover any reports about the [suppressed] spiritual group Falun Gong.

The Chinese government routinely uses charges of "revealing state secrets" and "endangering national security" to prosecute individuals who publish independent news and opinion. Thirteen individuals are currently in prison in China for publishing or distributing information online.

Over the last few years, the Chinese government has issued a series of regulations limiting online content and holding Internet Service Providers and web site publishers responsible for censoring their content. The latest regulations outline specific penalties, including fines, for online publications that publish illegal content. Online publishers must designate an editor to examine the content of the news and determine if it violates

the new rules before it is posted. Web sites must also indicate on their front page that the relevant government office has approved the site. Web publishers must immediately report any offending content to the State Administration of Press and Publishing in Beijing or its regional offices.

Operators of web sites that do not abide by the new rules will face penalties including heavy fines, confiscation of equipment and the closure of their site.

"We condemn the government's efforts to force private Internet companies to censor themselves," said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper.

Yahoo! signs voluntary pledge [subheading as published]

In a related development, various organizations and companies have signed the voluntary "Public Pledge on Self-discipline for China's Internet Industry," which calls on signatories to refrain "from producing, posting or disseminating harmful information that may jeopardize state security and disrupt social stability, contravene laws and regulations and spread superstition and obscenity."

The China office of the US-based Yahoo!, which maintains a Chinese-language web site, has signed the pledge. Nearly all other companies and organizations on the list appear to be based in China.

The Internet Society of China (ISC), a self-regulatory body that has close ties to the government, wrote and is distributing the pledge. ISC members include 140 domestic news organizations, universities, government offices and private companies.

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