A Tsinghua University Graduate Remembers the July 20, 1999 Appeal in Tiananmen Square (Photos)

By Xie Weiguo

The author (right) earned his Ph.D. from renowned University of Manchester, UK and is currently teaching at a university in Britain. His fiancée, Zhu Yongjie, is being held by Jiang's regime for practicing Falun Dafa.

(Clearwisdom.net) Four years ago, hundreds of teachers, staff members and students from Tsinghua University in Beijing practiced Falun Dafa in the morning and at dusk, accompanied by the melodious music. However, the dark day of July 20, 1999 marked the beginning of a disaster that disturbed the quiet of Tsinghua University and the whole country.

At 5:00 a.m. on July 20, 1999, at the practice site, I learned about the Party's decision to suppress Falun Dafa and its practitioners. I decided to go to Zhongnanhai to appeal with several fellow practitioners, including a pregnant woman. I wanted to tell the facts about how I benefited from practicing Falun Dafa, so the government would withdraw its wrong decision. We took a bus to a place near Zhongnanhai, but the military had cordoned it off. We had to get off the bus and walk.

More and more people approached Zhongnanhai, but order was well maintained, because everyone conducted himself strictly according to Dafa. All of us had one will: let the government learn the truth about Falun Dafa; ask the government to withdraw its wrong decision.

Because Zhongnanhai was inaccessible, we stayed on a street near it. More and more practitioners came and the street was filled. Later, we heard the Appeals Office is located at No. 9 Huangchenggen, so we started toward the office as we asked for directions. When I arrived at No 9. Huangchenggen, the street was blocked off and filled with practitioners and police. Around noon, many military cars arrived, carrying thousands of soldiers who jumped off the cars. They stood one meter apart and filled the streets in the area. Some fully armed soldiers remained in the cars.

At this time, many practitioners began to clarify the truth to the soldiers. Their sincere words touched the soldiers' hearts. Some of them told the truth, "We had prepared for three days and we were instilled with a lot of Falun Dafa-slandering propaganda, which is completely different from what we see right now." These young soldiers were newly recruited and are being used to suppress kind-hearted practitioners. Suddenly, some military leaders ordered the young soldiers not to listen to the practitioners, fearing they might learn the truth about Falun Dafa.

Around 4:00 p.m., many buses, their license numbers covered from view, arrived. Military leaders issued orders and we quietly watched for what was about to happen. The young soldiers didn't move, and the lieutenants and platoon leaders viciously grabbed the practitioners. They yelled at the young soldiers and ordered them to do the same to us. We held hands to prevent them from separating us. Later, two to three soldiers began pulling at each practitioner. Seeing we tightly held hands, a vicious platoon leader ran up to me and yanked my hair; he prodded me violently with his knees but I didn't move. Two more soldiers pulled me away from other practitioners and they half pushed, half carried me to a bus door. They pushed me hard and the platoon leader kicked me from behind. I stumbled for several steps and held on to the bar in the bus in order to stand steadily. By this time, many practitioners were in the buses and they had the same experience as me. The soldiers even gave the same rough treatment to the pregnant woman practitioner.

On the bus we began shouting, "Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is a righteous Way! Persecuting Falun Dafa is against the constitution!" Soon, the buses were filled with practitioners, and one police officer and two soldiers guarded each bus door. As the bus started up, practitioners opened the windows and shouted, "Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is a righteous Way! Persecuting Falun Dafa is against the constitution!" We recited "On Buddha Law" (preface of Zhuan Falun) loudly several times and forgot about life and death.

The buses stopped at Fengtai Stadium. We were ordered to get off the bus and stand in the empty stadium. At least 40 to 50 buses drove into the stadium. At this time, a downpour started and a rare hailstorm hit some areas.

Military cars continuously approached the stadium and the soldiers filled half of the stadium. The practitioners took out Dafa books and began studying the Fa. It grew dark and the soldiers anxiously waited for orders. Then, the buses drove toward us. We knew the soldiers were about to take action and we kept holding hands. The soldiers again shoved us into the buses and drove off fast. I didn't know where we were heading. Later, the bus I was on stopped in the Chongwenmen District. No one was there to stop us, so we left.

I returned to Tsinghua University late that night. Because of safety concerns I didn't return to my home. Police cars stayed outside my residential compound for the whole night. A dozen of our practitioners took a short break and we shared experiences. We again went to appeal at 4:00 a.m. the next morning. Near Xidan, Beijing, the police again forced us into buses and drove us to the Shijingshan Stadium.

At 3:00 p.m., the police began broadcasting Falun Dafa-slandering propaganda made by the central government's T.V. programs. Every time I heard our revered Master being attacked by the evil, my heart twitched in pain. Master spread the great law of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance. He taught us to be good and virtuous, and millions of people benefited both physically and mentally through Dafa practice, yet the government started this evil persecution and relentlessly destroyed the foundation of morality upon which the Chinese people base their existence.

For four years, Falun Dafa practitioners around the world have clarified the truth about Dafa to the world's people with great compassion and tolerance. They hope to sweep away the dust sealing people's hearts, so they can return to their home of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance. The practitioners are supported and respected by the world's people for their fortitude, perseverance and faith. Jiang will be eventually brought to the historic court of justice for his persecution against Falun Dafa.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/7/14/53972.html

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