FDI: What Thomas Jefferson Might Say About Charles Li
EDITORIAL - Jul. 04, 2003 Falun Dafa
Information Center [ http://www.faluninfo.net/
]
What would Thomas Jefferson say
about American citizen Charles Li being held in a
Chinese prison for exposing the oppression of upright
individuals? For nearly four years, the Chinese authorities have been
denying tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners these "unalienable
rights," torturing them to death, detaining them arbitrarily, and taking every
measure imaginable to deny them an ancient practice that has restored their
health, calmed their minds, and filled their hearts with compassion. (sources)
As the Jiang Zemin's regime spends billions of dollars to
spread its fabrications and propaganda, concealing the torture and abuse of
Falun Gong practitioners just as they did the spread of SARS, Charles Li felt
that he could not remain silent. He was compelled to reveal the truth of Falun
Gong to the Chinese people so that they would no longer be accomplices to the
crimes against humanity that their leaders are committing.
In its persecution of Falun Gong, the Jiang Regime has used
various torture methods, brainwashing and blackmail force practitioners to give
up their beliefs. However, Falun Gong practitioners have never responded to this
violence with any violence, always using peaceful means to defend their freedom
of belief and to counter the government's oppression.
The Chinese government has never acted lawfully in its
treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, creating laws and applying them
retroactively to justify the persecution, forbidding lawyers to defend
practitioners in court?and denying practitioners the rights accorded to them
in the PRC's own constitution. Jiang Zemin's regime has used the law at "the
tyrant's will" to violate the rights of millions of individuals. Falun Gong
practitioners do not oppose the government in China, but want only to practice
their faith in peace.
Charles Li is currently being detained and tortured for his
desire to reveal the facts of the persecution to the Chinese people. As a
practitioner of Falun Gong, which espouses the principles of Truthfulness,
Compassion, and Tolerance, for him, as for Jefferson, "Truth is the first
object." (Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Maese, 1809).
Unlike Jefferson, Charles Li is being mentally and physically
abused, just for his belief in this principle. This is evident from the fact
that since his arrest he has been forced to watch anti-Falun Gong films, has had
his book Zhuan Falun confiscated, and will spend this "Independence" Day in
a cell with four inmates who beat him each time he tries to practice the Falun
Gong exercises.
It took a great amount of courage, compassion, and principle
to do what Charles did. So what might Thomas Jefferson say about this? We can
imagine what he might say:
"A Chinese penitentiary is the very last place this
American belongs. Our fellow American is still being held in a Chinese jail --
waiting for the United States to live up to the example set by its forefathers
-- waiting for justice to bring him home.
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EDITORIAL - JuL. 04, 2003 Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about),
is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal
principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice
that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in
1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but
it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of
Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word
of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50
countries.
With government estimates of as many as 100
million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the
peaceful practice in July 1999 (report),
fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the
Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced
improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has
intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice
while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.
The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 748
deaths (reports
/ sources)
since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials
inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600,
while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds
of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000
being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.
SPECIAL 4TH OF JULY EDITORIAL:
NEW YORK (FDI) -- On this 4th of July, as we celebrate our liberty with our
loved ones, one American is held against his will and beaten in a Communist
Chinese jail (news).
He won't be at his fiancée's side, celebrating this weekend at home in
California. He has been deprived of this comfortable life because he wanted to
help others regain their fundamental freedoms. On this 4th of July, why don't
we examine what the author of Declaration of Independence would have said of Dr.
Charles Li's actions and the persecution of Falun Gong in China?
(Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776)
(Thomas Jefferson: Virginia Board of Visitors Minutes, 1825)
(Thomas Jefferson: Rights of British America, 1774)
(Thomas Jefferson to Isaac H. Tiffany, 1819)
It is our duty to bring him home."
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER-
Contacts: Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, Erping Zhang
646-533-6147, or Feng Yuan 917-941-1097. Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com,
Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/
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