Clearwisdom Digest (Issue 20, Sept 29, 2004)
News and Events from Around the World Falun Gong Practitioners'
Personal Experience The People Awaken to the Truth News and Events from Around the World Falun Gong Practitioners Announce
Initiation of Criminal Lawsuit Against Jiang Zemin in Sweden On Tuesday the 21st of September 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in Sweden
held a press conference to announce the initiation of a criminal lawsuit against
former Chinese president Jiang Zemin for murder, torture and abduction during
the persecution of Falun Gong. Swedish MP and Member of the Swedish Delegation
to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Helena Bargholtz joined
the press conference and gave a speech in support of the legal action.
Meanwhile, practitioners staged an anti-torture exhibition to expose the
brutality of the persecution. The date coincides with the United Nations
International Day of Peace. During the press conference, Swedish practitioners and their lawyer Peter
Bergquist announced that criminal charges are being prepared at present in
Sweden against the former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, and other perpetrators
in the persecution of Falun Gong, for murder, torture and abduction. Peter Bergquist said in his speech, "China is a nation without an
independent judicial system and the nation faces a moral downslide in which
human rights are often violated or sacrificed. Falun Gong is not a political
movement, but is regarded as a threat by Jiang because Falun Gong had quickly
outnumbered members of Chinese communist party. An even bigger threat to Jiang
seems to be the practitioners' goodness and their belief in the principles of
Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Legal actions are ongoing everywhere
around the world against the main perpetrators in China and Sweden can also
contribute. The perpetrators can and will be punished either in Sweden or
elsewhere." The Swedish MP and Member of the Swedish Delegation to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe Helena Bargholtz, who focuses especially on
human rights issues in her work, gave a speech during the press conference. Ms
Bargholtz concluded her speech with greetings and the following words, "I
admire the courage of Falun Gong practitioners and especially the courage of
those who are persecuted in China." The anti-torture exhibition lasted the whole day and the press conference
took place between 1pm and 2pm. Several members of the Swedish parliament had
the opportunity to visit the anti-torture exhibition and many passers-by stopped
to receive information about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. TV teams,
newspaper reporters and a radio station were present during the press conference
to cover the event and conduct interviews. Several media came to interview practitioners, the lawyer and Ms. Bargholtz. A Thousand Falun Gong Practitioners
Rally in Manhattan, New York City, to Raise Awareness of the Persecution During last two months, practitioners have been continuously clarifying truth
to all circles of Manhattan about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.
On September 22, while the 59th UN conference opened at its
headquarter in New York, nearly one thousand practitioners rallied at UN Plaza.
After a large group practice and a press conference, practitioners formed a
"Great Wall of Courage" on the 3rd avenue of Manhattan to
further call upon people support to end the persecution. At 10:30, a press conference to "Rescue children victimized by the
persecution of Falun Gong" started. Since Jiang Zemin launched the persecution in 1999, at least 1049
practitioners have been persecuted to death for appealing for justice for Falun
Gong. Countless people have been illegally sent to labor camps, sentenced to
prison terms, etc. Tens of thousands have been severely tortured for exposing
the severity of the persecution. According to incomplete statistics, from July
1999 to September 2004, on average 17 practitioners died as a result of torture
and abuse every month with about 51% female and 48% male (As a result of
information being blocked, the gender of the remaining 1% have not been
identified.) The average age of the victims were 45 years old and many of them
were parents of young children who have now been orphaned and living without
support. The press conference called upon people to help rescue the children who are
being fiercely persecuted in China either due to their parents or themselves
practicing Falun Gong. Practitioner Jane Dai and her daugher Fadu shared their
story: When Fadu was only 6 months old, her farther was killed as a result of
torture for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, by authorities following Jiang's
persecution policies. Since then, Fadu and her mother have traveled to 38
countries to expose the persecution. Practitioner Amy Lee was also persecuted in
China and had been forced to separate from her daughter for two years. These
true stories revealed how much suffering and damage the brutal persecution had
brought to innocent practitioners. Practitioner Xuefei Zhou, who was recently rescued to the U.S. from China,
gave her personal testimony to the persecution that she had experienced in a
labor camp. She also thanked Americans for rescuing her. Ms. Zhou's case and
many others tell us that voices of justice indeed can help to restrain and
eventually end the persecution. Many reporters from various media asked the questions of why Jiang and his
political followers view Falun Gong as a threat and why practitioners under
persecution refuse to give up their belief. Before the press conference ended, host Al Whitted emphasized again:
Practitioners are neither against China nor the Chinese government, but only
against this persecution. Los Angeles: Falun Gong Wins Three
Prizes at Korea Town Festival A large-scale parade in celebration of the 31st Korean Festival
was held in Korea Town of Los Angeles on the afternoon of September 17, 2004.
The Korean Festival is to promote harmony between ethnic groups and Korean
culture. It encourages communication and exchange between ethnic groups, and
improves mutual understanding of nearby communities. The theme of this year's
celebration is multiculturalism and unity. One hundred thousand Korean Americans
live in Los Angeles with most of them in Korea Town. There are also African
American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islanders living close to Korea Town. This is the first year that Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles have
participated in the Korean Festival. A banner saying "Falun Dafa -- Ancient
Practice for Mind and Body" headed the procession. Falun Gong
practitioners' beautiful dance, traditional waist-drum playing, and elegantly
decorated float won waves of warm applause. Falun Gong practitioners won first
prize for the parade procession, the first prize for float, and the third prize
for waist-drum playing. This parade has given people in Korea Town a good chance to know the beauty
of Falun Dafa. Parade spectators received truth-clarification materials and
learned about Falun Dafa with great enthusiasm. The U.S. Department of State's Sixth
Annual Report on International Religious Freedom Condemns the Violations of
Citizen's Religious Liberty in China On Wednesday, September 15, the U.S. Department of State issued its sixth
annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Country by country, this
report documents the conditions of religious freedom around the world. Because
of its persecution of Falun Gong and other religious groups, China is once again
identified what the U.S. Department of States refers to as Countries of
Particular Concern, governments that engage in or tolerate gross infringements
of religious freedom. Besides China, four countries including Burma, Iran, North
Korea and Sudan have been re-designated in a list for continuing to violate
their citizens' religious liberty. According to Radio Free Asia's report on September 15, the U.S. Department of
State's Report on International Religious Freedom includes 192 individual
countries and areas on the status of religious freedom. The China section of the
report contains more than 40 pages. The U.S. State Department's report pointed out that although the Chinese
Constitution provides for freedom of religious belief and the freedom not to
believe; however, the Government seeks to control the growth and scope of
activities of religious groups. The Government's respect for freedom of religion
and freedom of conscience remained poor, especially for many unregistered
religious groups and spiritual movements such as the Falun Gong. Unregistered
religious groups continued to experience varying degrees of official
interference and harassment. Members of some unregistered religious groups were
subjected to restrictions, including intimidation, harassment, and detention. The report stated, "The Government continued its repression of groups
that it categorized as 'cults' in general and of the Falun Gong in particular.
The arrest, detention, and imprisonment of Falun Gong practitioners continued.
Practitioners who refuse to recant their beliefs are sometimes subjected to
harsh treatment in prisons and reeducation-through-labor camps and there have
been credible reports of deaths due to torture and abuse. Christian-based groups
that the Government considered cults were subjected to increased government
scrutiny during the period covered by this report." The Report on International Religious Freedom stated that religious freedom
is a universal value, and almost all of the world's nations have signed one or
more international agreements committing them to respect individual freedom of
thought, conscience and belief. The report pointed out that religious liberty is
the first freedom of the human soul and we continue to strive, at home and
abroad, to uphold religious freedom as the universal right that it is. Falun Gong Practitioners Expose the
Persecution during the 59th United Nations Summit During the 59th United Nations Summit from September 20 to 24,
2004, in order to allow leaders and representatives from different countries to
learn about Falun Gong and the ongoing persecution in China, Falun Gong
practitioners from across the world gathered in New York and peacefully
explained the facts about Falun Gong to people. A Christian sheds tears upon learning the truth A practitioner talked to a Christian and told him that many people in China
were killed simply because they believed in Falun Gong. The practitioner hoped
that he would convey the message to his fellow Christians in his church and
asked them to help pray for Falun Gong practitioners and pray for an end to the
persecution. He answered, "Thank you, I will." The practitioner brought him over to a look at a group of posters and related
the plight of Ms. Jane Dai's family, whose husband was tortured to death in
China because of his belief. Upon listening to the story, the man's eyes were
full of tears. He said, "I will definitely pray for you all." People in the financial circles pay attention to the persecution Close to Wall Street, a female staff member from Chase Bank read
practitioners' truth-clarifying posters. A practitioner went up and told her
that in China, many practitioners of Falun Gong had been tortured to death. The
woman was astonished and said, "How come I did not know that! How come all
the official news out of China only talks about good things?" The
practitioner told her that in order to attract foreign investments, a few people
in the Chinese government always control the media, so that the outside world
cannot learn about the true situation, especially the facts about the human
rights violations against millions of Falun Gong practitioners. The practitioner
went on to explain that many toys and other products were manufactured by Falun
Gong practitioners imprisoned in China's forced labor camps, without pay. Those
products are exported to other countries including the U.S. After listening to the explanation, the woman clearly expressed her wish for
the persecution to end. She also signed the petition prepared by practitioners
calling for an end to the persecution. After viewing the truth-clarifying posters and the live torture re-enactment,
a man who works on Wall Street asked whether these were actually happening in
today's China. A practitioner answered "yes," and told him that the
persecution and these tortures are currently going on in China and that what was
being demonstrated was only a tiny part of the true situation. The gentleman said that many American companies invest in China. Why would
they continue to invest after they learned about the truth? The practitioner
said, "Because there are still many people not aware of the persecution in
China, against those who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. We
believe when people are all aware of the truth, they will then make the right
judgment." New Yorkers: "What can we do to help you?" Upon learning about the truth, many New Yorkers wanted to donate some money
to help. Some people asked what they could provide to help practitioners. Some
asked, "You only asked us to tell the facts to our relatives, friends and
to write letters to our Congressmen/Congresswomen, are these enough to help stop
the persecution?" Practitioners said, "If one did something wrong, or
if he killed another person, what he fears most was to let other people know
about it. If people from all over the world are all aware that it was jiang
Zemin who initiated the persecution, the persecution would be stopped."
Hearing that, passers-by said, "Now I get it and I will tell my friends
about this." Passers-by who sign the petition say that the persecution is wrong A passer-by said, "Falun Gong meditation is so peaceful. I don't
understand why China (Jiang's faction) would treat you this way!" A
practitioner told her that people practice Falun Gong to improve their health
and become good people by following the principles of
Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Many people felt good about the practice and
wished to learn and practice Falun Gong, which was introduced by Mr. Li Hongzhi.
However, out of his jealousy, the then-Chinese leader, Jiang could not tolerate
it. He then abused his power and started this brutal campaign to suppress Falun
Gong. At least 1,000 practitioners have died from the persecution. When a Westerner signed the petition, this reporter went up to ask him why he
signed it. He said, "The persecution is wrong, because it is not right for
people to suffer the torture simply because of their practice. That is
absolutely wrong. I think Falun Gong is a kind of art." He said that people
should be righteous and that people should live together in a harmonious way. He felt the peaceful field when practitioners practiced the exercises. Then
he and his friends followed along with the practitioners and learned the
movements. More and more New Yorkers are awakening. Under the situation that more and
more evil factors are being cleared away, and there are fewer and fewer evil
factors left, people's knowing sides are becoming more and more clear. A New
Yorker picked up a flyer on the ground and read it while walking. The scene
touched practitioners. Previously, it was practitioners who picked up flyers
thrown on the ground, and now passers-by are doing so too. People are awakening
and they are longing to learn about the facts. Canada: Deputy Prime Minister Anne
McLellan Writes to Falun Gong Practitioner Concerning the Persecution in China Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Canada Ottawa, Canada September 02 2004 Thank you for your recent correspondence concerning Falun Gong practitioners
in South Africa. Canada remains deeply concerned about ongoing reports of the suppression of
freedom of expression and spiritual practice in China, including Falun Gong.
Canada consistently raises the human rights concerns of many Canadians during
regular dialogues with Chinese leaders at all levels. Canada registers its concerns about China's human rights record in annual
public statements, including those made at the United Nations General Assembly
and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The most recent Canadian
statement, delivered in Geneva on March 25, 2004, made specific mentions of the
persistent scale and scope of restrictions on freedom of expression,
association, religion and spiritual beliefs, which reflects concerns about the
treatment of both spiritual groups such as the Falun Gong and minority groups in
Tibet and XinJiang. Canada engages China on human rights issues through a dialogue process,
including the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), where the Chinese
government is urged to respect rights such as freedom of expression. At the
seventh meeting of the JCHR in October 2003 in Ottawa, Canada raised a number of
key human rights concerns, including the plight of Falun Gong practitioners,
with Chinese authorities. Please be assured that we will continue to make our views known to the
Chinese authorities. Thank you again for writing on this important issue. Yours sincerely, A. Anne McLellan Korea's Cheonan City Senate Unanimously
Passes Resolution to Urge Release of Falun Gong Practitioner Gao Chengnu On September 13, 2004, the Cheonan City Senate unanimously passed a
resolution to urge the Chinese authorities to unconditionally release Gao
Chengnu, the wife of Korean citizen Guo Binghao, for a safe return to Korea. She
is currently being held at the Jiamusi City Forced Labor Camp in Heilongjiang
Province. Cheonan City senators said they completely understood the agony of Mr. Guo
Binghao. The senate promised to take active measures to rescue Gao Chengnu on
humanitarian grounds. Cheonan City Senate planed, on September 14, 2004, to send the Chinese
version of "Urge Release of Gao Chengnu Resolution" via priority mail
to the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs for China, to the governor of
Heilongjiang Province, the mayor of Jiamusi City and the head of the Jiamusi
Forced Labor Camp. Concurrently, members of the "Rescue Gao Chengnu Committee" are
actively collecting signatures to help ensure Gao Chengnu's release and safe
return to Korea. Attachment: "Urge Release of Gao Chengnu" Resolution Chinese citizen Ms. Gao Chengnu, who is currently incarcerated in Jiamusi
City, Heilongjiang Province, was officially married in China to Mr. Guo Binghao,
a resident of Cheonan City, Korea on May 18, 2003 under Chinese law. In the process of applying for a passport and following her husband to Korea,
Gao Chengnu was illegally arrested and detained by Chinese police for practicing
Falun Gong. She is currently being held at the Jiamusi City Forced Labor Camp in
Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province, where she is being tormented and mistreated
under the persecution. Her Korean husband, a kind-hearted young farmer named Guo Binghao petitioned
the Cheonan City Senate for help. The Cheonan City Senate filed a motion and conducted an investigation based
on solely humanitarian grounds. After an investigation, the Cheonan City Senate has reached the conclusion
after that Gao Minghao's wife Gao Chengnu didn't commit any illegal acts and
should not be detained. Therefore, all members of the Cheonan City Senate have decided to strongly
urge the Chinese authorities to unconditionally release Gao Chengnu based on
humanitarian grounds and ensure her safe arrival in Korea. September 13, 2004 Cheonan City Senate, Korea (seal) Canada: Member of Parliament Libby Davis
Writes to Prime Minster and Other Ministers Concerning the Violation of Human
Rights in China and the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners Libby Davies, MP September 3, 2004 The Honourable Paul Martin The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew The Honourable Judy Sgro Dear Prime Minister & Ministers, I am writing on behalf of my constituent, Mr. Zhang Chunyu, whose mother and
sister are being held by the Public Security Bureau of the People's Republic of
China. (Please see attached email for background information). Like many MPs, I continue to be very concerned about the violation of human
rights in China and the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. I have, along with other MPs, raised this issue with the Canadian government
on many occasions, and urge you to express Canada's strong opposition to the
violation of basic human rights in China. You may recall the arrest and detention of two Canadians in China - Ying Zhu
and Shenli Lin, both Falun Gong practitioners who were later released because of
the strong intervention by human rights groups and government officials in
Canada. As a country that prides itself on its humanitarian record, I once again urge
you to consider Mr. Chun-yu Zhang's call to help his mother Hui-zhen Yang and
Chun-gang Zhang - to secure their release and safety. Yours sincerely, Libby Davies, MP Dutch Member of the PVDA Party Bert
Koenders Expresses His Concern about the Safety of Dutch and Foreign Falun Gong
Practitioners Mr. Bert Koenders, House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament and
Member of Party of the PVDA wrote to Falun Gong practitioners recently to
express his concern about the safety of Dutch and Foreign Falun Gong
practitioners. Below is a translation of the letter from Mr. Koenders. I have read your letter with great interest and I have to say that I am truly
shocked upon learning of what happened in South Africa. The Netherlands must do
everything in his power to ensure the safety of Dutch and foreign Falun Gong
practitioners at the coming top meeting. As a democratic country it should
ensure everyone's rights. We of the PVDA will watch closely to see if all of our national principles of
our juridical system are being followed at all times. Any indication of the
contrary will be a reason for us to investigate the issue and will in that event
notify our cabinet at once. In principle we rest assured that the AIVD and other relevant governmental
organizations have made a just and realistic assessment of the possible risks
prior and during the top meeting between the European Union and China. The AIVD
claims to exclude any potential foreign involvement. So far safety has been
ensured during the Dutch chairmanship in the European Union. From a wider perspective PVDA is very concerned about the persistent
violation of human rights in China. We have insisted numerous times to increase
international pressure on China via international forums in an effort to enhance
the human rights situation of practitioners of Falun Gong, as well as that of
the Tibetan people. We think that the best way to achieve this effect is via
orchestrated international sanctions and critique. It is a shame that many
countries while clinging on to their economic interests fear to confront these
inhumane situations. This has resulted that with regard to China's misbehavior,
a clear international stance has yet to be concluded. Now and in the future, we of the PVDA will not neglect our duty to help focus
attention on the human rights situation in China and will insist the cabinet
that it shall raise this issue in international meetings. Sincerely yours, Bert Koenders Canada: Member of Parliament Rahim
Jaffer Writes to Falun Gong Practitioner Concerning the Drive-by Shooting of
Falun Gong Practitioners in South Africa EDMONTON September 17, 2004 Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding recent reports of a
drive-by shooting of Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa. Please forgive
the delay in my response, but as you can appreciate the volume of mail received
at my office does not always allow as prompt a response as I would wish. Please be assured that your concerns are being strongly noted. The
Conservative Party of Canada condemns human rights abuses under any regime as
well as the continued violations of human rights that take place under the
Chinese government. I also appreciate the concerns you express regarding hate propaganda
targeting Falun Gong by the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Canada. My
colleagues and I in the Official Opposition continue to work hard on behalf of
Falun Gong practitioners on issues such as this one. In the past I have written
letters to our senior ministers as well as the Chinese government, identifying
these abuses and calling for these violations to end. I have also taken the
liberty of forwarding your concerns to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the
government's consideration of your views. Thank you again for your correspondence and please be assured that the
Conservative Party of Canada will continue to speak out against human rights
violations and strongly condemn all acts of terror. Sincerely, Rahim Jaffer, MP Edmonton-Strathcona China: Twenty-Three Falun Gong
Practitioners Verified Being Tortured to Death in August 2004 In August 2004, it was verified that another twenty-three Falun Gong
practitioner were tortured to death in China. These messages are from
trustworthy people in the country. Thus, the total number of verified death by
torture cases concerning Falun Gong practitioners has risen to 1,036. The twenty-three death by torture cases were from ten provinces, autonomous
regions, and municipalities, with five deaths in Liaoling Province, four in
Sichuan Province, four in Tianjin City, three in Heilongjiang Province, two in
Hebei Province, and one death each in Jiling, Shandong, Anhui, and Guizhou
Provinces, and Xingjiang Autonomous Region. Among those twenty-three Falun Gong practitioners who were tortured to death,
the oldest was Wang Qingzhou, 57, from Weihai City, Shandong Province. The
youngest was Lian Ping, 29 years old, from Donggang City, Liaoning Province.
Seven practitioners were older than 50 and represent 30 percent of the total
death numbers. Ten were women, representing 43 percent of the total death by
torture numbers. Among the twenty-three cases, fifteen were tortured to death in 2004.
Eighteen of them were tortured to death either at the detention center or died
shortly after being taken home. Some of them had been extorted large sums of
money before they died. Two were tortured to the point of metal before their
death. The Persecution Methods I Experienced in
Heizuizi Jail and Labor Camp, Jilin Province, China The following is the persecution I personally experienced and witnessed in
Heizuizi Labor Camp and Heizuizi Jail of Jilin Province. The guards there often strip Falun Gong practitioners naked and shock them
with electric batons, and they also kick them with their boots. To force the
imprisoned practitioners to renounce Falun Gong, they handcuff them in painful
postures for a long time. Examples include putting the person in a metal chair,
with their arms outstretched in handcuffs; handcuffing a person's wrists whereby
one arm is extended around the body to the back and is joined with the other
wrist that comes over the shoulder; compressing the whole body together in
shackles so that the person cannot stretch out their back; and binding the
person to a bed. Moreover, they put feces, urine, phlegm, and nasal mucus into
practitioners' food, add spoonfuls of salt into the gruel, and stuff
practitioners' mouths with the mop used to clean the floor. They do things that
a normal person could not imagine. In the labor camp, going to the bathroom is allowed only during limited times
-- once in the morning and once in the afternoon. You must report to the warden
if you need to go to the bathroom at any other time. Once, a practitioner named
Wang Yuzhi had a stomachache and reported to the warden because she needed to go
to the bathroom. It happened to be the wardens' dinnertime, and they cursed at
her and drove her away. If jailed practitioners were found practicing the Falun Gong exercises, they
would incite the other inmates to force them into the lavatory and open all the
windows to let in the winter cold. They poured water onto the ground where the
practitioners were practicing the sitting meditation. They shocked the
practitioners with electric batons and pricked them with super-heated needles.
They would carry the practitioners who were on hunger strike to the dining hall
and force them bend over the food with their legs straight. The imprisoned practitioners never had a comfortable meal there. They had to
line up and report their roll call numbers in front of the dining hall. Then
they receive a bowl and food from the guards, wash the dishes after their meal
and finally line up again to leave. The whole process is only allowed to take
place within 10 minutes. If someone is a bit slow, the guards would start to
curse at them. The practitioners were forced to perform extended slave labor. Every day we
were awakened at 4:00 a.m. and seldom stopped working by 10:00 p.m. More
frequently, the work lasted until midnight or even 2:00 in the morning. Huge Profits Made Forced Labor Camp in
Changchun City, China By a Changchun resident The Chaoyang District Forced Labor Camp in Changchun City recently moved to
an adjacent location. After the move, the old site was leased to a few
underground factories that have no business license and pay no taxes. The labor
camp forced detainees to work in these factories. The labor camp police have
made huge profits from this arrangement. These factories include a print shop, leather processing shop and a glass
factory that makes bottles for salad oil. We heard that these factories are very
likely owned by the forced labor camp police themselves or their friends. The labor camp officials made deals with the factory owners. They often
forced the labor camp detainees to fold paper in the print shop or work on
miscellaneous jobs in the leather processing shop. Exploitation in the print
shop is the most severe. We learned that these factories take advantage of this
cheap labor and the labor camp police pocket big profits. The detainees there have to work days and nights. They only rest for a few
hours every day. Their meals are very meager and dirty. Occasionally, when the
food supply improved, it was no more than a steamed bun. The vegetables were
whatever was the cheapest. Sometimes they would serve the same type of vegetable
for months. The buns were extremely white and looked unusual. Many labor camp detainees
developed a serious chronic illness after eating these buns. The symptom was
similar to tuberculosis. Several people eventually died, and some survivors
later went home. They had to spend a large amount of money on medical bills.
Some died due to lack of treatment because they could not afford the medical
fees. The labor camp employed a so-called "merry-go-round," brainwashing
newly detained Falun Gong practitioners non-stop. The camp police tried to force
the practitioners to denounce their belief. They played video and audio tapes
slandering Falun Gong and Master Li. They deprived Falun Gong practitioners of
sleep and denied them toilet breaks. This torture would last one week if the
practitioner refused to give up Falun Gong. The camp police used many other
kinds of torture techniques on these practitioners. They invented many dreadful
methods to harm the practitioners without leaving any evidence. One of the
torture methods was to put several plastic bags over the person's head and tie
it off at the neck. The victims would have difficulty breathing and eventually
suffocate. This was a form of murder, and people killed this way showed no signs
of physical abuse. We appeal for an investigation of these crimes committed by those
perpetrators at the Chaoyang Forced Labor Camp in Changchun. The governmental
Business and Tax Administration should thoroughly investigate these factories. China: Forced Labor Camp Intensify the
Persecution during Jiang's Visit in Huludao City Recently Jiang Zemin visited Huludao City. As a result, the authorities from
Huludao City Forced Labor Camp intensified the persecution of Dafa practitioners
who were on hunger strike. They prohibited Dafa practitioners from being
released on a bail to seek hospital treatment, claiming that if they die, that's
what they deserve. Since late July, as the number of practitioners who went on hunger strike
increased, the authorities took up the policy of "Three Changes and Four
Stops." (Change Strategy, Change Attitude, Change Circumstance, Stop
Visits, Stop Sleeping, Stop Outdoor Activities, Stop Outside Communication) Liu
Guohua said that there were orders from the upper level officials, "Those
who meet with an accident or die due to their hunger strike and self injury
should be responsible for all the consequences and should be considered for
criminal sentence." He also said, "What's the big deal with somebody
dying? The Procuratorate wouldn't care. If the family members who are informed
of their relatives' death don't claim the dead body, then two or three days
later the dead body will be cremated and there will be only ashes left. Wasn't
Liu Liyun cremated? Go wherever you want to appeal." Wang Yongming, Head of
Division No. 6, is one of the people carrying out this persecution. He often
beat up and physically punished practitioners on hunger strikes and claimed,
"At worst, I would no longer be a policeman. If somebody goes on hunger
strike, I will conduct force-feeding until he is disabled." Recently the
police officers subjected Tao Shan, Du Jincai, and Shi Chunde to solitary
confinement. At 5:50 pm on August 16, 2004, the policemen entered the solitary confinement
chambers to force the practitioners on hunger strike to do the "Sitting
Board." [Every day, practitioners put their hands on top of their laps,
with backs straight and sit on hard-wood benches 18 hours a day] Those
practitioners who refused to do so because of their weakness from the hunger
strike were dragged out to suffer electric shocks. Du Jincai and Shi Chunde were
beat up. In the evening during the ward inspection, the policeman asked them to
report their code number. The practitioners refused and were slapped in the
face. Since then, the criminals in the labor camp have also aggravated the
persecution of the practitioners. The criminals often punched and kick them or
beat them up with a mop handle. An Eyewitness Account of Slave Labor and
Deplorable Conditions at Female Prison, Shandong Province, China Shandong Female Prison is acclaimed as the "civilized prison" of
the province. It is actually a living hell. Prisoners here spend most of their
time processing clothes in an awful environment. I am in the 4th
Section. I have been working in the basement and have not seen sunlight for two
years. We have over 300 people jammed together in this space. The air is foul.
We cannot breathe well and we cough constantly. Moreover, we continuously work
overtime. At times, we work through the night for several days without being
allowed to bathe. The longest time was when we worked non-stop for 8 days and 8
nights in September during the hottest time of the year. Without washing for 8
days and nights, our bodies smelled very bad. We could hardly survive it. We
lived like this through the whole year. When Labor Day on May 1st and
National Day on October 1st approached, we were forced to work on
making toys. We worked overtime sewing toys until 1:00 am, then we went back to the ward
and cut furs until 2-3:00 am. When a prison inspection team visited, prisoners
were told to tell lies, saying that we worked until 8:00 p.m. every day and that
we had the weekends off. None of us dared to say that we actually worked all
through the night; otherwise our points would be deducted (which means our terms
would be extended) and we would also be beaten. The supervisors and leaders are
very good at torturing and verbally abusing people. I saw that several healthy
people were beaten until they suffered mental collapse from the trauma. We can
only take a bath every 2-3 months. Our bodies have various infections. The food here is extremely bad. We are given cold meals regardless of the
season. Every day we eat mashed winter melons, pumpkins, cabbage, and carrots.
Prisoners are very likely to get sick. The evil here is beyond description. The
brainwashing in the prison is actually forcing people to be selfish and to tell
lies. The perpetrators from Jiang's faction have deformed the whole of society
and the legal system. France: Newspaper,"L'Union en Ligne,"
Reports on Falun Dafa: The Method of Relaxing Body and Mind from China The French newspaper L'Union en Ligne reported the following on September the
8th 2004: Falun Dafa is attracting more and more disciples from all over the world and
it will come to Reims soon. The method of relaxing body and mind from Mainland
China, is now banned by the Chinese Government. The method is suitable for all ages without any side effects. The five simple
sets of exercises are practised with music and tens of millions of people in the
world are practising Falun Dafa. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a method of sitting in meditation
together with special exercises similar to Yoga and Tai Chi. It originates from
Chinese traditional culture and was introduced to the general public in 1992.
Deng Bo explains that Falun Gong is not a religion but a method of relaxing body
and mind. Deng Bo is twenty nine and a student whose major is electronics, electronic
engineering and advanced automatic engineering in Reims Science and Technology
Academy. The future engineer is a representative of the Falun Dafa Association
in Reims. She volunteers to teach those who are interested in the method some
sitting and standing exercises that are very easy to learn. The bright smiling girl explained that Falun Gong is a method of meditation
and has no political agenda or religious rituals. Everybody can learn it without
membership or hierarchy. All classes are free of charge. All materials are
available on the Internet for free. Deng Bo has lived in France for a year and
half. Is she going back to China? She is not considering it at the moment. The method of meditation was banned in her motherland in 1999. The success of
the method among the people frightened the Chinese Government. "This method
of relaxing the body and mind is non-political, neither do we seek money or
fame." Tens of millions of Chinese people had been practising Falun Gong
before it was banned. "Many people have been put into prison since it was
banned and the situation of some other practitioners is even worse now due to
the brutal persecution." Mr. Li Hongzhi is the founder of Falun Gong. He now lives in the United
States where there are a lot of practitioners. Falun Gong is the method of self-meditation refining the body and mind. Many
people can be seen practising Falun Gong in the Jardin du Luxembourg and Parc
des Butte Chaumont in Paris. Numerous Falun Dafa practitioners are practising
together. The exercises, including sitting meditation, are easy to learn and
they can make you feel relaxed and increase your energy levels. The main Dafa
books introduce in steps how to learn the practice. (You can download the book
from the Internet at www.falundafa.org) Deng Bo is not thinking of settling down in France." I hope that I will
go back to my motherland one day because the truth can not be covered up
forever." On September 16, 2004, Hornsby Advocate, a newspaper in Australia
reported the plight of mother, Ms. Lydia Zhao and her 15-year-old daughter
Manying Yan who reside in Hornsby, Sydney and have been unable to renew their
Chinese passports because of their practice of Falun Gong. The report said, "A Hornsby mother and her 15-years-old daughter have
been unable to renew their Chinese passports and return to China." The family say the passports have been denied because they practice Falun
Gong, a belief system based on principles of "truthfulness, compassion and
forbearance". Lydia Zhao said her daughter, ManYing Yan, was desperate to return to China
to visit the grandparents she had not seen for more than five years. "Everyone who is a Chinese citizen has a right to a passport," Ms
Zhao said. "I just feel very sad about my daughter." ManYing, who is a St Ives High School student, said that without a passport
she was stripped of a nationality. "It is like you don't belong anywhere, " she said. More than two years ago, Ms Zhao and her daughter went to the Chinese
Consulate in Melbourne to renew their passports. The two are both permanent residents in Australia, having moved from China
with Ms Zhao's husband and ManYing's father, Brain Yan in 1995. Ms Zhao said the consulate questioned her about Falun Gong -- the practice
was banned in 1999 by former Chinese Communist Party chief Jiang Zemin. "I told them I only do exercise in Hornsby Park every morning," she
said. "I didn't do anything wrong.." The mother and daughter did not receive their passports and have since
written six letters to the consulate on the matter. "We haven't heard a single word since that day," ManYing said. The Advocate made several attempts to contact the Chinese Consulate in
Melbourne and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China. There was no
response. Practitioners say Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is based on the principles of
truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. It is practiced in more than 60 countries and has attracted some 100 million
followers. Another practitioner and Hornsby resident, Lilian Peng, has called on Hornsby
Council to condemn the persecution of Falun Gong followers. Ms Peng said the council should support its residents' right to
"participate in the spiritual practices of their choice." New York Times Reports on Falun Gong Practitioners'
Activities in Manhattan On September 23, 2004, New York Times correspondent Anthony Ramirez
filed a report describing the ongoing activities of Falun Gong practitioners in
Manhattan. He noted that long after other groups had gone home after the
Republican National Convention, Falun Gong practitioners remained to expose the
persecution in China. The article stated: "There they are in front of the United Nations. There they are near
Bloomingdale's and in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There they are
near Zabar's and the American Museum of Natural History. There they are in Times
Square, Bryant Park and Chinatown. "'You can't not notice them; they're everywhere,' said William Kane, 17,
of Brooklyn, who delivers food for a nearby restaurant. 'They're very effective.
They got my attention.'" The Eureka Reporter (California) Story on the Practice
of Falun Gong [Excerpt] Eric Martin, left, Lisa Escobedo, Andy Ellsmore, sitting, Amy Rooker and
William Timm share a Falun Gong session. (By the Eureka Reporter/Wendy Butler) Positioning one's mind is as arduous a task as positioning one's body in
Falun Gong, a physical art rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Spain Europa Press: Jia Qinglin Is Sued
in Spain Falun Gong filed a lawsuit against a Chinese official during his visit to
Spain. The People's Political Consultative Conference Chairman of China, Jia
Qinglin, has been sued for genocide and torture. On the 2nd of September, at the Spanish National Court in Madrid, Falun Gong
practitioners filed a lawsuit against the People's Political Consultative
Conference Chairman of China Jia Qinglin. Jia arrived in Spain on September the
3rd on an official four-day visit. He has been indicted for crimes of genocide
and torture of Falun Gong practitioners while he was the Communist Party
Secretary General of Beijing between 1999 and 2002. Yesterday, Jia Qinglin had a short meeting with the vice-chairman of the
Senate, Isedre Molas, and the vice-chairman of House of Representatives, Manuel
Marin. According to the lawyer representing Falun Gong, Carlos Iglesias, they
both had already received Jia's crime list. In the afternoon, Jia also had a
meeting with people from the business and financial world. The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China may be the biggest
genocide case in the world after the Second World War. Indeed, if we look from
the number of people suffering under this persecution and the cruelty of the
methods of persecution, we could also say that this is the biggest genocide ever
in human's history. This genocide has been hidden by the Chinese Community Party as they control
all the media throughout the whole country. During these five years, this brutal
persecution of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners has caused over a thousand
people to be persecuted to death, including women, children and the elderly.
"However, the international community still has not taken any effective
steps to stop it." The persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP started in July, 1999. Falun Gong is
an ancient way of cultivation; it was first introduced to the public by Master
Li Hongzhi. Since then, in as short as six or seven years, Falun Gong became
popular with people from all walks of life, it spread all over China, and nearly
one hundred million people were practicing it. During the first seven years, the Chinese government had a supportive
attitude towards Falun Gong. Falun Gong also won many prizes due to its huge
contribution towards people's health and moral quality. Nevertheless, quick growth of Falun Gong created panic in former chairman of
China, Jiang Zemin. "In China, nearly one in twelve people practiced Falun
Gong. Every morning, before going to work, they gathered together in local parks
to practice Falun Gong. The number of people practicing Falun Gong exceeded the
membership of the Communist Party members and many practitioners are Communist
Party members." 610 Office"
(the organization was named after the date it was established, 10th June, 1999),
which is similar to the Nazi Gestapo. Its only purpose is to destroy Falun Gong
completely. During a Politics Bureau meeting, Jiang set down the policy for
those Falun Gong practitioners who do not want to give up their belief:
"Defame their reputation, bankrupt them economically, and destroy them
physicall." According to statistics, by now one thousand and fifty people have been
tortured and persecuted to death. However, the real number of people dead could
exceed five thousand. Lawyer Carlos Iglesias says, "Because the Chinese
authorities cremate the corpse so rapidly in order to destroy the evidence, it
is very hard for us to find out the real number of people who have been
persecuted to death." Additionally, there are over fifty thousand practitioners detained in labor
camps. There, they suffered all kinds of torture, such as electric shocks on
sensitive parts of body, force feeding, being burned with red-hot iron rods,
injection with drugs, etc. There are even cases of prison guards stripping
female Falun Gong practitioners' clothes off and throwing them into male cells..
Many practitioners have lost their lives under this extremely brutal torture. This savage trampling has received strong condemnation by the UN Human Rights
Committee. Besides, the parliaments of Europe, Canada, USA and Australia, as
well as many human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human
Rights Watch also gave strong responses to this issue, they requested the
immediate end of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Lawyer Carlos Iglesias said, "The persecution of Falun Gong has gone far
beyond Chinese national boundaries. What we are facing now is an genocide case
that has no regard for districts, races and nationalities, which aims at
completely rooting out Falun Gong." For example, in Spain, there are many cases of the Chinese consulate refusing
to renew Falun Gong practitioners' passports without any written explanations.
"The Chinese consulate did not give any written explanations, they only
said that the reason for not renewing their passport was because the bearer
practices Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners have been put on their black
list." "The Chinese consulate's motive is to deprive their rights to
join any Falun Gong or demonstration activities abroad." Fifteen accusers of different nationalities are accusing Jia Qinglin of
taking part in suppressing Falun Gong practitioners by genocide and torture
while he was holding the post of the Communist Party Secretary General of
Beijing. This is another accusation which is filed in Spain after the one against
Jiang Zemin for the crime of genocide in persecuting Falun Gong. Now there are
seventeen countries, including France, Germany, Belgium, USA, Australia, Taiwan,
Tanzania etc., which are processing penal action that aims at the persecution by
the CCP authorities of Falun Gong practitioners. As lawyer Carlos Iglesias said,
"This is the first time in human history that one law case is litigated in
five continent in the whole world. Additionally, he also emphasized that
"we are not against the Chinese government but those criminals who took
part in this persecution. Falun Gong has never taken part in politics nor will
it in the future, meanwhile, we are not interested in any economic
profits." Carlos Iglesias also said that this year, Spain is the chairman of UNSC. By
turns, it should let China know that people all over the world are paying
attention to the human rights situation in China. "The Spanish government
is very clearly aware of the suppression happening in China now." However,
regretfully, the CCP authorities keep savagely trampling human rights as well as
international rules. Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experience A Traditional Chinese Medical Doctor's
Testimony: Falun Dafa Cured Illnesses That Had Tormented Me for Decades I am 69 years old in 2004. I am a traditional Chinese medical doctor working
as a chief physician at a hospital in China. I started to practice Falun Gong in
1996. Since Jiang Zemin started to openly persecute Falun Gong practitioners on
July 20, 1999, I have been trying to explain to my fellow Chinese people the
truth about Falun Gong. The staff from the local Public Security Bureau, local
police stations and the neighborhood administration office in my community, as
well as my patients, have repeatedly asked me the same question: "You are a
trained medical professional. You are supposed to believe in science. Why do you
believe in such superstition?" As I have explained to them before, I can
testify based on my personal experience of studying Falun Gong books and
practicing the exercises that Falun Dafa is supernormal and not a superstition. I was born in a prestigious family, where nearly all of my family members are
traditional Chinese medical doctors. My father was a chief physician and my
elder brother and younger sister are both deputy chief physicians. Despite my
prestigious background, I had been tormented with many terminal illnesses for
decades. My father and my siblings were capable of providing me with the
first-class medical care, but they were unable to treat my illnesses. First of all, I suffered from menorrhagia (excessively heavy or
prolonged uterine bleeding), which caused chronic anaemia (deficiency of
red blood cells) for many years. Despite the blood transfusion, the massive
bleeding and severe anaemia had even caused hypovolemic shock or oligemic
shock (characterized by the loss of fluid from the circulating blood volume,
so that adequate circulation cannot be maintained to all parts of the body.) In
women, the total hemoglobin (hemoglobin gives red blood cells
their color and carries oxygen) concentration is typically 12 to 16
grams per deciliter (dl), but my typical hemoglobin concentration was 5 - 6
g/dl. It had even dropped to 2.7 g/dl at one point. Due to my severe chronic anaemia,
my heart continued to enlarge and I constantly suffered from shortness
of breath, palpitation, angina (chest pain because the heart is weak) and
swelling in the legs (oedema). I had to avoid touching the left side of
my chest because of the pain. I felt weak and frail all the time, and I could
not have babies. Secondly, I was diagnosed with vulvar dystrophy. My gynecologist, the
Chairman of the OB/GYN department in a hospital, recommended that I have
vulvectomy, but I decided not to have the operation. Instead, I was given
Fluocinolone Acetate (A topical glucocorticoid used in the treatment of eczemas)
ointment to stop the itch. Over the years, it spread to my vagina, anus, groin
and the lower abdomen. The itch was unbearable. Eventually, the vulvar
dystrophy developed into cancer, which then spread to other areas in my
body. In the end, I could even feel a hard issue in my stomach, but I didn't
have the courage to go under the knife. In the end, my weight dropped from 152
to 100 lbs. Thirdly, I suffered from tuberculosis in my early years. After I
recovered from tuberculosis, the disease had left me with frail lungs.
Each and every winter, I would be inflicted with colds, coughing, and shortness
of breath. I took both traditional Chinese herbal medicine and western medicine
for many years, and I was under the medical care of famous doctors, but I was
still haunted with illnesses. How could I possibly have any pleasure when I had
to take medication following each meal each day? I tried to practice many
Chinese qigong (a form of traditional Chinese exercise which cultivates qi
or "vital energy"), but none of them helped me combat my illness or
improve my health. In 1996, I had the great fortune to learn Falun Gong. Since then, I
concentrated on my cultivation practice wholeheartedly. All of the
aforementioned illnesses that had tormented me for decades went away without a
trace. Before I started to believe in Falun Gong, I I expected that medical
science would provide a solution to my terminal illnesses. However, I was
repeatedly left disappointed. Over the decades, my illnesses had never improved;
they merely deteriorated. I believe in Falun Gong because it actually got rid of
all of my terminal illnesses. My skin texture has also improved and I now have a
rosy complexion. I have become very fit and can walk for a long distance without
feeling tired. My voice has become loud and clear instead of whispering and
weak. Although I am approaching 70, I have been repeatedly told that I look like
I am in my 50's. Each time the staff members from the local Public Security
Bureau, police stations and the neighborhood administration office in my
community came to see me and tried to make me renounce Falun Gong, I would share
with them my personal story of becoming perfectly healthy because of Falun Gong.
At the end of the story, I would ask them, "I have been practicing Falun
Gong for eight years. In the past eight years, I have been perfectly healthy and
did not need to take any medicine or get a shot. Even for a young man such as
yourself, can you honestly say that you have never been sick and did not have to
take medicine or take any shot at the hospital in the past year?" Then they
became speechless. I think the complete transformation of my health is testimony that Falun Dafa
is the most extraordinary science and not a superstition. We all know that
everyone has to go through the inevitable cycle of birth, aging, sickness and
death. When I was severely ill and halfway to death, neither Chinese traditional
medicine nor western medicine was able to save me. It is Falun Gong that cured
my terminal illnesses and prevented me from having any illnesses. Isn't it a
most miraculous phenomenon? Isn't Falun Dafa extraordinary? A Teenage Thanks Falun Gong for Saving
Him from a Fatal Illness I am a thirteen-year-old practitioner from China. The only thing I can say
is, "Thank you, Master and Falun Dafa for saving me when I was on the verge
of death." According to my grandmother, I started showing signs of illness when I was 4
years old and even after six months of medical exams, the doctors still did not
know what I had. Only later, did we discover that it was "bone
tuberculosis." My family was very poor at the time and my father had
tuberculosis and needed injections continually. He was hospitalized many times,
which cost a lot of money. We borrowed from many relatives and friends. Despite
all the treatment, my father died a few years later. When I was five years old,
according to my grandmother, I had three surgeries to remove growths; the first
one was on my back. However, not long after, there was another growth on my
shoulder, so a second surgery was necessary. Not long after that another one
appeared on my foot, which led to yet another surgery. Although three surgeries
were performed, it was not over. I had a bleeding infection that drained
continually. A lot of money was spent. The hospital had discovered that it was
an incurable disease after its original diagnosis, yet performed the surgeries,
without telling us! We borrowed money from all of our relatives and friends, two
of whom were Traditional Chinese doctors, who also said that the condition was
incurable. I was brought home to live out the rest of my remaining life. Because my
father died, and now I was dying, my mother could not handle the pressure and
left home with my sister. My sister and I are twins. I heard that my mother left
with tears in her eyes. Ever since then, I have lived with my grandmother and
grandfather. They both looked everywhere for folk medicines, but nothing worked.
Grandmother couldn't sleep or eat well and both she and grandfather cried every
day. They didn't want to see me die, but who could save me? One day in March of 2000, my grandmother met a kind person who practiced
Falun Dafa. She told my grandmother, "Why don't you practice Falun Dafa?
Only Falun Dafa can save your whole family. If you truly practice Falun Dafa,
the disease will be cured." This is how my grandmother and I started to
practice Falun Dafa. At the beginning, I couldn't even stand up or sit up to listen to the Fa. We
received 14 audiotapes of Master Li's lectures. Because my grandmother and I
could not read at the time, we listened to the lectures every day. After
listening for a while, I could sit up. Then my grandmother borrowed a copy of Zhuan
Falun from a fellow practitioner, who also taught me how to read and use a
dictionary. My grandfather also taught me how to read. Within six months, my
illness was cured. It was Master Li who saved me! Master Li and Falun Dafa saved my whole
family. Grandfather brought me to the hospital to determine the condition of the bone
tuberculosis, but they were unable to find anything wrong with my body. The
hospital gave permission for me to return to school. Right now I am in second grade, because I don't know that many vocabulary
words. I can't write any deep understanding of Falun Dafa, but I just want to
thank Master Li and thank Falun Dafa. I want Falun Dafa to be treated fairly, but such a good practice is
persecuted in China. Falun Dafa teaches people to do good, avoid doing bad
deeds, help people and always think of other people first. Truthfulness,
Compassion and Tolerance are what Master Li teaches us. The People Awaken to the Truth Anecdotes about Failed Anti-Falun Gong
Signature Drives in China College Signature Drive Ignored In a famous northeastern teacher's college located near Changchun City, a
long row of tables were set up just outside of the cafeteria during lunch time.
Each of the tables had a long white cloth covering the top and a lot of pens and
markers for signing the tablecloths. There was also a propaganda bulletin saying
that the petition was against Falun Dafa. It is a new campus that is yet to be
completed with about 6,000 people using this one cafeteria. You can easily
imagine the amount of traffic going in and out of the place. However, very few people signed the cloth. A student in charge decided to
start dragging people in and out of the cafeteria to sign, but many people were
disgusted instead and many of them openly refused. This signature drive from
set-up to clean up lasted only half an hour. The white cloth pretty much
remained a white cloth. A Joke at High School Signature Drive At a northeastern town's experimental high school, another signature drive
was taking place. Every class was to send 4 students to sign. Based on prior
experience, these 4 students are the best in the class in terms of grades and
obedience to teachers. There should have been no problem at all. To everyone's
surprise, many signatures were in the names of some famous singers and actors
from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The school authorities had no other choice but to
turn these kinds of signatures in. Children Refuse Listen to Pressure or Propaganda Children who understand the truth employed unique means to resist signing.
For instance, a third or fourth grade student from a northeastern town's
experimental elementary school was asked by a teacher to sign her name against
Falun Dafa. This student knows that Falun Gong is good. She was not going to
sign, however, she didn't want to disobey her teacher's order either. She got an
idea that if she broke the tip of her ballpoint pen on her way to school, then
her pen would not write. It was a bit chaotic with activity around the scene and
she decided on the spot that even if she makes a mark, she wouldn't write her
name. When her turn came, she scratched into the white cloth "Falun Dafa is
Good." More surprisingly, many children left marks on that piece of white
cloth and the words they wrote were "Falun Dafa is Good!" New Yorkers Speak Out Against the
Persecution In late September, while the 59th United Nations Summit is held in
New York City, Falun Gong practitioners from all over the world have come to New
York, to hold anti-torture exhibitions and raise awareness about the persecution
of Falun Gong. Many New Yorkers have learned about the persecution and have
taken action against it. Some of them said they would call their government
representatives and tell them about the persecution in China. Some have
expressed their opposition to the persecution. After Learning the Story of Falun Gong, People Said, "The World Needs
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Everyone Needs It." Many people have heard about Falun Gong and learned about the persecution
through the practitioners' intensive truth-clarification activities. A passer-by
told a practitioner, "The world needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
It isn't just for China, but for the whole world. What Falun Gong practitioners
are doing is great! How could such peaceful people be tortured? You are so
peaceful and calm. It is from the bottom of your hearts. You have a peaceful
light from within. The world needs this. Everyone needs it." A Passer-by Feels the Pain of the Torture Victims A woman gently stroked the hand of a female Falun Gong practitioner who was
playing the role of a torture victim. She looked very concerned. She was trying
to feel the pain of the torture victim. She kindly asked the Falun Gong
practitioner if she felt cold and gave her a hug. The woman said, "It is
too cruel to torture people for doing exercises!" She sat down next to the
Falun Gong practitioner demonstrating the torture method of being confined in a
small cage and tried to feel his pain. She said, "How can someone treat his
fellow countryman like this?" Finally, this kind woman walked to the banner
with the words, "This Is Happening in China," and helped hold the
banner. "The One Who Persecutes Good People Must Be Crazy. It Has to Be
Stopped." A person passing by told Falun Gong practitioners that he thought Falun Gong
was beautiful. The persecution of Falun Gong was like the persecution of
Christians, he said. The Chinese leader who was responsible should step down. He
said, "He must be crazy. He is a madman like Hitler. It has to be stopped.
Has to be stopped... we know about various persecutions taking place, but none
of them is as harsh as this one." When a Falun Gong practitioner told him
the persecution had been going on for five years, he said even five days would
have been too long. He wished the practitioners good luck. Agent at New York Mercantile Exchange: "It Shouldn't Have
Happened." Falun Gong practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition and photo exhibit at
Broadway and Liberty. It was close to the financial center of Manhattan. Many
employees of financial companies go to have lunch there. A gentleman who works in NYMEX said, "The persecution shouldn't have
happened. Many people don't know things like this are still happening in
China." One woman said, "The persecution is so wrong. Everyone should have the
freedom of belief. I also do meditation. People shouldn't be persecuted for
meditation or having a belief. Everyone should have the freedom of speech. If
you torture people like this in New York, you would be tracked down, arrested
and punished." This woman signed her name on the appeal letter and took
some truth-clarification materials to put in her restaurant. "The Media Should Let Everyone Know about the Persecution" A passer-by said, "The United States hasn't shown much concern about the
persecution in China. I will ask the media to report about it. It is ridiculous
that all the media focus on only Iraq. They should focus on this persecution
also, let everyone know about it and help stop it." A T-shirt vendor took some truth-clarification materials. He said he would
help us distribute them at his booth. A Woman from New Jersey: "The Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in
China Is a Tragedy." At the photo exhibit at Broadway and Spring, three bicyclists from France
said they had heard about Falun Gong and the persecution in China. All of them
signed the appeal letter. One of them works at an institution studying Chinese
forced labor camps. She knew about the prisoner abuse in Chinese forced labor
camps. They wished us success. On Union Square, a woman from Princeton, New Jersey, told the reporter that
she had heard about Falun Gong in New Jersey. There were Falun Gong
practitioners in Princeton. She had read some materials about the persecution in
China. She said, "I think the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in
China is a tragedy. People there can't have the freedom of the belief." She
signed her name on the appeal letter.
Vancouver East
Prime Minster
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Citizenship & Immigration
Vancouver East
Member of party of the PVDA
Hornsby
Advocate (Australia): For A Young Falun Gong Follower, A Trip To China Is Beyond
Belief
"Why are the Falun Gong protesters still here? And why are they seemingly
everywhere?
"When a dozen or so Falun Gong practitioners were asked those questions
this week, they laughed good-naturedly. The group had gathered in a Midtown
apartment building at the request of The New York Times.
" 'Falun Gong wants as many people as possible to know about the group's
plight and that is only possible in the world's media capital,' said Gail
Rachlin, a Falun Gong practitioner and a former public relations
consultant."
The report continued, "Falun Gong has protested in the city, on a smaller
scale, for years. But in the last few months the group has increased its
activities. Every day, 100 or more Falun Gong practitioners fan out to as many
as 10 heavily traveled sites. They plan to do this as long as they can.
"Yesterday, for example, about a dozen practitioners in their signature
yellow T-shirts were on the sidewalk outside City Hall. Some sat cross-legged,
others quietly walked around, handing out literature. Large photographs of
burned and beaten prisoners were propped up against the fence of City Hall Park.
"A black banner read, 'This is what is happening in China.' A practitioner
with red paint on her wrists was roped to a miniature gallows, as another
practitioner, dressed as a policeman in dark glasses, waved a truncheon.
The practice, also referred to as Falun Dafa, is guided by universal principles
of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.
According to a news release written by Falun Gong practitioner Amy Rooker, of
Eureka, it was popularized in China during the 1990s after having been passed
down privately for generations.
The popular practice, which Rooker said stimulates physical and mental health,
was banned in 1999 by Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin.
Rooker and four other local residents meet regularly to practice Falun Gong.
One member of the group, Andy Ellsmore, of McKinleyville, traveled to China in
2002, where he stood in Tiananmen Square and for about one minute held up a
banner touting Falun Gong, before he was arrested and escorted by armed
policemen to the airport.
Falun Gong is a testament to the effectiveness of certain types of thinking on
the physical body, Rooker said.
She said last year she sprained her neck severely while lifting a heavy object.
She couldn't move her neck or bend. She was in constant pain and muscle
relaxants didn't help.
[...]
She began studying an introductory book about Falun Gong, as well as on the Web
site www.falundafa.org, and learned its exercises with the help of practitioner
William Timm, of Eureka.
Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) is guided by three principles and the key, and
challenge, is to incorporate the meaty concepts into your daily life, using five
different sets of exercises to do it, said Eric Marin, of Eureka.
Rooker said Falun Gong cured her of her pain and gave her body back its
mobility.
"By doing the exercises, I feel ... real centered in myself," Ellsmore
said. "You focus on emptying your mind completely of all these random
thoughts. ... You're focused. ...
That's where truthfulness, compassion and tolerance (come in)."
Martin said when he first started the exercises, he had no idea how he would
incorporate the principles into his life.
Lisa Escobedo, of McKinleyville, said people find many different meanings in
each of the three principles.
[...]
During the interview, this led to a discussion about what truth, compassion and
tolerance mean.
Truth, Martin said, "is being able to notice and admit your own
shortcomings (and) not always putting the blame on other people. ... Look
inside."
"Tolerance is endurance ... of different situations," Rooker said.
"Sometimes doing these exercises can be difficult."
"The only real way to know for yourself what these principles are about is
to read the book," Ellsmore said.
In these circumstances, with no regards to the Chinese Constitution which
protects freedom of belief, Jiang banned Falun Gong and began this large-scale
persecution. He ordered the formation of the "
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