By a Falun Dafa practitioner from Australia

(Clearwisdom.net) The Sydney Morning Herald has published a long front-page article about Tang Yiwen. The writer, Hamish McDonald, is a reporter from the Australian Associated Press who is stationed in Beijing. The story narrated Tang's experiences of being tortured in a forced labor camp and a brainwashing center and her persistence in not giving up her belief in Falun Dafa under such severe persecution. This article is the first news report by an Australian mainstream media regarding the persecution suffered by Mainland Falun Gong practitioners.

The article truthfully describes the terrorist conduct and brutal torture in the forced labor camp and the brainwashing center where Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned. Having completely exposed the lies fabricated by the Jiang regime's media, the article let its readers know about the crimes of genocide, torture and the inhuman activities committed by Jiang's regime, and gave people a better understanding of why Falun Gong practitioners organize anti-persecution activities, distribute Falun Dafa information flyers, and hold anti-torture exhibitions. People are now more supportive of Falun Gong.

Jiang's followers are intuitively aware that the astonishing action of The Sydney Morning Herald marks the beginning of the world's media exposing the real stories of Falun Gong. In an extreme panic, Feng Tie, a consul of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra immediately sent a short article to The Sydney Morning Herald (which will be called the Chinese Embassy article in the remainder of this article), attempting to accuse and threaten The Sydney Morning Herald. It claims that Tang Yiwen's story is "a report from a one-sided viewpoint," implying that the interview is a presumptuous act without the Chinese authority's permission. The Party's rule is that any information regarding Falun Gong issues must be monopolized by China's Xinhua News Agency and no media is allowed to step in, especially when it concerns information being sent overseas. Now, the Sydney Morning Herald has published an exhaustive report on a real person's true story, and even added a commentary article.

The Chinese Embassy article arbitrarily declared that the report "originated from the wrong information source." The Party always covers up the truth and fabricates news. When faced with any concrete news that is disadvantageous to the Party, especially information that touches on its inner workings, they either completely deny it or even put the blame on the victim. In reality, using lies to cover up the truth or otherwise trying to avoid exposure of the truth will fail eventually, just like using paper to contain a fire. Many people may have already come to realize that Tang Yiwen's story reported by the Sydney Morning Herald is not just her own bitter experience. It is the actual portrayal of the suffering of many thousands of persecuted Falun Gong practitioners.

I lived in Beijing, while Tang Yiwen was far away in Guangzhou (a southern city in China). However, I suffered the same persecution as Ms. Tang did. Even the way we were imprisoned, abused, and the language of the audio and video materials they used to try to brainwash us were exactly the same. All of these were planned and implemented by Jiang's regime and its 610 Office. Both my husband and I are over 60 years old. As high-level researchers at the Chinese Academy of Science, we have won several awards for scientific research achievements.

My husband was also an advisor for doctorate students and enjoyed a special allowance from the government. However, he was arrested four times for practicing Falun Gong, and was even abducted and sent to a forced labor camp for brainwashing.

I was arrested six times. For having attended one experience-sharing meeting, I was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. As a result, my body and mind almost collapsed. Many Falun Gong practitioners have suffered crueler persecution than I did. The news about the death of practitioners and how their families are broken up is relayed constantly. A minimum of over 1,000 practitioners have been persecuted to death. What Hamish McDonald reported is only one of the many real stories happening in China.

From the the report in the Sydney Morning Herald, we can see that Jiang and his followers have been severely violating human rights, brutally torturing those who have different beliefs and humiliating humankind's dignity. Isn't this a challenge to people all over the world?

It is a very severe blow to the Jiang faction that an overseas mainstream media has taken up the forbidden subject of Falun Gong, exposed the truth of the persecution and even added a commentary article expressing the intent to continue investigating this issue. If the media persists like this, following the principles of truth and justice, it may greatly influence the whole world. It may become a torch for justice and human rights, collecting the strength of the world to bring Jiang to a historic trial.

This is a truly big blow to Jiang and his followers. Therefore, the Chinese embassy's article seriously tries to point out that Jiang's regime is a "responsible government." It is indeed very responsible. It is responsible for a campaign of genocide against Falun Gong, it is responsible for not allowing overseas media to reveal the truth, and it is responsible for attacking whoever dares to report the truth.

However, the advancing wheels of history cannot be stopped. More and more people have seen clearly the real face of Jiang's regime and have started to criticize its atrocities. Jiang and his followers are now having a hard time covering up their crimes.

Posting date: 11/24/2004
Original article date: 11/23/2004
Category: Open Forum
Translated on 11/15/2004
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/11/5/88425.html

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