Clearwisdom Digest (Issue 24, Nov.24, 2004)
News and Events from Around the World Falun Gong Practitioners' Righteous Action in China The People Awaken to the Truth Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experiences News and Events from Around the World Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference Holds in
Manhattan, New York On November 21, 2004, more than 4,000 Falun Gong practitioners held a Falun
Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference at Javits Convention Center in
Manhattan, New York. At about 1:20 p.m., Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong came in
person to the conference site, gave a 40 minutes' lecture to practitioners.
After the lecture, Master Li Hongzhi was considerate of practitioners who wanted
to meet him and who have doubts and puzzles in their cultivation practice. He
explained the principles for about four hours and twenty minutes, and finished
answering all questions from practitioners. After the lecture, all practitioners stood up and enthusiastically applauded
for a long period of time. Master Li Hongzhi circled the podium and made the
greeting gesture to all audience. The practitioners' warm applause lasted until
he left the conference hall. More than 4,000 Falun Gong practitioners attended the New York Cultivation
Experience Sharing Conference. In addition to those from North America,
practitioners came from Europe, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Singapore,
Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other countries and regions around the world. With the help of simultaneous translation in different languages, five
practitioners shared their experiences in Fa-rectification cultivation. The
practitioners talked about their or their group's experiences. They especially
shared their touching experiences in going all out to clarify the facts in
Manhattan over the past three months. The conference successfully concluded around 6:20 pm. "Uncompromising Spirit:" Falun Gong Practitioners'
Grand Parade in Manhattan It was noon on November 20, 2004. Madison Avenue in Mid-Manhattan was filled
with pounding drumbeats. Several big banners with "Falun Gong" in both
Chinese and English led a grand parade of more than 3,000 Falun Gong
practitioners from all over the world. The theme of the paradewas
"Uncompromising Spirit". It was drizzling rain that day. The parade, comprised of a number of
different teams, was extremely eye-catching and brightened the cityscape. The
parade included a drum team, a Falun Gong exercise demonstration team, a Falun
Dafa book exhibition team, an anti-torture exhibition team to expose the
persecution in China, a "Bring the Culprits of the Persecution of Falun
Gong to Justice" team, an "I support Falun Gong" team and so on.
Together, the parade teams extended for more than a dozen blocks. Many
pedestrians stopped to watch the parade and asked for truth-clarification
materials, to find out more information about Falun Dafa. When Ms. Jones, a New York resident, saw the parade teams, she waved
excitedly to the Falun Gong practitioners and clapped for them. She told us that
she received Falun Gong truth-clarification materials more than a year ago. She
had checked the website addresses listed on the informational materials and read
a lot about Falun Gong. She believed Falun Gong was good. She said, "I
think, the principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance' should not
only be followed by Falun Gong practitioners but by everyone in the 21st
century." According to the parade organizer, the parade on the 20th was one
of the major activities taking place during the conference period. In the next
two days, besides the experience sharing conference, practitioners will form a
"Great Wall of Truth" in New York City. Toronto: After Failure to Follow Court Order, Chinese Deputy
Consul General Left Canada Canadian diplomatic officials have verified that Pan Xinchun, the former
Chinese Deputy Consul General in Toronto, has left Canada. The Ontario Supreme
Court convicted Pan Xinchun of libel and ordered him to compensate for the
losses of plaintiff Joel Chipkar, a spokesman for Falun Gong. Because of Pan Xinchun's failure to comply with the court order, the court
further issued a garnishment against Pan Xinchun's personal assets in the amount
of $11,000, to pay for damages and legal fees. Joel Chipkar submitted an
official request on November 16, 2004 through his lawyer to Mr. Pierre Pettigrew,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, in which he asked the Department of
Foreign Affairs to proclaim Pan Xinchun as persona non grata. According to Article IX of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,
"The receiving state may at any time and without having to explain its
decision, notify the sending state that the head of the mission or any member of
the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any
other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable." This article
allows the receiving state to expel or deny entry of such person. Pan Xinchun has violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
by committing libel; the Canadian government therefore has the right to declare
him persona non grata. A Member of Parliament said this case has sent a strong message to the
Chinese government, that Chinese diplomatic officials are not granted immunity
for attacking and violating Canadian citizens' freedom of belief and freedom of
speech. Although it is yet unclear whether the Canadian government has expelled Pan
Xinchun, or whether he was following orders from the Chinese government by
leaving Canada, it is obvious that Pan Xinchun doesn't realize it was against
Canadian law to export hatred propaganda to Canada. Irish Police Investigate Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju for
Conspiracy to Commit Torture The Deputy Commissioner of the Gardai (Irish police force) has ordered a
criminal investigation of visiting Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju following a
complaint made of conspiracy to commit torture with regard to Falun Gong
practitioners. The plaintiffs claim that the Vice Premier has rigorously followed former
Chairman Jiang Zemin in his campaign to eradicate Falun Gong and in doing so has
violated international and Irish law specifically. Under Section 3 of the
Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention against Torture) Act 2000 it is a
criminal offence under Irish law to conspire to commit the offence of torture. During his tenure as the head of the Chinese Communist Party Committee in
Shanghai, details of 6 Falun Gong practitioners who were tortured to death have
been documented by human rights organizations. Huang Ju in his political
capacity has also used every opportunity to incite hatred against Falun Gong and
encouraged his subordinates to intensify their efforts to wipe out the peaceful
meditation practice using whatever means possible. The plaintiffs claim, "Huang Ju personally, and in cooperation with
others, planned, instigated, ordered, authorized, incited or aided and abetted
government officials and party members, the police, and other security forces to
commit the abuses suffered by Falun Gong practitioners. These abuses took place
as a result of his co-perpetration, aiding or abetting or conspiring in concert
with others in Shanghai to eradicate the practice and membership of Falun Gong
from China, by means of brainwashing, torture, unlawful arrests and arbitrary
detention." Chief Superintendent Bill Donoghue and Detective Superintendent P.J. Browne
of Pearse street Garda Station are leading the investigation. So far no action
has been taken by the Gardai to arrest Vice Premier Huang during his state
visit. However, diplomatic immunity will not apply with regard to the crime of
torture. The plaintiffs in the case include Mr. Zhao Ming and Mr. Liu Feng, both
victims of the persecution who have been rescued back to Ireland. Zhao Ming
commented: "Justice has no national boundaries. I believe that good deeds
meet with good returns while evil deeds are punished. Nobody is above this
principle. We will continue our efforts to bring those responsible for this
brutal persecution to justice." The investigation is led by Chief Superintendent Bill Donoghue and
Superintendent P.J. Browne of Pearse street Garda Station. Su Rong Sued for Homicide and Torture - Becomes the First
Chinese Communist Party Official to Be Subject of a Manhunt by Foreign Police On November 4, 2004, a civil suit was filed on behalf of Falun Gong
practitioners in China who were killed, tortured and insulted under Su's watch
during his tenure as head of "610
Office" in Jilin Province, China. On November 13, Zambian police issued
an arrest warrant for Su Rong for contempt of court, after he missed two court
dates on Nov. 8 and 13. The plaintiffs are Falun Gong practitioners. Su Rong, (male, born in October, 1948, native of Taonan City, Jilin Province)
is currently the Chinese Communist Party Secretary of Gansu Province. He was
served with a summons when visiting Zambia with a Chinese delegation led by the
Chairman of the People's Congress, Wu Bangguo. Su Rong is the only one from that
delegation being sued. According to a cover story of the Zambia Times newspaper,
there were more than 100 members in this delegation. Su Rong was the the Chinese Communist PaParty Deputy Secretary of Jilin
Province from April 1998 to October 2001. He was the Party Secretary of Qinghai
Province from October 2001 to August 2003 and the Chairman of Qinghai Provincial
People's Congress from January 2002 to August 2003. He has been the Party
Secretary of Gansu Province since August 2003. During his tenure in Jilin
Province, he was the group head of "Jilin Province Leading Group on the
Falun Gong Issue," ("610
Office"), charged with "handling the Falun Gong issue". According to evidence collected by Falun Gong practitioners, during Su's
tenure in Jilin Province, he actively supported brainwashing Falun Gong
practitioners, and dismissed them from Party and public positions since the
beginning of the persecution. The death toll of Falun Gong practitioners in
Jilin Province is the second highest in the nation. Out of 4 verified death
cases in Qinghai Province, 3 died under his watch. Su was served with a summons by a marshal of the court on November 4, 2004. In Zambia on Nov. 5, the Superior Court ordered Su not to leave the country
until the matter is settled. All Zambian customs and immigration posts received
the court order. Su failed to appear on the Court on November 8. On November 12, the Zambia
Superior Court decided to hold a hearing on November 13 about Su's
"contempt of court". He failed to appear again. Contempt of court is a
criminal offense, so the police issued an arrest warrant, and dispatched
personnel to conduct the manhunt. The whereabouts of offender is still unknown, but there was no record of his
yet having left the country. This is the first Chinese high-ranking official to be issued an arrest
warrant overseas. Canada: President of Hospital Employees Union Fred Muzin
Writes to Minister of Justice in Support of the Lawsuit against the Former
President of China On November 5, 2004, the President of Hospital Employees Union, Mr. Fred
Muzin, on behalf of the 41,000 members of the Hospital Employees' Union, wrote
to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Irwin
Cotler, to support a request from Canadian practitioners of Falun Gong to
commence an investigation and proceedings under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity
and War Crimes Act against the former president of China, Jiang Zemin, and other
top ranking Chinese officials. Below are the text and image of the letter from
Mr. Muzin. November 5, 2004 The Honourable Irwin Cotler Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada 284 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8 Dear Mr. Cotler: Re: Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act - Persecution of Falun
Gong Practitioners in China On behalf of the 41,000 members of the Hospital Employees' Union, I am
writing to support a request from Canadian practitioners of Falun Gong to
commence an investigation and proceedings under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity
and War Crimes Act against the former president of China, Jiang Zemin, and other
top ranking Chinese officials. The Chinese government, and specifically Jiang Zemin, have been responsible
for the systematic and widespread persecution of Falun Gong practitioners for
the past five (5) years. Their crimes against humanity include murder, extermination, imprisonment,
enslavement, deportation, torture, sexual violence, persecution and other
violations of sections 6 and 7 of the Act. The abuses are well documented and
recognized by credible organizations such as the United Nations, Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch and the US government. At least 120 victims are currently living in Canada, and at least one (1) was
a Canadian citizen when they were tortured in China. This violation of a
Canadian citizen's rights by a foreign government specifically gives you the
authority to apply the Act. In addition, Canada has a responsibility to protect
all residents who may be at risk. Prosecution under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act would
address the enormous gravity of the crimes and demonstrate to the Chinese
government that the international will no longer tolerate their human rights
abuses. It would also provide a strong deterrent against continued atrocities
and would help to protect the victims from further violations of their rights. We urge you to give this request the serious consideration it warrants, and
to respond favorably. Yours truly, Fred Muzin President Korea: Chungcheongnam-do Legislative Assembly Passes
Resolution Urging China to Release Ms. Gao Chengnu On November 2, 2004, the Chungcheongnam-do Legislature unanimously passed a
resolution requesting China to release Ms. Gao Chengnu, a Falun Gong
practitioner, who is the wife of a Korean citizen Mr. Kwack Byung-ho and
currently being held at the Jiamusi City Forced Labor Camp in Heilongjiang
Province, China. The resolution has been forwarded to Minister of Foreign Affairs of China,
Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Mayor of the City of Jiamusi, and the Head of
the Jiamusi City Forced Labor Camp in Heilongjiang Province. Resolution of the Assembly of Chungcheongnam-do Urging the Release of Ms. Gao Chengnu, the Wife of a Korean,
Who Is Illegally Detained by the Chinese Government We, all members of the Assembly of Chungcheongnam-do, are deeply sorry for
Byung-ho Kwak, a Korean, who lives in Cheonan City, Chungcheongnam-do, and whose
Chinese wife Gao Chengnu has been illegally detained in a Labor Camp in the city
of Jiamusi in the Province of Heilongjiang since May of 2004 solely because she
is a practitioner of Falun Gong. We strongly support the activities of "Gao
Chengnu Rescue Committee" for struggling to release Gao Chengnu. We, all members of the Assembly of Chungcheongnam-do, strongly support the
resolution unanimously passed by the city of Cheonan on September 13th, 2004
regarding the release of Gao Chengnu. Out of humanitarian consideration for this couple to have a happy family, we,
all members of the Assembly of Chungcheongnam-do, urge your relevant authorities
to take measures to release Gao Chengnu as soon as possible. In considering the traditional relationship of friendship between Korea and
China, this situation should be resolved as at the top priority and a positive
outcome will tremendously work towards further strengthening ties between two
countries. The Korean-Byung-ho Kwak's wife Gao Chengnu's life is in danger due to
suffering severe torture and interrogation. We, all members of the Assembly of
Chungcheongnam-do, are highly concerned over this as being a pressing situation
and once again we urge your relevant authorities to release Gao Chengnu without
any condition and ensure that she leaves China for Korea safely. Head of the Assembly of Chungcheongnam-do and all Committee members, Republic of Korea (Signature- Stamp) United Kingdom: MP for Cambridge and Leader of Cambridge
Liberal Democrats Express Their Support for Falun Gong During Falun Dafa Week in October 2004 in Cambridge, England, Falun Dafa
practitioners held a weeklong Anti-Torture Exhibition. Ms. Anne Campbell, Member
of Parliament and Mr. David Howarth, Leader of the Cambridge Liberal Democrats
wrote to Falun Gong practitioners in support of Falun Gong. MP Campbell said in her letter: "Those of us who believe in the freedom
of speech and expression must sympathize with the Falun Gong practitioners, who
are persecuted throughout China. The UN report which draws attention to the
torture of Falun Gong practitioners is deeply shocking and I would urge everyone
to write a letter of protest to the Chinese authorities about their treatment of
Falun Gong." On October 21, 2004, Chairman David Howarth and the Cambridge Liberal
Democrats expressed their support for the rights of the Falun Gong practitioners
to hold their beliefs without fear, through a letter written by Campaign
Director Kevin Wilkins. The letter said: "David Howarth and the Cambridge Liberal Democrats The letter also said: "In 2000, David Howarth, then Liberal Democrat
leader of the Cambridge City Council, met with the First Secretary of the
Chinese Embassy to discuss the situation. Mr. Howarth made clear his support for
the right of people in China to hold their beliefs without fear, persecution or
discrimination." An Eyewitness Recalls the "Self-Immolation" Incident
on Tiananmen Square It was the third day of the Indiana State Cultural Festival at around
9:00 p.m. I saw five young volunteers in T-shirts with the words
"Chinese Culture in Indianapolis" coming towards me. These young
openly pointed out that the principles of "Truthfulness, Benevolence and
Forbearance" promoted by Falun Gong were good. I started to talk with them.
When I mentioned the staged self-immolation event at Tiananmen Square, one of
the young men interjected, "I have to say something about this event,
because I was there at that time." The following is his eyewitness
description. "It was about 2:00 p.m. The weather was bad, and very few tourists were
on the square. The police forced eight of us college students over to one side
of the Monument of Heroes, but we didn't know why. Shortly thereafter we heard
an unusual sound less than 10 meters away, and then we saw a ball of fire. The
fireball was running. Within a minute a lot of policemen suddenly appeared and
put out the fire with fire extinguishers and blankets. Someone was shouting
slogans, and for a while the policemen were in a tangle with the burning body.
We had no idea what was happening and just craned our necks to try to see, but
we were driven off a great distance by the police." "One of my classmates said, 'Where is that strong gasoline smell coming
from--' Another answered, 'Certainly it was gasoline that was burning.' As we
turned back, we saw four people pass by, all drenched with gasoline. No sooner
had we grasped what was happening than we heard the sound of the gasoline
igniting, and all four people were on fire. Meanwhile, a large group of police
rushed out suddenly from behind the monument, carrying extinguishers,
fire-blankets, or boards. They quickly began to extinguish the fire and, at the
same time, blocked our view with the boards. We were all surprised and
exclaimed, 'They've got everything prepared; they were ready for the fire!'
'Maybe there will be some coverage on TV tonight,' commented a classmate. The
police put out the fires quickly, but we saw no ambulances arriving. Some
tourists, including foreigners, took pictures. The police rushed to take their
cameras no matter who they were. We could not figure out what was going on and
never thought to relate those burning people to Falun Gong." "Another time an honest-looking fellow in my class was stopped by police
in the underground passage near Tiananmen Square. They ordered him to read a
sentence slandering Falun Gong on a piece of paper they handed him. He asked,
'Why--' 'If you don't, we will arrest you as a Falun Gong member.' He was very
scared, so he read it and then ran away. When we went touring on the Great Wall,
the police put the photo of Falun Gong's founder on the ground and ordered the
tourists to step on it. Anyone who refused would be arrested. They clearly knew
that Falun Gong people followed 'Truthfulness, Benevolence and Forbearance' and
would not step on it against their conscience. They used such an insidious
method to catch Falun Gong people. One of my classmates from Daqing City,
Heilongjiang Province, was sentenced to 10 years for practicing Falun Gong, and
he is still in jail now." After he finished the story, he reminded me, "Be careful, man. Don't go
back to the Mainland now because they will arrest you. That is true. The police
there are up to no good. I know your practice and have read Zhuan Falun
before." Before leaving, they told me, "We believe in you and support you. You
Falun Gong people are great, like Gandhi." They then bid us goodbye and we
parted ways. Falun Gong practitioners Are Attacked during Hu Jintao's Visit
to Argentina On November 20 and 21, 2004, the APEC 12th Informal Conference
will be held in Santiago, the capital of Chile. The Chinese president Hu Jintao
has been visiting four countries in Latin America since November 11, and will
attend the APEC conference. Falun Gong practitioners are taking this opportunity
to raise concerns to the Chinese delegation and the media of the illegal
persecution against Falun Gong in China, and call for an end to this five-year
persecution. A group of Falun Gong practitioners posted banners that read, "Falun
Gong is Good!" "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance,"
"Bring Jiang to Justice," "Rescue Falun Gong practitioners in
China," along the highway to the airport. After learning the truth of Falun
Gong, police allowed Falun Gong practitioners to stay in an assigned area for
their peaceful appeal. When the Chinese delegation left the airport, people sitting in the cars and
buses were all shocked to see the Falun Gong banners. Hu's car was driven very
slowly. Hu Jintao saw the banners, even tilted his head to read the words. There
were more than 300 people in his delegation. Some of them opened the windows of
their vehicles, or waved their hands to Falun Gong practitioners. When the group of vehicles arrived at the Hilton Hotel, they saw another
group of Falun Gong practitioners protesting the persecution with banners in the
garden. Before the vehicles arrived, the Chinese Embassy Officials asked the police
to force these Falun Gong practitioners to leave. According to Argentina Law,
people have the right to protest, so the police only asked that the Falun Gong
practitioners stay inside the garden. There were some journalists from TV
stations and newspapers in the garden, as well as one man and two women who
closely watched every move the practitioners made. When the vehicles of the
Chinese delegation arrived, these three people tried to take the banners held in
the practitioners' hands. Two more women joined them, and began cursing the
practitioners. The journalists of the TV stations tried to record their
behavior, but these two women quickly covered their faces, and ran towards the
Chinese Embassy Officials waiting at the Hilton Hotel. Falun Gong practitioners stayed in the garden in front of the Hilton Hotel.
The Chinese delegation was about to go to the President's House. This required a
U-turn, and meant they would view the banners again. Some Officials working in
the Chinese Embassy were very angry. The Minister-Counselor for Cultural
Affairs, Zhang Yi, shouted at Falun Gong practitioners, and even threatened to
kill a practitioner. Right before the Chinese delegation left the hotel, four or five Chinese
people walked out of the hotel and tried to take the banner reading, "Bring
Jiang to Justice" from the two practitioners who held it. They tore the
banner. One police vehicle came, and one Chinese was arrested. Then, around
thirty additional Chinese came out of the hotel, and sat in the garden. Eight or
ten local police stood between them and the four Falun Gong practitioners. About 15 minutes before the Chinese delegation left the hotel, one police
officer told a practitioner, "You'll have to settle this between
yourselves." Then all the police began to leave. Before the police had even
left the garden, the group of Chinese began to take the banners, ripping them
and cutting them with knives. In their efforts to protect the banners, the four
practitioners were beaten and pushed. All the banners were stolen except for one
that was badly damaged. The group of Chinese went to the President's House right away, where another
group of Falun Gong practitioners were also displaying banners. They surrounded
these practitioners as well, and stole their banners that requested "Bring
Jiang, Luo, Liu, Zhou to justice." By standing in front of their banners,
practitioners were able to protect them and thus two banners were not taken. On the morning of November 17, 2004, four Falun Gong practitioners from
Argentina who were mistreated in front of the Hilton Hotel filed a law suit in
the local Federal Court. On the morning of November 17, several Falun Gong practitioners went to the
Capitol Hill to pass out truth clarifying materials. A large group of Chinese
waited there and grabbed all the materials from the practitioners. Pedestrians
who saw this were very angry, and asked "how can these Chinese be so rude
in Argentina." Some TV journalists tried to record their behavior, but were
blocked by the Chinese with flags. China: Ms. Wang Fang, a Survivor of the "Wanjia
Tragedy", Is Tortured to Death by Harbin Women's Prison Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Fang was a survivor of the "Wanjia
Tragedy," and was inhumanly tortured again in the Harbin Women's Prison.
She died on September 24, 2004. Ms. Wang Fang was forty years old, and a tailor who rented a house in the
Diming Development, Aimin District, Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province. She
went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong and was arrested, because she
clarified the truth about Falun Gong to people. She was detained and sentenced
to two years in a labor camp, because brainwashing sessions failed to
"reform" her. She was sent to the Wanjia Labor Camp in Harbin City,
and endured all types of cruel torture. She was also one of the survivors of the
"Wanjia Tragedy" in 2001 and still had a rope scar on her neck. Ms. Wang Fang continued studying the Fa and doing the exercises in the labor
camp, and was locked in the small cell (1) often. She was sent to her mother's
home in Mudanjiang City after her two-year term ended. She started clarifying
the truth soon after she recovered from her injuries, and was arrested again. On June 14, 2002, Ms. Wang Fang was transferred from the Mudanjiang Detention
Center to the Hailin City Detention Center, where she studied and recited the Fa
and did the exercises. Once after she clarified the truth to people, she was
brutally beaten by Director Shan Chengqiang (male) and handcuffed afterwards. Another time Director Shan Chengqiang found Ms. Wang doing the exercises in
her cell and started torturing her. He took her to the yard and poured cold
water on her from head to toes, while beating her. Ms. Wang Fang shouted, "Falun
Gong is good!" As a result, she was put in handcuffs and ankle shackles.
Shan Chengqiang whipped the bottoms of her feet with a plastic tube and made her
roll on the floor in pain. She was disfigured beyond recognition when she
returned to her cell. She was bloodied so badly that her fellow practitioners
had to tear loose the clothing from her body. On September 8, 2004, Ms. Wang Fang was sent to the Harbin Women's Prison.
Policeman Jiang Yuntao and others from the Hailin Station State Security Office
arrested her in Mudanjiang City. Ms. Wang endured all kinds of inhuman tortures.
Police had to release her, because she was only skin and bones. She died at home
on the morning of September 24, 2004, at 3 a.m., less than two months after she
was released. Firsthand Experience of the Persecution at Beijing Women's
Forced Labor Camp, China My name is Cui Peiying. I have been illegally arrested several times for
practicing Falun Gong, for following the principles of
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, for being a good person, for clarifying the
truth of Falun Gong to others, and for appealing on behalf of Falun Gong in
Beijing. On June 11, 2003, I was unlawfully sent to Daxing's Beijing Women's
Forced Labor Camp. Because of severe damage to my health from the persecution,
the authorities eventually had to transfer me to a hospital. On October 24 of
last year, the police sent me back to the camp's Group 5 in an attempt to
prevent me from disclosing the facts of the persecution to the outside world. When I first arrived at the labor camp, the guards used all manner of
deceitful methods to try to force me to give up the practice of Falun Gong.
Failing to accomplish their goal, they then dropped any pretext of kindness and
became openly aggressive. Group leaders Chen Xiuhua and Zhao Guoxin subjected me
to forced brainwashing many times. They also tormented me physically and
mentally for more than two months, denying me use of the toilet, depriving me of
sleep and forcing me to stand from 5 a.m. to midnight or 2 a.m.. When they saw
that it was impossible for me to stand up any longer, they would draw a small
circle on the ground and force me to sit inside it, without moving. Among the detained practitioners at the forced labor camp was Ms. Zhang
Lianshuang, about 36 years old. She was originally tall and strong. Group
leaders Chen Xiuhua and Wang Qingsheng used forced brainwashing to destroy her
mind. Ms. Zhang could not bear it after seven days and nights of standing up
without sleep, without brushing her teeth or washing her face. Even after
writing and signing the so-called "Transformation Statement," she was
still persecuted. Ms. Zhang knew that she had done wrong in compromising with
the evil and was grief-stricken. The camp guards kept forcing her to criticize
herself in writing every day. The relentless persecution caused Ms. Zhang to
suffer a severe mental collapse. She could not eat or sleep well, yet the guards
still forced her to stand up for long periods of time. In early May of 2004, the guard Wang Qingsheng was angry that Ms. Zhang
Lianshuang was not eating or drinking water, so they hit, beat, and kicked her
very hard. Ms. Zhang lost consciousness and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Originally tall and strong, Ms. Zhang Lianshuang was reduced to emaciation and a
state of mental collapse. Every day she could be seen jumping frantically on her
cell bed and eating her own excrement. Only after more than a month of this
mental disorientation did the forced labor camp finally let her family take
Zhang Lianshuang home. Mr. Cheng Fengxiang Near Death After Being Secretly Sentenced
to 11 Years for Broadcasting the Truth About Falun Gong on Chinese TV The Qiaoxi Courthouse in Xingtai City, Hebei Province secretly sentenced
Falun Gong Practitioner Mr. Cheng Fengxiang to eleven years in prison for his
role in helping broadcast the truth about Falun Gong on Chinese television. In
protest, Cheng Fengxiang started a hunger strike, which has continued for over
150 days. He now suffers from back and chest pain, ice-cold hands and feet, and
abnormal kidney, heart, and stomach functions. With serious dehydration and an
inability to absorb the force-fed food, he is now on the verge of death. On the evening of January 28, 2004, the director of the Yongnian County
Politics and Law Protection Agency, Chen Jushan, along with some officials from
Handan City, led a group of policemen to abduct Cheng Fengxiang. He was
illegally detained in the police station basement of the First Group. Group
leader Yang Qingshe ordered his subordinates to torture Cheng in an attempt to
extort a confession. First Group Assistant Leader Liu Boying soaked a wooden club with water, and
brutally beat Cheng Fengxiang with it, until the club snapped. Cheng lost
consciousness from pain several times during the beatings. Wounds to his private
parts are still visible today. Second Group policeman Wang Ailin used a plastic bag to cover Cheng
Fengxiang's head to suffocate him. He used handcuffs to hang him up so that his
feet were suspended above the ground, and then beat him mercilessly. Handan City policeman Xu Zhaoliang ruthlessly beat Cheng Fengxiang, causing
the eleventh rib on the right side of his chest to break. The fracture has not
yet healed. He was forced to sit on an iron chair for 7 to 8 days. Wooden slats
were placed over his legs, and two people jumped up and down on the boards. Cheng Fengxiang has been tortured to the verge of death many times. He also
suffered many kinds of punishment, such being deprived of sleep for 14 days,
having boiling water poured on his head and hallucinogenic drugs injected into
his body. His hands are still perpetually cold, numb, and stiff. On February 11, lawless personnel sent Cheng Fengxiang, who was nearly dead,
to the Fengfeng Mine Area Detention Center. Two months later, he was handed over
to Xingtai City First Detention Center. On May 28, he began a hunger strike to
protest the persecution. He went eight days without water, and the lawless
personnel began force-feeding him. Cheng Fengxiang often pulled the tube out of
his stomach. Later, a Qiaoxi Court began prosecuting him. Cheng Fengxiang did not
cooperate, and tore up the indictment in front of everyone. As the trial
progressed, the bodies of Cheng Fengxiang and two other practitioners began to
deteriorate from their prolonged hunger strike. The Qiaoxi Court could no longer
hold them in court, so they took them to a hotel for brainwashing. The
provincial "610
Office" spent a lot of money to hire people to do the brainwashing, but
their efforts were futile. In August, the extremely weak Cheng Fengxiang was transferred to the Yongnian
County Hospital. At first, the hospital would not accept him. Only after five
days did they finally take him in. At that time, his blood sugar level was a low
1.2, he had blood in his excrement, his heartbeat was faster than normal, and
his ears, stomach, and mouth were swollen and festering. Twenty days later, Cheng Fengxiang was taken to the Handan Brainwashing Class
for repeated force-feeding. Several persons from the Qiaoxi Courthouse came to
the Handan Brainwashing Class and carried Cheng Fengxiang out, and into the
courthouse. They were determined to conform to the provincial government's
policy on "dealing with special cases," and secretly sentenced him to
eleven years in prison. Currently, Cheng Fengxiang's family members are petitioning all levels of
government to obtain his release. No official has been willing to release him. Radio Free Asia: Canadian Falun Gong Practitioners File
Lawsuit Against Jiang Zemin Six Falun Gong practitioners in Canada filed a civil lawsuit in Ontario
Superior Court against former Secretary-General of the Chinese Communist Party
Jiang Zemin and four other senior officials and are seeking 20 million Canadian
dollars in damages. The following is reported by Xi Hong, special correspondent
of Radio Free Asia in Canada. On Tuesday, six Falun Gong practitioners in Canada and their attorneys held a
press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to announce the civil lawsuit they
filed in Ontario Superior Court against former Secretary-General of the Chinese
Communist Party Jiang Zemin and other four senior officials. This lawsuit charges Jiang for initiating the campaign of suppression against
Falun Gong in China in 1999. As a result, the plaintiffs suffered both physical
torture and mental persecution. They are seeking $20 million in damages. The
other four defendants are Li Lanqing, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Wang Maolin, who are
all officials of the "610
Office", a special organization dedicated to persecuting Falun Gong. A group of four solicitors voluntarily represents the Falun Gong
practitioners in this lawsuit. Attorney Ms. Kate Kempton stated at the press
conference that this lawsuit would have a great impact on the judicial circle in
Canada. She said the lawsuit filed is an unprecedented and very powerful suit.
She reminded people that one could prosecute a country's former or current head
in any other countries if he committed crimes in his own country. Ms. Kempton introduced that although the plaintiffs experienced the
persecution in China, as Canadian citizens or permanent residents, they are now
still suffering the impact brought by the persecution both physically and
mentally. Ms. Kempton said that the compensation of $20 million is just symbolic. The
plaintiffs hoped to establish a precedent through this case in judicial history
that will help the victims to uphold justice. At the same time, they hope to
bring more attention from media and people through this case to China's (Jiang
faction's) suppression of Falun Gong practitioners. She said that the main purpose of this case is not about the compensation. No
matter how much money the defendants would pay, it would impossible to
compensate for the immense loss caused by this persecution. One of the plaintiffs, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Kunlun is a
sculptor. He has won several awards in China and other countries and his name is
listed in the world celebrity collection. He has been detained five times in
China and was tortured in jails. Another plaintiff Mr. He Zhili is a senior engineer. He won the Gold Medal
Prize for China's National Outstanding Engineering Design. He had been
imprisoned in China for three years and six months. Before this lawsuit, Falun Gong practitioners in Toronto and Vancouver filed
similar lawsuits charging crimes against humanity and genocide with the Ontario
Supreme Court and the Canadian Chief Prosecutor. The above is reported by RFA correspondent Xi Hong from Canada. Irish Times: Arrest of Chinese Vice-PM Sought Over Torture
Claims November 17, 2004 The Garda Commission has been asked to investigate allegations against the
Chinese [Vice] Premier that he has been implicated in torture by Falun Gong
practitioners. Lawyers for five members of the group living in Ireland asked the Garda
Commissioner at the weekend to investigate and arrest Mr. Huang Ju, who is on a
three-day official visit to Ireland, and discussions were still taking place
between the lawyers and the commissioner last night. Diplomatic immunity does not apply to allegations of torture. It is
understood that late last night lawyers representing the Chinese group were also
considering other avenues of pursuing their objective of having Mr. Ju [Huang]
Arrested. During his visit, Mr. Ju will meet Government leaders as well as leaders in
Irish academia and business. Mr. Ju yesterday met the President, Mrs. McAleese,
before meeting the Taoiseach, Mr. Ahern, and other Cabinet ministers at Dublin
Castle last night. Issues for discussion between Government representatives and
Mr. Ju include: Eu-China relations, including human right issues; international
political affairs; trade and investment; education, tourism and culture. Labour party spokesman for foreign Affairs, Mr Michael D. Higgins heavily
criticized the visit of Mr. Ju because of the lack of a press conference during
the three-day visit Mr. Higgins said: "No superpower is entitled to operate
in such a matter as effectively censors the press from asking reasonable
questions, and in this instance there are many reasonable questions." The National Union of Journalists has also heavily criticized the lack of
opportunity to ask legitimate questions on China's human rights track record.
The union has condemned as a censorship the manner in which the Chinese
Vice-Premier has been able to operate whilst in Ireland. A spokesman said: "There is an important distinction to be made between
propaganda and news, and it would be particularly alarming if the Irish
Government or any representative of the Irish State agreed to facilitate what is
a form of censorship." Falun Gong is a spiritual movement which is persecuted in China. Canada Newswire: Chinese Vice-Consul General Leaves Canada
After Failing to Pay Court Judgment Canada Requested to Declare Pan Xinchun Persona Non Grata TORONTO, Nov. 17 /CNW/ - An official at Foreign Affairs Canada has confirmed
that Pan Xinchun, the former Vice-Consul General of the People's Republic of
China at Toronto, who was found liable in a Canadian court for defaming Joel
Chipkar, a Toronto spokesperson for Falun Gong practitioners, is no longer in
Canada after failing to satisfy the judgment against him. On February 3, 2004, Justice Harvey T. Spiegel of the Ontario Superior Court
of Justice found Mr. Pan liable for calling Joel Chipkar a member of a
"sinister cult" in a local newspaper. Justice Spiegel accepted that
Mr. Pan could not claim consular immunity. Mr. Chipkar alleged that the libel
formed part of a campaign of hatred and persecution of Falun Gong practitioners
by officials of the People's Republic of China in Canada. Pan was ordered to pay
damages of $1,000 (a symbolic amount requested by the plaintiff) and $10,000 in
legal costs. On July 14, 2004, after payment was not received, the Superior Court issued a
Notice of Garnishment against Mr. Pan. Mr. Pan's bank, the Chinese
government-owned Bank of China, stated that it could not satisfy the Notice of
Garnishment due to the status of Mr. Pan's account. On Tuesday, November 16, Mr. Pan failed to attend an examination under oath
after notice of the examination was served at his Toronto residence and upon
legal counsel for the People's Republic of China. The examination was to be
conducted to identify assets with which the judgment could be satisfied. "It is my opinion that after continuously disregarding the Ontario
court, Mr. Pan left the country rather than comply with his obligations under
Canadian law," said Mr. Chipkar. "He should not be allowed to come
back into Canada." Chipkar said it is obvious that the People's Republic of China knowingly
participated in Pan's departure and that Canada must ensure that China's regime
is held accountable for its conduct and that of its agents. "These
officials should not be free to come here and violate the safety and rights of
Canadians and then run away and ignore our Canadian court rulings," he
said. Chipkar has requested Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs to declare the
former Vice-Consul General of the People's Republic of China at Toronto persona
non grata according to article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Mr. Chipkar has been represented throughout the action by Peter A. Downard of
Fasken Martineau, a national Canadian law firm. Leicester Mercury (United Kingdom): Refugee in plea to free
his father November 15, 2004 The Australian: A Catalogue Of Cruelty In The Hidden China November 15, 2004 Some days, looking past the new gleaming apartment blocks and ritzy shopping
malls, China looks like a mountain of human misery. Prominent on the misery mountain are city intellectuals and officials who
want the system to change. At best they are disillusioned, at worst they are
locked up. There are the tens of millions of migrant workers who flood to the cities in
search of work to be either underpaid or not paid at all. There are the child
beggars and petitioners who travel to Beijing from all over the country, seeking
to have their complaints heard by the central complaints office but regularly,
brutally, rounded up by the police and sent home. At the bottom of the misery mountain are the rural peasantry: powerless,
isolated and at the mercy of mendacious local party operatives. And then there is the Falun Gong, the spiritual movement whose
[practitioners] have been the subject of a vicious persecution campaign since it
was [...] outlawed by [Jiang's faction of] the Chinese government in 1999. A woman from Shandong province named Wang Lixuan and her eight-month-old son,
Meng Hao, were detained on October 22, 2000 while travelling to Beijing, where
Wang Lixuan was planning to petition on behalf of Falun Gong, the advocacy
group, Human Rights in China, reported. The mother and baby both died at the Tuanhe Forced Labor Dispatch Division in
Beijing less than three weeks later on November 7, 2000. The coroner's
examination determined that Wang Lixuan's neck and fingers were broken, her
skull was fractured and she had a needle stuck in her lower back. Her baby, Meng
Hao, was found to have deep bruises on his ankles and head and blood in his
nose. It is believed that little Meng Hao had been hung upside down by his ankles. Ming Ouyang, Falun Gong practitioner and brother of Australian citizen Yu
Ouyang from Melbourne, was arrested in China in early 2001 and sentenced to
forced labour for a year. He was rearrested in May 2002, suffering from
tuberculosis as a result of torture, according to the Falun Dafa Association's
senate inquiry submission. In January 2003, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade sent its Chinese
counterpart a list of cases of concern including that of Ming. During the annual
human rights dialogue in July that year the Australian delegation was told that
the Chinese side could not identify the people on the list including Ming. The
following month Ming was tortured to death. Falun Gong Practitioners' Righteous Action in China Pure Compassion Shocks and Frightens the Evil Factors Jiang's regime started the nationwide persecution of Falun Gong on July 20,
1999. How could a practitioner who benefited so much from Falun Gong ignore it--
Twice I went to appeal in Beijing. With the power of Falun Dafa, I never wavered
in my faith in front of the evil, regardless of the tricks and tactics they
tried on me. I firmly believed it is never wrong to practice "Truthfulness,
Compassion, Forbearance." I was never afraid in front of the police. One day in July 2003, someone reported me to the police while I was
distributing fact- clarification flyers. The police interrogated me with
different tactics, but I refused to cooperate with them and calmly told them the
facts about Falun Gong. When they asked my name, I simply replied, "Falun
Gong practitioner." After five hours of interrogation by four policemen,
they found out nothing from me. In the evening they sent me to a detention center. In the detention center I
joyfully told the facts about Falun Gong to every inmate in the cell. They told
me that it seemed strange that I was so worry free while they felt each day in
the detention center was like a year. The detention center deputy asked,
"How can you be released without telling us your identity--" I smiled
and told them, "I will leave here after all of you understand the
facts." The detention center deputies all laughed. I truly experienced the power of Falun Gong as well as the blessing and
protection of Teacher. Out of 50 people in the cell, only 2 or 3 of them did not
accept the facts and interfered with my practice. But they were soon transferred
to another cell. The police station twice sent someone to ask me whether I had
thought it over. I told them, "I already told you, my real identity is a
practitioner with resolute faith in Falun Dafa. The righteous task that I am
doing is to tell everyone the facts about Falun Gong." The deputy jokingly
said, "You treated me as a friend yet you won't tell me your name." I
smiled and replied, "I will tell you after I leave the detention
center." He nodded agreeably. The next morning the deputy called for the
"Falun Gong practitioner" to gather personal belongings and prepare to
be released. Several inmates came to me to say goodbye, "You must be extra
careful after getting out. We all believe Falun Gong is good." After 13 days, I walked out of the detention center with righteous thoughts
and rejoined the effort to clarify the truth about Falun Gong. Clarifying the Truth to Customers While Doing Business By a Falun Gong practitioner in Jilin Province, China I manage a small store and meet many customers every day. Since November 1996
when I began practicing Falun Gong, this store has always been a good place to
promote Falun Gong and clarify the truth. Especially after July 20, 1999 when
Jiang's regime started to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, we have used this
small store more to clarify the truth to customers. There are several Falun Gong practitioners who work at my store. Every day,
we take clarifying the truth and saving people as our main priority. Facing
different customers, we can mention the topic from different angles to tell
customers the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong. Some say a few words
and some answer the questions customers raise. One time, there was a customer
who went away at once when we started clarifying the truth to her. When we
realized this, we sent forth righteous thoughts immediately. She came back later
and bought the items she originally came in for, and at the same time she
listened to us. People continually come and learn about Falun Gong, and more and more
customers have come to a good understanding. They also tell others: "This
store belongs to people who practice Falun Gong. They follow Truth, Compassion
and Tolerance. The produce is of good quality and the price is also
reasonable." One time, right after a customer entered the door, she said:
"This is the first time I have come here to buy things. Others have told me
that the products here are good." We understood that she also came here to
listen to the truth. I had an idea that if we opened another store, we would be able to save even
more people and resolve several Falun Gong practitioners' employment problems.
Later on we opened another store, where we clarify the truth to the customers
from the countryside. Because few people close to the new store know us, we have been losing money
there. Once the store began losing money, my attachment to money came up and I
thought: "How can I lose money like this?" I realized immediately that
this was a bad attachment and selfish. The fact that I opened this store to be
able to save more people was good. When my righteous thoughts came out, the bad
thoughts disappeared at once. Now my new store has new customers every day. Most
of them did not know the truth about Falun Gong, and several practitioners in
the store coordinate together to best clarify the truth to people everyday. Clarifying the Truth to People Face to Face While Helping
Farmers in Their Fields By a Falun Gong practitioner in China Both my husband and I make a living by helping with farm work. We help with
farm work for farmers of the village where we live in and we also travel to
other villages. It is customary that a farm helper should get one pack of
cigarettes a day besides being paid, but we of course don't take them, because
Falun Gong practitioners do not smoke. We just want the opportunity to tell the
facts of Falun Dafa to the farmers; we're not concerned about how much money we
make. These are opportunities that Master Li has arranged for us to clarify the
truth. Lunchtime is when we clarify the truth. We talk about how our whole family
has been healthy both physically and mentally since we started to practice Falun
Gong six or seven years ago. We talk how we were persecuted, extorted for large
sums of money and harassed by Jiang's regime since the persecution began on July
20, 1999. We talk about the fallacies in the staged self-immolation on Tiananmen
Square, and how the murder cases are all contrived to deceive the public and to
give the authorities an excuse to persecute Falun Gong. We explain that Falun
Gong teaches people to be good and kind and to elevate their moral character,
and we let them know that many good people have been sent to forced labor camps
illegally and many good people have been tortured to death, simply because they
wanted to speak out for justice. Many people, after listening to our talk, said, "Before, I thought that
there must be some reason why Jiang Zemin does not allow people to practice
Falun Gong. Now I understand the truth after listening to you." For every family we went to, we talked about the truth. When I was clarifying
the truth, my husband sent forth righteous thoughts; when he was clarifying the
truth, I sent forth righteous thoughts. We cooperated with each other and
achieved very good results. Working Together as One Body to Rescue Our Fellow
Practitioners By a Falun Gong practitioner in Jilin Province, China The Jilin Prison has been persecuting Falun Gong practitioners very severely.
At least three practitioners have died there due to the persecution. They are:
Liu Chengjun, Wei Xiushan, and Zhang Jianhua. During the past few years, practitioners in Jilin City have been trying to
rescue jailed fellow practitioners. We participate in activities such as sending
forth righteous thoughts in nearby locations, telling the facts about the
persecution directly to the prison officials, calling and sending mail to each
office in the prison, printing and distributing local versions of
truth-clarification materials, and distributing investigative reports on the
local policemen issued by the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution
of Falun Gong. Recently we heard that an unknown practitioner was persecuted to death in a
local hospital. Later we learned that the practitioner was Cui Weidong. We also
received information that there were more practitioners in Jilin Prison whose
lives are in danger due to the persecution. When they were sent to a hospital
for emergency treatment, the prison strictly blocked all information. Facing
this situation, we immediately held a few meetings and reached a common
understanding. First we published the latest persecution facts on the
Clearwisdom website to expose the evil deeds to the world. We also made a flyer
that said, "All Citizens in Jilin City, Please Pay Close Attention to the
Falun Gong Practitioners Who Are Dying Because of the Persecution." Over
the next three days, local practitioners posted more than a thousand flyers all
over the hospital and the city to expose the persecution. The day after we published the news on the Clearwisdom website, October 11,
2004, the hospital received many phone calls from all over the world. The
employees who answered the phones claimed that they didn't know any details
about the dead practitioner. They said that the practitioner who died in the
hospital was sent in when he was almost dead, and Jilin Prison didn't disclose
any detailed information about the prisoner to the hospital. The doctors and
nurses didn't know the true story until they got the phone calls or read the
flyers. Thinking back over the incident, the doctors and nurses realized that
something must have been wrong, because while the practitioner had died over a
month ago, the prison still hadn't allowed the relatives to see the body. After
the case was exposed, Jilin City's Changyi Police Department ordered the
hospital to not allow any visitors to see the practitioner's body without
permission from the police department. The doctors and nurses discussed it all
over the hospital. Many people felt that the prison must have done something
very bad, otherwise they would allow the relatives to see the body. Changyi Police Department also ordered the hospital to catch and detain the
practitioners who were distributing and posting truth-clarification flyers. The
officials, doctors, and nurses who had realized the truth abhorred the behavior
of the police. Even after more than 10 days, many flyers exposing the cruel
persecution of practitioners in Jilin Prison were still up on the walls, and
nobody took them down. For a long time the policemen in Jilin Prison had tortured practitioner Li
Zhiyong from Changchun City, and Mr. Li was dying. Local practitioners exposed
the persecution facts on the Clearwisdom website many times. His parents were
also actively involved in the rescue. They went directly to Jilin Prison to ask
top prison officials to release Mr. Li Zhiyong. After they were refused without
any reason given, they went to the Jilin Province Prison Management Bureau, the
provincial Judicial Department, and the provincial "610
Office," demanding that they release their dying son. At last, Mr. Li
Zhiyong was released without unconditionally. On October 13, 2004, Mr. Li was
returned to his home safely. During this event, practitioners from both inside and outside of China formed
one body. Some made phone calls, some stood up to clarify the facts on a
one-to-one basis, some went to the prison to send forth righteous thoughts, and
some distributed truth-clarification flyers. Many practitioners joined in.
Everyone involved felt how great the power was when practitioners worked
together. In this rescue effort, we identified the correct goal from the very
beginning. Our fundamental goal was to save people by exposing the evil and
clarifying the facts. The rescue action exposed the wickedness of Jilin Prison
to ordinary people. We also helped people realize the evil nature of the
persecution against innocent Falun Gong practitioners. The People Awaken to the Truth More People in Manhattan Request Truth Clarification Materials Sunday, November 7, 2004, was a bright, sunny day. The temperature in New
York City's Manhattan rose. A marathon made this day even better and brighter
because it brought tens of thousands of people to the Falun Gong practitioners. A practitioner gave out truth clarification materials in the subway and he
pointed at the "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" on the poster to
explain the facts to a person on the train. Many people on the train also took
truth clarification materials. A person said to him, "He wants one too--and
she also wants one!" Several people sitting next to that person took the
materials, as well. The practitioner continued to clarify the truth. Over the
past three days, there was always someone saying, "We will help you
distribute these. We will tell others about this after going back and help the
truth get out to more and more people." Yesterday, right after two practitioners gave materials to a person and
before giving him an explanation, people next to that person also requested
materials. After the flyers were all given out, they had to give out truth
clarification VCDs. The VCDs were still insufficient and they had to give out
bookmarks with a simple introduction of Falun Dafa. Even the bookmarks were all
gone. After getting off the subway, one person still wanted to get a VCD from
the practitioners. A Tour Guide Clarifies the Truth On the day of setting up "The Great Wall of Courage," a
double-decker touring bus drove through Union Square. After the tour guide on
the bus saw "The Great Wall of Courage," he spent a long time talking
about it to tourists on the bus, and he talked about the contents on all the
posters. His explanation continued until the traffic light turned green. A practitioner holding flyers always smiled at people passing by. Many people
passed by and came back to ask for a flyer. "I really worried which one of my products from China was produced in
the labor camp." Yesterday, at the site outside the painting exhibition by artists who
practice Falun Gong, practitioners also arranged an anti-torture exhibition. On
the site, a German practitioner was handing out materials. Suddenly he heard
some people honk their car horns to request a flyer, so he gave a person riding
in a luxury car a truth clarification newspaper. That person was about 40 to 50
years old. After listening to the practitioner's introduction of the persecution
happening now in Chinese labor camps, he said, "All of the products that
our company uses come from China, and I am very concerned about the present
situation in China. This is so inhumane and inconceivable! If this is the
present situation of their human rights, then I am really worried whether any of
the goods bought by my Chinese partner come from labor camps-- When I return, I
will certainly ask her to find out the sources of those products." An American Changes his Attitude Upon Learning the Truth An American who was about 50 years old witnessed the appeal of 10,000 Falun
Gong practitioners at Zhongnanhai on April 25, 1999. But the time of his stay in
China was precisely the height of slandering and suppressing Falun Gong by
Jiang's regime, and his mind was also all filled with rumors and lies. He had
never talked to Falun Gong practitioners in the past five years. In Manhattan,
however, Falun Gong practitioners have been persistent in clarifying the truth
of Falun Gong and exposing all kinds of abuses and tortures used in the
persecution, so his view of Falun Gong began to change. He also came to the
anti-torture exhibition site on 79th Street, and a practitioner had a long
conversation with him. The practitioner started from the story that his uncle
was one of five representatives invited to meet the former Chinese premier, and
then talked about the damage to humankind and society resulting from persecuting
a group of good people believing in "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance."
He said that people's attitude toward "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance"
is related to the future of humankind, and so on. The notion and mentality of
that person gradually changed, and his tone became softer and softer. In the
end, he finally decided to carefully read the details in the truth clarification
newspaper. He also signed a petition expressing his opposition to the
persecution. China: A Joint Venture CEO Asked Employee to
Learn the "Spirit of Teamwork of Falun Dafa" A CEO of a joint venture that employed tens of thousands of people has the
proper understanding of Falun Dafa. Truth-clarification by practitioners in
China as well as the real situation he had seen during trips overseas helped him
to see the truth. Recently, he gave a speech in a meeting for over 300 mid-level managers in
his company. When he talked about promoting work ethic, he said, "On this
issue, I hope everyone will learn from Falun Dafa. We shall learn from the
spirit of teamwork they exhibit. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for
their beliefs." He then added, "I admire their Teacher very
much." A Falun Gong practitioner's husband used to be a manager in another company
before it went bankrupt. A few days ago, he went to this joint venture to look
for a job. He introduced himself and talked to the CEO about a job. The CEO
hired him and requested to meet his wife. Upon finding out that this
practitioner was both trustworthy and capable, he put her in charge of a special
project. Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experiences A Veteran Who Joined PLA in 1947 Regains His Health after
Practicing Falun Gong I am a veteran who joined PLA in 1947. I have received high awards from the
military. I used to suffer from over 10 different diseases. In December 1990, I took a turn for the worse because of a major heart
attack. After I was rescued, I had to remain hospitalized for four years. During
my hospitalization, I had medical emergencies many times. I could not live
without medication and oxygen. In October 1994, I had a heart bypass operation. After the surgery, my heart
only had one-quarter of the functions a normal heart has. One year later, during
a checkup, it was found that two of the vessels in my heart were clogged, which
could lead to sudden death. In May 1997, I was transferred from a military hospital to a local civilian
hospital for treatment. During the examination, I was found to have severe
leukemia and a large tumor on my leg. At that time, I suffered a complete mental collapse; I had lost the courage
to live. I just wanted to end my life. I wrote my will and arranged my funeral. However, just as I was in despair, I got a copy of the book, Zhuan Falun,
from my brother. In the beginning, I didn't pay much attention to it since I
knew nothing about cultivation. I was simply flipping through the pages while
receiving an IV in bed. However, as I kept reading, the contents became more and
more interesting. Then I sat up to read. Later I got off the bed and sat in a
chair and read. At first I was still wearing my glasses. Then I felt the glasses
were unnecessary, so I took them off. To my surprise, I found I could see even
more clearly without glasses. This way I kept reading the book for several
hours. Before I could finish the book, I suddenly came down with what felt like
stomach flu. I went to the bathroom several times that day, but I didn't feel
tired at all. Instead, I felt more energetic. At that time I truly felt this
book was so miraculous. As long as I could calm down to study the book, positive
changes were bound to happen. Later my brother called to check on my health. I said emotionally,
"Thank you so much for giving me this book!" When I began to read the book for the second time, I requested to be
discharged from the hospital. The doctors listed numerous reasons why I could
not be discharged, but I simply insisted. The doctors told me that I would be
responsible for any potential consequences myself. I signed my name on the
discharge form without hesitation. The next morning, with the help of an
assistant, I went to the park to look for a Falun Gong practice site. The second
day, we were able to find one. Starting September 8, 1997, I formally began to participate in the group
exercise and study. Every morning I got up at 5:00 and went to the practice site
to do exercises. I felt in high spirits and my health improved gradually. I was
also calm and peaceful. I felt like I had changed to a completely different
person. My illnesses disappeared one by one. In no more than one month, I
stopped taking medication and I no long needed my assistant to accompany me to
the park to practice. I also got rid of the oxygen tank. From the bottom of my
heart I felt the power and might of Falun Gong and I realized the true meaning
of human life. I am a veteran serviceman. I had been doing political work in the army for
many years. I used to believe only in modern science and often held a suspicious
view of qigong, cultivation of the human body and supernormal capabilities. In
the past, whenever I heard someone else talk about these things, I would think
they were ignorant and superstitious. After I took up the practice of Falun
Gong, I came to understand that there is a boundless Great Law in the universe
unknown to humankind, and that there are so many heavenly secrets to be
experienced by humankind. Take myself as an example. The many illnesses that
modern medicine had diagnosed as incurable were all cured by Falun Gong. My
personal experience firmly proves that Falun Gong is a true science, not
superstition. Moreover, many other people who suffered terminal illnesses have
regained their health after practicing Falun Gong. All this suggests that Falun
Gong is a true science. Without Falun Gong, I wouldn't be alive today. I received a second life from
Falun Gong. I will let more people know about my personal experience and tell
them that Falun Gong is the universal Law that can truly save people. My Migraine and Heart Disease Are Cured, My Husband Quit
Smoking, Drinking and Gambling My name is Lin Meili. I am a practitioner from the Back Port practice site in
Singapore. I have practiced Falun Gong for five years and benefited greatly in
both my mind and body. Below I will talk about the changes cultivation in Falun
Gong has brought about in me. Before I started to practice Falun Gong, I suffered from many illnesses, with
migraine and heart disease being the most prominent. When I had a heart episode,
it was very difficult to breathe. I could feel my heart stop beating and my life
had come to an end. This often happened at night and it was excruciating. When
the headache came, it would hurt so much that I trembled all over and could not
fall asleep. These two illnesses afflicted me for most of my life. Since I attained the Fa on May 1, 1995, I have practiced the Falun Gong
exercise every day. Because I had no schooling in my whole life, I couldn't
recognize a single word. I could not finish one full sentence in Zhuan Falun,
let alone understand the underlying Fa principles. Nevertheless, I made up my
mind that I must study the Fa well because it's the Great Law of the universe.
When I studied the Fa at that time with fellow practitioners, I remembered one
character after another while listening to them. It was quite amazing that I
could read the whole book of Zhuan Falun after one year. The Fa gave me
wisdom, and now I also have a very healthy body and look younger and younger.
All of my past illnesses have gone away. I would also like to talk about the huge changes in my husband after
cultivation. My husband's parents had expelled him from their home when he was a
teenager because he would not go to school, didn't listen to his parents and had
become addicted to smoking and alcohol. His parents were unable to teach him.
After we were married, his old habits still remained, and he was also prone to
gambling. He would smoke three to four packs of cigarettes a day. I tried all
kinds of ways to help him get rid of those bad habits in vain. He was
hot-tempered and often fought with others or verbally abused them. He often
shouted at me as well, so our children were afraid of him. After we started to practice Falun Gong, I could hardly believe how he had
changed to a completely new person. He quickly got rid of his 40-year-old
smoking habit and became a kind-hearted and gentle person. Falun Gong removed
his bad habits in a very short period of time. He no longer smokes cigarettes,
does not gamble or drink alcohol, and no longer fights with others or verbally
abuses them. He has really become a good father and a good husband. Our children
said, "Father has changed. He has changed into a different person after
learning Falun Gong." Our family has become harmonious. Falun Gong has
saved our family. I am grateful to our Master, who has given me a happy family. Since the persecution in China began, newspapers in Singapore have reported
the news from China. I know that Falun Gong is a righteous cultivation way.
Considering the positive change in our family, how could Falun Gong not be
good-- Master teaches us to be good people with high moral standards and I am a
beneficiary from the cultivation, so I have kept on practicing. I distribute
literature about Falun Gong on my way to and from work so that more people may
learn the truth about Falun Gong and benefit from it, like my family and I have.
The camp guards ordered the collaborators, practitioners who had enlightened
along an evil path and renounced Falun Gong, to take turns bombarding me with
their brainwashing attempts. They let the collaborators and the inmates
convicted of prostitution call me names and harass me. They forced to watch
videos defaming Falun Gong and read anti-Falun Gong books. For more than six
months I was not allowed to brush my teeth or wash my face, nor bathe or change
my clothes. In the cold of winter I was still wearing lightweight clothes. The
guards tried all kinds of insidious ways to make me submit and renounce Falun
Gong, but their efforts were in vain.
A man who fled China to escape torture and imprisonment is appealing for help to
free his father.
Li Heping spent nearly two years in a forced labour camp, where he was locked in
a dark cell until he lost all sense of time and was injected with terrifying
hallucinogenic drugs.
Mr Heping, who is now studying at Leicester University, said he was targeted
because he practices Falun Gong, which is illegal in China. Also known as Falun
Dafa, it is a style of meditation and exercise similar to t'ai chi and was
banned by the Chinese government in 1999.
The father-of-one said he was first arrested when his daughter was born three
years ago, and was held for two days.
On his daughter's first birthday, he was arrested again and sentenced to two
years in a forced labour camp.
He was tortured, made to sleep in a tiny cell with up to 10 other inmates and
forced to work 10-hour days for months on end.
He was only allowed to see his family five times in 22 months.
The 34-year-old, from the city of Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province, said: "My
wife visited the camp and asked why they wouldn't let her see me. She didn't
want my daughter to forget what her father looked like.
"From the window I could see them - my wife and daughter - but the police
wouldn't tell me they were there."
Fearing for his safety when he was released from the camp in August, he came to
Britain and applied for asylum.
He wants to bring his wife and daughter over, but now his father has been
arrested. He has not heard from him since March, when the 61-year-old was
sentenced to a year's hard labour for having a Falun Gong book.
Mr Heping is now worried he may be tortured or killed.
He said Falun Gong had 100 million practitioners in 1999, but that the Chinese
government saw it as a threat.
A spokesman for human rights charity Amnesty International said Mr Heping's
story matched reports it had received from China. She said: "[...]
Thousands of followers have been arrested. Many have been tortured and there are
reports of people being tortured or beaten to death."
Mr. Heping has started a petition to raise awareness of his father's plight and
that of other Falun Gong practitioners.
[...]
By Lian Hua, a Falun Gong practitioner in China
Yearly Archive
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