(Clearwisdom.net) On April 2, 2004, Kansas State Senator Stephen Morris wrote to request the Chinese Consulate in Chicago to return the passports of Falun Gong practitioners Dongmei Wang and Jiyun Kuang. The Senator pointed out that it is not acceptable in the United States of America for the Chinese Consulate to withhold their passports because they continue to practice Falun Gong.

April 2, 2004

The Honorable Jinzhong Xu

Consul General

Chinese Consulate in Chicago

100 West Erie Street

Chicago, IL 60610

Dear Consul General Xu:

This letter is written in support of your returning passports to the two following individuals: Dongmei Wang, and her husband, Jiyun Kuang

I understand they sent the passports to you in January, along with the needed information and the required fee, to be renewed. Apparently, you assume you can hold their passports because they continue to practice Falun Gong. This is not acceptable in the United States of America. The continuing persecution of innocent people, because of their beliefs, is not tolerated in our civilized society.

Please make every effort to return the renewed passports to Ms. Wang and her husband. I will await you timely response.

Sincerely,

Stephen R. Morris

Senator, 39^th District

(Clearwisdom.net) I haven't been going to appeal for Falun Dafa at the Chinese Embassy for very long, but in the short time I have been there, I have encountered all kinds of weather, and I have experienced many touching situations.

Once when I was doing the meditation exercise, I heard someone talking to me from one of the cars passing by. I didn't understand what the people were saying because I don't understand English. When I opened my eyes, I saw the plump little hands of a child making a sign to praise me. I didn't see the child's face but only those small hands. Perhaps that child was only five or six.

On a snowy and windy day, a couple stopped by my side. They invited me to have a cup of coffee or tea with them. There was also a group of elderly people, perhaps from a travel group, who asked their leader what Falun Gong is all about. I gave them some leaflets and also turned on the music. They practiced the first set of exercises with me and when they left, they all waved goodbye to me from their bus. There are many more stories like this and I know that they are Teacher's way of encouraging me. I feel glad that more and more people are getting to know the truth about Falun Gong and that more people want to find out the truth about Falun Gong.

On March 2, I was sending forth righteous thoughts at twelve o'clock when a young man from America ran towards me from the other side of the road. I was happy that he was able to speak Chinese; he had learned Chinese before in China. He told me that he is currently writing his thesis and had chosen China's Falun Gong for his subject. He said that he wanted to know some things about Falun Gong. I immediately started telling him the facts about Falun Gong. I was moved as I spoke and I had tears in my eyes. The young man showed sympathy and understanding about the persecution in China. He said he didn't want to talk about the Chinese government right then but wanted to know the answer to a question he had. He thinks that there are two kinds of people that practice Falun Gong in China; one kind being the people that have no money and not much to eat; the other kind of people being rich people who feel that there is nothing more for them in life. These two kinds of people are all turning to Falun Gong for help. What kind of help can Falun Gong give to them? I told him that Falun Gong teaches people how to be good. There are rich people and poor people, and people in between, and many of them definitely want to be good people. But how can one be a good person in today's society? They found the answer in Falun Gong, which is to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. This is the most precious help that Falun Gong had given to them. I also said that it is not only people in China that need the help of Falun Gong, but the people of the whole world need Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance because it is the hope of the world.

The young man agreed with me and said that when he graduates, he will come to London to study and will come here to help Falun Gong. He took three photos of me and I thanked him. He told me not to thank him because we are all the same. He took the VCDs I gave him and said goodbye to me. I told him that there will be people in front of the embassy twenty-four hours a day, and that if he needed any materials, he may come and get them right here. I wished him luck with writing his thesis and hoped that one day he will be able to read the teachings of Falun Gong in Zhuan Falun.

Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200404/18874.html

(Clearwisdom.net)

The deputy for the Changchun City Police Department, Qu Wancheng, is in charge of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. He has been an active participant in the persecution. Qu was recently diagnosed with a bone disease and can no longer work.

Policeman Li Hongjun from the Liaohe Farmers District in Siping City, Liaoning Province is against Falun Dafa and places much effort in following and arresting the Dafa practitioners in his area. He subjected practitioners Yang Dongjie, Yu Zijun and Wang Chengui to cruel tortures when they returned from Beijing after they had appealed for Falun Dafa. He would beat and verbally abuse Dafa practitioners while taking practitioners to the forced labor camp. He refused to let practitioners eat and when practitioners would confront him about his behavior, he would viciously say, "If you swear at your Master, I will stop beating you and let you eat." When practitioners tried to clarify the truth to him, he did not listen and would swear loudly at Falun Dafa and at the founder, Teacher Li Hongzhi. In June 2002, on his return trip from taking practitioners to the Lishu Detention Center, his police car collided with a farmer's four-wheeled cart. The driver was disabled in the accident and Li Hongjun, who was sleeping in the back seat, died at the site. He was 34. This accident has had a great impact throughout the local area.

In 2002, former Liaoning Province Forced Labor Camp Chief, Guo Jianguo, sent orders to police and criminal inmates at all jails and labor camps in Liaoning Province to beat and use all kinds of unlawful means to cruelly torture Falun Dafa practitioners. He also drastically reduced the sentences of criminal inmates who beat Falun Dafa practitioners. During the 2003 Spring Festival, Guo Jianguo's whole family was put into jail for committing a crime. Guo Jianguo died in jail in 2003.

Zhang Shuli, Chief of the Xincheng Police Station, Hebei Province, Nangong City, began to persecute Falun Dafa in May 2003. In this capacity he committed many brutal acts against Dafa practitioners. Zhang Shuli died in a car accident in August 2003.

Officer Zhen Jun, National Security Department Head (former head of the Second Detention Center), Heilongjiang Province, Yilan County, has been persecuting Falun Dafa and practitioners since the persecution began in 1999. He has placed between twenty to thirty practitioners into forced labor camps. When practitioners wrote letters to him to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa, he did not change his heart and instead escalated the persecution. Zhen has now lost his job due to financial corruption.

Police officer Wang Zhigang from the Heilongjiang Province, Yilan County, Hongkeli Township Police Station has been persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners since July 20, 1999. He was diagnosed with bone disease and heart disease, and he is now confined in a Beijing Hospital.

April 22, 2004

NEW YORK (FDI) -- On April 1^st, 2004, Chinese police ransacked the home of Ms. Huang Zhao and her husband, stealing valuables and detaining the couple who both practice Falun Gong.

Two weeks later, Huang was dead.

Witnesses say by the second day of her detention, Huang had been severely beaten and could no longer walk. Because she refused to renounce her beliefs, on April 4^th Huang was transferred to the No.1 Branch of Wuhan City Police (the local "6-10 Office") where she was tortured further.

Huang died at 3 a.m. on April 16^th at the Wuhan City No. 3 Hospital.

Sources familiar with Huang's case say local police are monitoring Huang's family members and the hospital where she died to ensure information about her death is not made public. Everyone walking in and out of Huang's residential building is questioned, they say.

Huang's husband, Liu Ning, was also beaten and tortured after being detained, but he was later released to his family. When Liu visited his mother-in-law to enquire about his wife's whereabouts, he was arrested again.

# # #

NEWS -- May 03, 2004

Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Practiced in over 50 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong in China, China's then-Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 958 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER -- Gail Rachlin 917-757-9780, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, or Christina Chai 917-386-5068. Email: contact@faluninfo.net, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/

March 30, 2004

Ms. Huang Jingping worked at a fabric factory in Changsha City, Hunan Province. At 50 years old, many of her diseases were healed after learning Falun Gong. After the persecution against Falun Gong started, she went to Beijing several times to exercise her constitutional right to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. In Beijing she was detained and beaten severely by the authorities, which caused her serious physical injury. On one occasion Huang was released from the labor camp when her health deteriorated significantly. After her release, she was still harassed and threatened by officials from the local "610 Office" (1) and police from the local precinct. On February 27, 2004 she passed away.

Huang Jingping started to practice Falun Gong in 1997. Each day one could see her health improving in many areas. She started to look healthy and was even able to take a shower with cold water. A rare problem of uterine bleeding, which doctors originally thought to be some form of cancer, completely disappeared. Her great recovery made people remark that she looked like a new person.

After July 20, 1999, when Jiang and his followers started the persecution of Falun Gong, Huang Jingping went to Beijing to appeal on four different occasions. While in Beijing, she was put into detention where she was verbally abused and severely beaten, causing visible wounds over her entire body, including her face. In December 2000, she displayed a banner in Tiananmen Square. Knocked down to the pavement, she was severely beaten by the police, resulting in bruises and swelling to both her eyes from being struck in the face. When representatives from her hometown of Changsha went to pick her up, they were shocked at the sight of her and were afraid to take her back for fear that due to her poor physical condition they might be held responsible should something happen. A month passed before they agreed to take her back. After the torture, Huang Jingping was extremely thin, with a deep scar on one side of her nose and dark purple frostbitten hands. Because she refused to give up practicing Falun Gong, she was detained in the Yuelu region local precinct detention center at Changsha City for nearly two months. Later, she was sent to the Baimalong Labor Camp at Zhuzhou. In the labor camp, she was infected with pulmonary tuberculosis. Her condition became very serious. She was not released back to Changsha until June 2001.

Once she returned home, she was harassed and persecuted by the local "610 Office," police station and government officials because she continued to refuse to renounce her belief in Falun Gong. The director of the "610 Office" from Yuelu region named Shu, was especially vicious. He often ordered his assistant to pressure Ms. Huang with repeated threatening telephone calls. They also went to her husband's school and threatened him. The city education committee and the hospital also joined in and made threats. They also tried to force her to write statements renouncing her belief. They said if she refused to give up her practice of Falun Gong, they would force her into a brainwashing program and charge her four thousand Yuan a month for being there.

The corrupt officials threatened and hounded Ms. Huang through their own moral bankruptcy. When Huang Jingping was being detained in Beijing, various officials from the factory, local government and police stations, went to Beijing to bring her back to her hometown and used the excuse of "picking her up" to take a sightseeing trip around the city. The officials stayed at expensive hotels, dined out, drank and partied, charging all the expenses to Huang Jingping. She only received a tiny 200 Yuan per month as living expenses.

Under the intense pressure, Huang Jingping's mind and body were damaged beyond repair. On February 27, 2004, her illness became worse and she succumbed to it.

Huang Jingping's death brought great pain to the family. Her child was not even 15. Suffering intense grief due to his wife's death, Ms. Huang's husband fell ill and has not recovered. He is still unable to work.

(Clearwisdom.net) Fanjiatai Prison in Shayang City, Hubei Province, forces the prisoners to work long hours under slave labor conditions, assembling products for export. This prison has many contracts with companies in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian. It has been learned that many products manufactured in Fanjiatai Prison are regularly destined for export to western countries.

An example of these kinds of export products are strings of colored Christmas lights. There are several styles and colors of the Christmas light products, normally used for decorating a Christmas tree, a window or the exterior of a house. Each string of lights may be installed with 150, 200 or 300 tiny, colored bulbs. A string of fifty 2.5-volt bulbs, for example, is designed to require a 110-volt electrical outlet, which is the same voltage used in the U.S.

Some of the products assembled at Fanjiatai Prison are also transported to Zhejiang Province, where they are assembled for bulk shipment to Taiwan, because these products are to be exported to the U.S. by Taiwanese businesses only. The Christmas lights assembled at Fanjiatai Prison are among the most popular type purchased in the U.S. Falun Dafa practitioners formerly held in this prison have some samples of these tiny lights in their possession, as proof of their allegations. [Note: it is against U.S. law to import any product, of which any part was manufactured or assembled using penal or forced labor.]

Postal code of Fanjiatai Prison, Shayang City, Hubei Province: 448200.
Phone number of Fanjiatai Prison's "Re-Education" Department: 0724-8575505.

(Clearwisdom.net) In early April 2002, a series of brutal incidents took place in Chaoyanggou Labor Camp in Changchun, Jilin Province. Falun Gong practitioners detained there were tortured inhumanly. All determined Dafa practitioners were dragged out for torture; some were tortured for half an hour, some several hours, and even several days. When they returned, even those who were tortured relatively less severely had bruised noses and swollen faces, which made it hard to recognize who they were. Others came back covered in blood from the wounds on their bodies. Some could not walk, while others even fell unconscious. These incidents reminded me of some of the incidents that I witnessed myself two years earlier in this place.

That was right before the International Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva. The police officers from Division 6 of Chaoyanggou Labor Camp asked all Falun Gong practitioners to gather together. The police officers said to us, "there is a nationwide campaign against Falun Gong, requiring 95% of the practitioners to 'transform' [renounce one's belief in Falun Gong and state that Jiang's campaign against Falun Gong is correct]. That is, whether you agree or not, even if you lie, you will have to write statements of 'repentance, renouncing and denouncing'. We then have to turn these written statements in to higher officers; otherwise we will be fired. Whether you want to sign a statement or do not want to, you will be made to write these statements anyway. Any means can be applied to you including beating you to death. This is a dictatorship."

Several practitioners firmly refused to comply with the police demands to write the statements and as a result they suffered quite horrifying torture. Mr. Jiao Shoutong, for example, refused to write the "repentance letter." Wang Tao, the political instructor of the 1^st subdivision of Division 6, beat him and tortured him with electric batons, police batons, bamboo sticks, wire whips etc. As a result, Mr. Jiao's face was swollen and turned black and blue. His face was covered with blood, and it was hard to recognize him. On the second day, when these wounds were about to recover, he was dragged out and beaten again. So, all of his injuries became even more severe and his wounds were opened afresh. This type of torture was used by Wang Tao quite frequently and was experienced by another practitioner called Mr. Xing Yueshan. Every time his wounds were about to heal Wang Tao would beat him with bamboo sticks or wire whips, thus causing more and more damage to his already seriously injured flesh.

Mr. Ma Shengbo was detained in the 3^rd subdivision of Division 6. The director Li Zhongbo, together with political instructor Liu Yan, took off Mr. Ma clothes in the middle of the snowy freezing winter. They then opened the doors and windows, and poured freezing water onto Mr. Ma's body. (The water was just taken out from the well, and it was bone freezing cold to the touch) Soon afterwards, Mr. Ma felt so cold that his entire body started uncontrollably shivering. Then, his entire body started to cramp together like a ball, on the cold ground. Finally, he lost consciousness. The police guards said, "Write it! [the repentance statement]! Will you?!" Getting no response, they beat him with a bamboo stick. But they did not simply beat him with the flat side of the stick, which causes a big welt. Instead, they beat him with the edge of the rod to chop him. As a result, Mr. Ma's naked body was cut open with many wounds and blood running down his sides. The guards also ordered prisoners to spread salt into the wounds on his body, and poured a chili pepper and water mixture into his mouth. Whenever Mr. Ma lost consciousness, they beat him until he regained consciousness. Not only that, they dragged Mr. Ma up by the legs and dragged him back and forth on the ground. Even today, Mr. Ma still has bruises on his body.

Mr. Zhong Xi protested such inhuman torture, but he was met with even more brutal treatment. Right after Mr. Zhong's wounds were sewed up, he was taken back for further torture. The police guards handcuffed Mr. Zhong's hands and hung him off the ground. They poured cold water on his body, and shocked him with electric batons or police batons. The police guards took turns beating Mr. Zhong. Later, Wang Yanwei, the director of the Chaoyanggou Labor Camp, came and saw this. He said ruthlessly, "Beat him! Beat him until he writes the statements [of repentance, renouncing and denouncing]."

Mr. Chen Mingxian, who was about 60 years old, was a school principal. He was detained in the 2^nd subdivision of Division 6. Police guard Wang Tao beat him brutally. His back became severely swollen. His face and mouth were so swollen one could hardly recognize him. Mr. Chen even had difficulty eating.

Five police guards brutally beat Mr. Yu Chunbo with electric batons and police batons for one entire day. After he came back, his entire body was dark purple with bruises. Mr. Yu was unable to move around after the torture.

Mr. Hu Shiming was 54 years old. After stripping off his clothes, the police guards poured cold water over his body, then poured boiling water. As a result, his entire back was scalded and blistered. The police guards also used 30,000-volt electric batons to shock his genital organs. Even the inmates there said the police guards were so vicious!

The above are just a few of the crimes that the vicious police guards have committed. Moreover, for very long time, they did not allow practitioners to sleep, in addition to forced brainwashing, and high amounts of fines. The Dafa practitioners who had been illegally held there not only were physically tortured, but also mentally abused. Every day, they are suffering in great pain.

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Li Xianghong is about thirty-seven years old. She has a master's degree and she was a teacher in the Xinjiang Engineering Institute in Xinjiang Province.

She has practiced Falun Gong since 1997 and her Meniere's syndrome and other diseases have been completely cured. She follows the principles of Dafa and has become a kind person at work and at home. Her dedication to work and kindness is well respected and praised by her colleagues and students.

In July 20^th 1999, Jiang's regime launched the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners, but Li Xianghong did not give up her belief. In October 1999, she was forced into the Xinjiang Fourth People's Hospital (a mental hospital) even though she had no history of mental illness, and was held there for two months, where she was forced to receive injections of nerve-damaging drugs.

In August 2000, Li Xianghong was arrested because she distributed Dafa material's that clarified the truth of the persecution and she was detained at Xinjiang Liudaowan Detention Center for nine months. In April 2001, she was sentenced to three years in a forced labor camp. Li Xianghong appealed the illegal sentence; however, her appeal was rejected. She went on a hunger strike to protest. One week into the hunger strike, she was sent to the third prison hospital. During her stay in that hospital, prison guards forcefully handcuffed her hands to a bed and force-fed her inhumanely. They inserted a tube from her nose to her stomach and fed her some porridge. They inserted and pulled out the tube repeatedly every day, causing a large area of soft tissue in her nose and stomach to be damaged, and the tube was covered with blood when it was pulled out. In spite of this condition, the tube was often inserted into her trachea. Over forty days later, she suffered high fever due to a lung infection from the force-feeding, and she was extremely thin and weak. She could only make hoarse, rattling noises when she tried to speak. Upon seeing that she was near death, the guards were afraid to take responsibility. The court sentenced her to three years of custody outside of prison and let her parents take her home.

Upon going home, Li Xianghong kept practicing Falun Dafa and she quickly recovered. In order to let more people know the truth about Dafa and persecution, realize the lies and awaken their righteous thoughts, Li Xianhong printed and distributed truth clarification materials. In March 2003, she was once again arrested by police from the "610 Office" (an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems)

in Urumqi City, Xinjiang Province. She was detained at the Liudaowan Detention Center and sentenced to another eleven years in prison. She was sent to the Xinjiang Second Prison. At present she is in the process of appealing.

We call on all countries, organizations, and all kind-hearted people to care about this issue and request the release of Li Xianghong and all other innocent Falun Gong practitioners.

(Clearwisdom.net) At the end of June 2003, many banner with the words, "Falun Dafa is Good" were hung up in every district of Yongzhou City. The City Police Department sent out many officers to search the homes of Dafa practitioners. They rushed into Li Wenxiang's home without showing any legal documentation, and forcibly abducted him. He was taken to Lengshuitan Detention Center for illegal imprisonment, where he has been held for 10 months. Other Dafa practitioners abducted at that time include Liu Shixiu, Zhou Wenxuan, and Zhang Laixiu.

Mr. Li Wenxiang, 54 years old, works and lives at the Refractory Materials Plant. He began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998. Since practicing, his health has been good and his family life has been harmonious. He continued practicing Falun Dafa after the persecution began in July 1999.

During his illegal detention, Li Wenxiang has been suffering continuous severe abuse at the hands of the police. His health is very poor now. According to personnel in the detention center, Li Wenxiang is extremely sick, but the detention center is planning to send him to a forced labor camp. Mr. Li has been barred from his work unit and his salary has been terminated. Because Li Wenxiang has lost his source of income, his family is suffering severe financial hardship.

Currently, Li Wenxiang has been sentenced to a three-year forced labor term. He will soon be sent to a forced labor camp in Changde City, Hunan Province.

The names and length of sentences of the other three practitioners are as follows: Ms. Liu Shixiu has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment. She is currently held in the Changsha Female Prison. Mr. Zhou Wenxuan has been sentenced to a one-year forced labor term. He is held in Xinkaipu Forced Labor Camp in Changsha City. Ms. Zhang Laixiu has been sentenced to a one-year forced labor term. She is held in the Baimalong Forced Labor Camp in Zhuzhou City.

The people directly accountable for persecuting Li Wenxiang:

Deng Sanlong, Deputy Party Secretary of the City Committee in charge of

persecuting Falun Gong.

Feng Qiaoqiao, Deng Sanlong's wife, head of the Passport Section in the Yongzhou City Police Department.

Jiang Yuansheng, director of the local "610 Office" [the "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems].

Yang Xiaoping, Chief of Lengshuitan Police Department: 86-139-74616921 (mobile)

Huang Caisheng, Party Secretary of Lengshuitan Political and Judiciary

Committee: 86-133-27266368 (mobile), 86-746-6199010

Liu Aicai, Mayor of Yongzhou City

Xie Zhaoyue, Chairman of Yongzhou People's Congress

Tang Daijian, Party Secretary of the City Political and Judiciary Committee

Peng Zhenglin, policeman at Lengshuitan Detention Center

Chen Wusheng and Tang Guoqiang, policemen at the City Police Department

Li Xianyu and Xu Yi, from the "610 Office" at Yongzhou Police Department

Long Menghua, Zhou Chuping and Feng Defu, Political Security Section of Lengshuitan Police Department, Postal code: 425000

(Clearwisdom.net)

LONDON (Falun Gong Information Center-UK) -- We are reminded on World Press Freedom Day, May 3rd 2004, of the importance of freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

"Everyone has the right to the freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

China: The World's Leading Jailer of Journalists

From the 139 countries observed for press freedom in 2002, China ranked second to last. The Independent Committee to Protect Journalists named Jiang Zemin in the Top Ten Worst Enemies of the Press for five years in a row for exercising the Communist Party's obsessive control over information. This has been partly enforced via harsh prison sentences that have now made China the world's leading jailer of journalists.

Media and internet control as well as the suppression of freedom of belief and speech are all used to control 1.6 billion Chinese citizens. This can be most clearly seen by the multi-faceted attempts made to control the minds, bodies and spirits of 100 million Chinese people following the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Falun Gong has attracted media attention outside of China since July 1999 when the Communist Party leader at the time, Jiang Zemin, banned it for being too popular. In order to prevent people in the West finding out the real facts behind the ban, and to mislead people inside China into supporting his persecution campaign, the media were fed lies and defamatory stories about Falun Gong. This strategy has led to confusion and misunderstanding about Falun Gong. To further control reporting on subjects such as Falun Gong, the Chinese Government has also been buying up Chinese language media, in countries such as Canada.

Journalists Mistreated for Reporting on Falun Gong

Reporters sans Frontières [a French based organization which monitors the freedom of journalists] protested against the treatment of foreign reporters who attempted to cover the demonstration by 35 Western Falun Gong practitioners on Tiananmen Square in November 2001, against the Chinese authorities' brutal treatment of their fellow practitioners in China. Camera equipment, films, press cards and permits were confiscated. Foreign journalists have also been physically mistreated and intimidated for trying to report on Falun Gong protests in China.

Breaking Through the Stranglehold on Free Speech and Information Flow

In direct contrast to the Chinese government's widespread, obsessive attempts to control the media and spread lies and propaganda, the emergence of the Epoch Times newspaper, the New Tang Dynasty TV station and the Sound of Hope radio demonstrates the commitment shown by journalists to focus on truthful reporting.

Crucial Role of Media in Spreading Misinformation and Inciting Hatred

This truthful reporting is more important than ever in the face of the slanderous articles that keep appearing in the media about Falun Gong, such as those published in Les Presses Chinoises in November 2001. A lawsuit was issued against this Canadian based publication for defamation and incitement of hatred against Falun Gong practitioners.
The source of much misinformation about Falun Gong comes from Mainland China's Xinhua news agency, which is the mouthpiece of the Communist authorities. Most of the inaccurate reporting of Falun Gong by the Western media to date also comes from the Xinhua press releases, which are circulated on Chinese Embassy websites and sent to media agencies worldwide.

Many Western media use these press releases without realising that they are being used as part of a propaganda smear campaign. In reality, journalists who use this slanderous material are helping to propagate the sort of genocide seen in Rwanda, which was fuelled by the influence of 'hate media'.

Wake Up Call to All Media Worldwide

The deafening silence of the world's media in reporting the genocide against millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China signals to the Chinese authorities that their crimes will not be scrutinized. This allows them a free reign to continue torturing and murdering their own people. On World Press Freedom Day, we sincerely hope that the media can overcome the prejudices, lies and smokescreens perpetuated by the Chinese authorities and wake up to the full extent of the horror and suffering taking place right now.

(Clearwidom.net) At the end of October 2000, I went to Beijing to appeal. Later on, the Shanghai City Liaison Office in Beijing sent me directly back to the Kangjian Police Station located in the Xuhui District, Shanghai Province.

The police there started to question me. They did not allow me to sleep and I could not even close my eyes for a minute. They also found three members of the Joint Defense Team to watch me. Whenever I closed my eyes, they would wake me up. Every night, they asked me a lot of questions. For example, when did I learn about Falun Dafa and through whom? At that time, I felt such information did not mean anything and just told them. During the first two days, they repeatedly asked me if I would still practice Falun Dafa. I said yes. The authorities tried to manipulate me by playing against the affection I had for my family members. They said, "Look at the situation you're in. Your family members must feel so worried!" I still would not renounce my belief. They also said, "If you continue like this, you will lose your job and we will cancel your registered permanent residency in Shanghai."
Even those threats could not shake me. Before dawn on the third day, they threatened to strip off my cloths and make me stand barefoot in front of the gate of the police station while only wearing my underwear. I said to them, "You are persecuting me." They finally gave up when they saw I how steadfast I was toward my belief in Falun Dafa.

A policeman said they discovered a suitcase of truth-clarifying materials in the house rented in my name where a fellow practitioner and I lived together. He constantly asked me the source of the materials. I said I did not know that there was a bag of materials. He asked if I brought materials to Beijing and if I distributed materials in Beijing and Shanghai. I said no. After that, he asked me if the fellow practitioner I lived with before ever distributed materials. I said I did not know and I was not sure about what he did since I worked regular hours.

On the third afternoon, a young policeman rushed in and forced me to stand in one place for several hours. He asked me if I knew why I was being punished. I replied that I did not. He accused me of lying. I told him that I did not lie to him. After that, he said the fellow practitioner already told them that I knew about the materials. I felt bewildered. I thought, "Could it be that the fellow practitioner told them everything?" Then, the policemen also told me, "I'll give you one more chance. If you do not tell us the truth, you will have no more chances." He also continued to manipulate the situation by claiming, "The fellow practitioner told us everything and shifted all of the responsibility to you. If you still do not tell us the truth, you will have to bear all the responsibility." At that time, I lost my sense of reason and wondered how a fellow practitioner could treat me in such a way. Later, I told them I knew there was a bag of materials in my home but I did not know where it came from.

After that, personnel from the "610 Office" (1) came and asked me when the bag of materials was delivered to my home and who delivered it. I told them the delivery time but I said I did not know the person and had not seen him before. Then, they asked me to recall the person's name. I said I was not sure. Later on, the personnel from the "610 Office" brought the fellow practitioner's address book that they took from our home and demanded that I identify it. I said I did not know whose it was. They dug out a name and asked if he was the delivery person. I saw the name and felt they might know everything. I said that it probably was him but I was not sure.

When I calmed down I realized that I had swallowed the bait they had put in front of me. I had been deceived by a whole set of tricks and manipulation that the police had used. By this time, however, I had already made the mistake and there was nothing I could do to take it back.

Feeling depressed by my judgment error, I gradually lost my righteous thoughts. My human side took more and more control. In spirit, I felt I could not bear any more and I only wanted to sleep. The member of the Joint Defense Team also said hypocritically, "Just answer these questions clearly first and then you can go to the detention center early. At least, you can have a good sleep so as not to be agonized like this." I accepted such words. Later, the "610 Office" asked me to be cooperative and write a list of the practitioners in the Shanghai Transportation University. I followed their orders. I also wrote down the practitioners I once contacted, which caused a practitioner who was not exposed originally to be put under watch. Last year, after I came overseas, I found out from other fellow practitioners that the fellow practitioner I exposed was sentenced to one and a half years' at a forced labor camp in August 2001, just because he shared cultivation experiences with other practitioners.

The "610 Office" personnel also asked me in a leading way if that fellow practitioner pushed me to go to Beijing to appeal, trying to get me to agree to their agenda. I said no and that it was me, alone, who decided to go. However, they changed their manner of questioning and asked me if my appeal was done under his influence. I clearly knew that the purpose of such an interrogation was to shift all responsibility on to that fellow practitioner. Even so, I shamefully went along with it.

During the 30 days in the detention center, the police detained me with condemned criminals, drug addicts, swindlers, thieves, and robbers. Because my righteous thoughts almost did not stand out and my human side was going strong, I felt I really could not bear any more in my heart and just thought about getting out early. The guard had the lead prisoner pressure me and demand that I write the guarantee not to practice Falun Dafa. He said I would be sentenced to forced labor if I did not write the statement and I would be released if I did. At that time, I really did not want to stay there for another day. At that time, I thought, if I write a false one and play a word game, it won't matter, because after I get out I will still practice. Later, I wrote the guarantee that I absolutely should not have written.

On every Friday, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian from the "610 Office" of the Shanghai National Security Bureau Xuhui Branch came to interrogate me. They are the main people who persecute Dafa practitioners in the Xuhui District. They handled the case of that fellow practitioner and me. Later, the fellow practitioner was sentenced to two years of forced labor. Ten months later, in August 2001, the fellow practitioner mentioned that the practitioner I exposed was sentenced to one and a half years of forced labor.

Chen and Qiu constantly pressured me. During the second interrogation, they demanded that I work as a special agent for them and betray other practitioners after being released. I struggled agonizingly for a week. I agreed shamefully at the next interrogation. I still struggled to salvage a thread of my conscience. I said to them, I could only help them to find out the mental state of practitioners, in other words, if they still firmly believed in Falun Gong, but I absolutely would not do things like help to persuade and brainwash other practitioners, luring some practitioners out to distribute materials and then cause them to get arrested and sentenced because I knew that I absolutely could not serve as a special agent. Betraying practitioners is committing a sin. If practitioners were sentenced to imprisonment or forced labor because of my betrayal, I would bring even more karma on to myself. What I thought at that time was, "I will just consent perfunctorily first. After I'm released, I will decline if I can. I will not serve as a special agent if I am able. If I really cannot evade their demands, I will just make up some stories or select some unimportant information to tell them."

Since I could not bear the pressure and compromised with the evil, I was released. When Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian interrogated me for one last time, they extorted 20,000 yuan from me (2). At that time, I started to get a bit of my reason back and knew it was not a legitimate fee, but a trick to steal money from me. I just insisted that for the life of me I did not have any money. They said they might not release me if I did not pay the money and then they would have to send me to a forced labor camp. In the end I agreed to work as a special agent. Afterwards, I felt very sad.

After I was released, I was not allowed to live in my original home and after that, I became homeless for a while. During that period, a practitioner contacted me and gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun and Teacher's new articles. However, regrettably, I had no way to calm down and study the Fa at that time. I was in a very bad state of mind and did not want to read the book at all. In just this way, I missed a good chance to return to the path of cultivation and keep from walking closer and closer to the opposite side of Dafa.

During the first several months after I was released, the evil police tried to contact me many times. Since I had neither cell phone nor pager, they had no way to find me. Then, they put pressure on the non-practitioner friend of mine mentioned in the beginning of this article. They demanded that he tell me to contact them. My friend sent the words to me several times. I always pushed the police's demands aside. I told my friend, "If they come to you again in the future, just say that I have no relation to you and they can find me themselves."

Then one day at the end of February 2001, when the company I worked for was moving, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian found me. They were not wearing uniforms and said to me proudly, "Don't you know it's us? You want to hide from us, but you can't." Actually, I know that if I had not given a business card to a classmate who was pursuing his graduate degree when I went back to school and met him, they would have had no way to find me.

They demanded that I go into their office to see them the next afternoon. On the next day, Teacher gave me a hint again. When I arrived at the entrance to the National Security Bureau, I could not reach them by phone. I called their pager, but the person who called me back was someone else. I ran away and went to a place on the outskirts of the city. At that time, I understood it was Teacher's hint, preventing me from committing this crime against Falun Dafa. However, I did not let go of my attachment and went back by myself, so I missed another chance.

I brought the guarantee letter I wrote in advance and compromised with the evil again. Later, the police demanded that I work for them. I agreed. They decided to contact me by phone and demanded that I keep in touch with them.

Later, they came to the company where I worked to see me every several weeks. They wanted to control me and they continued trying to bully me and entice me into serving as a special agent for them. From the information they disclosed, I knew that the fellow practitioner who formerly lived with me was sentenced to two years' forced labor. Up to today, when I'm writing this article, three and a half years have gone by. However, I have still not heard from that fellow practitioner.

I told Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian I only had the phone number of the exposed fellow practitioner because of my betrayal when I was interrogated at the Kangjian Police Station at the end of 2000. I did not have any contact information for the other practitioners from the Shanghai Transportation University. Therefore, they demanded that I call other practitioners more often. They also demanded that I contact them after I called one and tell them the details of the conversation.

I evaded them many times. Finally, under pressure from Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian, I called the fellow practitioner at my company several times after March 2001. The content of the conversation was very plain. I tried my best to avoid the topic of Dafa. The fellow practitioner encouraged me with a compassionate heart and asked my situation, but I always changed the topic.

Every time, after I called the fellow practitioner, I always called Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian and told them some things I felt were unimportant at that time. Under the demands of Chen and Qiu, I asked the fellow practitioner to meet. Around one weekend in the middle of April 2001, the fellow practitioner and I met at the lawn of the university. He asked what my situation was like when I was detained. I told him I did not do well and wrote down the names of fellow practitioners. I wrote down how I contacted three practitioners after July 20, 1999, including how I contacted him. I also told him that the "610 Office" found the address book of the fellow practitioner who was arrested with me at the same time, which probably had many practitioners' names and phone numbers. The fellow practitioner asked me whether the address book was coded in numbers or in other ways. I said it was written directly by hand and had no protection measures. The fellow practitioner just sighed and said we were too careless for not encoding such an important address book. How big an effect it must have had when it fell into the evil's hands!

The fellow practitioner also said to me: "How can you not put down life and death when you come out to validate the Fa? You did not do well when you were arrested. It was just because you did not put down life and death at that time. Moreover, how can you betray other practitioners?"

I was reproached to the point where I was speechless. I just said to him, "You should pay attention to your own safety. The '610 Office' authorities in Xuhui District have noticed you. Do not call me if there is nothing important. When I call you, you should not tell me anything sensitive." I still had my attachment of fear. I was afraid that the "610 Office" personnel were able to monitor our talk, or later on, if the "610 Office" personnel found out from other practitioners that I told a fellow practitioner that they demanded that I be a special agent, they would persecute me. Therefore, at that time, I did not admit to being a special agent to my fellow practitioner.

After this meeting, I did not contact him much. Later, the police urged me to contact him. I randomly made up some information to tell them. For example, I said I called the fellow practitioner at some time in the last few days and we talked about some things relating to work. The police asked me if he contacted other practitioners. I said, "He did not. He just came back to Shanghai and did not have other practitioners' contact information."

In the middle of April 2001, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian also once demanded that I contact another female Dafa practitioner. I said, "I do not have her phone number and I am not familiar with her. If I directly ask her sensitive questions, she will not tell me and will suspect me." I then pushed this thing away. By May 2001, they gave me the female practitioner's phone number at work and demanded that I must contact her at once by phone. I dialed the number but no one answered. Later, I did not call her back.

Around March 2001, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian also demanded that I contact a female practitioner who lives in Kangjian New Village of Xuhui District, Shanghai City. They gave me her home number and demanded that I find out if she was firmly supportive of Falun Gong. After July 20, 1999, the female practitioner along with a group of several practitioners went to Beijing to appeal in August 1999. Later, she walked out of the Shanghai City Liaison Office in Beijing with righteous thoughts. She opened the window of the second floor of the liaison office and jumped out. There was an alleyway behind the building and it was not even so she broke both her legs when she hit the ground. Because of this, she was not sent to a forced labor camp and was released on bail for medical treatment. However, her home was put under watch for a long time. She was watched even when she went out. The "610 Office" personnel had no way to deal with her. She was very steadfast. Even if the "610 Office" personnel wanted to send her to a forced labor camp, the camp would not accept her because she was unable to walk from the injury to her legs.

I dialed the female practitioner's home phone number and she answered. We did not talk for long. She said it was not convenient for her to talk at that time and she would call me later. She then hung up the phone. I was relieved because we did not mention anything Dafa-related. About three weeks later, she used a public phone to call me. She told me her home phone was not safe and was monitored. She asked me not to call her home phone if there was nothing important. I also told her that the "610 Office" personnel still watched her and probably were plotting to send her to a forced labor camp or illegally sentence her. I asked her to take care of herself and not to call me. At that time, I did not have the courage to tell her that she was implicated by what I wrote in the Kangjian Police Station, even though she leaned on a crutch to walk a long way and mercifully sent me Teacher's new articles in 2000.

By the end of April 2001, the company I worked for planned to send me on a business trip to Japan. Even though I committed so many wrong doings and betrayed my fellow practitioners, Teacher still did not abandon me. My registered permanent residency was full of problems. My new company helped me to change my permanent residency from my hometown to Shanghai. The political examination of my passport did not pass through the public security departments, but I directly went to an alternative firm to get a stamp of approval. Finally, I obtained my passport without a hitch at the end of April. After I obtained the passport, the company helped me get a visa. After that, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian contacted me many times. I pushed them away, saying that I was really too busy in my work. They forced me to set a definite time. I said, "Currently, I definitely have no spare time. We can talk after June."

Later, I came to Japan for the business trip in June. I contacted the practitioners here. They gave me Dafa books and practice music tapes. Through three months of studying the Fa with a calm heart, I finally got rid of the interference and resolved not to work for the evil police after going back to China, no matter what happened.

In August 2001, I received an email that Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian sent from China. They phoned my company to find me. The people at my company told them I went to Japan for a business trip. In the email, they demanded that I collect information on Japanese Falun Gong practitioners. When I saw the email, I immediately deleted it. After I deleted it, my attachment of fear arose again. In my mind, the thought of how they would persecute me after I returned jumped out in my mind ceaselessly. At that time, I saw the articles on Clearwisdom.net that a fellow practitioner recommended to me, as well as Teacher's new articles. At the same time as studying the Fa, I also used the fellow practitioners who did very well in the articles on Clearwisdom.net to encourage me to firmly eliminate interference.

In September 2001, I went back to Shanghai. Around the end of September or the beginning of October, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian called my company to find me again. I flatly said to them, "I am not available. In the future, do not come to harass me. I will never do what you want any more. Go find someone else to do it for you." After saying those words, I hung up.

A month later, in November 2001, Chen Zhenyong and Qiu Jian called my company to find me again. When I heard their voice, I immediately said, "I am busy. Do not call me any more in the future. I do not have free time. I do not and would not do such things." They immediately said, "We just want to chat as friends. We will not talk about Falun Gong." I said, "If you regard me as a friend, can you ask a friend to do such shameful things? Moreover, if you really regard me as a friend, please do not come to bother me any more. Please respect my choice." After saying this, I hung up. Since then, the people of the "610 Office" never came to see me again, either by phone or other means.

Although I posted a solemn declaration on Clearwisdom.net immediately after I came to Japan again in 2003, my experience between October 2000 and June 2001 has already become a stain deep in my heart. It has also formed a very strong attachment.

Regarding my past experience as a special agent. I know myself that it is a shameful stain. I felt overwhelming shame for what I had done. The dark minions also took advantage of this attachment and enhanced it, which made me feel very anguished in my heart whenever I recalled what I did during that period. They did not let me think. When I broke the hard shell, and really searched inward to find the source of that pain, I found that the pain was not part of me and, actually, it was nothing. It was the dark minions that bothered me. It was a me formed by karma and bad thoughts that felt anguished. When I let go of this attachment, I really felt very calm and did not have any feeling of anguish at all.

The other day, I saw Clearwisdom.net posted Teacher's Fa taught at the 2004 New York Fa Conference. In the lecture, Teacher told us, "Today is Easter, the day of a god's resurrection!" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 New York Fa Conference at Easter"). I feel my genuine godly side is also resurrected today. Without Teacher's merciful help, there is no way I could have made it through to today.

1. "610 Office" an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems
2. 500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China

(Clearwisdom.net) A few days ago I went to the countryside to distribute information that clarifies the truth about Falun Gong. I met an older person who told me a cultivation story. I felt quite touched, so I wrote it down. Hopefully this might be helpful to those practitioners who have not stepped forward during Fa-rectification.

Today, Fa-rectification is rapidly and strongly advancing. It is sweeping out all the evil old forces, dark minions and rotten demons. The speed is like a thousand miles a day. The time that Master gave us to do the Three Things well - study the Fa, clarify the truth and send righteous thoughts - is getting less everyday. The time that has elapsed will not come back. But have our hearts that carry attachments been washed and corrected day by day? Have we upgraded ourselves again and again, every day? Have we done what Master told us to do for the sake of goodness during Fa-rectification?

There are some practitioners in my area who have not yet stepped forward. They don't understand the Fa on the basis of Fa. They don't use the Fa to look for the reason that they cannot work hard in cultivation. On the contrary, they restrain themselves with ordinary people's thoughts, such as "not seeking for success and just making sure to make no mistakes." They don't even actively do what they can do individually for Fa-rectification. They just don't want to get into trouble, go to a labor camp, or write the "three repentance statements." They are not thinking about their being a Fa -rectification period Dafa disciple and are not thinking of their responsibilities. Can they be qualified Dafa disciples? Can our great Master take them home?

Assist Master in Fa-rectification, offer people salvation, eliminate all evils and complete our cultivation! Practitioners, let's do what we can! There is no formality to constrain us in assisting Master in Fa-rectification. It doesn't matter how big or small a thing is. It doesn't matter how old you are. Just do what you can, and there is no obstacle that you cannot overcome! When you have truly taken your first step, you will feel very natural. When you have given up all attachments, you will feel quite at ease.

As Dafa disciples, Dafa disciples in Fa-rectification, and also as cultivators that surpass everyday people, we can never pay back the infinite magnificence that Master has given us. Today, when Master and Dafa are being defamed, how can we not genuinely step forward out of our own initiative? For the sake of our prehistoric, great covenant, let's give up all attachments, strengthen our righteous thoughts and assist Master in Fa-rectificatio.

(Clearwisdom.net) Master talked several times in recent Fa lectures about, "kindness and malice can be in a person's one single thought," "good and bad outcomes come from one thought," and the meaning of these expressions at higher levels. From my personal cultivation experiences, I deeply appreciate the importance of paying attention to "malice" or "unrighteousness" in every single thought, and eliminating them immediately.

When I was in a labor camp, I diligently watched my every thought, since in that malicious environment any omission could provide the evil with excuses to damage Dafa. Thus I recited the Fa every day and profoundly understood the seriousness of cultivation. Once I left the labor camp and returned to ordinary society, I could feel how some minor, degenerate thoughts disturbed Dafa practitioners from time to time, and how the practitioners were interrupted by the degenerate entities when they experienced a lack of righteous thoughts. After a while I could feel that I did not immediately and righteously eliminate these negative aspects in my own thoughts, but just passively endured them, though I knew it was not right.

I will give two examples here. My attachments to "self criticizing" and "regretting" were previously very strong. Later I read Master's teaching, "It's not a big deal if you haven't done well. Just do things well next time..." (Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference). It firmed my righteous thoughts, but the thought of "it is all right to make a little mistake" also entered my mind. When I saw Master being so tolerant of practitioners when explaining the Fa to overseas practitioners, it helped me to let go of the attachment of lacking confidence in my cultivation, yet the thoughts of "others are also like this..." and, "I don't have to be very diligent" emerged. Very often I felt positive and negative aspects existing in the very same thought. I realized that we have to pay close attention to the negative, unrighteous, and degenerate aspects in our thoughts and diligently eliminate them immediately. If we don't pay attention to those little omissions, after a while they could accumulate into a big issue and provide the old forces with excuses to persecute and interfere with Dafa practitioners.

Let us all cultivate more diligently in Master's infinite grace, completely eliminate any evil or decayed, degenerate habits to make sure that in our own dimensions the "heavens are clear and the celestial bodies transparent," in order to be truly worthy of esteemed Master's merciful and arduous salvation.

The above is my personal understanding in cultivation. If you see any inappropriate comments, please point them out to me. Thanks.

(Clearwisdom.net) Once, I heard a nice, humorous story: A small bear was on his way home. Soon, he came to a bridge, which was worn-out and ramshackle. The small bear thought that to use the bridge safely, he would have to repair it with a hammer and nails. When he had gathered these tools, he still needed some lumber and to get that, he needed an ax to chop down a tree. Unfortunately, only the black ox, who lived 20 li [Chinese mile] away had an ax. The small bear had to wait a whole day in order to get a lift from someone and felt that he better prepare a small gift as a reward for the lift.

So the small bear began to consider a suitable small gift. He had heard that the peaches of a certain valley in the west were very good and decided to go pick some peaches there. However, he did not have a basket to hold the peach. Therefore, he went to a thicket of willow trees to collect pliable twigs for the basket. However, only the deer of the thicket were able to make good baskets and the deer had gone out on other business while the bear had to wait another 2 days for them to return. Half a year went by in this fashion, before the small bear finally reached the doorway of the black ox, and confusedly asked, "Why am I standing here? Why did I come here? Why did I have this basket made? " The small bear had forgotten his original goal.

"I want to explain the facts about Falun Gong using the internet. To get started, I will need a special auxiliary device. I will go on e-bay to search for it. Oh my, there are a lot of folks participating in the auction. Now they are asking $20.5, 2 minutes later it is already $21.75. I should really wait for a better offer. Two hours later, I finally got what I needed cheaply. Looking at my watch, I realize that I had not yet studied the Fa today and missed the times reserved for sending forth righteous thoughts".

We may take every step correctly, but if we forget our original purpose, we will miss our final goal.

What is our goal? It is to cultivate, to validate the Fa, and to generally do the three things Master has asked us to do. Individual styles and environments used to explain the truth may be different, but our basic point is same. While we are making a basket from tree branches or looking for an ax, we should not forget the reason for our actions, which is to validate the Fa.

(Clearwisdom.net)

1. [Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Zhan Yulan Arrested
2. [Weifang, Shandong Province] National Security Officer Arrests Xiao Yixia
3. [Zhengzhou City, Henan Province] Zhengzhou Engineering College Illegally Expels Dafa Practitioners
4. [Shenzhen, Guangdong Province] Nanshan Public Security Sub-bureau Police Arrest Jin Huashan
5. [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Yu Wenqing Persecuted at Yangyuan Brainwashing Center
6. [Benxi City, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Wang Junzhe Arrested
7. [Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province] Jiamusi Forced Labor Camp Enslaves and Maltreats Dafa Practitioners
8. [Pingshan County, Hebei Province] Ma Suping Is Sent to Forced Labor Camp
9. [Pi County, Sichuan Province] Dafa Practitioners Zhao Congfu and Zhou Shuanghong Suffer Relentless Persecution
10. [Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province] Yu Jinqing and Li Ruqin on Hunger Strike in a Detention Center
11. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Ren Fusheng Seized by Dalian City Forced Labor Camp Police

1. [Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Zhan Yulan Arrested

At 10 a.m. on April 22, 2004, Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau police officers searched Ms. Zhan Yulan's home at Gucheng Village, Nanbajia Township, Qingyuan County. The police confiscated two copy machines and other goods while Zhan Yulan was not at home. They arrested Zhan Yulan at another practitioner's home at 11 a.m.

2. [Weifang, Shandong Province] The National Security Officer Arrests Xiao Yixia

On the night of April 24, 2004, a Weifang national security officer arrested Dafa practitioner Ms. Xiao Yixia.

3. [Zhengzhou City, Henan Province] Zhengzhou Engineering College Illegally Expels Dafa Practitioners

In 2001, Zhengzhou Engineering College expelled two students for practicing Falun Gong. One is Guo Yan, a fourth-year student, the other, Zhai Rongxuan, is a second-year student.

4. [Shenzhen, Guangdong Province] Nanshan Public Security Sub-bureau Police Arrest Jin Huashan

Dafa practitioner Jin Huashan, 26, a Wuhan University literature bachelor, and Kangjia Company employee, was arrested by Nanshan Public Security Sub-bureau in December 2003. The police had no evidence for the arrest, and refused to notify the Kangjia Company about her situation. Jin Huashan conducted a hunger strike at the detention center. It is understood that she was sent back to her hometown of Wushui in Liaoning Province (where she was probably detained at a brainwashing center). The details are not known.

5. [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Yu Wenqing Persecuted at Yangyuan Brainwashing Center

Ms. Yu Wenqing, about 60 years old, is a retired employee from Wuhan University and has been unlawfully arrested several times for practicing Falun Gong. Nanshan Public Security Sub-bureau in Shenzhen again arrested her in November 2003. She resisted the persecution with righteous thoughts during her two-and-a half-month detention. Later, she was brought back by Wuhan University and sent to Yangyuan Brainwashing Center. Yu Wenqing suffered from constant harassment, from the heat from the sun, and from sleep deprivation. The police put unknown substances in her food, giving her a bad headache, chest and abdominal pain, whole body edema, and muddle-headedness. Even after more than ten days had passed, she still had memory loss and edema.

Wuhan University "610 Office" (1) and the public security bureau are directly responsible for the persecution of Yu Wenqing.

6. [Benxi City, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Wang Junzhe Arrested

Benxi City Dafa practitioner Mr. Wang Junzhe is over 50 years old. On April 7, 2004, officers from Cuidong Local Police Station and Heroism community personnel took him away and searched his home, simply because a few days prior he had introduced Falun Gong and clarified the truth to the community.

Responsible Unit and People:

Liaoning Province Benxi City Cuidong Local Police Station manager and police officer :

Zhang Wenhao (male)

Benxi City Cuidong neighborhood administration office Heroism community chief:

Li Shufen (female), 86-414-2181276(Office)

7. [Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province] Jiamusi Forced Labor Camp Enslaves and Maltreats Dafa Practitioners

Jiamusi Forced Labor Camp personnel fed the detainees with chicken feed. Though not for long, the labor camp started to cook with black flour and mildewed green flour. Many people were poisoned and had diarrhea. Dafa practitioner Bi Jiaxin was poisoned, had diarrhea, and was malnourished. She was sent home when she became critically ill and she later died.

Since March 10, the forced labor camp has been feeding detainees steamed bread made with black flour and salt water, causing many to have diarrhea, and stomachaches, some could not eat, but their work quotas were not reduced. In order to save money, the labor camp reduces spending on the prisoners' meals. They are cruelly tormenting Dafa practitioners.

Police officer Li Xiujin was on duty on March 23, and she increased everyone's quota. People worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Li shouted, "This is the order from brigade chief He Qiang. There is no way you can rest without finishing the work! You are here, not at home."

Dafa practitioner Huang Jie can only walk with great effort and his vision is often blurry. Li said, "You can't rest, you must work!"

8. [Pingshan County, Hebei Province] Ma Suping Is Sent to Forced Labor Camp

Hebei Province Pingshan County Dafa practitioner Ma Suping has been persecuted by Qiji Township government and local police many times for persisting in his belief of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Ma Suping was taken to Pingshan County and Hebei Province Brainwashing Center in 2002. On December 8, 2003, Qiji Township government personnel forced him to leave home to avoid further persecution. He was arrested in Baoding on March 7, 2004 and detained at Pingshan County Detention Center. Recently, Pingshan County "610 Office" sentenced him to 3 years of forced labor. He is now being detained at the 5^th Brigade of Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp.

People Directly responsible:

Pingshan County "610 Office" chief Wang Genting: 86-311-2914828(Office)

86-311-2943106(Home)

Pingshan County Public Security Bureau political protection unit leader Feng Qingfang:

86-311-2913739(Office), 86-311-2911170(Home)

9. [Pi County, Sichuan Province] Dafa Practitioners Zhao Congfu and Zhou Shuanghong Suffer Relentless Persecution

Sichuan Province Pi County Huayuan Town Dafa practitioner Zhao Congfu (also known as Luo Bin) was arrested in November 2001. He has been detained at Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Mianyang, Sichuan Province for two years, and his sentence was then extended to December 2003. Later, because he still refused to give up his belief, he was sent to Pi County Brainwashing Center for further persecution. The police also arrested his wife Zhou Shuanghong in November 2001. She has been detained at the Pi County Brainwashing Center ever since. Neither had given in to the evil as of this Chinese New Year. They have been illegally detained for nearly two and a half years and their current situation is unknown.

10. [Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province] Yu Jinqing and Li Ruqin on Hunger Strike in a Detention Center

At the beginning of April 2004, Zhaoqing police arrested Guangdong Province Zhaoqing Dafa practitioners Yu Jinqing and Li Ruqin. They are now conducting a hunger strike to protest the persecution at Zhaoqing Detention Center.

11. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Ren Fusheng Seized by Dalian City Forced Labor Camp Police

On April 22, 2004, Dalian City Forced Labor Camp police arrested Dafa practitioner Ren Fusheng at his home in Sidaohe Village, Sanshilibao Town, Jinzhou District, Dalian City.

Prior to this, Ren Fusheng had been bailed out of the Dalian City Forced Labor Camp for medical treatment. The labor camp police tried to raid his home many times, but could not prevail due to resistance from the villagers.

(1) "610 Office": an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

(Clearwisdom.net) A "solemn declaration" is a person's public statement declaring to the world that whatever he or she has done or said under duress or deception that was against Falun Dafa is null and void. Most of these statements have come from Falun Dafa practitioners in China who wished to express regret that, in the face of physical torture and brainwashing, they had signed documents renouncing Dafa and guaranteeing not to practice again. Also, as more and more people in China learn the truth about how they have been deceived and lied to by the Jiang regime, many non-practitioners are also submitting "solemn declarations."

Here are some examples of the Solemn Declarations:

• Dafa Practitioners' Solemn Statements [4/29/2004]
• Solemn Declarations by Non-Practitioners[4/17/2004]
• Solemn Declarations by Young Dafa Practitioners [4/29/2004]

Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.

(Clearwisdom.net)

Facts of persecution

Dafa practitioner Ms. Li Fengmei was a 40-year-old teacher from Xiongyue High School in Yingkou City, Liaoning Province who was considered to be outstanding. Because she went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Dafa, officers from the Xiongyue Police Department constantly harassed her, forcing her to leave home in August 2002. On August 21, 2003 she was abducted and sent to the Bayuquan Detention Center and held for nine months, during which time she was severely tortured. The delicate bones in her ear were injured, her eardrum was perforated, and she often had headaches, dizzy spells and pain throughout her body. Ms. Li also suffered severe hemorrhaging for more than three months. It was learned that in early March 2004, Li Fengmei was secretly sentenced to four years in prison.

The perpetrators at Dabei Prison in Shenyang City detain Dafa practitioners in solitary confinement cells where they shock the practitioners with electric batons, handcuff them, and then hang them up by thick ropes, among other tortures. Twice a day, the inmates also force-feed those practitioners who are holding a hunger strike. In October 2001, inmates cruelly beat Dafa practitioner Wang Zhicheng until he passed out, and his kidney, spleen, heart and head were injured. Dafa practitioner Liu Mingjie was tortured until he suffered a mental breakdown.

In late December 2000, Dafa practitioner Chen Qingshan from Maozhangzi Village, Goumenzi Town, Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province was taken by police and held at the No. 2 Detention Center, in Lingyuan City, for over 80 days. The police station extorted 500 Yuan from Chen Qingshan's family, in addition to more than 600 Yuan they demanded as payment for food during his detention. In December 2001, Chen Qingshan was again sent to the No. 2 Detention Center in Lingyuan City and was forced to undergo brainwashing for 15 days. On June 24, 2002, Chen Qingshan was sent to another detention center and held for 15 days. On the seventh day of his detention, Chen Qingshan had difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with allergic asthma. The detention center authority was afraid of being held responsible if he should die and told the police station to take him.

Dafa practitioners Yang Yongli and his wife Yang Fengqin lived in Maozhangzi Village, Goumenzi Town, Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province. Because they practiced Falun Dafa, Yang Yongli was detained once and sentenced to three years of forced labor, and Yang Fengqin was sentenced to two years of forced labor.

Dafa practitioners Li Peicai and his wife Liu Xiushan from Changle County, Shandong Province, went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa in 1999 and were sent back to Masong Town. The authorities extorted 4,400 Yuan from them, their home was ransacked twice and Li Peicai was summarily dismissed from his job.

Ms. Si Bi is a Dafa practitioner of Menggu ethnicity and lived in the Yuanbaoshan District, Chifeng City. She wrote to the government to clarify the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong and as a result, she was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison. On October 15, 2002, she was sent to the No. 1 Female Prison in Huhehaote City. The guards detained her in a solitary confinement cell where several inmates watched, verbally abused and beat her. Later, she was again beaten and tortured daily and was forbidden to sleep. She was on the brink of death after eighteen days of torture, when the perpetrators finally decided to let her get some sleep. Several days later they started another round of torture against her.

Dafa practitioner Mr. Liu Wenzhong is a private business owner from the Songshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Perpetrators from the Songshan District Police Station and from the National Security Bureau frequently persecuted and extorted money from him. On October 28, 2001, police broke into Liu Wenzhong's home and abducted him, his wife and several employees, all of whom are Dafa practitioners. Liu Wenzhong was sentenced to three years of forced labor and is being held at the Wuyuan Labor Camp in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Two other Dafa practitioners, Ms. Zhou Zhihui and Chen Huimin were sentenced to three and two years of forced labor respectively and are being held at the Huhehaote City Female Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia AR. Because of Liu Wenzhong's arrest, his shop was forced to close and his more than 20 employees lost their jobs.

Perpetrators and their crimes

In December 2003, Yan Jun, the deputy head of Jianchangying Town's Police Station in the Yuanbaoshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region led roughnecks, including Ju Fengjin and abducted Dafa practitioner and villager Li Shuhua from Group Four in Jianchangying Village. The perpetrators took Li Shuhua, who is in her late 50s, to the Electricity Plant Police Division and savagely tortured her. Yan Jun slapped Li Shuhua's face three times, threw her from one room to another and beat her until her mouth was bleeding.

Friday May 7, 12:50 PM

AFP Photo

Almost half a billion people were affected by natural disasters in China last year, with more than 2,000 dying and some seven million displaced, statistics showed.

According to figures jointly published by the National Statistical Bureau and the National Meteorological Bureau, a massive 490 million people, or a third of the population, were hit by calamities like floods and earthquakes.

It was not clear to what extent they were impacted although 2,259 died, while 7.07 million people were forced to move from their homes to safer places, Xinhua news agency reported.

In addition, 4.43 million houses were damaged with financial losses running at 188.42 billion yuan (22.7 billion dollars).

Some 8.55 million hectares of crops were wiped out while 87 million hectares of farmland or cultivated land was damaged.

Earlier reports suggested much of the misery was brought on by torrential rains and flooding during the summer months, leading to landslides and serious soil erosion.

Earthquakes, especially in northwestern Xinjiang region, were also serious last year.

A drop of between five and eight times normal rainfall coupled with abnormally high temperatures in northern, northeastern and southwestern China also exacerbated drought in these areas.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040507/1/3k2fv.html