Shooting in South Africa--Jiang's State Terrorism Exposed
Facts of the Persecution
Practitioners Exchange Experiences and Insights
News and Events from Around the World
Media Coverage
(Clearwisdom.net) An evaluation of the shooting incident on the night of June 28 in South Africa shows that there were five Falun Gong practitioners in the vehicle, yet only the driver, David Liang, was wounded in both legs and the car was damaged. There are some people who apparently do not take exception to an incident like this. They do not consider such a critical case of being shot by hired killers on a highway as being monstrous. In fact, if the details were to be carefully considered, one would see after calm and sober deliberation, the sinister and shocking nature of this crime.
Intent of the Premeditated Murder in South Africa - To Destroy the Car, Kill the Passengers, Conceal the Evidence and Escape Responsibility For the Crime
The intent lays in the plan to destroy the car, kill the passengers and destroy all evidence at the same time, thus escaping responsibility for the crime.
From the noticeable bullet holes on the car, left by the hired gunman, one can see that they are all at the level of the car tires. David Liang's injuries and the severe damage to the car all fit into a specific theory. It is obvious that the motive of the assassin was not to shoot at the people in the car, but to shoot at the base of the car, especially at the tires or the fuel tank. If he intended to shoot the people in the car, the assassin would have aimed higher. The wounds on David Liang's feet showed that the shots were fired at the lower part of the car. The extremely powerful AK47 bullets penetrated the body of the car.
At that moment, the car was traveling at 100 to 110 kilometers per hour (approximately 65 miles per hour), on a highway where 120 kilometers per hour speed was legal. The hired gun shot at the lower part of the car to make the tires blow out, causing the car to go into a spin and possibly overturn. Under such conditions it was highly likely that the fuel tank would ignite and explode. This would incinerate the car, including everyone in it, thus leaving no evidence of the car having been shot at.
The South African police in a very carefully worded statement insinuated that the incident was "attempted murder;" thus, the investigation was initiated with a reasonable explanation.
Even though the hired killers did not succeed in their deeply disturbing plan, the logical conclusion after careful analysis of the facts indicates a well-laid out, calculated plan, carried out with vicious and sinister intentions by those who would benefit most.
It is worth emphasizing that such forms of indirect murder of Falun Gong practitioners are typically and frequently used in China. Just to name a few: force feeding, strait jacket torture, and injections of nerve damaging drugs and other drugs that damage the body are also forms of indirect murder.
Devastating Nature of Forced Feeding -- Hundreds of Lives Lost
Inhuman force-feeding is one of the methods used to devastate Falun Gong practitioners. Given the frequency of the incidents, it has become known that force feedings are carried out in various forced labor camps and hospitals throughout China. Numerous cases during the persecution provide clear evidence that the forced feeding of Falun Gong practitioners on hunger strike in protest of the persecution is not done to nourish but to torture.
Those involved in the forced feeding are usually neither doctors nor nurses, but police, forced labor camps employees, or even criminal inmates. They tie up the Falun Gong practitioners, use metal tools to forcibly pry open their mouths, and in the process cut their lips, break their teeth and injure their throats. Thereafter, filthy, rough vulcanized rubber or plastic tubing without lubrication is inserted through the mouth or nasal cavity, so the force-feeding of the practitioners can proceed. In the process of inserting the tubes, they deliberately insert and withdraw the tubes several times to induce pain and suffering. Sometimes, after inserting the tubing, they move the tube in and out to damage the mouth, nasal cavity and the throat until they bleed. The nose, mouth and esophagus of the practitioners often bleed, and they suffer intense pain, feel nauseated, vomit and cough violently.
The so-called "food" is actually a concentrated salt solution, uncooked corn meal mixed with water, hot pepper solution, and even strong alcohol and medical stimulants. Some practitioners that were force-fed had hot chili powder sprinkled into their eyes and mouths, which caused unbearable pain. Some of the food was forced into the wind-pipe, which damaged the lungs. Some practitioners died from suffocation as a result of the food being forced into the lungs. A large number of Falun Gong practitioners have died on the spot. All the Falun Gong practitioners that were force-fed suffered bleeding from the mouth and nose, extensive swelling of the abdomen, and intense and unbearable pain in the stomach. Some even vomited large amounts of blood.
This obvious intent of this devastating force-feeding is to apply continuous torture until the practitioners can no longer endure the pain and abandon their resolve. Thus, the wicked people would have achieved their "transformation rate" quota, as required by the higher-level officials.
According to statistics, of the practitioners who have been tortured to death, 10% have died from forced-feeding.
"Strait jacket Torture" - Deaths Without Spilling Blood
The straitjacket torture - The jacket itself is made of fine canvas. It is put on the victim from the front and tightened from behind the back. The sleeves are about 10 inches (25 cm) longer than the victim's arms, and they have straps. They force practitioners to wear this jacket, and then cross and tie their arms behind their backs. Then they pull their arms up over their shoulders toward the front of their chests, tie up the practitioners' legs and hang them up in the air from windows. At the same time, they gag practitioners' mouths with cloth, put earphones in their ears and continuously play messages that slander Falun Dafa. According to an eyewitness account, both arms of the victims are immediately injured. The tendons and bones of the shoulders, elbows, and wrists are torn and fractured. When the torture is prolonged, the spinal cord is fractured and the result is an extremely painful death.
The Clearwisdom.net reported that certain people in the know at a Province administration of justice department revealed that the "strait jacket" torture was adopted by the "610 Office" (1) of the Central Government of Communist China and the various subordinate offices under its control.
In April, 2003, the "610 Office" of the Central Government of Communist China and its administration of justice department convened a meeting in Hebei Province. They ordered the forced labor camps to launch the so-called "Spring Thunder Operation." This was a "Concerted Effort in the Transformation" of Falun Gong practitioners. At the meeting, the "610 Office" of the Central Government of Communist China and its administration of justice department ordered the "advanced experience of transformation" at certain forced labor camps in Hebei and Shanxi Provinces. It meant that they were to use the "strait jacket" torture! The forced labor camps at various provinces were told to strictly carry out the order.
Soon after, on June 4, news was received that three Falun Gong practitioners had suddenly died at the Shibalihe Female Forced Labor Camp, Henan Province. After verification, it was found that the tragedy was caused by the forced labor camp using the "strait jacket" torture. On June 15, there was further news that since April 22, more Falun Gong practitioners were murdered by the same process, and that amongst the victims were elderly people of more than sixty years of age.
According to informed persons, every level of the "610 Office" received strict orders that the position of the police officers, their promotion or demotion, wages, bonuses and continued connection with the Office depended on carrying out these orders. Under the orders of the central "610 Office" , every local "610 Office" must coerce and instigate the forced labor camp personnel and the police officers to perform the savage tortures. After the occurrence of deaths, the central "610 Office" even explicitly announced: there must not be any investigations of the labor camps or the perpetrators of the related incidents.
Alarming Use of Various Dangerous Medications -- Several Thousand Persons Persecuted, Dozens Killed, Nearly a Hundred Such Cases in Hospitals
On March 3, 2003, Clearwisdom.net published a letter from a retired worker from the Dalian Port Office, Liaoning Province that described in detail the experience of having been injected with dangerous and damaging drugs at the Lushun 215 Unit of the Mental Hospital. This caused deep concern among the people. Discussed below is the detailed record of the Mental Hospital
conducting the secretive, disturbing and poisonous persecution against Falun Gong practitioners.
"I was detained in the mental hospital for over four months, during which I always felt dizzy and drowsy from the daily injections of the medicine. I also felt nauseous and weak, and my body retained water and became bloated. My whole body had become totally disfigured. What was even more painful was that I was required every morning to go with the mental patients to a "club" for the so-called "mental treatments," which included singing and dancing. The two of us could only sit in the last row and recite the Fa.
"Four months later, the Ward Chief contacted my work unit and they sent someone to pick me up. When I left the hospital, the Chief walked me to the front entrance with guilt written all over his face. Not long after leaving the hospital, my eyes began to fester, and even opening them became difficult. The insides and outsides of my ears also started to fester and ooze yellow fluid, as did my scalp and neck. It caused itchiness and heart-wrenching pain.
I finally began to understand the significance of the Ward Chief's expression, as well as the guilty look that was written all over his face . He was well aware of the side effects of the medication I was injected with. He clearly knew what the medication would do to me.
"After that, I read on the Net about the many Falun Gong practitioners that were persecuted at the Mental Hospital. One Falun Gong practitioner asked the doctor why, although he had no hatred or enmity toward the doctor, why the doctor treated him like that. The doctor replied that he had no alternative, as the orders came from above. The doctor could not sacrifice his employment because of him. The doctor asked him not to run away as it would not be any use, because he would either waste away or die. Even the hospital could do nothing about it.
The festering began in the summer of 2002. To date, the insides and outsides of my ears and scalp still ooze yellow fluid. The worst festering that I endured occurred during the two years between 2000 and 2002. Were it not for being a Falun Gong practitioner, I would have become completely consumed and possibly would have died. Old acquaintances that saw me couldn't bear to see me looking like that, and after learning what had happened, they all cried, and commented that the Party is so harmful, damaging all that is good and decent!"
According to incomplete statistics, the indiscriminate misuse of psychotropic drugs to persecute Falun Gong practitioners is prevalent throughout China. Several thousand mentally sound Falun Gong practitioners have been forcibly sent to mental hospitals and drug addict's rehabilitation centers. Many were forcibly injected or force-fed with various types of nerve damaging drugs. They were also subjected to electric shocks, being tied up with ropes for prolonged periods, and force-fed. Amongst them are many who had been imprisoned for lengthy periods, with most serving more than two years. Because of such atrocious treatment, a number of them are suffering from loss of sight, and some have become hard of hearing. Some are completely or partially paralyzed, some of them are suffering from amnesia, some have become mentally disturbed, becoming slow in their reaction, some have emotional instability, some have disappeared, some suffered serious internal injuries, and dozens have died. There are at least a hundred provincial, municipal, county and regional mental hospitals involved in the persecution.
From the Zeng Qinghong hired killers case in South Africa to the Jiang group's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners who live by the principles, "Zhen, Shan and Ren" (Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance), one can see their fundamental evil nature. They use a lot of devious and indirect methods to kill practitioners without spilling any blood. More and more people have clearly seen that the Jiang group's regarding "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" as the enemy reveals their fundamental nature: sinister, violent and without scruples. To condemn and eradicate this malignant tumor in human society is not only a necessity for the future of the world, it is also the combined responsibility of every one of us.
Notes:
(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) According to an AFP report on June the 29th, five Falun Gong practitioners from Australia were shot at by an unidentified gunman on June 28th in Johannesburg, South Africa, after they arrived there to protest against the persecution of Falun Gong during the visit of two top Chinese officials: Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai.
The shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner in Johannesburg is another example of the persecution of the movement by certain elements of the Chinese government, says the group.
Selby Bokaba, the police spokesman, told AFP, "On 28th June, five passengers from Australia arrived at Johannesburg International Airport and prepared to protest against the violation of human rights in China during the visit of the Chinese vice-president."
"The shooting took place when the party got lost on their way from the Johannesburg International Airport to Pretoria. A car overtook them and some unidentified man in the car fired at them and fled. One passenger suffered gunshot wounds to both feet and will undergo surgery", he said.
The police have also said the motive behind the shooting was still unknown.
According to the [Falun Gong] website, the group planned to launch an international court action against the two visiting Chinese officials.
"They intended to hold a press conference to expose the crimes of the two officials and to have legal papers served on them," says the same source.
The group has labeled the shooting an assassination attempt and says it is part of a global plot by certain Chinese officials to persecute Falun Gong.
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20660.html
The Epoch Times
Translated from the Chinese edition
Jul 08, 2004
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Seven Australian Falun Gong practitioners with their families met with Ambassador Harold Hoyana and Secretary Rasheeda Adam regarding the shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner in South Africa.
A full investigation is under way by police officials, according to the South Africa Embassy.
The spiritual movement Falun Gong was banned five years ago in China and is severely repressed there. However, while practitioners' human rights are violated in China, and they have complained about harassment by Chinese officials overseas, this is the first time they have been shot at, according to Li Ying, a family member of one of the victims.
Li said that before her husband Li Lianzhong left for South Africa, he received a threatening phone call from someone who clearly did not want him to go to South Africa. "It is quite clear that the shooting was no accident, but a planned maneuver. The gunmen did not attempt to take any money or property, and the incident spoiled the practitioners' intent to serve Zeng Qinghong with legal papers for his participation in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China."
"South Africa has also seen days of civil injustice, as well as a peaceful movement towards something better," said Adams, "I understand why some Falun Gong practitioners are making many sacrifices, and in some cases the ultimate sacrifice to obtain their freedom of belief."
Shooting victim David Liang is the father of two children and caretaker for his disabled mother. He suffered bullet wounds in both feet. Liang is by profession a taxi driver. Family members hope the surgery is successful so that he will be able to return to work.
http://english.epochtimes.com/news/4-7-8/22340.html
(Clearwisdom.net) At noontime of July 8, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in the Washington, DC area went to the Australian Embassy to the U.S. to discuss the recent South African shooting incident to Embassy officials.
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|   Banner, "Please Help David Liang, Protect Australian Falun Gong Practitioners." |
|   "Stop China from Exporting State Terrorism!" |
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|   In front of Australian Embassy, a Falun Gong practitioner read the practitioners' letter to the Ambassador |
|   Practitioners with an on-duty police officer |
|   Practitioners with Australian Embassy official John Stokes |
During the South African shooting incident, Australian citizen and Falun Gong practitioner David Liang was shot three times. He now has been escorted back to Australia for medical treatment. DC practitioners expressed their concern of David Liang's situation: David Liang's mother has been paralyzed for a long time, and his father has severe heart problems. David is a taxi driver, and he is the only income source of the family.
Australian Ambassador Michael Thawley assigned John Stokes to meet with representatives of DC practitioners. Mr. Stokes attentively listened to practitioners' narration of the background of the South African shooting incident and the Jiang regime's exportation of state-run terrorism to nations around the world. When practitioners mentioned that Falun Gong practitioners in Australia had been harassed and even attacked by Chinese embassy and consulate officials, Stokes immediately asked for related materials. He stressed that Australia is democratic nation that respects human rights and is against any violence.
Recently, the International Relations Committee of the U.S. Congress initiated a resolution regarding Chinese embassy and consulate officials harassing Falun Gong practitioners and illegally interfering with Falun Gong activities. The South African shooting incident has raised great international concern. A number of Australian MPs, many British, American and Canadian human rights organizations have expressed their concern over this incident. A week ago, more than 20 organizations rallied in front of the White House to condemn the Jiang regime's exportation of state-run terrorism.
In the letter to the Australian Ambassador, the Falun Gong practitioners urged the Australian government to protect Falun Gong practitioners' basic rights, to work with the South African government to investigate this incident, and to join other nations to condemn the Jiang regime's state-run terrorism.
After the meeting, practitioners and Mr. Stokes took a photo together.
(Clearwidom.net) After learning about the shooting of an Australian Falun Gong practitioner who traveled to South Africa to peacefully appeal during the visit by Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai, German practitioners gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy in Bonn on the 29th and 30th of June. Facing the Embassy's window, practitioners held banners reading ‘China: Stop Killing Falun Gong Practitioners' and ‘Strongly Condemn the Jiang Regime's Terrorist Act of Hiring Gunmen to Shoot at Falun Gong practitioners'.
When the local police came to check our permission for the appeal, they were slightly unhappy with the inconvenience caused by our temporary application. We told them about the South Africa incident and expressed our concerns that this case indicates a threat to the safety of all overseas practitioners. Thus, the goal of our temporary application is to appeal to the Chinese Embassy as soon as possible.
The police expressed their full understanding, and asked to see news reports, leaflets and press releases regarding the South Africa incident to learn more about it.
We handed out the press release to people who were waiting for buses and passing by. Many people came to look at our posters showing the torture methods used to persecute Falun Gong practitioners in China. After learning about the recent shootings in South Africa, people were shocked. Some people stopped and came out of their cars to pick up a leaflet. Among the cars passing in and out of the Chinese Embassy, there was one Chinese man who smiled at us and stopped his car to ask for a leaflet.
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20610.html
(Clearwisdom.net) During the state visit of human rights criminals Zeng Qinghong and Bo Xilai to South Africa, a Falun Gong practitioner coming from Australia to file a lawsuit in South Africa was shot by a hired gunman. Mr. Selby Bokaba, a police officer in South Africa's capital city of Johannesburg, said that evidence had been collected from the victim and a witness. Mr. Bokaba explained that five Chinese people traveled together from Australia to protest against Zeng Qinghong, China's Vice President, who was paying a visit to South Africa. They reserved hotel rooms in Johannesburg. When the five travelers were on their way by car from the airport to the hotel, another car on the highway fired shots at them, leading to the injury of the driver. Inspector Dennis Adril, a spokesman for the Police Department, said that the police had assigned the best detective in the Serious Violence and Crime Unit to investigate this case. The case has been categorized as attempted murder.
In order to condemn Zeng Qinghong and Bo Xilai for the attack on Falun Gong practitioners who were trying to make a peaceful appeal, practitioners from Bavaria and Austria came to the Chinese Consulate in Munich to present a petition. The purpose was to remind the Chinese people and the international community that what we are facing is the most vicious campaign in history. At the same time, as the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and torture continue in China, these crimes have been extended overseas. In nearly five years of persecution against Falun Gong, the persecution on foreign soil has advanced from harassment, interference of basic human rights, death threats and beatings to hired gunmen. The degree of brutality of Jiang's persecution against Falun Gong all over the world keeps increasing. Falun Gong practitioners called upon the international society to condemn and put a stop to these terrorist acts.
Falun Gong practitioners from Austria told a German practitioner that the conduct of the Jiang group this time was really insane. In order to expose these atrocities, they decided to come to Munich to join the demonstration no matter how far they had to travel.
After they learned about the shooting incident, an elderly German couple indicated that they had a hard time believing such a thing could have happened. They signed their names immediately on the "Bring Jiang to Justice" petition form. They also asked for a blank signature-collecting petition form so that they could collect more signatures to support Falun Gong practitioners.
A young German man and a Chinese lady told practitioners what had just happened to them when they visited the Chinese Consulate. The young man showed practitioners a booklet that contained information slandering Falun Gong. He said the booklet was provided by a staff member of the Chinese Consulate. A German practitioner talked to him for a very long time. In the end, he understood the truth and left the booklet with us. The Chinese lady also asked us what the 'self-immolation incident' was all about. Practitioner explained the truth behind her concerns. She said, "I finally realize what has actually happened. In the very beginning, I was shocked when I saw the self-immolation on Chinese TV." She happily took the information Video-CD that a practitioner gave to her.
Practitioners also chatted to the policewoman on duty. When the policewoman was told of the monstrous crimes committed by the Jiang group, she was astonished. The policewoman treated practitioners very well after she realized the truth about Falun Gong. When passers-by asked her what was going on, the policewoman helped explain the truth and reminded them to take information materials from the appeal. An old gentleman sat in a nearby coffee shop and watched Falun Gong practitioners sending forth righteous thoughts. He told practitioners that the movements of the Falun Gong exercises are very beautiful. He even bought coffee and cakes for the practitioners.
Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20645.html
(Clearwisdom.net) On June 28th, nine Australian Falun Gong practitioners traveled to South Africa in an attempt to file a lawsuit against China's Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and to peacefully protest against the persecution of Falun Gong. After they left the airport for the Presidential Guest House, a white car suddenly opened fire on them. David Liang, the only one practitioner in the car who had worn clothing with the words "Falun Dafa" and also the driver, was shot in his feet and hospitalized. This has led to strong concern from the international community. The indications are that the Jiang group committed an act of terrorism by hiring gunmen to attack Falun Gong practitioners.
Zeng Qinghong has been in charge of the Communist Party's notorious secret service. Jiang's group has brutally and violently persecuted Falun Gong, employing over one hundred torture methods against peaceful practitioners of Falun Gong. Outside China, Jiang's followers have been utilizing secret agents and thugs to harass Falun Gong practitioners. Evidence indicates that this was not an attempted robbery, but an act of terrorism directly targeting Falun Gong practitioners.
To expose this act of terrorism, French Falun Gong practitioners visited the South African Embassy and the Australian Embassy in Paris, giving them materials about Falun Gong and the persecution, and calling on the governments of South Africa and Australia to thoroughly investigate the shooting incident. The government officials of the Australian embassy immediately expressed their willingness to contact the South African government agencies concerned.
On July 1st and 2nd, a group of practitioners arrived at the Chinese embassy and consulate to peacefully protest. Many people passing by expressed their support.
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Caption: Telling people the facts outside the Chinese consulate
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20664.html
(Clearwisdom.net) On July 8, 2004, the Russian Falun Dafa Association held a press conference in the "Independent Press Center" of Moscow. During the press conference, practitioners exposed that the Jiang regime hired thugs to shoot practitioners in order to avoid legal action against Zeng Qinghong. Zeng, the Chinese vice-president, was visiting South Africa when the shooting happened. The practitioners were planning to file a lawsuit against Zeng and Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai for their leading roles in the persecution of Falun Gong. Meanwhile, Russian practitioners also exposed how Jiang regime has threatened, attacked and slandered Falun Gong practitioners and mounting facts of its persecution of practitioners around the world. They strongly condemned the Jiang regime's crimes of exporting state-run terrorism overseas, called on all kind-hearted people to take immediate action to stop the Jiang regime's state terrorism and its brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
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Two members of the Russia Falun Dafa association hosted the press conference. Representatives of Falun Gong practitioners from different regions of Russia and a representative of the Russian Human Rights Protection Center attended the press conference. Representative of Moscow's Helsinki human rights group and reporters from Christian Information, Free Caucasian Radio, "Brod"1 information center and Hong Kong Takungpao attended the press conference.
(Clearwisdom.net) On July 6, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in City of Irkutsk rallied in front of the State Government compound and held a press conference to expose the Jiang regime's crime of hiring thugs to shoot practitioners. Practitioners strongly condemned this terrorist act.
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Reporters interviewing practitioners
The rally started at 11am and ended at 2 pm. During this period, practitioners distributed Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials to passersby. Many pedestrians stopped to view posters showing illustrations of torture methods used to persecute practitioners and photos of the shooting incident. Quite a few of them then took the initiative to sign their names to show their support to Falun Gong.
Before the rally, practitioners invited local media to attend this press conference. As a result, two TV stations and several newspapers came to interview the practitioners.
In its news program of the day, one of Irkutsk TV stations reported this event as its first news. During this report, a practitioner told the reporter: "We hope to use this peaceful appeal to stop the Jiang regime's persecution of Falun Gong." Another practitioner told the reporter that he was violently arrested by Chinese National Security agents three times, "They dragged me out of a car and covered my head with a black cloth bag."
Practitioners have initiated a lawsuit against Chinese consul He Guoan. Practitioner Nadezhda said that this official had threatened practitioners.
Irkutsk practitioners urged the Russian government to condemn the Jiang regime's brutal persecution of Falun Gong.
(Clearwisdom.net) Mou Naiwu was a teacher at the Weifang Institute, Weifang City, Shandong Province, who benefited a lot from practicing Falun Dafa. Under the Jiang regime's persecution, he suffered severe mental and physical torment, including abduction, illegal sentencing at labor camps, threats and being cut off financially. Me. Mou died on June 13, 2004, at 2:00 am. His wife and daughter currently have no way of making a living.
Mou Naiwu, male, 41 years of age, was a resident of Gaomi City, Weifang City. He graduated in 1985 from the Changwei Teachers College (present-day Weifang Institute) with a degree in physics. He was assigned to Weifang Textile Technical School, where he taught physics, electrical engineering and computer science. Before he practiced Falun Gong, he had high blood pressure, intermittent heart problems, stomach trouble, severe near-sightedness and other health problems. Treating one disease often lead to the worsening of another. Even though Mou was young, he was known at the school as a "chronic invalid." The torment of disease led to a desperate outlook on life, and Mou gradually became highly irritable with coworkers and family. But after he started practicing Falun Gong, everything changed. Soon his illnesses went away, and he experienced complete health for the first time in years. Mou only needed four or five hours of sleep each night, yet he was fully energized during the day. The anxious and irritable temperament disappeared, and he became a very good-natured person and was on friendly terms with everyone around him. Mou accomplished more and did better at work, and he was honored as an "outstanding teacher" several times. He was even put in charge of the teaching and research group. Many people remarked that he became a new person after beginning to practice Falun Gong.
After Jiang's regime started persecuting Falun Gong, Mou Naiwu refused to renounce his belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance", and insisted on speaking the truth under any circumstance, telling people that "Falun Gong is a good practice that's beneficial to the state and people." In order to stop the persecution and clear the false charges against Falun Dafa and Teacher, Mou Naiwu went to Beijing to appeal many times.
In January 2000 Mou was illegally sentenced to three years of forced labor, and he was detained at the notorious Weifang Changle Labor Camp. During that time, because the police at the labor camp forcefully overloaded Dafa practitioners with work, Mou Naiwu's blood pressure increased to 240. Fearing that he would die in their custody, the labor camp allowed him to be bailed out and seek treatment.
After Mou Naiwu was bailed out, Weifang City's labor camp and police station, especially the police from the National Security Bureau, frequently went to his home and threaten him and his family. His wife Dai Xiaoping, also a practitioner, was forced to leave home.
In early May 2000, under the relentless persecution, Mou Naiwu developed the symptoms of hemiplegia, and he couldn't manage his own life. Even with this condition, the officials still would not stop the harassment.
One day in late July 2001, Dai Xiaoping came home to visit her husband. Around 9:00 pm, while Dai was taking a shower, Weifang City's National Security Bureau chief Jiang Yanlin and his henchmen stormed their home. They tricked an old family acquaintance to get inside, and then they kicked open the bathroom door and dragged Dai, who was in her underwear, into their car. When Mou Naiwu tried to stop them from taking his wife, they also abducted him, even though he couldn't walk or take care of himself, to the bureau. They also confiscated Mou's computer and other household items. Later the police took Mou Naiwu to Changle Labor Camp and forcefully tried to brainwash him. With this sudden trauma and the policemen's high-pressured persecution, Mou Naiwu's health rapidly deteriorated within a few days. The labor camp again sent Mou back home out of fear, but his wife Dai Xiaoping was sent to Wangcun Labor Camp and illegally sentenced to three years. After one year she was bailed out for hospitalization. Mou and his middle school aged daughter were left without anyone to take care of them.
During this persecution, Mou Naiwu's personal freedom was constantly violated, and his home was watched for long periods of time. Two days before the 2002 Spring Festival, local Falun Gong practitioner Xing Xiaoling came to visit Mou Naiwu. When the police found out, they pried open the door and forcefully kidnapped Xing Xiaoling to Wangcun Labor Camp. They tried to take Mou Naiwu along, but finally yielded to Mou's daughter's repeated pleas. But they threatened, "If you do not behave, we'll fix you later."
Like many Falun Dafa practitioners in China, Mou Naiwu's finances were cut off starting in October 1999. In the past 5 years, his former workplace (Weifang Textile Technology School) and his present workplace (Weifang Institute) never paid him a cent. His wife Dai Xiaoping was fired from her workplace (Weifang Second Printing and Dye Factory) in October 1999, because she refused to give up her practice; later she was illegally sent to the labor camp. With no income and a daughter in high school, the family suffered great financial difficulties . At the end of October 2003, Weifang Textile Technology School was combined with Weifang Institute. Mou Naiwu went to the heads of Weifang Institute's physics department to report his situation and demand that they pay him his salary to ensure a normal life for his family. They tried to force him to write a guarantee letter to give up practicing Falun Gong, but Mou Naiwu refused. In May 2004 he wrote a positive statement about Falun Dafa and delivered it to the department, but he was pressured to write an alternative statement. On June 6, Mou Naiwu wrote another article entitled "Why I Insist On Practicing". After submitting the article, those heads of the department called to tell him, "Weifang City's 610 Office directed us not to give you your salary..."
After illegal forced labor, multiple abductions, harassment, threats and financial penalties, as well as other means of persecution, the young teacher Mou Naiwu passed away at 2:00 am, on June 13, 2004.
Mou Naiwu's wife Dai Xiaoping and their teenage daughter have no means of making a living at this point, and are in a truly dire predicament. The mother and daughter demanded Weifang Institute to pay Mou Naiwu's five years' salary, but school officials refused to honor to their request, and claimed that Falun Gong practitioner Mou Naiwu was "anti-Party," saying, "We cannot pay a salary to someone who's against the Party..." Mou's family solemnly told them, "Mou Naiwu practiced Falun Gong. He was not anti-Party, he was against the persecution of Falun Gong..." But the leaders at Mou's workplace wouldn't listen. Right now, Mou Naiwu's body is kept frozen in Weifang Second People's Hospital. His family has demanded his workplace to clear the false anti-Party charge and pay the five-year salary.
Because of practicing Falun Gong, a good person was abducted, forced to do hard labor, harassed, threatened, and his body was damaged to the point where he couldn't take care of himself. His workplace compounded the situation by withholding five years of salary. These perpetrators are forcing people into a dead end. They tormented someone to death, and even charge the deceased with the crime of being "anti-Party." Where is the conscience of Weifang City's 610 Office and Weifang Institute's related personnel? Where is justice? Everyone should understand this: If Jiang had not initiated this evil persecution, Mou Naiwu would still be alive and well.
We hope that everyone will take note of this injustice and great tragedy, and work together to stop this persecution, and from more tragedies like this from happening.
Attached: Phone numbers for truth-clarification
Weifang Institute (area code: 0536)
Heads of the Institute (office numbers)
Secretary Cheng Qingjun: 8785688, 8261998
President Li Qingzhi: 8785668, 8863681
Niu Zhongshun: 8785669, 8282558
Ju Xianli: 8785188, 8790868
Wang Huihan: 8785689, 8795189
Feng Binglu: 8785878, 8861712
Li Zongbu: 8785666, 8899118
Wang Qingming: 8785208, 8252897, 13608959686-669686
Jiang Gengtian: 8785168, 8786188
Feng Lanyi: 8293330, 8269978
Shu Changhai: 87857139, 8792136, 13863631532-661532
Li XianXiang: 8785138, 8799369, 13605366866-666866
Wang Jiaai: 8785789, 8267872, 13608959666-669666
Song Qiyu: 8785128, 8792206
Guo Zongren: 8263610, 8798506
Yi Jingyao: 8222521, 8267887, 13608950181-6600181
Fang Qisan: 8225562, 8219186, 13506496638-666638
Wang Jingtao: 8293761，8791306
Ren Huaixiang: 8298261, 8236229
Ai Ximin: 8785698, 8211279, 13605268856-668856
Lu Yunshan: 8785698, 8211279, 13506496729-666726
Fang Chengxian: 8785169, 8297786, 13853621096-661096
Song Yuqing: 8785116, 8281879
Zhang Zhencong: 8785969, 8798809, 13563686508-666508
Zhang Po: 8785696, 8386766, 13563686569-666569
Geng Lianshan: 8785116, 5399177, 13563686578-666578
Zhao Yanxiu: 8785129, 8291928
Ma Jiwu: 8785118, 8296559
Li Xiaojing: 8785118, 8518582
Shi Chenghui: 8785118, 8576283
Guo Ying: 8785118, 8578923
Xu Yan: 8785118, 8880327
Hou Ping: 8785119
Xin Wanfeng: 8785119
Li Fengmei: 8785178, 8251265
Li Yulin: 8785178, 8596571
Zhao Weihua: 8785178, 8276089, 13869668509-668509
Discipline Inspection Commission, supervision office (office numbers):
Zhang Xinming: 8785108, 8266237
Sheng Xiuyun: 8785158, 8518446, 13506466944-666944
Yang Aihua: 8785105, 8799688, 8720566
Guan Zengjun: 8785106, 8812926
Committee in charge of organization work (office numbers):
Ding Laixing: 8785179, 8256538
Zhang Weigao: 8785180, 8794959, 13863671720-661720
Guan Yanjun: 8785180, 8795690, 13563666299-666299, 8708370
Yu Yang: 8785182, 8889558, 13605362786-662786
Fu Bing: 8785182, 8228939, 13953652839-662839
Li Chengshun: 8785182, 8271766, 13605362696-662696
Cai Lanrong: 8785182, 8794963, 13563699020-669020
Yu Jianhua: 8785181, 8211612, 13563699020-669020
Zhou Ying: 8785181, 8292910, 13792600363-662877
Miao Zongxin: 8785181, 8215335, 13869662877-662877
Liu Hongfan: 8785181, 8794082, 13792600362-660362
Li Xinning: 8785181
Dai Jianmin: 8785181, 8892198, 13606365677-665677
Personnel Division (office numbers):
Ma Xihua: 8785699, 8234156, 8729588
Liu Yongsheng: 8785156, 8213102, 13869689158-669158
Xia Runhai: 8785155, 8261638, 13869687808-667808
Wang Zhongshan: 8785157, 8762427, 13869668687-668687
He Maoguang: 8785155, 8274079
Tan Xiaoping: 8785155, 8227566
Jiang Jimao: 8785157, 8505116, 13869681127-661127
Zhang Fugong: 8785155, 8274396, 13869668681-668681
Cui Xueguang: 8785155, 8668677, 13964739536-669536
Wang Yuansen: 8785155, 7267822, 13563619408-669408
Union (office numbers):
Zhao Guangzhi: 8785106, 8656189, 13963673368-663368
Wang Fugui: 8785106, 8792396, 13608951012-661012
Duan Jinmin: 8785103, 8267032, 13506477618-667618
Zhang Jing: 8267317
Qin Zhiqun: 8799930
Wang Aiwen: 8212818
Sun Ming: 8261920
Qiao Aiping: 8277698
Liu Airong: 8224805
Wang Guiling: 8506418
Mou Qingzhi: 8796186
Cui Pengyun: 8270733
Physics department (office numbers):
Lu Huaixin: 8785276, 8791113
Li Wenquan: 8785376, 8794923
Zhong Mingli: 8785683, 8794608
Liu Luning: 13863606106-666106
Liu Hanjun: 8785608, 8794063
Shi Zhaokun: 8896508
Deng Rugang: 8791501
Yang Huihong: 8298696
Wu Qinchang: 8808973
Jiang Po: 8794025
Wang Xiqing: 8795300, 13573605702-665702
Dong Wenshan: 8794965
Zhuo Bohe: 8785608, 8213375
Liu Fengqin: 8794937
Zang Zhihua: 8785608, 8798535
Li Peidong: 8794886
Huang Baoxin: 8232863
Ma Zhuqing: 8799305
Wang Xiaoqin: 8793267
He Weidong: 8792296
Wang Jinsong: 8260729
Zhang Yinghua: 8785276, 8795991
Wang Fuliang: 8274648
Cao Yunqin: 8897936
Zheng Dongpeng: 8785277, 8274610, 13573601226-661226
Du Yanfei: 8274809, 8275328
Zhou Liyou: 8516080, 13606363033-663033
Ma Jiyun: 8881743
Sun Xiaohong: 8213999
Xu Yonggui: 8792231
Weifang Institute security (office numbers):
Lin Yonglian, Wang Yongsheng: 8785109
110 Command Center: 8785110
School's security team: 8881284
Public security: 8222604, 8223965
Weifang City's related people's phone numbers:
Wang Zhihua: Weifang City Commission Associate Secretary, Discipline Inspection
Commission Secretary, (office): 8789003
Wang Zhenhua: Weifang City Chief of Police, (office): 8783001; (home): 8783888;
(cell phone): 13806368686
Jiang Yanlin: Weifang City Chief of National Security Bureau, (office): 8196901,
(home): 8899336
Xu Yujun: Weifang City Commission Associate Secretary-General, Director of 610
Office: 8789699, 8238638, 13306363336
Zhang Guangxiao: Weifang City Commission of Politics and Law Associate
Secretary, Vice-Director of 610 Office: 8789623, 8366866, 13906368318, former
Weifang City Commission Secretary General
Zhu Yulin: Weifang City Vice-Chief of Police, Vice-Director of 610 Office:
8783005, 8783858, 13605360068
Kou Jianhui: Vice-Director of 610 Office: 8789623, 8789027, 8269995, 13905368118
Li Tongkui: Vice-Director of 610 Office: 8789631, 8731187, 13173159888
(Clearwisdom.net)
On May 20, 2004, Mr. Wang Jinzhong, a 49-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner, was arrested at his workplace by officers from the Xingshun Police Station, a subordinate of the Tiexi Branch Police Department in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. Mr. Wang was sent to Tiexi Detention Center, where he was tortured to death in just 20 days. Wang's wife had just had an operation on her stomach two weeks prior. Their child is scheduled to take the college enrollment exam this summer. Mr. Wang was once sentenced to one year of forced labor and detained in Zhangshi Labor Camp in Shenyang City.
On June 21, 2004, it was visitation day at the Tiexi Detention Center. A male Dafa practitioner told his family who came to visit him that a person was beaten to death, but he did not know the details. When a friend of Wang Jinzhong asked at the front desk about Wang Jinzhong's situation, the policeman on duty first said Wang was still detained inside, and then said Wang was released already. As a matter of fact, Wang had already been tortured to death many days earlier.
It has yet to be discovered who is (are) responsible for Wang Jinzhong's death.
Tiexi Detention Center: 66 Qinghai Road, Yuhong District, 110027
Case Investigation Section Chief: Li Yuequn
Guards: Yang Shishun, Liu Wei, Gu Cheng, Xu Yuguo, Fu Guo, Ju Guizhi, Zhu Yingfa
Phone number: 86-24-25918209
Tiexi District Prosecutor's House: 32 Nanbadong Road, Tiexi District, 110021
Phone: 86-24-25853070, 86-24-25854007
Shenyang City Prosecutor's House: 86-24-86524378, 86-24-86525455, 86-24-86524677
Wang Jinzhong's home phone is 86-24-23856827.
Wang Jinzhong's home address is: 3-1 Gongxuexiang, Shisiwei Road, Heping
District, Shenyang City.
Wang used to work at the Gardens Administration Bureau in Heping District, but
later he was transferred to Zhongshan Park in Shanyang City.
2004-6-25
(Clearwisdom.net)
Case 1: Ms. Luo Qiaoli is over 40 years old and is an employee of Zijiang Nitrogenous Fertilizer Factory of Lengshuijiang City. In October 1999, Ms. Luo was illegally detained for 15 days after going to appeal for Falun Gong in Beijing. In June 2000, she again went to appeal in Beijing and was again captured. This time she was sentenced to one and a half years in a labor camp and her husband was forced to divorce her. After being released from the labor camp two years later, Ms. Luo was once again arrested for her participation in a Falun Gong truth clarification materials production site. For this she was sentenced to a seven-year prison term. She is now detained in the Changsha Women's Prison.
Case 2: Ms. Wang Jianying is over 40 years old and is an employee of the Zijiang Nitrogenous Fertilizer Factory of Lengshuijiang City. Ms. Wang was detained for 15 days after going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in October 1999. In June 2000, she again went to appeal in Beijing and was again captured. Then she was let go, put under house arrest for 8 months, fined 10,000 yuan (1), and forced to pay the expenses incurred by her workplace for picking her up from Beijing. On February 2, 2002, Ms. Wang was arrested and sentenced to a five-year prison term because of posting materials with the message, "Falun Dafa is Good," in public places. She is presently detained in the Changsha Women's Prison.
Case 3: Mr. Hu Biyou is a 30-year-old teacher who works at the Zijiang Chemical Engineering School. In August 2000, he was detained for 15 days. At around 11:00 one night in November 2000, the city "610 Office" (2) and police department took him away from home by deception. They also confiscated his computer. Between February and May of 2001, Mr. Hu was detained for four months and fined 3,500 yuan for practicing Falun Gong. In July 2002, Mr. Hu was reported to the police and eventually arrested because he told his students the facts about Falun Gong. He was detained in a detention center until January 2004, and then was sentenced to a four-year prison term. He is currently imprisoned in the Chishan Prison.
Case 4: Ms. Liu Xiaoling is in her 40s and an employee of the Lengshuijiang Steel Factory. In September 2001, Ms. Liu was sentenced to a 1-year term in a labor camp for distributing Falun Gong materials. In February 2004, Ms. Liu clarified the truth about Falun Gong by wearing a badge in the dormitory area of the steel factory that stated, "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance." Ms. Liu was then taken to the security department of the factory. Then she was .. .sentenced to a 1.5-year term in a labor camp. She is presently detained in the Baimalong Women's Labor Camp.
Case 5: Mr. Li Shuping is the husband of Liu Xiaoling. He is over 40 years old and is a teacher at the school of the Lengshuijiang Steel Factory. In July 2000, Mr. Li was detained for 15 days. One night in November 2000, he was deceived by the National Security Team and detained for nine days in a detention center. Also, one of his computers was confiscated by the National Security Team. In July 2002, Mr. Li was detained for 3 months and robbed of another computer. He was dismissed from the ruling party and deprived of his job.
Telephone numbers:
Chen Daifu, head of the Lengshuijiang Steel Factory: 86-13607386235, 86-738-5361018(Home)
Hou Yuxian, leader of the Lengshuijiang Steel Factory Security Department: 86-13973852585, 86-738-5362719 (home) (Please call this number as much as possible)
Qi Xingping, another leader of the Lengshuijiang Steel Factory Security Department: 86-13973851053
Cai Lingli, officer specializing in dealing with Falun Gong affairs, Lengshuijiang Steel Factory Security Department: 86-13873832277, 86-738-5362070 (home) (Please call this number as much as possible)
Tang Chuxu, head of the Organization Department, Lengshuijiang Steel Factory: 86-13973803613, 86-738-005216098
Chen Yaohua, vice head of the Organization Department, Lengshuijiang Steel Factory: 86-13707388149, 86-738-5222165 (home).
Notes -
(1) Yuan is the Chinese currency; 500 Yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.
(2) 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.
(Clearwisdom.net) Over the past few years, the Jiang regime has implemented systematic persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. The following are persecution cases that have taken place in Huanggang city, Hubei province.
1. Violent Arrests
A female Falun Dafa practitioner was discovered on a side street by an entrance guard while she was posting flyers that promoted Dafa. The guard then dragged her to the duty office and called the police. A "110" policeman (1) wanted to arrest her for "creating a disturbance". This practitioner knew that she had not broken the law, so she explained the facts and refused to get in the police vehicle. However, she was severely beaten in the face by police officer You, with blood flowing from her nose. She was illegally detained for two weeks. Her nose kept bleeding before and after the detainment, and her shirt was soaked with blood.
2. Long-term Illegal Detention, Tortured to Death
(Ref: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/9/10/40085.html
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/10/4/40963.html
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/12/18/43263.html)
Mr. Oyang Ming has an excellent reputation as a teacher. He was illegally detained for three years and seven months for his beliefs. He spent such a long time under ruthless torture that he passed away.
On Jan. 15, 2000, Oyang Ming went to Tiananmen Square to appeal through simply doing the Falun Gong exercises. He was arrested and detained in Huanggang city's No. 1 detention center for over one month. He suffered severely from the brutal torture. Once in the detention center, Oyang Ming was beaten in the chest, head, hands, and feet. Moreover, he was subjected to other forms of abuse. For example, other prisoners urinated on his face as he was forced to squat before them. He was beaten by other prisoners and forced remain in the same position, standing or squatting, for long periods of time. During his detention, his mother passed away, but his request to attend the funeral was rejected by the "610 Office" (2) and the Huanggang city police department. Afterwards, because of his insistence on practicing the Falun Gong exercises, he was transferred to the wing for violent criminals, where prisoners beat him fiercely. His hands and feet were shackled, with an extra chain stringing them together. The shackles weighed 30-35 kilograms (66-77 lbs.). He could not stand at all, but only crawl on the ground. He had to endure those shackles for ten days before they were removed.
In May and June of 2000, Huanggang held brainwashing sessions to ‘transform' practitioners. There, they tried to force practitioners to sign a renouncement statement, otherwise they would be forced to sit on Master Li's picture. Oyang Ming refused to do either. He jumped from the second floor, broke his leg and was in hospital for a month.
In Nov. 2000, Ming distributed materials exposing the true situation, yet the police followed him. At the entrance to another practitioner's home, he was kidnapped by the pursuing police, beaten and searched. Some fliers were found and Ming was detained for another month.
From May 2001 to May 2002, Ming spread fliers to disclose the truth in Huanggang's Teacher Training School. He was discovered and thereafter held in a detention center for 78 days, during which he protested by holding a hunger strike. He was force-fed and a tooth was knocked out. Then, he was sent to Drug Rehabilitation Center in Shizishan, Wuhan city for a year, where he was tortured in ways such as standing for long periods against a wall and being deprived of sleep. Meanwhile, under great pressure he was forced to divorce his wife.
From June 2002 to June 2003, within a month after his coming back from Wuhan, Ming was jailed for a year after his email was compromised. Due to the continual detention under severe conditions, his health had so seriously deteriorated that he developed a severe fever and cough. Despite this, the local policeman intended to detain him in Shayang Forced Labor Camp for two more years. He was later refused by the labor camp during medical inspection, which revealed many illnesses such as kidney deterioration, liver dysfunction, heart disease, hepatitis, and diabetes. Doctors found no way out. Ming was skinny and sick. He kept coughing, and looked much older than his actual age.
In the same period, under pressure from the "610 office", his school was forced to fire him. Ming passed away on Aug. 20, 2003.
3. Illegal Trial and Sentence
A young practitioner Zhang Qingming was illegally put on trial twice in April and August 2003 because he downloaded information from Falun Dafa websites and edited material to disclose the truth about the persecution. He was sentenced to ten years in jail.
The first trial was held on April 8, 2003, and he was sentenced to ten years in jail on April 12, while his political rights were deprived for three years. The subpoena was issued only one day before the trial date, no family members were notified, and no lawyers or others were allowed to attend the trial. According to item No. 151 in Chinese criminal law, for an open case, the cause for the case, the name of the defendant, and the time and place of the trial should be made public three days in advance. According to item No. 152, the first trial session for a case in the people's court should be open to the public, except those related to state secrets.
On Aug. 1, 2003, the intermediate court held the second trial. Although it was open, Zhang Qingming was not allowed to defend himself, and was stopped whenever he tried to say anything. The court appointed defense lawyer was in clear collusion with the court and offered no defense.
4. Forced Divorce
The court reached a divorce verdict for Ms. Dai Qiuju on grounds of an unsatisfactory marriage, including practicing Falun Gong and illegal activities, and that no husband and wife duties are fulfilled. The truth is that her husband had a mistress a long time before, but requested divorce based on Ms. Dai's arrest because of Falun Gong. She tried to save her family and to clarify the truth about Falun Gong, but the court still passed the divorce verdict.
(1) "110" policeman has a similar role as a"911" emergency policeman in the US.(2) "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.
(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:
Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.
(Clearwisdom.net) Today I read "Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa" twice and gained a lot. I was struck when I read the part where Master mentioned the mass memorizing of the book by practitioners in the Changchun area:
"Those of us who have the ability, who are in their prime, excepting people who are older or who have poor memory, should try to memorize the book." "But in many regions a lot of students have memorized it very well. When they study the Fa they don't even need the book--they recite it from memory."
We have only realized the importance of studying the Fa and started memorizing the book after experiencing this huge tribulation [referring to the persecution of Falun Gong in China]. In fact, Master had already suggested that we memorize the book. I felt deep regret for not listening to Master in the beginning. If all practitioners in Mainland China had listened to Master--did what Master asked us to do, memorized the Dafa book and laid a solid foundation--could we still not know what to do when the persecution started? Could we not remember Master and Dafa when we were arrested, beaten and tortured, instead of only focusing on our physical suffering? Some practitioners would have not ended up taking wrong paths. However, we cannot reverse the flow of time and repeat the process. The good part is that the final stage has not come yet and merciful Master is still waiting for us, so we still have a chance to memorize the book. Thus practitioners in Mainland China and abroad should wait no more and fully utilize the current time.
Regarding memorizing the books, Clearwisdom.net has published many valuable experiences. I would also like to give a brief introduction of my experience. In order to strengthen my memory, whenever I memorized a paragraph, I would write it down from memory. It became faster when I recited the paragraph the second time. Any practitioner can give it a try when time permits. Here I want to emphasize this to older practitioners. I think older practitioners should not be blocked by human notions. Master said, "One becomes a god upon obtaining the Fa." [from Hong Yin, unofficial translation] Of course, if their education levels are low, the level of understanding the Fa for older practitioners may be different from younger practitioners. However, we older practitioners have our own advantages-- we have more time than young practitioners. As long as we are determined and put in more effort, we older practitioners should also be able to memorize the book.
For example, my mother was illiterate before she started to cultivate in Dafa. It was the miracle of Dafa that enabled her to read Dafa books. The only difference would be the slowness of her reading, and especially when she did not behave righteously, she could not remember some words she had learned before. For her, it would be difficult for her to memorize a whole paragraph each time. So she just memorized the Fa sentence by sentence. After she memorized one sentence, she started to memorize another one. She felt completely different even before she finished memorizing the first chapter. It was like Dafa had filled her mind (in fact, practitioners who have memorized the book before have expressed similar feelings.) Of course, the most important thing is persistence. Do not feel discouraged if the progress is slow. We should set high standards for ourselves and utilize all possible time. When you start to memorize the book for the second time, it will be much easier and the speed will become faster and faster.
I think that after we have cultivated for such a long time, especially after experiencing this persecution, we should have a deeper understanding towards Master and Dafa. Being Dafa practitioners, if we cannot even recite Dafa, it would really be a pity. At least we should memorize Zhuan Falun, which will be a great help to our personal cultivation and to follow Master's Fa-rectification progress.
In the past, I was very lazy in doing the exercises. After I began memorizing the book, I unconsciously became strict with myself, demanding that I get up in the morning to do the exercises. During this massive persecution, my parents have been detained and released several times, and coupled with their personal shortcomings, the surrounding environment became very tense; even neighbors became police informers. Especially after my father was sent to a labor camp, my mother became very afraid. Sometimes when she got up at midnight to do the sitting meditation, she could hear the sound of footsteps come and stop at the front door. On the morning of the second day, she could find cigarette butts or dirt from the bottom of shoes left in front of the door. For nearly two years, she was afraid of going out to clarify the facts. Occasionally, she went out for personal (household) issues, but when she clarified the facts to other people, she would look around, trying to find out if there were any strange people around, and then lower her voice or even get really close to the other person's ear to speak. Later, my father came home. With the help of fellow practitioners, she began emphasizing Fa-study and paid more attention to sending forth righteous thoughts. Now my mother can distribute flyers face to face; she also went to the far away countryside on a bike with fellow practitioners, hung up banners along the way, posted self-sticking poster and wrote signs. Although she did not do as well as other practitioners, as she still had some fear, but compared to the past, there was a big difference.
Therefore, I have a proposal for older practitioners. Master overcame many difficulties to find us, and we have also experienced many hardships and tribulations to obtain Dafa; we should not let the old forces' arrangement affect the pace of our cultivation. Master said, "Throughout history till today, just for this moment." ("Plum - Yuan Dynasty Style Verse," unofficial translation) "If you're able to steel your will, no difficulty can block you, and I'd say it'll be no problem." (from Zhuan Falun)
Furthermore, I have another proposal. I know many practitioners already act this way: we should utilize the time when we are doing pure physical labor at home or in society. Usually, it is rare for us to stay tranquil while walking or working, and most of the time our minds are occupied with everyday people's distracting thoughts. When this happens, we should repeatedly recite in our minds what we can remember of Master's teaching, even if we can only remember a few sentences (of course, the more we can recite, the better), or recite silently the formula for sending forth righteous thoughts. Especially in the countryside of Mainland China, farmers go to work before dawn and come back after dusk; they also have to do house work, feed livestock and are indeed very busy. In this kind of situation, they should better utilize their daytime hours. They can write down the Fa they are going to memorize on that day on a small piece of paper and put it into a pocket, so that during work breaks, they can take it out, take a brief look and memorize it after a while. Even if they have done this, there might still be many bad thoughts coming out from the mind; this is all right, as long as we notice it. We should send forth righteous thoughts immediately to eliminate it. If we are persistent in this way, our thoughts will become purer and purer, and each idea or thought will be assimilated to Dafa. If our minds are on the Fa, Master will watch us at each moment, and remind us to be diligent. I think each practitioner should have this kind of feeling: Master is beside us.
I hope all fellow practitioners can cultivate diligently, do the three things (1) well and not let down Master's merciful salvation and the hopes of sentient beings.
(1) Study the Fa, clarify the truth, and send forth righteous thoughts.
June 6, 2004
(Clearwisdom.net) During my Fa study recently, a problem has constantly surfaced: I could concentrate when I studied Teacher's articles or lectures, but I would have problems when I read Zhuan Falun (1). As I am more familiar with the content of Zhuan Falun, I often felt that I didn't really absorb much even when I spent a lot of time reading the book. Later I realized what was happening and decided I needed to change the situation. But how? I tried memorizing the book. My goal was to become absorbed in it. When I couldn't concentrate during the Fa study, I tried memorizing it, paragraph by paragraph.
Sometimes it was easy for me to learn it by heart. Because of the familiarity with the content and being able to concentrate, I could quickly memorize several paragraphs. Sometimes it was not so easy; even trying for a long time, I would not be able to memorize a paragraph. Either I had completely missed a sentence or I had memorized a sentence incorrectly. I realized it was because I didn't have a calm mind and couldn't concentrate enough. I then concentrated with all my effort on the book. I tried to memorize word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence. Those words would then appear in front of me clearly. When I recited sentence after sentence with a quiet mind, it seemed I had purged many attachments and passed a barrier.
There is another situation that sometimes occurs. When I tried to memorize a certain paragraph, either I couldn't remember a sentence or I kept making mistakes with a sentence. After careful reflection, I realized I hadn't accepted deeply in my mind what that sentence was saying. It wasn't that I couldn't accept the actual meaning of the sentence, but that I felt it was too difficult to accomplish. I made a decision to accomplish it right then. Do just what the Fa (1) requires of us, do it without any deviation! I then believed that I would be able to accomplish it right away, and my mind relaxed. I was able to memorize the passage smoothly and clearly. I realized that it was the power of the Fa. Studying the Fa also reduces karma and puts oneself right. It is cultivation.
My way of studying the Fa is mainly to read through Zhuan Falun. From time to time, I read Teacher's other lectures or books. If my mind is not calm, I'll try memorizing Zhuan Falun. Everybody has his or her own way of studying the Fa. It is necessary that everyone studies the Fa with a quiet mind and attains the goal of studying the Fa. Once, I heard from a practitioner that he couldn't quiet his mind during Fa study. He had also tried memorizing, but felt it was too difficult. He said that he had tried memorizing just a paragraph, but after having tried it for a long time, he still couldn't memorize it. He gave up. My thinking is that he shouldn't have given up. Everyone should pass this barrier, unless one can find another way to quiet one's mind.
Notes -
Shared at 2004 Chicago Falun Dafa Conference
(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings honorable Teacher!
Greetings fellow practitioners!
My name is Li Zhizhang, and I'm 58 years old. Beginning when I was a child, I continually took medicine and was always sick. Counting only the illnesses in my chest cavity, I had lobar pneumonia, chest cavity inflammation, and very serious hydrothorax. At one time, doctors extracted 1,200 milliliters of fluids from my lungs. Afterwards, I developed a tumor in my lung. So the doctors removed my lung in order to remove the tumor. I was a well-known chronic invalid, a young, long-term patient. Then, after I had a sudden heart attack, I became a Falun Dafa practitioner.
During my several years of practice, it was our Teacher's merciful hands that guided me up to today. However, I was like a mischievous child, who would pause once in a while, chase butterflies, and kick the pebbles on the roadside. This happened precisely when I was not diligent in my cultivation. Like such a child, I staggered along and then moved on. Before the Chicago experience sharing conference, a local practitioner asked me to write about my experiences of stepping forward to clarify the truth. This is an honor, and also an opportunity to look back on my cultivation path. I know that everything I have is given by Teacher and Dafa. My shallow understanding was obtained through cultivation in Dafa. Each of my advancements shows the manifestation of Dafa on my body. I understand that writing down my own experiences is also validating Dafa, and an opportunity for me to further improve in my cultivation.
First, let me introduce myself. I am not married, which means that I am relatively free of family obligations and human sentiments. Many years ago, I accompanied my mother on a visit to the U.S. to see my younger brother's family. Neither of us had visas yet, so we applied together. Being unmarried, these two statuses fell perfectly into the category of "having an immigration tendency" …quot; the most common reason that visa applications are rejected. However, to everyone's amazement, I was granted a visa the first time I applied, and soon came to America. Afterward, I also got my green card without any problems. In 1999, using my limited English, I passed the citizenship test, and became an American citizen. My American friends were astonished. People thought that I got all these just because of luck; nothing but luck. But I clearly knew that it was pre-destined. After I started to cultivate, it was even clearer to me that Teacher arranged all these situations. Hence, I have been able to go to Geneva five times in the five years between 2000 and 2004. In addition, it has also been possible for me to take part in large-scale Fa-rectification activities, such as those in Germany, Russia, Iceland, and Paris, because I have fewer obstacles preventing frequent travel than many others.
Why do I want to participate in these activities so frequently? To answer that, I have to take you back to the New York Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference in 1998. During that conference, I sat on the carpet in front of the platform. When Teacher answered practitioners' questions, several times after reading the questions, Teacher said, "Study the Fa, study the Fa." Afterwards, when Teacher was still reading the question, I whispered, "Study the Fa." When Teacher replied again, "Study the Fa," I couldn't help but giggle. Then Teacher said, "I just told you to read the book more, but actually, you might not necessarily understand the inner meaning of what I just said."("Falun Buddha Fa, Lecture at the First Conference in North America") Teacher also said something else. At that moment, I felt that Teacher was talking about me.
At that time, I indeed did not understand the importance of Fa study. Since Teacher had several times emphasized practicing outside and continually studying the Fa, I needed to do what Teacher said. By then, my mother had gone to New Zealand with my younger brother's family. My own housework was extremely simple. Therefore, every day, besides going to work, all I did was practice, study the Fa, and watch Teacher's lecture videos. Then, in 1999, Jiang's regime started to persecute Falun Gong. This persecution disrupted my cultivation life. Now, in retrospect, I understand the real implications of why Teacher asked us to constantly study the Fa. Obviously, it was during that period of studying the Fa with no pursuit that I had built a solid foundation. That was why whenever I needed to go out of town to participate in activities, I usually had no hesitation at all, because the side of me that has obtained the Fa is clear. The enlightened natural disposition automatically knows what to do. I am a particle of Dafa. When there were large-scale Dafa activities that required Dafa disciples to participate, I knew what I should do. It was as natural to me as breathing. From the beginning, when the rumor spread that Jiang's regime intended to extradite Teacher back to China, I went to Washington DC with some other practitioners to express my concerns and tell the facts to the Chinese embassy. After the persecution started on July 20, 1999, I repeatedly went to Washington DC, New York, and Chicago, and I also went to Salt Lake City and President Bush's ranch in Texas, etc.
How was I able to manage my time so that I could participate in all of these activities? First, during those years, I used all of my vacation hours to participate in Dafa activities. Most often, I would participate on weekends. Usually, I would leave Friday evenings after work, and come back Sunday evenings after the activities. On Mondays, I would still go to work on time. As to completing my own duties at work, before leaving I would do a lot of preparatory work, so that others wouldn't be inconvenienced. In the meantime, I would clearly tell my department head where I was going and what I was going to do, in order to obtain understanding and support.
Moreover, I took advantage of the other benefits that my company offered. For example, the company has a rule: If a family member is sick, is in a serious accident, or goes back to one's native country, we are permitted to have extended, non-paid time off. But it won't be counted as an absence. I used it twice: for the SOS walk, and to go to Russia and Iceland. When I went to request leave for the urgent rescue walk, I wrote on the application the reasons why I needed to participate in the walk, and the situation in China. When the man from human resources told me that there had never been a case like this before, I told him that the persecution of Falun Gong was a significant incident in my life. The walk to rescue practitioners was more important than a family member's sicknesses. The manager of human resources was still a little unwilling to give me permission, and said that I had to get the department head's permission. Because I was so determined, I was all prepared on Sunday morning. I even had my hair cut short so that it would be easier for me to walk without the hassle of taking care of it. On Monday morning, I went to talk with the personnel manager. Seeing that I had already had my hair cut, he was a little surprised, and said, "You are ready to go?!" I said, "Yes. Of course." I clearly explained the situation to the department head, so then he signed, allowing me to leave. On Tuesday, we started the 20-day SOS walk. From this experience, I realized as long as the truth is clarified and our will is firm, when it conforms to everyday people's principles, we can use those conditions and accomplish what appears to be difficult.
Actually, whether one can step forward or not depends on our own thoughts. One of our local practitioners has two young children and her husband is not a practitioner. When I shared my experience of going to Geneva and Europe with her, she told me that she also wanted to go to Geneva. Immediately, her husband began having back pain, and her children had high fevers. She called me and said, "Ms. Li, leaving is really difficult now. How can I deal with this situation?" I reminded her that it was all because of interference, and was only the representation on the surface. I also told her to strengthen her desire to go. Shortly, her husband's back pain and the children's fevers disappeared. And furthermore, he even supported her in going to Geneva. But by then, the airplane ticket price had gone up to more than $800. That evening, she called again and asked what if it costs too much. I told her that it all depended on her herself; whether she was sincere, and determined to go. If she wholeheartedly meant to go, there must be some way. Hearing this, she cried out on the phone, "I really want to go, even if it costs me $1,000." Because of her righteous thought, when she finally bought her ticket it only cost $500. It was even cheaper than the one I had purchased earlier. She only needed to leave one day earlier. This arrangement actually was very good, because by arriving there a day earlier, she was able to join the activities with practitioners from other nations. Afterward, she told me that because she had decided to go, she learned many things. Through this experience, she had really achieved a lot.
The above discusses how I stepped forward to clarify the truth. Now I will talk about my progress in cultivation. I want to start from the SOS urgent rescue walk three years ago, because that was when I truly gave up my self-centeredness. Four of us walked the entire journey. One was a western practitioner, and the other three were Chinese practitioners. I was the oldest. When we began the trek, I was out of shape. Specifically, I had no experience walking long distances, so I ended up walking very slowly. When my stubbornness was added into the mix, many conflicts occurred. It is true that too many attachments cause restrictions. We were not familiar with one another. The Chinese practitioners were poor English speakers, so our communication was not smooth. Added to that, the weather was burning hot, there were occasional thunderstorms, and we were constantly behind schedule, and trying to catch up so we could participate in press conferences. I was not only suffering physically, but I also suffered in my heart. At that time, I had an audio player with me and I listened to Teacher's lectures while walking. Teacher said, "...only by emphasizing xinxing cultivation can your gong increase and your level be upgraded." (Zhuan Falun) As I eliminated more attachments, my body changed daily. In the beginning, I had to use a walking stick, and my feet ached with each step. But by about the third day, I was able to discard the walking stick. On the fifth and sixth days, my speed slowly improved, and I gradually caught up with the group's walking speed. After ten days, things were vastly different. My body and mind were all in good condition, and my steps were lighter. I did not eat much, and neither did I need much sleep. After days of exhaustion my spirit soared; every step brought me closer to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Through that period of conflicts, my own changes corresponded with everyone looking inside ourselves, and the overall situation took on a new look. First the Chinese practitioners spoke less in Chinese, and although they struggled, they used simple English sentences to communicate in order to eliminate the barrier between the Chinese and Western practitioners. The only Western practitioner was also the spokesperson and the contact person. We called him our "team leader," or "head." After we got to know one another well, our attachments were eliminated, and the relations also became harmonious.
We started from Cincinnati, heading across the southern tip of Ohio, and walked to Cleveland in the northern side, for about 360 miles. We held total of 23 large and small-scale press conferences along the way. We felt like we were sowing machines, spreading the seeds of Dafa to people. Our images of enduring the hardship of a long journey, the wavering small yellow flag carried on our backpack, and the SOS banners, all left deep impressions on the residents along our journey. Twenty day's walk created too many moving stories. I once wrote: "Thoughts along the SOS walk":
Our journey began every morning as the sun rose, and we continued into the night when the clouds and stars were our only companions. We Dafa disciples are carrying a huge historical responsibility, climbing the mountains, walking through towns, clarifying the truth, and delivering the blessing message of Dafa.
Each flyer passed out to the people showed our benevolent hearts, traveling in the human world to assist Teacher for the Fa rectification, sending forth righteous thoughts, and eliminating evils. With a few people walking on the countryside road, oftentimes we heard cheering honks from drivers as cars passed by.
Waving our hands and gladly greeting them, savable beings awaken from the dream. There is no way to express our gratitude to Teacher except to feel his enormous compassion.
Before I began cultivation, I had pain and illness everywhere except for my hair. After cultivating in Falun Dafa, I was able to finish this 20-day journey. This was my best way to validate Dafa. Everyone who knew my past, and saw my pictures, instantly knew the truth of Dafa, since I looked so healthy, strong, and energetic in the photos. By the way, my mother moved to the U.S. to live with me at the end of 2000. After seeing the changes in me, she also became a Dafa practitioner. During the 20-day SOS journey, as mother and daughter, we passed xinxing tribulations at the same time. I improved both physically and mentally, letting go of so much of my strong-willed personality. When my mother was home alone, she endured the hard test of loneliness. The elderly woman says the reason that she has lived to be 80 is because she has been waiting to attain Dafa. We feel so happy that as mother and daughter, we are blessed by Buddha's great compassion at the same time.
Regarding going to Geneva, Germany, Russia, Iceland, and Paris to participate in Fa rectification activities, many fellow practitioners have shared very nice experiences. Here I would like to talk from a personal perspective about how I let go my attachments. Through decades of leading the life of a single person, I formed some habits. For example, I didn't like other people touching my bed, let alone sitting or sleeping in my bed. I needed a very quiet environment to sleep, and I didn't allow other people to enter my bedroom. Therefore once I began traveling, I ran into some tribulations. I recall the first time I attended a Falun Dafa experience sharing conference; I shared a bed with another practitioner. I lay there quietly the whole night, neither moving, nor sleeping a bit. After I attended more conferences, I started to get used to this kind of situation. Last time, when I went to Germany, in order to send forth righteous thoughts in close proximity, we moved back and forth between two places. One day, because we had limited time, we were not able to arrange for a place to spend the night. So a few hundred of us had to stay in a gym, where we were only allowed to enter after midnight, and had to leave before 5:00 a.m. Easterners and Westerners, male and female, elders and youngsters, all stayed together, we could only lay on the floor with our clothes on to rest for a few hours. At the time, I really didn't know how to deal with that kind of situation. I sat there for quite a while, and then I asked myself what if I were a wandering monk, what would I do? So I grit my teeth and closed my eyes, finally lying down to sleep. When we were in Russia, over a hundred people stayed at a small art school, and intensively sent forth righteous thoughts for four days without leaving the building. Apart from sending righteous thoughts, all we did were the exercises and Fa study. When we were really tired, we simply found a place to lie down. We ate only instant noodles and cookies provided by Russian practitioners. My normal daily routine was completely disrupted, and I couldn't take care of any of the things I would normally be particular about. Since my name was on the blacklist provided by the Chinese government, I was rejected from entering Iceland, so I participated in a sit-in at the Paris airport overnight to protest. All these activities totally changed me. Now, whenever I feel tired, I can fall asleep even in my chair in front of the computer. This was absolutely inconceivable before I began my Falun Dafa cultivation.
In the past, I always followed other fellow practitioners when I went abroad. I relied on them, and therefore did not need to take care of anything myself. This spring when I went to Paris, I had to go around by myself after two fellow practitioners left. Fortunately, on the flight to Paris, I had read Teacher's "Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference" twice. Teacher said, "...if you don't possess that kind of mighty virtue, haven't blazed your own path, and don't know what to do when you need to do things independently, that won't do. So I have deliberately given you this period of time, so that you can have opportunities to temper yourselves and become mature." Thank you, Teacher, for giving me this opportunity. I stayed at a place by myself. However, I did not encounter any communication problems, even though I don't speak French. I have learned how to solve problems independently without relying on others, and I arranged my own itinerary for all Fa-rectification activities while in Paris, including going to the Second World War Museum with Spanish practitioners. There was an annual attorneys meeting there, and we clarified the truth to them.
The last story I would like to share with you is from my trip to Russia. I just mentioned staying at the art school in Russia. A practitioner from Washington DC and I taught Russian practitioners to sing the song "Falun Dafa Hao." Both the practitioners who learned the song and those who taught the song were very focused. Our different languages did not hinder our communication. One glance, one gesture, and one smile brought our hearts closer. We sang the song "Falun Dafa Hao" until the next morning. The living conditions of the local Russian practitioners are poor, but they still do their best to save some money to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and save people. They really admired North American practitioners who are able to see Teacher frequently. We invited them to come to an experience sharing conference in the U.S. Tears streamed down their faces and they said, "We would really love to, but we don't have the money. What little money we have must be used for printing Dafa materials!" All of us could feel their pure hearts. On our last day in Russia, Russian police stopped twelve foreign practitioners and four local practitioners from distributing Dafa truth-clarifying newspapers. The police asked us to put down the newspapers and leave. Of course, the Russian practitioners refused. As a result, we were all taken to the police station. First, they checked our passports. Twelve of us had American passports and one of us had a British passport. After checking a few passports, the police simply asked us, "Who here carries Chinese passports?" Upon hearing this, I could not holdback my tears any longer: "Dear compassionate Teacher, before our departure, you told us those who have Chinese passports should not go to Russia. You cherish us more than we cherish ourselves!" After the police left the room, we shared our thoughts briefly and reached the conclusion, that since we are here, we must validate Dafa and eradicate all the evil forces. We all sat down on the floor and started sending forth righteous thoughts. Immediately, the energy field became very strong. Inside the room, it was calm. The policemen outside the room were amazed by our tranquility, calmness, and kindness. What a group of people! They neither cry nor protest. Although they are elderly and cannot speak Russian, they are not afraid of anything, and just sit there motionless. One policeman came in and said, "We will let you leave if you symbolically turn in some penalty fees, just a few American coins if the fines are exchanged into U.S. dollars. We all said that we would not give them any money. Falun Gong is a legal organization in Russia, and we did not break any laws. Since we did not pay any fines, they did not know how to release us. Later, they asked us to go to court. At court, every practitioner said Falun Dafa is good. If we have another opportunity to come to Russia, we will still say Falun Dafa is good. The practitioner who spoke first in the court had an excellent opening speech. She said, "Falun Dafa is really good. Falun Dafa teaches people to be good and improves peoples' health and morality. I have benefited a lot from Dafa. There is an old Chinese saying, that ‘If you receive a drop of help, you should return the favor with a running spring.' I will tell people the beauty of Falun Dafa wherever I go. If you don't believe me, it is all written in the newspaper." Then, she put the newspapers in front of the judge, police officials, translator, and a secretary. In the end, the judge said, "This case needs to be treated as an exception. You do not need to stay here, and you can take your newspapers with you." Some practitioners wanted to take photos in the court carrying the big bundle of the newspapers. The judge also agreed. What a great arrangement! We, a group of ordinary senior-aged Dafa practitioners, were able to clarify the truth about Dafa in the Russian police station and court. Before we left the court, we gave many Dafa bookmarks to the policemen. They were all very pleased to accept them. Again I witnessed the mighty power of Dafa.
Whenever I participate in Dafa activities, I always see aspects where other practitioners did better in cultivation than I did. In this way, I can discover my own shortcomings that need to be improved. I know that my ability is very limited. All I can do is hold the banners, send forth righteous thoughts, do Falun Gong exercises, and distribute flyers. Now, every second is precious. Each trivial thing within Fa-Rectification looks very ordinary, but in the other dimensions it must be very spectacular and magnificent. Each opportunity will pass without coming back. Thank you, Teacher, for bringing me out of hell and gradually cleansing me. Thank you, Teacher, for selecting me and leading me on the path of Fa-Rectification cultivation up to today. Using all the words in heaven and earth, I cannot describe your immense compassion.
Please point out anything inappropriate in my speech. Thank you Teacher! Thank you everyone!
(Clearwisdom.net) The day after hearing the shocking news of Falun Gong practitioners being shot in South Africa, a few Boston practitioners went to the Massachusetts state government office building to arrange for a press conference. Two officials were very shocked after they heard the news. They expressed their sympathy and made time to help arrange the press conference site for us between 2:00 and 3:00PM, even though they had been fully booked that afternoon.
As it is difficult in general to get to see the legislators at all, the shooting incident is a good opportunity to clarify the truth to them face to face. We arrived outside their meeting hall and spent the whole day waiting for legislators who walked in and out, and distributed information that explained the facts to them. We briefly reported the South African incident of the Jiang group's hiring hit men to kill people, and how they have harassed and also exported Jiang's terrorism to the U.S. We pointed out that this was a terrorist act, staged to stop certain countries and regions from suing Jiang's group for genocide. The legislators were shocked when they heard this. Other organizations and people who were waiting outside to see the legislators were also shocked to hear about the persecution of Falun Gong in China, which has even escalated to the point that hit men were hired in South Africa to kill people. They immediately helped the practitioners to contact their legislative representatives or made time for us to talk to those representatives.
About 80 to 100 legislators received our information that day. Some of them who had an opportunity to talk to us in detail asked us what they could do for Falun Gong practitioners. This kind of clarifying the truth face to face has a very good effect.
(Clearwisdom.net) The Ukraine Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference was held at the same time as the Kiev Day celebrations. The official Kiev government website published the photos of group exercises taken by Dafa practitioners.
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Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20612.html
(Clearwisdom.net) July 1, 2004 was the 137th National Day of Canada, where about 40,000 people entertained themselves, enjoyed delicious food, and appreciated performances in Calgary, Canada's Prince's Island Park. It seemed to be a special arrangement. A business booth that was originally reserved for the entrance to the park was canceled. The park's administrator made a special adjustment and arranged for the Falun Gong practitioners' booth to be at its location instead. The Falun Dafa booth was changed from a small one to the biggest in the park, and the park also offered a big tent free of charge. So long as people entered the park, even if they stood opposite the river, or on the bridge, they could saw the eye-catching banner with the words, "Falun Dafa".
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|   Falun Gong practitioners distribute truth-clarification materials on the bridge as visitors streamed into the park |
|   Visitors listen to a practitioner explain the facts about Falun Gong |
|   Falun Gong practitioners' fan dance and exercises demonstration |
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|   Practitioners explain the facts about Falun Gong |
|   Visitors look at photo boards clarifying the truth of Falun Dafa |
|   Visitors follow practitioners to learn the exercises |
Falun Gong practitioners displayed a photo exhibit entitled, "The Journey of Falun Dafa," on the spacious lawn to clarify the truth and expose the persecution of Falun Gong to the visitors. At the same time, in order to display the beauty of Falun Dafa, practitioners continually demonstrated the exercises and performed the fan dance. The practitioners' peacefulness, harmony, and elegance brought a fresh feeling to the visitors in an otherwise noisy environment. They silently watched, and sometimes commented "Wonderful!" Some people used camcorders to record the scenes, or walked into the practitioners' group to request having a photo taken with them.
Besides the exercise demonstration, many visitors viewed the photo exhibit and listened to the practitioners' explanations. Some Western visitors expressed shock and puzzlement regarding the persecution of Falun Gong in China, and many stayed and talked with practitioners until they had a good understanding of the issues. Many older Chinese people said that they had learned about the evil nature of the persecutors, and they condemned the persecution of innocent Falun Gong practitioners. Some immigrants who just arrived in Canada showed less concern at first, but after learning the truth about the "Self-immolation Incident in Tiananmen Square," and seeing through the evil nature of the persecution, happily accepted the Dafa truth clarification materials, and wanted to learn more about Falun Gong. What made us even happier was that during the process of clarifying the truth, whether they were Chinese or Westerners, once they saw Falun Gong practitioners, they would say directly, "I want a copy of the book Zhuan Falun," or "Where can I learn to practice the exercises?"
Just after noontime, a sudden downfall dispersed visitors everywhere to dodge the rain. A visitor rushed into Falun Dafa's tent and shouted, "Falun Dafa is great!" Before long, the Falun Dafa tent was crowded with visitors, and many of them came from China. The practitioners tried to make room for them. While playing the Dafa music "Pu Du," the practitioners distributed Dafa truth clarification materials to the visitors, who were attentively listening to them in the rain.
(Clearwisdom.net) Between June 19 and June 24, Hamburg celebrated the Altonale cultural festival. Despite the unpredictable weather, more than 500 thousand people attended one of Northern Germany's most popular cultural celebrations. One could visit a number of associations' information booths as well as lively cultural programs, where there was music, dance, and much more to experience.
This year, Falun Gong took part in the Altonale once again. Practitioners from Hamburg, Bremen, and Aurich took the opportunity to inform the visitors about Falun Gong and the persecution of Falun Gong in China. This year Falun Gong was included in the festival's activities, as it registered its booth on time. Many local practitioners could not be present, as they were attending the 2004 European Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference in Vienna. Therefore, the practitioners' dancing and singing performances, which were originally scheduled, had to be cancelled and another program offered on short notice. We decided that instead of the dance performance, we would teach the folding of paper lotus flowers. The children and even the grown-ups enjoyed this tremendously. While the children were busy with the handicrafts, the parents took the opportunity to view the persecution photo exhibition and watch the exercise demonstration.
Folding paper lotus flowers was an excellent opportunity to let people know about the truth and bring enjoyment to the visitors at the same time. First, people were only interested in learning the folding technique. Later on, they opened up and wanted to hear about Falun Gong and the persecution. This year, I came to realize the importance of participating in such festivals. We need to take every opportunity to tell people about the persecution. It also became clear to me that one needs only a few practitioners with compassionate hearts to be successful.
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Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20566.html
(Clearwisdom.net) From June 19 to June 20, Victoria Falun Gong practitioners were invited to participate in the Psychic New Age Expo, which was held at Bendigo, Victoria. This expo attracted many local residents and outsiders who are interested in qigong and/or alternative medical treatments.
Falun Gong practitioners displayed many historic photos of Falun Gong and a large amount of truth-clarifying literature at their booth, with two practitioners distributing materials and two demonstrating Falun Gong exercises for visitors and sending righteous thoughts at the top of each hour. A lot of visitors thus learned about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners happening in China. They were very eager to know more about Falun Gong and many signed a petition letter in support of Falun Gong.
Practitioners came from a long way to participate in this event. They hoped local residents would have a chance to see the beauty of Falun Dafa and learn about the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance".
(Clearwisdom.net) Dutch Falun Gong practitioners started a project to let children know more about Falun Gong. After the practitioners sent information to schools in the Netherlands, a school near Rotterdam invited the practitioners to tell them more about Falun Gong, the exercises and the persecution in China. The project comes in the wake of the "Petals of Peace" project that was formed to support the Chinese children who lost their parents because of the persecution in China.
On July the 5th, a group of practitioners attended a morning activity at the school, demonstrating and explaining the exercises and teaching the children how to fold lotus flowers.
The idea for this day of activities came from a teacher of the school who read the "Petals of Peace" materials that practitioners had sent to schools.
Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20649.html
(Clearwisdom.net) On June 26, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in the greater Philadelphia area, invited by the Bible Believing No-Denominational Church of the Northern Philadelphia area, participated in the "Peace on the Street" community event. Practitioners demonstrated the five sets of Falun Gong exercises, waist drum, fan dance, and lion dance. Practitioners' performances won warm applause from the spectators. The lion dance by young practitioners was their first-ever in public, and their skillful performance was highly praised by the audience.
Before each performance, practitioners gave a brief introduction to the program's theme. From the beauty of Falun Dafa, the brutality of the persecution, to practitioners' peaceful appeals, practitioners elaborated the truth of Falun Dafa from different aspects. After the performance, practitioners taught the exercises at the site and many visitors learned Falun Gong with great interest.
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(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners gathered in Vienna on July 9, 2004 to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Earlier in the day, many politicians, human rights organizations and victims of the persecution demanded an immediate end to the human rights violations in China. Later in the afternoon in Stephansplatz, in the very heart of Vienna, dance, drama and music were performed to show the beauty of Falun Dafa as well as the evilness of the persecution in China. The European choir "Coming for You" sang harmoniously, touching the hearts of the listeners.
The performance at the Stephansplatz portrayed the history of cultivation practice and Falun Gong in China. The cultivation environment and practice sites that one could see all over China were depicted by group exercises. Peaceful practice sessions were interrupted dramatically by the depiction of police intervention and arrests. The former chairman of China Jiang Zemin banned the practice in 1999 when the number of practitioners exceeded the membership of the CCP. Scenes revealed the horrific reality of the persecution: a depiction of a common torture method from the labor camps and prisons where innocent Falun Gong practitioners are abused with beatings and shocks from electric batons. The crowds looked on silently and were visibly upset when realizing the extent of the cruelty and brutality.
During the series of performances a lotus dance was performed, reflecting the beauty and compassion of Falun Dafa. Practitioners also performed their own music. The singer from the Swedish group 'Yellow Express' sang a song entitled "Walk On" and a German practitioner played a piece for solo flute.
At the end of the performance the European choir "Coming for You" sang the song "Wei Ni Er Lai." The idea for the choir was born out of the wish of Falun Gong practitioners outside China, who wanted to help the Chinese people see the truth behind Jiang's lies by singing a song for them. Singers in the choir are not all professionals but their voices carry true compassion and warmth, which is transmitted vividly in the beautiful melody of the song. "Precious Chinese people, you know that the whole world says, wonderful Falun Dafa, Falun Dafa Hao", the choir sang with their heartfelt voice and touched everybody's heart.
Falun Gong practitioner Sinikka, who sings soprano, gave her view about the
choir, "I see two things in it. Singing from the heart can touch other
people and help them see the goodness in the world, another serious side is to
let people know about the deception and injustice in a benevolent way."
The members of the choir are from all over Europe. Coming to performances requires sacrifice and commitment, because the concerts may be thousand of kilometers away. However, the choir members feel that is extremely important to reach people with their song and tell them the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution in China. They want to stop this persecution and give hope for people's future.
Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20640.html
(Clearwisdom.net) "Sandstorm," a Chinese language film made by NTDTV won the top honor, Best Featured Film, at the 27th Annual Philadelphia International Film Festival on the evening of July 3, 2004.
Picture 1: Mr. Larry Smallwood, Chair of the 27th Annual Philadelphia International Film Festival and the director of "Sandstorm", Michael Mahone.
"Sandstorm" was the only Chinese language film among the more than one hundred films shown at the festival, which was held in the Afro-American Historical/Cultural Museum. "Sandstorm" is a story of a storm-trapped Chinese policeman, whose conscience troubled him with memories of his arrest of a woman Falun Gong practitioner for distributing Falun Gong truth-clarification materials on the street. The woman finally died from the persecution.
Chair of the festival Larry Smallwood said at the award ceremony that "Sandstorm" was a very unique film with unique characters, and that the film and its director will become better known in the United States and internationally. Mr. Smallwood thanked the Festival Committee and the International Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers for bringing such an honor to the festival.
Michael Mahone from Canada, author, director and producer of "Sandstorm," said he made this film to tell people about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. He said, "Tomorrow is Independence Day, a celebration of freedom, including the freedom of belief. As a matter of fact, the Chinese Constitution also grants people the freedom of belief, but they don't have it now in China."
Mr. Smallwood said that "Sandstorm" is a very important film because many Americans do not know that such a large number of people are being persecuted. Americans and westerners cannot imagine a state-wide persecution of those who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. It isn't a few people--it is more than one hundred million people under persecution. Why? Why did a government feel so threatened by such a faith and put its followers in such misery?
Mr. Smallwood found the beating with the electric baton and force-feeding in the film terrible. It was hard for many people to believe that such things are still happening, especially in China, which many people believe is on the way to becoming a strong country. However, it happened as shown in the film, and Mr. Smallwood thinks the story "Sandstorm" tells is very critical because it isn't past, but is still happening.
Executive producer Alison Newman also thinks it is a wonderful and very important film. She hopes the film will be published and seen on national TVs and in theaters. A government should promote and celebrate goodness and kindness, not feel threatened by it. She said it was very sad that evil thoughts, evil people and evil governments cannot recognize goodness. She said the good thing about independent film festivals is that you can get information and see a lot of films that are unavailable anywhere else.
Robin Pson had known about Falun Gong as early as 1995 when he got a flyer about Falun Gong at a Qigong Conference. He said that many things, right and wrong, had happened, and the film had exposed a terrible wrong. It was sad, but he knew it was true. He asked anxiously how to stop the persecution.
Mr. Chen Gang had been subjected to tortures in Beijing's Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp. He said, "It is the first time I've seen this film. It reminded me of my personal experience. The persecution in China is actually much worse. I don't even want to recall the terrible things. It was too dark. What I and my acquaintances have experienced was much worse than the film. Many people have been deceived in the persecution. Jailers in forced labor camps have been brainwashed. Just like what happened at the Tiananmen massacre of democracy advocates, soldiers were brainwashed to believe students were revolutionaries before they were ordered to shoot at them. Jailers in labor camps have been brainwashed and threatened with their jobs and many other things. They were pushed to commit such crimes. Eventually, they became insensitive. I am worried about them. I hope they will wake up and not to be used this way any more. They will pay for what they have done. So, don't assist with crimes."
(Clearwisdom.net)
Facts of the Persecution
Notes --
(1) Practitioners are coerced under brainwashing and torture to write these as proof that they have given up their belief. Created by the "610 Office," the three statements consist of a letter of repentance, a guarantee to never again practice Falun Gong, and a list of names and addresses of all family members, friends and acquaintances who are practitioners.
(2) 500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.
(3) A "conversion class" is a series of brainwashing sessions employing violent attacks such as beatings and electric shocks to force practitioners to give up their belief.
(4) 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.
Issue 99, 07-07-04
It's Monday morning on the lawn above La Jolla Cove and a group of Falun Gong practitioners stands on mats, progressing through a series of slow, meditative movements that comprise their two-hour regimen. Suddenly, a guy in a basketball jersey, his face and neck sunburned, his blood likely still diluted with July 4 alcohol, grabs a mat and decides to join in. With each uncoordinated gesture he lets loose a loud whoop while two friends look on, one videotaping the other laughing in support. Basketball Jersey can hardly get enough of himself as first he imitates the Falun Gong group and then takes a turn with a couple practicing yoga several yards away.
Arlene Freeman, a five-year Falun Gong practitioner, who's momentarily stepped away from the group, chuckles at the guy. She sees not what most of us would see--an obnoxious oaf generally making an ass of himself. Rather, "he's just having fun," she comments. Fortunate for Basketball Jersey, followers of Falun Gong embrace three core values: truth, compassion and tolerance.
Falun Gong, a derivative of China's ancient qigong exercise routine, popped up in that country in May 1992 when a man named Li Hongzhi published Falun Gong. The book encouraged what Li referred to as "self-cultivation" through a regimen of qigong-based low-impact exercise, meditation and ethical living. Over the next few years, Falun Gong became wildly popular in China, its practitioners claiming the combined mind/body workout improved health and perspective. By the late '90s, China's Falun Gong followers were estimated to be in the millions.
Popularity came at a price, though. China's Communist-atheist government didn't take well to the growing populist movement and attempted to quash it first through the state-controlled press [Jiang regime's slanderous term omitted] 1. When negative media didn't stifle the movement, the Chinese government formally banned Falun Gong in July 1999, making its practice illegal. [...]
Since 1999, there have been close to 800 documented deaths of Falun Gong practitioners either by execution or from the effects of torture. Another 100,000 Falun Gong members remain imprisoned in Chinese labor camps. Between 2000 and 2003, the United Nations issued dozens of reports detailing the kidnapping, abuse and killing of Falun Gong members, each time asking the Chinese government to respond; so far, it hasn't. A U.N. representative was scheduled to tour Chinese prisons in June until the government requested he postpone his visit.
In January 2003, a group of local Falun Gong supporters asked the San Diego City Council to draw up a resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in San Diego's Chinese sister city, Yantai. With the request, the group provided a 30-page report documenting the torture and death of 11 Falun Gong members by Yantai police officers and the persecution of several others.
The Falun Gong group first approached City Council member Donna Frye, who helped the group draft a resolution. The document emphasizes San Diego's goal to "develop an open and healthy relationship" with Yantai, but also points out that credible reports reveal the deaths of least 11 Falun Gong practitioners at the hands of Yantai law enforcement. If passed, the copies of the resolution would go to the mayor of Yantai, that city's police chief and the president and foreign minister of China.
It's rare for a resolution to receive anything less than full City Council support. This resolution, however, didn't even make it on a council agenda. "The mayor blocked it," said Freeman.
Frye said Mayor Dick Murphy's reluctance to docket the resolution might have something to do with San Diego business interests in China. "I am not aware of any other resolution that has met the same fate as this one," she said, adding that it's "very unusual" for a resolution to be met with such resistance. Murphy did not respond to CityBeat's request for comment.
Frank Eaves, a member of the San Diego Falun Gong group, said he received a letter from the mayor's office explaining that the City Council doesn't involve itself in international affairs. Eaves said the mayor turned the matter over to the city's International Affairs Board (IAB), a group of 15 citizens appointed by the mayor. Eaves made a presentation to the IAB at its May 19 meeting and has yet to hear back. Enrique Morones, an IAB member, said the group didn't meet in June and therefore hasn't reached a decision on the matter.
Shizhong Chen, who came to the United States from China 22 years ago and is part of the effort to get a resolution before the City Council, said it's hard for anyone who hasn't lived under China's Communist government to understand the impact a resolution from Yantai's sister city might have. "Even a lot of high-ranking officials in China don't know of the [Falun Gong] persecution," he explained. Chinese President Jiang Zemin set up a separate office to deal solely with Falun Gong members.
"I have talked to many [Chinese] officials," Chen said. "When I tell them, they don't even know. All these articles come out in the newspaper saying [the government] has treated Falun Gong practitioners ‘like a mother treats her son.'
"The mayor in Yantai might not know the truth," he said. "A large percentage of people still believe Falun Gong is banned in the world."
Chen's father came to visit two years ago, three years after Chen began practicing Falun Gong. "Once he learned I was practicing Falun Gong, he was so scared," Chen said, "but after observing me for nine months, he slowly was convinced there was nothing bad about it. He started to do exercises and read the book."
Chen's father returned to China for six months, and when he came back to the U.S., he'd reverted to his old opinion of Falun Gong, Chen said. Again, though, he observed his son's way of life and is now an avid follower (he's remained in the U.S.). "If you have not lived in that system, you would never understand," said Chen. "Atheism ideology and totalitarian power precludes other ways of thinking."
Until they get the resolution they've been requesting, Freeman, who says Falun Gong exercise helped her recover from a violent attack and subsequent alcoholism, says San Diego's Falun Gong supporters plan to make use of the open public comment period at weekly City Council meetings to talk about the persecution of practitioners in Yantai. They'll keep this up, she said, until the mayor opts to docket a resolution or until a critical mass of council members (five) asks the mayor to put a resolution on the agenda.
Though the public comment period gives the Falun Gong supporters only three minutes to speak their piece, "in those three minutes we hope we can educate people... about the terrible situation in China. If they ever have an opportunity to talk to someone visiting from China, or if they are Chinese, they can help someone understand this is something that is happening in China and around the world. Falun Gong is a natural, normal thing to do everywhere outside of China."
http://sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=2225
Photos by Jerry Sowden
Chaochen Guan, Lawrence Zhang, Wendy Su and Kevin Koo start back on their bikes to finish their ride to Oil City after a short roadside break.
Eleven teenagers from Toronto, Canada, made their way through Venango and Forest counties Thursday on their way to Washington, D.C., as part of the "Bike for Falun Gong: Save the Kids in China" campaign.
Falun Gong is a form of meditation and exercise that is outlawed by the Communist government in China. The ride is intended to bring awareness to the persecution of thousands of practitioners of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. The rally will take place July 20 in Washington.
The riders traversed Route 62 from Tionesta and into Oil City. They planned to rest at Franklin's Seventh Street Elementary School during their visit to the area.
http://www.thederrick.com/stories/07092004-5006.shtml
