|
Falun Gong Practitioners Expose the Persecution from Their Sense of Justice, Not from Others' Funding
By Hua Yun (Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners inside and outside China
have been resisting the persecution with peaceful appeals ever since the
persecution began on July 20, 1999. Many practitioners outside China distribute
flyers in various places and appeal at Chinese embassies and consulates. People
often ask, "Do you get paid for doing this?" When our sisters and brothers are suffering in China, and we call out to the
world for help, why would we ask for a reward? Falun Gong practitioners outside
of Mainland China suffer right along with those inside China, and as a result
appeal for them and protest the savage acts of Jiang's group. How could we ask
for money? The early Christians did not renounce their faith in the face of persecution,
even when they were thrown into an arena and mauled to death by lions. Did the
early Christians do this because someone paid them? Similarly, Falun Gong
practitioners in China go to Beijing to appeal and distribute flyers to people
even though there is a great risk of arrest, torture, imprisonment and even
death. How can this be measured with money? How much would one have to be paid
to risk being jailed and tortured by extremely savage methods? In fact, many things can't be judged by money. For example, the love that
parents have for their children, the commitment between a husband and a
wife--these can't be measured with money. Mencius once said, "A gentleman
takes responsibility very seriously, whereas a vicious person takes personal
interests as the most important thing." Yi (responsibility, loyalty to
others) or kind-heartedness exists in everyone to varying degrees. When we know that Falun Gong practitioners in China are being persecuted ¨C
and there are almost daily news accounts of someone dying as a result of the
persecution ¨C we would not have a clear conscience if we did not condemn the
persecution and ask people from all walks of life to help stop it. Our cries for
justice are certainly not motivated by money! If people require rewards for every act of kindness, then their beliefs are
little more than the pursuit of fame and self-interest. The truth is, we simply
do not have any funding. All costs for any and all activities practitioners
participate in come from their own pockets. The media in China are
state-controlled, and spew the propaganda contrived by the ruling Party and its
behind the scenes controller: Jiang Zemin. Jiang's propaganda machine constantly
tells China's people the story that the American government funds Falun Gong as
part of some kind of underhanded scheme to destabilize and attack China. But
that simply isn't the case. It is just one of the many ways Jiang uses to
deceive the Chinese public, demonizing Falun Gong as a diversion and scapegoat
for the multitude of social and economic woes the country faces. He is taking
advantage of people's ignorance about the Western world and Falun Gong to stir
up fear and hatred, so that he can maintain his tight control over the Chinese
government and people. If someone wanted to harm China or any society, would
they promote or suppress the belief in
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance"? What Jiang's group fears most is
for the Chinese people to learn the truth ¨C that Falun Gong benefits society
and it is his policies that are destabilizing China, conducting genocide against
millions of innocent Falun Gong practitioners right under people's noses. If the
people knew the truth and were allowed to judge the situation with all the
facts, would they allow it to continue? July 17, 2004 |