Experiences from Successfully Overturning the Hong Kong Court Judgment against Falun Gong
By Hong Kong practitioners involved in the lawsuit
Shared at the 2005 Washington DC Falun Dafa Conference (Clearwisdom.net) Greetings Revered Master, hello fellow practitioners: We are practitioners who were wrongfully convicted by the Hong Kong
government for sidewalk obstruction. More than three years passed between the
launching of the lawsuit in 2002, and its final conclusion in July 2005, when
all charges were overturned. We wish to tell you the background story. In March 2002, after Changchun practitioner Liu Chengjun and others played
video footage exposing the Tiananmen self-immolation hoax on local Cable TV,
former President Jiang Zemin issued a "Kill them without mercy" order
to the police. Changchun police arrested 5,000 practitioners and tortured
them--many to death. Keeping in mind the extreme urgency of this situation, four
practitioners from Switzerland decided to travel to Beijing to appeal, but their
visa applications were denied. Therefore, they decided to appeal in front of the
People's Republic of China's (PRC) Liaison Office in Hong Kong. On the morning
of March 14, 2002, the Swiss practitioners and several Hong Kong disciples began
a peaceful sit-in and hunger strike. Their purpose was to expose the Jiang
regime's atrocities against Dafa practitioners, and to ask people to support the
call to stop the violence. To our surprise, under strong pressure from the Chinese Communist Party, the
Hong Kong government sent in about 60 police officers, and arrested all 15
practitioners. Subsequently, they tried us in court for seven crimes including,
"obstructing the sidewalk," "preventing government staff from
carrying out duties," and "assaulting police." After 26 days of
court procedures, without substantial facts, the judge upheld all of the
charges. After this verdict, we immediately appealed to the High Court in Hong
Kong. Looking back, we realized that the incident could have been prevented. We
understood that the old forces took advantage of practitioners' attachments and
arranged for this incident, ignoring the safety of sentient beings. This was not
only a persecution of Dafa disciples, but it also brought severe damage to
sentient beings. Since it had happened, however, we decided to do our best to
deny this old forces' arrangement. We realized that we must do the following: 1) Follow Master's requirement and look within for loopholes in our own
xinxing. 2) Clarify the facts to people, minimize the damage done, and save more
people during the process. We accepted the challenge and stepped up our efforts to rationally,
thoroughly and with a clear mind, clarify the facts to more people.
We also exposed the fact that the Hong Kong government's persecution of Falun
Gong practitioners was because of pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Master told us in "Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New
York Fa Conference:" "Wherever a problem arises, that's where you need to clarify the
facts. No matter what the end result will be, through doing this you will have
chances to interact with more people and you'll clarify the facts on a large
scale." Master also said at the same conference, "Actually, you're Dafa disciples, so hey, their plots are playing
right into your hands! When they stir up trouble you'll have an opportunity to
clarify the facts and expose the evil, right? 'As soon as you evil beings come
near, I'll grab you and I'll let the world's people know.'--that's the perfect
time to expose them." Looking back, we found some of our omissions during the sit-in and the
subsequent court appeal process: 1) We did not study the Fa well, and did not pay enough attention to
self-cultivation. We also did not coordinate well as a whole body. The evil took
advantage of our loopholes. These omissions have resulted in the persecution by the Hong Kong government.
Now we have realized that only when we are solid in our personal cultivation can
we meet Master's requirement, "Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify
the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy."
("Rationality" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
These requirements complement each other. If we fight with people without
rationality, the evil will certainly take advantage of our loopholes, and we
will be walking on a path designed by the evil. Our appeal in front of the PRC
Liaison Office was not wrong. The key was our mindset: Did we think as
cultivators, or as everyday persons? In particular, did we treat the arrest as
persecution by human beings? Were we validating ourselves, or Dafa? On the other hand, we also held onto the competitive mentality. Therefore,
the dark minions of the old forces seized the opportunity and persecuted us. We
inadvertently followed the old forces' arrangement. If we had not had these
omissions, the evil would not have had the opportunity to attack us. For example, before this lawsuit, Hong Kong practitioners organized an appeal
activity after it was learned that Masanjia Forced Labor Camp stripped 18 female
practitioners and threw them into prison cells with men. The day we heard this
terrible news, ten practitioners met, studied the Fa, and shared their
understandings. The next day, we went to the PRC Liaison Office to appeal, hold
a hunger strike, and expose the evil persecution. We reminded each other to act
according to Master's teaching, "as a practitioner one should not fight
back when being punched or insulted." (Zhuan Falun) and
"Doing but pursuing not," (Hong Yin). No matter what happens,
we decided we would remain calm. We would try to stop the persecution and send
forth righteous thoughts. That time, the police carried all of us into police
cars and took us to the police station. We did not have any conflict with them.
We sat in lotus position, and sent forth righteous thoughts peacefully, quietly
and rationally. The old forces could not find any reason to persecute us. After
the arrest, fellow practitioners and coordinators publicized the event to the
news media, and demanded that the police unconditionally release our people.
Under the pressure from the media, the police failed to find an excuse to detain
us any longer. They released all of us unconditionally. This experience proved the following: Besides studying the Fa, abandoning our
attachments, and denying the old forces' arrangements, we have to coordinate and
cooperate with each other as one body. These are the important elements that
enable us to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. Master once said that if
all disciples coordinate well, the mighty power of the Fa will be maximized (not
exact words). In "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West
Fa Conference," Master told us: "But all the same, Master doesn't acknowledge them [old forces'
arrangements-translator's note]. And you shouldn't acknowledge them
either. Do things well in an upright and dignified way, negate them, and
strengthen your righteous thoughts some. 'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't
want other arrangements or acknowledge them'--then they won't dare to do that.
So it can all be resolved. When you can really do that, not just saying it but
putting it into action, Master will definitely stand up for you. What's more,
there are lots of Fa guardians around Master, there are lots of Buddhas, Daos,
and Gods, and there are even greater beings, and they will all participate,
because forced persecution that's not acknowledged is a crime, and the
cosmos's old laws don't allow it either--irrational persecution absolutely is
not allowed, and the old forces don't dare to do it if that is the situation.
So you should do things as righteously as you can." 2) When some rather significant events happen in some region, it not only
targets the practitioners who have omissions, but it also tests the xinxing
standard of all practitioners in the region as a whole. The wrongful lawsuit was a test for every practitioner in Hong Kong, not just
for the practitioners involved in the lawsuit. It was a test concerning our
coordination and cooperation as one body. The evil's objective was to use this
test as an excuse to take advantage of our omissions. They wanted to weaken our
resolve and righteous minds, create division among us, and intensify our
internal conflicts. For instance, when the court reached its unfair verdict,
practitioners had all kinds of opinions. Some didn't understand our actions,
some complained, some told us that we had brought damage to Dafa, that we had
omissions, that we were causing troubles, etc. Facing the pressure from
practitioners, we became scared. We looked deeply inside ourselves to find
fault. We were afraid that we might do more damage to Dafa. We sank deep into
self recriminations and could not recover. This self-doubting mentality did not
solve anything. Just the opposite, we neglected to clarify the facts to the Hong
Kong society during the three months prior to the court trial in June, 2002. At that time, a large number of practitioners, including some practitioners
involved in the case, thought that we had been wrong to appeal in front of the
PRC Liaison Office. A majority of our practitioners did not have strong
righteous thoughts. The dark minions under the old forces saw our minds in other
dimensions and they said, "Look, even they say that they were wrong, so
they have agreed with our arrangements. Now we will make them guilty of all
charges." This was why the evil controlled the judge, who reached a guilty
verdict. Master said, "As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society
is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts. Even though the old forces do
exist, if you don't have those thoughts they can't do anything. When your
righteous thoughts are strong enough the old forces can't do a thing."
("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia,
U.S.A.") We believe that Master saw that most Hong Kong practitioners thought this
way, and that everyone had been influenced by emotional criticisms of fellow
practitioners. We could not concentrate during sending forth righteous thoughts
and we did not clarify the facts in a timely fashion. The situation brought
great pain to the fellow practitioners who had been wrongfully convicted. Through studying the Fa diligently, we achieved a deeper understanding of
teacher's words: "The group of evil political scoundrels has never followed the law in
dealing with Dafa disciples, so don't disapprove again of the actions Dafa
disciples are taking as they clarify the truth, due to your attachment of
fear." ("Look at Things with Righteous Thoughts") Master's compassionate yet powerful words stabilized the Fa-rectification
state in Hong Kong. In fact, we should think of practitioners in China, of whom many go to
Tiananmen Square to validate the Fa. Some have been arrested and tortured, and
some have even lost their lives. How could anyone object to their actions of
validating Dafa, just because they had omissions? Isn't that the same situation
as our actions in front of the Liaison office? This ordeal also revealed
everyone's xinxing level: Do you examine the incident while denying the evil's
plot to damage Dafa and persecute practitioners? Or, do you examine the incident
while blaming fellow practitioners for their omissions? Every Dafa practitioner
is involved: Their business is your business, and your business is their
business. Shouldn't we place Dafa in the highest position, while abandoning
personal notions and helping each other to safeguard Dafa? Shouldn't we use our
compassion to resolve the conflict and repair the damages to Dafa? 3) Our reaction to the court's original verdict, guilty on all charges After the court decided to find the practitioners guilty on all charges, all
practitioners in the case completely rejected the decision. When the police were
fingerprinting us at the police station, we gave the police an article about
people who persecuted Christians in their past lives, and received retribution
in their current lives. We also clarified the truth to them, telling them not to
persecute Falun Gong. The police officers were somewhat touched. Overseas
practitioners also voiced their support to us by sending emails and faxes and by
making phone calls. Under the overwhelming pressure, the police consulted with
their boss, and finally set us free. Later, the court informed the police that
they should ask us to pay a fine. We refused, because we were innocent. Paying
the fine would have meant an admission of guilt. 4) Breaking through layers and layers of human notions, and eliminating all
barriers to save sentient beings During the court appeal, we organized weekly Fa-study and experience sharing
meetings. When our case was to be heard by the High Court of Final Appeal, we
discussed how to let the judges and public learn the facts about Dafa. In the
past, we had also visited different offices of the court, delivering letters and
making appointments with the judges. We had also talked to the judges'
secretaries and had asked them to deliver our letters. Alas, at the time we were
hindered by existing laws, which restricted meetings with judges, because the
courthouses had rules stipulating that judges should not meet people casually,
especially those who heard the cases. We didn't feel comfortable about this, because we had no idea whether the
judges had heard and understood the facts. Later, we studied Master's lecture in
"Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York."
The following question and Master's answer gave us a new idea. "Disciple: When clarifying the truth in Manhattan to the employees in
the skyscrapers, we still encounter a lot of obstacles. How can we do better
in breaking through the layers upon layers of obstacles and check points that
the old forces set up, and thus bring the sentient beings in those buildings
salvation? Teacher: Yes, in fact when we go to those buildings to clarify the truth,
it really is hard to get in, since everybody there is working. While everyone
is working, if we go there to clarify the truth, their bosses will be upset
for sure, and then they will think badly of us. Of course, that's not to say
it is always that way. When circumstances permit we can do it. As for the
employees in those companies, there are usually three times of day when you
can come into contact with them. One is when they go to work, another is when
they get off from work, and the last is when they eat lunch. Most of them come
down for lunch. So at those three times we can opt to make an effort to reach
them, and perhaps the results will be better." Master's Fa words made us realize that we could hand flyers to the judges
during their lunch breaks. We realized that we should also send forth righteous
thoughts, let them know the facts, and save them. We made big posters with pictures and displayed them near the High Court. All
passersby could see the unfair treatment that we had received. Because we had
been hoping for a chance to meet with the judges, to clarify the facts to them,
Master made an arrangement. One day, while a practitioner involved in the case
was distributing flyers to the public, one of the judges in charge of the High
Court appeals case approached her with a smile and took a flyer from her. We
knew clearly that Master's law body had arranged this chance to hand the flyer
to the judge. As long as we approach saving people with a pure heart, Master
will make it happen, so we can succeed in this giant task. One month before the court date, some practitioners realized that we should
quickly deliver our Dafa materials, the Nine Commentaries on the Communist
Party and some truth clarifying VCDs to all the judges, attorneys, city
council members, various government agencies and consulates of foreign
countries. Over a short time, practitioners visited many people in their offices
and delivered the materials to them. 5) Letting go of our pride, sincerely exchanging ideas with fellow
practitioners who disagreed with us, and actively seeking our own faults, while
cultivating ourselves Early on in the appeal process, those involved in the case had not held deep
discussions with other practitioners. There were even misunderstandings among
each other. As a result, some practitioners did not fully support the appeals
effort. Some practitioners involved in the appeal realized that we should take
the initiative and talk to those practitioners who held negative views about us.
This would allow us to resolve the misunderstandings between us, and dissolve
completely the evil arrangement. Once we improved our common understanding
according to the Fa, and began to coordinate and clarify the facts better, the
evil no longer could bring damage us. Through group study, we all gained better understanding of the Fa. As a
result, fellow practitioners provided strong support to the practitioners
involved in the case. One practitioner was initially not involved, but after he
heard the details, he started to send personal letters to the judges, explaining
the truth to them. On the last day of the four-day hearing at the High Court of
Final Appeal, many practitioners stood outside of the courthouse sending forth
righteous thoughts. This created a powerful energy field filled with compassion
and serenity, which was so strong that the government lawyer could not even
speak coherently. The collective effort by fellow practitioners demonstrated the
mighty power of Dafa, which destroyed all the evil elements and shocked the
evil. The righteous and merciful message touched the judges' hearts. Only one
month after the hearing on May 5, 2005, the five judges unanimously reached the
correct decision. All of the appeal arguments were validated, and all of the
guilty verdicts in the lower court were overturned. This successful case shows us that some fellow practitioners changed from
disapproval, to understanding and finally being supportive. We began by
clarifying the truth within the legal community. Later through Fa study and
experience sharing, we improved our understanding of the Fa, and realized the
importance of clarifying the truth to all the people in Hong Kong. Through this
process, we became more and more mature. The fundamental reason that we finally won the case is that the Fa
rectification process has accelerated and has begun to manifest in this
dimension. Also, the collective effort of truth clarification made a huge impact
in securing the final outcome. Our common understanding of the Fa, our xinxing
improvement, our coordination, cooperation, and sending forth righteous
thoughts, all contributed as well. In fact, the Fa guided our every step along the Fa rectification path. With
Master's support, practitioners' continued efforts to clarify the truth, and
sending forth righteous thoughts, we reduced our losses and made contact with
special communities, which are not easily approachable. We created a new path.
Dafa practitioners' righteous thoughts and righteous actions have changed people
and improved the environment. On July 8, 2005, the Hong Kong court was scheduled to hear another police
lawsuit against Dafa practitioners on the charge of, "obstructing the
sidewalk." Before the court date, many practitioners clarified the truth
and sent forth righteous thoughts. We also obtained almost cost-free
consultations from some lawyers. We thoroughly prepared for the hearing. Several
days before the hearing, the police informed us that they won't provide any
evidence, and that the judge will dismiss the case in court. So, Dafa
practitioners' mercy saved more people, and has given them a bright future. Before closing, I would like to read Master's poem, "Righteous Thoughts
and Righteous Actions": "A Great Enlightened Being does not fear hardship Above are some of our experiences and understandings. Please let us know if
there is anything inappropriate. Thank you to our merciful and great Master! Thank you everyone.
Having forged an adamantine will
And with no attachment to living or dying
He walks his path of Fa-rectification openly and nobly."
Chinese version available at
http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/7/25/106922.html
Yearly Archive
Printer Version
feedback@clearwisdom.net