Clarifying the Truth for Ten Years at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, Allows People to Gradually Come to Know the Truth (Photos)
By Huang Yusheng and Liu Wenxin reporting from Washington, DC
(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Tao Lisha
is a Falun Gong practitioner who lives in Washington, DC. She has peacefully
protested the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at
the Chinese Embassy for many years. Facing the CCP's brutal suppression over
these past ten years, Ms. Tao and her fellow practitioners have persistently
clarified the truth. Ms. Tao Lisha took part in a large gathering in front of
Capitol Hill. The peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Embassy has
continued for the past ten years. 1. Origin of the Peaceful Protest in
Front of the Chinese Embassy On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party started to persecute Falun
Gong. Faced with such serious persecution, practitioners from all parts of the
United States got together on the lawn in front of Capitol Hill to call on the
United States Government to pay attention to this matter. Some practitioners
took time off from their jobs and traveled long distances to participate. At its
height, the total number reached one to two thousand practitioners. Afterwards, several local practitioners went directly to clarify the truth in
front of the Chinese Embassy. Since it is the CCP that persecutes Falun Gong,
practitioners went to the Chinese Embassy to peacefully protest the persecution
and to clarify the facts. This activity has continued in front of the embassy
for years. In the beginning, there were only two practitioners taking turns sitting in
front of the cmbassy, peacefully protesting the persecution and clarifying the
truth. Later, more and more practitioners took part. Whenever they could, the
younger practitioners also came before or after work. Practitioners have
peacefully resisted the persecution for ten years. There are always
practitioners in front of the Chinese Embassy, just as they have been every
single day of these past 3,650 days. 2. Peaceful Appeal Moved Embassy Personnel One evening in November 1999, Ms. Tao said an embassy staff member came out
again to argue with her. The person told her that he had already looked over
Zhuan Falun, and then he proceeded to say many slanderous
things about Dafa. Ms. Tao said, "Good for you. You received blessings
after you read this book." She took her copy of Zhuan Falun out of
her bag and asked, "Since you have looked over this book, which part do you
think is evil?" The other person had no answer and could only stutter. Ms. Tao continued, "I have all the Falun Gong books. If you find
anything evil in any one of them, you may bring it to my attention, and we can
discuss it together." She also kindly reminded him not to believe the false
reports spread by CCTV and Xinhua News Agency (both CCP media) because people
all over the world knew that they lied and that the CCP slandered Falun Gong. In
addition, Ms. Tao told the person that she would try her best to help any
official in the Chinese Embassy to understand Falun Gong and she encouraged them
to discuss their questions with her. Finally, Ms. Tao told the employee that people shouldn't allow such a
terrible persecution as this to take place against the Chinese people, and,
"since we are all Chinese, we should do our best to stop the
persecution--whether one is an official who works at the embassy or simply an
ordinary overseas Chinese." Ms. Tao had a friendly conversation with the
person afterwards. He warmly held Ms. Tao's hands before he left and said,
"I will remember every word you told me." In the winter when embassy personnel were sweeping away the snow from the
walkway, Ms. Tao always wished them good morning and commend them for their good
deed. The embassy personnel also wished her a good morning. They could see the
Falun Gong practitioners peacefully sitting there every day and knew that Ms.
Tao was also a practitioner. When Ms. Tao said, "Falun Dafa is good,"
they nodded in agreement. One staff member who had left the Chinese Embassy even secretly told Ms. Tao
that there are monitors everywhere within a 100-meter radius of the Chinese
Embassy building. Even the personnel inside the embassy are being monitored. Ms. Tao replied that Falun Gong is open and aboveboard, and practitioners don't
worry about the identity of anyone who comes to ask for information. Instead,
practitioners really hope that the embassy personnel will come to know truth and
be clear about how evil the CCP is. She urged them to do the "Three
Withdrawals" (withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations, the
Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers). She kindly told those who worked
for the CCP, "You earn your living by working for the CCP; however, the
only thing the CCP can do to you is control your body; your mind is free. You
need to understand that Falun Dafa is good in order to ensure a bright future
for yourself!" 3. The Kindhearted American Police and the Support of Ordinary Citizens Over these past ten years, Falun Gong practitioners have enjoyed the support
of the American police and citizens in their peaceful appeal in front of the
Chinese Embassy. Ms. Tao told one story of a kindhearted policeman. Two days after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Ms. Tao went to the embassy
as usual. She found six policemen there and told them that how sad she was about
the 9/11 disaster. However, she said she still came to the embassy because the
CCP are also terrorists. When she asked whether she could stay in front of
Chinese Embassy as usual, the policemen agreed without any hesitation. The
police were working overtime at that time. One time, a policeman was sitting on a bench resting. Ms. Tao went up to him
to greet him. The policeman said that he was dead tired after working twelve
hours every day. She said, "Since you are so busy, you don't have to bother
coming here. It has been always peaceful because Falun Gong practitioners sit
here, and it will be peaceful forever." That policeman answered, "You
have one hundred to one thousand practitioners here, each of whom is a
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance person. Do you know why I come here? I am
really beat after work. When I feel so tired, I come here to sit for a while,
because sitting here makes me feel very comfortable. Every time I feel tired, I
always want to come and sit here." When that policeman became aware that the CCP had incited Chinese Americans
to beat practitioners, he became so agitated that he took out his handcuffs and
waved them towards the Chinese Embassy. He told Ms. Tao, "Lisha, if there
is anyone who dares to treat you like that, call me at once. I will handcuff him
right away. This is America here, the CCP has no say here, and it's my
responsibility [to protect you]." Very soon afterwards, that policeman was
promoted. One winter, an elderly woman came over to talk with practitioners and then
drove away. After a while, she came back, with a thermos in her car filled with
hot tea. She served the tea to the practitioners, saying, "It's too cold
now. I know Chinese dislike coffee, so I especially prepared hot tea for
you." This lady often visits the practitioners. One time when they were sitting in
a large group, she told them, pointing at a magnolia tree, "I watch you
every day. In my heart, you are the great trees; you are the great
mountains!" 4. A Dignitary's Relative Quits the CCP Ms. Tao said that all the Chinese Embassy personnel have observed how Falun
Gong practitioners have conducted themselves during these past ten years. There
have never been any violent incidents. Before the persecution, she even didn't
know where the Chinese Embassy was located. What would an elderly lady do there?
In addition, she never thought that she would have a reason to go there.
However, the persecution is so serious that Falun Gong practitioners will
continue to peacefully protest there every day, no matter how hot it is in
summer or how cold it is in winter, until the persecution ends. During these ten years, Ms. Tao has to spend four hours every day traveling
to the embassy. There is another elderly practitioner named Ms. Xue who is 89
years old. She also comes here every day. Ms. Tao even tried to persuade her not
to come because of her age. However, Ms. Xue replied, "It doesn't matter. I
insist on coming here to peacefully protest the persecution. I need to do well
on my cultivation path." Several days ago when Ms. Tao participated in a group activity in front of
Capitol Hill, she clarified the truth as usual to a group of Chinese people.
Among them there was the brother of a well-known government dignitary. When she
mentioned how more and more mainstream Chinese are quitting the CCP, a man
standing near the dignitary's brother asked, "You dare to mention quitting
the CCP to him? Do you know who he is?" Ms. Tao answered, "I don't
know who he is. I'm just aware that he is my fellow Chinese. I hope that he will
have a bright future. Even though a dignitary stands in front of me, I will
sincerely advise him to quit this evil group known as the CCP in order to give
his family and their generations of unborn children a bright future!"
Afterwards, that dignitary's brother also quit the CCP. 5. Epilogue So far, more than 57 million people have quit the CCP. Everyone has a knowing
side, and sentient beings should choose kindness. Ms. Tao said, "We will
continue in our efforts until the persecution ends." This spirit is the expression of hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong
practitioners. The spirit of great benevolence and great forbearance will surely
awaken more sentient beings with a sense of justice and conscience, and allow
the world to witness the eternal radiance of
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Posting date: 8/5/2009
Category: Rallies and Protest
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2009/7/27/205405.html
Yearly Archive
Printer Version
feedback@clearwisdom.net