(Minghui.org) A local practitioner recently stood trial. We hired two experienced lawyers who represented many practitioners before, but we felt their defense in court was weak and disappointing. They didn’t touch on the most basic point that the persecution has no legal basis and they also refused to share a copy of their defense statement with us.
One lawyer left right after the hearing. The stayed and told us that the court didn’t allow them to say things like “Falun Gong isn’t a cult,” otherwise their license would be suspended by the local justice bureau. The lawyer said, “Those who did well [in defending practitioners] have been jailed. We are now heading to jail [by taking this case].”
As the persecution now enters the 25th year, both the lawyers and we know how evil the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is. It’s understandable that they have become fearful when many of their colleagues who challenged the CCP were targeted and faced retaliation. It seems that the path of seeking justice with the help of human rights lawyers has become narrower over the years. I feel it’s partially because the lawyers were persecuted, but on the other hand, I feel we made the mistake of handing the leading role of counteracting the persecution to them, instead of taking full responsibility.
Walk Our Own Path
Cultivation is a process of constantly improving ourselves. After all these years’ trial and error, as well as our interaction with lawyers, most practitioners have a good understanding of the illegality of the persecution. There are also many good reference materials on practitioner-run websites. All of these materials were specifically prepared for our cases and even many professional lawyers don’t have access to this knowledge. As long as we study the information carefully, we will be able to defend practitioners in court.
Some practitioners felt that when we study the law, we acknowledge the persecution. I don’t agree with them. No matter what we do, we need to look at the matter holistically and proactively seek the solution. When we study the law, we recognize where we fall short and we act on it. This is counteracting the persecution, not acknowledging it.
Some Specifics
During a practitioner’s court hearing, when the prosecutor asked her, “If you believe you are innocent, do you have any comment on the recommended prison sentence?” Instead of taking this great opportunity to clarify the facts, she passed the question to her lawyer. In my opinion, she could have asked the prosecutor things like, “If I was charged with ‘undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,’ then which was the cult organization”, “what law determined that it’s a cult,” or “how did I undermine the law enforcement, and to what extent?”
No matter how the prosecutor answered these questions, it would give us more opportunities to clarify the facts, as there has never been any legal basis to the persecution and the charge “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization” doesn’t stand.
Master said,
“...if your mind can be imperturbable there will be nothing you can’t handle.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s),” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)
No matter what situation we encounter, as long as we remain firm in our faith, have righteous thoughts, handle the situation with calm and rationality, and proactively seek legal solutions, we can clarify the facts and save sentient beings. But of course, what really saves people and makes a difference is not what we do in the human realm, but the power of the Fa. When we do things based on the Fa (teachings), its magnificent power will manifest.
Above is my personal understanding at my current level. I welcome practitioners to point out anything not in line with the Fa.
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Category: Perspectives
