The parade through Dublin city centre was seen by thousands of people and was a huge success

The route of the parade led practitioners to both the Foreign Affairs office and the Office of the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister). A letter was handed to each office on behalf of all Dafa practitioners in Ireland. The parade also passed through several of the major streets in Dublin and thousands of people witnessed the splendid scene.

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Practitioners hand in a letter to the Irish Office of Foreign Affairs

Practitioners hand in a letter to the Office of the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)

Demonstrating the exercises in the centre of Dublin city

The parade ended on the main street in Dublin, where practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises. The day's activities concluded at the Chinese Embassy in Dublin, where practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts.

Sending forth righteous thoughts at the Chinese Embassy

There were several interesting occurrences during the day. The first was the number of people who took photographs of the parade. Some people even used their phones to take pictures! Others videotaped the parade and exercise demonstration and people could be heard telling their friends about Falun Gong on their phones.

The second was the amount of kind comments people gave. One passer-by commented that there wasn't enough truthfulness, compassion and forbearance in the world. Another lady stated that the Dafa music, Pu-Du, was dignified and there was a look of respect in her eyes towards practitioners. Two young girls even learned the fifth exercise on the spot and one commented that it felt as though she was in another place while doing the exercises.

Two girls learn the sitting meditation, the fifth exercise

Due to the support offered by the people of Dublin, they will surely by blessed.

Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200305/12278.html

(Clearwisdom.net)

Graphic design for World Falun Dafa Day	Cover design for cassette of the Truth of Falun Gong

• Graphic design for World Falun Dafa Day

Words in image: Celebrating the eleventh anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction

• Cover design for cassette of the Truth of Falun Gong

Words in image: Celebrating the eleventh anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction

On the left: Knowing the truth will bring you a bright future

Many a lotus emerging from
depth of clouded waters
unfolding our journey of
ascent from seed to purest
blossom.

Determined towards destiny,
horizons unveiling splendour
far beyond flower.

Above every torrent and trial
the light of 'Zhen, Shan, Ren'
awakens the world, resplendent
inside one boundless heart.

(Clearwisdom.net) Mayor Douglas L. Faulkner of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Canada, proclaimed May 13, 2003 as Falun Dafa Day.

(Clearwisdom.net) Mayor Wayne Ayling of the City of Grande Prairie, Canada, encourages the principles and teachings of Falun Dafa that promote Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance and proclaimed May 13^th, 2003 as Falun Dafa Day.

(Clearwisdom.net) Mayor Skip Beeler proclaimed May 12-18, 2003 as Falun Dafa Week in the City of Cocoa Beach, Florida, and invited all citizens to join him in honoring Falun Gong's efforts to improve society through offering free classes in the central Florida area.

11 May 2003

Dear Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen T. D.:

May 13th is World Falun Dafa day and a day of celebration for Falun Dafa practitioners throughout the world. Falun Dafa has spread to over 60 countries throughout the world and the main text [of Falun Gong, Zhuan Falun] is currently translated into many different languages. Many different people from many different backgrounds are striving to make themselves better people through following the guiding principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, and in the process are gaining better health. Yet the practice is still persecuted in China, and European countries are reluctant to publicly speak out.

The support we have received from the Irish government is very encouraging. Each letter we receive from Foreign Affairs outlining how Irish officials are raising these issues with their Chinese counterparts is encouraging. The successful rescue campaign of Trinity Student Zhao Ming and the part that the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Taoiseach played, give us great confidence in our efforts to rescue Dun Laoghaire students Liu Feng and Yang Fang.

There are some serious issues that concern us. Falun Dafa has been in Ireland for many years and many people have gained great benefit from the practice. Through the Irish governments meetings with practitioners, I am confident that the government is aware that the Jiang regime is lying about its persecution of Falun Dafa in China. Yet, is the current approach of the Irish government, of working hard behind the scenes through dialogue gaining the best results? It is a fact, that during the Jiang regime's annual conference in March, during a meeting of their Security Council, top officials said publicly that they would redouble their efforts to crush Falun Dafa, and during the following three weeks we recorded the highest number of documented death cases since the persecution began.

I think we can do more to openly pressure the Jiang regime to end its human rights abuses. I am aware from my correspondence with you that you are pursuing many avenues to improve the situation, but as is illustrated, they have not always worked. The recent SARS epidemic highlighted many interesting phenomena regarding the current regime. When the SARS epidemic broke out the Chinese officials were reluctant to work with any foreign organisation to combat the disease. Only when the free press outside of China continually highlighted the epidemic and the unwillingness of the Chinese officials to cooperate, did public opinion outside of China turn against China and then they eventually agreed to cooperate. Their cooperation, however, was immersed in lies and deceit.

It appears that since the Tianamen Square massacre in 1989, the Jiang regime has arranged a deal with the European officials: we will engage in dialogue with you on human rights only if you do not criticize us publicly. If the communist government was filled with honest officials who had a sincere wish to improve a bad human rights record, what criticism could they be afraid of? Instead it appears that the acts of dialogue are merely used by the Chinese officials to silence their critics. Inviting officials over to investigate human rights abuses is an absurd game. When they invited the WHO officials to China, they let them have access to any hospital (besides military hospitals where there were numerous cases of SARS). When the WHO selected a hospital the Chinese officials ordered the sick patients to be driven around in ambulances until they left; others were temporarily moved to hotels. Only under the scrutiny of foreign media and international pressure was the truth revealed. When faced with this the Chinese officials fired high-ranking politicians, but even today the WHO do not trust their figures.

The Irish government and other European countries are correct in their approach of peaceful dialogue, but it is the Jiang regime that is committing the crimes and this point must be made clear. The results of these talks must be published and when the Chinese regime commits more unspeakable crimes, they must be publicly condemned in front of the Irish people. Currently, two Dublin students are detained in China, although they have committed no crimes. They are not Irish citizens, but we must speak freely and publicly and condemn the fact that they are not allowed to return to continue their studies; otherwise what pressure will win their release? Zhao Ming was released because the Taoiseach spoke publicly about his case to the Irish people and Chinese leaders.

I urge the Irish government to break its silence regarding the terrible human rights violations occurring against Falun Dafa practitioners in China. Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs meet with the Irish Falun Dafa Association and disclose to us the progress of the dialogues that have taken place? [...] If you still have any questions about the nature of Falun Dafa practitioners, please contact us to discuss them.

You are doing a lot of work to end the human rights violations in China, but could a more open approach gain better results?

Thank you sincerely for your concern outlined in your correspondences with me.

Sincerely,
[name omitted]

Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200305/12287.html

(Clearwisdom.net)

The following happened in a city of Northeast China in January 2003: A female Falun Gong practitioner, 50, was visiting a relative, an older woman who was 62, who had terminal cancer. Besides the malignant disease, she had suffered from many other illnesses for decades. The major hospitals in the region could not cure her. The hospitals had informed her family that there was little hope. They were told to take her home and make funeral arrangements.

The older woman had no other choice but to go home. Her family started preparing for a funeral. At that time, she could only speak very softly and sit up only for a few minutes. Also, she needed several people to carry her to the restroom.

After a few words with the female practitioner, the woman was in tears. "Look at you," she said. "You are more than 50-years-old, but you look younger than my daughter." (Her daughter was 38.) She added, "It is over for me. I have only a few days left."

"Once I started practicing Falun Gong, all my illnesses faded away; I feel light and comfortable," said the practitioner. "Because someone in your family works for the police department and is responsible for arresting Falun Gong practitioners, no one dared to tell you about it."

The older woman's husband heard the conversation and said, "I believe in freedom of belief. Everyone has his or her own choice. I don't care if others practice this qigong or that qigong, even if it is Falun Gong." So the practitioner explained the truth about Falun Gong to them. When the practitioner was ready to leave, the older woman asked, "Would you bring me the book so I can read it?" Even as the practitioner was walking away, the older woman's daughter called out, "Remember to bring the book!"

The next day, the practitioner brought a copy of Zhuan Falun. The older woman was able to sit and read the book for more than an hour. Her heart and body were at peace, and her physical condition improved dramatically. Three days later, a rosy color returned to the woman's face, and in seven more days, she was able to walk on her own.

The 62-year-old returned to a hospital for another round of tests. She used to fail three critical tests, but the new test results were all normal. Her family and relatives were puzzled: how could all three tests show no problem? Shouldn't she recover slowly? They could not believe the results, but the elderly woman was indeed cured; she could freely walk around as if she had never been ill.

During this period of time, several Falun Gong practitioners were helping her and her family. Some brought them truth-clarifying materials and some brought them tape recordings of Teacher's lectures. The older woman also had very good enlightenment quality. One day she tripped and took a hard fall at home, but she got up and was fine. She knew she would be fine since Teacher Li was looking after her. She firmly believes in eliminating karma and purifying her body according to the Teacher's words, so she does not consider herself a sick person anymore.

The older woman had been ill for more than forty years, and was about to die of terminal cancer. She had spent at least 60,000 Yuan on medical costs. Many hospitals refused to admit her. [500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.] She started studying Falun Dafa when she was at the brink of death, and it took only twenty days for her to become a healthy practitioner.

The older woman's family was full of joy as if they were celebrating the Chinese New Year. Many relatives called and asked for her condition. Her family told them, "She was cured, and she was cured by practicing Falun Gong!" Some relatives did not believe it, so they traveled several hundred miles to see for themselves. Once they witnessed the older woman walking around the house and even performing some household chores, many of them said they would go home and read the book themselves-- because it was indeed miraculous.

The older woman's second son was watching the videotapes of Teacher's lecture series. In lecture seven, Teacher said that smoking had no benefit whatsoever. The next morning, he lit up a cigarette but it tasted very strange. He dared not inhale, and he quit smoking from that point on. The older woman's daughters and daughters-in-law all believe in Falun Dafa now, and some of them have started practicing. Some family members who worked for the police department saw the miracles; they now all support their own family practicing Falun Gong. They said that practitioners are good people, and they will not persecute Falun Gong practitioners as they did before.

With a renewed life, the older woman is using her personal experience to clarify the truth and help more people benefit from cultivation.

(Clearwisdom.net)

A Party Secretary in a certain village has always protected practitioners since learning the truth about Falun Gong. Whenever the province superior issued an order to persecute Falun Gong, he would reply that there were no practitioners under his jurisdiction. Then he would inform practitioners in the village to be on the alert for inspection. After the event, he would say, "How long will I be in this office? The people at the top issue some unjustifiable policy and we at the bottom have a strategy for dealing with them. I know Falun Gong is good, so I'll help practitioners. I will not commit the wicked deed of naming names to hurt others!"

Today I came across an acquaintance in the street, and he mentioned that it is not easy to do business now. As to the reason he said, "Jiang has led the officials to ask for bribes. From the central government to the local ones, there is corruption and moral decay. Public security in society is messed up and innocent citizens are suffering." In reply to my question of what he thought about Falun Gong, he said, "Falun Gong is really good. I have read a few Falun Gong books. They talk about Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Practitioners forsake fame or personal gain and cherish life while following the principle of not killing." When we chatted about the so-called Self-Immolation in Tiananmen Square, he commented, "Sure, it was a staged tragedy. How could the reporters and policemen arrive so soon with fire extinguishers? You can see that Jiang's regime used that as an excuse to frame and suppress Falun Gong." Then he added, "The good name of Falun Gong will be restored soon".

On practitioner Huanhuan's wedding day, the local public security office threatened to take her away unless she paid 5000 Yuan [Chinese currency, the monthly salary for an average Chinese urban worker is about 500 Yuan]. Her husband felt terrible about the loss of so much money. Although he knew that practitioners are good people, he divorced his wife unwillingly under pressure.

One day Huanhuan delivered Dafa truth clarification material to the house of another practitioner and happened to see the latter's daughter-in-law. Huanhuan told her facts about Falun Gong, concluding with the remark that, "We practitioners do everything for the good of you people. My painstaking effort is worth it to ensure a bright future for you." The young lady, who had had little understanding of Dafa before the conversation, said: "You are great and I respect you!"

Four year old Chunchun likes to stay with her grandma. She said, "There are so many Falun in grandma's house. Some are red, some are yellow or green, and some are purple or orange. Mama does not practice Falun Gong so there are no Falun in my own house." Chunchun learned from Grandma how to send forth righteous thoughts and she is also able to recite poems from Teacher's book Hong Yin. Once Chunchun tried to catch a Falun but fell off the bed to the ground. She got up and tried it again saying, "Grandma, please study the Fa more. The more and faster you read, the more Falun there are."

A certain practitioner's husband is a train engineer. Although he does not practice Falun Gong, he knows that Falun Dafa is good. He has been supporting Dafa and helping practitioners who became homeless due to the persecution.

One time, there was a cow standing on the tracks in front of the train. The train engineer tried to warn the cow away from the track with the train's whistle, but his attempts were in vain. He had to use the emergency brake. Usually, with so much momentum it would be hard to stop such a long train within a short distance. However, miraculously the train stopped about one meter before hitting the cow and thus avoided a huge derailing accident.

It is a blessing to practice cultivation of Falun Dafa. The whole family benefited from the wife's cultivation of Falun Gong. Her husband's kind dealing with Dafa also helps to accumulate big virtue (De) and select a wonderful future to come.

(Clearwisdom.net)

(Please note: the following is a post from a chat forum)

Here I will write some small things I have learned about Falun Gong. I hope those who have doubts about Falun Gong and those who have never come in contact with Falun Gong will read what I have to say.

I have been registered at this website for only a month and at first I felt great fear, because like everyone else, I didn't know what Falun Gong is truly about. As soon as I would hear anything about Falun Gong, what came to mind was the propaganda from Chinese television: that Falun Gong is something that goes against society and humanity. I think people are usually influenced by whatever they hear first. In the past I used to visit websites related to Falun Gong, but every time I opened the site I closed it out of misunderstanding. My parents felt it was unjust for people to be "persecuted to death" and also felt pity for those people who were being deceived by the lies. But we never knew the truth because we never came into contact with Falun Gong.

One day, I thought, I should not always believe in what I hear first because it might not be the truth. I should try to find out the real truth and since I didn't know it, I shouldn't make any judgments. At the time, I didn't have much interest in reading the Falun Gong books. The reason I registered at this site was because the friends I made at this site were very warm hearted and kind. No matter what, it was worth it to me to make friends with these people.

Because of this, I started to read Zhuan Falun. I read through it the first time very quickly and my impression was that the things it talks about are quite correct, but I didn't really analyze it in depth. After finishing the book, I still only half believed and half doubted the teachings.

One day, I downloaded the Dalian City lecture tapes that Teacher Li recorded. Speaking from the point of view of a non-practitioner, I strongly advise people who have misunderstandings or biases against Falun Gong to please download these tapes. I think that listening to the tapes is better than reading the written material because it can leave a deeper impression and avoid misunderstandings in the written language.

For example, people often are confused about the passage in Zhuan Falun which says "if you heal illnesses, you are not my Dafa practitioners..." [note: This is a direct translation]. This can be easily misunderstood by people. Actually, if you listen to the tape, you will know that what it means is "Falun Dafa practitioners are not allowed to use Gong to heal illnesses." This is the first benefit from listening to the lecture tapes. The second benefit is that listening to tapes is not as tiring as reading text. Master Li has a good sense of humor when giving the lectures and he gives great examples. I was often laughing while listening and I could hear the applause in the tapes during the lecture.

I still haven't finished listening to all the tapes but the more I listen the more I want to see an end to the injustices against Falun Gong. I felt anger and resentment towards the government, which deliberately made up so many lies and propaganda about Falun Gong. At the same time, I understood why this website was established. The webmasters not only want to eliminate the injustice against Falun Gong and let more people know the truth, but they also want to benefit people by telling them about the practice. They are unselfishly doing something that will benefit people for the rest of their lives! As soon as you know the truth about Falun Gong, you have already gained something!

I truly hope that one day China will recognize Falun Gong.

I am not a Falun Dafa practitioner, but I hope that those who are not practitioners can listen to Master Li's lecture tapes from Dalian City. I believe that after you listen to the tapes, you will have the same feelings as me. Please believe me, I would not harm you and neither would anyone else here at this website. They are sincerely doing kind things for people.

April 29, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

I loaned a copy of Zhuan Falun [the main text in Falun Gong] to a friend who was interested in reading it. A few days ago, she told me excitedly, "Teacher has been protecting me!" Then, with sincere gratitude, she related the following incident:

"One day, our pressure cooker suddenly exploded while I was standing right in front of it and soup burst out into my face. 'My face will be burned!' I thought. But strangely enough, the liquid that landed on my face was cold. I was not scalded, nor was there a single burn mark on my skin. There was no damage to my home either." She continued, "It's a miracle. I must write it down and tell all of my friends. Thank you, Teacher!"

May 4, 2003

Clearwisdom.net has previously reported that Dafa practitioner Ms Hu Hongyue from Xindu County, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province was persecuted to death. (Previous report is available at http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/11/27/29115.html). The details of that account are as follows.

On September 28, 2002, Ms Hu and another practitioner were arrested at a public bus stop in Chengdu by plainclothes policemen and detained in Chengdu City Detention Center. Ms Hu fasted to protest her illegal detention. She was barbarically force-fed, had medicine poured down her throat and was also injected with drugs. In November 2002, she died from the effects of her persecution at Qingyang District Hospital, Chengdu City.

The other practitioner kidnapped with Ms. Hu was a 45 year-old woman named Zhang Yalin. She was a cadre in Xindu County Oil Pump and Spigot Factory. Both Ms. Hu and Ms. Zhang remained resolute in their belief and had been forced to live away from their homes and families to avoid arrest.

Ms. Zhang was injected with drugs that harm the central nervous system. She ended up having a mental breakdown and became incontinent. Later on, she was sentenced to two years of forced labor. On December 5, 2002 and February 28, 2003, she was twice sent to Nanmusi Female Labor Camp of Sichuan. She was diagnosed to have severe mental distress and other diseases while detained in the labor camp, and sent away by camp authorities because of her poor health two times. In spite of this, the police did not release her. At present, she is illegally detained in Chengdu City Detention Center.

Police Department of Sichuan Province: 86-28-612-4846

Chengdu City Police Department: 86-28-640-7212 (Department Chief), 86-28-662-6160

Address of Chengdu Detention Center

3 Zhengyi Road
Anjing Town, Pi County
Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Zip code 611731

Telephone number of the Security Office: 86-28-8640-7825, Director Li: 86-28-8640-7826
Pi County Police Division (Detention Center) 86-28-786-2043
Qingyang District Police Sub-Division of Chengdu City 86-28-664-5100
Nanmusi Female Labor Camp of Sichuan: Section chief office: 86-28-521-2608 Squadron: 86-28-521-2600
Qingyang District Hospital of Chengdu City 86-28-8663-3874
Qingyang District Hospital of Chengdu City: 86-28-866-33874
Xindu County Oil Pump and Spigot Factory: 86-28-830-48263

(Clearwisdom.net) Dafa practitioner Ms. Mei Kanzhu, over 50, was a retired teacher in Chengguan Town, Huoshan County, Anhui Province. In mid-April 2003, she was reported to police while distributing truth clarification materials among her students, and arrested by the Huoshan County Police Department. Several days later, she was sent to the Liuan Detention Center, where she was tortured to death in late April. The details await further investigation.

The vicious thugs at Huoshan County Police Department actively participate in the persecution of Dafa practitioners. Once, six practitioners were illegally sentenced to forced labor only because some practitioners went to Beijing to appeal. Even practitioners who did not go to Beijing were sentenced to forced labor.

Because of its efforts in the persecution, Huoshan County Police Department was awarded "Outstanding Work Unit" by Jiang's regime. Zhao Fansong, a first division chief at Huoshan Police Department is very malicious. Other thugs at Liuan County Police Department, including Zhang Qun and Pan Jun, and the politics and law committee secretary Chen Changguo, are also malevolent participants in the persecution.

(Clearwisdom.net May 3, 2003) In April 2001, police from the Xima Street Police Substation in Jiang'an District, together with the Wuhan City Police Department, Hubei Province, arrested Dafa practitioner Li Yanlin, female, 38 years old, at her home. They interrogated her illegally and then detained her at the First Branch of Police Department No. 7 in Wuhan city (Address: Erzhigou, Dongxihu, Wuhan city, Hubei Province). The police also arrested Ms. Li's mother, Xiao Dongmei, who is also a Dafa practitioner. They seized truth-clarification materials in Ms. Xiao's home and confiscated a computer belonging to Li Yanlin's little brother who was not a practitioner. Although nothing related to Dafa was stored on the computer, the police still have not returned it.

Around June 10, 2002, with no legal grounds, the Jiang'an District Court of Wuhan City sentenced Ms. Li and her mother to three years in jail. They kept the trial secret and did not even inform family members. In court, they both firmly validated Dafa and asked the judge what kind of crime it was to be a good person with high moral standards. The judge had to release the mother with a suspended sentence. Ms. Li was then detained again in the First Branch of Police Department No. 7.

Because Ms. Li knew the sentence was unjust, she tried to appeal many times, but none of her appeals were taken seriously. She resisted the persecution in the detention center and was handcuffed and deprived of sleep many times. The people in her cell all shed tears for her and helped her go to the bathroom with handcuffs on to reduce her suffering. They praised her from the bottom of their hearts; they know that Falun Dafa is good, and that Li Yanlin is worthy of the name "Dafa practitioner."

After Ms. Li was sentenced, her family asked to visit her many times, but their requests were refused. Although her family sent money and goods to the detention center many times, they never received a receipt or a notice signed by Ms. Li. Her family was afraid that she might be hurt while in the detention center, so they kept demanding to see her. The detention center finally allowed her family to see her. They found that Ms. Li Yanlin had suffered a mental breakdown and could not even recognize her family. Everyone in the family cried hard when they realized what a loss this was. The persecution of Ms. Li Yanlin was exposed on Clearwisdom.net. (Reference: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/2/10/31953.html)

Ms. Li's family requested an examination. A doctor examined her and diagnosed her as having severe depression as a result of the persecution. The doctor suggested that she be released on medical bail so that she could stay with her family and recover.

However, Li Yingjie, the head of "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.] in Jiang'an District, was afraid that people would learn the truth about how she was tortured if Li Yanlin were released. He ignored the law. Not only did he not release her; he intensified the persecution. He secretly transferred Ms. Li Yanlin to an unknown location. Now nobody knows her whereabouts. Li Yingjie also tried to arrest her mother, who was then forced to leave home and move about from one place to another to avoid persecution. We request that the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" investigate this case.

Li Yingjie, male, former deputy head of the "610 Office" of Jiang'an District in Wuhan City, was promoted to head of the "610 Office" of Jiang'an District in Wuhan City for his "efforts" in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.

May 3, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

A 52 year-old practitioner, Mr. Zhang Zhaohua, is an official from Hailar Railway Substation of Inner Mongolia. He has always had a good reputation.

In November 2000, he was detained by the Hailar Railway Police because he clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to people. Many of his personal belongings were taken away and he was sent to Nantun Detention Center, where he suffered inhumane torture. Non-practitioner inmates were also incited to beat him up and injure his ribs. This lasted nearly two months. He was released only after the police extorted 7000 Yuan [Chinese currency, the monthly salary for an average Chinese urban worker is about 500 Yuan] from him.

The persecution of Zhang didn't end there. After the Spring Festival, on Feb 19, 2001, local police burst into his home. At the time there was only a relative at home, an 11 year-old girl. Without explanation the police searched every corner of his house and seized all Falun Dafa literature. Police then immediately rushed into Zhang's workplace and took him away. The next day he was sent to the Hailar Railway Police Station and detained there for 3 months. He was then sentenced to 2-years at the Fuyu Forced Labor Camp of Heilongjiang Province.

While he was in the labor camp, Zhang Zhaohua always resisted the persecution. He went on hunger strikes many times and clarified the truth constantly to expose the evil. On October 20, 2001, representing all practitioners in the labor camp, he wrote an appeal to request the end of the persecution and the release of all the practitioners unconditionally. His appeal was rejected. After being illegally locked up for 7 months, he was prosecuted by the Fuyu County's Procuratorate and was sentenced to 7 years. He was then sent to Beian Prison, where he is still being persecuted.

April 27, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

In January 2001, Director Qi of the Political and Security Division in the Police Bureau of Meihekou City, Jilin Province spread deceiving statements to the public. He said that the Chinese New Year was coming, that nobody should go to Beijing to appeal, and that local officials could resolve any issue related to Falun Gong. He also announced that he would meet and talk to Falun Dafa practitioners in Meihekou City and the surrounding area personally on the morning of Jan 12. On that day, about one hundred kind-hearted Falun Dafa practitioners in Meihekou left home happily and went to the city police bureau. Dafa practitioners were very happy to see each other and grateful for the chance to share their thoughts with the local governmental officials. They all waited in the hallway downstairs. They didn't do excises, didn't protest, and didn't shout any slogans.

Director Qi was working on the third floor in his office. After 10 a.m., a police officer said that because there were too many people, they had to select a few representatives to see the officials. Thus, about 10 practitioners were selected to go upstairs to meet director Qi. Falun Gong practitioners put forth 5 suggestions. After hearing the suggestions, director Qi announced that this many people visiting the police bureau was an action of "attacking the city government." The representatives asked him, "Why did you ask us to come then?" Qi said, a few representatives might come, but when so many people come it is seen as an attack. After that, Qi ignored the practitioners' requests. He reported to Tonghui City Police Bureau over the phone and illegally arrested 9 practitioners. After video taping, these 9 practitioners were sent to Tiebei prison and were later sentenced to a labor camp unjustifiably.

Later, he notified other local police stations and police bureaus to come and take the rest of the practitioners back to their hometowns for punishment. The practitioners who were taken back were punished with fines that varied from 500 to 1000 Yuan. Some were detained and not allowed to go home even during the Chinese New Year.

It is unbelievable that the local government could use such tactics to deceive kind people. This was just one of the large-scale persecutions of Dafa practioners in Meihekou City since July 20, 1999.

2003-4-15

(Clearwisdom.net)

The following is the statement Falun Dafa practitioner Shan Yuhuan presented in court:

I am present here in this court not merely to defend myself, but also our respected Teacher and Falun Dafa.

Falun Dafa is the great Buddha Law which holds the cosmic characteristic Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance) as its foundation. Falun Dafa was made public in 1992. Since then it has spread to all corners of China and the rest of the world. It has been translated into more than 20 languages. Now, people in more than 60 countries and regions have fortunately discovered the Buddha Law. At the 1993 Far East Health Fair, Falun Dafa won the "Award for Achievement in Frontier Science." It has also won more than 1000 awards and proclamations all over the world. Falun Dafa has won the praise of kind-hearted people the world over, and as a result, May 13 has been designated as "World Falun Dafa Day." It's proved that the spread of Falun Dafa brings numerous benefits and doesn't harm to any society.

Falun Dafa, with its broad and profound inner meaning as well as boundless mercy, wisdom and mighty virtue, has tempered numerous Dafa practitioners who are selfless and willing to give up everything in order to uphold the truth.

However, the evil Jiang regime has deceived the people and framed Falun Dafa. Numerous Dafa practitioners, from teenage girls to elderly people over seventy years of age, have been tortured to death. Many families have been broken up or scattered and many people dare not return home, as they would most likely be arrested. Under such circumstances Dafa practitioners are saving the people who have been fooled by the evil with their immeasurable mercy as well as great compassion and forbearance. Many people have been saved after they learned the truth. No matter how cruel the persecution is, it cannot change Dafa practitioners' firm upright thoughts and firm belief in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

Falun Dafa is good. Falun Dafa is the righteous Fa (law and principles). Restore the good name of our Teacher and Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa is innocent and Dafa practitioners are innocent. Release all detained Falun Dafa practitioners!

Sentient beings, cherish it! My life will forever coexist and radiate with "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance."

Note: Dafa practitioner Shan Yuhuan was kidnapped by Wang Taiquan, Zhang Lijun and other policemen from the Jiefang Road Police Sub-station in the city of Anshan on August 13, 2002. She was tried in the Tiexi District Court, Anshan City on April 8, 2003, after she had been detained for 8 months. Shan Yuhuan did not cooperate with the evil. She was handcuffed and carried to the court by three policemen. She shouted repeatedly "Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is the righteous Fa! Restore the good name of our Teacher and Falun Dafa! Falun Dafa is innocent and Dafa practitioners are innocent! Withdraw the arrest warrant on our Teacher! Release all detained Falun Dafa practitioners!"

The judge knew that justice was not on his side, so he mumbled the verdict in a very low voice. People in the court could not hear clearly what he had said. After the so-called verdict was handed down, Shan Yuhuan refused to sign it.

Currently, Dafa practitioner Shan Yuhuan (illegally sentenced and the term of her imprisonment is not yet known) is being held at the Anshan No. One Detention Center. We call on all just people to lend a helping hand in rescuing her.

Anshan No. One Detention Center: 86-412-2960506
Anshan No. Two Detention Center: 86-412-2611873
Anshan No. Three Detention Center: 86-412-2960933
Women's Detention Center: 86-412-2410341
Jiefang Road Police Substation: 86-412-2625445

(Clearwisdom.net)

The Power of One Body

A Falun Dafa practitioner from a city in Northeast China was illegally detained at a local detention center for possession of Falun Dafa truth-clarification material. The practitioner went on hunger strike to protest the persecution. Local practitioners sent righteous thoughts collectively in their homes, and also in close proximity to the detention center on two occasions. Another practitioner went to clarify the truth to the police of the detention center many times. One policeman got to know the truth of Falun Gong, and he took the initiative to provide information about the practitioner, and also bailed him out for medical treatment. After this practitioner was on a hunger strike for over 90 days, he was finally released. All the practitioners truly felt the power of being one body.

A Falun Dafa practitioner saved a little bit over 2000 Yuan [Chinese currency, the monthly salary for an average Chinese urban worker is about 500 Yuan], which was put together with other practitioners' money for the purpose of producing truth-clarification material. A few days later, he was kidnapped by police, and nobody knew the password for his bank account.

Producing truth-clarification material requires funds. One day, two Dafa practitioners took the checkbook with them to try to withdraw this money from his account. They understood that everything in this world is for the Fa, and that it was crucial to save living beings, so they must take the money out. After they got to the bank, without needing a password, they successfully withdrew the funds and were able to continue producing truth clarification materials.

Originally posted on May 5, 2003

Shared at 2003 New York Falun Dafa Conference

(Clearwisdom.net) I got involved with Falun Dafa, a few years ago. I picked up a flyer in the street, and from the beginning I knew there was something special and different from all other practices I had done in the past.

When the persecution began, I was astounded and did not want to believe it. Unfortunately it was really happening. Over time I began to have anger against the Chinese government and also against Chinese practitioners, because I had the feeling that they thought it would go away like a bad dream. Suddenly I realized, that those feelings were my very own thoughts. I was the one thinking that it would just go away like a bad dream. Little by little I became more and more involved.

In February 2002, I embarked on a trip to Beijing China. The goal was to clarify the Truth to those precious Chinese people. I wanted to show and tell that westerners also practice Falun Dafa, that Falun Dafa is good and that they were wrong. They are wrong for persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners and they are facing karmic retribution for doing so.

After arriving in Beijing, we hung around to get accustomed to the neighborhoods and the different ways of getting to Tiannamen Square. I was constantly reading the Fa as well as sending forth righteous thoughts while walking in the streets of Beijing.

During the few days before going to Tiannamen Square for our scheduled demonstration, I could feel the evil energy working against us. One night I suddenly awoke perspiring; dark clouds were coming up from the foot of my bed, and they looked very menacing. I understood immediately what was happening. The evil was attacking me when I was the most defenseless. To my surprise I remained very calm: slowly, I raised my right palm and send forth righteous thoughts.

A swift blue light struck the dark clouds incessantly. The light changed to gold and red and kept striking the evil until nothing was left. Even though everything was over, I kept sending righteous thoughts until daylight. Master's protection was all around me. It felt like being inside a cocoon with nothing to worry about.

The following day one of us was able to access the Clearwisdom website. There I saw Master's new poem "The Big Stage." I read Master' poem many times. It gave me a lot of heart. Master was helping a great deal.

The following day I took a banner that a friend helped me to make which said, " Falun Dafa is good" in Chinese, and wrapped it around my waist. We headed toward Tiannamen Square. We took the subway to get there. There were a lot of police on the Square, and they were obviously waiting for us. The element of surprise had been missed, but I decided that I was going ahead anyway. The police stopped us as we were entering the Square, demanding to search us. I was the first one to be searched, hoping the others would get away to the Square. The police found the banner I was hiding under my clothes. They dragged me on the stairway, punching and kicking, aiming at the groin. Even though they beat me, I did not feel the pain, and I mentally sealed my groin to shield it. I knew I could handle everything because Master was protecting me.

They threw me inside a car. As soon as they locked the car doors, the doors kept unlocking themselves. This happened at least 10 times. The police were finally able to lock the car and left me by myself. As soon as they were gone, the car doors unlocked themselves again. I jumped out and ran toward Tiannamen Square shouting loudly, "Falun Dafa Hao, Falun Dafa Hao!!!" My heart felt so light and full of joy, Master had opened the car door for me. I was running and soon was again caught by the police. I looked straight into their eyes but all I saw was fear. Back at the police station, they were many of us that had been taken prisoner. I was saying Falun Dafa Hao all the time. A policewoman told me that she did not understand what I was saying. I said to her " I know you understand, Falun Dafa Hao." She turned her face away as tears rolled down her cheeks. She then left the room. They took all my belongings, and placed them inside a plastic bag.

I kept sending forth righteous thoughts. There was a police officer that wanted to beat me all the time, but every time he raised his fist to do so an unseen force pushed him back. Once he got so excited that he was pushed back against the wall and could not move. I always looked him in the eyes when this kind of things happened. There is a saying that, " The eyes are the mirror of the soul." What I saw within his eyes was so much suffering, so much dismay. I clarified the Truth to all who were listening. Some of them agreed with me. Some told me they were just doing their job, as they had a family to feed.

We were taken to a detention center, which appeared to be disguised as a hotel, near the airport. I ask them a few times if we were arrested, they said we were their guests. They threw me inside a room with four cops to guard me. Then they took turns interrogating me, asking silly questions, using scare tactics such as screaming, or raising their fists to strike. They screamed many times "Why did you come here?"

I replied, "I came here for you, I came here to offer you a chance to save yourself." Then I clarified the truth to them. Some were laughing, some were quiet, and they were all listening. Many of them showed no hope. I became so sad about it, yet I carried no anger toward them. I thought I would have wanted to hate them, but I couldn't. Master's benevolence is so powerful; it prevented it from happening. There was a stockpile of Polaroid pictures they took of me. When I glanced at them, I saw that they were all blank. They never turned out. They finally decided that something was wrong with their camera, and fetched another camera, but it still didn't work.

I refused to take any of the food and water they gave me. They offered me tea, which I also refused to take. Finally, they drove me and a few others to our respective hotels to get our luggage. While waiting in the police van, I sent righteous thoughts, and one by one the police fell asleep, leaving the door of the van wide open. I could have escaped very easily. After a while the Chief of Police showed up. He was very upset with his men, and barked orders at them. All I understood was that the word Falun Gong was mentioned many times. They jumped on their feet, back to their duties. I keep sending righteous thoughts, and soon after, most of them were asleep again.

We finally got to the hotel where I had been staying. They searched my room as if they were crazy, looking everywhere, moving and checking behind furniture. They yelled, "Where is the book? Where is the book?" I kept quiet; even though they insisted, I still kept quiet. They found my palm pilot, played with it, but couldn't figure out how to use it. At that moment I was thinking, " If it is mine, it is mine." Soon after they returned it to me. That palm pilot contained all of Master's books, articles, lectures, and poems up to that day and nothing else. I still use it to this day.

It was time to get back with my jailers to the detention center among other practitioners where we spent the entire night sending righteous thoughts, reciting Master's poems, reciting "Lunyu", as well as parts of Zhuan Falun. Early the following morning, it was time to go. On my way to the airport, I called out many times "Falun Dafa Hao" to the other drivers on the road from inside the police van. They told me to shut up, but I never cooperated with the evil.

Upon arriving in New York, there was a group of practitioners waiting for us, holding welcome banners. They were smiling and cheering and their energy was so kind, so benevolent. To this day, I still cherish that moment of Truthfulness, that moment of Compassion, and Forbearance. It was good to be back.

There is one thing I understood from this trip, that Master would never allow me to be in a situation I could not handle, even if it involved the release of the attachment to life and death. Master is always present. Thank you Master.

(Clearwisdom Net)

After reading the article entitled "The Greatness of Tolerance" written by a fellow practitioner and posted on the Clearwisdom website, (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/5/9/35424.html) I felt that there is a serious problem. Here are my thoughts:

First, it is a heart of pursuing comfort. The practitioner mentioned in the article as being irresponsible when spending money was probably not studying the Fa diligently and developed a pursuit of comfort. Of course, as Dafa disciples, we ought to pay attention to our attire and manners, but too much attention to this will develop an attachment to material comfort. As Master stated, "The desire to show off plus the attachment of zealotry are most easily exploited by the demonic part of your mind" ("Definitive Conclusion" from Essentials for Further Advancement).

Practitioners give us the money they made through hard work and saving because they have great trust in us to do the Dafa work. We should never forget our mission and responsibility, which is assisting Teacher in the Fa-rectification. When we don't do well in some area, the old forces will take it as an excuse to persecute us.

I know two practitioners who are engaged in making truth-clarifying materials. They strictly follow the principles of the Fa in their everyday lives. They always buy the cheapest groceries. In Spring, they can buy over ten pounds of spinach with one Chinese dollar. Spinach at that low price is always tough, but they just cook it in boiling water, add some salt, and eat it like that. All the practitioners who saw this shed tears. These two practitioners previously had very good living conditions. Now, however, one of them just sleeps on the floor on several pieces of folded cardboard, with a blanket in winter when the temperature is less than minus ten degrees Celsius. In order to save money, he doesn't even use a thermal blanket. Some practitioners have said, "To waste even one penny of Dafa money is a crime." They usually visit several stores before purchasing any necessary equipment or parts, as they care as much about price as quality. It's not that they are miserly; it's just the right thing to do, as every penny we have should be spent where it is most needed to save lives.

With respect to tolerance, I think practitioners are one body. Whenever we spot a problem, we should point it out, as we mean well for that person and are responsible for him. Being tolerant doesn't mean being indulgent. If we notice a problem but fail to point it out or correct it, it will grow as one tribulation builds on another, or it will be strengthened and enlarged by the old forces to cause us unnecessary damage.

As we are disciples of the Fa-rectification, we have to walk each and every step steadily and righteously so as not to be unworthy of Master's benevolent salvation.

Expressen is one of Sweden's major newspapers

Today marks the eleventh day since Pirjo Svensson, 44, from Gothenburg was detained in Bangkok. The Thai authorities have still not stated why she is being detained. Despite his attempts, the Swedish Ambassador has not received any answers either.

According to the Swedish Falun Gong Information Centre she has been detained with 90 other prisoners in a cell no bigger than 90 square metres. The prisoners are only allowed out of the cell for 10-20 minutes per week to get fresh air.

The important point - "what is she accused of?"- is still unresolved.

"We have tried to get some answers", says Jan Janonius at the Swedish Foreign Ministry. "Right now we have arranged a human rights lawyer for her, the best there is."

Source:
http://expressen.se/expressen/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=201&a=32720

(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of May 1, 2003, an Award Ceremony hosted by MP Marlene Catterall for outstanding volunteers in West Ottawa was held by the side of beautiful Britannia Lake. Falun Gong practitioner Gerry Smith was presented with the "Nurturing our hearts" award for his years of volunteer work to introduce Falun Gong in Canadian communities, and calling for an end to the brutal persecution in China.

MP Marlene Catterall presents an award certificate to Falun Gong practitioner Gerry Smith

Canada ranks first in volunteerism among the countries around the world. People begin to take part in volunteer work even as young students. Schools and society encourage everyone to participate in volunteer work. There are 6,500,000 volunteers in a population of 30,000, 000.á

MP Marlene Catterall said in her speech, "Every volunteer plays an important role in the lives of those they help. The effort of volunteers is the strength that can change Canadian communities. As volunteers, our communities rely on your contributions and service. Therefore we deeply appreciate your dedication and efforts."

Volunteers who received awards today came from different age groups and professions. Over the past few years, Gerry has made great efforts to let more Canadians feel the peacefulness and beauty of Falun Dafa. At the end of June 2001, Gerry heard the news that 15 Female Falun Gong practitioners were killed in the Wanjia Forced Labor Camp in Harbin, Heilongjing Province. He gave up his vacation plan with his family and began a 300-hour sit-in outside the Chinese Embassy on July 6, 2001. Over last few years, rain or shine, Gerry has been seen on the lawn in front of the Chinese Embassy and on Parliament Hill to introduce Canadians to Falun Dafa and to the facts about the persecution in China.

In his speech, Gerry said, "Falun Dafa came from China and has taken root in Canada. Many people of different nationalities practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners' services to communities are all voluntary. This honor I've earned today is actually given to all other Falun Gong volunteers who silently make contributions."á

Gerry also expressed that though Falun Gong practitioners in China are subjected to suppression and persecution, he believed that Falun Gong has become more and more welcome and recognized by people of the world, all this will change China's policy on Falun Gong in near future.

(Clearwisdom.net) The annual "Hiroshima Flower Festival" was held in Heping Park and Heping Avenue in Hiroshima. The theme for this year was "Dance, Sing, Flower of Peace." It was reported that about 590,000 citizens watched the performances, 90,000 people more than last year. The most important performance and also the one that drew most of the audience members was the parade of 71 groups with 5600 participants on Heping Avenue. Japan Falun Dafa group received an invitation to join from the Hiroshima Flower Festival organizing committee quite early this year.

I. Making a Good First Impression

At 2:00 p.m. May 3, 2003, when Falun Dafa practitioners' procession composed of nearly 200 practitioners appeared on the avenue, they immediately won citizens' attention and welcome.

A young girl holding a sign reading "Falun Dafa" led the procession. Following her was a group of practitioners in ancient Chinese costumes, carrying flower baskets and colorful ribbons, performing dances.

A large float decorated with colorful blossoms followed. Three big Chinese characters for "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" were situated at the front. Dafa practitioners in bright golden exercise suits performed the Falun Gong exercises to the music. Their movements were slow and smooth, graceful and elegant. Their sitting exercise was compassionate and peaceful, as if they were immersed in another world. Among them, two young practitioners in ancient Chinese costumes sat in handmade lotus flowers. Dafa practitioners displayed Falun Dafa's peacefulness and beauty to thousands of people along the road.

Behind the float was a lively Chinese Yangkou group. Dafa practitioners in bright Chinese Tang Dynasty costumes danced to the gong and drum, adding an upbeat note to the performance. A practitioner family of three played music for the Yangkou performance. Through their drumbeats they conveyed their good wishes to citizens.

Walking at the end of the Falun Dafa procession was a group of practitioners wearing T-shirts with the words, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," "Falun Dafa." They smiled and waved to citizens, expressing thanks to Hiroshima's people for their enthusiastic and friendly support.

Practitioners' demeanor gave a positive impression to the citizens lining the road, and inspired broadcasters. They gave objective and fair explanations and enabled citizens to gain a deeper understanding of the Jiang regime's brutal persecution in China. From the loudspeaker, people could often hear words like, "Look, Falun Gong! They smile, and they are so peaceful... The highest principle of Falun Gong is 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.' It is a qigong cultivation method bringing benefit to both people's physical and mental well being. They are displaying Falun Dafa to the world..."

During the participation in this flower festival, Dafa practitioners made it clear that our purpose is to display Dafa's sacredness and beauty to the Japanese people and let them learn about the truth of Falun Dafa and expose the evil so as to offer salvation to people. At the same time, the process of preparation and participation is the process of Dafa practitioners' making improvement and finding where we fell short, and also the process of cultivation and self-examination.

Hiroshima Dafa practitioners in charge had planned quite early on the overall design and plan and prepared all necessary things.

Most practitioners in Hiroshima participated in the preparation. They cooperated with each other and each contributed a bit to the preparation. It is worth mentioning that a practitioner who used to do little in Fa-rectification work stepped forward. His family members who are also practitioners previously worried about him. This time, the practitioner cleared away all interference, and wholeheartedly involved himself in the Fa-rectification work. He took the initiative to make props. He improved greatly during the entire process. Once, when he was doing the exercises, he saw heavenly people and flowers and trees in other dimensions were also doing the exercises. He was very grateful for Master's encouragement.

While making a flowered arch for the float, one practitioner had no idea how to do it at the beginning, but with her righteous thought, wisdom unexpectedly occurred and in the end she successfully made it beautifully.

In order to further clarify the truth and offer salvation to people, we distributed a lot of truth-clarifying newspapers beforehand, and collected signatures for the rescue of Yoko Kaneko after the parade concluded. Citizens who had learned the truth signed their names on the signature-collection cloth to express their good wishes for the early release of Yoko Kaneko.

Dafa practitioners made good use of time before and after the activity to study the Fa, and exchange ideas on how to improve as a whole in the Fa, and how to clear away the evil interference. At the same time, many practitioners discovered their attachments and shortcomings. All Dafa practitioners improved to different degrees through participating in the activity.