Clearwisdom.net, Wednesday, September 17, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net, September 16th report) News flash from Moldova's capital Chisinau: After Falun Gong practitioners in Iceland and Finland successively launched criminal lawsuits against Head of the "610 Office" Luo Gan, Luo is now facing the prospect of another lawsuit, charging him with torture and genocide in Moldova. Luo Gan is due to arrive late in the evening of September 16 in Moldova, and will begin his itinerary in Moldova the next morning.

According to the ClearHarmony website, the day before Luo was to arrive in Moldova, Falun Gong practitioners and local human rights lawyers completed their preparations and plan to submit the legal documents once Luo arrives in Moldova.

Luo Gan is one of the chief perpetrators of the persecution against Falun Gong. Over the past four years, the "610 Office", the Cultural Revolution style group that was formed specifically to persecute Falun Gong, has carried out a brutal, systematic persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. They established policies such as "defame their reputations, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically" and "do not check for the identity, immediately cremate their bodies after death" against Falun Gong practitioners, and they were carried out on a national scale under the direct orders of Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan.

The multiple lawsuits following Luo Gan in his visit to Europe have captured widespread media attention. Currently the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong is actively cooperating with local Falun Gong practitioners to push forward the lawsuit against Luo Gan.

Facts of the Persecution

Dr. Huang Yueying Detained in a Mental Hospital for almost Two Years in Huaihua City, Hunan Province

(Clearwisdom.net)

Dafa practitioner Dr. Huang Yueying was a doctor in a mental hospital in Huaihua City, Hunan Province. She was arrested on December 25, 2001 by the "610 Office"* for clarifying the truth about Falun Dafa to people in Guizhou Province. After that, she was transferred to the mental ward of the hospital where she worked and has been detained there ever since. It has been almost two years now.

She was also deprived of her 1000 Yuan per month salary and paid only 300 Yuanper month. In 2002, under the instructions of the "610 office", the mental hospital head (a Mr. Huang) and other doctors began to poison Ms. Huang Yueying and severely torture her.

Each day they would inject her with 100 ml of Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride, and made her ingest unknown drugs for as long as half a year. As a result Ms. Huang suffered from edema and had difficulty walking. Now she is still being persecuted in the mental hospital.

Huaihua City Mental Hospital: 86-745-745-2350362

Haocheng District "610 office": 86-745-2290610 (office), 86-745-2267911 (officer-on-duty)

*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.

September 3, 2003

Additional Information on the Murder of Mr. Xi Zhimin At the Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Mianyang

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Xi Zhimin, 55, was a resident of Branch 11 at Fuqiao Town in Suining City, Sichuan Province. He was murdered in July 2003 at Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Mianyang.

He was arrested by police of the Suining "610 Office"* at 9 p.m. January 9, 2002. The police broke two of his ribs that night at the public security office. He was then kept for six months in Wujiawan Detention Center and Lingquan City Detention Center. He lost a lot of weight due to the torture he received, growing very thin. In May, he was sent to Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Mianyang and was kept in the No. 3 Team for one year.

In late June of 2003, Xi Zhimin was transferred to the No. 2 Team. On July 13, he called his home telling his wife and children that he was in good health and they shouldn't worry about him, and that he would probably be released in October. On July 19, his children were on their way home after traveling to Shenzhen City. During a train stop, they called their father at the labor camp, telling him that his nephew would go to the labor camp to visit him at the end of July. He was very happy on the phone talking with his son, to whom he explained the requirements and procedures that they needed to follow in order to visit him.

At 9 a.m. on July 25, his family received a phone call from the labor camp telling them to go to the labor camp immediately; they lied that Xi Zhimin committed suicide at 1 a.m. on July 24. His wife, children and other family members departed at 4 p.m. and arrived at the labor camp at 7:20 the same evening.

In order to cover up their crime, the police hypocritically sent the seven family members to an expensive hotel and restaurant, and closely "accompanied" them around the clock. At 9 that evening, police from the labor camp, labor camp subdivision and judicial bureau began a negotiation with the family members.

The police falsely stated that Xi Zhimin did not speak to anyone in the past few days, had kept his eyes half closed and had been mumbling; he was sent to a mental hospital on July 23 with a diagnosis of an acute psychiatric disorder.

On the morning of July 26, the police led the whole family to the morgue. When the family members witnessed the horror scene of the body, they were all filled with deep sorrow. His wife and son nearly passed out from the sight. They saw the body was naked, and covered with countless dirty palm-sized markings. There was a half-rounded dark, bloody marks from his neck to the ears that was caused by being tied with a rope, and a palm-sized gauze bandage on his head.

His family members questioned the cause of the injuries on his body. The police said, "He went insane, and the wound on his head was sustained on July 23 when he bumped his head while in bed. We were concerned about him and gave him three stitches."

His family members questioned the cause of the blood marks on his body. The police said that when old people die they all have this type of mark and it was a normal phenomenon.

Then his family asked, "How do you explain the bloody mark on his neck?" The police replied, "He was a mental patient so we tied his hands to the bed with gauze. When the nurse wasn't paying any attention to him, he removed the gauze from his hands, walked to a restroom and hanged himself with the gauze. The restroom was 5 feet high so he hanged himself in a sitting position." The evil also said that the nurse patrolled every 10 minutes. When she discovered Xi Zhimin missing, she immediately checked the restroom and found him on a stool and his body still warm. The nurses held him up and performed artificial respiration.

The family said, "The nurse was a young female, how could she hold a man up?" The police could not answer. After a while, he said, "Oh, there were two other patients in his room who offered the assistance."

When the family sought to verify the fact by asking the two patients who shared the room, the two patients disappeared.

The family wanted to check the records of Xi Zhimin, but the police refused. The police said that the body needed to be cremated immediately. The family did not agree and wanted to wait until everything was resolved. The police said that it was the labor camp's rule. They forcibly cremated the body. In order to keep it hidden from the public, fearing the scandal if the persecution against Dafa practitioners were to be exposed and an autopsy was conducted, the labor camp forced the family to write a pledge in the labor camp. They were not allowed to say that he had committed suicide, but had died of a disease; and they were not to let any Falun Gong practitioners attend the funeral and were not to mention the death to others.

(Note: The above came from an oral description from the family on the morning of August 13. This article was revised August 14 by a fellow practitioner. The government wanted to block the mouths of the family members of Xi Zhimin. Besides covering the travel, hotel and meal expenses, they provided the family with an additional 4,000 Yuan. There were two practitioners among the seven family members, and in order to save more sentient beings, they put down the attachment of fear and visited other fellow practitioners to expose the persecution.)

*610 Office is 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.

August 29, 2003

Threat From a Lawless Official, "The Party Has Plenty of Means At Its Disposal - We Could Say That You Went Insane from the Practice."

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Du Xiukun is a Dafa practitioner in Changchun City, Jilin Province. In the winter of 2002, when she was riding her son's motorcycle, her motorcycle ran into a middle-aged lady at the slippery road turn near Xinglong Market and the lady fell.

Both sides involved in the accident talked things over and Du Xiukun paid compensation to the victim, settling the matter. Over half a year later on August 11, 2003, Wang Yanshun, the head of Weixing village, Erdao District, Changchun City, came to Ms. Du's home trying to pressure Du Xiukun to write a "guarantee letter" [to give up her practice of Falun Gong] Du Xiukun refused.

The official then said, "Let me tell you, if you are not going to write the letter, the Party has plenty of means at its disposal! The accident you had last winter where your motorcycle hit another person can be put on TV, and we could say that you went insane from practicing Falun Gong and you were riding the motorcycle and purposely running over people."

Wang Yanshun's home phone: 86-431-4593907

August 27, 2003

The Persecution of Associate Forecasting Engineer Mr. Zhang Xuan in Huludao City's Forced Labor Camp -- Part 1

(Clearwisdom.net)

On July 20^th 1999, Jiang started to persecute Dafa and the disciples on a national scope. As a Dafa disciple who benefitted from Dafa, I did not understand this persecution at all.

On October 12th, 1999, I boarded a train to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. I was detained in a local police station in Beijing and then was sent to the Huludao police department liaison office in Beijing. On October 16^th, I was detained in the "No.3 detention center" in Nanpiao district in Huludao. I was body searched illegally, prohibited from studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. I was beaten and cursed at, and tortured for 45 days. Afterwards, I was illegally sentenced to two years in a labor camp and sent to the Huludao labor camp. I was persecuted further there. Because I did not give up my belief in Dafa my labor term was extended for three more months.

At noon on November 30, 1999, I was transferred to the labor camp. At the "education and training" department of the camp, policeman Zhang Guosheng and the others took off all my clothes and searched my whole body. On the morning of December 2nd, 1999, Chen Dewen, a 57-year Cold male electrician and resident of Shuzhong Gejiaxiang and I were assigned to the No.1 group in the labor camp. They forced us to study the books, periodicals, videos and television news and other materials that attacked Dafa. If we did not study, we were forced to stand in the corridor, were beaten and shocked by electric batons, and forced to run. Such situations frequently occurred.

Following is some of the the persecution that I endured at the camp:

One day, policeman Guo Aimin made a brainwashed former practitioner read Dafa-attacking newspaper articles to the firm practitioners like us. We did not listen. Guo Aimin called us to stand in the corridor for several days; sometimes we stood there nodding off at night. We were forced to stand for 8 - 9 hours every day. Our legs were swollen. The people that were forced to stand were Zhang Xuan, Su Hongtao, Chen Dewen and Gao Wenzhi.
One day, an instructor with the last name of Shi called on us to read Dafa-attacking material. We did not read and so were forced to run 25 laps and on the second day run 30 laps ( about 2.4 miles) while holding a 1 meter long bamboo pole. After coming back, they gave the slandering-Dafa materials to us and we did not want to take it so the policeman named Shi forced us to stand. Chen Dewen refused. He was whipped with the bamboo pole until it broke.
One evening, the guard leader Wang Guiqing forced us to stand up in the name of forcing us to memorize the "reeducation" labor rules. He beat Liu Yonghui and the Rong Haijun's forehead and shoulder with a broom until the broom broke and then hit Rong Haijun and Liu Yonghui's face with his shoes, while forcing Liu Yonghui to stand. Wang Guiqing beat his waist with the wooden bedboard (the board was 90 centimeters (3 ft) long, 13 centimeters (5.2 inch) wide, and about 2 centimeters (0.8 inch) thick ). Liu Yonghui and Rong Haijun's faces were bruised and swollen. On the next day, we saw that Liu Yonghui had blood in his phlegm, his lower back was injured, and he could not move normally for a long time. The people that were persecuted this time included: Zhang Xuan, Chen Dewen, Liu Yonghui, Rong Haijun, Pei Guangbin, Su Hongtao and Pang Mingyuan. (Note: The above 1 - 3 matters happened before May, 2000).

About 9 o'clock on the morning of May 30th, 2000, six people, including Chen Dewen, Su Hongtao, Wang Zhuo, Yao Yanhui and Wang Hongting from the No.2 labor camp were taken to Xinshou group. We stood in a row in front of the classroom of Xinshou waiting for the brainwashing class to start. Policemen Zhang Guosheng and Tong Yongli led the policemen from the guards Division. Liu Liang, Liu Qiang, Wang Tao, Shi, Zhang and Li Shuxue forced us to read Dafa-slandering books.

I persisted not to read. Zhang Guoliang slapped me a couple of times and then slapped my cheek, and the front of my chest with his fist. He was out of breath when he hit my chest with his fist and then proceeded to beat me again after taking a break. He also kicked me. His hands were bloodied. He called to the guards who were standing on the side to bring him a half basin of water. After he washed his hands, he splashed the water on my face.

They then pulled out all the other practitioners to beat them. At that time, I was beaten down and then was pulled up, and then Chen Dewen was beaten down and then we stood up together. We were beaten for a while. The policeman Zhang Guosheng then called the guards to the side and assigned a task to them. He said: "I endow with you the rights." He then walked away.

Shi beat my cheek with his fist, chopped my neck and chest with his palm, and while he was beating, he was showing off by saying: " I have practiced at home, and I can break a brick with my palm". He also said: "How come his tooth did not fall out; his tooth is really solid".

Liu Qiang beat Su Hongliang, Liu Liang and Wang Tao beat Wang Zhuo and Yao Yanhui. They forced us to kneel on the mop pole, and beat us with fists and feet. Chen Dewen did not kneel and was dragged out to be persecuted. Zhang Guoliang trampled me with his foot, twisted the mop pole and I immediately felt extreme pain that was hard to endure. The scars are still there. For 2 months, due to the pain on my knee, I could not support myself when I was walking downstairs.

Police Tong Yongli shocked every practitioner's head with an electric baton several times. Several guards dragged Wang Zhuo to a room, Yao Yanhui to another large room and dragged me to the storeroom and left Su Hongtao in the classroom to persecute us separately. They forced me be into a push-up position without touching the floor with my stomach and they beat me with the mop pole.

By now Shi tried to force me to read Dafa slandering material. I did not read it. Shi then forced me to kneel, and beat me along with Liu Qiang, Wang Tao and Liu Liang. They forced me to touch the floor with my two hands, bend the body a large distance between my two hands and my two feet so that my feet could not touch the floor. I slipped backward and was very tired. This was a very painful torture method.

I was exhausted and spoke without strength. Sometimes Wang Tao and Liu Liang called me to stand up and then beat me like a punching bag with combination punches. About 8 o'clock in the evening, Zhang Guoliang came into my cell with a full red face after drinking and asked me whether I was going to read or not. I replied: "I am not going to read." He said: "Kneel until 12 o'clock ". This time I was badly beaten. My left arm had such hard-to-endure pain that I could not lift it over my shoulder, my cheek was broken and bleeding. I could not open my mouth to eat, my head and my face were misshapen and swollen very large, my chest was black and blue in an area about 20cm-30cm (8 inch - 1 ft), and my lower back was seriously damaged.

At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon on June 1^st, Yao Yanhui was beaten to unconsciousness for 14.5 hours. He lost consciousness, and did not respond even when the police shocked him with the electric baton. The police did not take care of him and also did not send for medical treatment. After the Falun Gong practitioner's urging around midnight, guard Zhao Fujun and policeman Tong Yongli took him to the hospital for treatment.

Later on we were made to sit on the cement floor every day with both legs held straight and with both hands placed on the knees. The waist had to be straight. They made us sit there for 8 hours a day and kept this up for two months. We also were beaten by the guard Feng San and group leader Wang Dianchen.

A group for persecuting Falun Gong was set up on July 1^st 2000. We lived in three different big rooms. We were detained in a restraining group. There was a board written that said, "strict restraining classroom" in front of the door. There were about 16 people there. Zhang Guozhu was the group leader. During the strictly restraining period, we were sitting on the floor for 8 hours without moving. Gao Aiguo and other guards often beat and cursed us. Our legs were all swollen a and felt very painful when standing up. The practitioners that were persecuted in the strictly restraining classroom were: Zhang Xuan, Su Hongtao, Wang Zhuo, Yao Yanhui, Wang Hongting, Yang Jiangwei, Pei Guangbin, Pang Minyuan, Liu Yonghui, Rong Haijun, Liu Quanwang, Huang Lizhong. The offending policemen were Liu Guohua (the big group leader), Zhang Guozhu, Liu Haihou, Ding Wenxue and Fan. The guards were Gao Aiguo, Zhi Liguo, Zhi Bo, Cao Shuai.

Hired Thugs Abduct and Extort Money From Dafa Practitioners in Haicheng City, Liaoning Province

(Clearwisdom.net)

On May 7, 2003 after 10 p.m., a gang of policemen from Haicheng "610 Office," (an agency specifically created by the former head of the Party to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems), Haicheng Police Department, and Xiliu Sub-bureau Stage 7 Police Unit conspired together to force their way into Dafa practitioner Zhan Chunmei's home and abduct her from her residence at Dongliu Village in Xiliu Town.

Ms. Zhang is an elderly lady in her sixties. She was weak and suffered from many illnesses prior to practicing Falun Dafa. She became healthy in both body and mind after practicing. Dafa has given her a second life and she is grateful to Master, thus she insisted on continuing to practice and refused to comply with the persecution. Due to her persistence, the police carried her away by force and confined her in the Haicheng Detention Center. She protested against being illegally detained by going on hunger strike. However, Haicheng "610" has not yet released her.

There were two more practitioners who were kidnapped at the same time as Ms. Zhang. One of them had 50,000 Yuan (approximately 100 month's salary for an average urban worker) extorted from him, and he was released after three months. It is said that the other practitioner, Miss Wang Xia, will be sentenced to imprisonment.

Another similar attack was made against the family of Mr. Cui Chunbiao of Niuzhuang Town, Haicheng City. Sixty-eight-year-old Cui Chunbiao is now illegally detained in the forced labor camp at Anshan. His son, practitioner Cui Yajin was reported to the authorities while he was telling people the facts about the persecution of Dafa. He was then taken away by police and was sent to Haicheng Detention Center. He was recently sentenced to 3 years in prison.

The following is a list of names of some of the malicious people responsible for the persecution of these Dafa practitioners:

Anshan Political and Judiciary Committee: Zha Fengzhi, Mobile: 86-13904129995
Head of the Haicheng "610 Office:" Li Haihua, Mobile: 86-13504913072; Office: 86-412-3223416
Haicheng Political and Judiciary Committee vice secretary: Zhang Ansong, Telephone: 86-412-3222505
Xiliu Town Police Sub-bureau Leader: Wang Baoshi, Telephone: 86-412-3820833, 86-412-3820333
Person in charge of persecuting Falun Gong: Meng Qingping, Telephone: 86-412-3857146
Policemen: Wang Baohai, Tian Ruwei, Li Zhongzhi (Police Badge Number: 304945)
Dongliu Village Party Secretary: Wang Jiadong Telephone: 86-412-383777
Security Guard: Meng Liang
Reporter: Ding Guangheng

Dafa Practitioners of Lingshan Township Persecuted by Qingdao City "610 Office" Personnel, Shandong Province

(Clearwisdom.net) In late August of 2002, the police of Lingshan Township, Jimo City, Shandong Province abducted Dafa practitioners Ms. Ma Xinling, Ms. Shao Shouxiang, Ms. He Xiuying, Ms. He Xiuxiang, Mr. Fang Shaoliang, and Ms. Zhang Xiuying at the same time. The Dafa practitioners were then sent to the Qingdao City "610 Office" for forced brainwashing.

Ms. Shao Shouxiang, in her 60s, was force-fed for more than two months there. The head of Qingdao "610 Office" threatened her by reminding her that she had walked out of Jimo City "610 Office" twice by hunger striking, but this time they would not let her go for any reason. Later, they sent her to Jinan City "610 Office" in an attempt to brainwash her.

Dafa practitioner Ms. Zhang Xiuying, in her 60s, was illegally detained for more than four months. Later, her health deteriorated at Qingdao "610 Office" and she became very sick. The officials were afraid of taking responsibility and finally let her go home.

Other Dafa practitioners were all illegally detained by the Qingdao "610 Office" for more than five months. They were then taken back by the police from Lingshan Township, Jimo City.

The Jingshan Township government spent huge amounts of money to persecute Dafa practitioners. The living cost for the six Dafa practitioners in Qingdao "610 Office" was as high as over 10,000 Yuan per month.

Criminal list:

Dong Quanqi (Lingshan Township Deputy Mayor)
Wang Xianhong (Lingshan Township Deputy Mayor)
Lu Youzhen (Township police station head)
Cui Yuanzhang (Police)
Qingdao City "610 Office" members:
Wang Hongjun, 86-532-3653171 (office)
Geng Shixiang, Sun Tongtai, and Sun Guimin
Qingdao City "610 Office" phone numbers:
Section head office: Hu Jun, 86-532-3668348, Ext. 202
Director-on-duty office: 86-532-3668348, Ext. 201
Security phone: 86-532-3668348, Ext. 210

September 6, 2003

Name List of Lawless Policewomen at the Shibalihe Female Forced Labor Camp in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province

(Clearwisdom.net) Policewomen who directly organized or participated in the persecution: Wu Hongru, Wang Yan, Zhou Xiaohong, Zhang Xiuhua, Gao Mingxu, Guo Hongyan and Chen Lanying.

Policewomen of No. 3 Team who participated in the persecution: Jia Meili, Hu Zhaoxia, Zheng Yufeng, Zhang Hui, Min Yumei and Ren Yuanfang.

Policewomen of No. 2 Team who participated in the persecution: Jiang Yanling, Fan Lifeng, Liu Yue, Liu Yue, Ying Meiling, Li Jingyue and Hei Yingli.

Crimes committed: They violated Dafa practitioners' human rights by separating and locking them up, force-feeding them, abusing them, disallowing them to talk with each other and disallowing some Dafa practitioners from buying any basic necessities. They also illegally extended the detention term of those Dafa practitioners who refused to sit through the so-called politics examination, and they brutally tortured the Dafa practitioners who refused to cooperate by submitting them to "tying the ropes"* torture and forcibly brainwashing them.

Policewoman Ren Yuanfang made lyrics that slandered Dafa and tried to force Dafa practitioners to sing them. She also required Dafa practitioners to recite the prison rules.

The No. 2 Team extended the working time at will. Dafa practitioners were not allowed to rest even on Sunday. Dafa practitioners Guan Ge, Zhang Baoju and Zhang Yali were detained in this team and they all have been tortured to death.

*tying the ropes: a form of torture where the police tie up the practitioner with a thin rope, wrapping the rope around his neck, and tying his hands behind his back. Then the police would use all the force they could muster to tighten the rope. The rope becomes tighter and tighter around the body of the practitioner, and makes it more and more difficult for him to breathe. The pain is so intense that the practitioner sometimes loses control of his bladder. There are instances when the rope was tightened enough to break a practitioner's arm.

August 30, 2003

Voices of Justice

More UK MPs Express Support for Bringing Jiang to Justice

(Clearwisdom.net) United States and Belgian Falun Gong practitioners have filed lawsuits against Jiang Zemin, the Chinese dictator who orchestrated the persecution of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners. Many UK MPs expressed their support in their reply to letters from Falun Gong practitioners concerning the lawsuits against Jiang.

Recently Dr. Rudi Vis MP wrote to a practitioner, "Thank you for your letter of 11^th July concerning the persecution of Falun Gong especially by the ex-communist leader Jiang Zemin. I was already familiar with the crimes and with the proposed lawsuits but it is always good to receive reminders of the crimes committed. I entirely agree with the content of your letter."

Two further prominent Liberal Democratic MPs wrote to practitioners. One of them said in his letter, "Persecution of Falun Gong practitioners does seem to be an act that would be unwarranted in our society. I agree with you that people being tortured to death for adherence to Falun Gong is unacceptable. Anybody who commits such acts should be brought to justice in the correct way and tried under international law."

John Thurso MP said in his letter, "It was very kind of you to write as you did on the 11^th July about the continuing persecution of those practicing Falun Gong in China. It is an issue which I have recently raised with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I am most grateful for the information you have provided.

The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Charles Kennedy, expressed in his reply that he was most grateful for the letter regarding the lawsuit against Jiang. He assured that his colleagues and he in the Liberal Democrats would take the practitioners' concerns and suggestions very seriously.

Many MPs expressed thanks in their reply to the practitioners for informing them of their strong concern about the situation of Falun Gong in China. They would bear in mind the issue in their discussions with their colleagues.

A Welsh MP wrote to a practitioner, "I am wholly supportive of your campaign. Please keep me informed of all future development pertaining to the case."

A lady MP in the south of England said in her letter, "Thank you for recent letter. The plight of the Falun Gong has been brought to the attention of parliament on many occasions and I know that this is one of many issues that will be raised by the Prime Minister in his visit to China."

Epoch Times: German President to Raise Human Rights with China (Photo)

September 13 2003

(Clearwisdom.net) International Human Rights groups asked German President Johannes Rau to address the issue of the persecution of Falun Gong on his official visit to China, beginning September 11.

Amnesty International's German branch and Frankfurt-based International Association for Human Rights (IGFM) wrote letters to President Rau on September 9th, asking him to appeal for people who are being persecuted in China, and specifically mentioning Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioner Xiong Wei.

Xiong Wei studied in the Technical University of Berlin during 1993 to 1999. She was sentenced to 2-year labor education for distributing Falun Gong materials in January 2002 in Beijing.

Regarding the crackdown on Falun Gong, Mr. Bischoffshausen, President of IGFM said: "In the past few years, China has carried out the most massive systematic persecution in human history towards a peaceful group. China cannot present herself as an open and modern country with respect when discussing issues like the upcoming Olympic Games."

IGFM is an international human rights organization that covers Europe, America, Australia and Africa. Its headquarter is in Frankfurt. It has branches and working groups in 26 countries. It also holds observer status in the United Nations and the European Union.

When former Chinese president Jiang Zemin visited Germany last April, IGFM requested the German Prime Minister to appeal for Xiong Wei's release. During Jiang's visit, Falun Gong practitioners held large-scale activities in Berlin. Mr. Bischoffshausen, wearing a yellow scarf symbolizing his support for Falun Gong, spoke at an outdoor press conference held by Falun Gong practitioners to support their peaceful appeal for human rights.

From a human rights organization and Falun Gong practitioners' urging, German Foreign Minister Fischer personally handed a list of four names to Jiang Zemin, asking the Chinese government to release these four people. One of them was Xiong Wei.

German Falun Gong practitioners also wrote a letter concerning Xiong Wei to President Rau. The President's office revealed to the practitioners that one of the main topics during president's visit to China will be human rights. President Rau will raise this issue during a speech in Nanjing City.

The reply letter says: "The President's office hopes to see the improvement of China's human rights, which will benefit China, because a modern society cannot be founded without the rule of law and the protection of human rights. It is our responsibility to make Chinese authorities realize this."

A report from a German reporter in Beijing says Rau is the first major German politician to visit China after its new leadership took over the government. He first visited Xi'an, and then arrived in Beijing on Thursday to meet Chinese Chairman Hu Jintao. Rau told the media that during the meeting with Hu Jintao he emphasized the importance of democratic society and freedom for religious groups. In a letter to the English-language newspaper China Daily, the German president says: "Germany thinks freedom and the security of the legal system have great significance in measuring the degree of development. A nation's rule of law and freedom of speech are the precondition of political stability."

http://english.epochtimes.com/articles/5471.html

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15159.html

Bringing Jiang's Accomplices to Justice

My Understanding: Hurry Up and Clarify the Truth While the Head of the "610 Office" Visits Europe

(Clearwisdom.net) Luo Gan, the head of the "610 Office," is visiting Europe and has taken a large entourage with him. This provides us a very good opportunity to extensively clarify the facts to save sentient beings and to eliminate evil elements in other dimensions with intensive righteous thoughts.

Filing a lawsuit against Luo Gan is a most effective way to clarify the truth at the moment. The lawsuit against the evil representative in the human world itself is a manifestation of righteousness restraining the evil, and arouses people's sense of justice. The lawsuit also provides us with a very good opportunity to clarify the truth to the media, through which more people may come to learn the truth. At the same time it effectively suppresses the touring evil group that persecutes Dafa and Dafa practitioners.

However, filing a lawsuit is not the only way to clarify the truth and eliminate the evil. Even if people in some places may not be in the position to file a lawsuit, the "610 Office" head overseas' visit still provides us with a wonderful opportunity to extensively expose the evil. The media pay special attention to China's human rights issues during such visits, and we can more easily clarify the truth through media.

I would like to share a bit of my own understanding here. We should not rely on others. If we cannot rectify our own state of mind to reach the level of Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples and do things based on the standpoint of everyday people and with everyday people's mentalities, then the results will not be good. Furthermore, we might be taken advantage of by the evil. For example, when clarifying the truth to the media, we should not pursue any particular result, such as whether they publish an article about us, whether the article would be long enough or where it might appear in the paper, and other pursuits. We should just go and clarify the truth and inform them of all our activities. This way, it is Dafa practitioners who are clarifying the truth; it is us who are fulfilling our responsibilities. We are bringing about the results once everyday people get to know the truth, rather than relying on everyday people.

The evil elements in other dimensions are already very weak, and we should not slacken our efforts. Instead, we should pay more attention to sending forth righteous thoughts. This is an important step toward completely eliminating the evil, rotten demons.

When visiting Iceland, the head of the "610 Office" turned pale with fright when he saw Dafa banners and Dafa practitioners wearing yellow shirts. When three practitioners held two Dafa banners, he became so frightened that for a long while he did not dare to step out of the Supreme Court building he was visiting.

In short, the overseas visit by head of "610 Office" is a very good opportunity for Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples to clarify the truth, to send forth righteous thoughts, to save sentient beings and to eliminate the evil. At the same time, we must be clear-headed that we should not rely on everyday people, because it is Dafa disciples who are rescuing sentient beings, and we must solidly and extensively clarify the truth.

Icelandic Newspaper "Morgunbladid": Organizations and Individuals Press Charges against Luo Gan (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net)

September 9th 2003

Supreme Court lawyer Ragnar Adalsteinsson believes that the Icelandic government has both a legal and ethical obligation to launch a lawsuit against Luo Gan for human rights violations in China. He thinks that according to common law, we do not have any choice.

"If the government does not respond it can be considered that the Icelandic people are in agreement with this man's conduct as well as that of the Chinese government," says Ragnar. Since Luo planned to leave the country today, Ragnar wants him to be investigated immediately so that the claim for his arrest or detention can be submitted. Ragnar's lawsuit was launched on behalf of three Falun Gong associations and eleven individuals. The claim was sent to Bogi Nilsson, the state prosecutor, and he will make a decision as to whether the case will be sent to the state police office or not. Bogi could not be contacted yesterday.

Haraldur Johannessen, a state-police officer dined with Luo Gan yesterday and said after it that he had not received any claim. He did not want to express any view on the case.

Bjorn Bjarnason, the Minister for Justice, said that Ragnar's claim would go through the usual channels within the legal system until a decision is made by the relevant authorities.

People Jailed without a Trial

Dr. Li Shao is one of the individuals in Ragnar's claim. He says that Luo Gan is the head of security in China and is responsible for the torture and arrest of hundreds of thousands of individuals without trial. In labor camps, people have had to endure terrible violence such as sexual abuse, electric shocks, beatings, brainwashing and forced abortions. The institution that Luo is in charge of is systematically investigating every corner of society for people that do not agree with or are against the government and then starting to persecute them. Li says that his sister-in-law has been arrested and sent to a labor camp without a trial. She did not get out until the British government took action, but Li is now a British citizen and lives in Britain. This is how he is aware of Lou Gan and his governments?terror.

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15154.html

Luo Gan Faces a Criminal Lawsuit in Finland (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) Following the Icelandic criminal lawsuit against Luo Gan, head of China's "Falun Gong Control Office" ("the 610 Office"), on charges of persecuting Falun Gong, the Finnish human right lawyer Mr. Erkki Kannsto filed a criminal lawsuit against Luo Gan with the National Criminal Prosecutor Office and the Police Department in Helsinki on September 11 2003, on the charges of "cruel torture" and "genocide."

On Luo Gan's current tour to Europe, human rights lawyers in both of his first 2 stops, Iceland and Finland, have filed charges against him. Plaintiffs in this lawsuit include the Finnish Falun Dafa Association, Australian citizen Dai Zhizhen and the internationally acclaimed traditional Chinese artist Zhang Cuiying. Dai Zhizhen's husband was persecuted to death in a public security prison under Luo Gan's jurisdiction, because he refused to give up practicing Falun Gong. Zhang Cuiying was illegally arrested and incarcerated for eight months after she went back to China to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to the central government. Zhang was finally released after efforts from the Australian government.

After the submission of the lawsuit to the Criminal Prosecutor's Office and Police Department, the Falun Gong representatives together with Mr. Erkki Kannsto held a press conference announcing the news. They exposed the crimes of the Jiang-Luo gang to the media, which have been committed during the systematic and cruel persecution of Falun Gong by implementing the policies of "defaming their reputation, bankrupting them financially, and destroying them physically" through nationwide "610 Offices."

The Finnish Office of the Prosecutor General and the Police Department immediately carried out an investigation into the case after accepting the lawsuit. The Jiang-Luo gang has imposed pressure on the Finnish government through diplomatic channels in an attempt to stop the Finnish authorities' investigation into the case by claiming Luo has diplomatic immunity. Nevertheless, it has attracted more concern from media and the general public. Prosecutors are currently referring to international conventions on diplomatic immunity.

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15155.html

"Radio Free Asia": Finnish People Dislike Luo Gan's Human Rights Record

(Clearwisdom.net) Radio Free Asia's special correspondent Tian Yi reported on September 12th that Luo Gan, head of China's Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, had just visited Iceland and on September 9th had arrived in Finland, the second stop of his European visit. Due to Luo Gan's human rights records in China, his visit aroused strong disapproval from members of the Finnish society, as well as embarrassing the Finnish government. In Helsinki on September 11th, Miss Wang from China told reporters about some events during Luo Gan's visit to Finland.

According to Miss Wang, the day before Luo Gan's visit to Finland, the local Finnish media published photos of Falun Gong practitioners practicing the exercises in a park, and also exposed Luo Gan as one of the instigators in the persecution of Falun Gong. After Luo Gan's arrival in Finland, the media also published some letters from readers asking why the Finnish Parliament and Ministry for Foreign Affairs invited Luo Gan, a person with such a poor human rights record, to visit their country. Faced with such questions, the Finnish Government had no choice but to offer an explanation. The Finnish Minister for Justice and the Minister for Foreign Affairs replied that Luo Gan was in Finland to attend festivals there, but he was not officially invited to visit Finland.

Miss Wang said that on Thursday morning some Falun Gong practitioners, who have personally experienced persecution or whose relatives have been persecuted, submitted a lawsuit against Luo Gan to the Finnish court. The Finnish Falun Dafa Association has already submitted a criminal lawsuit against Luo Gan to the prosecutors. The leading prosecutor in Finland also met with Falun Gong practitioners and said that they would conduct an investigation into the matter as soon as possible, and take action based on that investigation.

Miss Wang said that Luo Gan, who left Finland on Friday, is now in a very embarrassing situation. For the Finnish public who went through World War II, Luo Gan's poor human rights record reminds them of Hitler and the Gestapo. The Finnish public took a strong dislike toward this criminal.

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15152.html

A Norwegian Practitioner's Letter to the President of Armenia

(Clearwisdom.net)

President of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Robert Kocharian,

State visit to Moldova

Looking back at history, people in the thirties said that what the German regime did in their own country was "not our concern" as long as good trade relations were maintained. But it turned out to be of serious concern for millions of people in many countries. After the holocaust everybody said that it would "never happen again". But it is happening again C now.

Today it is widely acknowledged and has been reported by respected organizations that the Chinese regime is responsible for serious violations of basic human rights. Several spiritual groups, religious groups and others are being heavily persecuted; above all of these groups is Falun Gong. This persecution is headed by the "6-10" Office, which like the Gestapo in Germany, has unlimited power and operates completely above national and international law.

For your reference, crimes against Falun Gong have been reported by Amnesty International and several international organizations. Human Rights Watch has issued a comprehensive report entitled "Dangerous Meditation C China's campaign against Falun Gong". The World Psychiatric Association, with 120 branches worldwide, has voted to send a delegation to China to investigate psychiatric abuses against Falun Gong practitioners.

The current visitor to your country, Mr. Luo Gan, is the leader of the "6-10" Office in China. This office and its leader, Mr. Luo, are responsible for brutal violations of human rights, including forced labor, violence, psychiatric abuse, ill-treatment, torture and even murder of innocent Falun Gong practitioners. He is currently being charged in European and US courts for the crimes of genocide and others that are categorized as crimes against humanity according to the International Criminal Court (ICC). More information about Mr. Luo is available in the appendix of this letter.

Falun Gong is non-political, is not against the Chinese government, and has never made any political claims. We solely request to end the brutal persecution and maintain our lawful right to practice in peace. The practice, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional system of meditation, based on the universal principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. The purpose of the practice is to become a better person. Falun Gong is appreciated by millions of people in more than 60 countries.

On a broader perspective the purpose of this information is to maintain positive values and to benefit present and future generations.

Thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,
A Falun Gong practitioner from Norway
[name omitted]

Appendix:
Luo Gan and the persecution of Falun Gong

Luo Gan's career is based on the ill-treatment and torture of his fellow citizens who want to be good people and live according to positive values.

Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese leader, initiated the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. He wanted Falun Gong to be eradicated within three months. His directive for handling Falun Gong practitioners was to destroy their reputation, ruin them financially, and to destroy them physically.

Jiang founded the "6-10" Office to be responsible for the persecution and appointed Luo Gan as one of its leaders. In this role Luo Gan, according to Chinese and international law, is responsible for the criminal activities of genocide, torture and crimes against humanity.

As vice-director of the "6-10 Office" Luo personally inspected Political and Judiciary branches as well as labor camps around the country to ensure all levels of government implemented Jiang's three-prong directive for handling the Falun Gong issue.

According to the United Nations Human Rights Commission's 2001 Report, Luo Gan has intimate knowledge of the methods of torture and abuse used against Falun Gong practitioners in labor camps: "In October 2000," the UN report stated that "prison guards in Masanjia prison at Shenyang, Liaoning province, allegedly stripped 18 female Falun Dafa practitioners and put them into male criminal cells. It was reported that Luo Gan, a high-ranking Communist Party official, was aware of the incident. The 18 women are said to still be in prison."

The lawsuit that has now been launched in Finland against Luo Gan is the fifth international lawsuit to target Luo and/or the "6-10 Office" that he oversees (and this is the thirteenth international lawsuit in ten countries to emerge in the past two years against high-ranking Chinese officials or government bodies for their roles in persecuting Falun Gong).

Recently a criminal lawsuit was filed against Luo in Iceland charging the "6-10" Office leader with crimes of torture, genocide and crimes against humanity. At that time, Luo was on a two-day trip to Iceland, the country that boasts the oldest democracy in the world. When a journalist from the largest Icelandic paper asked Luo about the human rights situation in China, he was immediately intercepted by Chinese security officers and removed from the premises.

Last month, one of the lawyers who prosecuted the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet filed a criminal lawsuit in Belgium against Luo Gan, the former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and another senior-ranking Chinese official on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. This lawsuit charges the three men with genocide, torture and crimes against humanity.

Please be aware that the purpose of this information is to stop the inhuman persecution of innocent people in China. It is also to restore human dignity, because "An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15153.html

Practitioners Exchange Insights and Experiences

All These Are the Inevitable Manifestation of the Fa - Letter from a Practitioner in China to a Practitioner Overseas

(Clearwisdom.net)

Greetings!

Since we cannot communicate enough over the phone, I am writing down some of my understandings. With the past several years' experiences, Dafa practitioners have matured in circumstances seen as "adverse." We cannot slacken off for even a moment in doing the three things we should do. We are not doing the three things on a "shallow" level. Rather, we are doing them according to higher standards and requirements of the Fa. If we can understand the Fa from the depths of our mind, and manifest from inside to outside the state of a true Enlightened being with virtuous enlightenment and righteous Fa, what shows in the human world would be that there's nothing we cannot achieve. We shouldn't just limit the sending forth righteous thoughts to four times a day; we should do it constantly, and make sure that at every moment, our mind is doing it, as eliminating evil is our duty. If we don't do well, it will cause big loss. We have deeply realized the seriousness of it.

It is most critical to study the Fa. It is useless to put in effort on the surface without understanding the inner meaning of the Fa, because in this way we lose the opportunity to find our deeply hidden notions and fail to identify it. Then it will drive our thoughts to bring negative consequences, since any notion that does not conform to the Fa is irresponsible. These notions would constantly appear in one's mind to control one's behavior. The practitioners around me pay much attention to Fa study, as they have realized more from the lessons. Describing with time, they study the Fa for as much as 5 to 6 hours a day, and at least ensuring 1 to 2 hours a day.

We have fulfilled all these in an open and dignified manner, in the practice of validating the Fa, demonstrating the righteous enlightenment and establishing mighty virtue, and on the premise of paying close attention to Fa study and with the Fa as the guarantee. There is nothing we cannot achieve. After overcoming the restraint of human mentality and karma, we are walking towards the light. In the process of us doing well, we also bring peaceful effects to the environment surrounding us and touch people's hearts. We do not have the intention to show off or boast about what we are doing. Instead we just do well and manifest everywhere the state of virtuous enlightenment and righteous Fa.

People around us who were deceived (by propaganda against Dafa) can feel from us peace and hope. They say, "We cannot imagine there are people so good like you in this world. From you we learned how to control our bad temper, how to educate children and how to be a human being. We could not handle these things well at all before." These heartfelt words show the power of Dafa's reappearance in the human world. It is in this environment that we feel the power and perfect harmony of the sacred Dafa bestowed to disciples by Master, and the "existence" of the Fa. Eradicating everything in the old system and disintegrating any thought not conforming to the standards, the light is right in front of us. We treat all people with the same pure compassionate mindset that is beyond human sentimentality, from our "relatives" in the small family environment to everyone around us. We actively assimilate everything around us.

What I said above is true and real. I believe you will see all these in the near future, as all these are the inevitable manifestation of the Fa, and we are just the witnesses. We will strive forward more diligently, amend anything that is not righteous, and do better.

All that cannot be open and dignified due to restriction are of human hearts, as only human hearts and notions can have restriction, omission and trouble. Let's strive forward diligently together, and do everything with the state of virtuous enlightenment and righteous Fa. Currently the "environment" felt by human hearts, no matter in China or abroad, good or bad, is a false impression. If we are truly assimilating to the Fa, we will naturally see another scene. Only by studying the Fa can we truly understand all this, and can we break away all (that's blocking). The original state of being is conforming to Dafa, which is beyond description and explanation by the concept of any being. All the things the Fa bestowed us are beyond all human notions, thus the meaning of life is different and the state of being is different.

We often have the thought of missing Master, but it will pass in a flash, as we know Master is always with us.

Your friend,

August 18, 2003

Walking Through a Thorough Test Targeting All Attachments (Part I)

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Zheng Yijian (pseudonym) was arrested and sent to a labor camp because he persisted in Dafa cultivation. During the past few years, he persisted in a state of diligent cultivation. He firmly resisted persecution and never stopped doing the Dafa exercises and studying the Fa. At the same time, he treated with benevolence the labor camp guards and Dafa practitioners who made mistakes. Below are stories of his validation of Dafa.

In March 2000, Dafa practitioner Zheng Yijian was arrested and sent to a labor camp. At the city police department, Zheng Yijian began a hunger strike to resist the persecution. Likewise, he also refused to eat after he arrived at the labor camp. The Dafa practitioners in Division Two of the labor camp immediately cooperated and started a group hunger strike. The guards were shocked and scattered the practitioners to Division One, Division Two, and Division Three in order to make the persecution easier.

Zheng Yijian was sent to Division One. He was very weak at the time, yet he clarified the truth to others. When the guards tried to force-feed him he firmly resisted, so the guards tied him in a chair and force-fed him. Because of his weakness he could speak only in a low voice; yet whenever he opened his mouth, he always clarified the truth, exposed the evil and taught people to be good. Later he was detained in solitary confinement and the guards force-fed him at set times. They sent criminals to monitor him and didn't allow him to have contact with other practitioners.

Under these circumstances, beginning in late March, Zheng Yijian started doing the Dafa exercises in the labor camp. He did the fifth exercise around 4:00 a.m. every day, and he didn't care at all about the threats and coercion from the patrolling guards. The perpetrators were most afraid of practitioners doing the Dafa exercises. What shocked them even more was that a group of Dafa practitioners all began doing the Dafa exercises despite the pressure. The guards forced brainwashing on the practitioners. They put the practitioners who did the Dafa exercises in a small room and ordered inmates to read Dafa-slandering articles. At the same time they were planning a greater conspiracy. The guards and inmates in all cells were heard to say while grinding their teeth in anger, "Beat them, start beating."

On April 24, 2003, the attempt to organize a group-exercise failed. From then on, the guards used sleep deprivation and slave labor to torment the practitioners who took part in the exercises. Every day, they forced the practitioners to dig ditches during the day and make paper flowers and sew cloth balls at night until 4:00 a.m. the next morning. They were only allowed two hours of sleep, after which they were forced to get up and start digging. This brutal abuse did not beat Zheng Yijian down. After he soaked in the mud hole for a day and sat in front of the workstation for a night, he immediately sat in the double-crossed-leg posture and did the exercises.

This torment lasted 30 days. During this period, Zheng Yijian persisted in doing daily Dafa exercises without exception.

After 30 days, some practitioners couldn't persist, so the guards shifted their persecution efforts to Zheng Yijian. One night, the sounds from electric batons were heard for a whole night. The guard on duty was Du, a sadistic person who liked to torture people. He was later transferred to Group Five. When he couldn't find fault with the inmates, he shocked insects with the electric baton for fun. He especially enjoyed shouting hysterically when shocking people. He pulled Zheng Yijian into the restroom and started hitting him with an electric baton. He used a baton with the highest voltage turned on. The electric current was so strong that Zheng Yijian fell to the ground when the baton touched him. He slowly rose and stood up proudly. He was again hit to the ground and again stood up...he was tortured for a whole night. At dawn, Dafa practitioner Zheng Yijian still stood there in good spirits. During the whole night, other than the noise of the baton and the yelling of the guard, no one heard anything from Zheng Yijian. What shocked perpetrator Du even more was the eternal smile on Zheng Yijian's face. Zheng Yijian always smiled during the tribulations in the days following, and the perpetrators were shocked and scared.

The next day Zheng Yijian's body was covered with bruises but the smile was still on his face. At night, the perpetrators were very disappointed to see that he still did the Dafa exercises on time, and he did it for a longer time than usual. The guards ordered inmates to take turns beating him, but Zheng Yijian didn't say anything and kept doing the Dafa exercises.

About one week later, guard Du was on duty again. Another perpetrator, Hu, who is the deputy head of a division, was an alcoholic and he liked to beat inmates half to death for fun after he became drunk. At roll call at night, they claimed if anyone did the Dafa exercises in the evening, they would use the most severe punishment. All inmates trembled in fear, and the whole labor camp was engulfed in an atmosphere of terror.

At 4:00 a.m., Zheng Yijian started doing the fifth exercise. Guard Du, who had been preparing for a long time, shouted and jumped at Zheng Yijian, using all his strength to whip Zheng Yijian with a police baton. The hysterical screaming of the guard filled the whole hallway, as he used a rubber stick, an electric baton and his fists and feet. Zheng Yijian wasn't moved at all and persisted as usual. By dawn, Du was exhausted. He sat on the floor and panted heavily.

At roll call in the morning, the division head shouted and pulled Zheng Yijian out. He took a police baton and hit Zheng Yijian with all his might. He especially hit Zheng Yijian's head, stomach and other areas that are easily hurt. Zheng Yijian never made a sound. The guard grew tired and ordered Zheng Yijian to go downstairs and start working. At this time, Zheng Yijian's whole body was covered in blood and his head was severely bruised and bleeding profusely. The guards didn't allow him any medical treatment and forced him to work as usual. As if nothing had happened, Zheng Yijian put a piece of paper on the head wound.

The guards didn't give up after their failure. Several young guards still wanted to persecute him. No matter how fanatical the persecution was, Zheng Yijian never stopped doing the Dafa exercises. Late one night, when Zheng Yijian was doing the fifth exercise, two guards grabbed an electric baton and suddenly hit him. Zheng Yijian remained calm and silently recited Dafa scriptures. Suddenly, the electric baton broke into pieces and fell to the ground. The guards were shocked but they didn't give up. They found another electric baton and again tried to attack Zheng Yijian. Zheng Yijian was still very calm and read scriptures and sent forth righteous thoughts. The second electric baton again broke and fell to the ground. The two guards were dumbfounded with shock. Zheng Yijian picked up the broken pieces from the floor and gave them to the guards. His eyes were filled with pity and compassion. From then on, the magical story of Zheng Yijian breaking electric batons with righteous thoughts spread in the labor camp. It encouraged other practitioners and awakened the common criminals.

From then on, no one again disturbed Zheng Yijian when he did the exercises at 4:00 a.m. When the patrolling guards saw him they quickly walked away and pretended they didn't see anything. No one wanted to brutally beat Zheng Yijian to please the labor camp authorities; on the contrary, all criminal inmates treated him with respect.

Later, a division head named Wei was transferred here. He is very tall and his yelling is high-decibel. He always held electric batons and wood clubs. Once he tried to subdue Zheng Yijian. He tied Zheng Yijian to a bed and beat him with a large and thick wooden plank. He didn't release Zheng Yijian until he became tired beating him. Right after he released Zheng Yijian from the handcuffs, Zheng began doing the Dafa exercises. After several rounds of torture the proud division head begged, "Brother, please give me some face. Don't do it when I'm here, do it after I leave, ok?"

In the eight months between April 2000 and December 2000, the guards indulged in a frenzied persecution of forcing Dafa practitioners to write a "repentance statement."* The guards used sleep deprivation, heavy labor, brutal beating by numerous inmates, torture, brainwashing by guards and collaborators,** and they used the practitioners' family members in an attempt to "convert" them.

However, during the peak of this persecution, the guards always kept away from Zheng Yijian. Zheng Yijian was put in a big room and was freed from doing manual labor and the freezing weather outside. The guards didn't dare to interfere when he did the Dafa exercises. The guards were extremely vicious toward newly arrived practitioners, but they begged Zheng Yijian, "I won't even think about asking you to write a repentance statement. I just beg you not to do the exercises in front of everyone!" By this time, more than one inmate started learning the Dafa exercises from Zheng Yijian, and some inmates copied and recited Dafa scriptures with him.

Because of Zheng Yijian's courageous actions, a large group of Dafa practitioners began a group hunger strike and did the group exercises. Because of this, the guards at Division One started a large-scale persecution, and it elevated to a brutal extent. Facing this situation, some practitioners didn't understand and said, "We caused the persecution to elevate." Regarding this issue, Dafa practitioner Zheng Yijian's understanding was, "the evil in other dimensions is right here. It will do evil, no matter what. It will commit evil even if you hide away from it. Therefore, we absolutely cannot cooperate with it or tolerate it. We must eliminate it with determination and validate Dafa in a state of great diligence."

The large-scale persecution of forcing practitioners to write "repentance statements" started in July 2000. The practitioners who didn't dare to disobey the guards became the first victims of persecution. When they were brutally tortured with electric batons for a long time, some practitioners were forced to write "repentance statements." Some practitioners realized their mistakes and became diligent Dafa practitioners. During the nine months, diligent Dafa practitioners were daily brutally beaten or tortured with electric batons, but they remained unmoved. They eventually defeated all of the guards' evil attempts and were able to do the Dafa exercises whenever they wanted to, and the guards kept away from them.

Master told us, "...after some Dafa disciples are arrested, they are able to maintain an unshakable calm, and they have no fear. You'll see that the old forces don't dare to persecute them. It's because they know that unless they beat them to death, any persecution of them won't do a thing, so they don't touch them. How many students can do this? Their being so steadfast in Dafa terrifies the evil." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)

Dafa practitioner Zheng Yijian displayed not the painful image of a person enduring torture, but a magnificent Fa rectification period Dafa disciple!

"Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos's Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples' rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil, and the light of Truth it emanates makes the unrighteous elements in all beings' thoughts disintegrate. However strong the righteous thoughts are, that's how great the power is." ("Also in a Few Words," Essentials for Further Advancement II).

*The "Repentance Statement" -- In this statement, the practitioner is forced to admit remorse for practicing Falun Gong, promises to give up Falun Gong, and will never again associate with other practitioners or go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.

**Collaborators are former Falun Gong practitioners who have gone astray due to brainwashing and torture.

Strengthen Our Righteous Thoughts: To Fellow Practitioners in Forced Labor Camps

(Clearwisdom.net) Master has constantly told us not to acknowledge any persecution that the evil forces have subjected us to. Even if we acknowledge a tiny bit of it, isn't it to exist in the realm of the old forces, to leave a space for the evil to commit crimes?

I remember the one time when I was arrested for sharing experiences with fellow practitioners and was detained in a very vicious detention center. More than a dozen people were detained in the cell. I was detained in the same cell with another two practitioners. All detainees there were forced to do heavy manual labor for over a dozen hours a day to make a profit for the detention center.

The detainees in our cell were forced to weave straw hats. Every one had a quota to make three hats a day. If one did not complete the task, he or she would not be permitted to sleep. If the quality was not satisfactory, we had to do it over and could not go to sleep until completing the task. It is unimaginable how vicious the detention center was. The rough straw destroyed some prisoners' hands. The rough straw caused their hands to swell, suffer abrasions, bleed and ooze pus. Had the straw hat not been lacquered, the bloody spots on the hats from our wounded hands would be visible all over. All these hats were for export. It was said that the hat was priced at US$15 each. Those who buy the straw hats would be disgusted if they were told how these hats were made.

As Dafa practitioners, we should never provide any opportunity for such vicious acts to be committed by the camp authorities. So I shared my understanding from the perspective of the Fa with two other practitioners and made up my mind to resist it. I briefly told all the people in our cell how we were illegally arrested, and told them that we should refuse to work. The head of the cell was so anxious that he reported it immediately. A guard then called us three practitioners right away.

The guard sat on a stool and told us to sit on the floor. All three of us immediately sat in the double leg-crossed Falun Gong meditation position, which shocked the guard. I explained to him what Falun Gong was, based on his level of understanding, and guided his mind toward the righteous way. I felt that we three practitioners were united as one body. A strong righteous field was around us. Anything unrighteous would be dissolved once it would get into this field.

I felt the one who was indeed pitiful was this guard. I told him how similar things were between the Culture Revolution and the persecution of Falun Gong. During the Cultural Revolution, those policemen who had persecuted the senior officials were punished severely afterwards. I wished for him not to follow their path; instead, leave a way out for himself and treat this persecution correctly. When I saw him become moved by my words, I told him that the detention center should have detained bad people, not good ones. We practitioners hadn't done a single bad thing. We were arrested only because we spoke a few words with each other when we were together. Wasn't arresting us an obvious injustice and misapplication of law?

This guard said that since it was a regulation that Dafa practitioners could not be together, then you should not be together; that since the practice had been banned, then you should stop practicing it. So I asked him, according to such logic, if several members of a family all practiced Falun Gong, would you break up their family? Who does not have relatives or friends? Just because these people practice Falun Gong, why can't these relatives and friends be together? There is not such a provision in the country's Constitution. Wasn't any law made based on the Constitution? Are the rules made without complying with the Constitution legal?

He could not reply. I then clarified to him the definitions of "nation" and "individual will," as well as the difference between the two. He had no word to say. I said, "That was the only thing I wanted to say." I pointed to the other two practitioners and said to him, "They haven't said anything yet." Hearing this, he was so scared that he jumped up waving his hands, "They don't need to say anything. You have said it all."

I could tell that he had already understood that this persecution was wrong. I said to him, "Arresting and detaining us here is already illegal. Now we are ordered to do the manual labor. According to the law, it is also illegal." When he heard that, he called the head of cell right away. He pointed to us and told him, "They don't need to work. Don't give them a hard time." For a while the head of cell could not understand it, then the guard again said loudly to him, "Have you heard what I said?" Then the man realized and nodded his head, "Got it!"

Since then, three of us kept practicing Falun Gong every day. No common prisoner dared to say a single word. On the contrary, many of them were secretly trying to learn the exercises. Even when a very violent guard was on duty, we kept practicing, no matter how he screamed at us. Once a vicious guard attempted to instigate the common prisoners to give us a hard time. None of them complied and told the guard, "It is sinful to persecute a person who cultivates Buddhahood. That will earn you karmic retribution. We dare not do that." The guard was so angry that he called in the criminals from the other cell. Three of us sat motionless in the double leg-crossed meditation position. Momentarily I felt that we three had been connected into one body. A huge Falun [law wheel] was turning around us. All unrighteous elements could be dissolved in our single thought. Tho criminals sent in were so scared that they trembled, and dared not to step close to us at all. Seeing those criminals didn't dare to come over, the guard was so angry that he wanted to punish us by himself. But once he stepped foot into the cell, he lost his courage and could not continue. Then we successfully finished our exercises.

I indeed experienced the importance of Dafa practitioners' being one body. I felt it was really Dafa practitioners who control everything. From Master's teaching, I understood that we Dafa practitioners were playing the real key role in this world. We must strengthen our righteous thoughts in the Fa and our role as key players well, since it is Dafa practitioners who are validating Dafa.

The environment in the labor camp was much darker than that of the detention center. No matter how fierce the evil force looks like on the surface, no matter whatever cruel methods they used, including sentencing, causing excruciating pain, heavy manual labor and all kinds of torture, we should deny and resist all of it with our righteous thoughts endowed by Dafa.

It is already illegal to sentence Dafa practitioners to forced labor camps, isn't it also illegal to force us to work as heavy laborers? Isn't unquestionably accepting the sentence the same as condoning the evil forces' persecution? Isn't complying with demands for forced labor the same as accepting the evil's persecution? We should never unquestionably accept or passively endure any persecution in the labor camp. That is an insult to Dafa.

Our own minds have made everything in this world. Let go of those human attachments that we could not let go of. Is it difficult? Think about all that Master has sacrificed for offering salvation to all the beings in the cosmos! Have we ever heard Master saying a single word, such as "difficult" and "painful"? Again, think about all that Master has endured for offering salvation to all the beings in the cosmos! Have we ever heard Master saying a single complaint, such as "bitter"?

Many of us have previously lost our lives many times and experienced endless tribulations in order to obtain the Fa. Nowadays we have obtained the Fa but did not strive forward amid the illusions the evil has conjured up. We are Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioners. We must position our heart righteously, correct every single one of our thoughts and minds, find the root of the "pain," correct it and let go of the mistakes.

From now on: all fellow practitioners detained in labor camps; please use your righteous thoughts and wisdom with which Dafa has endowed to us to firmly resist all the persecution, resist the illegal detention, resist the illegal sentencing, resist the forced labor, resist the excruciating pain, resist all kinds of torment and torture. Let's destroy all the evil in the labor camps with a Dafa practitioners' righteous thoughts and righteous acts, assimilate every single thought and mind of us into the grand current of Fa-rectification. We absolutely will break out of the darkness!

Some Thoughts on Making Assumptions about the Effectiveness of VCD Programs

(Clearwisdom.net) Recently when I was sharing experiences with a practitioner. What she said left a deep impression in my mind. Other practitioners might also have encountered the same thing, so I decided to write this down.

This practitioner said that she had observed that when other practitioners were clarifying the truth, they all had the problem of making assumptions about the work they were doing. For example, when she asked for some feedback from other practitioners about how ordinary people reacted to the VCD programs, they all said that people thought they were pretty good. However, in reality they did not get any feedback from ordinary people at all, but were assuming that others would also like the programs because they liked them, and thought that others would naturally like and dislike programs based on their own personal likes and dislikes.

When arranging the order of the VCD programs, I found that my assumptions and the feedback from common people were quite different. We thought that our programs were perfectly arranged, but the feedback we received was that our VCD was erratically arranged; from the beginning to the end there wasn't a process that first introduced the main topic and then developed it to reach a climax. Of course, it's hard to satisfy everybody, but from the large gap between people's feedback and practitioner's opinions, it was definite that there was something we needed to improve.

After viewing our program, our friends gave us some valuable suggestions, and we rearranged the order of our programs editing out a few parts. In the end, even though the entire contents of the CD had been decreased to only about 650 megabytes, the programs had a train of thought ascending to the climax, thereby attracting more viewers and letting them understand the truth.

From the feedback on our VCD programs, we saw many of our problems, how we were taking many things for granted, and not putting ourselves in the shoes of people from the standpoint of how to save them. Master has said that the highest level of old forces has been completely eradicated. The only evil left is the old forces' behind-the-scenes helpers. Some of us hence developed an attitude of being overly optimistic with the way we do things instead of being meticulous like before. In my understanding, what Master was talking about was that the change is occurring in the colossal firmament, but in our dimension, Dafa practitioners still need to do what they should be doing to push forward the changes in this dimension. "Following the Fa in everything, and compliance is cultivation." ("Solid Cultivation" from Hong Yin)

I hope that everybody will put their hearts on the issue of providing salvation to the people. Avoid the mentality that after you have distributed materials or given out CDs that your mission is done. As a matter of fact, I believe that the practitioner aforementioned did very well. She told me that every time she clarifies the truth to somebody, she would first consider their status and level of society, and then choose the truth clarifying material most suitable for them. Sometimes she would first clarify the truth by mouth, and, after they had accepted what she said, she would then give them CDs they could watch. Doing things in this way can minimize the loss of the VCDs that Dafa practitioners have worked hard to make. She said, "What we are doing is so sacred, why can't some practitioners put in more time and effort to do it? Sometimes it gives the impression that it is not so sacred." Indeed! We should really think about it! Did the people really understand the truth? Did we truly consider the sacredness of clarifying the truth?

This is merely an experience I would like to share with practitioners. If there are any misunderstandings on my part, please point them out. I hope we will firmly accomplish the task of providing salvation to sentient beings!

September 2, 2003

My Understanding of Clarifying the Truth

Shared at 2003 UK Falun Dafa Conference

(Clearwisdom.net)

Great Compassionate Master and dear fellow practitioners,

During the Fa-rectification period, Master requires every Dafa disciple to do the three things well: Study the Fa, clarify the truth and send forth righteous thoughts. Today I would like to share my understanding of clarifying the truth with you all. Please do point out anything that is not appropriate.

In his "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A," Master said, "Let me tell you this: next to your own cultivation, currently the most important thing is clarifying the truth, because this is directly saving sentient beings, it's directly saving the people of the future, and it also demonstrates the magnificence of Dafa and Dafa disciples--in such a difficult environment you're still managing to save sentient beings."

When we are clarifying the truth to people outside China, it happens very often that we overlook the significance of telling our family members and friends about the truth. At the beginning, though I knew the importance, I always tried to find excuses for not doing so, such as "I'm too busy these days" or "I have lost contact with them for a long time," etc. In fact, if we spend a little bit of time, make a phone call or write a letter to our friends and relatives, it will be very effective so long as we put our hearts into it. Once I managed to get my old schoolmates' contact details from an online alumni address book, and started emailing them one by one to tell them the truth of Dafa. At the same time, I asked for their home addresses so that I could mail them VCDs and booklets at a later point. I did the same with my relatives.

When clarifying the truth to everyday people, I realised that we cannot just send a one-off email and think "Ok, that is all, job is done." We should use our hearts to communicate with them. We can first listen with patience to their comments or opinions or even nasty abuse before telling them the truth with a compassionate heart. If once is not enough, we can talk to them a second time. If that still doesn't work out nicely, we still shouldn't feel disheartened or give up on them. Isn't it a good opportunity to improve our xinxing? We can tell them the truth in a direct manner by explaining, for example, the self-immolation incident on Tiananmen Square. We can also clarify the truth in some indirect ways. For instance, we should always be helpful to others, and let them understand that Dafa disciples are good people who always put others before themselves. We should behave ourselves very well in the society, so that everyday people will get to know how wonderful Dafa is through simply looking at us.

When a former secondary-school classmate of mine got to know the truth of Dafa, he not only started to introduce Dafa to his classmates and teachers here in England, but also took several copies of Dafa VCDs and leaflets back to China and showed them to his family and friends. He told me that our old classmates inside China passed those truth materials to each other and even had some discussions on it. Several secondary-school teachers of mine were quite supportive of Dafa, and they even publicised their good opinion of Falun Gong on the Internet. In "Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Midwest-U.S. Fa Conference", Master said, "Don't overlook any of the things that Dafa disciples do. Your every word, every flyer, every keystroke, every telephone call, and every letter is having a huge impact. Beings that have come to understand the facts become mobile media, and they too clarify the facts. It's had a big impact on society. "

In February this year, the Chinese Consulate in Edinburgh held a big party to celebrate the Chinese New Year. My roommate was a member of the Embassy-controlled Chinese student association, and she invited me to go with her. As it was said that more than 100 Chinese people were going, I thought this was a great opportunity to clarify the truth. Also, the Chinese Consulate had refused to renew a practitioner's passport, so I felt I needed to have a talk with the Consulate staff.

However, just before we left our flat, my roommate said to me that, for her sake, I had better not mention Falun Gong at the party. On our way to the Consulate, I hesitated. It looked like I shouldn't mention Dafa because of my roommate who invited me. But it was such a good opportunity. What a pity it would be if I went there and didn't clarify the truth! After a while I realised that that was no excuse for me not to clarify the truth about Dafa. In fact, if I hadn't got any fear or loopholes in my xinxing, my roommate couldn't have said that to me. As Dafa disciples, wherever we are, we should behave in an open and dignified manner. The purpose of my clarifying the truth was to help those Chinese people dissolve their misunderstanding about Dafa, and to remind the Consulate staff to behave so that they could have a chance to reposition themselves. I believe that people of the world, even those who have been very seriously poisoned, still have goodness remaining in their hearts. So long as we maintain a pure and compassionate mentality, we can touch their hearts. To really think of others is to tell them the truth. Having realised this, I said to my roommate, "I think I'll still talk about Falun Gong, but I won't get you into trouble. I hope you can understand." My roommate didn't oppose.

At the party, my roommate introduced a number of leaders of the Chinese student association to me. So I took this opportunity to tell them the truth. During our conversation, I managed to move our discussion gradually and naturally in the direction of Falun Gong. They raised some questions to me, and I answered them one by one. Some of them looked very nervous, and didn't say anything. But at least they heard the truth about Dafa.

When dinner was ready, everybody went to eat. I like food very much actually, but on that day I felt disgusted at the sight of the feast and the luxury. I thought of practitioners in China who were being tortured. The police only gave them rotten food, and they even force-feed practitioners with human excrement. I felt very bad and didn't eat anything. A Consulate staff came to me to ask my name. I didn't answer him. Another person wanted to take photographs of me. After a while, a person who looked like somebody in charge told me to leave the Consulate immediately, saying that it was because I hadn't got an invitation. I thought I had no time to waste, and walked straight to a small room beside the dining hall where the so-called VIPs were having dinner. I kindly asked them whether it would be OK to have a talk, but they began to get nervous. So I told them that I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I hoped they wouldn't believe the lies and slanders. "Falun Gong is good. Don't follow Jiang Zemin and continue to do bad things..." Some of them just listened quietly, but one person shouted and wanted to stop me. People began gathering outside, and the atmosphere became tense. The chairman of the Chinese student association got hold my arm and dragged me with the help of another person. I was dragged to the lobby, and many people were looking at us. I asked them not to treat me like that, and told them I would leave myself. I looked at those Chinese people. In my eyes, in spite of their differences in profession, social status and age, they were actually no different from one another, because they, including those Consulate staff, were all sentient beings, and deserve Dafa disciples' care and salvation. While I walked, I said loudly, "I hope you can understand Falun Gong is good, and it's nothing wrong to cultivate Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Many Falun Gong practitioners in China lost their lives simply because they said this..." I kept talking until I was outside the Consulate. Several Consulate staff, the Chairman of the Chinese student association and some students followed. I said to them that I hoped they could let me finish. I told them the changes that had taken place in myself since I took up cultivation practice, and my experiences of the benefit. I went on to tell them the persecution practitioners in China had been suffering. The student Chairman was choking a bit. She said she had recognised me from the beginning. She had stood beside me just to make sure I didn't mention Falun Gong. She said she knew many things, but they were powerless. The Consulate staff called a taxi to send me home, but I politely declined. Later, I walked home with three other students. They listened to me on the way home, and they all said they were sympathetic towards Falun Gong and very angry at what Jiang had done. I felt really happy for these people who had got to know the truth. And I was thankful to Master for having arranged this opportunity.

Through this experience, I realised that Chinese embassies and consulates overseas are places that particularly need us to clarify the truth to. People there have been deeply influenced by Jiang's evil gang, but, having been sent overseas, they have the chance to hear the truth about Dafa. Apart from participating vigils in front of the embassies and consulates, we can also try to communicate directly with their staff members so as to let them really understand that we are telling the truth, for their own good. Besides, every opportunity to clarify the truth is also a chance to improve our xinxing and correct ourselves. We need to value every opportunity and make sure we don't miss any chance to clarify the truth to the people of the world.

In March this year, I came to a foreign city to study. I heard that there were many Chinese students here, so I was wondering how I could clarify the truth to them. I decided to begin with distributing Dafa newspapers. In this city, there are no big Chinese supermarkets, and there are only Chinese restaurants which do not accept many copies of the paper. So it looked quite hard to distribute a Chinese newspaper. In spite of the difficulties, I made up my mind to work on it. I tried the university and the library, had some success. And, after some exploration, I found some Chinese medical clinics and restaurants, and, at the suggestion from my classmates, contacted two major Chinese associations. After that, the newspaper distribution became stable. During the first few weeks, when I distributed the newspapers, I just said hello, put the papers at the right place, and left, acting like a robot. After a while I realised that it was far from enough. We need to communicate with the readers to break any doubts they still have towards Dafa. Therefore I changed my attitudes. Every time I went with the newspapers, I would first talk with them for a while, and then ask them whether they liked our newspapers and whether they had any suggestions for us. Some time later, I became very familiar with them. They began asking me questions regarding the articles in the paper about Falun Gong, some even expressing an interest in learning the exercises. Some asked for Dafa website address. But I also met people who had a lot of misunderstanding on Dafa and who tended to say very nasty things. But I always tried to explain to them kindly. Gradually, more and more Chinese people began to know the truth. Many people who have a sense of justice expressed their support for our lawsuits against the evil head, saying that it should have been subjected to punishment a long time ago. Many everyday people said they really admired Dafa disciples, espeically those in China, for their bravery and determination. Many said, "Falun Gong people are really capable. You can give up everything for your belief. We just can't do that." When I left this city, Chinese students and teachers took up the responsibility to continue distributing the newspapers. Some Chinese restaurants asked for Dafa materials to put on their front desk so that their customers could read. Seeing these changes taking place, I genuinely felt Master's compassionate and painstaking effort to save sentient beings. So long as people still have a trace of goodness left, Master would give them opportunities to reposition themselves for the future. So long as we, Dafa disciples, have a heart for Dafa, Master would arrange for every one of us a path of improvement and ascending.

Another thing that I would most like to talk about is that I feel, if Dafa disciples can cooperate and coordinate well with one another, our truth-clarification efforts would be most powerful. For example, among the everyday people around us, if several Dafa disciples could clarify the truth to them with wisdom and some coordination, many of those people could have their problems resolved. When we talk about the practitioners being persecuted in China, when the everyday people see that Dafa disciples treat one another as family in spite of differences in income, status, race or nationality, and that we all treat one another's matters as that of our own, they will be touched. I think this is also a manifestation of the power of the one body. At the same time, we need to combine truth-clarification, Fa-study and sending forth righteous thoughts together and do all three things well. Practitioners always need to look inside. When we encounter difficulties, we need to study the Fa more, and check whether there is something that we have done wrong which has caused misunderstandings among everyday people. If not, we need to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors preventing people from knowing the truth.

At last, I want to say that what I have done is what a Dafa disciple should do. Whatever we have done is disproportionate to what Master has done for us in his compassionate salvation.

Thank you, great compassionate Master! And thank you all for your encouragement! Let's carry on with our cultivation diligently and do whatever we can to save sentient beings.

Open Forum

A Non-Practitioner Eyewitness Gives An Account of the Tiananmen Square Self-Immolation

August 31, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

Near the end of July, I talked to my friend about the benefits I received from practicing Dafa. When I started talking about Jiang's group framing Dafa practitioners by fabricating the Tiananmen Square self-immolation affair, the gentlemen who came with my friend chuckled and said to me, "You can talk about it all you want but it won't be as true as what I can say about it, because I am an eyewitness." He then went on to tell what he personally witnessed on that day.

"During the afternoon of January 23, 2001 (New Year's eve on the Chinese lunar calendar), another colleague and I were sent to Beijing to find Falun Gong practitioners from our company who had gone to Beijing to appeal. Right when we walked into the square, policemen checked our identification cards. I took out our company referral letter, and only after explaining the whole matter did they let us through. Just a few steps afterwards, a plainclothes policeman came up to us and asked us what we were doing. I was questioned every few steps, I answered them frequently while I was walking.

While I was hurriedly walking into the Square, I saw a fire in the distance, and it being put out. I also saw a woman who had been on fire beaten down to the ground by a man, and another person standing on the side, leisurely taking photos and recording it all with a video camera. I clearly remember all of them wearing old-fashioned dress shoes. The atmosphere was full of tenseness and terror. Because people were not allowed to stay in the Square, I had not thought about it too much and was driven away by uniformed and plainclothes policemen. Because I didn't really know what was going on, this occurrence almost faded from my memory.

"However, a few days later when watching the CCTV news talk show, Focal Point, I carefully watched the scene from Tiananmen Square. Wasn't this what I saw in Tiananmen Square on that day! I carefully pondered. This can't be right. Even a person like me on security duty was strictly interrogated, and how did these Dafa practitioners get in? Also, a Tiananmen Square policeman said to me í Martial law has been enforced for the New Year's eve. Why are you still looking for Falun Gong?' It was also strange to me that during the time of the self-immolation, some plainclothes policemen acted leisurely. Even if they were experienced and knowledgeable, shouldn't a Tiananmen Square self-immolation be something they've never seen before in their lifetime? Even if they were í not surprised,' they still shouldn't have been acting like that. Wouldn't that be like filming a movie?

"So, I don't believe the self-immolation was done by Falun Dafa practitioners! In the future, if I am told to go find a Dafa practitioner, I will turn down the job."

[Note: This person and his colleague were both at Tiananmen and witnessed the self-immolation. To guarantee the safety of this person, we can't reveal his name.]

Standing on My Own two Feet

This report is my recollection of what has changed in my life during the past six months of practicing Falun Dafa. I will begin with an overview of my personal history and what I was like just prior to the introduction of Falun Dafa.

Having been born into a world of poverty with a predisposition for illness, I believed this was my lot in life. When I was ten years old I was said to have petit-mal epilepsy and that this was the cause of my fainting spells and migraines. The treatment of Valium (a sedative drug) was the beginning of a long period of my being under the influence of one substance or another. My learning disabilities, autistic tendency and early onset major depression all went un-addressed. An inability to properly chew food went undiagnosed into my thirties. It was then the pain in my jaw became so severe that I finally was forced to a treatment that required two reconstructive surgeries.

Then recently I began to scrutinize another long lasting condition since my childhood. I had not been able to breathe well while sleeping or through my nose during the day. This was later diagnosed as moderate to severe sleep Apnea and a deviated septum. Surgery corrected the deviation and I was given a machine to assist my breathing at night. On top of all these and other things I was daily challenged with a foot injury that severely limited my range of movement.

Being dependent on my medical support system, supplements and medicines was my way of life. I had worn out many of my social contacts and had not worked a full-time job in over eight years. Feeling isolated and vulnerable, I found myself living in a situation that was very unhealthy. I gave myself an opportunity to look back at the medical establishment and its support system which now appeared to be both helping and hindering me. I was tired of having so many unanswered issues in my life. To stand on my own two feet without pain seemed to be so far away.

Another example of my situation at this time was that my apartment was even sicker than I was. Having been flooded three times last year and a number of times in the previous four years had pushed me to consider giving up the low cost space for something better. Finally after doctors and friends?continued support I decided to take the first step to find a new apartment and the change I was looking for.

While looking for a new place in a weekly flyer, I saw an advertisement for free QiGong lessons. This led me to contact a Falun Dafa practitioner. Over the next two days I went to a practice site in the morning to learn the five exercises. And on the third day I had the opportunity to attend a nine-day Falun Dafa seminar. That change I was looking for had come, and in a big way.

While working through those first days of contact with the Dafa, I came to the belief that I had a predestined relationship with Falun Dafa. As Master Li says in Zhuan Falun (Page 2) "Of course we believe in predestined relationship". I've always wanted to find a way back home to the Cosmos since I can remember. The feeling that I was in this world, but not really belonging here has shaped my life. When I read on page five of Zhuan Falun "One should return to his original true self, and that is the genuine purpose of being a person" I knew I was into something new and great.

Still plagued with poor health and depression I pushed on through those early weeks of practice. Even though I could not walk very well, I knew I was on my way to being a cultivator. Then I read on page 146 of Zhuan Falun "Whether you can practice cultivation all depends upon whether you can endure, sacrifice and suffer." I understood now that I was paying off my karma. The practice of Falun Dafa have changed my outlook and led to growing good health in my body, mind and spirit.

Having decided that I was not disabled and that I merely faced my karma in the form of tribulations, I rose every morning without an alarm at 4:30 am and seemed to flow in one movement to the practice site over 10 miles away for the next 3 months. Having the opportunity to share with other practitioners helped my practice. I found that I was more likely to make it through all five exercises when I was with them and being outside at the practice site. I was no longer looking for anyone to heal me. The shifts and adjustments to make my cultivation successful had already started. I saw that it was up to me to raise myself through understanding the FA (Buddha Law) and raising my XinXing (mind-nature; moral quality).

Having embarked on this new path I am discovering more each day the importance of understanding the FA. I was reminded of the chapter "Your mind must be right" in Zhuan Falun (page 246) where it says "Everything will be cleaned up for you in other dimensions. Your home environment will also be cleaned up. How can you practice cultivation if your environment is not cleaned up with all sorts of things interfering with you?" I knew this applied to me, as well as the following quote from Zhuan Falun "Historically cultivation practice requires one not to engage in two cultivation ways."

While giving these concepts some time to take hold in my consciousness, I began to clean my apartment and cut free from my previous spiritual path of nine years. After three months of daily practice and reading the Dafa books, I walked into my freshly painted and carpeted old apartment and all I could see was the Dafa posters radiating the emblem of Falun Dafa. The remnants of my past life before I attained Dafa were mostly gone. The clutter of my multi-spiritual pursuits no longer clogged the channels of my life. The flood of change had washed away my old teachers and self-help gurus. Their books and artifacts were nowhere in sight. I have literally burnt my bridges behind me.

Soon after this time, I began to notice more people looking at me and trying to make contact. And exciting things started to happen. Three months ago, I found a short-term care-taking job at a 1720's estate. I also had an opportunity to go to a 5-day Falun Dafa group-study session in Toronto in October 1998. While in Toronto, I was fortunate to spend many hours with fellow practitioners and hear their experiences. Seeing them try to understand more of the FA just like myself, I was moved and decided to spend more time in studying the FA with fellow practitioners upon returning to Boston. No sooner getting home I was off again to New York City to attend a group practice in Central Park and in front of United Nations. It was there that I met Master Li at an impromptu event.

My medical support people have all been surprised but very positive of the new changes in me. One doctor who had been following my progress for some time now concludes that Falun Dafa has contributed to putting me back on my feet. When I went in for a physical at that time, one of the doctor's staff and I were both moved to tears over my progress.

In the past couple of months, I've reflected on what good fortune I have had. It has been six months since I started practicing Falun Dafa, my ability to stand and support myself has improved significantly, and I am no longer taking any medication. I trust that through the growing understanding of the FA, my journey on the path of true cultivation has begun. I remind myself as I continue my practice: it's all uphill from here.

Media Reports

Burlington County Times: Using His Newfound Freedom

By Lauren Janis
Burlington County Times

PHOTO/PETE PICKNALLY

Gang Chen (left) who was held prisoner in China for 18 months because of his belief in the practice of Falun Gong, sits at his new home in Evesham wirh his wife, Pin Bai, and his parents, Ningfang and Rutang Chen.

EVESHAM - With searing clarity, Gang Chen recalls the 18 months he was held in a Chinese labor camp. He remembers the agony of not being permitted to sleep for 15 consecutive days, the pain of being beaten by 10 men, and the electric shocks that made him feel that his skin was being set on fire.

"I have recovered from most of the physical damage, but the memory is still painful," Chen said of the torture he endured from June 2000 to December 2001. "I need a longer time to recover from that." Chen was held prisoner for his belief in Falun Gong, a spiritual practice of exercise and meditation banned in China.

When Falun Gong was publicly introduced in China in 1992, the Chinese government endorsed it for its health benefits and its focus on moral behavior. By 1999, there were 70 million to 100 million practitioners of Falun Gong in China, a number that exceeded the membership of the Communist Party. Considered a threat to the regime, the Chinese government banned Falun Gong in July 1999.

The next year, Chen was arrested and taken to a labor camp. After 18 months of torture, he was released, but his actions were monitored at his home in Beijing. Finally, with help from his family, he found a job with a company in the United States that was willing to bring him here on a work visa. He applied for and was granted immigration. Seven weeks ago, he was reunited with his sister and parents in Evesham.
Now that he is here, he is speaking out.

"We have no voice in China because everything is controlled by the government," he said, "so it's very important to ask foreign people in a country of freedom to understand and speak up. Otherwise, the persecution will not be restrained."

Chen has joined Coast-to-Coast Rescue Drive, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and particularly of the plight of Dr. Charles Lee, a California doctor who has been jailed in China for more than six months.

The drive began in San Francisco last month and has traveled across the country. Chen joined rallies last week in New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania to tell of his persecution. Next week, he will head to Maryland and Washington, D.C.

After that, Chen will get back to work. He has a three-year visa to work at an import-export company and hopes ultimately to stay here permanently. Compared to what he has lived through, Chen said his life here feels like a dream.

"At first I could not believe it was real," he said. "After so many torments, the difference is huge. Life here is free. Everyone is kind. I'm not persecuted for my beliefs. It's like being reborn."

For his family, Chen's safe homecoming seemed equally unreal.
"I kept suppressing my emotions and not letting myself believe," said his sister, Ying Chen, who moved to Evesham 15 years ago. "It was not until I actually saw him here that I released all the emotions and cried out and hugged him. Even the next morning, I said, 'You're here. It's real.' "

Ying Chen opened her home to her parents three years ago and has now made room for her brother and his wife. Now that the family members are reunited, they want to use their good fortune and newfound freedoms to get results.

"I am free now and living happily with my family, but I am getting more and more worried about others being tortured," Gang Chen said. "We are calling for help to stop the persecution."

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-09152003-159799.html

Bradenton Herald: Falun Gong stages protest

BRADENTON - Car doors slammed shut in the 12th Street West parking lot, passersby squeaked open the hinged entrance to City Hall, and somewhere out of the ruckus streamed a chorus of exhales.

Four Falun Gong practitioners were moving fluidly Monday morning near the building lawn, eyes closed and arms raised. To fairy-like music playing from a tiny radio, they performed Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, an ancient Eastern meditation art akin to Tai Chi or yoga.

Beside them, a sign read "Rescue Americans Imprisoned in China for their Beliefs." It was a tranquil protest aimed at the Chinese Communist Party, who they say have been targeting and torturing Falun Gong practitioners for years.

Bradenton is one of more than 10 Florida cities this quartet will visit this week during a national campaign to raise awareness of imprisoned Falun Gong [practitioners]. Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers were also on their route Monday.

Groups from other states will hit the rest of the United States and end the mission in Washington.

There have been reports of thousands of the [Falun Gong practitioners] being imprisoned in China where the government has banned the spiritual movement.

"In China, the government does not allow people to have a different belief other than communism," said Ying Zhang, a 30-year-old student at the University of South Florida who drove from Tampa to Bradenton on Monday. "All we are doing is a traditional, peaceful exercise."

U.S. citizen Charles Li from Menlo Park, Calif., and permanent resident Li Meizi from Palm Coast are being detained in China for practicing Falun Gong, Zhang says. In July 1999, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the practice.

Falun Gong, Zhang says, is not a threat. It is intended for body, mind and spirit based on the essential nature of the universe, and the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. The practice was introduced to the Chinese public in 1992 by Li Hongzhi.

Officials at the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Houston that serves Florida could not be reached for comment Monday.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/6781437.htm

South China Morning Post: Petition To Urge Release Of Falun Gong Practitioner

September 16, 2003

Sophie Xiao, a Falun Gong spokeswoman, says she will petition the Hong Kong government to seek the release of her mother - detained in Beijing accused of disrupting social order. Yue Changzhi, 62, was arrested in the capital in July for distributing handbills about the spiritual group, Ms Xiao said.

News and Events Around the World

Photo Report: 2003 Australia Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference

(Clearwisdom.net September 16^th report)

Fa Conference site

Sending forth righteous thoughts

Parade

"Sound of Brilliance" Concert

A Young Child Practices Falun Dafa in Guadeloupe (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net, September 15, 2003)

Little Solane is a three-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner from Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island of French heritage. Her whole family practices Dafa. While Solane's mother was pregnant, she listened to Master Li's Nine-Day Lecture Videos many times. According to her father, as soon as Solane learned how to walk, her favorite thing to do was walking around and correcting Dafa practitioners' imperfect hand gestures when they sent forth righteous thoughts.

She often takes the initiative to send forth righteous thoughts by herself. This is a candid shot by her father.

Norway: Practitioners Introduce Falun Gong in a City Near Oslo

(Clearwisdom.net) Drammen is a small city 40 kilometres south of Oslo. Last year practitioners were invited to present Falun Gong in a Centre for Personal Growth. However, because of bad timing C the presentation took place the night before the winter holiday C only two people attended the presentation. Of course, practitioners still did their best to make the presentation as good as possible.

Recently, one of the two people attending the previous presentation invited us back to Drammen. She really wanted to let more people learn about Falun Gong. She arranged for twenty people to learn Falun Gong from Norwegian practitioners in a downtown venue.

There were people of all ages present. They were all very grateful to us for coming to share the practice and teach them the exercises. Many were anxious about how to learn more and continue with the practice. Some of the people said they had experienced strong energy. An elderly lady told us she felt that Falun Gong is really good for her. Doing the exercises made her tranquil and she could feel it was very good for the changes in her heart, which normally causes her some trouble.

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15160.html

Young Students in Kaohsiung Minghui School Draw Moons to Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) Last week, it was the annual Mid-Autumn Festival again. Young students in Taiwan Kaohsiung Minghui School drew moons to celebrate the holiday and wish all a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

The UK Minghui School is Officially Established (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) On September 7, 2003, the UK Minghui School was formally set up. The school is based on Falun Dafa, teaching the students about "Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance." The main emphasis is on moral education, as well as improving their Xinxing [moral character] and learning the five sets of exercises. Children living in the UK can grow in wisdom, improve their morals, attain a tranquil mind and improve their health, while learning Chinese.

With regard to the importance of establishing the Minghui School, we have gone through a process of understanding. Several years ago, UK young Dafa disciples had been organized to actively participate in various Dafa related activities. But they had not obtained an official name. As for if it is necessary to establish a Minghui School, we understand that children need to be in a group, it will be good for young disciples to exchange understanding and help each other, and forming a cultivation environment for young disciples to improve as a whole.

We believe that under the guidance of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," the UK Minghui School will become better and better.

Summary of Other Articles and News - 09/01/2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

Facts of the Persecution

Sanshui Forced Labor Camp in Guangdong Province cruelly persecuted steadfast Falun Dafa practitioners in an effort to force them to give up their cultivation. The labor camp forced Dafa practitioners to maintain a half squat position with their hands handcuffed behind the back and hung up for 20 consecutive days. The practitioners were not allowed to sleep or use toilets. If anyone dozed off he or she would be put in a gunnysack to be punched and kicked. A practitioner from Zhanjiang City suffered from multiple comminuted fractures after the beatings. Another practitioner from Zhanjiang City has never been seen since March this year after enduring severe torture. The evil perpetrators carried out a second round of torture against steadfast Falun Dafa practitioners by using 8 electric batons, all at the same time, to shock them all over their bodies. Those who still did not yield to the evil would suffer a third round of torture in which the evil would pour boiling water all over practitioners and then sprinkle salt on their wounds.

Banqiao Forced Labor Camp in Tianjin recklessly tortured Falun Dafa practitioners for several days in a row. As long as the practitioners refused to write the so called "Repentance Statement" [In this statement the practitioner is forced to admit remorse for practicing Falun Gong, promise to give up Falun Gong, and never again associate with other practitioners or go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.] they were beaten, hung, handcuffed, deprived of sleep, left in the open to be bitten by mosquitos and forced to do manual labor during the day. Several practitioners had died because of the torture and many more practitioners were injured. A vicious policeman by the surname of Hao beat Zhao Dewen to death. Policewoman Han Jinling lost all reasoning and behaved abnormally. Though she was young, she was one of the cruelest policewomen to beat Dafa practitioners. She used many torture tools including electric batons, handcuffs and ropes. She often tied practitioners to the pigsty and left them to be bitten by mosquitos. She beat practitioners as part of her daily routine.

"Shenyang Legal Education School" was in essence a brainwashing center. The school's "Shenyang Education Assistant Group" was comprised of "collaborators" [Former Falun Gong practitioners who have gone astray due to brainwashing and torture]. Each one of them was very cruel and very manipulative. They tortured Dafa practitioners who had been kidnapped and brought to the school, one group after another. The only reason for them to continue their inhumane behavior was to have their terms of detention at the school reduced. Their terms would be reduced by one to three months for every Dafa practitioner they had "transformed." The following is a name list of the so called Shenyang "Transformed People": Li Haofeng, Chenjie, Li Qingbao, Yu Hong, Hou Wanquan, Hou Wanquan, Wang Na, Zhu Lijuan, Zhang Xiuli and Zhou Cuihong. During the latter half of 2002, Falun Dafa practitioner Yang Zhenyi of Weihe Forest Bureau, Shangzhi City, Heilongjiang Province was forcefully detained and sentenced to forced labor by the political gang for going to Beijing to peacefully appeal and to clarify the truth. After one and a half years of illegal detention at Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp in Beijing, Yang Zhenyi was released. The labor camp notified his local police station to pick him up. However, Yang Zhenyi was sent straight to the detention center of the local forest bureau. His family has had no income since his detention, so life is extremely difficult as they try to support his youngest daughter to stay in school.

Practitioners Exchange Insights: Learning Technology

Some fellow practitioners felt overjoyed when they had learned the basic skills of using a computer, so they plunged into mastering computer skills and even became less interested in Fa [law and principles] study as if technology was the most important. We realized learning the most basic skills in editing and printing would be enough for the moment. We can learn other skills as they are relevant in a gradual process, and it's unnecessary to devote so much time and energy to achieve breakthroughs. If those basic skills are able to assist with truth clarification materials we should just continue to help in those capacities. In this way, we also have time to study the Fa and take care of other responsibilities. Otherwise, by ignoring the importance of studying Fa, you come across some trouble that you cannot cope with. It also could lead to equipment malfunctions that might delay our work as well as affect our life and Fa study.

Truth Clarification and People's Hearts

One woman from the countryside cherished Dafa flyers. In early December 2002, the bus she rode was in an accident. A dozen people were sent to hospitals to treat their head wounds. She was the last one left on the bus. She could not stand up and her legs were swollen. However, she did not blackmail the driver for compensation nor did she go to the hospital. Instead, she went back home and gritted her teeth to endure the pain. She took some Dafa materials out of the cabinet and started to read quietly. Two months later she was fully recovered. She told everyone she met about her experience and that Falun Dafa is wonderful. When she was playing a truth clarification VCD at her neighbor's house she was taken to the police substation. Her neighbor's television set had been confiscated. The head of the police station tried to extort 200 Yuan [500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.] from her neighbor, saying that if she did not pay she would not get her television set back. Her neighbor said, "I can go without the television set. But if you ask for money, I don't have any. If you want to detain me as a substitute for the money, I can go to the police station whenever you want. It's not a big deal, for I only watched a Falun Gong VCD. I think there's nothing wrong with watching the VCD. There ought to be someone to watch it since there are people who made it." The policeman there said to her in a low voice, "You can go now and I will speak to the head of the police substation." Not long after, the policeman sent the television set back to her home.

A township deputy head in Mainland China was extremely hostile toward Falun Dafa and never listened to Dafa practitioners who clarified the truth to him. The deputy head only wanted to "render outstanding services" by arresting Falun Dafa practitioners. One day he pursued and captured a Falun Dafa practitioner, but on his motorbike ride back to the gate of the township government building, he had a very bad fall. Dafa practitioners told him that if he persecuted Falun Dafa he would suffer. However, he refused to listen. Not long after, his father was killed in a car accident when he was taking a walk. The incident finally helped him to come to his senses. Now he is willing to accept Falun Dafa truth clarification materials.

News from Abroad: Car Tour to Rescue Yoko Kaneko in Japan

After travelling the Shikoku area, we went straight to Kyushu by ferry. Seven practitioners who had arrived in Miyazaki and Kagoshima earlier had already visited all the media. Most reporters expressed interest in the event. The number of people who had signed the petition was quite unexpected. Two high school students contacted the local TV station, appealing for help. Many others came to sign the petition. We learned that they had read about us in the newspaper.

When we finished in Kyushu we decided to go to Okinawa. Okinawa is the south most island of Japan and no Falun Dafa practitioners had ever visited the island. Upon our arrival we delivered materials door to door, called all the media and paid visits to the governments of Okinawa City, Okinawa and Naha City, where we handed in our petition. We also collected signatures in Naha City and Okinawa City.

News from China

Message to Chinese University Students: On the evening of May 13, 2003 a Master degree student from Chongqing University and Falun Dafa practitioner Wei Xingyan was raped by a policeman at Baihelin Detention Center, Shapingba District in front of the public. This appalling news caused concern overseas, however in China there was no media coverage whatsoever and Chongqing University even tried some cunning tactics to destroy all the evidence. According to statistics, in the educational circles alone, there are two hundred twenty two Falun Dafa practitioners that were illegally detained and tortured to death. Qinghua University graduate Yuan Jiang was tortured to death. At present, the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" has a list of people responsible for torturing Yuan Jiang to death. The investigation by the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" has provided hard evidence for suing Jiang Zemin and other officials of the "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.] who have persecuted Falun Gong all over the world. We ask the university students, as the future pillars of the country, have you realized the historical responsibility and the people's expectations you are shouldering? Let's build up a legal net of public morality and justice, bring the murder to justice and expose the crimes to the world.

Video: FGM TV News - 08/28/2003

Real Format Low Resolution	Watch Online (00:06:01)	Download (2.0 MB)
Real Format High Resolution	Watch Online (00:06:01)	Download (9.8MB)

Script:

Hello, and welcome to the weekly FGMtv news review. I'm Susan Mitchell.

Here at FGMtv we focus on programs and news that illuminate the truth of Falun Gong, which is also known as Falun Dafa.
Falun Dafa is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that includes exercise and meditation. Its principles are based on Zhen, Shan, Ren - being true, good, and enduring, which is also translated as Truth, Compassion and Tolerance.
The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout the country.
In 1998, a government survey concluded that the number of practitioners exceeded membership in the communist party.
One year later, dictator Jiang Zemin began a brutal persecution that violates not only the Chinese constitution, but also international treaties signed by China.

Our top story this week:

Former Chinese Leader Jiang Zemin Faces Criminal Charges in Belgium

A lawsuit charging former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin has been filed in Belgium by practitioners of Falun Gong and their lawyer, Mr. Georges-Henri Beauthier. Jiang and two of his senior aides are charged with genocide, torture and crimes against humanity
After handing the suit to prosecutors, Mr. Beauthier and a number of plaintiffs held a press conference inside the Brussels Justice Palace.
Mr. Beauthier told the media that "Jiang is guilty... not only of trying to destroy Falun Gong [practitioners], but also to destroy their convictions. We think we have a very strong file," he said, "otherwise we would not proceed with the case."
Mr. Beauthier is an international human rights lawyer well known for his role in bringing charges against former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet. He also brought the first successful case under Belgium's human rights law against two individuals for their roles in the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
Among the plaintiffs was 40-year-old Jane Dai. Her husband was tortured to death in China because he practiced Falun Gong. Ms. Dai told the press "I love [China] and I love the people there, but this killing must be stopped."

International Lawsuits

The Belgian lawsuit is the eleventh international lawsuit in eight countries to emerge in the past two years against high-ranking Chinese officials or government bodies for their roles in persecuting Falun Gong.

Rescue Charles Li Van Tour Reaches Denver, Colorado

Several groups of American Falun Gong practitioners are driving through the USA to raise awareness of the fact that an American practitioner from Menlo California, Dr. Charles Li, is illegally imprisoned in China and is being tortured by prison guards there.
One van left San Francisco on August 13^th and recently reached Denver, Colorado.
On the way, they've collected signatures on a petition that will be presented to the US government to encourage more efforts to rescue Dr. Li.

Force-feeding claims another life in China

Authorities in China are using barbaric means to try to force people to give up their belief in Falun Gong and to say they will no longer lead their lives according to Truth, Compassion or Tolerance.
The Falun Dafa Information Center in New York recently advised that after being abducted multiple times and abused by local police for his practice of Falun Gong, Mr. Xuewen Zhang, a 56-year-old farmer from Heilongjiang Province was subjected to forced-feeding with boiling water. Emaciated and unable to stand on his own, he died in a Chinese prison on August 8, 2003.
Mr. Zhang's death was confirmed in a phone interview with the New York Falun Dafa Information Center by Wang Yufeng, chief of the Hulan County Detention Center. Chief Wang is known to be responsible for this crime.
Force-feeding is the cause of more than 10% of the 774 confirmed deaths of practitioners.

Yokohama Photo Exhibit

In mid-August, 2003, the people of Yokohama, Japan were given the opportunity to view a pictorial history of the "Peaceful Journey of Falun Dafa".
The exhibition included pictures of the first lectures that the founder of Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Hongzhi, gave in China. Thousands of practitioners would form the Chinese characters for Truth, Compassion and Tolerance at some of the large scale exercise exhibitions and gatherings in China.
There are photos of families studying and exercising together, and more recently, coverage of worldwide appeals and candlelight vigils to end the persecution in China.
For many people, these exhibitions have been an introduction and an encouragement to try the exercises and read the teachings that have brought health and happiness to more than one hundred million people in 60 countries.
This collection of photographs and others like it have been exhibited throughout Japan, Australia, Canada, Europe and the USA.

Thanks for watching the FGMtv weekly news review.

I'm Susan Mitchell. See you next week!

People in China Awaken to the Truth

Jiang's Persecution of Falun Gong Loses Popular Support - Police Refuse to Arrest Practitioners

(Clearwisdom.net)

Village Police Station Chief Refuses to Arrest Dafa Practitioners

In a certain county in northern China, a village police station chief was ordered to arrest Dafa practitioners. The chief firmly rejected the order right away and he said, "Those who practice Falun Gong are all good people. They have not violated the law, nor have they disturbed social security. Why arrest them?!"

"Only Say What You Are Supposed to Say"

There was a prison policeman in a certain detention center in northern China. Each time when Dafa practitioners were illegally interrogated, he would suddenly appear in the room and say loudly to practitioners, "No matter what questions they ask, you should think carefully before you say anything. Only say what you are supposed to say." Practitioners all understood that he was kindly reminding them to maintain a good Xinxing (mind nature) and avoid further persecution.

2003-9-4

News From China

Latest News from China - 08/28/2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

[Zhengzhou City, Henan Province] Falun Gong Materials Storage Site Sabotaged by the Police

[Jintang County, Sichuan Province] Members of the "610 Office" Illegally Arrest Seven Falun Dafa Practitioners

[Huludao City, Liaoning Province] Jianchang County Police Illegally Arrest Numerous Falun Dafa Practitioners

[Fushun City, Liaoning Province] Members of the "610 Office" Plan to Abduct Falun Dafa Practitioners Again and Force Them into Brainwashing Classes

[Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Yu Jinghe Illegally Arrested by the "610 Office" Again

[Fushun City, Liaoning Province] Three Falun Dafa Practitioners Illegally Arrested

[Shanxi Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Hou Lijun Illegally Held in Custody

[Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province] Over Twenty Falun Dafa Practitioners Abducted to a Brainwashing Class

[Shandong Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Liu Zhaohong Inhumanely Tortured for His Belief; His Life is in Imminent Danger

[Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Members of the Guolin Residential Administrative Office Forcibly Collect Signatures and Fingerprints from Falun Dafa Practitioners

[Chongzhou City, Sichuan Province] Chongzhou Comprehensive Control Office Locate Falun Dafa Practitioners Evicted From Homes and Forcibly Gather Finger Prints

[Changchun City, Jilin Province] Changchun Falun Dafa Practitioner Ms. Song Illegally Sentenced to Forced Labor

1. [Zhengzhou City, Henan Province] Falun Gong Materials Storage Site Sabotaged by the Police

In mid-August, a Falun Gong materials storage site was sabotaged in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. Two Falun Dafa practitioners were illegally taken to the No. 1 Detention Center in Zhengzhou City.

2. [Jintang County, Sichuan Province] Members of the "610 Office" Illegally Arrest Seven Falun Dafa Practitioners

From the end of July to the beginning of August, members of the Jintang County "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] illegally arrested seven Falun Dafa practitioners. The practitioners are being illegally held at the Jintang County Detention Center.

Telephone numbers or names of heads of the county "610 Office" are as follows.

Chen Kexi: 86-13908208858.
Wang Shenghai: 86-13688466901.
Hu Youming: 86-13628039306.
Zeng Ansong: 86-13518121862.
Lai Guomin: 86-13518188381.
Fan Yuankui.
Xie Bangfu.

3. [Huludao City, Liaoning Province] Jianchang County Police Illegally Arrest Numerous Falun Dafa Practitioners

On August 26, 2003, numerous officers from the criminal investigation section, mob control brigade, and police stations in Jianchang County, broke into Falun Dafa practitioners' homes. Several Falun Dafa practitioners have been illegally arrested. Among those arrested are: Mr. Wang Xingyu (pronunciation) and Ms. Song Chun. The names of five other practitioners are yet to be learned. It has also been said that the practitioners have been forcibly sent to the Xingcheng Brainwashing Center in Huludao City, which will be investigated and confirmed.

4. [Fushun City, Liaoning Province] Members of the "610 Office" Plan to Abduct Falun Dafa Practitioners Again and Force Them into Brainwashing Classes

According to reliable sources, members of the "610 Office" in Fushun City plan to hold a brainwashing class on September 1. A campaign to abduct Falun Dafa practitioners is to get under way.

5. [Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Yu Jinghe Illegally Arrested by the "610 Office" Again

Members of the "610 Office" again illegally arrested Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Yu Jinghe from Longjiang County. He was sent directly to the Fuyu Forced Labor Camp. Mr. Liu and his wife were arrested together last time. Both of them went on a hunger strike because it was the only means left to them to appeal to the authorities who were mistreating them. They were released not too long ago and had barely recovered their health which had declined during their hunger strikes. This time, the police tricked him so they could rearrest him. His wife was not aware of his arrest until notified by police to send clothes and other necessities. More details are forthcoming.

6. [Fushun City, Liaoning Province] Three Falun Dafa Practitioners Illegally Arrested

Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Wang Yue lives at the residential quarters of the branch campus of the Fushun Petroleum Institute. Around 5:00 a.m. on July 28, 2003, the police illegally arrested her. On August 11, she was taken to the notorious Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. (This is the only information available regarding Ms. Wang's arrest.)

Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Niu Honglian, lives in the 3^rd Residential Committee on South Huayuan Street in Dongzhou District. Around 7:00 a.m. on August 15, 2003, Ms. Niu and another practitioner, Liu, were distributing Falun Gong truth clarifying materials when informants called in police. Both practitioners were illegally arrested and are currently being held in the Jiangjun Shizi Building.

7. [Shanxi Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Hou Lijun Illegally Held

Mr. Hou Lijun, 32, was formerly a security employee in the Taiyuan Industrial and Commercial Bank. In October 2002, he and another Falun Dafa practitioner, Wang Zhiming, went out to clarify the facts about Falun Gong. Officers Yang Zhigang and Li Zhufeng from the criminal investigation brigades at the Wanbolin Division of Police Department illegally arrested them. Mr. Wang Zhiming has since died from police brutality. Currently Mr. Hou remains in custody at the criminal investigation brigade at the Wanbolin Division of the Police Department, and his family has been denied any visits.

8. [Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province] Over Twenty Falun Dafa Practitioners Abducted and sent to a Brainwashing Class

Gongzhuling police started another round of brainwashing classes twenty days ago. So far over twenty people have been abducted for brainwashing.

9. [Shandong Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Liu Zhaohong Inhumanely Tortured for Adhering to His Beliefs; His Life in Imminent Danger

Mr. Liu Zhaohong was formerly an employee of the Bureau of Hydraulic Power. On May 12, 2003, he was trapped and captured by members from the "610 Office." Mr. Liu refused to give up practicing "Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance." As a result, he was tortured. Mr. Liu stayed on a hunger strike for over thirty days in protest, and currently his life is in imminent danger. Both the forced labor camp and the detention center refused to take him in, given the critical condition he was in. However, members of the "610 Office" not only refused to release him or grant his family members any visits, but transferred him to the Zhangjiatun Brainwashing Class for further persecution as well.

10. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] News from Chengdu

Members of the Guolin Residential Administrative Office forcibly collect signatures and fingerprints from Falun Dafa practitioners.

11. [Chongzhou City, Sichuan Province] News from Chongzhou

Chongzhou Comprehensive Control Office located Falun Dafa practitioners already evicted from their homes and forcibly gathered fingerprints.

12. [Changchun City, Jilin Province] Changchun Falun Dafa Practitioner Ms. Song Illegally Sentenced to Forced Labor

Informants turned Ms. Song in to the police while the National People's Congress and the National People's Political Consultative Conference were convening [in Beijing last March]. The police illegally searched her home and took away her personal savings and other valuables. Ms. Song was held in custody and illegally sentenced to one year of forced labor. She is being held in the Heizuizi Forced Labor Camp. Her husband, who is unable to care for himself, has been left at home alone unattended.

August 27, 2003

38 People Declare that their Words and Deeds Under Forced Brainwashing are Null and Void

(Clearwisdom.net) A "solemn declaration" is a person's public statement declaring to the world that whatever he or she has done or said under duress or deception that was against Falun Dafa is null and void. Most of these statements have come from Falun Dafa practitioners in China who wished to express regret that, in the face of physical torture and brainwashing, they had signed documents renouncing Dafa and guaranteeing not to practice again. Also, as more and more people in China learn the truth about how they have been deceived and lied to by the Jiang regime, many non-practitioners are also submitting "solemn declarations."

Here are some examples of the Solemn Declarations:

Dafa Disciples' Solemn Statements [9/2/2003]
Solemn Declarations by Non-Practitioners[8/16/2003]
Solemn Declaration by a Young Dafa Practitioners [9/5/2003]

Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.

New Truth Clarification Posters in Chinese: The Facts of the Staged Tiananmen Self-Immolation, Falun Dafa Spreads Worldwide, The Net of Law Tightens

(Clearwisdom.net)

The Facts of Staged Tiananmen Self-Immolation
Reading Version: Download Word File (1.2 MB)

Printing Version: Download PDF Zip File (297 KB)
Falun Dafa Spreads Worldwide
Reading Version: Download Word File (1.3 MB)

Printing Version: Download PDF Zip File (886 KB)
The Net of Law Tightening
Reading Version: Download Word File (923 KB)

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