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(Clearwisdom.net) Female Falun Dafa practitioner Qi Xiulan of Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province, went to Beijing to validate Falun Dafa in September 1999 and was illegally detained and persecuted at the Baoquanlin Detention Center for more than 20 days. She went to Beijing again to safeguard Dafa on February 2, 2000, and was illegally detained for more than 100 days. During the Chinese New Year in February 2001, she was abducted and detained again. The three successive detentions caused great psychological trauma for Qi Xiulan's husband, Zhou Yanfeng. During Qi's third detention, Zhou Yanfeng suffered a heart attack as a result of the psychological torment, and was sent to the hospital.
On July 5, 2003, policemen of the Nanwei Police Substation of Jiadong Public Security Sub-Bureau arrested Qi Xiulan once more. Zhou Yanfeng could not withstand such a blow, and became seriously ill. The relatives requested that the police release Qi Xiulan, to enable her to take care of her husband, who was in critical condition. The policemen ignored the request. As a result, Zhou Yanfeng, in extreme psychological pain, passed away from the complications of his illness. The policemen did not allow Qi Xiulan to attend the funeral or pay her last respects to her husband. At present, Qi Xiulan is still being illegally detained.
(Clearwisdom.net)
Since beginning the practice of Falun Dafa in 1997, I have benefited in both body and mind. My friends and relatives have all been witness to this. Most notably, I have rapidly improved in the area of my mind. Since July 20, 1999, when the Jiang regime banned Falun Dafa, I have endured persecution because I am determined to practice. The following is a short summary of my experiences.
Wounds from the persecution (picture)
Right shoulder: approximately 9cm long, 4cm wide and 1 cm thick
Wound at the exterior of neck vertebra: approximately 4cm long, 2.5cm wide and 1cm thick
Left shoulder: approximately 10cm long, 2cm wide and 0.5cm think
On July 22, 1999, I was harassed by officials from the local government and local police station several times, and was later illegally arrested and sent to the police station. The chief of the police station and other officials tried to force me to give up my practice. They tried to force me to stay standing for the entire night, hit and scolded me, and tried to force me to step on pictures of Teacher Li, which I refused to do. This persecution lasted continually for several days. After seeing my determination in the practice, the local government and police station officials sent me to the detention center, where I was handcuffed by the guards and beaten, scolded, and forced to sit on a metal chair for 5 days. Even though I was detained in this fashion for half a month, I was still determined in my cultivation. So they had no choice but to release me.
Upon my return home, local police came to my home on several occasions to try to threaten me into giving up my cultivation. They also tried in vain to slander my reputation, claiming that I wasn't working hard in the fields, and that my house was full of weeds, so they wanted to take video footage of it. However my house was clean and tidy with no grass, so they took footage of someone else's home that was full of weeds, and claimed that it was my home. However my wife found out about what they were doing and sternly stopped them from doing it.
During October 1999 they tried both soft and hard persecution tactics on me, but all were in vain. They locked me up in the local detention center and tortured me mentally and physically in an attempt to force me to give up my cultivation. In the meantime, local government officials said to me, "As long as you say just one sentence, which is that you are willing to give up your cultivation, then we will return you home, and you can even claim back all the lodging fees that you have incurred during your detention." I said to him, "I have done nothing wrong by cultivating 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance,' I'd rather give up my life than give up my cultivation." Through these methods, they locked me up for 4 months and later sentenced me to one year in a labor camp.
When I arrived at the labor camp, both collaborators* and criminals tortured me simultaneously. Among them was a male guard in his 50's who often beat Dafa practitioners using horrific methods, not to mention the beatings and scolding which occurred on a daily basis, leaving wounds all over my body.
One time the middle team leader ordered criminals to torture me. They first beat me severely with a belt, then asked me if I would continue to practice. When I replied, "Yes," they crushed me with a basket full of stones that weighed approximately 100 KG (220 lb.). After I was smashed to the floor, they ground the basket against my neck and shoulder, causing my skin to immediately bleed and split open like a flower blossoming. This happened right in the midst of summer, and because they did not treat my wounds, my wounds became rotten and stank. A few days later, a collaborator, in conjunction with several criminals, dragged me into the water room. They proceeded to push me down and force-feed me with an unknown drug, claiming they were trying to treat my wounds. I said to them, "You have tortured me to this point, how can you even talk about giving me treatment?" They used a toothbrush to spread drugs, alcohol, and vinegar into my wounds. It was extremely cruel. It was not until a few months later that my wounds began to slowly heal. After they healed there were still a few lacerations left that resembled a tumor. To this day I often feel sharp pain and itchiness at these wounds.
It was my determination to practice Dafa and my striving to gain freedom of belief that led me to go to Beijing to seek justice at the end of 2000. I was arrested and sent back to the county detention center. Under direction of the chief of the local police department, I was beaten for an entire day while having my hands cuffed in a "back sword"** position. They beat me with a 2-inch-wide rubber tube, until it broke. I was then forced to sit on a metal chair while they forcefully stepped on my bare feet. They tried to force me to condemn Teacher Li and Dafa, but I would never do it, and so they beat me cruelly for the entire day, until my entire body was deformed. I was imprisoned for nearly one month, and was later sentenced to 2 years in the labor camp.
While I was in the labor camp, collaborators were ordered to brainwash me, but it was in vain. At this point, other practitioners and I held a hunger strike for more than 20 days. During this time we were brutally force-fed. One time they tried for more than 40 minutes to force a rubber tube through my nose and into my stomach. The educational police officer, Yang, often visits other labor camps to "study" torture methods to use on Dafa practitioners. Yang always chose the night and used methods such as electric shock, handcuffing, sleep deprivation, and punching and kicking. As long as practitioners were still determined in their belief, the persecution did not stop. During my detention there were two Dafa practitioners who were tortured to the point of nearly dying. The officials were afraid of being held responsible, so they called the practitioner's families to take them back home. Unfortunately, shortly after the practitioners returned home they passed away. A team leader with the surname of "Zeng" and a collaborator with the surname of "Fan" ordered these events.
Falun Gong has now been persecuted for four years, for three of which I was locked up. This is simply due to my determination to cultivate Falun Dafa, to live according to the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and my wish to become a good person. Initially I was very healthy in terms of mind and body, yet after suffering persecution in the labor camps I became extremely weak. After the labor camp performed a physical examination and check-up on me they declared that I have severe heart disease and high blood pressure. They all said that I would not live for long.
At the end of December 2002 I was released. The police did not dare to persecute me too wantonly, but they nonetheless harassed me at my house on two occasions. I still experience sharp pains and itchiness at my wounds, and my legs and hands are numb. I find it difficult to walk or do any work, and my eyesight has also deteriorated. My experience is only a tiny portion of the persecution that Falun Dafa practitioners endure, which is something that cannot be described even through exhaustive writing.
* Collaborators are former Falun Gong practitioners who have turned against Dafa due to brainwashing and torture.
** In the "back sword" position the practitioner's hands are tied behind his back with one hand over the shoulder and the other hand against the lower back. The police then apply a great deal of force to pull the two hands toward one another and handcuff the two hands together.
2003-8-20
(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, Clearwisdom.net reported persecution cases in the Wangcun Labor Camp in Zibo City, Shandong Province. The report about the death of Ms. Yu Lianchun from Dezhou City reminded me of a female practitioner I knew. From the time, age, and location, I am positive that she is the same Yu Lianchun I knew.
In early 2000, Ms. Yu Lianchun was arrested and sent to Team Four of the Shandong No. 1 Female Labor Camp to serve a three-year forced labor sentence, the head of Team Four was Yang Anrong. In September 2000, the 48 year-old Yu Lianchun was forced to denounce Falun Gong after collaborators* from the Beijing Help and Reform Team brainwashed her. She later realized that what she did was not right and felt very guilty.
At the end of December 2000, the labor camp authorities realized that her brainwashing was not successful, and transferred her to a group monitored by policewoman Deng Wenying for continued persecution. A card on her bed read, "Yu Lianchun, 48 years old, from Dezhou, Shandong Province." However she never slept on that bed. Instead, she was at all times locked up in a small solitary cell. Everyday the collaborators took turns torturing her. The collaborators are Zhang Yuling from Jinan, Chen Lili from Yiyuan, Ying Xai and Xing Xiaoling from Weifang, Su Lili from Rizhao, Ma Shengchun from Yantai, and Zhou Chunying from Donge. The collaborators even worked overtime. They left their rooms between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., and returned at midnight. One night, Yu Lianchun was dragged from her cell to the workshop. She laid on her stomach on the floor for almost 2 hours. She tried to get up but was too weak to do so. Her chest had a big purple bruise from the physical abuse. Later, some collaborators told me what happened to her. Ordered by the police, the collaborators punched and kicked her, and even beat her with a stool. They hit her so hard that even the stool broke. She died that same night.
The next day, the labor camp police took her body away and also relocated all the involved collaborators. Some collaborators were transferred to other teams in the Wangcun Labor Camp. Others were transferred to the Jinan City Detention Center. The name card on her bed was removed. The police told everyone that she was picked up by her family. Later, we found out that what her family had picked up were her ashes.
Currently, police officers Yang Anrong and Den Wenying are working at the Education Section of Shandong No. 1 Labor Camp.
* Collaborators are former Falun Gong practitioners who have turned against Dafa due to brainwashing and torture.
(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Xie Guiying, a thirty year old Falun Dafa practitioner, was a tax officer at Tianjiaan District, Huainan City, Anhui Province. She was arrested by the police on the night of September 18, 2000 because she refused to write the statement renouncing Falun Gong. The following day, her family was notified of her death at the Chaoyang Police Substation of Tianjiaan District in Huinan City. The police claimed that she had committed suicide to escape punishment.
Xie Guiying started practicing Falun Gong in 1994. In July 1999, Jiang's regime started a severe persecution of Falun Gong. Xie Guiying went to Beijing to appeal in mid December 1999. She lost her freedom when she carefully filled out a form entitled "registry of Falun Gong practitioners' appeal." She was sent back to Huainan, where she was detained for fifteen days for the crime of "disturbing social security." At the end of the term, she still refused to write a statement renouncing Falun Gong. She was detained for another fifteen days, and was fined three thousand Yuan. The public security officers used the money and refused to grant a receipt.
To avoid being implicated and pressured, Xie Guiying's workplace was forced to dismiss her. Ms. Xie's husband, unwilling to be implicated and punished, divorced her. On the so-called sensitive day of April 25, 2000, two Falun Gong practitioners came to visit Xie Guiying. They were all arrested by the surveillance people arranged by the public security bureau, and charged with "gathering."
This time, Xie Guiying went on hunger strike to protest her detainment. The public security bureau was heavily pressured to release her before May 4, 2000. A week later she was arrested and imprisoned at Huinan City No. 2 Labor Camp for one hundred and seventeen days.
Twice, she suffered one month of shackling for doing some movements of the exercises. She was forced to walk in circles around the courtyard dragging 20 kilograms of shackles, while being pushed from behind with batons and sticks. The flesh on her ankles was torn and bloody, and every step left a red stain on the floor.
On September 4, 2000, Xie Guiying was suddenly released from the labor camp with the ambiguous designation of "waiting to be interrogated on bail." After two weeks, the public security officers again took her away for no reason at all. Xie Guiying tried urgently to protest, and called out for help. Many neighbors saw that she was pushed, pulled by her hair, and dragged to the police van by the police. The next day, her family received a notice claiming that she had committed suicide by jumping from the building that night. Her mother did not believe she could have committed suicide, as they saw that Xie Guiying was taken away by a group of policemen. With so many policemen closely watching over her in the police station, what chance could she have to commit suicide? Nonetheless, the police reported that Xie Guiying committed suicide to escape punishment, and the public security bureau gave her family 5,000 Yuan for compensation.
As we still do not know the true circumstances of Xie Guiying's death, we continue with a thorough investigation of the parties directly and indirectly responsible.
(Clearwisdom.net)
Gong Chuanxing, the chief evil from Aohan Qi, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, along with the police, persecuted Dafa disciples with extreme voracity. Since last July, they have madly arrested Dafa disciples. Altogether, over ten Dafa disciples were illegally arrested. They carried out varying degrees of persecution, forcibly brainwashing practitioners, as well as extorting money from them.
Dafa disciple Mr. Xiao Haicong from Gaojiawopu Town was beaten by police until he fainted in front of them. He was carried to a jail cell and illegally imprisoned there for over two months. This February Mr. Xiao was released after having more than 4,000 Yuan* extorted from him. His motorcycle is still being held.
More than ten Dafa disciples from Jinchanggouliang Town were illegally arrested. A Dafa disciple couple named Mr. Wang Guoquan and Ms. Yuan Caiying are still illegally imprisoned. Their child was left behind. No one was able to look after their home. Other arrested Dafa disciples had money extorted from them in the range of 1,000 to 1,500 Yuan each, for a total of more than 10,000 Yuan.
One Dafa disciple was deceived into going to the town government office. There he was arrested by the police and detained for many days. Only after he had more than 3,000 Yuan extorted from him was he released. Another Dafa disciple who was over 70 years old from the countryside lived with his 90-year-old mother. In August, he was also illegally arrested and had more than 1,000 Yuan extorted from him. Only then was he released.
The local police chief in Gaojiawopu Town, Dong Qingli was extremely active in persecuting Dafa disciples. He himself went out to arrest Dafa disciples, and even harassed Dafa disciples' family members. Now he is hospitalized and cannot go to work.
Police officer Liu Wenshuang from Niugutu Town was also extremely active in persecuting Dafa disciples. Once he even worked in tandem with police chief Dong Qingli and went to Shenyang to arrest Dafa disciples. They extorted Dafa disciples' hard-earned money many times, and illegally confiscated Dafa disciple's vehicles.
* Yuan is the Chinese currency. The average monthly salary of an urban worker in China is 500 Yuan.
August 23, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net)
Since 2001, officials in Maoming City have sent abducted practitioners to a brainwashing center established there. Practitioners are forcibly brainwashed by means of threats, deceit, and torture, in order to force them to give up Falun Gong.
Ms. Li Yanmei, 43, is from Xiazhongpo, in the Town of Poxin, Maoming City. She has been detained at the Maoming Brainwashing Center since December 2001. Her 90-year-old mother and two young daughters are left at home, and they are experiencing financial hardship. In August 2003, the brainwashing center asked the police from the Poxin Police Station to take Li Yanmei back. Upon seeing Li, the police found that she was delirious, and could not walk due to weakness. They did not dare to take her back; they had to have her relatives take her home. She was on hunger strike for more than 30 days. During this time, she was locked in a room with sealed windows on the highest floor. The temperature outdoors was above 80 degrees, and it was over 98 degrees inside the cell. They did not allow her to drink water. Now Li Yanmei is bedridden at home, unable to gain clear consciousness. Her younger daughter has to take care of her. Her family is having even greater financial difficulty.
Ms. Lu Xiuqing, 58, from the town of Wonei, in Maogang District of Maoming City, has been detained at the brainwashing center. She is being tortured continuously. In order to prevent her from practicing the exercises, the guards cuffed her hands to a basketball hoop, leaving her feet dangling above the ground. The cuffs bit into the flesh and bone of her wrists. During the time she was on a hunger strike, the guards still pressured her to write statements slandering Falun Gong. Lu Xiuqing has been very firm in her belief despite the pressure. In July 2003, the brainwashing center asked her family to pick her up. Her family members found Lu Xiuqing unconscious and very weak. Back home, she still could not live out her daily life. She can not move her legs; she has to crawl with her arms. During a period of consciousness, she told her family that someone in the brainwashing center injected her with an unknown substance during her hunger strike and she immediately lost consciousness. Her health is worsening now.
Ms. Qiu Qionghua, 59, from the Town of Shalang in Dianbai County, was abducted to the brainwashing center in October 2002. She also became delirious and weak from the torture. The brainwashing center asked her family to take her home. She is still not conscious very often and is unable to take care of herself.
There are now more than 30 practitioners illegally detained at the brainwashing center. Because of the detention, practitioners' families were broken, many of their belongings were stolen, and their children became homeless.
(Clearwisdom.net Aug 24, 2003) On the evening of the Chinese New Year, 2001, a total of about 20 to 30 people including policemen from the Police Station of Wujing Town, Xinjing County and government officials from Wujing Town, ambushed and abducted Mrs. Jiang Shuilian on her way home. Jiang's husband tore the tie of a policeman to pieces during the process of the dispute. The policeman forced Jiang's husband to pay compensation of 200 Yuan, and charged him with interfering with public safety, fining him another 200 Yuan.
Jiang Shuilian was detained for three months and was fined 5,000 Yuan before she was released. Because Jiang was frightened when she was abducted, and because various high pressure persecution tactics were used against her during the three months' detention, she became mentally unstable when she was released. Her family took her to a hospital where they spent several thousand Yuan before she got better.
Friday, 05-Sep-2003 5:10AM
AFP / Peter Lim
HONG KONG, Sept 5 (AFP) - Hong Kong's government on Friday scrapped plans to introduce controversial security legislation which sparked massive protests and triggered the territory's worst political crisis since the 1997 handover.
Chief executive Tung Chee-hwa said moves to revive the legislation later this month had been indefinitely postponed because there was still widespread concern over the law, which critics say threatens Hong Kong's political, religious and media freedoms.
"In order to give people enough time to understand the law, we decided to postpone it," Tung told reporters at a press conference to announce the dramatic policy climbdown.
The initial security bill, drawn up under Article 23 of Hong Kong's post-1997 constitution, was shelved by Tung earlier this year after more than 500,000 people marched through the streets in protest here on July 1.
The march and subsequent large-scale demonstrations led to the resignation of the government's two most unpopular ministers, Financial Secretary Antony Leung and Security chief Regina Ip.
Tung told reporters Friday there was no timetable for re-introducing the bill and stressed no replacement legislation would be put forward without extensive public consultation.
He said the government had also decided to postpone the bill in order to help the recession-hit economy, which was battered by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak between March and June.
"We believe the community needs to focus on the economy which has had a hard time with SARS. We need to get the economy going again and the whole community needs to be focused on reviving the economy," he said.
However, Tung reiterated that Hong Kong was constitutionally obligated to legislate Article 23, adding that the security bureau had set up a taskforce to conduct a further review of the bill.
Pressure had mounted on Tung's administration to back down on the security bill after parties across the political spectrum expressed disquiet over the legislation.
Legislator Lee Chuk-yan, who spearheaded the massive July protests, said the announcement marked a "victory for the thousands of people who forced the government to make an about-turn."
China's central government said Friday that it approved of the Hong Kong government's decision to withdraw the subversion law.
"The SAR government has decided to withdraw the concerned draft legislation and step up consultations with the public... We believe that the decision and arrangements of the Hong Kong SAR government are appropriate," a statement issued by China's foreign ministry said.
The British consulate said in a statement that it was pleased the Hong Kong government had delayed the enactment of the law.
"We hope that there will be the widest possible consultation before legislation Article 23 of the Basic Law is reintroduced into the Legislative Council," it said.
Analysts said the decision to postpone the legislation indefinitely had probably been taken with Beijing's approval.
"It is a strategic move made by both Beijing and the Hong Kong government to win the hearts and minds of the people," said Sonny Lo, political analyst at the University of Hong Kong.
"The objective is to rescue the declining popularity and the legitimacy of Tung's government," he said, noting that Beijing has promised economic measures to help Tung's beleaguered administration since the crisis.
Paul Harris, political commentator at Lingnan College, said the postponement would buy Tung precious time.
"Tung can only benefit through delay," Harris said. "With Beijing's support, and in order to maintain order, it is better not to force Article 23 down people's throat".
Law Siu-kai, director at Hong Kong Human Rights Commission, said he believed Tung was "echoing" orders from Beijing.
"Tung's decision will help protect the image of Beijing as well as enhancing the position of pro-China elements in Hong Kong," said Law. "If not, Tung's governance will be in crisis," he added.
Hong Kong is required, under the terms of the 1997 handover from Britain to China, to enact national security legislation banning treason, sedition, subversion and the theft of state secrets.
Critics are concerned China could use the law to suppress freedoms, stifle reporting of official abuses, prevent protests against the government and block access to legal representation.
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/at/Qhongkong-subversion.RNba_DS5.html
Friday, 5 September, 2003, 07:05 GMT 08:05 UK
Protesters said the proposed law would have curbed their freedoms
The Hong Kong government has withdrawn a controversial anti-subversion bill that sparked the territory's biggest political crisis in recent years. Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said the government would not introduce a new version of the legislation until more public consultations had been held.
He said the government had no timetable for introducing the new version, nor did he spell out which aspects of the old bill would be reviewed.
Mr Tung's decision, which is certain to have been approved by his backers in Beijing, follows a split in his governing coalition which would have made it impossible to pass the bill as it stood.
Support for the bill among Hong Kong politicians was seriously eroded in July when around 500,000 people took to the streets, in protests which also alarmed China's leaders.
Hong Kong is required to outlaw sedition, treason and subversion under the mini-constitution negotiated for the territory when China resumed sovereignty over the former British colony in 1997.
But critics of the bill said it would erode political and religious freedom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3082716.stm
Friday, 05-Sep-2003 5:01AM
BEIJING, Sept 5 (AFP) - Rule of law remains a distant prospect in China 21 months after its entry into the World Trade Organization, and those who expected revolutionary changes were kidding themselves, according to observers.
China has been careful to make only the legal revisions that were explicitly required as a condition of joining the Geneva-based trade body, avoiding a more sweeping transformation of its legal system.
"China has done only the things called for by the WTO," said Ling Bing, a law professor at City University of Hong Kong.
Among the reforms introduced are rules allowing individuals and companies to bring lawsuits to courts if they are not happy about administrative decisions made in WTO-related fields.
WTO membership has also resulted in a slew of law amendments in areas such as intellectual property rights and regulations on particular industries, such as telecommunications and insurance.
But legal reform in a broader sense, going beyond rule-making in the commercial, investment and foreign trade field, has not taken place.
"In more domestic legal areas, civil law, criminal law and administrative law, I haven't seen significant changes as a result of WTO membership," said Ling.
"WTO rules don't govern all aspects of social and economic life in China. My perception is that people had too much of an expectation of WTO membership, " he said.
For any society, laws are the most fundamental rules of the game, and overnight change is unlikely to happen.
But in China, this is compounded by the dominance of a communist party seemingly bent on staying in power and loth to implement too far-reaching change, according to analysts.
"The basic principles of China's legal system haven't changed, and they're not going to change with the one-party system," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, director of the Hong Kong-based French Center for Research on Contemporary China.
"It's going to take time, but it's not just a question of time, it's a question of political system. Here, we're reaching the boundaries of the current political system in China," he said.
China's legal system is saddled with a host of problems, many of them reflecting the fact that there is no tradition of an independent judiciary.
Local judges are hired and paid for by local governments, making for a tight, symbiotic relationship.
This also means that WTO reforms, such as the possibility of court probes into trade-related administrative acts, may be hard to implement, according to observers.
China was relatively active in pursuing legal reform in the first year after its entry into the WTO, while 2003 has seen a slowdown, according to Leila Choukroune, a lecturer on international law at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
Not all of it was the result of any deliberate intention to stall the process.
No one could have foreseen the shutdown of much of society that was caused by the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) earlier this year, she said.
Another reason was the transfer of power to a new generation of political leaders, which also entailed an important revamp of China's economic decision-making bodies.
For instance, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, which had overseen the last difficult part of China's WTO entry negotiations, was replaced by a Ministry of Commerce, a super-agency also in charge of domestic trade.
"The year 2003 has been a bit confused," said Choukroune. "It's still confused who is who, and who is doing what."
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/bi/Qwto-china-law.RO1a_DS5.html
Translated from Hebrew
The following is an excerpt from a report in the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz," which was translated from Hebrew.
Brussels: Six [Falun Gong practitioners], a practice that is forbidden in China, filed a lawsuit in Belgium against the former president of China, Jiang Zemin, claiming that the measures he has been taking against the movement are violating Human Rights under Belgian law. One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Matthias Slaats, said two days ago that members of Falun Gong in Belgium, U.S.A and Australia are collecting testimonies for the case, including accusations of crimes against humanity and genocide, amongst other things.
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Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200309/14902.html
10.8.2003
Polite Chinese lady Jiang Hong is convinced that Falun Gong is good for health and the mind. She
is from Beijing. This practitioner left China, where Falun Gong is banned. "In 1999 Jiang Zemin
initiated an attack against Falun Gong. Police detained many of my friends in prison in Beijing,
because they wanted to tell the truth about Falun Gong."
Five people with yellow t-shirts have come to H meenlinna market place to tell the truth about
Falun Gong, because the Chinese government is trying to spread a false image of the practice, even
in Finland. The practitioners [of Falun Gong] say that they are here so that people will not be
affected by the Chinese government's propaganda.
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Three Principles
Practitioners of Falun Gong don't say that it is a movement; instead they say that Falun Gong is a
spiritual practice. Falun Gong emphasizes that there are no organization or membership lists. Falun
Gong also does not collect money or accept donations.
"Falun Gong is a spiritual practice, a cultivation practice. This name comes from the Chinese
language. However, it is more than just a practice. It is cultivating oneself to become a better
person."
The practitioner adds that Falun Gong does not have any interest in politics, nor is it a religion,
even if there are similarities with religions. Worshipping, rituals or places of worship are not
included.
Falun Gong has five simple, smooth exercises. It is said that the exercises purify the energy
channels in one's body. The practice also includes a meditation. The principle is to follow
Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance in one's daily life. According to practitioners, Falun Gong
is actually about striving to behave better 24 hours a day and to consider other people before one's
own desires and intentions.
"When a problem shows up, one thinks about their own faults. This is the best thing in Falun
Gong," one practitioner explains.
Two Choices
Falun Gong or Falun Dafa was brought to the public in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, who is currently living in the US. But the method goes back to ancient China. In the beginning, the Chinese government supported Falun Gong, and many members of the Communist Party were also practicing it. In 1999, things changed when President Jiang Zemin banned Falun Gong.
Only then has the name of Falun Gong come to be known in the west. In news reports, groups of
demonstrators sat on Tiananmen Square, but did not last long. The police arrested them and forbade
them from demonstrating publicly.
Practitioner Jiang Hong recalls that the Chinese government tries to give Falun Gong practitioner's
two choices: either sign a piece of paper, on which they swear to give up Falun Gong, or be sent to
a prison or forced labor camp. "I wish to continue practicing Falun Gong, so I left China.
Previously, I had a heart disease, but after practicing Falun Gong, there were no longer any
symptoms and the illness disappeared."
Continuous Police Monitoring
Hong has also talked about how her friends have been cured from many illnesses and have also been
persecuted. One Peking university professor had heart disease, sleeping problems and an eye disease.
He couldn't even ride a bicycle. Now the ailments are all gone. Police are still monitoring him at
all times. Police arrested him on Tiananmen Square. He can't stay at home, and needs to stay in a
different place every night. He is retired, but he cannot access his pension. This is just one story
that Jiang Hong has told about the persecution.
Officially, China denies that Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted. As a result, when a
student named Wang Jie came to Finland and heard about the persecution for the first time, she
couldn't understand why this was happening in her homeland.
The Gestapo is watching
Human rights reports from Amnesty and the UN use clear and direct language to describe the
persecution of Falun Gong in China. People are put into prisons, tortured, and killed. According to
information from Falun Gong, more than 2,000 people have been tortured to death [Ed. note -- the
official death toll on Falun Dafa websites is 773 practitioners, whilst in 2001 Chinese government
figures placed the number of deaths at 1,600], hundreds of thousands have been sent to labor
camps and 1,000 have been forced into mental hospitals. Jiang Zemin banned Falun Gong in 1999. It is
thought that the reason for the ban and the persecution is that the Chinese government started to
see Falun Gong as a threat, after it had more supporters than the Communist Party. A special Gestapo
type office, (the "610 Office") was thus created for dealing with Falun Gong.
Jiang Zemin has never said why Falun Gong is being persecuted, even though he has been asked this
many times, a practitioner explains. If we didn't tell people about the persecution of Falun Gong,
the Chinese government could do whatever they want to people. This is a question of human rights. It
is said that there are around 100 million practitioners, but specific numbers are not known, for
there are no name lists. Falun Gong came to Finland in 1998.
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200309/14903.html
(Clearwisdom.net)
I started practicing Falun Dafa in March 1997. Within a week, all the illnesses I had had for many years disappeared. Not long after that, my son, who suffers from deteriorating health problems, also became healthy. My parents started to practice after seeing this.
Since Jiang's evil regime started persecuting Falun Gong, the police and agents from the "610 Office" have tortured me on numerous occasions [the "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].
On the night of July 22, 1999, the police summoned me and threatened me to give up practicing Falun Dafa. At the end of July 1999, my work unit talked to me many times and pressured me to stop practicing. They forced me to watch videos that defamed Falun Dafa, and tried to make me state the intention to renounce my belief in Falun Gong, turn in the books and write guarantee statements to give up the practice. In early August, the work unit held a meeting, and during the meeting they tried to force all the practitioners present to give up practicing Falun Dafa. I knew that the videos were lies so I suppressed the evil on the spot. The police took me away in October because I wrote a letter to the appeal office telling the truth of Falun Gong. They photographed and fingerprinted me. They wanted me to fill in forms and write a statement of [false] "understanding." Instead, I wrote how great Falun Dafa is. In December 1999, I went to Beijing to validate Dafa. The local police took me back and illegally detained me for one month. During this time they tortured me with inhuman methods. At the end of my detention, they forced me to pay for the living expenses, car fees and photography fees, for a total of 830 Yuan (an average urban worker in China makes about 500 Yuan a month).
In July 2000, about ten people from the work unit's "610 Office" came to threaten me. They said that I had to say that I would stop practicing, otherwise they would send me to the detention center or a brainwashing class. They threatened to fire me and force my family members to do my job for me. I said frankly, "I will practice Falun Gong forever!" On October 1, 2000, I went to Tiananmen Square and I displayed a banner that read "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." After the Beijing patrol police arrested me they brutally beat me. I was sent back to the local police station where I was illegally detained for twenty-one days before they let me go. In December 2000, I went to Beijing to validate Dafa and displayed a banner. They illegally detained me, but I refused to give out my name, so they released me the same day.
In April 2001, the city's "610 Office" and the police illegally rushed into my house. They wrote a warrant on the spot, ransacked my home and arrested me. They illegally detained me for four days, releasing me only after I went on a hunger strike. In July 2001, the work unit's "610 Office" held a meeting with us practitioners. They said that if we wouldn't write guarantee statements they would send us to a brainwashing class. In November 2001, the city's "610 Office" held a brainwashing class in our work unit. We suppressed it with righteous thoughts and the class failed.
In June 2002, the unit's "610 Office" was trying to force me to write a guarantee letter again. In July, I was kidnapped by the "610 Offices" affiliated with my work unit and that of the city. They forcefully put handcuffs on me and dragged me to the brainwashing class. On the way there I kept on shouting "Falun Dafa is great!" In the brainwashing class, they beat me and I was bruised all over. The brainwashing class was extremely evil. They would torture me 24 hours a day and wouldn't let me sleep. I refused to cooperate with the evil. Three days into the brainwashing class I left the class using my righteous thoughts. When I was back home, the police and collaborators [former practitioners who have renounced Falun Dafa under extreme mental and physical pressure] kept on harassing me through phone calls.
In April and May of 2003, the wicked scoundrels couldn't achieve what they wanted. They went to my family members to get guarantee letters but failed. They threatened that they would send my name to the City "610 Office" and send me to a brainwashing class.
Over the course of these past four years, the police and agents from the "610 Office" have illegally detained me for a total of 59 days and they have illegally extorted 1,130 Yuan from me. They have tortured me physically and mentally. In addition to these evil actions, they have tapped my phone line, and they harass me with phone calls. They come to talk to me during holidays and other sensitive dates. They have severely limited my personal freedom: they don't let me leave my house and don't let me take business trips. I need permission from the "610 Office" to take New Years holidays. Whenever I visit my friends there are people following me and reporting on me. They have extensively disturbed my life and work. They frequently talk to and threaten my family members; they have mentally tortured my family. All of this is the result of the evil persecution perpetrated by Jiang Zemin's evil regime.
August 18, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net)
Some practitioners still cannot conscientiously study the Fa at this stage, so although they had sufficient time, it was not used well.
When some practitioners saw other practitioners not being able to conscientiously study the Fa, they suggested that they study the Fa more or try to memorize the Fa. However, when told this, certain practitioners didn't like hearing such a suggestion, and expressed that even being able to memorize all of the Fa would not be of much use without being able to behave accordingly. This implies that although it seems as if less attentiveness is being placed on studying the Fa, the heart is determined in cultivation, and this is enough.
In my view, these practitioners are in fact looking for excuses to justify their unwillingness to cultivate diligently. I think there are two reasons for this. One is the attachment to having a comfortable life; thus, one would not want to spend the effort on diligently studying the Fa. Secondly, the old forces are controlling and using practitioners' attachments and one's human side may not be aware of this.
Some practitioners suggested memorizing Master's article, "Expounding on the Fa" and the section, "Your Master Consciousness Needs to be Strong" from Zhuan Falun. I personally think doing that is very beneficial in eliminating all obstacles that interfere with studying the Fa and I would like to invite other practitioners to give it a try.
This is only my personal understanding. Please kindly point out any inappropriateness.
2003-8-25
(Clearwisdom.net) I am a 13-year-old Falun Dafa disciple. Since the start of the persecution against Dafa, I have managed to help financially support our truth-clarifying material site, which prints up literature and makes other things to help clarify the facts of Falun Dafa.
I have a hobby of collecting new bills; therefore my parents often give me one or two new bills when they get any. As a result, I saved some money from this hobby. During Chinese New Years, I also receive the traditional fortune money in red envelopes from relatives as a present. Every year after the Chinese New Year, I used all the money I received to help buy supplies for the truth-clarifying material site. I was very happy every time I could use my money to help make materials for people to learn the truth of Falun Dafa. I felt I was doing what a Dafa disciple should do.
Every bill has my wishes with it, no matter the face value of that bill. I hope more truth-clarifying materials will be able to be printed and distributed, and more sentient beings will be saved. In the meantime, I would like to remind those fellow practitioners who have accumulated lots of truth-clarifying cards at home: please do not grow attached to saving them.
August 6, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net) Wanjia Labor Camp has used all inhumane and cruel measures to torture Dafa disciples. They are also taking advantage of the fact that Dafa disciples and their families wish for the disciples to be released earlier, and are changing the rules in order to plunder Dafa disciples' money and wealth. For those who want to be released earlier from the labor camp, they must find the right person to pay one thousand Yuan (two months average income in cities of China) to get a one month reduction from their detention term.
Currently, some Dafa disciples outside are thinking that it may be feasible to pay the extortion because if practitioners can be released earlier, then those practitioners who did not cultivate themselves well would still have some opportunities to cultivate themselves much harder to make up for the losses. But my understanding is: How can we cooperate with and yield to the evil's unreasonable extortion? Dafa is solemn and dignified and Dafa disciples should not forget Teacher's serious teachings, "No matter what the situation, do not cooperate with the evil's demands, orders, or what it instigates. If everyone does this, the environment won't be this way." ("Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful")
For Dafa disciples who have been imprisoned for a long time and are still continuing their cultivation, it is inevitable that they will attain their freedom again. How can Dafa disciples let the evil escalate the intensity of their economic persecution against Dafa disciples?
(Clearwisdom.net September 5, 2003) Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the People's Congress of Mainland China, recently visited Korea and stayed in the Korean Seashore Hotel at Haeundae District of Busan. As soon as they heard of this news, Busan Falun Dafa practitioners went to the hotel before dawn on September 4. On the beach in front of this hotel, the practitioners practiced the Falun Gong exercises, send forth righteous thoughts, protested against the torture and killing of Falun Dafa practitioners and requested immediate release of all the Falun Dafa practitioners illegal detained by Jiang's regime.
(Clearwisdom.net) The team of "Rescue Charles Li Car Tour" arrived in Detroit, Michigan at the end of August. Since there is a large population of factory workers in Michigan, the annual Labor Day is an important holiday. The Michigan practitioners decided to combine two activities into one.
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| Channel 4 TV station interviews Foo Yungqin | Channel 7 TV station interviews Foo Yungqin | Reporter takes photos of practitioners doing exercises in the rain |
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| Channel 2 TV station interviews Foo Yungqin | Rescue Team member: a western practitioner from California | Practitioners holding the banner in the rain |
Every year, there are Labor Day activities in downtown Detroit, Pontiac and northern Michigan. Many elected officials participate in the activities to meet the voters. The western practitioners first attended the Labor Day Food Festival in Pontiac on August 30. They distributed flyers, collected signatures and clarified truth to the people. The Michigan practitioners contacted government officials and media ahead of time. On September 1, it was raining all day long; still, the Michigan practitioners and Rescue Team members went to downtown Detroit to clarify the truth. Though the scale of the parade was smaller than before, most of the important government officials attended the activity. Charles Li's finance' accepted interviews from three major TV stations in Michigan, Channels 2, 4 and 7, the largest newspaper, the Detroit Free Press, and Radio Station AM950. The reporter from the radio station said they came after work time to report this important news.
State Representative Steve Bieda emphasized, "America is a country built on the foundation of liberty. Your protest is our protest." State representative Aldo Vagnozzi supported Falun Dafa by saying that he had lived in Italy under the Nazi's control for seven years and suffered from that dictatorship. Congressman Sander Levin invited the Falun Gong practitioners to visit his office in Washington DC when they arrive there.
Two Americans passed by a practitioner and patted his shoulder, "We wish you good luck!" When the practitioner asked them to let their friends know about what happened to Charles Li, they both said, "I will." In the rain, one middle-aged woman stopped in front of the display boards about rescuing Charles Li. She carefully looked at the practitioners doing the exercises behind the boards. A female practitioner approached her and introduced Falun Gong to her. She said, "I felt the energy of the exercises so I stopped to watch it." She introduced herself as a Tai Chi teacher. She watched for a long time and talked with the practitioners.
With the practitioners' righteous minds and the Master's support, the activity of clarifying the truth succeeded.
(Clearwisdom.net) Since July 2003, activities have begun all over Germany to expose the evil persecution and collect signatures to rescue two Falun Gong practitioners who have been illegally arrested in China. Many German people who have signed the petition also took petition forms home to collect signatures from their families and friends.
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The German President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Chairman of the German Parliament and the German Ambassador to China have all received an appeal letter, detailing the arrest of these two practitioners and the urgent appeal for their rescue, from two organizations established in July 2003: "The Global Friends of Chen Xiaozhu" and "The Global Friends of Yu Hongli."
Chen Xiaozhu is 31 years old and had studied in Germany for 6 years up until January of this year. He had participated in the 24-hour vigil in front of the Berlin Chinese Embassy for 2 months to urgently appeal for an immediate end to the killing of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Some practitioners recalled that, "The coldest time among those 24 hours were the early hours of the morning. Those 2 months were extremely cold in 2001; even if you wore an overcoat, it was still very chilly standing in the wind and rain. But Chen Xiaozhu was always there at 3:00 a.m. during the 24-hour vigil, even though he had to be at work before 7:00 a.m. every morning."
In order to tell people the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong, Chen Xiaozhu participated in two SOS walks from the south to the north of Germany. Both of the SOS walks lasted one month, and the longest one was 560 miles. Chen and another practitioner walked the entire journey in the cold and heavy snow of the Christmas holiday; on the way, they let many people know about the brutal killing and illegal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
At the beginning of January 2003, Chen decided to go back to China for a short stay. In May, he was illegally kidnapped and arrested in the Chengdu District of Beijing because a person reported him to the police and because he repeatedly visited Falun Dafa websites.
Yu Hongli is a 32-year-old female Falun Gong practitioner, who had been in Germany for just over one year until January 2003. She continually went to Der K lner Dom for 9 months to let Chinese tourist groups know the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution. After returning to Chengdu in China, she was illegally kidnapped and detained in Chengdu Pixian Prison.
Chinese people and tourist guides who visited Der K lner Dom knew Yu Hongli, and when they visited other tourist attractions, we often heard them talk about "the lady at Der K lner Dom."
Activities to rescue Yu Hongli, together with a picture exhibition detailing the public trial of Jiang Zemin, will be held in different tourist spots in the three major cities where Yu Hongli had continually told people the facts about Falun Gong.
Related telephone numbers:
The Superintendent, Li, Chengdu Pixian Custody: 0086 2886 407826
Telephone exchange at the custody: 2887 925144
The door-keeper's room at the custody: 2886 407825
The Public Security Bureau of Chengdu: 2886 407212
The Director General of The Public Security Bureau of Chengdu: 2886 626160
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200309/14901.html
(Clearwisdom.net) August 30, 2003 was an unforgettable day for young Dafa practitioners in the Boston area. Chinese and Western little practitioners went to a school that looked like a normal school but was actually quite special and unique: Boston Minghui School. Minghui School's teaching is based on Falun Dafa. It teaches the students the principle "Truth Compassion Tolerance" along with the teaching of Chinese language and traditional courses.
The courses are rich and colorful with consideration for the characteristics of children. First, a Western practitioner corrected the movements of five sets of exercises. The children stood for 40 minutes and still didn't feel tired. Next, following the instructor, the students read carefully from Zhuan Falun and Hong Yin. Later, the teacher told them a story about Sakyamuni. This true story from ancient times deeply moved their young hearts. The children learned two Chinese words "Xiulian" (Cultivation) and "Fo" (Buddha). In moral education class, the instructor used "San Zi Jing" (Three Words Scripture) to teach the students about the view of life and the universe of the ancient Chinese people. In math class, the instructor taught about calculating in the mind.
(Clearwisdom.net) The Danish city of Aarhus's annual cultural festival began on August 30. Aaarhus is situated on Jutland, the biggest island in Denmark, and is the second largest city in the country. This year, the theme of the festival was Far Eastern culture. Tapestries and decorations added an oriental flavor to the event and Chinese characters could be seen all over the place.
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At this important moment in Fa-rectification with the international lawsuit against Jiang, Danish and Swedish Dafa practitioners met at Aarhus to celebrate with the Danish people, bringing the wonder and beauty of Dafa to them, and letting them know the truth about the crimes Jiang has committed in his evil persecution of Dafa.
Throughout the three-day activity it often rained, but people never lost interest. Everyone either held umbrellas or ignored the rain, excitedly enjoying the practitioners' performance. Four young female practitioners danced elegantly to the beautiful music of "The Lotus Song." After that there was traditional Chinese Fan Dancing and an exercise demonstration accompanied by a live commentary. This attracted a lot of people. Although practitioners had several thousands leaflets containing information about the lawsuit against Jiang, they still could not keep up with the demand.
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People continually told us: "It's extremely beautiful. The most beautiful!" Some people even asked us to send them the photos that had been taken so that they could add them to their own website. A nearby pop music band was happy to postpone their performance because they didn't want to disturb such a wonderful and peaceful performance. The number of people who wanted to get contact information about their nearest free Falun Gong exercise class was enormous.
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In the crowd, there were some people from China. They were obviously proud of the colorful Chinese culture that was being displayed by our graceful dancers. When they saw practitioners' good health and peaceful demeanor, all the lies from the Jiang regime immediately perished. The Western practitioners' exercise demonstration left a very deep impression on them. Our Chinese leaflets and Video-CDs were soon all gone.
On the last day, our performance attracted the attention of a photographer from the biggest newspaper in Denmark. He said that he would put the picture of our fan dance on the front page. The biggest TV station in Jutland, "Denmark TV Channel 2," also interviewed practitioners during the festival. The three days of activities were very successful.
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200309/14900.html
(Clearwisdom.net) September 3 report: On Saturday morning, August 30, 2003, Pennsylvania Eighth District State Senator Mr. Anthony H. Williams sponsored a large-scale 14th Good Neighbor Street Celebration and Parade in his precinct in West Philadelphia to thank residents for their support, and to enhance understanding between different nationalities and people with different cultural backgrounds in the community. Many government officials, including the mayor of Philadelphia John F. Street, attended the activity. Falun Gong practitioners in the Philadelphia area were invited to participate in the parade and celebration. They performed Falun Gong exercises and traditional Chinese festive dance and waist drums.
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| Falun Gong practitioners' fan dance performance | Falun Gong practitioners' waist drums performance |
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| People on the street accept Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials | Pennsylvania Senator Anthony H. Williams (the second on the left) and the mayor of Philadelphia John F. Street (the third on the left) and other government officials |
Residents gave warm applause to the practitioners' wonderful performances. Some people especially asked how they could learn to practice Falun Gong and invited the practitioners to their schools to teach their students to practice the exercises.
During the parade and celebration, the practitioners took the opportunity to tell the local people about Falun Dafa and the truth about the persecution in China. They also called for rescuing American citizen Charles Li and Ms. Yang Jingfang, the sister of Dr. Yang Jingduan from the Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia.
During the conversation with the practitioners, Senator Williams expressed that he understood the situation of Charles Li and Yang Jingfang, who have been imprisoned in Chinese jails for practicing Falun Gong. He said that Falun Gong's performance was wonderful. He has learned about the persecution against the practitioners' belief and their cultivation that takes place in China. It is very much unacceptable. He has also learned about the practitioners' great endurance, and expressed his support for them.
Senator Williams expressed that he hoped to promote the activity around the US, and to let government officials in the Department of State convey their wishes to the Chinese government officials. He said, "America supports the rights of life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. We hope other countries can also do so."
(Clearwisdom.net)
On August 24, 2003, the Japanese newspaper Today reported on the rally held in Yokohama by over 200 Falun Gong practitioners. The theme of the rally was to charge the former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin with genocide.
The report said that on Sunday, Falun Gong practitioners demonstrated in Yokohama, a city southwest of Tokyo, and conducted a symbolic trial of Jiang, convicting him of genocide.
Afterwards, they paraded through the streets. One of their banners said, "Bring Chinese Dictator Jiang Zemin to Justice."
2003-8-24
(Clearwisdom.net)
The tide of suing Jiang around the world has been rising since October 2002 when the persecuted practitioners and their families filed a lawsuit against Jiang and 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) in the United States Federal Court. This has caught many people's attention, and is especially exciting for the Chinese people. Many are watching closely and some pray for an early conclusion that would end the persecution by the Chinese dictatorship. Here I am sharing with everyone little stories that reflect people's feelings and show the significance of this case.
Reactions to the news vary among people. Some become emotional, some feel quite natural, and some get excited.
A friend said emotionally when he heard the news, "Just a trial? The crimes that Jiang has committed against his people are countless--even worse things should happen to him than just a trial!" and began to enumerate Jiang's crimes.
Another friend said when he heard the news, "Fantastic! We are going to be free." It is apparent that people have been oppressed for too long. People's will to fight for justice has risen dramatically.
A policeman who knows the true situation said, "I have witnessed Jiang's practice of attempting to annihilate Falun Gong and utilizing the national machine to persecute the practitioners. Practitioners are all good people. I will not follow orders to persecute them. I will be your witness on the day of Jiang's trial." Many people with a conscience had similar thoughts, especially those millions of family members and friends of practitioners. They hoped that this senseless and barbaric persecution would end soon, and that their friends and loved ones could regain their physical freedom, as well as the freedom of believing in "Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance)."
People are awaiting the righteous force in the world to help end this bad dream. Hearing the news of the trial, a friend on the internet said: "He is guilty of all the charges. Be sure to let me know when the verdict comes."
I wish to use this article to encourage the family members, friends, colleagues, and supporters of the practitioners who are suffering the persecution. Your support has manifested the beauty and courage of the human race, and it will never be forgotten. You will be the witness of justice in both heaven and earth when this persecution comes to an end in the near future.
(Clearwisdom.net)
1. [Liaoning Province] Falun Gong Banners Hung from High Voltage Power Lines Outside the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp
On August 22, banners saying "Falun Dafa Is Great," "Falun Dafa Is the Righteous Law," and "Stop the Persecution" were hung from high voltage power lines outside the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp.
2. [China] Falun Dafa Practitioners Send Righteous Thoughts and Hang Banners, Shocking City Employees at a Persecution Meeting
On the morning of August 20, 2003, a city police department held a meeting at the city employees club. The agenda was a push to mobilize subordinates to capture and persecute Falun Dafa practitioners for the next one hundred days. While the meeting was in progress, many Falun Dafa practitioners in the city gathered nearby, sending righteous thoughts in order to eliminate the old forces and evil elements in other dimensions. Meanwhile, other practitioners hung banners at the railroad station and from the roofs of commercial buildings in the downtown business district. The banners read "Falun Dafa Is Great" and "Put Jiang Zemin on Public Trial around the World." Colorful banners billowed in wind, strongly encouraging the public while shocking the evil regime.
3. [Pingdingshan City, Henan Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Wei Chenghe Illegally Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
Mr. Wei Chenghe, 45, is a worker at the No. 2 Branch of the Pingdingshan City Public Transportation Company. He began cultivating Falun Dafa in 1997. On December 31, 1999, he went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was illegally detained for fifteen days by the Weidong District Police Department. On May 14, 2003, the police illegally captured Mr. Wei again while he was nailing a Falun Gong truth-clarifying poster to a tree along Kuanggong Road in Pingdingshan City. His home was later ransacked. At the end of June, the Weidong District Court in Pingdingshan City illegally sentenced Mr. Wei to four and a half years in prison.
4. [Fushun City, Liaoning Province] Police Sabotage a Falun Dafa Materials Storage Site in the Yanwu Area of Wanghua District
On May 29, 2003, the Fushun City Police located a site in Xintun where Falun Gong materials were being stored, and arrested Ms. Wang Xiuxia, Ms. Zhang Shouhui, and Mr. Kang Xiaosheng. Using righteous thoughts, Mr. Kang was later able to unlock the handcuffs and walk out of the police station. Since then, a warrant was issued for his arrest. On June 15, Ms. Wang Xiuxia died as a result of the persecution.
On August 21, 2003, the Fushun City Police sabotaged another site in the Yanwu area where Falun Gong materials had been stored, and practitioner Kang Xiaosheng was illegally arrested. It is not clear whether other practitioners were also placed under arrest.
5. [Hengyang City, Hunan Province] Elderly Falun Dafa Practitioners Wu Zhiyun and Zhou Qixiu Stage Hunger Strike to Protest the Persecution; Both in Critical Condition
On July 26, Mr. Wu Zhiyun and Ms. Zhou Qixiu went to the Hengyang County Detention Center to visit Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Zhou Baoguo, who is illegally held in custody by the "610 Office." Mr. Wu and Ms. Zhou told people in the detention center the facts about the "610 Office" persecution of Falun Gong. [The"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.] "610 Office" agents in the Hengyang County Detention Center then illegally arrested them. Mr. Wu and Ms. Zhou immediately went on a hunger strike to protest the police brutality. Twenty days later, authorities of the detention center unconditionally released Mr. Wu and Ms. Zhou for fear that the two elderly practitioners might die while in custody. Mr. Wu and Ms. Zhou returned home but remain in critical condition.
6. [Beijing] Illegal Arrest
Gaopaidian Police illegally arrested Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Zhang Hongru for distributing Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials.
7. [Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province] Dalianhe Town Falun Dafa Practitioner Sun Hongda Is Unlawfully Arrested
On July 27, 2003, Mr. Sun Hongda, of Dalianhe Town, went to Fangzheng County to distribute truth-clarifying materials. Officers from the State Security Brigade at the Fangzheng County Police Department followed and arrested him. Mr. Sun is being illegally held at the Fangzheng County Detention Center.
8. [Daqing, Heilongjiang Province] Illegal Arrest
Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Jiang Pai was illegally arrested around August 19, 2003.
9. [Anshan City, Liaoning Province] The Tiexi Division Police Department Illegally Arrests and Tortures Falun Dafa Practitioners Yu Zhiqiang and Zhang Guanghong
Mr. Yu Zhiqiang and Mr. Zhang Guanghong were recently arrested by the Tiexi Division Police Department. They were sent to the Anshan City No. 2 Detention Center for several days and nights of torture. Mr. Yu Zhiqing was then transferred to the Haicheng Police Department. Mr. Zhang Guanghong was handcuffed and shackled for further abuse.
Anshan City No.2 Detention Center: 86-412-2611873.
Political Security Section of the Tiexi Division Police Department: 86-412-8830187.
August 22, 2003
(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:
Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.
(Clearwisdom.net)
Facts of the Persecution
The police in Guangzhou City No.1 Labor Camp (also called the Huadu City Labor Camp) use cruel torture methods on Falun Dafa practitioners. The evil gang in the local "610 Office" uses four particular torture methods on firmly cultivating Falun Dafa practitioners. One of them is called "Tying the Ropes." (This is when police tie up the practitioner with a thin rope, circle the rope around his neck, and tie his hands behind his back. Then the police use all their strength 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.) Whoever went through this torture would end up nearly dying, and with large bruises all over the body. Police then call the jail doctor to come to take a look. They display such cruelty, but pretend that they "care." A college student from Zhongshan University Wang Dehua had a mental collapse after enduring this torture.
The Truth and People's Hearts
The following is an excerpt from the article "Predestined to Listen to the Fa, and Recover Hearing"
One Falun Dafa practitioner has a brother who lived in her hometown out in the countryside. Her brother's wife took their son to the city, hoping to have his hearing loss treated. Because they were short on money, they came to the practitioner's house without seeing the doctor. The practitioner happened to be watching Master's lectures, so her nephew watched the remaining ten minutes together with her. She let them view a truth-clarifying VCD right after that. Her sister-in-law wanted to learn Dafa on the spot. They went back to the countryside the next day. Later when the practitioner went back to her hometown, her sister-in-law told her happily, "My son's hearing has been recovered." She wanted to learn Dafa immediately. That pure-hearted child has benefited from learning the truth.
The following is an excerpt from the article "A Falun Dafa Practitioner's 20-Year-Old Health Problems Disappear"
I had many health problems before obtaining the Fa, so that I could not eat or wash without assistance from others, and I also couldn't walk. In 1998, I was amidst such suffering that I would rather have died than live any longer--Falun Gong then came to our village. I really loved listening to Master's lectures on tape. I felt the lectures were quite precious. I have been determined to cultivate Falun Dafa, and the health problems that I had had for over 20 years and could not cure, are now all gone. I now have the happy feeling of being sickness-free. Hence, I deeply believe in Dafa, and deeply believe in every sentence and every word Master says.
News from China
The following is an excerpt from the article "Notice from the Baoding City (Hebei Province, China) Dragnet that Investigates the Persecution of Falun Dafa Practitioners"
Since 1999, when Falun Dafa began to be persecuted, until today, the Baoding City "610 Office," the police, procuratorial, the legal systems, and the local media have closely followed Jiang and his regime's lead, and persecuted thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners. They have had the media fabricate lies. Meanwhile, they have conducted illegal, large-scale arrests of Falun Dafa practitioners. They have detained practitioners, sentenced them, sent them to labor camp, searched their homes, extorted their money, and had them dismissed from their jobs. Many practitioners were sentenced to prison or labor camp. Many families have been broken up, and many have become destitute and homeless in order to avoid being unlawfully arrested at home. Many friends and families, and even employers of Falun Dafa practitioners have been implicated. People in Baoding City have been harmed by the brainwashing lies that the media has spread. Eleven Falun Dafa practitioners have been tortured to death in Baoding City. We are here to warn those lawless people involved in persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners, and those who have helped in the persecution by accusing or monitoring Falun Dafa practitioners for pitiful gains. Wake up quickly! History, justice, and heavenly law will not avoid punishing you because you did those things just because it was your job. Please bear in mind, huge errors are sure to be corrected, and your one thought will determine whether your future is good or bad.
"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.