1 Since Jiang's group began suppressing Falun Gong in July 1999, all activities associated with the practice of Falun Gong, promotion of the practice and exposition of the persecution are defined as illegal by the authorities in China and are subjected to suppression, even though freedoms of belief, expression and assembly are ensured by the state constitution.

http://english.epochtimes.com/news/4-5-26/21607.html

(Clearwisdom.net)

Both Fengyin Li and her husband Zhengting Ma were employees of the 3532 Factory in Langfang City. Together with their daughter, the three members of their family lived according to Falun Dafa's principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance," however the family was totally disrupted as a result of persecution at the hands of Langfang City authorities.

Fengyin Li's husband, Zhengting Ma was arrested and sent to a local detention center on five separate occasions. In the detention center, he was tortured and suffered both physically and psychologically. Later he was sent to a brainwashing center, where he was psychologically persecuted. He died after being forced to renounce his belief in Falun Dafa. Their daughter Li Ma was sent to the detention center on two separate occasions. Details of their mistreatment follow below:

On the afternoon of September 22, 1999, a man surnamed Hu from the Tanmengwai Police Station along with Youli Wang and Dongliang Wang from the factory went to Fengyin Li's home. They searched her home and confiscated a picture of Teacher and audiocassettes containing Falun Dafa exercise music. Fengyin Lin was detained for 15 days. Her husband went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Dafa and was detained for 15 days as well. Their daughter was also forcibly taken and interrogated by the Police and not released until 11 p.m. that evening.

After Fengyin Li and her husband were released, they remained true to their belief in the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance." Freedom of belief is the right of every citizen. Appealing to the government is also a right provided in the Chinese constitution.

So many Falun Dafa practitioners from all over the country had been going to Beijing to appeal for justice on behalf of Falun Dafa at the Appeals Office that the officials not only refused to hear the appeals, but in the end vacated their office. As a result, Fengyin Li and her family were unable to locate the Appeals Office and were instead arrested and sent to their local Police station on October 20^th. The local authorities illegally detained both of them for one month and fined them 4,000 Yuan, however, the authorities deceitfully issued a receipt for the amount of 2,000 Yuan only, leaving the additional 2,000 Yuan undocumented and unaccounted for. After paying the money, Fengyin Li's husband and daughter were released. Fengyin Li was illegally sentenced to three years in the Kaiping Labor Camp in Tangshan on November 26, 1999.

Upon arrival at the labor camp at noon, Fengyin Li was required to stand in one place for half the day. Then, she was forced to conduct marching drills for hours without a break and was beaten by another prisoner with a baton. From that point on, she had to work underground in a converted air-raid shelter without sunlight for more than 10 hours each day. At one point, foreign inspectors came to check the camp for compliance with regulations. Falun Dafa practitioners were all hidden by the camp officials, because they feared that the Dafa practitioners would tell the inspectors what was really occurring to them in the camp. Other prisoners were told to tell the foreign inspectors that they only worked 6 hours per day.

In August 2000, the Falun Dafa practitioners in Fengyin Li's team went on a hunger strike to protest their illegal imprisonment. They also refused to work. One day, Yanhua Wang, the head of the team on duty, brought four prisoners and tried to force feed practitioners. Once, Fengyin Li was handcuffed and prisoners Lijun Zhao and Junqing Li planted one foot each to hold down her body while prisoner Qi An sat on her abdomen with one hand pinching her nose and the other hand prying her mouth open with a spoon while another prisoner forced food down her throat. People who witnessed this brutality were stunned by the brutality.

Practitioners were handcuffed to the persimmon trees and telegraph poles in the courtyard. This happened daily, regardless of the weather outside. Some of the practitioners were on hunger strikes so long that they frequently fainted out of hunger and weakness. One time, Fengyin Li was uncuffed, only after she fainted. However, she was handcuffed again, immediately after she regained consciousness.

In December 2000, guards locked Yuhuan Zhao and Zhibin Zhang up in a small torture cell. The prisoner Xiaoqin Cao, who monitored Fengyin Li, told her, "Zhibin Zhang was beaten to death by them." We still have no official confirmation whether she died or not. Later, practitioner Yulan Cui, from Langfang, was tortured to death by the guards.

The Tangshan Labor Camp persecuted Falun Gong practitioners relentlessly during these years. They fanatically followed the persecution policies of Jiang Zemin which directed the authorities to, "Eliminate Falun Gong practitioners physically and classify the practitioners who were beaten to death as a suicide." To this day, the tragedy of the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners continues.

In late 2000 and early 2001, most of the Falun Dafa practitioners in the Tangshan Labor Camp were on a hunger strike to protest their illegal imprisonment and cruel persecution. Shortly thereafter, the policeman ordered many male prisoners to senselessly beat practitioners in the dining room. Each practitioner was beaten to the point that their whole body turned black and blue. One prisoner beat Fengyin Li to the ground with a single blow. He then dragged her by the hair and forced her to kneel down in front of them. Forced Labor was combined with other forms of brainwashing. This included forcing Falun Dafa practitioners to watch videos on a daily basis, which stigmatized and defamed Falun Dafa. The practitioners refused to watch them. On one occasion, camp guards shocked and beat the practitioners with electric batons. Practitioners' bodies and faces were covered with deep bruises, blisters and broken teeth. Thereafter, they were handcuffed onto the chairs of the education center in various contorted positions. The practitioners were not allowed to go to the toilet and many of them were forced to urinate in their trousers. The guards inhumanly persecuted them.

The Chinese TV broadcasting system systematically deceives the public about the way Falun Dafa practitioners are treated. The official Party line is quoted as, "Like the doctor treating his patients, like parents treating their children, like teachers treating their students." They air their lies via TV stating that "transformation" success rate [refers to the number of practitioners forced to renounce their belief] of Falun Gong practitioners is 98%. They justify their lies by the number of signed "Guarantee Statements," obtained by force from those who could not withstand Jiang Zemin's policies of brainwashing and agonizing torture.

Several days after Fengyin Li was released, her husband was abducted by authorities from the "610 office" (1) and was sent to a local brainwashing center for psychological persecution. After he returned home, people in the security department of the factory and Xianen Xing in the plant, continually called to harass them, causing great psychological pressure on her husband. Her husband became thinner and thinner. He wanted to see a doctor, but they were short of money. In over four years of persecution, the three members of their family were sent to the detention center several times and were extorted of large sums of money by the police and the factory on several occasions. Her husband had to pay 1,000 yuan before he was permitted to visit his wife at the labor camp. The authorities depleted what little money they had saved with their corrupt extortion. When Fengyin Li finally was able to gather enough money to send her husband to the hospital, it was too late. Her husband passed away shortly thereafter. Fengyin Li said with grief and indignation, "My husband weighed 160 jin (a jin is a Chinese unit of weight; 1 jin is approximately 1 pound) before he was sent to the brainwashing center. He was very healthy and had no illnesses at that time. Jiang Zemin is responsible for the death of my husband."

During the past five years, the persecution of Fengyin Li and her family is only one of the millions of cases of persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners in China.

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Zheng Zhiqiang was a 37 year old practitioner from Dandong City, Liaoning Province. He died on the morning of April 4, 2004 in the No. 2 Room of Dalian Prison Clinic. He had been severely tortured because he refused to give up his belief in Falun Dafa.

Mr. Zheng Zhiqiang was serving a prison term for criminal charges in the No. 11 Ward of Dalian Prison before 1999, when he started cultivating Falun Dafa. After the persecution against Falun Dafa began in 1999, he faced continuous pressure to give up his belief in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.

In the summer of 2003, the upper level management came to check on the prison, and encouraged prisoners to report firmly cultivating Falun Dafa practitioners' activities in order to receive a reward of three months reduced prison term. A prisoner named Qu reported on Zheng Zhiqiang for practicing the exercises inside the prison between August and September, 2003, so Mr. Zheng was strictly monitored for 27 days, and forced to wear heavy chains (about 11.1 lb., only 1.64 ft. long). He had difficulty walking with the chains and fell easily. His ankles were rubbed raw and bleeding from the heavy shackles, and he had a hard time sleeping. No.11 Ward Director Zhao Zuojin was involved personally in torturing him, Tel: 86-1350-073-4180 (cell).

During the 2004 New Year Holiday season, the prison guards targeted Mr. Zheng because he refused to give up his beliefs. Police forced him to stand barefoot outside in the snow twice a day, from 5:30 --6:30 AM and 6-7 PM for 17 days, with a 33 lb. wooded board hung from a thin wire around his neck.

Because Mr. Zheng was reported for doing the exercises, and refused to write a "Repentance Statement(1)" or "Guarantee Statement(2)," he was under strict surveillance. Police would not let him sleep for 48 hours, then tied his hands to metal pipes, and forced him to sit on a 1'x1.64' stool from 6 AM to 9 PM. He was only given two steamed corn buns, one picked vegetable, and one cup of water each day.

Mr. Zheng was finally brought to the Prison Clinic in an extremely weakened condition during the Chinese New Year Season. On the morning of April 4, 2004, witnesses saw his dead body hung by the neck in the window of No.2 room. Prisoners were shocked, and said that the prison officials plotted this to escape responsibility for their crimes.

We hope to gain more information soon. The switchboard of Dalian Prison is: 86-411-86653491.

Ward Director Office, 86-411-86668688.

Political Director Office, 86-411-86665188

Director Jin of Prison Clinic, 86-411-86652917.

No.11 Ward Leader Zhao Dequan

Notes: The Dalian Prison recently moved to Yaojia Detention Center, and its old phone number 86-411-86832011 is no longer working. The above-mentioned Dalian Prison is a Provincial Prison, still located in Liujiaqiao in Dalian City, and its phone numbers are still valid. However, it will soon move as well.

(2) A statement to declare that he or she is remorseful for practicing Falun Gong and guarantees not to practice Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

(Clearwisdom.net) Since the start of the persecution against Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, the legal system and local government of the townships and villages of Wuqiang County have been persecuting Falun Gong practitioners under the direction and instigation of the "610 Office". We would like to take this opportunity to detail the extent of the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners living in Wuqiang County.

One example concerns a family from Beidulin Village, Wuqiang County that used to enjoy a peaceful and harmonious life. The family, consisting of the father Gao Hongbin, mother Zhang Xiangye, son Gao Dongxu, and daughter Gao Gongpei were all targeted. We hope to expose the crimes committed against them and bring public attention to their plight.

Gao Hongbin (50) was detained twice because he practiced Falun Gong. Police illegally searched his home and took away many Falun Gong books and audio and video materials.

On November 29, 2000, police and county and village officials claimed that they wanted to talk to Gao and took him to the Political and Security Department of the Public Security Bureau where policeman Wu Cheng and others denied him his legal rights and interrogated him.

On January 2, 2001, Gao was arrested and detained at the county detention center. On April 26, 2001, he was secretly sentenced to four years in prison without legal representation or his family being notified. He was detained at Motou Prison in Hengshui City, Hebei Province to serve his sentence.

While in prison, he refused to give up his belief in Falun Gong and was therefore transferred after about one month to the No. 4 prison in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. The authorities refused to allow Gao's family to visit him until he had served over one year.

In June 2003, Gao Hongbin's mother passed away after being in grief for a long time and missing her son. The police didn't even allow Gao to pay his final respects to his mother when she was on her deathbed.

At present, information concerning the whereabouts of Gao Hongbin or his physical condition are unknown.

The mother, Zhang Xiangye, 50, was reported to police in March 2001 when she was explaining the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong to others. Several people from Beidai village and some policemen followed her home. They searched her home, confiscated Falun Gong materials and reported her to the county "610 Office" which ensured she would be persecuted further. The authorities forced her to go to the county's Public Security Bureau for further interrogation. The same night, she was sent to the Fucheng County Detention Center where she was beaten, shackled, doused with water and forced to do heavy labor. On August 1, she was illegally sentenced to two years of forced labor and sent to the Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp. \

In the labor camp, she suffered inhumane torture, including beatings, being handcuffed, tied with ropes, being stripped naked, and having her blankets and sheets taken apart for inspection. She was handcuffed and suspended in painful positions for long periods of time. She was not allowed to sleep for three days and was interrogated in turn by many people. At last, three people bit her and forced her tightly clenched fists open in order to press her fingerprints on a "letter of transformation" against her will, spilling her blood all over the document in the process.

Zhang Xiangye became emaciated due to the prolonged maltreatment. Her torment continued until one day in June 2002, she suddenly lost consciousness in the restroom. Officials in the labor camp became afraid that they would be held responsible should she die, so they sent her home on June 8 in the pouring rain. Although she has recovered a little now, she still cannot take care of herself. The Shijiazhuang labor camp has continued to send people to her home to harass her.

The son Gao Dongxu (26) was not only suffering due to his parent's arrest, but was also detained and interrogated himself. In August 2000, Policemen Wu Guobiao and another officer with the nickname "Funny Man" from Beidai Village came to his home to harass him. They found a copy of "Zhuan Falun" [the main teachings of Falun Gong] and other Falun Gong materials. The authorities took Gao Dongxu to the police station and interrogated him, wanting to force him to tell where he got the books. Although they didn't get an answer, they forced his family to pay a "deposit" of 2,000 yuan [500 Yuan is the average monthly salary of an urban worker in China] to obtain his release. On January 1, 2001, a fat policeman and Wu Guobiao invented an excuse to turn that deposit into a permanent "fine" so it could not be refunded.

The daughter, Gao Dongpei, 22, was sent to a brainwashing session held by the Party School of Wuqiang County on April 2001, where she was forced to read propaganda materials and watch videotapes defaming Falun Gong. When she refused to cooperate, the authorities punished her by making her stand upright or kneel down under the hot sun for extended periods of time, or to be displayed in the street to be publicly humiliated. One day, Mr. Wu Tiecheng, head of the political and security department of the county Public Security Bureau, on orders of Mr. Gao Zhengzong, the principal of the county Party School, forced Gao Dongpei and other practitioners to kneel in the alley in front of their building until midnight. The next day, Gao and the others were again forced to kneel there from morning to midnight. They were not allowed to leave, even when it started to rain.

All the members of the family were detained because they practice Falun Gong and strive to become good persons according to the principle of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. In the summer of 1999, when the Gao family members were finally released after being detained for many days, they found grass overgrowing their yard. The family was nearly ruined financially.

Since then, thugs led by Mr. Ma Guangkun, head of the judicial department of the village have frequently harassed the Gaos. In March 2004, Ma Guangkun threatened that they would send Gao Dongpei and her mother Zhang Xiangye to the Hengshui brainwashing class. We hope that kind-hearted people around the world pay attention to their dire situation.

Ms. Gao Sufen (42) went to Beijing on July 20, 1999, to demand justice for Falun Gong. After she returned home, officials in Zhouwo Township often harassed her. She was required to report to the township office twice a day. On New Year's Day 2000, she was taken to the township office, not allowed to sleep and forced to remain sitting upright for two days and nights. In April 2001, she was sent to a brainwashing class in Wuqiang County. Her 10-year-old son protested having his mom taken from him. An official deceived the child, telling him that they would release his mom the next day. Regardless, they detained his mom for two and a half months.

During the brainwashing, they didn't allow Gao Sufen to sleep, and punished her by forcing her to kneel on the brick floor until midnight. They also forced her to be publicly displayed in the street, under the hot sun for passersby to see her in order to incite hatred against her for practicing Falun Gong and also make the public afraid to support Falun Gong. In addition, Gao Sufen was fined 3,000 yuan. Her husband worked out of town to sustain the family. They were poor and could not afford the fine so they needed to borrow money from friends and relatives.

People involved in her persecution included Song Genghuai, Jia Yinghua, and Gao Zhengzong.

Mr. Li Qizhen (55) was arrested at the end of December 2000, and sent back to the Public Security Bureau of his home county after having gone to Beijing to demand justice for Falun Gong. Mr. Wu Tiecheng, head of the county's political and security department compiled materials that sent Li Qizhen to the Detention Center of Wuqiang County. Li was detained there beyond his original term until April 2001. Later, Li was sent to a brainwashing program for further persecution. As part of the brainwashing program, the principal of the Party School and others forced Li to stand or kneel for prolonged periods and devised other forms of torture to try to force him to give up practicing Falun Gong. One day, Mr. Liang Yinghua and Mr. Han Jianping who helped to run the brainwashing session called Li out and asked him several questions. Li Qizhen answered, but Han Jianping slapped Li across the face with a flyswatter causing Li's face and mouth to bleed. One day after the dinner, Liang Yinghua asked Li Qizhen and another Dafa practitioner, Xiu Ge, into his office and asked them to write statements renouncing Falun Gong. Li and Xiu declined. Liang then forced Li to kneel on a stool and handcuffed him to Xiu, fastening both to a heating pipe.

Ms. Li Guozhen, 50, went to Beijing on July 20, 1999, to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. Later she was detained by her village office for half a month and fined as a punishment. Ever since, she and her family members can no longer live a peaceful life. Officials come to her place to harass them from time to time at any time during the day or night.

On November 25, 2001, when Li stayed at home to help her daughter who had just had a Caesarian-section, police in the village came at midnight and took her in for questioning. On Chinese New Year's day, village-square loudspeakers broadcast the names of Li Guozhen and other local practitioners to incite hatred against them and ruin their family holiday. On April 13, 2001, officials from the village along with some police officers took more than ten people to arrest Li and take her to the Wuqiaqng County brainwashing program. There she wasn't allowed to sleep, she was forced to stand upright for prolonged periods of time and given food that had gone bad. She was also "fined" 3,000 yuan.

People involved in persecuting Li Guozhen include Jia Ruihuai, head of the county Public Security Bureau; Gao Zhenzong, principal of the Party School; Song Genhuai, head of the county "610 Office", and Liang Yinghua of the county Department of Education.

Ms. Gao Hongye, 43, used to have a serious heart disease. After she started practicing Falun Gong in 1998, she got rid of her troublesome diseases. On New Year's Day of 2000, local officials arrested her and sent her to the village office because they were afraid that she would go again to Beijing to appeal for the rights of Falun Gong as she had done before. In 2001, Gao was taken to the Wuqiang County brainwashing class where she was not allowed to sleep and was forced to stand upright for prolonged periods of time, facing the wall to reflect on her actions. She was not released until she was tortured to the brink of death, when officials asked her family members to take her to a hospital.

Ms. Wang Shuqin, 51, started practicing Falun Gong in 1998, and recovered from many diseases. On July 20, 1999, she went to Beijing to demand justice for Falun Gong but was arrested by police and sent to Baoding City, Hebei Province. Later she was sent home. In 2001, the village office sent people to Wang's place to take her to a brainwashing class held by the county. In the class, Gao Zhenzong, principal of the Party School, and Jia Ruihuai, head of the county Public Security Bureau, tried to force her to give up her faith. She said, "Falun Gong is so good. Why do I need to be 'transformed?!'" Boiling with rage, Jia Ruihuai kicked Wang to the ground, forced her to kneel down and didn't allow her to stand up.

Ms. Liu Fengluan, 41, lives in the same village as Wang Shuqin. On July 20, 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong] but was detained at Zhuowo village and not released until she paid a fine. When Liu Fengluan refused to write a defamation of Falun Gong in April 2001, in the village office, Mr. Liu Juncheng and over ten other persons brought her to the Xiafan Party School to brainwash her. There, she was forced to stand upright for a long time, was exposed to the baking sun, and was not allowed to sleep. These methods are frequently used to torture Falun Gong practitioners. She was later fined 3,000 yuan.

On March 2, 2004, Zhang Jian, head of the Political and Security Department of Wuqiang County, and Li Chengseng, the general secretary of the party in Lifeng village, visited the homes of practitioners in Lifeng village. They forced practitioners to sign the "Four Guarantees" defaming Teacher and Falun Dafa. Li Chengseng also asked practitioners whether they would continue practicing Falun Gong. Anyone who replied positively would be sent to the Hengshui brainwashing program until they agreed to sign statements renouncing their belief in Falun Gong.

Mr. Han Guofeng, 35, lives in Lima village, Doucun Township. On July 22, 1999, he went to Beijing to tell the truth about Falun Gong but was arrested and sent back to the country. He was detained at the No. 2 hostel [a facility used to temporarily hold Falun Gong practitioners] of his home county. From there, he was taken to the police station at Doucun Township, and after he got back to his home, police often harassed him. When they learned that he worked in Beijing, they sent a police escort with him and wouldn't allow him to leave his home county. They illegally detained Han several times and forced him to write a "Guarantee Statement" [renouncing Falun Gong]. Liang Yanhong is directly responsible for Han's mistreatment.

On March 29, 2000, Han again went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong]. He was arrested and sent to the Wuqiang County Detention Center. Initially, he was detained for 15 days, but because he would not give up practicing Falun Gong, he was sentenced to 7 more months of detention by the county police department. Since he practiced the Falun Gong exercises even in the detention center, he was shackled to a stone stool for 6 days and 6 nights by the deputy head of the police department, which caused him great pain and discomfort. Yang Baoda is the person directly responsible for the persecution against Han.

In April 2001, Liang Yanhong, the General Secretary of the Political and Security Department of the village, forced Han Guofeng into the county brainwashing program where thugs asked him to slander Teacher and Dafa and tried unsuccessfully to force him to sign the "Four Statements" [denouncing Falun Gong]. On the evening of April 15, 2001, he was sent to the county detention center and was detained there for 15 days. However, he would not give up his faith and continued to expose the crimes of Jiang Zemin, and was therefore detained for 7 months. At the end of his 7-month long detention, he was sentenced two years of forced labor. In the detention center, Han insisted on practicing the Falun Gong exercises and was handcuffed and put in shackles by policeman Yang Zhenning.

On December 12, 2001, Han Guofen was sent to brigade 303 of the Shijiazhang Labor Camp. The guards there didn't allow Han to sleep using three of the criminal prisoners to watch him. They didn't even allow him to close his eyes for a moment threatening him and trying to force him to write the "Four Guarantees" for four consecutive days. Later, police shackled his hand to a heating pipe. On June 5, 2002, he was transferred to brigade 202, where they used lies and false kindness in an attempt to coerce him to sign the "Four Statements". Han was persecuted in this manner in the labor camp for 30 months. Bian Sjuqiang (head of the brigade), Zhang Li (deputy head), and Dong Xinguo were directly involved in persecuting him:

Ms. Deng Qiuying (48) lives in Dayang Village of the Doucun Township. On July 20, 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong] but was brought back home by police from her county and detained at county hostel no. 2. She was then taken to the police station at Doucun Township and illegally detained there for 5 days and forced to write the "Three Guarantee Statements" [renouncing Falun Gong]. On October 27, 2000, the political and security department of the township instituted a brainwashing program. Deng was forced to attend the class and persecuted there for one month. On April 13, 2001, Deng was sent to a brainwashing program organized by the county where she was not allowed to sleep, was beaten, and forced to watch fabricated graphic videotapes defaming Falun Gong. She was detained there for three months. Liang Yanhong, Du Bingchang, Gao Zhensong, Jia Ruihuai, Song Genghuai, Yang Baoda, Wu Tiecheng, and Liang Yinghua are among those who directly persecuted her.

Ms. Sun Shuang (34) lives in Lima Village of Doucun Township. On July 20, 1999, officials from Doucun Township sent people to search her home who confiscated her Dafa books, scriptures, and audiotapes for practicing the Falun Gong exercises. On July 21, 1999, Sun went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong], but was taken back home by the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County and detained at hostel no. 2. After she was forced to write a letter guaranteeing that she would not go to Beijing to appeal again, she was taken to Doucun Township and detained in an office. Liang Yanhong was directly involved in her persecution.

During 1999 and 2001, officials from the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County and the political and Security Department of the Doucun Township went to Sun Shuang's home many times to harass her, disturbing her life and generating instability in her family. Jia Ruihuai and Liang Zhenjiang, are among those directly responsible for her persecution.

We have taken this opportunity to detail at least part of the persecution of practitioners in Wuqiang County. We will continue to reveal the methods unconscionable officials in Wuqiang County use to persecute Falun Gong practitioners until we have covered all the facts.

A list of persons in Wuqiang County who participated in persecuting Falun Gong follows.

Yang Baoda, General Secretary of the Wuqiang County CCP, and former General Secretary of the Political and Security Department.

Gao Zhenzong, principal of the Wuqiang County CCP Party School, formerly of Dulin Village, Beidai Township and now living in the county capital. Phone: 86-318-3827879 (office), 86-318-3826420 (home);

Song Genghuai, head of the county's "610 Office," previously of Songguhe Village, currently residing in the county capital. Phone: 86-318-3826862 (home), 86-13932896267 (cell);

Phone number of the "610 Office": 86-318-3823311;

Jia Ruihuan, head of the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County, formerly of Songguhe Village, and now residing in the county capital. Phone: 86-318-3826862 (home), 86-318-3825218 (office), 86-13503188336 (cell);

Wu Tiecheng, head of the Political and Security Department of the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County. He lives at Beisun village. Phone: 86-318-3827516 (home), 86-318-3822573 ext. 3804 (office);

Liang Yinghua, education department of the county, lives at Lide Village. Phone: 86-318-3825986 (home), 86-318-3503181234 (cell);

Han Jianping, head of the Zhuowo Village police station, formerly of Mei Village, and now living in the county capital. Phone: 86-318-3825790 (home), 86-13903187448 (cell);

Liu Juncheng, former General Secretary of the Political and Security Department of Zhuowo Village.

Wen Wantong, Dongxin Village, an official of the Zhuowo village.

Song Jigeng, Songjia Village, an official of the Zhuowo village.

Liang Yanjiang, former General Secretary of the Political and Security Department of Duoxiang Village, but now transferred to another place.

Phone of the Beidai Township government: 86-318-3836052;

Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County: 86-318-3822573;

Wu Guobiao, policeman at the Beidai Township, resident of Xidai Village, Beidai Township, 86-318-3768862 (home);

"Silly man" (nickname available only), policeman at the Beidai police station, a resident of Beidai Village, Beidai Township.

April 19, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) On November 10, 2003, Dalian Forced Labor Camp authorities formulated a plan to systemically brainwash more than 20 determined Dafa practitioners by separating them into groups. In order to block any news of this plan, they moved the persecution venue to a new building in the labor camp.

The plan was implemented by hanging the practitioners up for long periods of time by their cuffed hands, and depriving them of sleep. If the practitioners dozed off, the perpetrators beat and kicked them. Then collaborators [former Falun Gong practitioners who have turned against Dafa due to torture and brainwashing], both male and female, tried to brainwash them practitioners. They also force-fed the practitioners with alcohol.

The perpetrators who carried out this persecution were hand-picked. Division head Guo Peng, instructor Jiang Chongjiu, group heads Luo Xiaochen and Sheng Rui, and several guards were transferred from government positions and other divisions. The instructor was from Division Eight. Seven inmates including Li Yue, Yu Yefeng, and Pan Yunlong were chosen from the "Four Defense Division." They were all moved into the new building to prepare for the persecution.

This particular story began on December 15, 2003. Each of the three sessions consisted of three Dafa practitioners, nine in all, and lasted 15 days. The three practitioners in the last session remained in the new building for 28 days. The perpetrators first tricked the practitioners into coming to the new building, then sent them to solitary confinement rooms and cuffed each hand to a bed, one to their left and the other one to their right. They were made to sit in a small chair, had to wear a weighted hat, and were deprived of sleep during the day and night. Two inmates would beat the practitioners if they noticed them sleeping. Guards and instructors patrolled the rooms. If they found a practitioner sleeping, they would extend the inmate-instructor's term of sentence. Faced with this situation, the inmates dared not slack off, and they beat and kicked Dafa practitioners every time they dozed off. Hao Wenshuai, head of the labor camp, Zhang Ziliang, deputy head, and Yao Shanggang, head of the Economic Inspection Office, often went to the building to check out the situation. Sometimes they personally participated in the persecution. Under their orders, the abuse and torment of this persecution was extremely severe.

Dafa practitioner Chen Shenghu's experience: On the first day he was cuffed between two beds and deprived of sleep. Beginning on the second day, female collaborators attempted to brainwash him. On the third day the guards removed the chair and forced him to half-stand with his hands cuffed. He was forced to stand in this extremely uncomfortable posture for three days, until his feet became so swollen that his anklebones were invisible and his feet turned black. Persecutor Yao Shanggang said, "You'll lose your feet if you don't move them around for 24 hours." The perpetrators knew the consequences of such torture, but they continued regardless. On the eighth day, instructor Jiang Chongjiu beat practitioner Chen Shenghu and ordered collaborators Li Yue and Yu Yefeng to brainwash him. Li Yue made Dafa practitioner Mr. Chen Shenghu lower his upper body and raise his derriere with his hands cuffed, and then beat and kicked him. On the ninth day, the gaurds met to plan their next tactics. They decided to interrogate Mr. Chen and extend his sentence by three months.

Dafa practitioner Ms. Shi Yueli held a hunger strike for four days to protest the persecution. On the fifth day, instructor Jiang Chongqiu and division head Guo Peng ordered the collaborators to force-feed her nine or ten ounces of hard liquor.

On February 10, the third and last group of practitioners was deceived into coming to the new building. In the first 15 days the persecutors used sleep deprivation, hanging, and beatings, but failed to "reform" the practitioners, so they started another 15-day session. Division head Liu Zhongke shouted, "We have to reform them, no matter what we have to do to them!" With his order, the inmates burned practitioner Mr. Lin Weizhu's hands with a cigarette lighter until his hands turned black. After this torture, pressing his hand would create a hole in the skin. Inmate Pan Yunlong beat Lin Weizhu with his slippers until his face was covered in blood, but Lin Weizhu kept a smile on his face throughout the ordeal, and the inmates couldn't help but admire him privately. When asked whether he would reform, he said, "I'm not afraid to die; but as long as I live I'll always practice Falun Dafa." The persecutors felt that most people couldn't last a week in this torture, but Lin Weizhu exceeded their expectations. They thought he was insane and planned to send him to a hospital. But because Lin Weizhu persisted in Dafa practice and remained steadfast, the perpetrators' plan failed. The brainwashing officially ended on March 9, 2004. All persecutors who took part in the brainwashing returned to Division Eight. Dafa practitioner Mr. Lin Weizhu is still under watch, but he is now permitted to sleep. Persecutor Guo Peng was promoted to labor camp deputy head, and Jiang Chongjiu was promoted to head of Division Eight.

In late 2003, Dafa practitioner Mr. Gong Fajiu, 52, refused to cooperate with the evildoers and defied their order to work. The persecutors sent him to the "strictly monitored group." At first, they made Gong Fajiu sleep on a bed with sparsely spaced metal rods, without a bedspread. His hands were cuffed to two edges of the bed. Thirteen days later, Mr. Gong Fajiu held a hunger strike. The inmates dragged Gong Fajiu out of bed and hung him between two beds for a whole afternoon. Gong Fajiu vomited and his abdomen convulsed violently. He eventually passed out.

Division heads make the decisions whether or not the practitioners are allowed to sleep, and how much sleep they get. They also decide how many handcuffs are put on them. Liu Zhongke, head of Division Eight, and Luo Xiaochen, another group head (both have since been transferred out of Division Eight) and others, must therefore take responsibility for this segment of the persecution.

Their goal was to make Dafa practitioner Mr. Gong Fajiu apologize for practicing Falun Gong and then force him to turn against Dafa, but thanks to the power of Dafa, although Gong Fajiu had not slept for 40 days, he didn't feel too drowsy. The perpetrators uncuffed one of Gong Fajiu's hands at the time of Chinese New Year. After the 2004 New Year, Gong Fajiu held a hunger strike for one month. The guards force-fed him once a day. Prior to each force-feeding, inmates Li Yue and Yu Jingkang would beat him. Sometimes the inmates would grab Gong Fajiu's foot so he was in an upside-down position while still cuffed to the beds. Then they threw him on the ground. Other times they hit his face with a dirty broom. After several months of no washing and no shaving, Gong Fajiu's face looked horrific, in addition to all the filth they brushed on his face.

Lawless officers Liu Zhongke and Guo Peng went to a conference and studied several persecution techniques. Around January 1, 2004 they started an additional round of persecution.

On November 28, 2003, group head Luo Xiaochen sent Dafa practitioner Gong Fajiu to the "strictly monitored group." Upon his arrival, inmate Wang Dianming beat practitioner Gong Fajiu. Labor camp officials encouraged Wang Dianming, and declared, "he represents the government," even though he violated the law and injured another person. At practitioner Gong's insistence, Wang Dianming apologized publicly and agreed to pay 100 Yuan in medical exam fees. Group head Luo Xiaochen was partially responsible for the beating. Gong Fajiu had felt ill since mid-November and the hospital wanted to transfer him, but persecutor Luo Xiaochen grew angry and delayed the transfer. Later, he locked Mr. Gong Fajiu into a small room, claiming he didn't have money and could not work. Luo Xiaochen and several inmates pinned him to a metal bed and handcuffed him. They began to "strictly control" him.

Labor Camp Affairs Public Policy states, "Strict control cannot exceed seven days and handcuffs and shackles cannot be worn for more than ten days. Unreasonable extension to inmates' terms, strict control, torture and beating are prohibited." Mr. Gong Fajiu was aware that Luo Xiaochen and the group authority's behaviors violated the law, therefore he held a hunger strike on December 12. He stated that Luo Xiaochen should take responsibility for his wrongful actions. Division Head Liu entered and confronted Gong Fajiu and also read the "Labor Camp Policies and Disciplinary Rules" in front of him. When Gong Fajiu asked him to read the Public Policy for Labor Camp Affairs, Liu walked away. Three days later in the afternoon, two inmates broke in, hung Gong Fajiu by his handcuffed wrists, and began torturing him. In the evening, Gong Fajiu became unconscious and was taken down. When he came to, Luo Xiaochen ordered the inmates to hang Mr. Gong up again. Gong Fajiu vomited and passed out once more. When he was taken down and came to, they hung him up a third time. Gong Fajiu constantly vomited but eventually just gagged. He again lost consciousness, and when he came to he began convulsing.

The law-violating persecutors then cuffed Mr. Gong Fajiu's hands to two beds and forced him to sit on a small stool on which he was not allowed to move. They began sleep deprivation torture, which lasted more than ten days. Whenever Mr. Gong Fajiu dozed off, they hit his face or kicked him.

Dafa practitioner Qu Fei has been under strict control for two months, during which time he was handcuffed with his feet in the air. At one time his four limbs were cuffed and shackled and he was not allowed to sleep or move. His legs and feet became severely swollen. In March, inmates beat Mr. Qu Fei until he passed out. His heart stopped beating, so the inmates carried him to Chunliu Hospital on a wooden board. Afterwards, the group head asked Qu Fei to sign a document, ordering his father to pay for his treatment. Dafa practitioner Mr. Qu Fei is around 26 years of age and his father is an army corps commander. Qu Fei was on the brink of death. Many Dafa practitioners were detained in solitary confinement on the second floor of the new building. Two inmates monitored each practitioner. The practitioners are cuffed between two beds and not allowed to sleep. The inmates beat and kick the practitioners until their faces are covered with blood. Sometimes they even force-feed the practitioners with liquor through tubes roughly inserted into their throats through their noses.

Dafa practitioner Mr. Liu Xiyong, 63, lived in Shihe, Jinzhou District. On October 1, 2003, a dozen perpetrators pushed, beat, and kicked Liu into a small room, where they subsequently force-fed him. Liu struggled and broke free of the handcuffs, but perpetrator Liu Zhongke put a dirty rag into Liu Xiyong's mouth and knocked out two of his teeth.

Dafa practitioner Mr. Sun Shizhen, who is in his 50's, worked at the Dalianwan Fishery Company. In March 2003 he was beaten to the point of passing out several times. The inmates pinched him until he came to, then they started beating him again. They put a sack over his head and beat him and knocked out a tooth. Mr. Sun Shizhen was given medical parole because of his severe injuries.

Criminal inmates Li Yue and Yu Jingkang visited practitioner Gong Fajiu at lunchtime. If Gong Fajiu refused to eat, they would beat and force-feed him. They put a hat on Gong Fajiu's head and savagely beat him until he had dizzy spells and excruciating pain all over his body. Sometimes they beat him until he vomited. Sometimes the persecutors kicked over the stool Gong Fajiu was sitting on. Then they grabbed Gong Fajiu's legs and threw him to the ground with his hands still cuffed behind him. Mr. Gong Fajiu was afraid at first, but later he was determined and was not afraid of being tortured to death. His mind grew calm. One month later, every time he remembered Master's words, he felt the benevolence and the mighty power of the Buddha Fa. The group head then told him he was not at fault, that the labor camp would pay for his medical exams, and that he would be sent back to his original group.

Many other Dafa practitioners are still being persecuted in this labor camp. Let us join in our efforts to suffocate the cruelty and completely eliminate the evil with our purest intentions.

Note: This manuscript was prepared in the labor camp by first hand witnesses.

May 7, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) In the past 4 years, Harbin Drug Addiction Rehab Center has closely followed Jiang's regime's orders, brutally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.

Guards and drug addicts confined in the center have tortured practitioners under the orders of the head of the rehab center and Zhao Wei, Chief Officer of the center's First Section.

Newly detained practitioners were forced to submit to the guards' will. If practitioners refused to do so, they would force them to stay in a half-squatting position and cuff them to radiators, unable to sit or stand. After, they would confine these practitioners in a separate cell, tying up them in iron chairs with both hands tightly tied to the backs of the chairs, not allowing them to sleep or eat. They would even shock them with electric batons and strike them on their faces. The police have encouraged drug addicts and those who have gone astray in their cultivation practice to beat and curse those practitioners who have been determined to stick to their belief in Falun Dafa. They have also tried many methods to force practitioners to say slanderous words against Dafa.

On November 12, 2002, a chilly winter day, the rehab center intensified its brutal persecutions and torture of Falun Gong practitioners. They had forcibly taken all of those who had never yielded to their persecution, about 100 practitioners in all, to the basement. There, they tied both their hands and feet to iron rings and plugged their mouths with dirty cloths so the practitioners would have difficulty breathing. They then blindfolded their eyes with yellow tape and cut their hair messily so that their appearances were distorted beyond recognition. Then, they stripped off practitioners' outer clothing, leaving only underclothes, and opened all windows and doors. They poured cold water onto practitioners' heads and bodies and then shocked them with electric batons for about 8 or 9 hours. The police continued such barbarous acts with three shifts in turn. They kept punching and kicking them. Some practitioners' teeth were broken.

They continued these atrocities for 72 hours nonstop. During this period of time, three practitioners were tortured to death. One of them was Jiang Rongzhen. The other two practitioners' names are unknown. Dozens of the practitioners' legs and feet, even entire bodies, became numb and some even lost the ability to take care of themselves in their daily lives.

Whoever has said "Dafa is good" would be forced to sustain a squatting position for an extended period of time. Female practitioner Sun Chuirong has been forced to squat for 7 to 8 months. She has gone on a hunger strike against such brutal tortures. They finally sent Sun Chuirong home when her life was in danger.

The above facts are only a few examples of the persecution.

Address of the Harbin Drug Addiction Drop Center: 239 Xianfeng Road, Daiping District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150056.

Telephone number of Zhao Wei, the Chief Officer of the First Section: 86-451-82424046.

May 3, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net)

Since early 2000, many Dafa practitioners have been arrested and taken to the Majialong Labor Camp in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. The labor camp didn't allow them to practice the Falun Gong exercises. If anyone was caught practicing the Falun Gong exercises, he/she was beaten. Practitioners were not allowed to talk to each other, and every steadfast practitioner was monitored by 2 or 3 drug-addict prisoners (sometimes even 4 drug-addicts were assigned to monitor one practitioner).

Practitioners were required to stay together with their drug-addict monitors even when they worked, ate, slept or used the toilet. They had no personal freedom. Practitioners were required to work all day, and if there was an urgent assignment, they were forced to work late into the night as well, but they were not allowed to rest in the evening. Guards used that time making all attempts to force practitioners to renounce their belief and to write statements that conformed to the Party political policies. Those who were firm in their belief were subjected to a variety of brutal means to torture them into renouncing their belief.

In 2002, the No. 3 Team assigned 4 drug-addicts to monitor each firm Dafa practitioner. These particular monitors had reputations for cruelty and mercilessness. They used various means to torture Dafa practitioners, such as forcing them to bend with their heads against the wall, forcing them to closely lean against the wall with their arms and feet widely open, depriving them of sleep, forcing them to stand still for extended periods of time, etc.

No. 3 group head Jiang Chunhui was in charge of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in the labor camp. He told the monitors that each of them would have 2 months reduced from their original sentence every time they successfully brainwashed a Dafa practitioner into renouncing their belief. The camp authorities further stipulated that the means they used had to be "civilized."

Majialong Labor Camp received an award as "provincial model labor camp" based solely on the number of Falun Dafa practitioners forced to renounce their belief. Using "civilized means" was actually said just for the authorities to cover themselves and have a way to scapegoat the other inmates for any actions against Dafa practitioners that might cause a death or other serious incident. The unspoken implication of the words was to "use any means necessary" to brainwash Falun Dafa practitioners.

With the temptation of such benefit, the drug-addicts used even more mean and sinister ways to persecute Dafa practitioners. For example, four of them took turns torturing a 65-year-old senior Dafa practitioner named Huang Deguo, from Yunshan in Yongxiu County. In the winter, they took off Huang Deguo's clothes and forced him to stand in front of the dorm bent over and did not allow him to sleep for an entire night. They also humiliated Mr. Huang in a variety of ways by forcing him to wear a newspaper "dunce cap", hanging a full chamber pot around his neck, etc. At the same time, they prevented him from using the toilet. If the group had a production requirement, for example making Christmas lights, and the work could not be finished while in the workshop, they would force Mr. Huang Deguo to take it to the dorm and continue working on it.

Chen Shangwu is a Dafa practitioner in Xingang, Lushan District. After working all day, Mr. Chen was already worn-out by the time he got back to his dorm in the evening. However, the drug-addicts forced him to stand up straight in one place without sleep until the next morning. This torture was repeated every day for a week. They didn't stop until his feet became so swollen that he could not even stand, his spirit almost collapsed and he was forced to give in against his conscience.

Dafa practitioner Hu Jiefei, is from Gao'an City in Jiangxi Province. When he was illegally sent to a labor camp, he managed to escape with righteous thoughts. But he was soon arrested and taken back. After he was transferred to the No. 1 group of Majialong Labor Camp, he was put in shackles for 6 months straight. Under direct orders from the guards, the drug-addicts often dragged Mr. Hu Jiefei to the washroom and beat him without reason, forced him to work while shackled, and didn't allow him to sleep at night.

Lu Zhankui, the leader of the No. 1 group asked all Falun Gong practitioners detained in the brainwashing class to recite the 80 labor camp regulations. When some practitioners questioned guard Chen Aihua some who had not been sentenced to forced-labor were still detained there and had to recite the labor camp's 80 regulations, he answered, "Even if you are not sentenced to forced-labor, you also have to recite the regulations. Otherwise, you will be punished and you won't be allowed to sleep."

Mao Rulun, was a 64 year old Dafa practitioner from Jiujiang City. One policeman put shackles on his hands and feet, with a chain tying the hand and feet shackles together. Under this torture, he had to bend his body and could not stand up straight. At night, the police handcuffed Mr. Mao Rulun to a window and didn't allow him to sleep. It was September of 2001, and the weather was extremely hot at that time. His body felt very dirty due to lack of the opportunity to take a shower and change clothes. When Mr. Mao Rulun was detained in the No. 2 Team, policeman Deng Chengsong directed drug-addict Wu Binlin to torture him. They hung and handcuffed Mr. Mao Rulun onto a window with his toes merely touching the ground. Wu also smeared soap and water on the tiles beneath Mr. Mao so that his toes would slip whenever they touched the ground. Wu also used a wooden board to hit the nerves under his kneecaps. Every time Wu hit Mr. Mao behind his knees, his legs would automatically jerk up causing Wu to laugh. The guards placed a blood-pressure reader nearby and told Mr. Mao that they would not release Mr. Mao from this hanging position until his blood pressure was high enough to put him in grave danger. They hung Mr. Mao Rulun for three days and nights without giving him any food or water. Then they removed him from this position, and handcuffed his hands behind his back and hung him up again. Mr. Mao's 190 pound body was hung from the window frame by his hands, which were cuffed behind his back. The cuffs cut into his hands causing his wrists serious injury.

Guard Xu Lijian used psychological torture to persecute Dafa practitioner Yin Yucai from Duchang City. Every night when Mr. Yin just fell sleep, Xu Lijian told Mr. Yin to get up and go to the duty room. In fact, he asked Mr. Yin to sit in the duty room and didn't allow Mr. Yin to go to sleep. Mr. Yin could only go back to the dorm to sleep a little while the second morning. He would soon be awaken shortly after he went back to the dorm. Mr. Yin was not allowed to have a rest in the daytime either. At the same time, Mr. Yin was forced to stay busy making the bed, taking off clothes, putting on clothes, folding and unfolding his quilt. He was forced to repeat these activities constantly day after day. (Author's note: As Dafa practitioners, we should always peacefully and non-violently refuse to comply with the evil people's orders and commands. Silently tolerating evil people's torture and persecution against us can actually acknowledge and worsen the persecution on others and ourselves.)

Dafa practitioner Mr. Zhou Zuofu is from Ruichang City. Before he was released in April 2003, he was handcuffed for as long as 6 months. During this period, the guards didn't allow Mr. Zhou to sit down, nor did they allow him to go to sleep until late into the night. Drug-addicts said, "I seldom saw him permitted to sit in the past 6 months." Mr. Zhou Zuofu was tortured until he developed rickets and became mentally disoriented due to the extended torture. He has not recovered even now.

Dafa practitioner Huang Xiangui, is from Jiujiang County. Policeman Lu Zhankui incited drug-addicts, "If you can brainwash Huang Xiangui, you will be immediately released." Drug-addict Hu Ping wildly tortured Mr. Huang Xiangui, and he fiercely beat and swore at Mr. Huang. He didn't allow Mr. Huang to sleep and Mr. Huang was tortured until he was extremely thin, pale and weak.

In order to force practitioners to give up their belief in Falun Dafa, the No. 2 group forced practitioners to labor making Christmas lights. They forced them to work over night without sleep and also forced elderly people to make tungsten wire for lightbulbs. The wires are as thin as a hair and only a few millimeters long. Two old-aged practitioners could not see it clearly and were unable to produce them. Guards in the No. 2 group immediately imposed punishments on them by forcing a 64-year old practitioner to be hung up by the handcuffs and charged with "resisting education" and hanging up another over 50 year old practitioner for "damaging production."

When Dafa practitioners Zhou Zuofu and Zhang Huizhai were hung and handcuffed, their wrists were dislocated. Drug-addict Xu Shanghua grabbed Mr. Zhou's handcuffed hands and dragged and shook his hands so fiercely that Mr. Zhou almost fainted from the excruciating pain. Mr. Zhang's right hand was paralyzed for months from being handcuffed. While Mr. Zhou was hung and handcuffed and moaning due to the extreme pain, policeman Deng Chengsong cheerfully watched him beside the window.

Mr. Hu Yaguo, a Dafa practitioner from Lushan District in Jiujiang City, was also persecuted in this labor camp.

In 2002, guards forced determined practitioners to go through brainwashing sessions and regularly watch VCD's and read a white-covered book containing false propaganda defaming Falun Dafa and Master Li. They also forced practitioners to write thought-sharing articles, report their "feelings" after watching brainwashing materials (in which they were required to make statements in agreement with the governments position against Falun Dafa). If they didn't agree to conform to the expected thinking, the guards would not allow practitioners to sleep, and punished practitioners by making them do cleaning or forcing them to stand in place for 24 hours straight. Policeman Deng Chengsong claimed, "This is not a punishment. It is to give them an opportunity to think over the issues."

Policemen in the No. 1 group: Lu Zhankui (he is currently head of the Forced-labor Section), Xu Lijian (group Chief), Luo Mouwen.

Duty room phone number: 86-792-6960722.

Policemen in the No. 2 group: Deng Chengsong (deputy head in charge of persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners), his cell phone number: 86-13607927933, Tian Bengui (instructor).

Written on May 12, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Ji Hongrui is a teacher in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province. After registering her marriage plans in July 2000, she went to Harbin to visit her husband, Yu Wensheng, who worked in Harbin Normal University. Before their wedding, the police found out their plan and arrested them. A court later canceled their marriage license, forcing Ji Hongrui and her husband to remain unmarried.

The following is the story in Ms. Ji Hongrui's own words:

My name is Ji Hongrui. I am a school teacher from Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province. Because of my Falun Gong practice, I have been arrested four times. The police assaulted me both physically and verbally. They forced me to do hard labor during my hunger strike. They taped my mouth and deprived me of sleep. They used all kinds of torture methods on me. Compared to the physical abuse, their mental torture did far more harm.

Since the government started to persecute Falun Gong, news of practitioners dying from torture came one after another. Neighbors even lost count of how many times Ms. Gao Shuqin was arrested. Every time she was arrested, she would be tortured so badly that she had to be carried home. Last year, every single practitioner in Qitaihe who clarified the truth of Falun Gong was persecuted in one way or the other. Some were sent to forced labor camps, some received jail terms, some were tortured to near death and sent home. Some died of torture. Practitioners and their families live in constant terror.

The police force families and employers to monitor practitioners in their homes and workplaces. Family members and employers are held accountable if anything happens. The principal of my school was removed from his position because I refused to give up Falun Gong. I was locked up at home most of the time. The phone was disconnected to cut off my outside contact. Each time I was imprisoned at home, the detention would last at least several months. The longest was one year. When I got the chance to leave home, I had to have my family members to follow me and watch me. This cruel mental torture lasted a long time.

The most painful experience was losing my right to marry, even after losing all other freedoms. In 1998, I met Yu Wensheng, an archive manager from Harbin Normal University. We were very much in love. In 1999 we traveled to Beijing together to appeal for Falun Gong. In Tiananmen Square, police took him away from me. In June 2000, when I was heavily monitored by the police, he came to Qitaihe City to marry me. We got an official marriage license. In July, I went to Harbin to marry him in a wedding ceremony. Harbin police learned about our plan and detained me. Twenty-eight days later, the police let my family members take me home for continued house arrest. They disconnected the phone and locked the door for several months. Both my parents were heartbroken and cried every day.

Against our wishes, Harbin City court canceled our marriage license. During the entire process, my husband and I didn't even have a chance to see each other. I later managed to go to Harbin to visit him. To avoid police harassment, I first stayed with a fellow practitioner for a few days so I could avoid police attention. The security section of Qitaihe City Education Commission (my school's superior agency) thought I went to Yu Wensheng's house. They informed police from Qitaihe and Harbin, who intended to arrest us in his house. Fortunately, Yu Wensheng escaped. But his elderly parents (in their 70's and 80's) were left home alone. When I plan to visit them, my watchers told me that I have to have their company.

Ji Hongrui

April 2, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) Practitioner Yao Hui lived in the Qincheng District of Tianshui City in Gansu Province. He was sentenced to a forced labor camp for two years and two months because he went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Dafa. On January 18, 2004, Qincheng District police kidnapped Yao Hui and ordered camp prisoners to brutally beat him. Afterwards Yao Hui suffered mental collapse.

On December 2000, he went to Beijing to appeal. He was detained for a few days and then sent back to the local jail. A month later he was sent to the forced brainwashing class. Since he didn't give up his determination to practice Falun Dafa, Yao Hui was sent to Lanzhou's No 1 Labor Camp on March 9, 2001. On the way to the labor camp, the police told Yao Hui that he would be forced to do slave labor for about one and a half years. The police didn't tell his family, causing them great distress.

He was still a high school student at the time he was sentenced. During his labor camp term of two years and two months, he was brutally tortured by both the police and other prisoners. In March 2003 he was released and allowed to go home.

On the morning of January 18, 2004, Qincheng District police officers Pei Guilin and Wang broke into Yao Hui's home without any identification and searched it. They bound Yao's arms and legs, put him into the police car, and took him against his will to the Qinchen Police Bureau's second floor office to question him.

Pei Guilin, Zhang Baoyong, and another person conducted the questioning. The officers asked him who had hung a certain little Falun Dafa banner. Yao Hui said he didn't do it. Police asked him to take off his shoes and said, "This shoe is not (the one that was worn by the person who did it)." Finally, at eight o'clock at the night, Pei Guilin said, "Jail him first." They sent him to Luergou Detention Center overnight. They didn't have any evidence when they arrested Yao Hui. It is that easy to detain, harass, and beat a citizen in China.

The next day, police prepared arrest documents and called his mother. When they first tried to force Yao Hui to sign the certificate of detention, he refused. They then threatened Yao Hui that they would send him to labor camp again. Several officers forced his hand to sign the paper. After that, they sent him back to the cell and ordered two prisoners to brutally torture him.

They broke the middle finger of his left hand, and even now there is still a mark on it. Four of his teeth were knocked out. His head was beaten, and he lost his consciousness. His hair was shaved. In this brutal environment, Yao Hui was tortured until he lost his senses. The police were afraid of having to take responsibility for his condition, so they sent him home. By then, Yao Hui could not even speak clearly, and he has lost the ability to live independently.

2004-5-2

(Clearwisdom.net)

Missouri Senate
Jefferson City

May 13, 2004

Dear Falun Dafa Practitioners,

On this, the 12^th anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the public, it is my honor to congratulate Falun Dafa practitioners' celebration of World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2004.

On this day, over 100 million people in over 60 countries are celebrating dramatically improved health and peaceful minds through practicing Falun Dafa's meditative exercises and living according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.

I commend Falun Dafa practitioners for their continuous peaceful appeals calling for an end to the persecution that has claimed the lives of at least 955 practitioners in China, and I look forward to the day when the people of China enjoy the same fundamental freedoms that we in America cherish.

Congratulations to Missouri Falun Dafa practitioners and practitioners the world over on this special day!

Sincerely,

CARL M.VOGEL
State Senator, District 6

(Clearwisdom.net)

Yishoushan Mountain is a place that Shuangyashan people like to go to do physical exercises. The Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference in the summer of 1997 was held there. Led by the melodious exercise music, I found the conference site. People sat along the hillside and greeted each other with smiles. The conference stage was set halfway up the hill; fellow practitioners were sitting around the stage in an orderly display. My wife, my child and I walked to the last row and sat down; we were about 15 rows from the front. Each row had about 50 to 60 people. The last row was at the top of the hill. Looking down the hill at the stage, I saw that in the middle of the stage was Master Li's picture, and at the two sides were the pictures of Falun emblems and pictures introducing the Fa. On top of the hill stood several posters about one meter square in size displaying Master Li's two poems titled "Cause and Effect" and "Solid Cultivation." (from Hongyin)

At the beginning of the conference, all the practitioners there recited "Lunyu" together. Then fellow practitioners started to share experiences on stage. Each presenter, before speaking, first heshi [1] and greeted Master Li, and then greeted fellow practitioners. When practitioners were talking about their remarkable physical and mental changes and their moral elevation after they took up the cultivation of Dafa, their talks were frequently interrupted by sobs or applause. The hearts of all practitioners combined into one whether they were speaking on the stage or sitting around listening. That was the best time in my life and I felt really fortunate to have obtained such a good thing as Falun Dafa. The conference lasted until past 4 o'clock; then everybody reluctantly left Yishoushan Mountain.

The speech that left me with the deepest memory was by an old gentleman, Mr. Li. His nose was wounded during war time and since then it had never been well. Later the wound turned cancerous. He had visited many hospitals throughout China but could not find a cure. His wife was a Chinese herbal medicine doctor, and she had to personally make up prescriptions for him to sustain his life. If he missed one dose of medicine, his pain would be intolerable. As he grew older, the amount of medicine needed was increasing. This lasted for several dozen of years and the residues from the herbal medicine he used could load up several horse-drawn carriages. But the tumor was still growing bigger. His nose looked like it had been plugged with an egg and it deformed his face. Each day seemed like a year, he said. If he walked on the street, his deformed facial appearance would scare other people's children. He said, "It was fortunate that my wife obtained the Fa, and she asked me to learn it too; I then started to learn Falun Gong. Without knowing it, my nose did not hurt anymore; my head, which used to suffer pain and swelling, also was relieved. In just a few months, Master Li cleared away the nasopharyngeal cancer from my nose." He then showed the tumor, which he stored in a jar. The tumor was as big as an egg and around it was something that looked like the legs of an octopus. He then added, "That day my nose kept bleeding, but I was not afraid because I am a Dafa practitioner. The tumor flew out by itself and this was something I would not have thought possible. Now even though the shape of my nose is not recovered yet, I do not feel any discomfort."

I don't know how the old man is now. I have never seen him again since then. Another fellow practitioner talked about how Master Li cleared away the spirit that possessed her for dozens of years and guided her to walk on a path to a new life. Later I learned that her name is Fei Jinrong. For validating Dafa she was persecuted several times; she is still detained in Jiamusi Forced Labor Camp. Her physical condition has deteriorated due to torture, and she cannot take care herself any more. (Clearwisdom.net has reported her situation) During the conference, there was a practitioner with a small and elegant figure; she was very busy but quiet. From other practitioners, I learned that her name is Wang Yuzhuo and she was working at the People's Hospital. She used to be weak with multiple illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis, neurasthenia, tuberculous peritonitis, etc. After she obtained the Fa and started to cultivate Falun Gong in 1996, all her illnesses were gone. Now she has been illegally sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment as a result of the persecution and is currently imprisoned in Harbin Women's Prison.

I had only obtained the Fa for two months by then, but had already experienced miraculous changes. After I read through Zhuan Falun once, I felt my body became so light and I felt that I could fly off the ground. I felt the magnificence, the wonder and the miracles of Dafa. Listening to fellow practitioners' speeches about their experiences, I felt tremendously grateful to Master Li, a feeling that no words could describe. Dafa practitioners got together and I was deeply touched by their pure hearts of kindness and their genuineness in striving to be good people according to the requirements of the Fa. At that moment I was totally immersed in the feeling of happiness and I could feel the power of Dafa. This is a pure land that is difficult to find elsewhere.

On January 6, 1999 of the Chinese Lunar calendar [the 6th day after the Spring Festival], Shuangyashan Stadium solemnly held a Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference that had the largest number of attendees in the area. In the early morning on that day my whole family and my elderly father, who came especially for the conference, went together to attend the conference. In the stadium, the 4,000+ seats were all taken, the passageways were also filled with people, and the sports field was full of people as well. I never knew that we had so many practitioners in such a small city. I felt really fortunate that I was one of them. There was no heating in the stadium, but I felt warm and touched. By my side were two middle school young practitioners; their flushed faces with bright smiles were full of sincerity. Along the first row on the sports field facing the stage sat a row of children practitioners. They looked lovely. A little girl recited the first lecture of Zhuan Falun as the start of the conference.

Dafa practitioners of different ages and with different experiences spoke in different tones, but they all focused on one subject: Falun Dafa gives people both mental and physical health and it raises people's moral standards. After cultivating Dafa, wives and their in-laws began to live in harmony after having difficult relations; families became harmonious after being on the verge of breaking up; aged people attended the conference by themselves after many years of lying in bed because of illnesses. There was one little girl, about 5 or 6 years old at that time, whose legs had had a disease since she was born and she could not stand up. After her mother obtained the Fa, the mother obtained a picture of Master Li and hung the picture on the wall. The mother saw that the little girl was very close to the picture and she often chatted with Master Li in the picture by herself. The mother saw that there was genuine happiness in the little girl's eyes. One day the little girl stood up and she started to walk! Her parents were amazed and they were very happy. The little girl said, "Master Li asked me to stand up, and he reached out his hand and helped me to stand up." Her mother was so moved that she kowtowed to Master Li's picture. Master Li in the picture smiled kindly. The little girl kept on telling her story, and her pure childlike innocence affected everyone. Fellow practitioners talked one by one. Every one of them had moving experiences, and every one of their experiences was miraculous. Falun Dafa fundamentally changes people's hearts. It saves sentient beings, and creates many miraculous acts. After the experience sharing conference, some of the practitioners stayed and did group exercise along the two sides of Xinxingdajie Avenue in front of the plaza to introduce the Fa to the public. At this moment, that scene clearly emerged before my eyes again -- a lovely little girl wearing pink clothes and a pair of pink bowknots on her braided hair like two pink butterflies was telling her story in her childish voice, and she was talking about Master Li's benevolence.

In April1998, we held group exercise demonstration and other activities to introduce the Fa to the public in Shuangyashan Stadium Plaza. Fellow practitioners came from all over. More and more people arrived, and even the theater plaza was filled with people. We did not know how many people were there. On the railings of the roadsides hung posters, banners and flags with articles and newspaper clippings about Dafa, as well as pictures of grand events of Falun Gong lectures, pictures of the Falun emblem, essentials for people who practice Falun Dafa and posters for free instruction classes. They were in red and yellow colors and looked very bright.

As soon as the exercise music started, everyone immediately lined up and stood quietly. Following Master Li's instructions with music, everyone smoothly practiced the four sets of standing exercises. I was deeply absorbed in the field of harmony and benevolence. The crowd of people, wearing different colors of clothes, male, female, old, and young, were following one voice and practicing the same exercises. The melodious music and the grand scene attracted many pedestrians. Some of them were quietly watching our practice, some began to learn the exercises by following our movements, and some were reading the posters. The magnificence of Dafa was presented before people eyes. When the event was finished I saw an aunt who was my mother's neighbor. We greeted simultaneously, "Hey, you also practice Falun Gong!"

By that time, Dafa was spreading really rapidly from person to person and from heart to heart, just as described by Master Li, "Dafa is being spread far and wide. Those who hear about it are looking for it. Those who have obtained it are delighted with it. The number of cultivators is increasing daily and becoming countless." ("Seeking Discipleship with Teacher" from Essentials for Further Advancement) Among friends and relatives, if anyone obtained the Fa and benefited from the cultivation, how could he/she bear to see others still suffering. They would want to tell others the magnificence and miracles of Dafa, and share the benefits they have enjoyed from practicing cultivation, without any consideration for personal gains or rewards.

I call on the governments of all the countries in the world, all the international institutions, and all just people: Please help and support the kind, honest and good people in China. Jiang Zemin does not represent the people in the country, nor does he represent the country; he is not only destroying the fundamental moral foundation of the nation, he is also blaspheming the conscience of mankind.

Today, all the efforts and sacrifice Falun Dafa practitioners have made are for the salvation of the people who have been deceived by Jiang's lies and are already in danger. When people who do not know the truth are hostile to Dafa due to the deception by the evil, and when they are on the verge of becoming sacrificial objects of the evil, Dafa practitioners we will not sit by and watch this happen.

I am grateful to the governments and people who have done their best to help Dafa practitioners in China. You have shown the world how scared the evil is of justice.

Note:

[1] Heshi: a hand gesture with fingers and the base of the palms pressed against each other, with a hollow space between the palms; the elbows are held up, with the forearms forming a straight line.

May 2, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) (Continued)

Part 1: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/5/27/48608.html

A miraculous story

I got to know Lao Li in a forced labor camp. Since I had heard about the "brainwashing" that goes on in the camp, I was quite concerned about having any conversations with the guards. One day I was sitting beside Lao Li during a meal, and he cheerfully told me, "Good news! Officer Zhang is coming." Seeing my confusion, he explained the situation.

After he arrived in the labor camp, he volunteered to talk to the police one by one and clarify the truth to them. At the beginning, the police were very pleased because it was just what they wanted, feeling they could use the opportunity to "transform" him. However, Lao Li talked to them, from shallow to deep, with easy and understandable words to explain the facts and even about principles of the Fa. Later they realized Lao Li was "transforming" them. Through the conversations, they could see that Lao Li's words were very reasonable and felt that his arrest was wrong. Finally the division leader realized that such conversations eventually might end up with the guards practicing Falun Gong. Therefore, an informal rule was made that there would be two people present during any conversations Lao Li had.

Lao Li didn't have a chance to meet Officer Zhang and therefore could not talk to him. Now the opportunity came. How could he miss it? Lao Li approached Officer Zhang and said, "How are you, Officer Zhang? I would like to share my thoughts with you. Can you make an appointment with me today?" According to the regulations in the labor camp, the police should not refuse such an invitation by an inmate. Officer Zhang agreed ambiguously. Apparently, he was trying to avoid such a talk.

It really opened my eyes. Usually practitioners would all be alert before having any conversations with the guards. However, Lao Li was looking forward to such an opportunity. The guards in the division tried to hide from Lao Li in order to avoid talking to him. Then, in other dimensions, the divine side of Lao Li must be just like what Master said, "It's like sharp swords shooting out together from their mouths" (From Hong Yin II) and manifested powerful supernormal abilities. Of course, some of the police on night duty would call Lao Li into the office and have a long talk with him until they felt satisfied. One time, an officer called Lao Li in and talked for more than five hours until 2 am. Both Lao Li and the officer looked very pleased.

I asked Lao Li whether he could explain everything clearly. Lao Li told me, "If a question is hard to answer, I will tell them that I need more time to think it over and will give them the answer later. Then I will come back to do further thinking. Normally it is because I have something unclear on the Fa. Dafa creates all. How can anything not be explained. As long as we are clear on the principles of the Fa, everything can be explained." Therefore, through clarifying the truth, Lao Li became more and more clearheaded on the Fa and more and more steadfast on the Fa; fewer and fewer questions could stump him, even temporarily. His abilities and wisdom became greater and greater.

Later, Lao Li manifested his powerful supernormal abilities in clarifying the truth during the "brainwashing class" that the forced labor camp held. The "brainwashing class" used despicable means to torture the practitioners. Many practitioners were confused by collaborators [Former Falun Gong practitioners who have gone astray due to brainwashing and torture] and compromised with them. Therefore, practitioners told each other, "Do not talk to those collaborators." The evil then started using the "hard" ways to torture practitioners. Practitioners suffered a lot. Lao Li was taken there too.

Nine days later, Lao Li returned from the "strictly-monitored" group without being "transformed." He told me he had been questioned over 100 times during the nine days. The collaborators had been switched several times because the guards realized that they were very close to being "transformed" by Lao Li and thus had to be sent away.

The following story was told from that time. The police arranged a drug offender who had a severe conflict with Lao Li before to monitor Lao Li. Apparently they hoped he would give Lao Li a hard time. However, one day when the police and the collaborators were not there, the drug offender told Lao Li privately, "Be quick. Have a nap on the desk. I will watch for you." In those days, Lao Li only had three or four hours sleep per day. He was helping Lao Li! Since he had to accompany Lao Li every day and had a chance to listen to him, he realized Lao Li was truly a good person. Only Dafa disciples have the power to change people toward goodness and to frighten the evil.

Several days later, Lao Li was sent to the "Psychological Clinic" of the labor camp (where practitioners were persecuted). Lao Li was not afraid and just eliminated the evils while being there. This time, the evils sent some "key" collaborators to brainwash him. Eighteen days later, they had no effect on Lao Li and he was left alone.

The two darkest "black dens" in the labor camp were nothing in the face of Lao Li. In fact, conditions in this forced labor camp were very bad. Practitioners were deprived of sleep, were punished standing straight for long hours, were hung up for several days and nights, and suffered by being beaten and other tortures. All those who persisted to the end suffered much. One practitioner who had gone on a hunger strike for 100 days eventually compromised under the influence of an unclear mind.

Every day Lao Li ate and slept as usual. If the evils used "soft" ways, Lao Li would clarify the truth clearly and deeply, which left the police and the collaborators with nothing to say. If they took "hard" approaches, Lao Li had powerful wisdom and supernormal abilities, and thus they couldn't do any harm to him. The guards hated him so much but couldn't do evil in front of him. Several times when inmates were doing bad things, Lao Li stood up to stop them (for more details, see the article on the web, http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/3/17/46117.html)

Lao Li was due to be released. The labor camp was not willing to release him like that. They had planned to send him to the mental hospital to torture him. Lao Li replied with his conventional expression, "Isn't this doing evil?" and he thought, "I am not going to the mental hospital at all. If I were sent there, I would turn it upside down and then come back out." Every day Lao Li sent forth righteous thought for this. It is really "when your thought is righteous, the evil will be disrupted." [3] Soon after this, we didn't hear about their plan anymore. Lao Li walked out of the labor camp nobly and with dignity. It seemed that the mental hospital was really afraid that Lao Li would go there and turn things upside down.

When I told Lao Li's story to another practitioner, he didn't accept it as right, "Of course, he has supernormal capabilities." In other words, he meant that other people did not have supernormal capabilities, thus could not have achieved the same.

From ordinary people's point of view, Lao Li did not have supernormal capabilities either. You could always find some ordinary people's explanation for his stories of displaying huge supernormal capabilities. You could also say that he had no supernormal capabilities, because he looked just like most of the other practitioners who couldn't see what supernormal capabilities they have, nor did they know the form of the supernormal capabilities. But he believes, and he doesn't doubt his own supernormal capabilities.

Whenever he had bad thoughts in his mind, no matter when or where, his first reaction was always to send forth righteous thought to eliminate them. He was even eliminating the bad thoughts when he was in his dream. If he didn't eliminate the bad thoughts in his dream, he would do it the first thing when he woke up. Often he would send forth righteous thoughts for at least a dozen times a day to eliminate his bad thoughts. He was truly following what Master said. At critical moments when there was persecution, his first thought was always to use supernormal capabilities, that others and even he could not see or feel. These are god's thoughts. Because he believed, he could be different from those who could not believe, and could make great use of his supernormal capabilities in dreams and the illusion of this world to eliminate evil and save people.

What I want to discuss with other practitioners here is not to make a "model" that is too high to reach. Like many miracles in Dafa, a lot of practitioners admire such fellow practitioners or feel they themselves are not good enough after they read about these others. If that were the case, this story would have no meaning.

As a matter of fact, Lao Li is a very common practitioner. Compared to other practitioners, he did not have any special supernormal capabilities, nor could he see any special scenes that others could see. He had a lot of attachments too. Some of his attachments were rather strong. There were times that evil could take advantage of his gaps. And sometimes he accepted the persecution to different extents. For such a practitioner, what he had been doing was the same as the other practitioners, which is as simple as clarifying the truth and sending forth righteous thoughts.

My fellow practitioners, please don't assume that others can do certain things because they have cultivated well. Please don't deny yourselves by thinking, "I have no supernormal capabilities and I am not good enough." There is no such saying that one can only show supernormal capabilities after he has got rid of all of his attachments, not at all. During this special period of humans and gods existing simultaneously, we will have attachments until the last moment. The key is to have the god's side control us.

The feeling that "he has supernormal capabilities, but I'm not good enough" has many human attachments, inferiority, and jealousy etc. Probably you can show many supernormal capabilities already. You are Master's disciple. You are a great god. Why should you admire others?

My fellow practitioners, Master has given us all of the supernormal capabilities that can administer heaven and earth. Everything is within the Fa Rectification Verses, and within the word "Mie." [note: This is the last word in one of the formulas, and means "cleaned out," "eliminated," "purged," etc. It is pronounced "Myeh."] It depends on how much we believe and how firmly we believe. The firmer we believe, the greater our supernormal capabilities and the greater our wisdom. As long as you firmly believe in Dafa, you can do anything. It is as simple as this.

I have realized that the Fa rectification has entered a new stage. After Master published the article "Eliminate the Dark Minions With Righteous Thoughts and Stop the Evil Acts with Righteous Thoughts," the evil force became extremely crazy around the country. Many material sites in different areas have been damaged. Many practitioners have been detained. Some places started searching family by family, which had not happened since the end of the Cultural Revolution. I believe that this is the last crazy struggle of the dark minions, and that it is about time practitioners genuinely use their supernormal capabilities. Whether it is a dream in the human world, or a long dream in the old cosmos, all of the countless stories of brilliant and colorful times, repeated reincarnations, and suffering are just a big dream. "A dream of ten thousand years has finally pulled into shore." (Hongyin) Our god's side should waken now, should totally come to life.

My fellow practitioners, the supreme lords of different cosmic bodies, the gods that Master created by hand, let's revive today after we have slept for a hundred million years. Facing the dark minions' wildness, facing people's expectation, let's use the supreme supernormal capabilities that Master granted us to destroy the dark minions and save the people!

Note:

[1] Zhuan Falun

[2] "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference"

[3] Hong Yin II

[4] "Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference"

(Clearwisdom.net) In my local area, there have been a few elderly fellow practitioners tortured by "illness karma" for a long time, and there are also some young practitioners having difficulty finding jobs.

I personally feel that there are some similarities between the "illness karma" of the elderly practitioners and the difficulty finding jobs for young practitioners. However, they all come down to the fact that old evil forces and dark minions are capitalizing our loopholes in our cultivation. I have experienced the tribulations and difficulty of looking for a job so I would like to share my personal experience with everyone:

Two years ago, due to the attachment to time and going to extremes in certain aspects of my personal cultivation, I did not balance the relationships between my personal cultivation and Fa-rectification cultivation well. At work, I thought about validating the Fa, so I came up with the idea of quitting my job. As a result, I very soon thereafter lost a very good job. I didn't even feel sad about losing it. Instead I felt kind of delighted, feeling I could finally devote 100% of myself to the Fa.

For more than 2 years after I lost my job, I never even took time to look for another one. I spent a little time getting training in my professional field, thinking that if I could not find a professional career, I could at least make ends meet by taking on a more menial job.

Later, I realized that the Fa rectification process is not as quickly coming to its end as I had imagined. If I didn't find a job soon, I would no longer be able to make a living. I began to worry, and started looking, however, no one responded to the resumes that I had sent out. I could not even find a job as a laborer.

The more I worried, the more tribulations I came across, from my family in China to others that I have interactions with. I read the Fa many times, and asked myself: where did I fall short? Teacher said before that Dafa practitioners had good fortune. So I figured that as long as we did the three things well, Teacher would make good arrangements for us. I also felt like a diligent practitioner. I study the Fa, I do the exercises, I send forth righteous thoughts, and I clarify the truth, I have been doing all of them diligently, they are my whole life, I should not have this tribulation, then how come I can't even find a job as a laborer?

As time went on, I really couldn't figure things out so I started begging Teacher. Before I went to bed, I begged teacher to grant me a dream to enlighten me. Oddly enough, I slept soundly all night until next the day and had no dreams at all. Later, I felt more and more pressure in my heart, and I started to complain. I understood that this was not right, but still I could not suppress it. Right at that time, two sentences from Zhuan Falun cast into my mind:

"Some people don't grasp this. When begging to Buddha doesn't work they start blaming him, 'How come you aren't helping me out? Day after day I burn incense to you and kowtow.'"

I was shocked! I have been cultivating for so long. How could I come up with such an unrighteous thought during my tribulation? How can I doubt Teacher?

This kind of scared me. I didn't know what else to do but study the Fa intensively for a few days. One day when I was sitting there studying the Fa, I suddenly understood the root cause of everything, which was that I considered myself a diligent practitioner, that I was doing the three things well, so I felt that I naturally should have good fortune and that Teacher should make good arrangements for me. What a dirty and selfish heart! I was even making deals with Dafa and Teacher!

As a Dafa practitioner, a particle in Dafa, I do what I should do, without condition. I am learning to practice "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" in order to be compassionate to sentiment beings on my own initiative, and due to the influence of attachments, perhaps what I have done is far less than what I promised to do in my pledge. How can I see what and how much I have gained as my goal of cultivation?! Teacher said that he would make arrangements for us. This is teacher's benevolence for us, which can be neither measured or understood with a human heart. As his disciple, I should be in the state of "putting the mind on practicing, not putting the mind on getting gong." I should assimilate to the Fa unconditionally, do the three things well unconditionally, and save sentient beings with compassion. These are my responsibilities, and are also the meaning of the existence of my life.

After that day, I felt that I was more pure and clean than I have never been before. All unrighteous thoughts disappeared from my heart. Consequently, every tribulation subsided, like the tide going out, over a short period of time.

I found a full time job doing graphic design. The location is near my home. Even though I am not paid as much as when I was doing my professional job, the job is not stressful at all, and the working hours are pretty good. As a result, there is more time for my Dafa related work. The so-called tests and tribulations that had been bothered me for a log time disappeared quietly.

Originally published on May 9, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) I am from a village in Shandong Province and was inflicted with both liver and lung cancers. I have practiced Falun Dafa for less than three months. With immense gratitude, I want to let the world know how I gained a new life after doctors in my county hospital declared me "incurable."

I went to the hospital for an examination in the later part of last year because I didn't feel well. I was diagnosed with both liver and lung cancers. Upon hearing this news, my whole world seemed to collapse and my family wept sadly. I was barely past 40 years old, and had the responsibility to care for an elderly mother and my young child. I screamed and cried so hard, each time when I was in such tremendous pain. I felt that life wasn't worth living when the pain occurred. To pay for the treatments, my wife had to borrow money from relatives and friends. Our debt was so large that we no longer could afford to buy medicine. Injections were the only means that I used to maintain my condition. To obtain the shots, my brother went to different hospitals using every means and help that he could gather. In just a few months, I went through 900 shots.

I was so thin and pale that my physical appearance was totally beyond recognition. People were even scared to see me. While I was so hopelessly on the verge of dying, my child found a Falun Dafa pamphlet in the courtyard of our compound and read it to me over and over again. I heard, "Falun Dafa is good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." I repeated these words after my child said them. Then, a miracle happened: the pain lessened. The number of daily shots I had to take decreased from eight to five then three. Within one month, I no longer needed any shots.

I have experienced the supernormal power of Dafa. Falun Dafa is truly wonderful. Teacher rescued me. I do not know how I can ever express my gratitude to the Teacher. Each day as I bowed to the Falun Dafa pamphlet, I had a strong desire to become a Falun Dafa practitioner.

I not only regained weight, but I also have a normal healthy complexion again now. I walk energetically without any trace of sickness. I can eat five large wheat rolls each day. Several days ago, I bicycled over 30 kilometers without feeling tired. I went to the hospital to visit the physician who treated me. He was so surprised when he saw me. He said, "What's going on? You are still alive! Our hospital chief had the same illness and he passed away very quickly." I told him that Falun Dafa saved my life.

Many people in our village were very curious about my obvious change. With sincerity, I shared with them how I had benefited from practicing Falun Gong and that Falun Gong is great. I also told them that because of the Jiang' regime's cruel persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners more people learned the truth about Falun Dafa and became practitioners.

One day our village party secretary asked me, "Can you give me a Falun Dafa book?" I said warily, "What do you want? 'Falun Dafa saved my life. Nobody will ever take away my book." The party secretary said quickly, "Don't be mistaken. I know that Falun Gong is good. I want to learn Falun Gong from you. You can continue to practice Falun Gong and if higher authorities come to our village to arrest you I will come to your rescue."

(Clearwidsom.net)

I am an 86 year old lady. I used to be a farmer and I live in Qinhuangdao City. Due to a lifetime of hard work, when I got older, I had all kinds of health problems. A heart problem, stomach troubles, shoulder aches, sore throat with cough all the time, cataracts, etc. I couldn't even see out of one eye. I felt that my whole body was in pain. I took a lot of medicine each day but it didn't work. In November 2003, I listened to Teacher Li's Falun Gong lectures. After that, my body got better every day and all the symptoms went away. On the 15th of the Chinese New Year of 2004, the eye with cataracts could suddenly see again. Later I was able to see letters on playing cards, which I used to play. Now, I feel that my body is light and I am extremely happy. I would like to use my personal experience to tell everyone in the world that Falun Dafa is good!

One Dafa practitioner's husband did not practice Falun Gong. The police once attempted to capture his wife after finding a bag of Dafa books and materials in their home. When the policeman was distracted, the husband took two copies of Zhuan Falun from the bag and hid them under a blanket. He also hid the exercise music tape in a safe place. The police tried to arrest his wife another time. As soon as he learnt of this, he quickly moved all the Dafa materials into a safe place thus reducing the damage.

One day, he rode his motorcycle to visit a friend. Carelessly, he fell from his motorcycle when he was going downhill. The road was covered with ice. His motorcycle skidded about 60 feet while a passenger van was coming right at him. Just before the van was going to hit him, it made a turn and avoided a deadly accident.

There was another incident. On his way back home, he was riding the motorcycle behind a big truck. While he was just speeding up and attempting to pass the truck, another truck parallel to the big truck suddenly showed up, leaving a narrow space for him to pass. It was too late to hit the breaks. Just as he was about to crash into the truck, the two trucks made more space in-between them for him, so that he could speed up and go ahead of the two trucks. The situation back then was very dangerous and everyone thought that he was very lucky.

Things described earlier have happened six times. However, every time he remained uninjured. He redeems himself by doing good things for Dafa.

My husband, who regularly organizes Dafa booths at local street fairs to clarify the truth, began practicing before me. Like some others, I too wondered if these seemingly small efforts were the best use of time. Having come to new understandings, though, and having participated in the street fairs, I now feel differently.

While each street fair is unique, there are a number of common responses people seem to have at each one to our Falun Dafa booth.

"How can I learn Falun Dafa?  How can I start to practice?"

More and more people at each fair see the booth, see practitioners demonstrating the exercises, and are immediately interested in learning all that they can about Falun Dafa and how to begin practicing.  They want to know about the closest practice site, what web sites they can go to, and ask, "Is it really free?" They are very enthusiastic. These people are amazing to me because they just "stumbled upon" this booth and in a matter of minutes (or seconds) recognized Falun Dafa as something very good and special. At the last street fair, one woman encouraged her grandson to learn the exercises and said, "I feel so honored that I have come across you all here today." She was on the verge of tears.

While this may seem kind of obvious, this image is an important one, I think. There are always a portion of people who pass by without accepting materials or talking to practitioners at the booth. But at least they read the words "Falun Dafa" and are given a nice and true picture of what it is and that it is something accepted and good in their community. Perhaps the next time they see or hear the words "Falun Dafa" they'll remember and have a positive starting point in their hearts.

It is my understanding that this is reason enough, alone, to do these street fairs. In my experience, at least, this seems to be the response of the vast majority of people at the fairs. Even in communities where one would think that everyone, by now, knows of Falun Dafa and the persecution, this is the response of 80-90% of the people coming by. It is always striking to me how little people know about Falun Dafa. A lot of people even ask, "Why isn't this all over the media?" "Why don't we hear about this in the news?"

Through these street fairs, we are able to add Falun Dafa to people's vocabulary, give them materials about the practice and the persecution, and send them off with the truth. Many people say that they are going to check the web sites and tell their friends. One man I remember came to the booth just as the fair was ending and said, "I have a Chinese friend who may be interested in reading about this. May I have some newsletters?" Who knows how many people those who see our booth tell about it and how many people are truly impacted. What's more, this is a good lesson for us practitioners to keep in mind, in that there is much more work to be done. This underlines, I think, the importance of all of the other, large-scale projects. There are many people who still don't know the truth.

So, I think these street fairs are like many things that seem small as we do them and we may question their importance, but in fact, they aren't small and are also a part of the work we should be doing in clarifying the truth. This is just my understanding that I wanted to share with you. Please let me know if you find anything inappropriate in my sharing.

(Clearwisdom.net) On the fifth World Falun Dafa day, the Spanish Falun Dafa association was invited by a Qigong organization in Malaga city to give an introduction to and teach the exercises of Falun Dafa. On May the 15th, five practitioners came to this beautiful city near the seaside. According to the organizer, the people of Malaga are simple and passionate. Many people have a deep interest in qigong. Many of them have been searching for years in religions and qigong, hoping to find the true way. This time they have the great fortune to learn about Falun Dafa and they felt very honored. Amongst them, there were some who came from Malaga and there were others who came from the surrounding rural areas. Some had already learned about Falun Dafa on the internet, some had learned of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China from newspapers and TV.

In the introductory workshop, people from different qigong organizations listened quietly and carefully to practitioners introducing Falun Dafa. Looking at how absorbed they were, we could see their hearts were changing. At the end of the introduction, many people wanted to read Zhuan Falun. All the books and exercise instruction tapes we brought were very quickly distributed.

While practicing the exercises, many people could feel the presence of a strong energy field. Many people said that they were pleased to find such an extraordinary and powerful practice. The two days went by very quickly. Those who had the books had already started reading Those with no books planned to download them from the internet.

During an exchange of experiences, when they learned that May 13th was World Falun Dafa Day, all participants held their hands in front of their chests in heshi, expressing respect and gratitude to the founder of Falun Dafa.

The organizer of the workshop wanted to bear the travel and accommodation expenses incurred by practitioners on this trip but practitioners persistently refused to accept and insisted on paying it themselves. Finally the organizer suggested donating this money to the Friends of Falun Gong who will in turn donate it to Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China. Everyone at the workshop clapped their hands in approval.

The experience sharing session ended amidst a warm round of applause.

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200405/19855.html

(Clearwisdom.net) If we were to talk about what is the same as last year at the Ottawa Tulip Festival, we might say that the decorated boat parade on May 23 is still the main event. If we were to talk about the difference between this and previous years, we definitely could say that more and more Chinese Canadians are attracted to the Falun Gong peaceful cultivation group.

This is the fourth year Falun Gong practitioners have participated in the Boat Parade at the Tulip Festival. In the past, when a lot of Chinese Canadians were deceived by China's propaganda, they didn't want to see the Falun Gong boat. After persistent truth clarification, more and more overseas Chinese now wave to the Falun Gong practitioners with smiles, just like non-Chinese. Even before the flower boat parade, many of them came up to the Falun Gong boat, took photos of the celestial maidens and asked about the recent progress of Falun Gong.

One couple that recently immigrated to Canada from northeast China said, "You did the right thing by clarifying the truth. Jiang tortures Falun Gong practitioners harder even than Party members experienced in old times." When a practitioner asked them to tell the facts to more Chinese people, they willingly agreed, saying, "Please, be sure that we will."

The host introduced Falun Gong to the spectators and numerous audience members with a live broadcast in both English and French, and Falun Gong's boat received loud cheers wherever it sailed.

During the Tulip Festival, many practitioners practiced the exercises at a nearby park along the Rideau Canal, and many people received truth-clarification materials, CD's and balloons.

(Clearwisdom.net) On May 21, Falun Gong practitioners of California's bay area were invited to introduce Falun Gong and the true situation of the persecution at the Commonwealth Club. Their speeches were warmly welcomed by the audience.

The Commonwealth Club of California is a well-known public forum with a long history. Since its establishment in 1903, it has become known for high quality and influential forums. Many prestigious people have spoken at the club such as former president Roosevelt, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, and entrepreneur Bill Gates.

Dr. Zhang Xuerong, a Falun Gong practitioner, said that a director of the club, Ms. Alehan, happened to see a Falun Gong press conference in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco two months ago. Alehan said that other staff members had recommended inviting Falun Gong to speak at the club before, but since she did not know much about Falun Gong, the invitation was postponed.

Now, the opportunity arrived. Ms. Alehan gave Dr. Zhang a topic, "The story of Falun Gong: Who is listening?"

Dr. Zhang Xuerong first thanked the club for giving her the chance to let more people find out about Falun Gong.

Zhang started with explaining the tradition of ancient Chinese cultivation practice, and then introduced the principle of "Truthfulness Compassion Tolerance" and the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. She shared the history of Falun Gong with the audience, from the Chinese government's early support and awards to today's surveillance and persecution. She spoke of how Falun Gong has flourished in over 60 countries around the world. Next, she cited a report from the Wall Street Journal about Falun Gong practitioners Chen Zixiu and Zhao Xin, who were beaten to death for refusing to renounce Falun Gong.

To the audience, the most shocking information came when the practitioners showed the video program "False Fire", a program that analyzes the staged "self-immolation" incident, which was directed by the Chinese government to frame Falun Gong. Dr. Zhang let the audience see how Jiang's Regime utilized the state-controlled media to slander Falun Gong, create hatred against Falun Gong and deceive the Chinese people.

Dr. Zhang pointed out that in the past five years, though Falun Gong practitioners have been suffering cruel persecution, they clarified the truth to the society with compassion and have never resorted to violence.

News and Events from Around the World

• Midwest-US Experience Sharing Conference Is Held In Chicago
• Falun Gong Practitioners Converge in Chicago to Expose the Persecution
• Northern Europe: The 'Chinese Voices on Human Rights in China' Symposium Held in the Danish Parliament Building
• Fifth Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebrations Held in 50 Cities Worldwide
• Falun Gong Practitioners Peacefully Appeal during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's Visit to Ireland

• USA: The Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio Issues Proclamation Recognizing the Bike Riders
• US Senator Tom Daschle Urges the State Department to Examine All Disappearances of Falun Gong Practitioners in China
• Illinois, USA: House of Representatives Announce May 23 - May 29, 2004 to be Falun Dafa Week
• Slovakia : Mayors of Villages in Slovakia Call for an End to the Persecution of Falun Gong in China

• China: Business Group Cooperates with Forced Labor Camp to Exploit the Slave Labor for Making Product Sold in America
• China: PLA Officer from Fuzhou Military District Reveals Jiang's Secret Instructions for Executing Falun Gong Practitioners in the Military
• China: Ms. Yu Fenghua from Fengcheng City, Liaoning Province Tortured to Death
• China: Beijing Policemen's Brutality: Stripping Female Practitioners Naked and Burning Their Private Parts with Cigarettes
• Illegally Detention at Hong Kong Airport, Officials Call it "Routine Inspection"

• South China Morning Post: Family Calls For Release of Falun Gong Woman On Mainland
• Australia: Falun Dafa Practitioners Take Legal Action Against a Sydney Chinese Newspaper for Defamation
• Media Reports Bo Xilai in Trouble for His Poor Human Rights Record
• AsiaNews.it, Italy: A Bicycle Ride to Save Chinese Children of the Falun Gong
• U.S. Newswire: Washington-Area Youth Bike to Chicago; 'Pedals of Peace' Urges End to Persecution of Children in China

• Falun Gong Cured My Wife's Cancer and Restored Happiness in Our Lives
• Hepatitis B Disappears After I Started Practicing Falun Gong

• Local Villager Suggests Best Places to Post Truth-clarifying Flyers
  

On May 24, 2004, the Midwest U.S. Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference was held in Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago. More than 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners from across U.S. and other countries attended.

At 1:50 pm, Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, arrived in person to the conference site, and gave a lecture for over 40 minutes.

The conference was held in conjunction with practitioners from around the world converging in Chicago to expose Jiang and his followers' persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and to support the hearing in the 7th Circuit Court to be held on May 27 concerning the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin.

Members of the "Van Tour to Support the Lawsuit against Jiang" from New York, Los Angeles and Houston and the Bicycle Tour from Washington DC got on stage to introduce the cause of their trips and share their cultivation experiences during the trips.

Practitioners who had an opportunity to present their papers spoke of how they cultivated themselves, clarified the truth to people in different walks of life in the world, and called for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

The conference received many proclamations, including Resolution No. 933 from the Illinois State House of Representatives, which proclaimed May 23-29, 2004 to be Falun Dafa Week. Minneapolis proclaimed May 2004 to be Falun Dafa Month. St. Paul proclaimed May 2004 to be Falun Dafa Month, and the state of Wisconsin proclaimed this week to be Falun Dafa Week. In addition, many state senators, councilors and other officials sent congratulatory letters.

The conference concluded at 6:00 pm. In the following few days, the practitioners will continue holding activities in downtown Chicago, including a grand parade and an exhibition entitled, "Persecution Meets Principle."

On May 22, more than a thousand Falun Gong practitioners converged in Chicago and held a series of large-scale peaceful appeal activities in Chinatown and downtown Chicago. The activities included a parade of a thousand people in Chinatown and downtown Chicago, and an exhibition entitled "Persecution and Principle" held in Chicago's Federal Plaza. The exhibition used live models to illustrate the persecution against Falun Gong in China.

In three days' exhibition named "Persecution and Principle" that exposed the horrific and inconceivable torture against Falun Gong practitioners in China, the practitioners displayed examples of slave labor, forced abortion, injections of harmful psychotropic drugs, stuffing a person under a low bed, electric shock, burning, hanging up and beating practitioners, being forced to sit still on a tiny bench for long periods of time, being tied spread-eagled to a metal frame, bamboo spikes hammered into one's fingernails, force-feeding, handcuffing, confining in a metal cage, dragging on the ground and other forms of torture.

Lawyer Terri Marsh, who represents Falun Gong practitioners in the lawsuit against Jiang, said at the press conference, "On May 27, the 7^th Circuit Court will hold an oral argument regarding the Falun Gong practitioners' lawsuit against former Chinese president Jiang Zemin on charges of torture, genocide and crimes against humanity. In this lawsuit, Jiang is accused of devising, implementing and directing a campaign that attempts to eliminate Falun Gong in China. Jiang's behavior has led to the murder and torture of tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners. "

The torture exhibition caught many passersby's attention. After viewing the exhibition, people were shocked, and they kept shaking their head and sighing with emotion. Some people shed tears. One person said, "If such atrocities were not stopped, such things could happen to any of us. They may happen in any place in the world. What can we do for these persecuted people? "

A child, after learning that Falun Gong practitioners who are being held in labor camps are forced to work overtime to make toys for export, put the toy in his hands into the cage that detained a practitioner. He said he no longer wanted the toy, because it was too brutal.

On May the 10th, a forum entitled 'Chinese Voices on Human Rights in China' was jointly held by the Danish branch of the International Pen Pal Association and the Danish Falun Gong Association in the Danish parliament building. The speakers were part of the North European Human Rights Speech Tour, including the Executive Director of the Association for Asian Research Erping Zhang, renowned Canadian attorney Mr. Clive Ansley, the Executive Director of the Laogai Research Foundation Mr. Harry Wu, Ms. Jane Dai and her four-year-old daughter, who lost their beloved family members in the brutal persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China, and Mr. Jun Feng, a writer and member of Pen Pal International who is an exile in Denmark.

Following forums in Oslo, Norway, and Lund, Sweden, the forum in Denmark's Copenhagen was the third stop on the Chinese Human Rights Speech Tour in Northern Europe. Among the participants were Danish Parliament member Soeren Soendergaard, statesman Viggo Fischer, the chief editor of Politiken's Asian department, senior reporter and expert on Chinese issues, Flemming Ytzen, and the representatives or reporters from various human rights organisations and media including Christian News, Amnesty International Copenhagen, the World Organisation Against Torture, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the Danish Political Science Association, etc.

With the above-mentioned speakers' long-term hard work and contribution to China's human rights issues, their names were not unfamiliar to people concerned with China's human rights. Their trip to Copenhagen this time attracted the tremendous attention of the Danish people as well as various leading media. Long before the forum was held, reports had been published by major Danish TV stations and newspapers.

Before the speech forum concluded, Mr. Anders Jerichow , the chairman of the forum and the Danish International Pen Pal Association, raised a most basic question which has puzzled western society most: Why the Chinese regime is so afraid of Falun Gong?

As a person who does not practise Falun Gong, Mr. Harry Wu's answer deserved to be pondered deeply: "The most fundamental reason is that Falun Gong's high spiritual standard and belief impact the root of Communism. Ruled by the Chinese Communist Party's totalitarian system in the past decades, China has lost its Chinese moral standard. At present, the entire society is full of corruption and degeneration. Now in China, if you don't lie, you cannot survive. I don't mean that all the Chinese are untrustworthy. What I would like to point out is that in terms of groups, among the Chinese I know are two trustworthy groups. They are Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan Buddhists. Only those people still hold spiritual and religious purity and earnestness, but they are fundamentally in conflict with violence, lies and dictatorship advocated by the Chinese Communist Party."

From San Antonio to Sydney, London to Tokyo, Falun Gong practitioners in approximately 50 cities around the world held activities celebrating twelve years since the practice was first made public in China by Mr. Li Hongzhi.

The celebrations included traditional dancing, singing and public demonstrations of the Falun Gong exercises.

Activities in most cities also carried a sobering message, as speeches and pictorial exhibitions revealed details of the violent persecution of Falun Gong on-going in China. In some cities, Falun Gong practitioners displayed live demonstrations of torture techniques used by police and forced-labor camp personnel throughout China as part of an illicit campaign to "transform" Falun Gong practitioners into renouncing their beliefs.

An exercise and meditation practice with roots in ancient Chinese culture, Falun Gong flourished in China during the mid-to-late 1990's, with Chinese government estimates putting the number of practitioners at 70-100 million people by the end of 1998.

In July 1999, however, then-Chinese leader Jiang Zemin launched a nation-wide campaign to "eradicate Falun Gong" out of fear that its widespread popularity was overshadowing his own legacy. China watchers believe Jiang also had other personal motives to attack the traditional Chinese practice.

In more than a dozen countries around the world, both civil and criminal lawsuits have been filed against Jiang and several other senior Chinese officials known to be the primary instigators of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The lawsuits charge Jiang and his supporters with torture, genocide and crimes against humanity.

Perhaps the most significant of the legal cases is a class-action lawsuit filed in Chicago in 2002, naming Jiang and the '6-10 Office' -- a Gestapo-like agency established by Jiang specifically to "eradicate Falun Gong" -- as defendants. Oral arguments for the class-action suit, which is now on appeal before the 7th Circuit Court, will be heard on May 27th in Chicago.

On the afternoon of May 11, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Ireland, the current Chair-nation of the European Union, on the last stop of his European visit. On the evening of the same day, Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful appeal outside the Dublin Castle in which the Irish Premier and Chairman of European Parliament, Bertie Ahern, had a summit with Premier Wen. Falun Gong practitioners called on the Chinese authorities to "Bring Jiang Zemin and Bo Xilai to Justice" and stop Jiang and his followers from persecuting Falun Gong. Practitioners also called on the Chinese Premier to allow two Falun Gong practitioners, Liu Feng and Yang Fang, to return to Ireland to continue their study.

Falun Gong practitioners also distributed one-page newsletters to people who came to the Castle for Premier Wen's reception banquet. The newsletter was specially designed for this appeal and clarified the fact that the persecution does not reflect the will of either the Chinese people, but is being orchestrated by former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and his group of followers.

On the afternoon of May 11, just before Premier Wen arrived in Ireland, three members of the Irish Falun Dafa Association were invited to testify at a Falun Gong hearing hosted by the Human Rights Committee of the Irish Parliament. After the practitioners' testimony, members of Parliament (MP) sponsored an urgent motion to request Irish Premier Bertie Ahern to bring up the cases of Liu Feng and Yang Fang during his meeting with Mr. Wen on the evening of the same day.

In the past several years, organizations such as Amnesty International Ireland, Pan-Irish Student Union and Student Unions of several Dublin Major Universities have been working very hard to rescue Liu Feng and Yang Fang. A number of MPs have brought up the case of these two students several times to Irish Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs. When former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Ireland in 2001, Irish Premier Bertie Ahern requested his counterpart to release Irish Trinity College student Zhao Ming, who was being illegally detained in a labor camp at that time. In the beginning of 2002, Mr. Brian Cowen, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, brought up Zhao Ming's case to Chinese government officials again when he visited China. In March of 2002, Zhao Ming was released and returned to Ireland. People from all circles hope that the new Chinese Premier's visit will help secure the release of Liu Feng and Yang Fang as well.

On May 14, 2004, twelve young American Falun Gong practitioners embarked from the nation's capital to launch The Pedals of Peace bike ride. The ride, was designed to bring public awareness to the plight of the numerous children and teens in China who practice Falun Gong and are being persecuted because of their spiritual beliefs. A press conference was held in Cleveland, Ohio on May 18^th, which was one of their planned stops along the way.

In support of these young people riding 700 miles to urge the end of the persecution against children in China who practice Falun Gong, the mayor of Cleveland sent a proclamation to recognize the riders' selflessness. A number of local newspapers and TV stations attended the May 18^th press conference held at noon.

The riders told reporters that, many children are suffering in China because of the persecution against Falun Gong. Some children have no parent or guardian to take care of them because their parents were killed or sent to forced slave labor camps for practicing Falun Gong. Some young people have been arrested, beaten or even dismissed from school.

A young Falun Gong practitioner named, Fadu, inspired the Pedals of Peace ride after losing her father who was killed by Chinese authorities for his belief. In 1999, the Chinese government violated their own constitution and outlawed the practice and began a campaign of persecution that continues to this day. Now 3-year-old, Fadu travels the world with her mother telling people about their loss in hopes to bring the perpetrators to justice and to bring awareness to the plight of numerous others whose family members are being persecuted for their belief in Falun Gong.

It was reported that the Pedals of Peace riders would arrive in Chicago on May 21^st.

United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

April 12, 2004

Thank you for contacting me regarding your cousin's disappearance. It is good to hear from you, even though it is with regard to such a troubling issue.

After receiving your letter, I shared your concerns with the State Department and urged them to examine all disappearances of Falun Gong members in China. As you know the State Department has been closely monitoring the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, and they have assured me that they are in constant contact with officials at Chinese Embassy in Washington and officials in Beijing. The State Department persists in raising this issue with Chinese government officials at the highest levels, and they continue to ask the Chinese to respect the rights of all their citizens.

Subsequently, I called the Chinese Embassy in Washington to underscore my concerns about the disappearance of your cousin, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and my general concern regarding the status of human rights in China. I also requested that the embassy update me on any development in your cousin's case.

Human rights remain a high priority for me, and I will continue to both encourage the Chinese government to ensure the protection of Falun Gong practitioners from acts of terror or political violence and to urge our own government to closely monitor the situations there. In the mean time, I hope you will continue to share new information about human rights in China with me so that I pass it along to State Department authorities to ensure that we are following this important situation as closely as we can.

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me during this difficult time. If you have any further concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know.

With best wishes, I am

Sincerely,

Tom Daschle

United States Senate

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa practitioners observe the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance in their daily lives, striving to become better people in all environments and situations; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa has its roots in ancient Chinese practices of mind and body that promote the cultivation of body, mind, and spirit, inspiring millions of people through gentle exercise and efforts to develop their moral standards; and

WHEREAS, The practice of Falun Dafa should be allowed in all countries, and those countries that persecute against its practice are denying their people their basic human rights; and

WHEREAS, Practitioners are joyously celebrating the anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the public on May 13, 1992; and

WHEREAS, On May 23, 2004, a regional conference will be held in Chicago for Practitioners from around the world; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the week of May 23-May 29, 2004 is designated as Falun Dafa Week; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Falun Dafa Practitioner, Hao Feng, as a token of our respect.

Falun Dafa practitioners in Slovakia sent petition letters to Mayors of villages in the country asking for their support in calling for an end to the persecution of innocent people who practise Falun Gong in China. Mayors of four villages in Slovakia responded to the letter and signed the petition demanding an immediate end to the persecution and severe torture of practitioners of Falun Gong in China.

Text of the petition:

A Petition for the Support of the Human Rights of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

* Whereas, Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a traditional cultivation practice, which, apart from the exercises, teaches the universal principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance;

* Falun Gong is widely recognised in forty countries as a practise, which leads to higher moral standards and therefore helps to improve society as a whole;

* Falun Gong is impressive by the harmony of the exercises, meditation and study, by which it supports a good spiritual way of life, cultivates the mind, body and spirit;

* Falun Gong helps to preserve the traditional values of humanity, such as sincerity, persistence and unselfishness;

* Practitioners of Falun Gong in China are exposed to suffering in labour camps, prisons and re-education centres. The number of known deaths from torture has reached 955. Tens of thousands are being tortured during their detention in labour camps, prisons and especially women who are subjected to numerous forms of sexual violence, including sexual abuse and forced abortions.

We, the undersigned, demand an immediate stop to the persecution and the severe torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

The Changle Forced Labor Camp in Weifang City, Shandong Province, made several efforts to get a contract with the Linqu County Hongye Group. The Hongye Group is a Chinese-American joint venture that produces hand-woven rugs and exports them to America.

The labor camp authorities force Falun Gong practitioners to weave rugs in a heavily polluted environment. The practitioners have to work more than twelve hours a day, and they barely have time to take a bath or wash their clothes. Except for a three-day break during the Chinese New Year, they are not allowed to have any other holidays or even time off on the weekends.

In addition to the intensive labor, Falun Gong practitioners' meals are prepared using the cheapest and lowest quality ingredients, and the food is difficult to eat. Therefore, a lot of practitioners are forced to barely survive on supplemental food sent by their families. The intense work and terrible food dramatically damages practitioners' health, and they have become weak and emaciated. On top of that, they often suffer brutal torture from the police.

The address of Shandong Province Hongye Rug Group:

Hongye Rug Group, Wolong Township Hebei , Linqu County, Shandong Province, zip code 262612

One of my relatives, an officer from the Fuzhou Military District in Fujian Province, came home for a visit. Two days after arriving, he received a telegram from the military unit ordering him back to the Fuzhou Military District at once.

He thought it was a military emergency. After returning, however, he attended a meeting in which Jiang Zemin's secret instructions on persecuting Falun Gong practitioners in the military were conveyed: "Military personnel are strictly forbidden from practicing Falun Gong, and anyone caught disobeying this order can be executed by firearms. It is not required that the execution be reported to higher levels."

Later when a friend of mine heard this, he could not believe it, exclaiming, "Without any military discipline or law, how can they just execute people like that!"

My relative then replied, "This is very real. Our division began preparing for the emergency in July 1999, and we were ready to go to Beijing and arrest Falun Gong practitioners at any time. During that period, people who were on vacation or working elsewhere had to return right away. A division commander from the Fuzhou Military District even left the military, returning to his hometown this year because he practiced Falun Gong. He would rather give up his position of division commander than abandon his practice."

Ms. Yu Fenghua was was a music teacher at the Mohan Elementary School of Fengcheng City. She was 57 years old and practiced Falun Gong.

One night around 7:00 p.m. in October 2000, several policemen from Dengtiemeilu Police Station suddenly broke into Yu Fenghua's home. They ransacked her home and attempted to arrest her. She was on her way home from work and learned the news from somebody that the police were after her, so she decided to go to Dalian City to avoid the persecution that would face her at home.

One night in January 2001, Yu Fenghua was hanging a banner reading "Falun Dafa is Good" in the downtown area of Dalian. She was abducted by police who had been following her. While in detention, she refused to give up her belief in Falun Gong and firmly resisted the persecution. She also went on a hunger strike to protest. Soon she was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Several months later she was transferred to Dabei Prison in Shenyang City.

On May 5, 2004, Dabei Prison informed her family to pick her up. She was on the verge of death. When her family arrived, she was carried in on a stretcher. After returning home, she passed away at around 6:00 p.m. on the night of May 10.

The details of Yu Fenghua's death are to be investigated.

By a Falun Gong practitoner from Henan Province, China

I am a female Dafa practitioner from Henan Province. I went to Tiananmen Square at the end of the year 2000 to validate Dafa, and I still can't forget what I witnessed and heard there at that time. I would now like to expose it and use these facts to describe how Jiang's evil political gang of scoundrels and the policemen that Jiang's political group manipulates, use brutal and vicious means to persecute Dafa practitioners.

On December 29, 2000 I went to Beijing with two other Dafa practitioners to appeal on behalf of Falun Dafa. Right after we entered Tiananmen Square, several policemen in plainclothes started questioning us, "Do you have your ID with you?" I said, "No, we camr here to visit." "Get into the car if you don't have your ID!" they shouted, and at the same time they attempted to forcibly drag us into a police car. We refused to cooperate with them and resisted going to the car, so they beat our heads with police batons. As a result, I felt very dizzy and my mouth had blisters from the beating. Eventually they dragged us into the police car. In the car, we took out the Falun emblem banner that we had made and displayed it to the people on the square through the window. The policemen grabbed the Falun emblem. Because there were many Dafa disciples going to Beijing to validate Dafa, including people from Sichuan, Shandong, the Northeast, etc., after a while the police station was full of Dafa disciples. We were sent to the Tiananmen Detention Center. Policemen asked our names and addresses one by one. Those who refused to tell their name and address were sent to the back of the detention center and then dispatched to different detention centers in Beijing.

I was transported with other Dafa practitioners to the Chaoyang District Detention Center in Beijing. On our way, I took out a banner from my sleeve which read "Falun Dafa is Good," and displayed it in the window along with another practitioner. Policemen pulled us back a few times, and then the banner was taken away. What could we do without a banner? Another practitioner told me, "You sit beside the window and shout Falun Dafa is good whenever you see someone outside and then all of us will shout together with you!" Then we started to shout, "Falun Dafa is good!" "Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance) is good!" "Falun Dafa is a righteous Fa!" "Restore our Teacher's reputation!" We kept shouting until we came to the door of the Chaoyang District Detention Center.

When we arrived at the Chaoyang District Detention Center, the policemen asked us to squat down. One practitioner moved a little bit slowly and she was kicked in her lower back by the guard, causing her to almost fall down. We then received physical examinations. All the healthy people were taken to the backyard to have their pictures taken by force. Finally, the policemen ordered the regular criminals made up of drug addicts and prostitutes to take us to a big room where we were stripped naked. All of our money, personal belongings, and Dafa articles were confiscated. In the process, some practitioners were beaten and kicked, and I was slapped twice across the face. After are belongings were confiscated, we were sent to various cells completely naked.

In the evening, the police started interrogating us, and they also questioned me. At that time, my righteous thoughts were quite strong, and I firmly refused to cooperate with the evil. After finishing the interrogation, I was sent back to the cell.

One practitioner who was interrogated during the daytime on the second day was a girl about 20 years old, but because practitioners didn't divulge their names, addresses or ages, we didn't know where this girl was from. This practitioner's clothes were neat, and she looked calm and beautiful before the interrogation. But after she came back from interrogation, her clothes were messed up and her hair was disheveled. She seemed to have changed into another person, and she was seriously hurt physically and mentally. I asked another practitioner what had happened to the girl, and she said, "The police took off all of her clothes and forced her to sit in the snow for 2-3 hours. The most evil thing was that the policemen ordered drug-addicts and prostitutes to burn her private parts with lit cigarettes..." This practitioner was overcome with grief and could not continue to describe the torture that happened to the young girl.

How can it be wrong for a simple and pure girl to live by the principle of "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance" and try to be a good person? And the so-called "people's police" order criminals to torture her using such obscene means. After I heard this, my brain was totally blank, tears kept falling, and this incident became an unforgettable memory for me. This is genuine evidence Jiang's declaration of, "The period of the best human rights situation" hypocrisy that "Jiang's gang of scoundrels" attempts to promote to the world.

Several practitioners and I went on a hunger strike for three days to protest the mistreatment and were sent to a very big room where the door was open to the outside. The room was extremely cold, and there were six wooden crosses lying there. The policemen ordered female criminals to remove our coats and pull up our sleeves. Then the policemen, together with the drug-addicts and prostitutes, used adhesive tape to firmly fix our arms onto the "crosses" one by one. They then used ropes to tightly tie our legs onto the bottoms of the "crosses," and then force-fed us using rubber tubes. One evil policeman also stomped on my hands. We were tortured from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and my two hands still have bruises from that abuse. Another female practitioner's trousers were taken off and she was freezing cold and shaking. One policeman nonetheless walked around her and said obscene words. Still another female practitioner refused to cooperate with them, and they beat her with police batons 40 times on her buttocks. Her buttocks became black and blue and she could not lie down or sit. She asked for help, but the policemen completely ignored her. The food that they gave to Dafa practitioners was yellow steamed bread and vegetable soup that the drug-addicts and prostitutes refused to eat. These are facts of the persecution that took place in Mainland China, and the events exposed here represent only a small percentage of the actual events occurring in China today.

By Taiwan Taoyuan Falun Gong Practitioner Wang Shuhui

On the night of April 29, 2004, I went to Hong Kong via China Airlines to attend a Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference legally permitted by the Hong Kong government. I was issued an entry permit by the Hong Kong government a week prior to my trip. However, when I entered customs, I was immediately escorted by the airport police to a small room and searched. I asked them in surprise, "Will it always be like this to enter Hong Kong in the future?" They replied, "This is just a routine inspection." They immediately confiscated my cell phone so I could not contact anyone. They constantly ignored my repeated requests to make a call. So I questioned them, "Would it violate Hong Kong's law if I made a call on my cell phone?" They did not answer my question but replied, "I will keep it for you for the time being." Then they repeatedly asked for my return ticket, which I refused to give them.

Later several people took turns, one after another, to look through my luggage. Even my small bag was searched five times. When I asked why they searched my bag so many times, they answered, "We work for different departments." Instead I asked again, "Which Hong Kong law have I breached for you to treat me like this?" They answered, "Sorry, we are just conducting a routine inspection." I said, "Is it because Falun Gong practitioners are not allowed to enter Hong Kong?" They reluctantly answered, "No."

After more than two hours of repeated inspections which proved unproductive, the authorities still claimed they were detaining me for alleged "security reasons" which they used as a thin excuse to deport me back to Taiwan. Then they took me to the boarding entrance, and rudely asked me to sign a piece of paper. I noticed that my signature had been forged on the document against my will, so I told them very clearly, "You forged this document. You've violated the law because this paper clearly states the rights I have during the illegal detention, including making a phone call. However you did not let me make the phone call, and also wanted me to sign this form acknowledging that I was aware of these rights." At that time the police knew they were not being reasonable and anxiously snatched the paper from my hand with the intention to tear it up and destroy the evidence, but I was able to stop them.

This whole ordeal lasted for several hours. I feel distressed by the Hong Kong authorities irrational manner. I am just a young girl, but still the Hong Kong government sent nearly 20 police personnel to conduct an unreasonable and illegal search. Even after they could not find any illegal item, I was forced to return back to Taiwan at my own expense. They explained their behavior of violating human rights by fabricating an excuse of their actions being for "security reasons." They targeted me and treated me in the manner they did only because I am a Falun Gong practitioner who lives according to the principle "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance".

Who should bear the responsibility when those in power enforce orders that violate the law and force people to ignore their conscience, such as the police officers who carried out their so-called orders from higher authorities? Would it be the higher authorities or the law enforcement personnel?

May 17, 2004

Families and friends yesterday petitioned for the release of a woman jailed for three years on the mainland for distributing Falun Gong material in Shenzhen.

Speaking in Hong Kong yesterday, Fung Chi-man, 46, said he was desperate to have at least a brief meeting with his wife, Fu Xueying, 28.

He has not seen or heard from her since her arrest more than six months ago.

"I was only told on May 10 that my wife was sentenced to three years in prison," said Mr Fung, a businessman.

He said that since her arrest he had been calling a judge responsible for the case every week and every time had been told to call again later.

Mr Fung often travels to the mainland, while his wife runs a chauffeur business in Shenzhen.

The couple married in 1998. Fu obtained a one-way permit to live in Hong Kong last July. She was arrested in October while distributing material about the Falun Gong in Shenzhen.

A Security Bureau spokesman said last night they were keeping in close contact with the family and they would follow up the case.

Mr Fung and about two dozen Falun Gong followers walked from Kwun Tong to Kowloon City in a protest yesterday afternoon.

The group demanded the release of Fung and another Falun Gong [practitioner], Lin Junhui, a mainlander arrested in November. She was sentenced by a Shenzhen court to an unspecified jail term for returning with Falun Gong material after visiting relatives in Hong Kong.

New South Wales Falun Dafa Association has recently taken legal action against a local Chinese Newspaper (Chinese Daily), which is known as 2 ac for defamation, according reports from Epoch Times, ABC Online (Australia) and AAP. On December 18, 2003, the Chinese Daily published an article based on information provided by a Sydney Chinese consulate, who took the opportunity to attack Falun Dafa by repeating lies of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin's regime.

The spokesman of NSW Falun Dafa Association Mr. John Della told media that the article caused harm to Falun Gong practitioners and severe damage to the reputation of Falun Dafa.

"They [Chinese Falun Dafa practitioners] come to Australia, expecting and hoping for a free democracy where they can live in peace and without that sort of terror...and they read such an article and...it brings up all those memories and experiences," Mr. Della said in an interview with ABC Online, Australia.

It is reported that Falun Dafa is a registered organization in Australia and is protected by Australian laws. According to a report by www.xinguangming.org, before seeking for legal solution, Falun Gong practitioners offered the Newspaper an opportunity to publish an open apology to offset the damage it has made. However, the Newspaper declined the offer.

Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is an ancient Chinese practice of mind and body based on the universal principle "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance." It is estimated that Falun Dafa has more than 100 million practitioners in more than 60 countries and regions. Falun Dafa's positive benefit on stabilizing society and improving both physical and spiritual health has been widely recognized. However, Falun Dafa has been persecuted in China since 1999 reportedly for its staggering popularity and the jealousy of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin who is still the actual No.1 person in the Chinese authority.

While Bo Xilai was governor of Liaoning Province, it was one of the worst provinces in persecution of Falun Gong. Until December 1, 2003, deaths of 90 Falun Gong practitioners were documented. Bo Xilai's poor human rights record has brought him many "troubles."

Asia Times reported on May 13, "During Bo Xilai visiting the US along with Chinese trade delegation, he was sued by human rights organizations charging him with directing the persecution against Falun Gong when he was mayor of Dalian City and government of Liaoning Province."

The report stated, "Bo Xilai was transferred from the post of Liaoning governor and took the post of Minister of Chinese Commerce. This time when he followed Chinese vice Premier Wu Yi to visit USA, he ran into trouble. Chinese vice Premier Wu Yi visited the USA as Chairman of the 15^th China-America Trade Association. The delegation arrived at Washington DC on April 20. The entourage included Bo Xilai and the director of the Bank of China. The trip was the first time Bo Xilai visited overseas as minister of Commerce. He was served with lawsuit papers on April 22 while entering a hotel to attend a dinner hosted by Wu Yi. He was charged with conducting the persecution against Falun Gong when he was mayor of Dalian City and governor of Liaoning Province."

The report also stated, "As early as March 9 and 10, two non-government organizations in the USA filed a detailed document and a list of 102 people with the US State Department and Department of Homeland Security which requested the US government to take action and prohibit those Chinese officials, listed for their direct participation in the persecution of Falun Gong, their spouses and children from entering the US. The new minister of Chinese Commerce Bo Xilai was on the list."

Actually, looking closer at Bo Xilai, one can easily find that the new minister has been in trouble in recent years. The report stated, "Reporter Jiang Weiping who reported on Bo Xilai's corruption case was sentenced to jail under government charges of 'illegally providing state secrets abroad', 'subverting state power' and 'illegally obtaining state secrets'. Thus, Bo was condemned by international human right organizations."

It was reported that before visiting the US, Bo Xilai planned to visit Germany. But German human rights organizations protested his visit and requested German government to refuse his entry. His visit was postponed as a result.

Falun Gong practitioners' protest only targets those persecutors. The report stated, "It is worth noting that in the affair, Falun Gong practitioners did not target other officials in the Chinese delegation. Only Bo Xilai in the delegation was sued in a US court. A similar situation did not occur during an overseas visit by Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. During last December, Wen Jiabao visited USA, Falun Gong publicly stated that they would not protest Wen Jiabao."

Currently, the outside view is, "Bo Xilai is just appointed as Minister of Commerce and will have more chances to visit other countries. If he meets similar situations during each visit, it would not be good for him to continue to carry out his duty or for China's image." It is not known if the incident will affect his political career. But some one predicted that Bo Xilai would follow the trail of former Speaker of Chinese People's Congress, Li Peng, and his foreign affair activities would be affected by foreign non-government organizations to some extent.

May 5, 2004

Rome (AsiaNews) - A group of teenagers living in the United States organized an original initiative to denounce the persecution of child [practitioners] of the Falun Gong, as perpetrated by the Chinese government in Beijing.

From 13 to 21 May, these teenagers, who called themselves "Pedals of Peace," will embark on a bicycle ride from Washington DC to Chicago, where they will tell people about the terrible persecutions of Chinese children and teenagers, whose families belong to a [group] prohibited by [the] Chinese government.

The 700 miles' journey is called the "Save the Kids Ride" and has the support of various schools in the country, non-profit organizations and many non-governmental organizations.

"Petals of Peace," which inspired the name of the little riders, attempts to inform others of the sufferings of the Chinese children. The organization hands out paper lotus flowers, as a peaceful sign of its efforts to help save them.

"Petals of Peace" was founded because many people were moved by the tragic story of Fadu, a 3-year-old child whose father was tortured to death for belonging to Falun Gong.

Karen Chen, a 10 year-old Chinese child who lives in the United States, tells the tragic story of her family, who also [practices] Falun Gong: "When I was in China five years ago, there were TV programs saying bad words about Falun Dafa [the other name of Falun Gong] all the time. I have experienced the persecution of children, too. My grandmother is also a Falun Dafa practitioner like me and she was arrested in her home last year. The police took my granny and put her under arrest for two months not letting anyone see her. They even took away her passport and told her she was not allowed to come see her relatives in the United States.

According to Petals of Peace, more than 14 million Chinese children - especially those who either practice or are the sons and daughters of Falun Gong [practitioners] are being left orphaned. This is so since their parents are taken away to labor camps, where they are jailed, tortured, persecuted or even murdered.

5/12/2004

A group of 16-19 year olds will leave the nation's capital May 13th to embark upon a 700-mile bicycle ride to Chicago, IL. Calling themselves "Pedals of Peace," they are riding to save the lives of children and teens in China who are being persecuted because of their spiritual beliefs.

The Pedals of Peace were inspired by a young Falun Gong practitioner, Fadu, whose father was killed for his beliefs. In 1999, the Chinese government outlawed the practice and began a campaign of persecution that continues to this day. Now three years old, Fadu travels the world with her mother telling people about their loss.

"We don't know the exact number of children suffering from the persecution, but we do know it has affected kids from eight months-to-17 years old, some of whom died in police custody. Others have had their families torn apart," says Keith Ware, an adult organizer of the bike ride.

Ten-year-old Herndon, VA resident and Falun Gong practitioner Karen Chen won't be riding to Chicago, but she urges her local officials to support the bike ride. She tells them about her grandmother who was deprived of all her rights in China. "I miss my grandma and want to see her. I hope that the persecution will end so then all the other mothers, fathers, relatives, and children can be safe."

The Save the Kids Ride will travel north, then west from Washington, DC through Cumberland, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus OH, and Indianapolis, IN, arriving in Chicago on May 21. They will be greeted by supporters who have tracked their journey on the Web site http://www.pedalsofpeace.org. Several adults, including experienced bikers, will join the teens in their continuous, relay-style ride. Other activities include an international postcard campaign and an art project.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is practiced freely in over 50 countries worldwide. The Falun Dafa Information Center, which tracks the persecution in China, has verified more than 850 (1) deaths there, but they say the number could be much higher.

(1) Currently, the verified death toll stands at 955.

Written by a practitioner from China

My wife and I are both Falun Gong practitioners, and we have been practicing for five and a half years. Since Jiang banned Falun Gong in 1999, we have thought to write down our experiences and insights gained while practicing. We'd like to let more kind people get to know the truth and also benefit from Falun Gong.

I had been fascinated with Qigong for many years. I used to practice many forms of Qigong but I did not grasp the essentials. Also, I didn't know that, to truly practice Qigong, one needs to improve one's moral character.

In the past, when I practiced those other Qigongs, my wife was strongly against it. She did not believe that Qigong could treat illnesses, yet she herself had many diseases. She often suffered from headaches and stomachaches, which were, of course minor ailments. However, the disease that worried me the most was the breast tumor, which she had for over ten years. When it became serious, she took some folk medicines and got through it. Yet after her mom died, her tumor became more serious. The hospital formally diagnosed her as having breast cancer and she had to have surgery immediately. Nobody knew what would happen after the surgery, and it was going to cost a lot of money. We did not have enough money at the time, and so both of us were very depressed. I talked to her and suggested that she practice Qigong. She said, "You don't have money to treat my illness and so are trying to take care of me with such a meager method." She refused to go. There were people everywhere on the street, practicing all kinds of Qigongs at that time and we did not know which one we should choose.

I went to a Falun Gong practice site. Every practitioner was so kind to me, and someone loaned me the book. When I read Zhuan Falun, I felt that every single sentence was so true. I continued to read the book at home for a couple of days, feeling that my heart had been opened. I understood many principles and then knew how to walk the road of my life. However, I was still a little bit doubtful. I learned the movements and then, when I got home, I taught my wife to practice. When she started to read the book, she believed some and doubted some, but she followed the instructions in order to cure her disease: she did the exercises and read the book. Miracles happened day by day, and within two weeks she totally recovered. The breast cancer and other ailments were gone. There are no words we could use to describe how we felt then.

Kindhearted people: please distinguish the kind from the wicked, and right from wrong. Millions upon millions of people will tell you, based on their own experiences, that Falun Gong is good!

I am a forty-two-year old Falun Gong practitioner in Weifang City, Shandong Province. Falun Dafa has saved my life and my family's happiness. I cannot find the words to express my deep gratitude to Teacher or describe the miracles I experienced from the practice. I can only repay them with determination in continuing my cultivation.

I had Hepatitis B for nine years before I began to practice Falun Gong. During that period of time, my whole life was about taking medicine, having injections, visiting hospitals and taking care of my health. My family spent all our savings and money borrowed from relatives and neighbors to cure the disease. However, my illness did not improve, but instead got worse and worse. I could endure the pain associated with the disease, but not the pressures and pain it brought to my family. My illness was contagious, so people avoided me. Because of my illness, my daughter was lonely and had no friends to play with in school. I looked at my family's pain and lost hope. I wanted to die.

I was lucky to learn Falun Gong early in the summer of 1997. I read the book Zhuan Falun and began to follow the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" to become a better person. I found that my pain associated with the disease was gone after a month. All the symptoms of hepatitis disappeared.

I used to scold my parents-in-law often. After studying the principles of Falun Gong, I understood how to treat them with respect. My parents-in-law told everyone, "My daughter-in-law is healthy now. She is nicer too. Falun Gong makes her a better person. Falun Gong is amazing!" Because of Falun Gong, I am healthy, and my family is happy.

In addition, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Before practicing Falun Gong, I never imagined that I could have another child.

The night before the 2004 Chinese New Year's Eve, two fellow practitioners and I went to villages in Yishui Township, Yishui County in Shandong Province to distribute Falun Dafa truth-clarifying flyers. It was very cold and windy for several days before we left, but that night the wind stopped. It was a clear night with a bright moon, and not very cold either. We posted flyers in three villages over one night successfully.

It was around midnight when we arrived at the second village. When we were posting the flyers there, an elderly villager appeared in front of us and he asked curiously, "What are you doing?" We told him, "We are Falun Gong practitioners, we are posting our truth-clarifying flyers." The villager asked us for some materials. Unfortunately we did not have any with us other than the homemade flyers. When we told him this, he said, "Can I have a flyer, then?"

When we told him about Falun Gong, he said, "I know Falun Gong teaches people to be good and do good deeds, it also improves their health. There were some practitioners in this village also, but Jiang's men arrested them for practicing, and fined them heavily. Jiang is claiming good to be bad, and white to be black. Don't be afraid, keep on practicing and posting. I have also seen a lot of truth-clarifying posters when I visited other areas, and that was great. The righteous is righteous no matter what."

The villager followed us through the village and showed us the locations where villagers often gather so that more people could see our flyers. When we finished, he said, "It is amazing that you came so far for us in such cold weather." He invited us to his home for some hot drinks. We thanked him but did not accept the invitation, because it was very late and we did not want to interrupt his family's sleep. The elderly villager walked with us all the way out of the village and told us, "I will watch those flyers for you. Nobody will dare take them down."

(Clearwisdom.net)

• [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Dafa Practitioner Gao Shunqin Is Hung by Her Wrists for Three Days at the Yangyuan Brainwashing Class
• [Lufeng County, Yunnan Province] Dafa Practitioner Li Zhen Has Been On a Hunger Strike for Over Twenty Days
• [Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province] Dafa Practitioner Zhang Jianbo Is Sentenced to Forced Labor
• [Yanji City, Jilin Province] Arrest of Dafa Practitioner Liu Ximei for Carrying Dafa Materials
• [Pingdingshan City, Henan Province] Arrest of Several Dafa Practitioners for Posting and Distributing Truth-Clarifying Materials
• [Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province] Professor Xing Wenzhen from Northwestern Polytechnical University Is Being Held in a Brainwashing Class
• [Liu'an City, Anhui Province] Arrest of Dafa Practitioner Wang Xunwen While Distributing Dafa Truth Clarification Information
• [Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province] To Avoid Arrest by Perpetrators from the "610 Office," Practitioner Liao Min Must Live Away from Home
• [Gaocheng City, Hebei Province] Arrest of Dafa Practitioners Wang Yuexia and Ji Junyan
• [Guangrao County, Shandong Province] Dafa Practitioner Li Guangzhen is Handed a Three-Year Forced Labor Sentence for Going to Beijing to Appeal for Dafa
• [Yishui County, Shandong Province] Dafa Practitioner Zhang Xiangxing and His Son Zhang Yuguo Are Detained
• [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Illegal Detention of Dafa Practitioner Lai Suqiong
• [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Dafa Practitioner Huang Fen Has Been Detained Over One Month
• [Huludao City, Liaoning Province] Dafa Practitioner Zhang Xiaoqiang Suffers Torture at the Dabei Prison

Dafa practitioner Ms. Gao Shunqin is a resident of No. 2 Street in the Shuiguohu Area, Wuchang District. On February 26, 2004 personnel from the No. 1 Section of the Wuchang District Police Department collaborated with personnel from the district's "610 Office" (1) and the Street Administrative Committee and arrested Gao Shunqin. She is still being held at the Yangyuan Brainwashing Class, in the Yujiatou Area, Wuchang District. It is said that she was recently hung by her wrists for three days while being detained at the brainwashing class. Her legs have become swollen. In addition, the personnel from the brainwashing class injected her with unknown drugs.

Telephone number of the Yangyuan Brainwashing Class: 86-27-86739553;
Responsible personnel: Administrator Chen, in his 40's; Supervisor Yu in his 50s; and Supervisor Hu, in her 40s.

Dafa practitioner Mr. Li Zhen from Yunnan Province was sentenced to forced labor in 2000. In February 2004 he was again sentenced to forced labor at the No. 6 Division of Yunnan Province's No. 2 Forced Labor Camp for distributing truth-clarifying material. In order to resist the persecution, Li Zhen has gone on a hunger strike several times. Beginning April 16, he started another hunger strike in order to tell people that believing in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance is not a crime; exposing lies that slander Falun Gong and clarifying the truth to people are a right endowed by the Chinese Constitution. He demanded his release and that his reputation be restored.

When Li Zhen's family members saw him, they noticed that he was extremely weak and displayed symptoms of severe gastritis, enteritis and other problems. On May 5, his family members applied to have him released on bail, but personnel from the forced labor camp refused their request, stating the reason that Mr. Li "refused to be reformed."

Address for Yunnan Province's No.2 Forced Labor Camp: Mailbox 405, Dapingba District, Lufeng County, Yunnan Province, P.R.C, postal code: 651205.

Practitioner Zhang Jianbo from Zhejiang Province was recently sentenced to two years of forced labor. On March 29, 2004, while Zhang Jianbo was clarifying the truth to people in Shaoxing City, someone who doesn't know the truth of Dafa reported him to the police. Personnel from the Shaoxing County National Security Team arrested him and took him to the Shaoxing City Detention Center. Zhang Jianbo staged a hunger strike to protest the persecution. He insisted on doing the Dafa exercises in the detention center and singing songs composed by Dafa practitioners. Now even the policemen in the detention center also know how to sing the songs. Later on, Zhang Jianbo was sent to Hangzhou City's Qingchun Hospital for force-feeding, and he was recently sentenced to two years of forced labor. The police are not allowing Zhang Jianbo's family members to visit him. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Practitioner Ms. Liu Ximei from the Tianqiaoling District, Wangqing County used to work for Yanji City's Car-Washing Company. On a day between April 29, 2004 and May 2, police stopped the bus Liu Ximei was taking from Yanji City to the Tianqiaoling District, Wangqing County. They searched Liu Ximei, found some Dafa materials and arrested her. Lately it is quite possible to get checked at the tollbooths at all sections along the road to Yanbian City.

It has been learned that several practitioners from Pingdingshan City were arrested for pasting up and distributing truth-clarifying materials.

Ms. Bai E, in her 50's, is an unemployed citizen. She was held at the Xigaohuang Detention Center after being arrested on April 23.

Ms. Ge Yunling, in her 40's, used to be an employee from the High-Pressure Switch Factory. She is held at Pingdingshan City's Detention Center after being arrested on April 27.

A female practitioner in her 50's who lives in the residential area of No. 1 Company, No. 7 Bureau, was arrested on April 27 together with fellow practitioner Ge Yunling. She is now released. (It's said that this is the first time she came out to clarify the truth.)

Ms. Ma Shufang, 32 years old, used to be an employee from the No. 10 Mine. Her whereabouts are unknown.

Practitioner Ms. Xing Wenzhen is a professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University. She was illegally arrested by people from the "610 Office" in the Xi'an City Police Department on April 8, 2004, and charged with conveying a Falun Gong message.

During the morning of April 8, 2004, Guo Jian from the Public Security Section of the university called Xing Wenzhen and told her that personnel from the "610 office" from Zhangjia Village wanted to have a talk with her. Ms. Xing went there with a folder containing many prize certificates awarded to her from a variety of governmental departments. The "610" personnel, though, forcibly and in violation of the Chinese Constitution, sent her to the Lintong Electric Power Plant Hostel for brainwashing. Professor Xing is still being detained there.

Officials from the Party committee from Northwestern Polytechnical University persecute Falun Gong practitioners associated with the university by forcing repeated brainwashing sessions on them. They do this in order to cooperate with the local "610 Office" authorities who are persecuting professors and staff at the university.

Around April 8, 2004, practitioner Wang Xunwen from Liu'an City, Anhui Province was arrested for distributing Dafa truth clarification materials. He is currently being held in the Liu'an City No.2 Detention Center.

Liu'an City No. 2 Detention Center: 86-564-3313325

Toward the end of 2003, several officers from Lianhu District's "610 Office," the Police Department and the National Security Department in Xi'an City, went into a residential building to arrest practitioner Ms. Liao Min, over 50 years old, who was home alone at the time. She didn't open the burglar-proof door but clarified the truth to the police. The police remained outside her building for two weeks. Fortunately, with the help from neighbors, she escaped. She has chosen to lead a homeless life in order to keep from being arrested from her home. The police have searched her home and put her on the Wanted list.

During the evening of February 28, 2004, while practitioner Ms. Wang Yuexia was doing the Dafa exercises at home, policemen from Zengcun Town's Police Precinct in Gaocheng City suddenly broke into her home and asked her whether or not she will still practice Falun Gong. Wang Yuexia said she would. Then the police arrested her, searched her home and confiscated Dafa books and Dafa exercise tapes. The following day they sent Wang Yuexia to Gaocheng City's Detention Center, where they tortured her physically and tormented her mentally in order to force her to give up Falun Gong practice. Because Wang Yuexia refused to give up Falun Gong, on March 28 they put her into the Hebei Province Brainwashing Center.

On February 29, 2004 Ms. Ji Junyan went to Jin Village to visit her mother. Police from Zengcun Town's Police Precinct had gone to her home in an attempt to arrest her. Since Ji was not at home, the police forced her husband to lead them to Jin Village. They also inquired whether or not Ms. Ji would still practice Falun Gong. Ms. Ji said she would. Then she was arrested and taken to Zengcun Town's Police Precinct and was kicked, beaten and threatened. The following day she was sent to Gaocheng City's Detention Center. The detention center authorities attempted to force her several times to give up the practice. Due to her determination in Dafa, along with Wang Yuexia, Junyan was forcefully sent to the Hebei Province Brainwashing Center.

Phone numbers of responsible personnel in Gaocheng City, Shijiazhuang Area:

Yang Jixiao, secretary of Yangma Village's Party Committee, Zengcun Town: 86-13932182999 (cell)
Zhang Minzhong, political instructor of Zengchu Town's Police Precinct:

86-311-8079036
Gaocheng City Detention Center ( Siming Street): 86-311-8167439

Hebei Province Capital "Legal Institutional Education and Training Center" (that is, Hebei Province Brainwashing Center)

Address: Beicheng Road, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, P.R.China

Directors: Guo Suoshan, Li Aiguo

10. [Guangrao County, Shandong Province] Dafa Practitioner Li Guangzhen is Handed a Three-Year Forced Labor Sentence for Going to Beijing to Appeal for Dafa

Dafa practitioner Ms. Li Guangzhen is a resident of Xili Village, Dawang Town, Guangrao County, Dongying City, Shandong Province. In April 2004, she and two other practitioners went to Beijing to appeal for the release of illegally-detained Dafa practitioner Li Lianjun. Just because of this she was sentenced to three years of forced labor. Li Lianjun is still being detained at the Wangcun Forced Labor Camp. His 80-year-old parents are left home without care. Because Li Guangzhen's husband, Dafa practitioner Li Fengshan, wrote the appeals letter, he was sent to the brainwashing class in Jinan City's Forced Labor Camp. Perpetrators are from the Guangrao County "610 Office." Mr. Li's mother is over 70 years old and his two children are very young, but there is no one to take care of them.

Officials responsible for the persecution:

Liu Qiao, head of the Guangrao County "610 Office"
Wang Xikai, associate head of the Guangrao County "610 Office"
Liu Xinsheng, employee of the Guangrao County "610 Office"
Phone number: 86-546-6440185

Dafa practitioner Zhang Xiangxing and his son Zhang Yuguo live in Xujiahu Town, Yishui County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. They benefited much from practicing Falun Gong. On May 1, 2004, personnel of the Xujiahu Town Comprehensive Administration Office inquired whether or not they would continue practicing Falun Gong. When Zhang Xiangxing clarified the truth of the Falun Gong persecution, they informed the county's National Security Team about this practitioner. Then Li Jianping, the chief of the National Security Team and Li Yuyou, the associate chief, came and arrested the two practitioners. They are currently detained at the Yishui County Detention Center.

People responsible for the persecution (Country code: 86, area code: 539, Do not dial area code before a cell phone number)

Yishui County "610 Office" -
Li Dong, Head: 2260145 (Home)
Li Kejian, Associate Head: 2253385 (Home), 13954950369 (Cell)

National Security Team -
Li Jianping, Chief: 2211575 (Home)
Li Yuyou, Assistant Chief: 2215366 (Home)

On April 24, 2004, Dafa practitioner Lai Suqiong from Chengdu City went shopping at 9:00 a.m. As soon as she arrived at the entrance to the Residential Committee on Qinghua North No.1 Street, personnel from the Guanghua Police Precinct, the "610 Office" and officers of the residential committee arrested her. They declared that they would forcibly put her into a brainwashing class for three months. The whereabouts of Lai Suqiong are currently unknown.

Related work unit phone numbers -

Guanghua Street Agent: 86-28-87300578
Guanghua Police Precinct: 86-28-87370431

During the evening of March 13, 2004, approximately eight policemen from Chengdu City's "610 Office" and the Qingyang Police Department went to the Chinese Nuclear Power Design Institute to illegally search practitioner Ms. Huang Fen's house. They arrested her and confiscated her computer and other belongings. It was heard that Huang Fen has been detained at the Pi County Detention Center for over one month. Her current situation is unknown.

In the early morning of March 1, 2002, policemen arrested 40-year-old practitioner Mr. Zhang Xiaoqiang on Suizhong Street. Later, because someone reported to the police that he had once hung up speakers to broadcast the truth of Falun Gong, he was sentenced to four and a half years of imprisonment in the Dabei Prison after being detained for six months in a detention center. Recently, it was learned that Zhang Xiaoqiaong was suffering tortures at the Dabei Prison.

(1) "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.

May 9, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net)

Mr. Zhang Yansong, a teacher from an occupational School (previously Agricultural Tech School) in Yanging County, Beijing was arrested on April 22, 2004. He is now detained in the Yanging Detention Center. There are also several other Dafa practitioners who were arrested about the same time. They all went on a hunger strike. Among them, Cheng Chunma has been on a hunger strike for over one month and his condition is very serious.

Relevant phone numbers:

Yanging Detention Center in Beijing: 86-10-81197991

National Security Brigade: 86-10-81198121

County Security Bureau: 86-10-81198020

County Detective Section: 86-10-69101821

County Security Center: 86-10-81198016

Mr. He Fujian is a worker from the technical department of Shuguang Oil Company in Liaohe Oil Field, Panjin City, Liaoning Province. He was sent to a brainwashing center on May 10, 2004. This is the sixth time that officers from the Liaohe Oil Field have sent their workers to brainwashing centers.

In July 2001, the court of Donggang City sentenced Liu Yanjiun to a six-year prison term. He was sent to the Chenyang Dabei Jail where he was tortured and persecuted until November 2002. His life was in grave danger and Dabei Jail was afraid of taking the responsibility should he die, so they called his family to take him home. On May 13, 2004 around 11 a.m., Liu Yanjiun was abducted by four males and two females from home and sent to Dabei Jail again. The details are currently under investigation.

On April 23, 2004, Ms. Zheng Cuilan, a Dafa practitioner from Kunming City, was reported by the patrol when she was clarifying the truth about Dafa while grocery shopping. The Guandu Public Security Branch Bureau sent a dozen policemen to arrest her. They confiscated her personal belongings in her home and did not issue a receipt. She is now being detained in the Bailongsi Detention Center.

A physician from Haigong Training Base, City of Kunming went to Yiliang County to distribute Dafa truth-clarification materials during the Chinese New Year. He was arrested by police and detained in the Tangchi Village Detention Center. His present condition is not known.

On January 6, 2002, Ms. Kuang Deying, a Yunnan Dafa practitioner was arrested because of her handing out Dafa truth-clarification materials. Police confiscated her personal property in her home and when she tried to get her belongings returned, she learned the police had no record and the items have disappeared. Later, Kuang Deying was sentenced to two years of hard labor. She is now detained in the Fist Brigade, Yunnan Provincial Women Detention Center, leaving her two daughters, ages ten years old and one year and three months old, together with her 67-year-old mother at home. The situation is very difficult for the family. Someone else is now caring for her younger daughter.

On January 5, 2004, Kuang Deying finished her term, but the detention center refused to release her. According her family, the first Brigade captain Ma had beaten Kuang Deying badly and threatened her not to tell anyone about it. They forced her to deny being beaten and claimed if she did so she would be released. After signing the false statement, she discovered it was a trick and she was not released but instead transferred to another brigade.

Relevant officers and phone numbers:

Yunnan Provincial Women Detention Center: Dabanqiao, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, 650211

The first Brigade Captain: Li Ying: 86-871-7337277, 86-13648809883 (Mobile)

On March 18, 2004, twelve Dafa practitioners were cruelly beaten with electric batons in the Hehuakeng Forced Labor Camp in Tangshan City. One practitioner, whose name is being verified, became disabled from the beating.

This barbaric act was led by Yang Shufeng, Tangshan City Judicial Bureau; Wang Yong, Camp chief; Gao Yongjiang, the "610 Office" (1) chief; Li Weiping and Ai Zhenguo, from Brigade Six. The convoy guards and police had been ordered to participate in the beating. These Dafa practitioners were tortured in a strictly guarded section. They were ordered to sit on narrow benches from five thirty in the morning until eight at night. If they moved slightly, the prisoners were ordered to beat them.

Ms. Zhang Jiangyan, about 30 years old, was an employee in the Fee Collection Station, Kunming City Highway Administration. During the Chinese New Year in 2002, she was arrested and sent to a labor camp because of she distributed Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials. She was released on Chinese New Year 2003. Because of she persisted in her belief in Falun Dafa, she was severely tortured by being beaten and shocked with electric batons on her chest. She was then sent to be persecuted in the Yunnan Provincial Mental Hospital where she was tortured for over a month and injected with a drug for suppressing the central nervous system.

Relevant officers and phone numbers:

Yunnan Provicial Mental Hospital, 733 Chuanjin Rd, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224.

Switchboard: 86-871-5631570, 86-871-5619732 (Office)

During the Central Committee meetings in 2004, the "610 Office" in Laizhou City compiled a blacklist containing the names of 32 Dafa practitioners. They started to make arrests on April 2, 2004. Yang Xiandi, Vice Director of the Laizhou Public Security, and policemen Yuan Lu, Zhang Lianrui (from Liazhou), Jiang Xizhou and Han Guoxing (from Wenchang Public Security) were responsible for making the arrests. They told these practitioners that their station leader wanted to talk to them and it wouldn't take long. As soon as they arrived, they locked the front iron gate to prevent them from leaving. Seventeen practitioners were arrested (fourteen of the practitioners had been unlawfully sent to forced labor camps before). Some of the practitioners were forced to leave their homes to avoid being unlawfully arrested. The seventeen arrested practitioners were sent to the Dianzi brainwashing program. These practitioners were forced to pay 500 yuan (2). Their work units were also ordered to pay 500 yuan to pay for their room and board while in the brainwashing program..

On August 27 and 28, 2003, Ms. Li Zhuaifeng was reported to have distributed two pamphlets of truth clarifying materials to security personnel. Because of this, part of her retirement pension, cost-of-living allowance, and job seniority subsidy were stopped for one year. On November 6, 2003, she was sentenced to three years of hard labor because she was discovered explaining the facts of the persecution against Falun Dafa to the people riding on a bus. Her pension was stopped.

In July 2003, Ms. Ma Huiling was reported to the authorities for explaining the facts of the persecution against Falun Dafa and was detained for 24 hours. On November 6, 2003, she was sentenced to three years of hard labor because she was found to have explained the facts of the persecution to people riding on a bus.

On the morning of April 17, 2004, Dafa practitioner Ms. Huang Xiangling from Xiandu Section, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province was arrested by police and detained in the Xindu Detention Center because she distributed Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials.

Dafa practitioner Xin shiwen was arrested because he explained the facts of the persecution of Falun Dafa during a wedding in Jiaohe.

On March 12, 2004, Dafa practitioner, Mr. Guo Shumei, a 63-year-old retired accountant from Weifang Vehicular Section, in Kuiwenyingyuanxiao, Weifang, was arrested and sent to Wangcun brainwashing session in Shandong Province.

1. "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.
2. yuan: the average monthly income of an urban worker in China is 500 yuan

(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 Practitioners' Solemn Statements [4/29/2004]
• Solemn Declarations by Non-Practitioners[4/17/2004]
• Solemn Declarations by Young Dafa Practitioners [4/29/2004]

Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.

(Clearwisdom.net)

Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Liu Zhongqin, from Qing-an County, Heilongjiang Province, was officially recognized as an "Outstanding Teacher" at the County No.1 Elementary School. However, she was forced to leave her beloved students, dismissed from her job, and extorted 8,000 Yuan(1) because she told her students the truth about Falun Dafa.

In the Northern Suburban Prison in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, each Falun Dafa practitioner is monitored 24 hours a day by 3 to 4 violent prisoners who have committed crimes such as murder, robbery, rape and organized crime. Kindhearted Dafa practitioners are incarcerated within this prison environment. Falun Dafa practitioner Li Mingtao from Handan City was tortured with the "Exhausting the Eagle"(2) torture method and brutal beatings. Police forced iron nails into his left hand's index and pinky fingers six months ago. As a result, one of his fingers is infected and the flesh is rotting.

On May 13, 2004, the State Security Police from Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, and police form the Haigang District Station broke into Ms. Li Guanghong's home, abducted her, took away all her Dafa Books and also confiscated her son's computer. She is detained at the Qinhuangdao City, No.2 Detention Center.

All Falun Dafa practitioners who were sent to Gaoyang Labor Camp in Hebei Province are pressured to write a "Repentance Statement" (3) and curse Falun Dafa. Practitioners who fail to cooperate will be brutally beaten, shocked with electric batons or handcuffed for extended periods of time. Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Wu Shouzhi declared her ""Repentance Statement" null and void in November, 2003. Subsequently, she was dragged to the field and beaten until she suffered a mental collapse. Due to the torture, she has become dangerously emaciated. Another Falun Dafa practitioner from Zhangjiakou City also experienced the same abuse.

Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Lu Liangna from Fuxin City, Liaoning Province is 32 years old. She was abducted by the City Police and interrogated on May 24, 2003. Police slapped her, kicked her legs and pummeled her chest violently. One policeman beat her leg with a wooden board, and did not stop even after the board broke in two. Police took turns beating her until midnight. She almost suffered a mental collapse. Police sent her to the Xindi Detention Center on May 25, 2003, where she has been incarcerated for almost a year.

Persecution Facts in Fuyedong Township of Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province:

Based on the limited available information, it is known that:

1. Almost all practitioners' homes have been ransacked, 23 practitioners have been sent to labor camps, Ms. Mi Yanli and Ms. Wang Fengping are still detained;

2. Thirty-nine practitioners were detained and 45 practitioners were extorted money by police, up to 33,816 Yuan in total;

3. Police confiscated 250 Dafa books, more than 50 pictures, 11 sets of Teacher's audio lecture tapes, more than 30 exercise tapes and 11 CD players.

4. In the past 5 years, many families were broken apart, because many practitioners had become destitute and homeless in order to avoid being illegally arrested at home. Many practitioners also lost their jobs or were dismissed from colleges and universities.

Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Zeng Meihua from Dongkou County, Hunan Province, went to Beijing to appeal on October 4, 2000, and was arrested and detained. Three days later, she was taken back to the Dongkou County Detention Center and detained 14 days and had more than 3,000 Yuan extorted from her. Only 10 days after she was released, police abducted her again and detained her until May 24, 2001. Police came to harass her regularly beginning in 2002, thus she was forced to leave home. She was again abducted on December 14, 2002 and illegally sentenced to 18 months in a labor camp. On March 10, 2003, she was sent to the Baimalong Labor Camp in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province. She is suffering from extended handcuffing, solitary confinement, and suffers from sleep deprivation for extended periods of time.

On February 29, 2004, Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Huang Guixian, who is an editor at Qiannanzhou TV station in Guizhou Province, was abducted and beaten at the Guanghui Police Station. She was sent to the City Detention Center that same night and was again beaten by police in the detention center. They tortured her with ankle shackles, Ba-kou (4) and placed her in solitary confinement. The shackles and Ba-kou were crossed so that her body formed a bow shape and she was unable to eat, sleep or relieve herself. She went on hunger strike for 9 days and was force-fed. She was sent to the Duyun City Drug Rehabilitation Center where she is still in custody.

On the morning of May 10, 2004, Falun Dafa practitioners, Mr. Zhang Wei and Ms. Zhao Shuyun (both employees of Railroad Construction Company), Mr. Liu Dejun (employee of Tian-gang Transportation Station) and 2 other unknown practitioners were all abducted from their workplace. They were forcibly sent by train to the Fushun City, Masanjia Labor Camp. The guards forced each of them to pay 3,000 Yuan. They threatened them, saying that if they refused to write "guarantee statements" or participate in the brainwashing classes, they would be immediately sentenced to prison.

(1) Yuan: Chinese currency; the average monthly pay of an urban worker is 500 yuan.

(2) "Exhausting the Eagle": Practitioners are forced to stand on a stool over one foot tall and are deprived sleep at night. Regardless of their level of exhaustion, they are still forced to endure their daily workload, which often involves heavy labor. See Illustrations on http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/2/3/18368.html

(3) "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.

(4) Ba-kou: A torture device normally reserved for death row inmates, the middle of which is a thick iron plate. After being put on for a few minutes, the victim's arteries of both hands will be blocked and the hands will immediately swell and turn blue and purple, and the heartbeat accelerates.

(Clearwisdom.net)

Persecution Facts

On December 7, 2003, police officers in Yuanbaoshan District, Chifeng City, Neimenggu Autonomous Region arrested Dafa practitioners Wang Fei, Wang Guilan, Zhao Jiqin, Wang Guihua, Wang Yujie, Li Hongzhang and others.

In May 2004, Wang Guihua was sentenced to three years of forced labor and taken to Huhehaote; Zhao Jiqin was sentenced to three years of forced labor and was sent to Tumuji; Wang Yujie, Li Hongzhang and two other practitioners were sent to forced labor camps; Wang Fei, Wang Guilan and one other practitioner were sentenced to three years in prison.

In early May 2004, Wang Fei, Wang Guilan and one other practitioner held a hunger strike at the Pingzhuang Detention Center. In mid May, these practitioners were extremely weak and on the brink of death. When their families went to visit them, the authorities claimed they have been sent to Huhehaote.

Dafa practitioner Chen Huaqiu from Sichuan Province went to Beijing to appeal in May 2000 and was illegally detained for 15 days. She was sent back to Chengdu City and detained for another 15 days. From then on, perpetrators from the police department and from the street committee began monitoring her. They arrested Dafa practitioners on so-called sensitive days and sent them to a brainwashing class.