Clearwisdom.net, Thursday, December 20, 2007

(Clearwisdom.net) New Tang Dynasty's Holiday Wonders premiered at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway in New York on the evening of December 18, 2007. At the same time, a performance in Baltimore was also staged. The show received rave reviews from the audience.

This performance was a combination of classic Eastern and Western cultures. Its graceful Chinese classical dances, pure and magnificent music, resounding singing and splendid animated stage backgrounds interpreted the divinely-inspired culture of pure truthfulness, compassion and beauty. The boundless and compassionate energy that radiated from the performance touched the audience members deeply.

Performers wave to the audience at the end of the first Holiday Wonders show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on December 18

Four members of the Paul Levy family attended the show together. Paul said that the audience's enthusiasm overcame the cold temperatures in New York this year. They felt the warmth as soon as they arrived.

Five members of the Sam Hamsen family, a businessman from New Jersey, joyously watched the show

In the dance "The Power of Awareness," Chinese police publicly assault a mother and child who practice Falun Gong. But onlookers, having just learned about the practice from the couple, feel compelled to step in. Empowered by their newfound awareness, they step in to stop the abuse in a remarkable show of humanity.

Broadway actor Thomas Keating said that the hosts of the show were very special. They introduced each performance in a humorous manner, so that the audience could have a pause between performances. He said that this made the entire show unique.

Mr. Keating said that the piece "The Power of Awareness" impressed him the most. He felt that the performers' presentation was very convincing. It was the first time that he heard about the persecution of Falun Gong, and he said he was moved to tears. As an actor, he noticed the dancers' expression and control.

Shi Xiaoling, a university student majoring in design at Utah State University, said that the show was beautiful. What moved her the most was the dance, "The Power of Awareness." She said it was very touching. Upon seeing a performance in which people are awakened and stand up to stop the persecution, she was brought to tears. She felt that it was most moving to see people step forward to support what is right and refuse the evil.

Ms. Bi Shuying, originally from Northeast China and now a restaurant owner in New York, saw the Divine Performing Arts show for the first time. She said she was moved by the dance, "The Power of Awareness." She knew that Falun Gong has been subjected to brutal persecution in China, and she believes that it's good that Falun Gong teaches people to follow the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Ms. Bi said the show was wonderful and that she would come to see it again.Chinese classical dance showcases inner connotations of different nationalities

Chinese dance has gone through many dynasties, and over time it has developed its unique charm and techniques. The Xinjiang, Korean, and Mongolian dances in the show are a collection of the essence of dance of different ethnicities within China. Xinjiang is an interchange of the four ancient civilizations of Greece, Persia, India and China. The history of the civilization of the Western regions in the Tang Dynasty endowed Xinjiang dance with enthusiasm, grace and passion. The beautiful costumes, against the splendid scenery of Tianshan Mountain, offered the audience members a refreshing experience.

The Hester String Quartet's performance was harmonious and smooth, light and agile. The notes were like walking on stairs to deliver sincere and warm wishes for the holiday season. The world-renowned Empire Brass quintet brought messages of joyous celebration for this most festive season of the Western world.

Fourteen government officials, including New York Congressmen and Congresswomen, New York State Senators and Congressmen, and New York City Councilors, sent proclamations and congratulatory letters to NTDTV and Divine Performing Arts on the occasion of the Holiday Wonders show.

They wished a resounding success for Divine Performing Arts' Holiday Wonders show and applauded the arrival of the performances and their exquisite presentation. Many expressed their respect for the artists' dedication to sharing, preserving, and promoting traditional Chinese culture for the benefit of all.

New York's Holiday Wonders will run from Tuesday, December 18 through Wednesday, December 26 at the Beacon Theatre for ten consecutive shows. After that, Divine Performing Arts of New York, and the Divine Performing Arts Touring Company will travel to over 60 cities around the world in response to enthusiastic demand. According to the information released by Divine Performing Arts, the audience is estimated to be over 650,000.

The Holiday Wonders shows are held at the Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway, between 74th and 75th streets. Tickets range from $48 to $200.

NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular will be presented on January 30 and run through February 9, 2008 at Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Avenue, New York, NY. Tickets begin at $58.

Ticket hotline: (212) 695-7469. For more information, please visit holidaywonders.net and chinesesplendor.com.

(Clearwisdom.net) NEW YORK--The audience sighed in awe as the rising curtain revealed a breathtaking scene, a veritable heavenly vision, in New York Tuesday evening at the premiere of Holiday Wonders at the Beacon Theatre. The acclaimed show is creating a fresh holiday tradition, blending traditional Chinese culture with Western classics in a way that audiences are saying is unique, beautiful, and exquisite.

The opening night marked the beginning of a world tour of the show's main performers, the Divine Performing Arts. Through Spring of next year, the company will travel to more than 50 cities worldwide, bringing classical Chinese dance and their fusion of Chinese folk music and Western classical music to audiences far and wide.

"The whole thing was absolutely magical--those gorgeous costumes, the exquisiteness of the dancing," raved Christine Walevska, a master cellist who has performed around the world. "Everyone on stage is a talent. They do such fabulous things. The dancers fly through the air, which is so immensely difficult to do, but they make it look so easy."

Performers line up at the end of the first Holiday Wonders show at Beacon Theatre in New York City. (The Epoch Times)

"I really liked it. I really loved the Swan Lake performance," said Christine Beal, a Manhattan resident and amateur ballet dancer of 14 years. "I was in a hurried mood from work and my friend had a stomachache before the show. By the end we felt peaceful and good."

While the Western acts were no doubt familiar and touching for American audience members, the Chinese portion of the show created a cultural experience that some Chinese critics have said you won't see anywhere else, even in mainland China--where much of China's ancient culture was decimated during the Cultural Revolution during the 1960s and 70s. From the folk dances of Mongolia and Korea, to the royal court dances of ancient dynasties, and the myths and legends of China's divinely inspired culture, Holiday Wonders is introducing these artistic jewels to both Westerners and Easterners alike.

"A beautiful example of a beautiful culture," said Terry Sprouse, who came from Washington, DC to see the show. "[The performances] complement and blend together to give you a picture of the dynasties [of China], like the Tang Dynasty."

Pat McCann, also traveling from Washington, DC, said she liked the dance rendition of the classic Chinese legend of a woman who travels to the moon and the man who saves the world from nine suns.

"I'm very illiterate with this culture, I have a new appreciation now," said Ms. McCann.

As the audience members watched the Holiday Wonders at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, residents of Baltimore applauded a simultaneous show opening in their city. For the first time, the Divine Performing Arts has launched two performance groups, complete with two sets of dancers, singers, and Chinese- and English-speaking hosts. While the first group spends this week at the Beacon accompanied by a live orchestra and Western ballet pieces, the second group will be touring up and down the East Coast, visiting Charlotte, North Carolina, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, among other cities.

In the new year, with their Chinese New Year show, the two groups will continue on their separate paths, with one covering the West Coast and Asia, while the other heads off to Europe.

For five consecutive years, the company's shows, Holiday Wonders and the Chinese New Year Spectacular, have steadily gained momentum, growing from a handful of shows, to this year playing around 150 shows in more than 50 cities across the world, from Toronto, Paris, and Sydney, to Taipei, Tokyo, and Seoul, and many more.

"It's very different from all the Broadway shows I have ever seen. The costumes, the colors were absolutely beautiful," said Nayyar Mallick of Westchester, N.Y.

"It's very good. It's refreshing. It's different," said Michael Tsang, from Boston. "I've seen the show before and every year it gets better, artistically there is something unique about it."

"I loved it loved it loved it, I could have watched it for hours," said Felice of Manhattan's Upper West Side, where the Beacon Theatre is located.

"It was a wonderful show, I really enjoyed it, I could see it again," said Sandeep Bedi of Manhattan.

Holiday Wonders performers greet the audience at the end of the show. (The Epoch Times)

- 'Holiday Wonders' Makes Successful Carolina Debut Despite Chinese Embassy's Objection Thursday, December 20, 2007

- Divine Performing Arts Arrives in Charlotte to Media Buzz Wednesday, December 19, 2007

- Chinese Consulate Pressures New York Assemblyman Over Show Thursday, December 20, 2007

Holiday Wonders is in full swing at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Tuesday evening's inaugural performance thrilled guests and set the tone for its nine-day run. Wednesday evening's performance set even more toes tapping. Families, couples, and people from all over were buzzing with excitement as they left the theater. From all accounts, the drums owned the crowd. Again and again, people said the drums were awe-inspiring.

Simone Bassous, Executive Director of the Pacific Asia Travel Association-NY Chapter, thought the show was a perfect introduction to Asian travel. "Instead of going to China, they could watch the show," she said.

With all the shows going on in New York, we asked Ed and Isabel from Monroe, NY why they chose Holiday Wonders. Ed said, "We saw several holiday shows. We liked the quality of this show. It's a great show."

Rita Mihalek and Katie Terricciano are office friends on an evening out. They enjoyed the blending of Eastern and Western cultures and the show's variety. They especially liked the Mongolian Cup Dance and the erhu (a two-stringed Chinese instrument) soloist.

Henny Sandari from Jakarta, Indonesia had seen Divine Performing Arts two times prior to tonight.

"If we weren't leaving tomorrow, we would see it again." -- Loretta Kuccia from Texas

"I couldn't help shedding tears," Sandari said. "I've cried every time I've seen them perform. As an overseas Chinese living in Indonesia, I have no chance to get in touch with Chinese culture. It's a very touching experience to reconnect to my heritage. There are 20 million ethnic Chinese living in Indonesia, and I look forward to Divine Performing Arts coming to Jakarta in the spring!"

According to ancient Chinese texts, traditional Chinese vocal music stresses "conveying spirit," so that "the sound can be heard three days after the singer is finished." Renowned tenor Guan Guimin's voice, singing "Chakravartin," resounded throughout the theater and received enthusiastic applause.

Maryanne Klejmont, a supermarket manager from Mendham, NJ, brought her husband and two young children. She said, "I think it's important to expose them to different cultures." In response to the show, she shared, "The colors, the movement. It's beautiful."

Tara, from Westchester County, NY, loved the drums. "They gave you spirit," she said.

Two ladies from southwest Texas, Loretta Kuccia and Kathleen Fuller, enthusiastically endorsed the show. "The dancers were so graceful, so different from what we usually see. The backdrops, the costumes. It was a very good experience. If we weren't leaving tomorrow, we would see it again."

We asked the Karen Dwyer family what the children liked most. Mrs. Dwyer's daughter, who is from China, liked the watersleeves dance and her son loved the drums.

Andrea, a CPA from Jersey City found the show to be "surprising, unusual, and unexpected." She said, "I enjoyed that Swan Lake and Asian ballet are performed in the same show. It has both Eastern and Western sides." She went on to say "The Orchestra is so powerful and resonating and generates very strong energy. They sent chills down my spine. I could have gone to the usual Radio City [Christmas] show, but I wanted to do something outside the box."

Fred, an actor from Queens described his experience in a few words. "Glorious. Beautiful. I appreciate the spiritual element tied into the show, giving respect and praise to the higher power and lord."

Holiday Wonders presents China's traditional art forms in a modern setting. The performance integrates classical music, traditional dance, artistically animated backdrops, and intricate stage design to convey the essence of Chinese culture.

Around the world, the shows are eagerly anticipated. Clearwisdom.net reported that Divine Performing Arts shows in Taiwan sold 10,000 tickets the first day on sale. Show organizer, Chang Ruilan, general secretary of New Tang Dynasty International Culture Association, said the shows in Taipei sold out in three hours. There will be 20 shows in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei and more than 50,000 people will watch their performances.

The show will continue in New York through December 26.

The Divine Performing Arts will hold holiday shows in 60 cities around the world this year with an estimated audience of 650,000.

Additional reporting by Cary Dunst

(Clearwisdom.net) The New Tang Dynasty TV's Holiday Wonders and the Chinese New Year Spectacular, performed by Divine Performing Arts, will be staged in more than sixty cities around the world this season. The global tour begins at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 18, 2007.

(Clearwisdom.net) New Tang Dynasty TV's Holiday Wonders and the Chinese New Year Spectacular, performed by Divine Performing Arts, will be staged in more than sixty cities around the world this season. The global tour begins at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 18, 2007.

Whereas, it is important to honor those institutions that, on a regular basis, remind us of the diversity of this country; and

Whereas, in expatriate Chinese communities worldwide, New Tang Dynasty Television has earned a reputation for excellence in entertainment, news and public affairs programming; and

Whereas, New Tang Dynasty Television has been broadcasting in North America for nearly six years, and has been sending its programs to Asia, Europe and Australia for nearly five years; and

Whereas, more than 300,000 household receive New Tang Dynasty Television in New York City, and the station is also in the Chinese communities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago; and

Whereas, New Tang Dynasty Television is hosting its annual presentation of its Holiday Wonders show at the Beacon Theatre from December 18-26, 2007; and

Whereas, Holiday Wonders brings hundreds of dancers, vocalists, musicians and a live orchestra, all making for an unforgettable event; and

Whereas, it is hoped that New Tang Dynasty Television will continue its outstanding programs and events for years to come; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that I, State Senator Eric Adams, congratulate New Tang Dynasty Television on its continued service to Chinese communities in New York, the United States and around the world; and be it further

Resolved, that a copy of this proclamation be transmitted to the staff of New Tang Dynasty Television.

I send heartiest greetings on the celebration of the Chinese New Year Spectacular on January 23-26, 2008 in San Francisco. I am confident the celebration of Chinese traditions and culture will be exhibited in a memorable display of dance and music.

The Chinese New Year Spectacular is described as "the largest and most breathtaking celebration of the Chinese New Year in the world." I join the residents of the Bay Area and beyond in expressing appreciation for the cultural enrichment and extraordinary entertainment that is being presented at the 2008 Chinese New Year Spectacular.

It is my esteemed pleasure to extend greetings and recognition, on behalf of the North Carolina House of Representatives as your New York-based Divine Performing Arts troupe opens its Holiday Wonders performances December 23, 2007 in Greensboro, NC.

We are thrilled to be among the 50 major cities worldwide that Holiday Wonders has selected for its upcoming global tour. With an expected audience of over 500,000, plus an additional 200 million via satellite TV, cable TV, and the internet, your organization has truly commanded the recognition and acclaim befitting arts performers of this caliber.

It is our hope to continue to attract quality arts performances of all cultures, to encourage cultural diversity across the state of North Carolina.

We celebrate you and the invaluable contributions you have made to ensure a solid foundation for a multicultural society. We salute you on this occasion, and extend our sincerest accolades!

Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.
NC House -58th District
Chair, N.C. Legislative Black Caucus

(Clearwisdom.net) It has just been learned that Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Xiong Zhengming from Wanyuan City, Sichuan Province died while in police custody, and his body was hastily cremated by the local police.

Wanyuan City Domestic Security Division Chair Ye Xudong (male) and others gave inconsistent accounts of the cause of Mr. Xiong's death. It was first said that Mr. Xiong committed suicide while being transferred to the Xinhua Forced Labor Camp, but soon after issuing that statement, it was said he died in a traffic accident. The real cause of Mr. Xiong's death is suspicious. Why did the agents cremate his body so quickly? What are they trying to hide?

Mr. Xiong Zhengming, 39, was a computer science teacher at the Wanyuan City Vocational School. He was an excellent teacher, very well received by students and parents alike, because he worked very hard, lived a noble life, and often helped students from low income families.

On March 15, 2007, Wanyuan City 610 Office agent Zhao Chenghua (male), and Domestic Security agents Ye Xudong and Wang Qiang (male) stormed into the school. They forcibly took Mr. Xiong to the Wanyuan City First Detention Center, using the excuse that agents had detected that Mr. Xiong visited overseas websites. After being detained for more than eight months, the police sentenced Xiong Zhengming to one year of forced labor. Since he had already been detained for over eight months, in only 4-5 months his term should have ended. To get around this, the local police detained Mr. Xiong in the Wanyuan City Second Detention Center instead taking him to a labor camp.

On December 3, 2007, Ye Xudong and three other agents went to the Wanyuan City Second Detention Center with the intent of transferring Mr. Xiong to a forced labor camp out of town. Mr. Xiong repeatedly refused to go. At around 9:00 a.m. on December 4, 2007, Xiong Zhengming was forcibly taken by Wanyuan City Police Department Deputy Director Xu Ziyi (male) and four Domestic Security agents.

On December 5, 2007, Ye Xudong suddenly notified Mr. Xiong' parents (both in their eighties) that Mr. Xiong had committed suicide while en route to the Sichuan Province Xinhua Forced Labor Camp, by jumping out of the vehicle. He wanted Mr. Xiong's father to sign a paper authorizing his body to be cremated. Mr. Xiong's father refused and requested an investigation into Mr. Xiong's cause of death. Mr. Xiong had practiced martial arts since he was young, he was very strong, and his health had become even better after he started cultivating Falun Dafa. His father reasoned, why would he suddenly choose to die? Ye Xudong immediately changed his story and said that Mr. Xiong died in a traffic accident. He then threatened the old man, saying he would make his other two sons lose their jobs if he refused to sign the paper immediately, or if he leaked information to the public. Xiong Zhengming's father signed the paper against his will, and the body was quickly and secretly cremated.

Wanyuan City is a county-level city under Dazhou City. In March 2002, Mr. Zhang Guangqing from Wanyuan City became the first Falun Dafa practitioner tortured to death during detention. Mr. Xiong Zhengming was the second practitioner to die in custody. The main perpetrators are Ye Xudong and Wang Qiang.

Wanyuan City Chinese Communist Party Secretary Chen Zhonghua (male): 86-13982861313 (Cell)
Wanyuan City 610 Office: 86-818-8629839
Domestic Security Division of Wanyuan City Police Department: 86-818-8610125
Wanyuan City Domestic Security Division Chair Ye Xudong (male): 86-13198310331 (Cell), 86-818-8627381 (Home)
Police officers - Wang Qiang: 86-818-8610125, Hou Congcheng (male): 86-818-8629839
Wanyuan City Police Department Deputy Director Xu Ziyi (male): 86-13508246150 (Cell), 86-818-8627326 (Home)
Wanyuan City "Anti-[slanderous term omitted]" Office Vice Chair Zhao Chenghua (male), also in charge of appeals office: 86-818-8610717, 86-13882821733 (Cell), fax:86-818-8622517

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Fan Juncao, 65, is a resident of Guyu Village, Jiaocun Township, Xinning Town, Ning County, Gansu Province. Because she persistently practices Falun Gong and follows the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," clarifies the truth, and exposes the persecution, she has been illegally sentenced to forced labor twice in 2000 and 2005 by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. The second term was to end on May 11, 2007, but the labor camp extended it four months using her practicing exercises in the jail as an excuse. On September 11, Fan Juncao's family was planning to pick her up, but the labor camp officials used her shouting slogans as an excuse to extend her term by 40 more days. Fan Juncao was released in late November.

Ms. Fan was deprived of sleep and subjected to all kinds of excruciating tortures. The following are the facts of her torture by guards in the labor camp.

On November 27, 2005, Fan Juncao was sent to Gansu Women's Forced Labor Camp located in Heping Town, Yuzhong County. That night she was beaten by five guards in turn by order of the head guard name Wang. Wang didn't think the five guards beat her enough, so he used a baton and hit her on the head. She immediately lost consciousness. The guards poured cold water over her to revive her. The water froze on her clothes and she could not move her limbs. She nearly died that night.

One time she was dragged to a washroom and beaten by six inmates until she lost consciousness. They carried Ms. Fan onto a bed, and used a fan on her feet. As soon as she woke up, an inmate named Zheng Chunmei kicked her to the ground from the bed.

When Ms. Fan Juncao was sentenced to a labor camp the first time, she was illegally detained in the Second Gansu Forced Labor Camp located in Anning District of Lanzhou City. She was forced to stand for great lengths of time during her six-month term. When she was detained in Gansu Women's Forced Labor Camp the second time, she was forced to stand for more than twenty days straight. Her legs became swollen and her feet were festered and bloody. It was difficult for her to walk.

While detained in the labor camp, Ms. Fan was put into a strict control group and six drug offenders were assigned to monitor her. The group leaders, Chai Lihong and Chen Xiaohong, deprived her of sleep and made her stand until 3:00 a.m., and sometimes all night. She was beaten if she attempted to take a nap.

In June 2006, Ms. Fan Juncao was sent to a small cell (1) because she did the Falun Gong exercises while in the labor camp. She was taken to the fourth floor, where guards handcuffed her to a steel bed frame in such a way that she was suspended with the tips of her toes touching the ground. After five days of this torture, her wrists were bleeding and she was in a daze. An inmate found her like this and called the head guard Wang. They let her down just long enough for her to regain consciousness and then hung her up again.

After Fan Juncao had been hung up for six days, head guard Wang asked her to renounce Falun Gong, but Fan Juncao steadfastly refused. Wang left very angry. At dinner time that day, an inmate brought a half-bowl of noodles to feed Fan Juncao. The noodles were bitter and she immediately threw up. "What kind of poison did you put in this? Are you trying to kill me?" she asked. The inmate was embarrassed and immediately threw away the noodles. Fan Juncao wanted to remove the bitter taste in her mouth with a drink of water. The inmate brought her a cup of cool water, but just a sip of the water was even more bitter than the noodles. Her tongue became numb, and she felt a stabbing pain in her stomach. She could only exhale but not inhale. Fan Juncao cried out, "Master, please help me!" After about ten minutes, she felt better. She thought, "If Master had not made the drug taste apparent to me, I would have eaten and drank all of it, and would have died."

During her second term at the Gansu Forced Labor Camp, guards tied Ms. Fan's hands behind her back and hung her up using a pulley. Her weight was felt at the shoulders and her bones made sounds under the strain. She was hung up for seven to eight hours a day for 12 days. The guards asked if she was ready to "confess". When she said "No," they released the tension on the rope, making her fall to the ground. Then they hung her up again. After five or six times of this up and down torture, she lost consciousness.

When she was sentenced to the labor camp the first time, Ms. Fan shouted slogans, and the guards shocked her with electric batons forty times non-stop. Her arms and hands were smoking from the shocking and smelled of charred flesh. Her body was covered with injuries, which took two months to heal.

In February 2007, Ms. Fan adamantly refused to cooperate with those who tortured her. She would not do the prison exercises, do manual labor, or recite the prison rules, so she was sent to a small cell with no light, bed, or quilt. She was left in this cold room during the winter for twelve days. Her body became hard and she could not stand up, nor could she open her eyes in bright light. It took her a week to recover.

In early July 2007, Ms. Fan Juncao thought that since Dafa practitioners have committed no crimes, wearing criminal clothes is an insult to Dafa. So she refused to wear prison clothes. The guards commanded five criminals to hold her down to the ground and stepped on her with leather shoes to force her to wear the prison clothes. But Ms. Fan immediately took the prison clothes off as soon as she got up. After several attempts, the clothes were torn, so the guards stopped.

Besides having them do labor for twelve hours per day, the guards also forced Dafa practitioners to be brainwashed for two or three hours every night. Songs were played that promoted the CCP and slandered Dafa. Ms. Fan Juncao did not cooperate with them, so she was beaten by the guards. Even when she was carried there, she refused to enter the "classroom."

The guards extend the terms of any practitioners who refused to give up Falun Gong. Fan Juncao's term was illegally extended twice in the women's forced labor camp for a total of 170 days.

(1) Small cell - The detainee is locked up alone in a very small cell. The guards handcuff the practitioner's hands behind his back in a fixed position, in which the practitioner can neither move nor lie down. The small cell is very damp and no sunshine comes in. Detainees have to urinate and defecate in the cell. Only half of a regular meal is served to detainees locked up in a small cell during the daytime. During the night rats run about. The stench in the small cell is so bad that it is difficult to breathe.

(Clearwisdom.net) Several hundred female Falun Gong practitioners are locked up in the Women's Prison in Hebei Province located in Tongye Town, Luquan City. The practitioners were transferred there from around the country because they persist in their belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance.

The prison authorities are currently constructing a new building. In November 2007, practitioners from all five brigades of the Forced Labor Camp in Shijiazhuang City move into a building next to the prison, because the citizens in Shijiazhuang detested the persecution and made it harder for the persecutors to continue their crimes in that city. The camp has not informed the families of those practitioners.

The Hebei Province Women's Prison is a merger of women's wards of the Taixing Prison in Baoding, the Chengde Prison, and the Shijiazhuang Prison. It has a total of nine prison wards, each of which holds a dozen practitioners. There are over 100 practitioners from Hebei Province currently held in the prison. In March and April of 2005, guards in the Shijiazhuang Prison forced all inmates to undergo blood tests. Medical staff from outside of the prison took about 10 milliliters of everyone's blood and did about 6 or 7 tests. No one received any results from this test. It is suspected that this may be related to the CCP's live organ removal practice.

Ms. Yu Jingxia, from Shijiazhuang City, is currently imprisoned in the third prison ward of the Hebei Province Women's Prison. Due to long-term physical and mental torture, Ms. Yu's entire body is swollen and she has difficulty breathing. She is very weak and close to death. The prison officials still have four prisoners take turns monitoring her around the clock, even when she sleeps.

Ms. Yu had severe heart disease when she was arrested and needed an operation. The guards gave her intravenous injections and did nothing to help her. Ms. Yu's family was worried and tried to get her released on medical probation. Officers Sun and Gu tried to stop the efforts of Ms. Yu's family by not allowing any visits until June 2006. Officer Sun also strongly objected when Ms. Yu's family proposed her release on medical probation.

Ms. Bai Yuzhi, 45, is a former member of the Jingjing County Political Consultative Committee in Hebei Province. Ms. Bai was tried many times for persisting in Falun Gong practice. Since the persecution started in 1999, she has been continuously tortured in forced labor camps and prisons, and her health has deteriorated. Her relatives sought a medical probation but the prison officials denied it.

When Ms. Bai was imprisoned in the Hebei Women's Prison, she was being tortured and lost her eyesight. She also vomited blood, her kidneys almost failed, and her life was in danger several times. Eventually, she became paralyzed and is now bedridden. Her relatives tried again for medical probation but the prison officials denied it. On December 25, 2006, Ms. Bai's term was over and she was released.

Ms. Li Xiaoying is in her fifties and was previously a teacher in Shijiazhuang. Ms. Li refused to give up her belief in Falun Gong. Therefore, guards in the Hebei Women's Prison tortured and berated her and put her in solitary confinement for over three months. Li Hongzhen instigated Wang Junlan and Feng Zhiyun to slap Ms. Li until her eyes were purple and swollen and she bled from her mouth and nose. They also denied her of visitation and deprived her of all freedom. She was often scolded and sometimes forced to eat waste from toilets. After a while, Ms. Li suffered a mental collapse.

Ms. Peng Yun is 42 years old and from Nangong, Xingtai, Hebei. She learned Falun Dafa between 2001 and 2002 while detained for committing a crime in the Xingtai Detention Center. She turned into a good person who never violated the law. From 2003 to 2005, when she was locked up in the Hebei Women's Prison, guards Ma Mei, Li Hongzhen and Zhang Weixia put her in solitary confinement six times. It's a small room without a window. It's dark all the time with no air circulation, and is extremely hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Ms. Peng had to eat, drink, sleep, and relieve herself all in the same room.

In July and August 2003, guard Li Hongzhen ordered Yang Jianmei, Chen Xiyan, Fan Xiuqin, and Feng Caili to torture and brainwash Ms. Peng. Yang poured a cup of boiling water on her face and berated her. Chen pulled her hair and slapped her face. Feng beat and kicked Ms. Peng from the back, and Fan tried to talk Ms. Peng into giving up Falun Gong.

In October 2003 and January 2004, guards Ma Mei, Li Hongzhen, and prisoner Yao Yaixiang put Peng into solitary confinement for 100 days. The weather was freezing and there was no heat in that room. She developed many areas of frostbite and was very weak after a month of hunger strike. Ma and Li shocked her neck and face with electric batons, causing Ms. Peng to be unable to speak for several months.

From May 19 to August 25, 2004, guards Zhang Weixia and Yang Zhenhua body-searched Ms. Peng and locked her in confinement for 100 days. Prisoners Guo Yuping and Feng Zhiyun dragged Ms. Peng along the ground until her shirt came off, and she was topless with her chest facing up. Her back bled quite a lot due to abrasions from being dragged and her blood stained the ground. The weather was hot and Ms. Peng went on a hunger strike for three weeks while in confinement. Regardless of Ms. Peng's weakened condition, the guards handcuffed her to an iron gate making it impossible for her to stand or sit. Ms. Peng passed out and lost control of her bowels.

From May 29 to June 20, 2005, guards Li Hongzhen and Zhang Weixia locked up Ms. Peng in confinement for 22 days. Ms. Peng was released after 14 days of being on a hunger strike.

From October 3 to 20, 2005, prisoner Ma Hongyan reported Ms. Peng for reading Falun Gong books. Guards Zhang Weixia and Zheng Weihui put Ms. Peng in confinement at 2:00 a.m. on October 3, 2005. Ms. Peng was released after 17 days being on a hunger strike.

From March to April 2006, prisoner Ma Hongyan reported Ms. Peng again and thus she was locked up again. She was released after a 3-week hunger strike.

In the Hebei Women's Prison, practitioner Liu Jinying was force-fed with feces and urine. Dr. Liu Xiaorong was shocked with electric batons. An Jinting and Chen Yanyu were force-fed many times until their mouths and noses bled.

The guards in the Hebei Women's Prison not only torture practitioners themselves, they also often instigate prisoners to torture them.

Guard Xu Lan, in her thirties, worked at the No. 4 prison ward and was in charge of torturing practitioners. When Xu was in the Shijiazhuang Prison, she often searched female practitioners and had them stripped naked. She later stopped because practitioners Yi Yuhui, Hu Rui, Yang Shuzhen, Bai Yuzhi, Zhao Zhen, and Chen Shufen protested. Xu now works in the Hubei Women's Prison, No. 4 prison ward. She is directly responsible for the maltreatment of practitioners Peng Yun, Zhang Zhe, and An Jinting. Zu also instigated prisoner Zuo Zhiyan to monitor practitioners and torture them.

Prisoners in that prison who helped torture practitioners have received karmic retribution. Prisoner Yao Aixiang, female, in her forties, served her sentence in the Shijiazhuang prison before 2004. Yao had previously been a reporter for the Hebei Daily. She was sentenced to 16 years due to fraud. In prison, she helped torture practitioners. On June 7, 2003, Yao monitored and framed practitioner An Jinting and caused Ms. An to be tortured. In July 2003, Yao suffered from diabetes and had a malignant tumor the size of a baseball that secreted pus. On October 25, 2004, Yao reported practitioner Peng Yun, thus Ms. Peng was locked up in confinement for three months. The same day that Yao had reported Ms. Peng, Yao fell and hit her head on a nail poking out of a piece of wood. She bled a lot and the nail and the piece of wood was stuck in her head until she was taken to the nurse's office. Her head was swollen. In January 2004, Yao persecuted practitioner Shen Shexiang. Yao's malignant tumor worsened and spread to her liver and kidneys, and fluid started to accumulate in her abdominal cavity. In March 2004, Yao had complications and was hospitalized. In April, Yao was released on medical probation and passed away in May.

(Clearwisdom.net) On the afternoon of November 2007, Li Ming and Liu Deren, government officials of Yuanliuli Village, guided officials from the 610 Office of Fangzi District in Weifang City and policemen from the Mucun Town Police Station to break into practitioner Yuan Penghong's home. They illegally arrested Mr. Yuan's eldest son Yuan Xunge and daughter-in-law Feng Shuping. The policemen smashed Mr. Yuan's satellite TV receiver and took away his TV, DVD player, and an unknown amount of cash, along with other property belonging to Mr. Yuan. Yuan Xunge is detained in the Weifang Detention Center.

Since July 20, 1999, when the persecution of Falun Gong began, Yuan Penghong and his family have been under persecution. His second son Yuan Kun and wife had been homeless since May 2001. His wife and eldest son have been arrested and detained.

(Clearwisdom.net) Today's News from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 24 cities or counties in 12 provinces. In this report, 38 practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention and at least 34 practitioners were illegally arrested.

Ms. Li Guangzhi, 68, is a retired teacher from the Fushan District, Yantai City. At around 11:00 a.m. on November 19, 2007, while she was clarifying the truth about Falun Gong at Fuhai Street, the Fushan National Security Team and staff from the local 610 Office arrested her and took her to a brainwashing center. Her family's requests for visitation were denied.

Song Baoguo, police chief of the Fushan District Police Department: 86-535-6362788, 86-136-06459999

On November 29, 2007, Ms. Lv Qilan, in her sixties, was arrested after her Internet activities were monitored. Her home was ransacked and some truth-clarifying materials were confiscated.

On October 7, 2007, Ms. Huang Hezhen, 53, who was also arrested earlier, was sentenced to one year and six months of forced labor. She was taken to the Shabao Women's Forced Labor Camp in Chongqing City.

Ms. Wang Yaoyu and Mr. Xiang Yang from Jin City were distributing Falun Gong materials in Li County when they were reported to local authorities. Police from the local police station arrested and took them to the Li County Detention Center. They may face an illegal trial and sentencing.

Ye Zhenglin, person in charge of the case in Li County Procuratorate: 86-137-07427816

Mr. Zhao Longzhi was arrested and detained in Qushui County, Tibet. His wife Ms. Luo Na and a fellow practitioner Ms. Zhao Hong were detained in Lasa City, Tibet. They were sentenced in 2006.

On October 8-15, 2007, the local National Security Team ransacked the homes of about forty practitioners in Huili County. Seven practitioners were detained in the local detention center. Among these seven practitioners all but Mr. Gao Guangchong were released.

In early November 2007, Mr. Feng, an employee of the Changshan Power Plant was arrested by the Songyuan City Police and staff from the local 610 Office.

On October 24, 2007, the local police of Malipo County, Yunnan Province arrested six practitioners, including Mr. Lei Zuoxin (around 60 years old), Ms. Hu Huize (in her sixties), Ms. Hu Daoxian (in her sixties), Ms. Liu Peifang (in her sixties), Ms. Zhou Chaohui (in her sixties), and Ms. Zhao Huaying (in her forties). They are detained in the Malipo County Detention Center and Maguan Detention Center. Many Falun Gong books, materials, computers, and cell phones were confiscated.

Ms. Lu Shuwen, 58, was arrested and detained in the Tangshan First Detention Center. Police from the Xingyuandao Police Station arrested her for firmly believing in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance." She was sentenced to forced labor and is detained in the Tangshan City's Kaiping Forced Labor Camp.

In the Kaiping Forced Labor Camp, practitioners are tortured with electric shocks, sleep deprivation, having their mouths taped shut, kicking, beating, face slapping, being locked in solitary cells, forced brainwashing, and coercive measures, all attempts to make them give up their belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance."

At 7:00 p.m. on June 22, 2007, Ms. Lu Zhenrong, 70, and Mr. Su Wenjin, 76, husband and wife, were distributing CD's of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, and materials about quitting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the Agriculture University in Zhengzhou City. Someone reported them to local authorities. They were arrested and detained for 14 hours at the Wenhua Street Police Station. On June 23 their home was ransacked and the authorities confiscated four copies of the Falun Gong lecture videos from Dalian City and Guangzhou City, and 12 copies of "Minghui Weekly."

On June 23, they were detained at the Xiliuhuwanqing Senior Housing and forced to undergo brainwashing. The practitioners' solitary confinement cells were dark and stuffy, and their health deteriorated rapidly. Lu Zhenrong's blood pressure increased to 210 during his 30-day detention. Su Wenjin was detained for 51 days. Lu Zhenrong was fined 3,200 yuan and Su Wenjin 3,600 yuan. After being released, Lu Zhenrong suffered a cerebral blood vessel embolism and needed to undergo hospitalization, which cost another 4,000 yuan. She is still in the hospital.

Ms. Wei Shaomin, 66, was arrested on the morning of November 28. Her whereabouts are unknown.

In November 2007, the local police arrested Ms. Wen Linran when she was clarifying the truth about Falun Gong in Yangchunyuan, Shenyang City. She was sentenced to one year and six months of forced labor and taken to Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp.

On October 29, 2007, Ms. Na Zibo, Ms. Sun Shaorong, and Ms. Guan were reported to the local authorities while they clarified the truth about Falun Gong. They were arrested, detained in the Wuchang City Prison of Heilongjiang Province, and then transferred to the Wuchang City Procuratorate.

On November 23, 2007, Mr. Liu Jin from the Fengxian District of Shanghai was arrested. In June 2000, she and her husband Mr. Zhang Zhanjie were sentenced to 4 and 4.5 years respectively, to be served at a forced labor camp.

On November 30, 2007, Ms. Lian Fengzhen, Mr. Fan Guotian, and Ms. Tian Yanhong from Mancheng County, Baoding City went to Kangzhuang in Yi County of Baoding City to clarify the truth about Falun Gong. They were reported to the local authorities and were arrested by the Dule Township Police that same morning. They were detained in the Dule Township Government Building in Yi County and then transferred to the Yi County Police Department, where they are currently being held.

On the evening of November 30, 2007, five practitioners from Pujigai County of Zhangqiu City were arrested and taken to the Mingshui Detention Center.

In July 2007, practitioners from Linzi District of Zibo City were arrested, including Ms. Shang Guiqin, her two daughters Ms. Yang Yang and Ms. Yang Tong, and Ms. Zhang Ming. They are detained in the Zhangdian District Detention Center of Zibo City. Their families have been denied visitation.

On the afternoon of November 27, 2007, several practitioners were at Mr. Wang Honggang's home sharing cultivation experiences when the local police arrested them.

In November 2007, Ms. Dong Xu was sentenced to a two-year prison term. She is detained and being tortured at the Wangcun Second Women's Forced Labor Camp in Zibo City. Her paralyzed mother is bedridden and has no one to care for her. Her daughter is still a sophomore in high school.

Ms. Cheng Xiaomei from Jiyuan City was arrested by staff from the 610 Office on November 28, 2007.

At noon on November 23, 2007, when Mr. Feng Xinxiang from Fufeng County of Baoji City was clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, he was reported to local authorities. Police from the local National Security Bureau arrested him at his business, and his store was ransacked. He is currently detained in the Fufeng County Detention Center, and his family has been denied visitation.

In mid-November 2007, Ms. Tang Yuhua was distributing Falun Gong materials near the Apang Place when Yuhuazhai police arrested her. Her whereabouts are unknown.

On the afternoon of September 23, 2007, Mr. Yu Shaoping, Ms. Wang Xiaosong and her husband, employed at Beijie Street Elementary School in Dayi County, were arrested at their home. They were detained in the Dayi County Detention Center.

Between October 13 and 22, Ms. Yang Guanglian, Ms. Liu, Ms. Chen Sufen, and Ms. Li Hongyan were arrested.

At around 4:00 p.m. on November 27, 2007, Ms. Yu Qiaoliang from Miaotou of Hanchuan City, Hubei Province was followed and arrested by police from Hanchuan City National Security Bureau. She is currently detained in the Hanchuan City No. 1 Detention Center.

Li Jixiang, captain of the National Security Team: 86-712-8288599, 86-13339835288
Zhang Lixin, police chief of the Fenshui Police Station: 86-712-8389602, 86-13807292376
Yu Bo, chief of the No.1 Detention Center: 86-712-8288816, 86-13807292776

On September 14, 2006, while Ms. Liu Yan was clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, she was reported to the local police by a taxi driver. The police arrested her and ransacked her home. Ms. Liu Yan was sentenced to two years of forced labor.

Shu Yunchao, from Jianshui County Police Department: 86-13887353395
Lan Lifu, head of the Jianshui County 610 Office: 86-873-7668610, 86-873-7662168
Tian Jintang, head of the Honghe County 610 Office: 0873-3733616, 0873-3733617

On the afternoon of November 20, 2007, more than ten policemen from the Chengdu City National Security Team and the Xindu Police Station broke into Mr. Yu Dafang's home in the Xindu Guihu Hotel. They ransacked his home and arrested Mr. Jiang Yunhong, Mr. Zhang Weihua, and Ms. Gu Shenju.

Mr. Chen Jianeng, 11 years
Mr. Lu Meng, 10 years
Mr. Wu Xudong, 9 years
Ms. Huang Shuhua, 5 years
Ms. Wu Shuhua, 3 years and 6 months
Ms. Yao Guorong, 3 years and 6 months
Ms. Lv Shuhua, 3 years and 6 months
Ms. Ao Xiurong, 3 years and 6 months
Ms. Zhou Yinzhi, 3 years
Ms. Lu Rong, 3 years
Mr. Wan Yongguo, 3 years with 4 years probation
Ms. Jiang Yan, 2 years with 3 years probation

Ms. Meng Lijun was sentenced to a 10-year prison term and detained in the Sixth Ward of the Jinan City Women's Prison in Shandong Province. The prison staff forcibly administered unknown drugs, which resulted in memory loss. Ms. Meng can no longer remember what she said just a minute prior, and she is extremely weak. During a recent visit, her family noticed that her face was swollen from the brutal beatings.

(Clearwisdom.net) At the welcome point on the main street, Banjo and the Boys of Nimmitabel played a few numbers as the torch approached. The State Coordinator of the Relay, Andrew Toirkens, provided background on what the torch campaign is all about.

A former local of Bombala, Andrew explained that the Human Rights Torch Relay is an international campaign that seeks to put human rights on the Beijing Olympic agenda. He explained that the global relay calls for an end to all human rights violations supported by the Chinese regime, including the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, amongst many other minority groups.

The music then continued as local Catholic Priest Mick MacAndrew proudly carried the Global Human Rights Torch up the main street of Bombala, accompanied by Australian Ambassador for the relay, and former Olympian, Jan Becker.

As they arrived Father Mick presented the torch to Council Mayor Bob Stewart, who gratefully accepted it, and thanked Andrew and his team for bringing the torch to Bombala. Mayor Stewart expressed just how hard it is for the people of our free area to comprehend the ongoing violations of human rights in China, but that he was pleased that the community had this opportunity to show its concern and add its support to the cause.

Mayor Stewart wished the Torch Relay all the very best in its endeavor to raise awareness and force action on the issue. Andrew expressed his high opinion of Bombala, and spoke of how the community's participation could make a difference.

Ms. Becker spoke next, outlining her travels with the torch relay and its role as a symbol of the world trying to help the Chinese people regain their human rights. She spoke of the horrendous persecution taking place against a number of groups in China, and why it is so important that the International Olympic Committee force the government to live up to its 2001 promise to stop it.

Following a moving song written and performed by Gary Hastie titled "Torch of Human Rights," Father Mick MacAndrew made his address, speaking of the Olympic spirit and the value of human life: "This small campaign to challenge the evils of the Communist Chinese Government is not directed at the athletes, or any country that will participate in next year's games. It is aimed at informing us all as to the challenges that go with the Olympic Games, that there is always going to be, in every generation of human life, the challenge of battling anything that devalues life and individual dignity. It is up to us to always reject anything that would not respect and value human life, that goes against the ideals of the Olympic Games."

Mayor Stewart then passed the Global Human Rights Torch over to the next runner, who would be taking it on to Batlow, Newcastle, and Terrigal, before it moves on to New Zealand and Africa.
With Banjo and the Boys getting the crowd into a sing-a-long of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Glory, Glory Hallelujah), Andrew then gave his thanks to the various sectors of the community that had offered the Human Rights Torch Relay support, and the torch continued on its global journey.

http://bombala.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/global-human-rights- torch-relay-welcomed-to-town/1148145.html

(Clearwisdom.net) In 2010, the world will get together in Vancouver-Whistler for the Olympic Winter Games. We will welcome them to an open society that appreciates different cultures and grants its citizens the freedoms that are so important to living with dignity. Not so next year, at the Beijing Olympics.

China has been, and still is today, a society that denies these rights and freedoms to its citizens. You may have heard about their killing prisoners to sell the organs to Western customers. Or their disregard of local residents in their rapid expansion of construction, industry, and power generation projects.
Or the child workers employed to make souvenirs for the upcoming Olympics. We also know what happened in 1989 at Tiananmen Square, where the army brutally suppressed a worker and student protest, leaving several hundred dead. And we would all like to believe that these things are past, and that China is now becoming more open and a more responsible citizen of the world. But this is far from being the case.

Since the announcement that Beijing would get the Olympics, we are seeing a drastic, but underreported, crackdown on religious minorities. This time it's not only Falun Gong members, but also Christian churches that are being raided by the Chinese military police. Here are some examples from this year alone:

--Twenty-two evangelical leaders were arrested in June. Authorities of the eastern Shandong Province condemned two leaders of evangelical house churches to a year of "re-education through labor." Others were detained for several days without charge, or were also likely to be condemned to work in a labor camp.

--In July, 15 house church leaders were detained by military police within one week in Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces. A Vacation Bible School for 150 children was attacked, and two teachers were beaten and hospitalized. Police did not provide any legal documents for the arrests, blaming one pastor of being involved in "illegal religious activities."

--This December, 270 Chinese pastors were arrested during a Bible study gathering. About 45 police officers from 12 different towns were involved in the massive detention.

Last year alone, according to China Aid Association, the Chinese government arrested 1,958 pastors and members of unregistered Protestant churches. A similar number was reported for 2005. This absolute disregard for what we hold dear in Canada--religious freedom, freedom of expression, freedom to assemble--shows that the Western strategy of "opening up" China with increased trade and the Olympic Games is not working. Canada has a long history of standing up for what's right. Our own government website states: "Canada has been a consistently strong voice for the protection of human rights and the advancement of democratic values, from our central role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1947-8 to our work at the United Nations today." It also states: "Responses to specific situations depend upon a number of considerations, including a government's relative commitment to human rights and the effectiveness of the means of influence at our disposal." When could there be a more effective moment to act than when we host the Winter Olympics just two years after Beijing?

A 2006/2007 scorecard report by UN Watch praised Canada for its stance on human rights, but went on to say that it fails to speak out often or strongly enough for victims of most of the world's worst regimes, remaining silent when it came to notorious abuses in China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe. Is this the legacy we want?

A boycott by Canada would but follow good advice from many others who are concerned. For example, actor Richard Gere, Chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, is calling for a boycott of the Games because of the Tibet question. Reporters without Borders have asked for a boycott because of human rights violations. Others, including 106 lawmakers in the US, call for a boycott because of China's support for Omar al-Bashir, who is responsible for governmental violence in Darfour (Sudan). From within China, voices of disappointment about the impact of the Olympic Games can also be heard. An open letter sent to the Chairman of the Olympic Committee by a group of Chinese lawyers and human rights activists in 2006 states: "The Chinese government is already preparing an illusion of peace and prosperity to mislead visitors. In doing so, they feel that voices critical of the government need to be crushed. That is exactly why they are engaging in large scale suppression of the human rights movement in China."

Then again, why mix sports with politics? Should we not keep these issues out of the Olympic Games? The problem is, the entire idea if having the Games in Beijing is pure politics. Beijing's bid for the Games ran against Istanbul, Osaka, Toronto, and Paris. Was the decision to go to China taken because of their better plans? The nicer environment? The more accommodating culture? No, it was taken precisely in order to engage China and to help it integrate better with the rest of the world. Even the Olympic Charter states: "The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity."

So, from the start, the Olympics were meant to make China a better place. And that certainly is not happening. If we don't use this opportunity now to speak out against Chinese Gestapo practices (meant to "clean the streets" before the Olympics take place), we never will. And China will never change. They will have gotten away with it once again, and the West will have turned a blind eye. That's politics, too: remaining silent for political reasons. Not wanting to upset anybody. When is enough, enough?

To quote the letter from the group of Chinese lawyers again: "The Seoul Games and those held in South Africa were turning points for the countries hosting them and this is why we are writing to you: we know the IOC is not a humanitarian or a political organization but according to its expressed goals, we believe the committee is obligated to press the Chinese government to improve human and civil rights in China."

A boycott will upset our trade relationships with China. It will upset the 2010 Winter Olympics. Is it worth the price? Ask the ones who were imprisoned; ask the ones who are praying for them. They are hoping for a different China. We must not miss our chance to take a stand before it is too late!

(Clearwisdom.net) On December 15, the Taiwan United Federation hosted a charity auction event at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial. The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) was invited to participate. The group presented a "Human Rights Torch" booth to collect signature support for the Human Rights Torch Relay and run a charity auction of the relay's T-shirt.

Former Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui came to the auction and visited every booth. When he stopped at the Human Rights Torch booth, a member of the CIPFG told the former president that the aim of the Human Rights Torch Relay is to urge the international community to take action to end the persecution of Falun Gong, as well as other human rights atrocities in China.

Former Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui signs a petition to support the Human Rights Torch Relay

Former President Lee Teng-hui's signature (fourth from top) on a petition supporting the Human Rights Torch Relay

Mr. Lee said: "Of course I will support this. What else would I support if I don't support this." He signed his name on a petition in both Chinese and English.

(Clearwisdom.net) December 10th, 2007 was the annual Nobel Prize Awards Day. The Nobel Prize dinner party that takes place annually in the Stockholm City Hall is highly regarded and has even been broadcast live by TV stations from more than a dozen countries in recent years. There were about 1,300 people attending the dinner party, among whom were royalty, Nobel Prize winners, scholars and government officials.

Swedish Falun Gong practitioners demonstrating the exercises and delivering information about Falun Gong

At 6 p.m., Swedish practitioners gathered in front of City Hall. This annual event has become a good opportunity for practitioners to raise awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong among the guests that attend the Nobel Prize dinner.

Candlelight and torch lights shone upon the banners bearing the words, "Falun Gong" and "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance". Accompanied by peaceful, traditional-style Chinese music, the practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises in the cold wind, drawing the attention of guests attending the dinner. Many people took pictures and asked for more information about Falun Gong. Two young Swedish girls wanted to learn Falun Gong on the spot, and many passersby asked for leaflets.

Heedless of the cold wind, the practitioners told people about the benefits of practicing Falun Gong, as well as about the Chinese Communist Party's inhuman persecution of Falun Gong practitioners over the past eight years. They called on the people to uphold justice and help stop the ongoing persecution.

As the motorcade of the King and Queen of Sweden passed by the practitioners' banners, the King smiled and waved to the Falun Gong practitioners.

At the end of the activity, a practitioner said, "We are really happy today, as we have been able to raise awareness about Falun Gong and the persecution among tonight's guests."

(Clearwisdom.net) At around 5:00 p.m. on November 29, 2007, after we clarified the truth about Falun Dafa in Bangalore, we returned to our hotel. After a short break, we went to an Indian practitioner's home for an experience sharing meeting.

Before the sharing started, we did the exercises in a nearby park. We attracted the attention of people passing by, as there were so many of us. Practitioners peacefully did the exercises to the music. When we opened our eyes, we saw the principal and teachers we had met before. They looked especially friendly this time. They had come from the countryside of Srinivaspur. It took them three and a half hours to come to us. After we greeted each other, we walked to our meeting place.

A video was played that showed how Falun Dafa has been spread in India. Then practitioners from India, Malaysia, and Taiwan shared their experiences. Principal ShriRama Reddy of Byreshawara School in Srinivaspur said he had severe asthma before he practiced Falun Dafa. Two years later, his asthma disappeared without the need for any treatment.

Principal ShriRama Reddy introduced Falun Dafa to teachers and students in the school where he works and the result has been significant. Several teachers and students now practice Falun Dafa and have benefited greatly in their health and school work. Many principals and professors at the meeting talked about how they benefited from Falun Dafa in body and mind.

During this fourth annual mainland Falun Dafa practitioners' written experience sharing conference, I would like to share some things about the Dafa truth clarifying materials production and supply site where I work and some situations that have occurred during the process of my Fa-rectification cultivation. My intention is to be responsible to what the editors of Minghui.org suggested, namely, to contribute positive records of cultivation during this very important historical period. Please be kind enough to correct me if my content is inadequate.

During the end of summer and early autumn of 2005, a few Falun Dafa practitioners came to this city at different times and for different reasons, yet we all shared similar backgrounds. All of us are middle aged, have elderly parents and young children, and have lost our jobs because of the persecution. We were, therefore, unable to stay where we were and had financial difficulties in our daily lives. So, early on, we had similar thoughts of doing some kind of business to support our families. At the same time, we hoped we could validate Dafa and help save people.

As we were discussing how to go about creating a partnership for doing business, one of the local practitioners in charge of a significant-sized materials site was in danger of being illegally arrested by the police. Some fellow practitioners had already been arrested, impacting the safety of another truth materials site. Local coordinators asked us twice to help move the materials from these two sites to a safe area. Moving things from the second impacted site to a fellow practitioner's home was a good thing to do, I felt , but to have all that equipment wrapped and packed in storage didn't feel right. The right thing to do was to transfer the equipment to a safe place and then set it up for operation so that it could continue to support Dafa practitioners' efforts to clarify the truth.

At that time, because the two materials sites had stopped production for two weeks, most of the practitioners in the city were short of truth clarifying materials and copies of "Minghui Weekly." Under the circumstances, a number of out-of-town practitioners gathered together to study the Fa and consider what to do in the face of the new situation.

As disciples of the Fa-rectification period, we were faced with a real opportunity. Could we put our own plans aside in order to cooperate with local practitioners to achieve the goal of saving sentient beings? Through our discussions, we all acknowledged that it wasn't wrong for us to validate the Fa while doing business. We only needed to set the relationship straight: Fa-validation first; business second.

Our first concern was to ensure that we could reach the goal of saving sentient beings. Then, if we still have time and energy, we'd consider doing some business. With strong determination, we filled the two empty local spots for producing truth-clarifying materials.

We took action immediately, finding suitable locations right away. We moved the equipment in and set everything up. A completely new materials production facility was quickly ready for operation. The first priority was to print Minghui Weekly and Minghui News Weekly. At the same time we printed copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. Before long local coordinators made adequate arrangements to move some of the equipment from the new office to the second materials site where they're mainly in charge of producing truth-clarifying materials. In our office we're mainly responsible for producing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.

The setting up of our new materials site seemed like an accident, but it was actually arranged by Teacher especially for this critical moment, as we soon understood.

As we know, everything of Dafa disciples' comes from Dafa, so studying the Fa well is essential.

Our materials sites are working smoothly. In the process of validating Dafa they have helped lots of people to understand the truth about Falun Dafa. We are able to accomplish much mainly because we have maintained our group Fa study. During group study we take turns reading one paragraph each. Then we share our understandings of the Fa and reflect inward. We analyze problems that exist within ourselves according to the Fa, thus setting our minds right.

In the process, all of us feel that we are gaining something, that our human notions are changing, and that our characters are elevating. As the last part of our group Fa study, we discuss problems and various issues, including difficulties we discover in producing truth clarifying materials, conflicts between practitioners, and the unique situations that arise with regard to truth clarification in our area or in the greater area. Through Fa study, we learn to analyze causes, find solutions, and acknowledge problems.

In contrast to our diligent Fa study, we found our new city to be lacking in this respect. So, we talked to the coordinator about our thoughts, our understandings, and the way we did Fa study. He accepted our suggestions and recommended them to other materials sites. Also, fellow practitioners were mobilized to organize small Fa-study groups citywide.

During that period of time, copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party were needed in large quantities not only locally, but also in the surrounding cities, counties, and towns. We needed money to buy materials. What the coordinators brought in wasn't enough, though they did their best. According to the principles of Dafa, we weren't allowed to gather capital from practitioners. It was preferable not to even mention it.

We asked our coordinator whether we could get jobs to make some money to help support the materials sites. He contacted two other coordinators and their opinion was, in order to guarantee an uninterrupted supply of the Nine Commentaries, the manpower at the materials sites shouldn't be reduced. They said they would find a way to solve the money problem. Their final solution was that the two of them would come up with more than 6000 yuan, 3000 or so each. This sum of money didn't actually last too long, but the money situation at that time was just like this.

Through studying the Fa and sharing opinions, we all agreed that saving people shouldn't be jeopardized no matter how difficult the situation was. Every practitioner should live up to his or her potential and find a way to come up with some money to support the materials sites.

When Xiao Yang (alias) came to this city, he told his wife he was going to do business. But because of the shortage of manpower, he became one of the volunteers. He To deal with the problem the materials sites were having, he chose to call on his wife for help with monthly living expenses. His wife had an income back home. Every time he asked she'd send him several thousand yuan, enabling Xiao Yang to help the local materials sites many times.

Xiao Yu (alias) lent money to her friends and relatives before the persecution started in 1999. Being a practitioner, she didn't care much about money. If the borrowers didn't voluntarily repay the loans, she didn't really bother to ask them for repayment. After 1999 she was fired from her job because she went to Beijing to validate Falun Dafa, causing her to lose her income for many years. Even then, she didn't seek repayment from the borrowers. But now that the truth clarifying materials site had money problems, she sought the money back from the borrowers.

Xiao Fang (alias) had a mortgaged house back home. She went back to sell the house. After paying off the loan, she turned the remaining money over to the materials sites.

Donations from these fellow practitioners, totaling more than ten thousand yuan, solved the initial capital problems in setting up the materials sites, allowing a good quantity of the Nine Commentaries"to be produced. In about six months, after more and more fellow practitioners were able to get the Nine Commentaries, they donated money saved from living frugally. The new situation, as it turned out, entirely solved our funding difficulties early on, enabling us to produce as many Nine Commentaries, new lectures, and other Dafa books as needed.

In order to save as much money as possible, so as to produce as many truth-clarifying materials as possible, fellow practitioners rented the most economical office space, found ways to save water and power, bought cheaper foods, and wore used clothing donated by fellow practitioners. After each meal we poured hot water into our bowls, rinsed them, and drank it all up. This way no rice was lost and it made cleaning the bowls easier. A year later, when a fellow practitioner was leaving town, he wrote a poem commemorating it.

Since we could produce large quantities of the Nine Commentaries, we weren't limited to one area. As long as fellow practitioners needed the Nine Commentaries, regardless of location, we'd supply the quantity at the specified time as required.

After Xiao Yang had been with the local materials site about half a year, he was needed to transport a load of the Nine Commentaries back to his hometown, which was a long distance away. Fellow practitioners asked how Xiao Yang would arrange the delivery of the books and visiting his family. He flatly said, "No family visit this time, I'm delivering Nine Commentaries only." Two months later, the same kind of delivery was needed. Xiao Yang said, "If I go home for a visit, I'd probably delay fellow practitioners' work and it would impact other things too. I'd better skip it." Just as on the last trip, he came back the same night with the others.

Three months later, fellow practitioners in Xiao Yang's hometown needed the books again. This time, fellow practitioners at the materials site all agreed, "No matter how it goes, we have to make time for him to visit his family." Xiao Yang himself also thought that it was time for him to see his family. However, transporting the Nine Commentaries this time involved fellow practitioners from different areas who were responsible for many matters. It was rather hard to arrange the whole thing. In view of the problems, Xiao Yang said, "I would rather not go back home. All of us should just concentrate on delivering the Nine Commentaries." So they did! When they got back to the office in the city, one fellow practitioner was very touched. "Back in ancient China, there was this great irrigation expert, Da Yu. When he was too busy, too focused working on his water project, he didn't have time and never thought of visiting his family even though he was in the neighborhood three different times." Today, we were eyewitnesses to a similar incident. Fellow practitioner Xiao Yang took part in transporting the Nine Commentaries three different times from a distant city to his hometown where his family resided, but he was too busy to visit his loved ones!

Our materials site is actually a big one, and it is furnished with strong technical support, because we furnish supplies not only locally, but also out of town or even in distant locations. Because of the evil persecution, we have faced tough times, but we have remained diligent in studying the Fa well and getting rid of friction among fellow practitioners, so the evil forces have basically found no loopholes to take advantage of us.

On the surface, we're inspired by Teacher's Fa teaching that the Great Way has no form. We pay attention to every aspect, causing the evildoers to have no knowledge of our existence, let alone how to deal with us. Only a few coordinators know about us. All other practitioners in the city have no idea at all. Even in our office, only one practitioner is responsible for dealing with the coordinators who place orders and receive products. As far as our location and the number of practitioners taking part are concerned, they have no idea. Whether they know or not isn't important. The point is how the things are handled in a safe way so as not to cause troubles as far as Fa-validation is concerned. For safety reasons, no one in society knows who does what and how much or what outstanding things he or she did at our materials site.

Due to our efforts as a single body based on the great Falun Dafa, whenever coordinators are confronted with difficult matters, they want to consult us, to let us solve the problems for them. Also, in surrounding counties and townships, whenever they want to set up new materials sites, we are the ones to help do the job. In one district, several materials sites were destroyed by the authorities and several dozen fellow practitioners were arrested. Some avoided the arrest with righteous thoughts. These practitioners managed, through twists and turns, to get in touch with our local coordinators and requested technical support to reconstruct their materials sites. Consequently, after consultation our coordinators turned this mission over to our materials site.

Under the prerequisite that the new mission was not to interfere with what we had already shouldered, after one month's preparation, we chose three fellow practitioners to spend a week helping them in that area. Within this one week's time, we weren't in a hurry to teach technical skills or how to solve specific problems. Instead, we spent day after day concentrating on group Fa-study, on understandings and sharing ideas from Fa study, and on discussing the reasons why they were persecuted. We especially emphasized the importance of group Fa study and maintaining the habit of it after setting up the materials site.

After Fa study for a few days, those local fellow practitioners became not as anxious to learn the skills as they were early on. They were more willing to spend time on Fa study. Xiao Fang, the fellow practitioner familiar with technical matters from our site, stayed behind for a month helping local practitioners to solve technical problems as well as to solidify their Fa study.

One time when Xiao Fang was printing some Chinese characters for modifying specific characters in Zhuan Falun, the printer automatically printed out on the center of the paper: "CULTIVATION OF FALUN DAFA IS THE MOST UPRIGHT, THE GREATEST." These characters were printed in large heavy block letters. Also, on both ends of the string of characters there appeared a few lotus flowers made of yellow ink drops. Letters of this form couldn't be printed out even if the printer was given a special command. All of the fellow practitioners at the scene soon understood that it was done by our great compassionate Teacher so as to encourage us, the disciples. Every one of us was greatly touched with tears in our eyes.

Due to family reasons two fellow practitioners from our materials site went back home. One of them we have never heard from, but the other has always been in contact with us. The latter has been a significant coordinator in his area. We've been in constant contact, getting messages across, encouraging each other, helping each other, and mutually improving together.

This fellow practitioner said to me that the most beneficial thing he learned after a year at this materials site was group Fa study. Now, as a coordinator in his area, his main mission is to lead his local fellow practitioners in doing Fa study, on which they agree with him. Based on their maintaining Fa study, every project in defense of Falun Dafa in his local area has been going rather smoothly. Recently, two other fellow practitioners came to join our materials site with their own specialties. They are willing to work jointly with us for the great mission of validating Dafa and saving sentient beings. The basics of our materials site are still the same even though there have been some changes in personnel. We're still upholding our schedule of daily group Fa study from which we increasingly benefit.

(Clearwisdom.net) Under Teacher's benevolent help and protection, I have gotten through many difficulties and tribulations and become a true Fa-Rectification period Dafa practitioner. Here I'd like to express my sincerest gratitude to Teacher.

Before I cultivated Falun Dafa, I had many diseases, including neurasthenia for over 20 years, and rheumatism. I had difficulty sleeping and performing physical labor, and I was afraid of cold weather. I tried many medicines but none worked. In 1994 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was in tears for three days. I had an operation in July, but the breast cancer came back shortly after. I felt pain everywhere. My elder son was 23 and younger son was 20 that year. I thought of taking sleeping pills to end my life so that I would no longer feel the pain, however I was concerned for my two sons, since neither of them was married yet. I hoped for something to save my life, so I tried to hang on. In 1995, I had a bone scan. The results showed a shadow in my shoulder blade, which indicated that the cancer cells had possibly moved to my bones.

My elder son married, and he and his wife had a baby in 1998. When I was visiting his home to see the baby, he saw that I was in great pain. He said to me, "Mother, please go to the park and practice qigong." His classmate was also visiting him. He said, "Auntie, please practice Falun Gong. My mother has been doing it and it is very good." This is how I started practicing Falun Gong.

In the beginning, I only learned to do the five sets of exercises. Later a practitioner lent me the book Zhuan Falun. I was so happy. After reading the book, I understood that this was cultivation. Teacher said:

Following Teacher's teaching, I tried to fortify my character. About 20 days after I started practicing I had a dream. I saw a white hand that extended from my back and pulled six tumors out of my stomach. Then I head a voice telling me, "Your illness has been cured." I woke up. I did not know what it meant, so I told my sister, also a practitioner, about the dream. She told me that Teacher had cleansed my body. Teacher is so benevolent! From then on, I became stronger and stronger. I could babysit my grandson and even do light work.

I remembered Teacher's words and studied the Fa diligently. I complied with Teacher's words. I also tried to do the moving exercises twice a day and the sitting exercise once at a park every day.

Two months later I started to eliminate karma. I experienced great pain in half of my head and body where I had the operation. I could not move and felt as if I was torn apart even when I breathed. I remembered that Teacher said:

I knew this was eliminating karma to pay back my debts. I continued to study the Fa and do the exercises. I thought that I had a lot of karma and I must overcome this tribulation. I did not want to let Teacher endure the pain for me. I was in pain for seven days. When I awoke on the morning of the eighth day, I suddenly felt no more pain. My body was very relaxed, as if nothing had happened. I knew that Teacher had saved me again. I would not have been able to overcome this tribulation by myself without Teacher eliminating the karma for me. I was so grateful to Teacher. I said to myself that I would be a firm Dafa practitioner forever.

Another time I had so much pain in three discs of my spine that I could not move. I knew this was to eliminate karma again, but the symptom appeared as back pain. I said to myself, "I am a Dafa practitioner. I am afraid of nothing. I have Teacher and I have the Fa. If I cultivate Dafa and die, I will come back as Teacher's disciple again." The pain lasted for a month. One night I saw Teacher in my dream. He wore a suit and sat on a bed to cleanse a practitioner's body. I thought that Teacher was too busy so I did not want him to endure the pain for me. Then I heard Teacher calling my name and he then said, "Come here, please." Teacher held my hand. I felt a warm flow that went through my whole body. It was so comfortable. I was too excited to speak, and I just knelt in front of Teacher and kowtowed. I was crying and saying, "Thank you, Teacher, for saving me." Then I woke up. I tried to turn over, and I was able to do it with no pain at all. Teacher cleansed my body in my dream. I witnessed the miracles of Dafa and the benevolence and greatness of Teacher. I was in tears.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Dafa on July 20, 1999. I could not understand why it did this. On one occasion several dozen people attended a funeral for one of my relatives. At a dinner afterwards, I used my own experience to clarify the truth to them. I told them about the wonderfulness of Dafa, the reason for being a good person, and the miracles of illnesses disappearing and getting fit after someone practices Falun Gong. I told them that it was not wrong for practitioners to follow Teacher's request to live by the principles of "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance." All my relatives knew that I had many illnesses before. Upon seeing that I was totally recovered after cultivating Dafa, many of them believed that Falun Dafa was good.

While I did not go to Beijing to validate the Fa, nor did I participate in any news-breaking activities, one thing I did was to use carbon paper to copy my own experiences to let people know that Falun Dafa was good. I also went out to distribute truth-clarification materials. Some practitioners were afraid at that time. Later Teacher told us to send forth the righteous thoughts to eliminate the interference, and I have done it every time.

I had been doing the sitting exercise outside at midnight. One night, just as I went outside, I heard the music for the sitting exercise. I was very excited and wondered if some fellow practitioners were playing the music. Then I listened carefully and realized it was from another dimension. I realized that Teacher used it as a hint to encourage me to cultivate firmly.

I live in a remote village and normally go out to clarify the truth by myself. Sometimes I walk a long way at night, but I am never afraid. Each time I start sending forth the righteous thoughts as soon as I leave home. I also ask Teacher to strengthen me, and I have never run into any problems. I know that when clarifying the truth or distributing the truth-clarification materials, one needs to be righteous and firm.

When I first started to distribute copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and help people to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations, I was worried that people might not understand what I was saying. Later I realized that we need to continuously study the Fa, cultivate ourselves well, and eliminate fear and other bad notions. Only then can we raise up ourselves and save people.

Through Fa study my xinxing has elevated. Before each truth clarification trip, I first study the Fa. I have carefully studied every one of Teacher's Fa lectures and articles several times. This has made it much easier to help people to quit the CCP. When I am at home, I clarify the truth to my neighbors and friends. When I go out, I explain it to everyone I meet. So far, except for a few people that do not understand us, those I have talked to have understood the truth and quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

This is my cultivation experience. For ten years Teacher has held my hand to walk with me every step. I will do even better in the future. I will cultivate diligently with other fellow practitioners, and we will walk righteously on our cultivation paths.

I have worked as a police officer for over 20 years. I was fortunate to have been introduced to Dafa in 1996. On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Gong. Because of my profession, my superiors, family, and friends tried their best to prevent me from cultivating. They strengthened my attachments by appealing to my devotion to my work and family. Due to my selfishness, I gave up cultivation for eight years.

In the middle of July 2007, I found a big lump on the right side of my neck. It was difficult to get a diagnosis even after going to several different hospitals. It was finally diagnosed as a thyroid tumor, for which doctors suggested an operation. I did not follow their suggestion because my elderly father was hospitalized at the time and was in need of care.

One evening in early August, when I was about to get off a bus, I suddenly sensed a great pain in the back of my head, as if someone was striking my head. I got off the bus, and it felt like the left half of my body was paralyzed. My head was very hot, and I found it more and more difficult to move. Although I was stunned at what was happening to me, I remembered Teacher and said in my mind, "Falun Dafa is good. Teacher will let me go home. I will get home." The symptoms did not get any worse. Half paralyzed and with my legs barely able to support me, I finally arrived at my home, which was on the fifth floor.

Lying in bed, I thought for a few minutes and decided to go to the hospital. I thought that I was no longer a cultivator after eight years, since I did not study the Fa or do the exercises. In the hospital I was diagnosed with a stroke and a tumor in my brain. After two weeks of treatment, the paralysis on the left half of my body was gone, but my headaches and dizziness did not improve.

During my stay in the hospital, I went home once to get some clothes. I took this opportunity to do the Falun Gong meditation exercise for 30 minutes. I felt really good and had no pain or dizziness. I told this to my husband, and he said that I should do it privately.

After two weeks of transfusions, the headaches and dizziness still remained. The doctors said I could take the medicine at home, but that it might take over three months to recover. After I got home, I went to a hospital that specialized in treating tumors. After the examination it was determined that the lump on the right side of my neck was a symptom of lymphatic tuberculosis, and I was told to go immediately to an infectious disease hospital.

At the doctor's words, I remained calm. I had been thinking about why I had so many life-threatening symptoms. Why did I remember Teacher and Dafa when the symptoms appeared? Why was there such a big difference between before and after when I did the meditation exercise? None of these things happened by accident. I suddenly remembered that there was a copy of Teacher's Fa lecture "Teaching the Fa at the U.S. Capital" on my milk box. I found it immediately and started to read it. After I read it through, I was in tears. Teacher said:

I came to understand that our compassionate Teacher had made use of my disease karma to wake me up. I failed to understand this when the first symptoms appeared and remained unaware. After that came the more serious ones, like the stroke and the brain tumor. The disease karma finally got my attention. That day, if I had not thought of Teacher and Dafa, I could have fallen over and never stood up again. Our compassionate Teacher had saved me and awakened me with a heavy blow. Although I have not practiced cultivation for eight years, Teacher never gave up on me. I came to understand that I was a cultivator, who has a predestined relationship with Teacher to return home with him. I was placed in this human world to help Teacher in Fa rectification and save sentient beings, not to enjoy the comforts of everyday people. I must let go of my attachments to fame, gain, and qing.

On September 4, 2007, I went to the home of a relative who practices Falun Gong and told him that I would cultivate and asked him for help. He told me to study the Fa, do the exercises, and do well the three things Teacher asked us to do. That day I felt really relaxed, and all my symptoms were gone. After I came home, I decided to cultivate and give up the medicine.

Right after I started to study the Fa, I ran into a fellow practitioner that I had not seen for many years at a vegetable market. Our compassionate Teacher had arranged our meeting. I told her that I was cultivating Falun Gong. Several days later, this practitioner sent me all the Fa lectures after 2000 and gave me truth clarification materials. I studied the Fa diligently. In the meantime, I tried to do the three things well, including truth clarification and sending forth righteous thoughts.

I now study the Fa, participate in the group exercises, send forth righteous thoughts, and ask people everyday to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Recently, I started to study the Fa with fellow practitioners and send forth righteous thoughts. I can sense my improvement everyday. All that I lost in the past is now being recovered. I am taking fame, personal interest, and qing lightly, and I am giving up my attachments. I have successfully passed many xinxing tests very well.

In four months I underwent great changes. Compassionate Teacher picked me up from hell, awakened me with a heavy blow, and led me to find my way home. Whenever I ask people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations, I always recite Teacher's poems in Hong Yin and feel no fear with Teacher and Dafa at my side. The old forces have no way to take advantage of me now that my mind is filled with the Fa.

I think there are still fellow practitioners who are in a deep sleep like I was before. Wake up, stand up, and go out to validate the Fa and save sentient beings! Be quick to catch up. Teacher is waiting for us to go home.

(Clearwisdom.net) My husband and I are a good match. Since I started cultivating in 1998, I have studied the Fa and practiced the exercises. At work I became very diligent and competent, and at home I took good care of my family. Every day I was busy taking our child to and from school, doing all the housework necessary and more, without complaining. My husband always praised Dafa at his workplace. He said that his wife had become very good tempered since she learned Falun Dafa.

After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong, my husband changed completely. Out of fear of the CCP, he used various methods to try to make me give up the practice. When all his methods failed, he then asked all my friends and relatives to put pressure on me. When that failed, he started cursing and beating me. Finally he threatened to divorce me. On top of these ordeals, the CCP sent people to ransack our home, and they took me to detention centers, forced labor camps and brainwashing centers. Our family was falling apart amidst the storms. All his relatives, friends and colleagues then tried to persuade him to divorce me.

At first, I agreed to the divorce and gave up everything that my husband wanted. I thought this was to let go of my attachment to human sentimentality. However, my husband did not divorce me, he was just threatening me, and he continued to always talk about divorce. Although my heart was not swayed, I always felt that the situation was not right. I knew that my husband was just throwing temper tantrums because I persisted in my belief. I tried explaining the truth about Falun Gong to him, but it did not work. Then I thought that maybe our predestined relationship had come to an end, so I agreed to a divorce. We divided our property and I wanted to take our child. He could not let go of our child, therefore he did not want a divorce in the end.

This kind of life was really miserable. During Fa study I constantly evaluated myself by asking what had gone wrong, and why had I been in this tribulation for so long? Because I was gradually elevating myself, everything started to change. My husband was changing too, although there was no fundamental change. He did not interfere with me doing the exercises and studying the Fa, because he could not do anything about it.

Clearwisdom published an article called "Human or Divine, One Notion Away." After I read it, I enlightened to certain issues. The fundamental reason for my long struggle during this tribulation had been that I always thought I was not capable enough. My will was weak when being faced with evil things. When I let go of my human notions, and really regarded myself as a cultivator on the road to godhood, things improved during my Fa study, and I started to gradually understand the deeper meanings of the Fa.

I had corrected my understanding on the issue of divorce. Divorce is a mutated human notion. I had to first let go of this bad notion within myself, and send forth righteous thoughts to cleanse myself. Then I communicated with my husband in my thoughts. I would not allow my husband to turn his back on Dafa, otherwise he was harming himself. Meanwhile, I sent forth righteous thoughts to cleanse the evil spirits and elements that were controlling and damaging my husband. Later, I realized that I should tell my husband that divorce is a degradation of human morality. It was a shameful thing and should not be mentioned casually. In the end, my husband actually turned toward goodness. He no longer mentioned divorce, and was willing to accept the truth about Falun Dafa. Not only did he no longer interfere with me when I was doing Dafa work, he actually provided me with some convenience. He also liked to tell me about his work. I gave him some good advice based on reasoning from the Fa. He accepted my suggestions whenever possible.

To all fellow practitioners who are still in various tribulations, please calm your heart, seriously evaluate yourself and find your incorrect notions or attachments. It might help improve your situation if you could change your notions, your point of view, or your way of doing things, or evaluate the situation from a new perspective. If you cannot understand the Fa, or if you cannot see the grandeur and all encompassing of Dafa, it must be because you are hindered by your human notions.