Divine Performing Arts
Facts of the Persecution
Practitioners Exchange Insights and Experiences
News and Events from Around the World
Clearwisdom Materials
(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts International Company put on eight shows at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles for six days in a row, to an audience of more than 16,000 people. The final matinée held on the afternoon of January 4, 2009 ended amid enthusiastic applause. Among the audience were well-known artists, local politicians and people in the commercial and business sectors. They were amazed by the show.
The audience at the DPA show at Pasadena Civic Auditorium
Artists laud the DPA show as being world class
Chinese-American violinist Mr. Wei praised the show as "being of a world-class standard," "very successful and professional." He said, "(The music) is very professional, and of a high caliber in terms of composition, performance, scenes and scale."
Mr. Wei commended the show from a cultural angle, saying that it is a blessing to be able to see a comprehensive performance that includes both Chinese classical dance and the music. He said that the DPA world tour is "very professional" speaking from its organizational and professional standard, and is "innovative and effective" in presenting the theme and introducing traditional Chinese culture.
Allen, live entertainment production manager
Allen is an expert on the production of live entertainment. He was surprised at the DPA's scale and strength. He said, "It reminds me of a company I worked with a few years ago, that did a similar thing for European music and dance. We had a very large company that did a spectacular production, but this is much bigger and more beautiful. This is very, very good. I enjoyed it very much."
"This is very good. It really shows off the variety of Chinese culture and the beauty of Chinese culture. It's really wonderful," he added.
Singer: The show made me feel the arrival of spring and hope
Singer Elani Curtis lives in Santa Monica. She has sung professionally since childhood. She attended the matinée show on January 3, and was very excited about it. She called the show "fabulous" and expressed that she was very fortunate to see the show.
Ms. Curtis said that she was captivated by the beauty of the show. She said that the skillful use of the high-tech background screen, integrated with the stage performance, worked well with the stories portrayed. She said that this combined to make the entire show marvelous. Ms. Curtis was amazed at the precise timing of the dancers.
Her favorite pieces were "The Udumbara's Bloom" and "Welcoming Spring," because they made her feel the arrival of spring and hope.
Former CPPCC member: The DPA show has high artistic attainments, which cannot be seen in China
A former member of the National Committee of the Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in China just came to the United States a year ago. He did not want to disclose his name, but he was very emotional after attending the final show on January 4. He said that the show was wonderful, and its choreography, setting and arrangement were excellent. He said that the show had a high artistic attainment, and he was unable to see such a wonderful performance in China.
He said, "There is much dross nowadays in China, all political propaganda, or simply pornographic and debased programs performed in entertainment facilities. [we] can't see such a wonderful performance as the DPA show. Now this [DPA] show is so popular and warmly received by people in all countries." He thought the show was to the credit of the Chinese people and made him feel proud to be Chinese.
New Immigrant: The DPA show moved me to tears
Jessica, a student who came to the United Stated four months ago from China, said that the dance performance was great, and the overall impression she got was wonderful, very graceful. The setting was also very nice. She said when the Buddha came down and then appeared on the stage, "I found it vivid and spectacular, " he said.
Jessica said what the show impressed on her most was that it displayed the Chinese culture. "Some parts of the show struck a chord with me. I could not see such a wonderful performance in China."
She said that he was moved to tears by the song "Let Me Not Regret" sung by Guan Guimin.
"When he was singing, the lyrics brought tears to my eyes."
Jessica said, "I have been in China for so many years, but did not see any show that showcased Chinese culture this way. I have never seen it before. From reading books, the sceneries described in ancient books... I saw them in today's show. I hope everybody can see the show, and deeply experience the Chinese culture... very beautiful."
Ms. Li, who just came to the United States two months ago, attended the final performance and said that the show was moving, and gave her a pleasant feeling.
Former Chinese dancer: The DPA show displays Chinese history, gives people uplifting strength
Ms. Li Yue, a former Chinese folk dance performer in China attended the DPA show for the third time. She said that she loved the show because, "I feel its entire realm is beautiful, and it gives people an uplifting strength."
She said, "Many modern dances nowadays are very dark, but the DPA dances are very bright, making you feel so good after seeing it. It brings you a different life, an uplifting sense. I found that the dancers performed perfectly. I feel they are top-notch, in terms of its skills and their manner of expression."
She also talked about the stories about Mulan and Monk Ji Gong in the show. "Through these historical stories, the show gave people a warning, and also presented the audience with China's 5000 years of culture. I appreciated it very much."
"Many Chinese dances are only a combination of movements, or an interpretation of the music. But the DPA show seems to portray a history, a real historical story, and then presented them through singing and dancing. I found it marvelous." Ms. Li said, "No other singing and dancing group nowadays is able to do this."
The Divine Performing Arts International Company heads for another big city--San Francisco, where they will perform eleven shows. For more information, please visit www.sfshow.net.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
(Clearwisdom.net) If ancient Chinese goddesses were modernized to the 21st century, one imagines that they would look a lot like Vina Lee, the tall, fine-featured, elegant choreographer and dancer whose artistry graces the Chinese Classical Divine Performing Arts Company in the troupe's forthcoming performances of the Chinese New Year Spectacular at the War Memorial Opera House and the Flint Center in Cupertino.
Delicately sipping tea one afternoon in the cafe at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, the soft-spoken yet forthright Lee speaks animatedly about growing up in China and the love for her country's cultural history that colors her view of Chinese dance.
Trained at the Beijing Academy of Dance, Lee studied classical ballet as well as Chinese classical dance and folk dance. In the late 1980s, she danced with the Guangdong Dance Theatre, but a yearning for artistic and political freedom led her to immigrate to Australia, where she taught and danced for several years before becoming a dancer and assistant company manager for the Divine Performing Arts Company and choreographer for its boldly ambitious and enormously popular Chinese New Year Spectacular.
The show--which each year features new entries in a smorgasbord of vignettes--takes viewers on a visually dazzling tour of 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture via bravura displays of acrobatics and grand tales told through flourishes of Chinese classical dance. With hundreds of dancers in two dozen carefully designed, richly costumed pieces--everything from colorful handkerchief dances, Imperial-style dances in high platform shoes, drum dances, folk dances and wushu displays--it's a heady blend of the ancient and modern, of traditional Chinese instruments and their Western counterparts, and contemporary experiences expressed using the formality of Chinese classical dance.
The true traditional Chinese dance, Lee says, blends three crucial elements: the yun or manner of carrying one's body, the technique, and the physical forms, such as the positions and combinations of movements used in training martial artists.
Methods of teaching Chinese dance, Lee says, were rarely written down, but although ways of teaching dance may have changed over time, much of the technique and forms have been passed down from generation to generation through wushu training.
"Wushu, or martial arts, used in soft ways is dance, and vice versa," she says. "Martial arts never really changed - it got better, but the style did not change."
The yun, however, is a different story. The way a people comport themselves depends on the culture, and China's culture has evolved vastly since the Communist Revolution and the modernization of its society. Some of what makes Chinese yun, Lee says, has been lost in the process.
"The modern contraction," she says, tightening her midsection into a curve modern dancer Martha Graham would easily recognize, "is very different from the Chinese curve. It is inhale, exhale--that's a different energy."
Without standing up from the cafe table, Lee strikes a subtle but definitely different note, curling and rounding her torso to illustrate what immediately seems--even to an untutored eye--to be a more characteristically Chinese pose, one closer to the graceful statues of goddesses such as Kwan Yin and Ho Hsien-Ku.
"Lots of shows claim to be Chinese dance," Lee says. "It's familiar to Western audiences, but they may wonder, why do they do this movement or that movement? Even lots of dancers are confused as to what is real Chinese dance."
Lee strikes a pose, covering her face flirtatiously with an imaginary fan. "They may look with the eyes like this," she says, glancing over her fan with a bit of come-hither peekaboo. "But in true Chinese dance, the women are conservative, more shy. They are hiding their faces with the fan," she adds, changing her pose slightly to convey a more delicate sensibility.
Since moving to Australia in 1990, Lee has not been back to China. A practitioner of the spiritual discipline of Falun Gong--a modern form of the ancient qigong practice of meditation and control, whose adherents have been heavily persecuted by the Chinese government in the past decade--Lee has sensed political pressures, even far from her homeland.
Although at first glance the Spectacular might look like more of a grand cavalcade of Chinese cultural scenes than a vehicle for a political agenda, some of the show's vignettes have depicted stories that reference hot buttons such as Falun Gong or repression in Tibet. Lee says that in some of the places the company has toured, Chinese officials have attempted to discourage local audiences from attending their shows.
"Because we dare to raise human rights issues, we're a 'Falun Gong show,' " she says. "And if you say 'Falun Gong,' people suddenly become scared. Since I was a child, I have always loved the real Chinese culture, but the Chinese government doesn't want the old culture to come back. They want to damage it, not only on the outside, but internally, too."
A return to core principles of traditional Chinese art is what Lee feels sets the Divine Performing Arts Company apart from what Western audiences have come to understand as Chinese dance. The Chinese New Year Spectacular, she says, harks back to a purer form of the Chinese dance, one built upon not just the motions of Chinese dance but also on a respect for divine gifts, virtue, sincerity and good deeds.
"I hope that through our performance that we are deeply connecting with life, not just entertainment," she says. "It's not just Chinese culture. It is the principles all peoples share."
CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR: $30-$180. 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat. and 2:30 p.m. Wed., Sat. and next Sun. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. Also 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13-15 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 14. Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. (415) 512-7770, www.divineshows. com.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/02/PKC014SEDQ.DTL
(Clearwisdom.net) At the beginning of the New Year, the U.S.-based Divine Performing Arts (DPA) New York Company performed four shows in three days at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. DPA showcased the essence of China's 5,000 years of traditional culture and the oriental arts that features complete compassion and sublime beauty. Local government officials, celebrities and artists had high praise for the lavish production.
Musicologist: A successful blend of Chinese and Western music
Dr. Elaine Keillor was among the artists who were wowed by the DPA show at the National Arts Centre on January 3, 2009. She commended the show, and called it "a wonderful spectacle." She said, "I was so pleased to see classical Chinese dance so well featured. It was lovely to have the ribbon dance, one of the ones that's so well known and beautifully done."
Dr. Keillor, musicologist
Dr. Keillor was glad to see different aspects of Chinese culture featured in the DPA show, and was also impressed by the caliber of the singers and performers in the live orchestra. Dr. Keillor commended the success of the show in achieving a blend of Chinese and Western instruments.
Dr. Keillor was the first woman to receive a doctorate in musicology from the University of Toronto and holds the record as the youngest recipient of the Associate degree from the Royal Conservatory of Music with all of the theory exams completed by age 10. She has performed in recitals and as soloist with orchestra on piano and harpsichord throughout North America and in Europe and has lectured on Baroque, Classical periods, Canadian music, ethnomusicology, keyboard performance and literature.
Dr. Keillor was the 2004 Helmut Kallmann Award recipient for distinguished service relating to music.
Theater Producer: The DPA show is superb, all nuances are beautiful
Ms. King, a theater producer and event organizer visiting from London, England, attended the final DPA show in Ottawa on the afternoon of January 4. Ms. King had high praise for DPA's brilliant presentation of Chinese culture and art. Ms. King is visiting her parents in Ottawa over the New Year's holiday. Her father bought tickets to the show for her and her mother for Christmas.
Ms. King, a theater producer and event organizer visiting from London, England, at the final DPA show in Ottawa
Ms. King commended the show, saying, "It was tremendous. The visuals were absolutely tremendous. I thought the performances were superb, but I really thought that one of the best things was the costumes." "The design and mix of colors were beautifully done," she added. As for the solo musicians, she found the tenor's voice was "tremendous [and] absolutely different from anyone I've heard," she said. The DPA orchestra combines the great classical traditions of Chinese and Western music. Ms. King thought "it really crossed the divide very well. It was very understandable for Western people."
Among the 20 program segments, Ms. King particularly enjoyed the dance that celebrated the legendary Udumbara flower of Buddhist lore ['The Udumbara's Bloom'] and an ethnic dance from the Mongolian plains where the women use bundles of chopsticks to joyfully greet guests ['Mongolian Chopsticks'].
Ms. King noted that the state-of-the-art animated digital backdrops were "done very, very well." "I loved the way they incorporated the celestial beings coming down and going back up, and then appearing on stage," she said.
Ms. King said that as for things happening in China right now (referring to the persecution of Falun Gong), we must learn to think over and be aware of the facts.
Renowned Composer and Producer: The Chinese culture is "really really good"
Mr. Nieman, a Juno Award-winning composer and producer, attended the final DPA show in Ottawa. He said that he loved the drumming pieces, "Dragon Springs Drummers" and "Drummers of the Tang Court." "It's nice to see choreographed drums," he said.
Mr. Nieman, composer and producer
Mr. Nieman was also impressed by soprano Huang Pi-ju, one of the show's three solo singers. He described her voice as "really captivating." "I thought she had an amazing voice. She had a really, really good voice so I really liked that a lot."
In its celebration of traditional Chinese culture, DPA is the only company in the world that performs pure, strictly authentic Chinese classical dance as part of its repertoire. The DPA New York Company will continue on to Waterloo for two performances on January 6 and 7 before moving on to Toronto for four shows from January 8 to 14.
(Clearwisdom.net) Divine Performing Arts Touring Company staged its second show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York on the evening of January 3, 2009. The curtain fell amid long, rousing applause from the audience.
Brooklyn audience watches DPA show attentively
"This year is our family's Divine Performing Arts year," Adam said excitedly. Adam is a manager of a medium-sized construction company. He said that he enjoyed the show, because it was fantastic, brilliant, graceful, and intriguing. It had deep spiritual meaning and beautifully presented the Chinese culture.
Adam and his parents-in-law Zib and Lied attend the DPA show in Brooklyn
Adam brought his parents-in-law Zib and Lied, from Poland, to the show. He said, "We absolutely can't miss this opportunity today." He said that they had planned to attend the DPA show, and had known that DPA would perform in New York, New Jersey and many other places, but his parents-in-law's visas would expire on January 20th, and they could not wait for the show at Radio City Music Hall, so they came today.
Perhaps sensing the reporter's puzzlement because his wife was not present, Adam added happily, that they just had a baby, so his wife couldn't come, but she would come to the next show. He said, "We can't miss it!"
Maynard Reid and his wife impressed by the dance "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution"
Dr. Reid is an official in the New York State health network. He and his wife were both impressed by the dance number "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution." Mrs. Reid said that she gained more understanding of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong through the performance. She said that she was sympathetic to Falun Gong practitioners, and thought that they should have freedom of belief. "Such an unfortunate thing must be stopped immediately," she said. Dr. Reid continued his wife's sentiments, saying that he felt gratified because they persist in their belief and are full of hope.
Lawyer Andrew and his wife Marty in Chinese costume
Andrew, a lawyer, and his wife Marty gave their impressions of the show, saying it was absolutely marvelous; its colors, dances, music and singing were flawless. They were particularly impressed by the piece "The Udumbara's Bloom," in which the artists' seamless synchronization and highly skilled dance performance were very impressive. They also liked the dance number "Welcoming Spring," which they found "awesome".
They both lauded the 3D animated backdrop designs. They thought that the diverse and vibrant colors were harmonious and coordinated well with the performers' costumes. The audience was naturally drawn into the stories being told.
The Divine Performing Arts Touring Company will head for Boston after completing their three shows in Brooklyn on the afternoon of January 4.
(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of January 3, 2009, Divine Performing Arts (DPA) Tour Company staged its second show in Ottawa, Canada, at the National Art Centre. Close to twenty-five hundred people attended, including Dr. Cyril Dabydeen, a writer, poet, university professor, and former poet laureate of the city of Ottawa.
Dr. Cyril Dabydeen, a writer, poet, university professor, and former poet laureate
It's anOverwhelming Experience!"
Dr. Dabydeen was truly grateful to DPA for bringing Chinese dance and culture to Ottawa. "It's such a wonderful experience," he said, "I find that the dances have all the energy and the tumbling movements of the ancient past, of the great Chinese civilization."
"For me it's an overwhelming experience--to be able to appreciate the ancient and great Chinese culture--which ordinarily you wouldn't have the chance to experience ... to understand and appreciate," he said.
"It's Such a Wonderful Experience!"
Dr. Dabydeen is hoping that DPA can perform in Ottawa at least once a year. "It's such a good thing because you have such a packed audience and everybody is learning and enjoying traditional Chinese culture ... past and the present ... it's great talent that we see before us."
When asked what part of the show he liked best, he replied, "The dancers' skill is the best you can find. The dancing, of course, you can't beat that. The great choreography we see in action, it's such a wonderful experience!"
He continued, "The costumes, of course--nothing to criticize. But in order to appreciate the joy of it, the quintessence of the various movements, male and female: the agility and strength of the men, and the gracefulness of the women ... it's just beautiful!"
When the reporter asked him what message he got from the first half of the show, he replied, "The message I take away is ... about what's going on in China today. It's a Communist country and maybe the past is not appreciated fully enough. And we see the DPA really and truly in action--bringing the morality and the values of the past, which human civilization around the world should never forget and overlook, no matter how much materialistic progress we make."
"Compassion and humanity are very uplifting overall. Great warmth and human spirit, our tremendous compassion for one another, for all human beings, Chinese, non-Chinese ... people around the world. That's the great message of what I've seen in the first half," he said.
During the various shows and performances he felt as if he were watching the "divine spirit in all of us." "I felt I was in a different world almost, a spiritual and quintessential world," he said.
"I Rank This Show Extremely High, the Very Best!"
When asked how the DPA compares to other shows he's seen, he replied, "I rank this show very, very high, among the very best we've seen in Ottawa, over the many years at the National Arts Centre. I knew the DPA performances are all primarily from New York City, but that makes it even better because you get the opportunity to enjoy the great talent and skills of North American Chinese. So I rank this show extremely high, the very best!"
He mentioned that each DPA show that's he's attended so far, has been different from the previous one. "It's like a brand new show and I do enjoy the singing by ... the soprano at the beginning and then the male singer afterwards. The singers were so beautiful."
"Very Spiritual"
Dr. Dabydeen was very moved by the spiritual and moral aspects of the show, saying, "The tumbling techniques in 'The Monkey King Triumphs,' the 'Dragon Springs Drummers,' and the 'Flowing Sleeves' were wonderful. But overall, it is the wonderful ancient and current spiritual values among the Chinese people--which are communicated to us who are not Chinese and to people all over the world--wherever these shows are taking place ... I find that very uplifting."
He continued, "Very spiritual ... and when you look at the lyrics of the singers--and I look at the words carefully because I'm a poet--I made a link and a connection in my own spiritual and poetic mind. It is something very ennobling. These transcendental values in all of us makes for a higher human self."
(Clearwisdom.net) On January 3, 2009, the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) New York Company had its third show at Ottawa's National Arts Center. Many in the audience were moved by the dance drama "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution." The story is about the unwavering spirit of a Falun Gong practitioner that is persecuted. Ms. Huang, an official at the Canadian Health Ministry, talked about her impression of this program after the show, "Falun Gong practitioners are firm with strong willpower. I wish the persecution would stop due to all their persistent efforts."
Ms. Huang majored in health and medicine at the National Taiwan University. She has been in Canada for over 30 years. This is the third time she has seen a DPA show with her husband. "Now that I can finally see a terrific performance of traditional Chinese culture, I am very moved and excited."
She loved the costumes and thought this was the most special of the DPA performances so far. She also admired the stage set-up and how the background was part of the story. She also liked the style of the hosts, "They use English, French, and Chinese to introduce every program. This made it possible for non-Chinese speakers to understand a story such as 'The Monkey King Triumphs.'"
Ms. Huang believed many were impressed with the drums, "Those not from China often have the misconception that Chinese art shows are slow. After they see such an energetic performance and experience the excellent dancing and music, they will be very, very impressed."
Ms. Huang explained that Chinese culture is based on Buddhism, which has been around for thousands of years. She believed that the program successfully conveyed to the audience why the Chinese Communist Party suppressed Falun Gong, "My boss was sitting upstairs tonight. He is an Israeli and used to be persecuted. I'm sure that he will go home and tell his friends to come and see the DPA show. He will say, 'You will understand the truth about Falun Gong after you see it.'"
(Clearwisdom.net) On the second of January, the first show by Divine Performing Arts was presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada. After seeing the show, audience members shared their astonishment.
Mr. Blake Cheney and his wife
"Very good, very interesting! Something we haven't seen before," raved Blake Cheney, an airbase engineer.
Mr. Cheney said his favorite part was "The 'Dance of the Yi' people from the southwest [of China], the flow with the music, and the dresses' long sleeves."
When asked if there was something that stood out about this show, Mr. Cheney replied: "Very flowing, from one story to the next, [it] has a logic to it. The interpretation in between the pieces helps a lot. Instead of [trying to] identify what it's about and what you're looking at."
Mrs. Cheney also had great things to say about the show. "It was almost like being under the sea, the ocean, the corals, we would absolutely recommend [this] to everyone. Too bad they're only here for a short time. I hope they'll come back!"
(Clearwisdom.net) In the afternoon on January 3, 2009, the Divine Performing Arts Company staged its sixth performance at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles. Many in the audience praised the performance and talked about how much they enjoyed experiencing Chinese culture.
Watercolor Artist: "Chinese culture is the most beautiful collection of cultures on the planet"
Professor Gostavo, daughter Madeleine Hernandez, his second daughter, and his wife Judigh
Madeleine Hernandez, an entertainer; her mother, Judigh, a watercolor illustrator in television; and her father, Gustavo, a professor of art history and philosophy, came to the show together. When they were asked about their impressions of the show, Madeleine replied, "I am enjoying it. It's beautiful and very well done." She commented on the Chinese classical dance, "It's so beautiful and so much more intricate and technical and emotional than anything I have seen in ballet. It has been enjoyable and beautiful to watch."
Judigh was very excited and stated, "Chinese culture is the most beautiful collection of cultures on the planet. Each individual one needs to be preserved. The music, the art, the languages, especially, obviously, the mandarin--it's so beautiful. The colors of the costumes were exquisite. I have loved Chinese culture since I was a little girl. I took Chinese cooking classes. It's a privilege to be here."
Professor of Art History and Philosophy: I was upset that I missed it last year
Mr. Hernandez said, "It was a heavenly performance. I was so upset last year when I found out that you had been here and I didn't know about it. I have waited a whole year to see it. Now I have come with all of my family. We like Chinese culture, Asian culture in general. It's a heavenly performance."
He added that it was what he had expected and more. He said, "This family show is so wonderful, it was the most beautiful thing. I liked the couple that came out before every program. The artistry was excellent." He also said that the choreography and how the background was integrated so well with the performance were also excellent. "I should like to see it again, next year maybe."
An attorney attended the show with his wife. During an interview his wife stated, "It's very interesting. I like the gracefulness of the movements and the way they tell stories with their body movements." Her husband, the attorney, replied, "I enjoyed it. I go to a lot of performing arts and plays in Orange County, and this is very nice. I thought the animation of the dancers going up the back screen...was brilliant." He continued to say that he liked the scene where a person was transformed and went up into heaven with a yellow shirt and half way up he became a Buddha.
Photographer and Financial Manager: It is hard to describe--one has to see it
Photographer Hans and his wife, Maryann
Hans, a photographer, and his wife Maryann, a financial manager, attended the show. When they were interviewed and asked whether they had understood the stories, the lady stated, "I did understand the stories as they were explained and about the persecution in China. The show was wonderful and fantastic.."
Hans said that they both liked the beautiful colors. He also mentioned that they both absolutely like the culture. He said, "I liked the contrast and the variations, the kind of unified pictures. It's hard to describe--one has to see it."
(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Liang Yunying, an employee of the Refined Mineral Oil Factory, Henan Province Exploitation Bureau, started practicing Falun Dafa in 1996. Before she began cultivating, she had all kinds of diseases; afterwards, she became healthy. She acted according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She has been arrested, detained, and/or sentenced to prison more than seven times. On August 25, 2008, she was picked up by her family from prison. Here is Ms. Liang's account of the torture she endured.
1. I was deceived and ended up in detention in Tanghe County, Nanyang City, for a month
On July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin and the CCP started persecuting Falun Gong. My fellow practitioners and I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. We wanted the officials to understand the truth so that they could correct their mistake quickly. However, we were denigrated and threatened by the director of the Refined Mineral Oil Factory. My son was arrested and detained. I was called to sign-in (report to local officers) at the security office at our neighborhood three times a day and my actions were closely watched. The people in charge of my case are Liu Jingqing, the secretary of CCP at the Refined Mineral Oil Factory, and Ma Chengfu, the director of the security department.
At the end of 2000, fellow practitioners and I appealed to our employers, but they did not listen. In addition, the director of the security department came to our homes and yelled at us. After that, he assigned some people to my home to harass and watch me. They frequently came to my home and made me get up at midnight and did not stop until they saw I was at home.
They used several forms of torture on me, a 60-year-old woman. Even worse than harassing me in the middle of the night, Tian from Henan Province Oil Exploitation Bureau Police Department and Lu Chao, the deputy director of department of the Refined Mineral Oil Factory, deceived me into going to the police department. They held me in a detention center in Tanghe County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, for one month. After I came home, my husband told me that I was not officially released until they paid some money. This time the reason why I was detained was because I did not want to sign my name. The agencies involved in my case were the Henan Province Oil Exploitation Bureau Police Department, the 610 Office, the Refined Mineral Oil Factory, the Security Department of the Refined Mineral Oil Factory and the Tanghe County Detention Center.
2. I was arrested and held in Nanyang City Brainwashing Center for over three weeks
In August 2001, practitioners who were regarded as "key" people from all the counties, cities, and companies in Nanyang City were arrested and forced to attend a "transformation" class hosted by the Nanyang City Police Department and the 610 Office in Nanyang City. Practitioners were forced to view Chinese Communist propaganda and ordered to give up their faith. I was arrested in front of more than 20 district residents and taken to Nanyang City Henan Petroleum Exploration Bureau. There was no reason for my arrest, but I was taken into custody by the Nayang City Police Department. Those responsible were the Nanyang City Public Security Bureau, Nanyang City 610 Office, Henan Petroleum Exploration Bureau, Public Security Bureau, the National Security Brigade, the Refined Mineral Oil Factory, and the Refined Mineral Oil Factory Section.
3. I was arrested and detained for a month because for clarifying the truth
I want to let people know the truth so that they can be saved. I went out and put up some posters that explained the truth. I was discovered. Police officers ransacked my home on October 30, 2001, and took me into custody at the Tanghe County Detention Center for a month. The agencies involved were: Henan Petroleum Exploration Bureau Police Department, the Public Security Bureau, and the Tanghe County Detention Center.
4. I was taken to the Nanyang Cadre School of Political Science and Law
In August 2002, they arrested me on my way to buy food. I was taken to the Nanyang Cadre School of Political Science and Law. They threatened me, demanding that I abandon my faith. In order to "transform" me, they used all kinds of despicable means. I was put in handcuffs, choked with a belt, and forced to stand and keep still on two footprints that they drew on the floor. If I moved even a little, they kicked and pinched me. They also threatened me, "If you are beaten to death, you will be sent to a crematorium." They used filthy words to curse and abuse me.
This time, some people assigned by my employer to "transform" me got a severe cold while I was unaffected. Sun Dongmei (female), who was assigned to watch me, was surprised and asked me why I did not catch a cold. I described to her how good Dafa was and how a Falun Gong practitioner do not get sick. Sun Dongmei immediately yelled and cursed, "I am here on behalf of the Communist Party to torture you. You will see which one is more powerful, the Communist Party or Falun Gong!" The chief of the propaganda office said, "We want to take advantage of this situation to see whether it is the CCP that saves you or Falun Gong." There was also a young man who said as he was beating me: "You look older, so we hit you lightly. Ask your son when you go home how we tortured him."( My son was sentenced to forced labor for practicing Falun Gong.) The agencies that were involved in mistreating me were: the Nanyang City Police Department, the 610 Office, the Henan Petroleum Exploration Bureau, and the Refined Mineral Oil Factory.
5. I was held in the first detention center in Nanyang and tortured
In 2003, I went to buy food with another practitioner. When I heard someone who sold food talk bad about Falun Gong, I tried to dissuade him from doing that. Local people reported me. I was arrested and detained in the Nanyang City First Detention Center in Shuangzhuang Village for ten months. My family had 5000 yuan extorted from them, and I was released in May 2004.
Nanyang City Detention Center is where Dafa disciples are tortured. Dafa disciples were abused and beaten. Because I did not cooperate with them, I was forced to wear shackles three times. Those kinds of shackles are used for criminals sentenced to death. The first time I wore the shackles for 15 days, the second time 12 days and the third time 10 days. Some Dafa disciples were persecuted to death, including 36-year-old Ms. Fan Yanli.
7. I was sentenced to three years in prison
In August 2005, I went to the cultural center of Henan Petroleum Exploration Bureau to clarify the truth. My home was ransacked. I was arrested and detained in the first detention center in Nanyang City. Then I was sentenced to three years in prison. From August 2005 to February 2007 I was held in the Nanyang City First Detention Center. On February 7, 2007, I was taken to the Xinxiang City Women's Prison and was picked up by my family on August 25, 2008.
More than 100 Dafa disciples were detained in the No. 11 Ward in the Xinxiang City Women's Prison. We were subjected to many different forms of brutal torture, such as:
a) Sleep deprivation. They took me to a waiting room. All day long a few people took turns reading articles critical of of Falun Gong and other materials that slandered Master and Dafa. I was not allowed to go out of the room or to use the restroom.
b) I was locked in a small cell. The small cell (20 square feet) is dark. Only serious criminals are locked in the small cells. When they do not obey the rules, then they would be locked in the cell for seven days or fifteen days. I was locked in there for as long as three months because I did not give up my faith. In the cell, every day from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. a small speaker played tapes that slandered Dafa. At night, one of my hands was locked to the bed.
c) The tiger bench. I was recalling the Fa by heart and did the exercises while I was locked in the small cell. I said that Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance is good. Because of that, the criminals assigned to me beat me. I was forced to sit on the tiger bench 30 times. The guards said that I was not allowed to say "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." They said that they earn money from the CCP and they had the right to torture me. During my stay in the Xinxiang City Prison I always had injuries.
d) Coercion. They used all kinds of methods if they found that you would not give up when you were tortured. They used all kinds of people to talk to me and try to persuade me to sign the guarantee statement. They said that they were required to make so many practitioners "transform." Otherwise, they could report to the higher level. Finally, because of their failures, there was nothing left that they could use on me. So on August 25, 2008, they let my family to pick up me.
Those involved in torturing me were: Li Xia (female), the ward supervisor; the warden surnamed Hou; a captain surnamed Huang; Dong; guard Tong Guorong; two staff members, one Wang and the other Zheng.
(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Zhang Litian, 36, of Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, was beaten to death on November 17, 2008, by four inmates, after being imprisoned in the Jinzhou Prison. The inmates' action was directed by the Area No. 20 warden, Chen Jun, and deputy warden, Zhang Baozhi. The following is a letter of appeal by Mr. Zhang's nine-year-old daughter.
Practitioner Mr. Zhang Litian
Mr. Zhang's daughter Zhang Xingtong
Dear Mr. Prosecutor:
My name is Zhang Xintong, and I am nine years old. I am the daughter of Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Litian, who was beaten to death by prison guards in the Jinzhou Prison. When I heard the news of my father's sudden death on November 18, I was so shocked; I was speechless. I did not want to believe it to be true. I cried out loud, "Dad, I truly miss you. Mom and I were just going to visit you. Why didn't you wait for us?"
Mom held me and asked me not to cry, but she herself could not stop crying. No way could we believe that my Dad died of a heart attack. Dad was healthy. He usually did not even catch a cold. How could he just die suddenly?"
My Dad was a good father. He became even nicer after he began practicing Falun Dafa. He never calculated his gains or losses. He loved me a lot. I recall things Dad has been telling me for as long as I can remember: "The broadest thing in the world is the ocean. Broader than that is the sky. Broader than the sky is a person's mind. One should not be concerned about one's gains or losses and old scores. One needs to be tolerant and think of others― on every matter."
Dad believed this and acted accordingly. He never fought over anything, and never had any friction with anyone. In my memory, he was often in police custody, and did not spend much time with me, but I knew he was the best. The police arrest good people. They beat my Dad, such a nice father, to death. I am so sad. I have so many questions to ask.
I did not have a chance to see Dad after his arrest in April. The Jinzhou Court did not inform our family members and tried him secretly. I cried often, and felt very sorry every time I saw other classmates' fathers come to school to fetch them. I wrote in my diary about missing my Dad. Mom told me that Dad was sentenced to five years in prison this time. So I often flipped through the calendar to calculate when he would come home. I figured by then I would be in junior high. I often envisioned Dad's handsome figure when he used come to the parent-teacher meetings at the school.
But now, when I saw his remains, I truly sensed that he has indeed left me forever. I cried so sadly, "Dad, with your eyes wide open, were you hoping to see me? Dad, I truly miss you. I saw the scars on your body. Tell me how you were beaten to death by those bad guys. Some informant told us that you were beaten to death by the Area 20 warden Chen Jun, and Zhang Baozhi, together with inmates Li Yong and Liu Peiyan. We requested that a medical examiner do an autopsy in order to find out the cause of death, but the Jinzhou District Attorney's Office said that it must be performed through them. This is not fair, and we can never accept this.
Dad did nothing to harm society. Why did they beat him to death? He was a good person. He should not have been put in prison. The Chinese Communist Party should not persecute good people. I will never listen to the lies in the textbooks anymore.
Mr. Prosecutor, I know that many kind people are watching this matter. I have heard that the international community is also watching this. Your own children can see you every day, but these bad guys caused me to lose my Dad forever. If all you prosecutors are good people, you need to uphold justice and arrest the criminals. This is what you need to do. If you don't arrest them, and even help to hide their crimes, then you will definitely be punished in the future.
No good person will tolerate my Dad's unfair death. If you also do not want to let your children lose their Dads, then please uphold justice. Find the cause of my father's death and arrest the criminals. Let my Dad rest in peace.
Best Regards,
Zhang Xintong
December 19, 2008
(Clearwisdom.net)
Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Gu Jiumei, from Dongliao County, Liaoyuan City in Jilin Province, was illegally arrested in January 2008, and then transfered to the Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp in Changchun City. She was tortured in the Second Team of the Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp. In the afternoon, around 3:30 p.m. on June 1, guard Jia Hongyan interrogated Ms. Gu Jiumei and forced her to write a "mental-state" report. Ms. Gu Jiumei refused. Then Jia Hongyan slapped her face, forcibly took off her coat and used an electric baton to directly shock her body. The torture lasted until after 5 p.m. Jia Hongyan said that she would increase the time every month to shock Ms. Gu Jiumei with an electric baton.
Ms. Gu Jiumei's body was burned severely and had more than 50 wounds. The areas struck by electric baton were all red and swollen. Her whole body was in tremendous pain. The third day after Ms. Gu Jiumei was tortured, she requested to see the doctor. The guards in the forced labor camp punished her by extending her detention time and not allowing her to see her family from June to September.
In November, Ms. Gu Jiumei's detention time was extended by the guards because she refused to fill out the guards' "questionnaire." Other practitioners whose terms were extended ten more days included Ms. An Fengxiang, Jin Yingshi and Meng Chunfang.
The guards also used other criminals to watch and monitor practitioners. If the criminals found something and reported it to the guards, the forced labor camp would reduce their detention time and increase the practitioners' detention time. The guards searched Ms. Gu Jiumei's body and forced her to do slave labor. The guards' team leaders, Liu Lianying and Ren Feng, did not allow the practitioners' families to bring food to them or eat with them. In order to persecute detainees financially, the forced labor camp ran a shop inside the forced labor camp to sell goods to them at high prices.
In July 2008, practitioner Ms. An Fengxiang from Changchun City was continuously beaten and shocked by guards Liu Lianying and Liu Shuxia for an entire morning, which caused her to faint. On September 3, guards Liu Lianying and Jia Hongyan beat and used electric batons to shock practitioners Ms. Mou Guiling and Ms. Qin Xiuli. Ms. Mou Guiling was severely injured and many holes were burned through her clothing. Ms. Qin Xiuli was shocked for two successive days. The second day, guards Liu Lianying and Jia Hongyan shocked her continuously for more than an hour.
The guards and criminals in the Second Team of the Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp brutally persecute Falun Dafa practitioners. The practitioners reported the abuse to the forced labor camp, but no CCP personnel responded. They just allow the guards continue to persecute the practitioners. The forced labor camp building has a Procuratorate mailbox for complaints and appeals, but it is just for show. Actually, anyone who drops a letter into the mailbox to appeal will be tortured by the guards.
(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Qiao Pingjuan is a Falun Dafa practitioner from Nanwang Village of Ping County, Hebei Province. On July 16 and 18, 2008, Ms. Qiao went to Anping County to hand out truth-clarification materials about Falun Gong and how it is being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. She was reported to the police. She and two other practitioners were arrested and taken to the Anping Police Department. On August 8, Ms. Qiao was illegally taken to Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labor Camp.
The Anping police detained Ms. Qiao for more than 20 days without going through the proper legal procedures. Sun Yihe from the Anping Police Bureau only told her that she was sentenced to one year of forced labor and ordered her to sign the notification. Although Ms. Qiao refused, she was still taken to the forced labor camp.
The Secretary of the Political and Juridical Committee in the Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labor Camp tried to force her to write the Guarantee Statement. Ms. Qiao refused, so she was detained with the No.1 Team. In the morning, they required practitioners to do physical exercises. Anyone who refused was made to stand in the hallway for one day and not given any food until midnight.
One time, a practitioner didn't speak loudly enough when she was reporting her name at lunch, so the guards wouldn't let her eat. She was made to stand in the hallway for the entire day. In support of the practitioner, other detained practitioners refused to eat lunch. They tried to clarify the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution to the team leader, but he would not listen. Instead, he made all the practitioners stand in the hallway and did not allow them to eat or use the restroom. One practitioner soiled her pants, so the team leader hit her with a baton and then moved her to a solitary confinement cell.
Forced labor camp staff cut practitioners' hair, extracted their blood for testing, and made them wear uniforms. Some practitioners refused to cooperate, so they were detained in a solitary confinement cell and beaten. Four to five practitioners who refused to put on prisoners' uniforms were forced to take off their clothes when they slept and were not given any bed covers. Zhu Liying beat practitioners. Guards watched practitioners around the clock and deprived them of sleep when they were seen doing the exercises. They were dragged out of the cell and made to stand or detained in solitary confinement.
Ms. Qiao was taken to the No.2 team, where she was detained for one month and three days. On November 13, Sun Yihe and two other police officers took her home. Her family reported that they had had 5,000 yuan extorted from them before Ms. Qiao was released. The day that Ms. Qiao arrived at home, police officers demanded another 1,000 yuan. Her family questioned the additional 1,000 yuan and police officers could not provide an answer. Even so, her family was blackmailed into paying another 6,000 yuan.
After Ms. Qiao arrived at home, there were still more than 80 practitioners detained in the No.1 team, 97 practitioners in the No.2 team, and more than 70 practitioners in the No. 3 team in Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp.
(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of May 8, 2008, police from the Longjiang County Police Department went to the Dafangli Neighborhood in Daowai District of Harbin City to arrest practitioner Mr. Zuo Gang. Practitioners Ms. Song Yanjin (49 years old) and Mr. Yu Jinghe (46 years old) were arrested at the same time. Mr. Zuo (34 years old) is a well-respected businessman from Acheng District, Harbin City.
They put Mr. Zuo, Ms. Song, and Mr. Yu in the Heilongjiang Prison that night. On May 10, two policemen slapped Mr. Zuo in the face and head with their shoes during interrogation. On May 11, when interrogating Mr. Zuo, about seven policemen surrounded him and beat him while he was handcuffed. One of those policemen was the third highest ranking officer in the Longjiang County Police Department. They beat Mr. Zuo from 3:00 p.m. until dark, at which time they brought him back to the prison and forced him into an outstretched position, and kept him that way for two consecutive days and nights.
At around midnight on May 14, officers brought Mr. Zuo to the police department. They forced his arms back and cuffed them to a chair, tied his feet together and put them on a small bench. Then they pulled his legs up, slid his body down and forced him into the chair. At the same time, the police forced a bottle of liquor into him and made him smoke cigarettes, fully knowing that Falun Gong practitioners do not drink or smoke. The torture lasted for three to four hours.
On May 15, police injured the left side of Mr. Zuo's back when they interrogated him in the same way. Then they dragged him, along with the chair, to the bathroom and doused him with cold water. Two policemen poured water onto Mr. Zuo's face with a bucket, and another doused him with a cold spray. With only his underpants on, Mr. Zuo was doused for seven to eight hours.
After being held in Longjiang County Prison for 44 days, Mr. Zuo was sent to the Daowai District Police Department in Harbin City on June 18, 2008. During the process, Longjiang County Police did not notify Mr. Zuo's family within the required 24 hours. They confiscated Mr. Zuo's personal property, including two notebook computers, one desktop computer, three printers, one VCD machine, one cassette recorder, two paper cutters, four thousand yuan in cash, one bankcard (with six thousand yuan remaining), a minivan, six cell phones, and five cartons of bean oil (worth twelve hundred yuan). The Longjiang Police Department did not notify Mr. Zuo's family until May 22, 2008. Mr. Zuo's mother, in her sixties, had no idea where her son was. Several times his mother took the train from Acheng, with several transfers on the way, to Longjiang County Prison to visit her son even though she was sick. She was turned away at the door each time. She had no idea that her son was being tortured in the prison.
In September 2008, the prosecutor in Daowai District in Harbin City prosecuted Mr. Zuo, charging him with "obstructing justice". On October 16, the court tried Mr. Zuo and Ms. Song Yanjin. The judge prohibited the two practitioners from clarifying the facts or talking about the torture they had suffered, and only allowed them to answer "yes" or "no". The whole trial was a mere formality.
On November 7, 2008, the Daowai District Court of Harbin City sentenced both Mr. Zuo and Ms. Song to three years in prison. Now Mr. Zuo is imprisoned in the backyard of the Daowai District Police Department, which was formerly Taiping Prison. The scars on his body from previous torture are still visible. Ms. Song is being jailed at the Second Prison in Daoli District, also known as Yaziquan. Mr. Zuo's family members have not been permitted to visit him since May 8, 2008. No one knows what kind of torture he has received in Longjiang Police Department and how bad of a shape he is in. Practitioner Yu Jinghe is presently jailed in the Longjiang County Prison.
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Wang Zhiqi of Tangshan Ore, Hebei Province has been compelled to be destitute and homeless for many years in order to avoid being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Since March 15, 2005, under the threat of arrest by the Qianan State Security Division, Mr. Wang Zhiqi has had to stay away from home. On March 14, 2006, CCP personnel from the Tangshan Municipal State Security Division, led by Hao Dongping, went to Mr. Wang's wife's and his parents' homes many times falsely telling them, "He will be all right if he goes back to work. The past will no longer be brought up, please ask him to return to work." But before long, Qianan police made an attempt to arrest Mr. Wang. In December, Mr. Wang Zhiqi was again taken to a workshop where he was coerced into writing a statement that was later used as a reason to arrest him. Afterward, Mr. Wang was again compelled to leave home and live a homeless life, depending on odd jobs to get by.
In 2008, prior to the start of the Olympic Games, agents of the Tangshan Municipal 610 Office, CCP personnel from his locality, and his employer went to Mr. Wang Zhiqi's home to harass him numerous times. On June 7, 2008 they scaled over the exterior wall and entered the inner rooms, and wantonly confiscated his family's possessions. However, they did not find any so-called evidence to use against him. On June 11, 2008, they went to Mr. Wang Zhiqi's in-laws' home to threaten them. His father-in-law died on July 7, 2008 amidst the ongoing terror.
On December 8, 2008, just past 9:00 a.m., Mr. Wang Zhiqi was at work when he was suddenly arrested by CCP police. Two hours later, officers of the Tangshan Municipal State Security Division, in conspiracy with the Fengnan District CCP office, ransacked Mr. Wang Zhiqi's parents' home. They deceived Mr. Wang's parents, claiming that Wang Zhiqi had asked them to come to pick up a few things. The CCP personnel ignored the repeated protests from Mr. Wang's parents and continued to confiscate their personal possessions, not even sparing Mr. Wang's son's toy computer. They opened up the toy computer to search for so-called evidence, and not until they failed to find anything did they decide to leave the son's computer.
At about the same time, policeman Liu from the First Section of Guye District Police Department, in concert with police from the Qiaoxi Local Police Station, Tangjiazhuang, Guye District, ransacked Mr. Wang Zhiqi's home. They took two 2009 calendars and two Falun Dafa books.
Every day since December 8, Mr. Wang's family members have gone to his employer demanding his release. The resident Chinese Communist Party personnel declared that it was because they had obtained new evidence that they made the arrest and it had nothing to do with the previous case (the Qianan case in 2005). Then on December 16, Mr. Wang's family was informed that he had been taken to the Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp.
Soon after, the Tangshan Municipal State Security Division, Kailuan Police Department, Xishan Local Police Station, the Party Secretary at his place of employment, and the head of his wife's place of employment, formed a partnership to guarantee "Mr. Wang's safety" and asked his family to find him and ask him return to work. His family did not clearly recognize the deceitful nature of this ruse and actively searched for and found Mr. Wang, telling him that he could go back to work. After Mr. Wang Zhiqi worked for several months, the CCP's plot was exposed.
On the morning of December 8, 2008, the Tangshan Municipal State Security Division chief Zhou, police officer Zhang Zhiming from Xishan Local Police Station of Kailuan Police Department and other officers arrested Mr. Wang at work without showing any legal documents and took him to the Tangshan Second Detention Center.
That afternoon, the family went to Mr. Wang's employer to inquire about his whereabouts. The employer deceived the family, saying that Mr. Wang was taken by the Qiaoxi Local Police Station, Tangjiazhuang, Guye District. His wife was extremely worried and rushed to the police station to inquire, but she was told that the police station simply didn't know where Mr. Wang was. His wife returned to his employer and continued to press him for answers. Under the constant pressure, the employer told her that Mr. Wang Zhiqi was taken to the Tangshan Second Detention Center. His family went back to his employer every day demanding his release.
On December 16, 2008, when his family brought money and clothes to Mr. Wang, they were informed that he had been transferred several days previous. His family anxiously returned to his employer to find out Mr. Wang's whereabouts. It was not until 8:30 that evening that a person with the surname Zhang from the Tangshan Municipal State Security Division arrived at Mr. Wang's work unit to tell them that he had been taken to the Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp. Zhang claimed that Mr. Wang was sentenced to two years of forced labor on December 10, 2008 and was subsequently taken to Shijiazhuang on December 12, 2008.
Mr. Wang's family members asked why Mr. Wang was sentenced to forced labor, and why this would be done without informing his family and his employer. They demanded to know how this could be done without any evidence or any legal basis, and how these illegal acts could be secretly carried out.
Responsible personnel:
The Tangshan Municipal State Security Division 610 Office, Zhou Jinglin: 86-315-2530002 (Office) 86-315-2836588, 86-315-2236588 (Home), 86-13832980005 (Cell)
Zhang Zhiming from Xishan Local Police Station of Kailuan Police Department
The Party Secretary of Mr. Wang's employer, Gong Bingquan: 86-315-3662900
(Clearwisdom.net) Today's News from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 29 cities or counties in 13 provinces. In this report, 26 practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention and at least 27 practitioners were illegally arrested.
1. [Rongcheng City, Shandong Province] Ms. Du Chengying Tortured to Near Death
On November 14, 2008, Ms. Du Chengying, from Weihai City, Shandong Province, was handing out brochures and telling others about the facts of the persecution at a farmers market in Datuan Town. Officers from the Domestic Security Division of the Rongcheng City Police Department took her to the Rongcheng City Detention Center. Ms. Du went on a hunger strike. Within five days, she was tortured to the verge of death. On November 19, the detention center officials, afraid of being held responsible, notified Ms. Du's family to come and take her home.
On December 9, twenty days after Ms. Du returned home, Xing Jianping, from the Domestic Security Division of the Rongcheng City Police Department, under orders from Liu Qiang, head of the 610 Office, took Ms. Du to the Rongcheng City Detention Center. When her family confronted the police about the reason for her detention, the police said it was because she did not sign a guarantee statement.
On December 11, her family went to visit her at the detention center and the officials told them that she had been taken to the Wangcun Women's Forced Labor Camp the day before. An 18-month forced labor term was issued by the Rongcheng City 610 Office. Labor camp officials scolded officers from the 610 Office: "How could someone who is about to die be brought to this place!" After force-feeding Ms. Du, the labor camp guards carried her to a restroom. She was given a wooden plank and a piece of cardboard to sleep on but no blanket or sheet. Two inmates with drug abuse charges were assigned to keep an eye on her. The inmates cursed and beat Ms. Du. Ms. Du continued to resist the persecution and returned home on December 18.
2. [Beijing] Ms. Zhang Muwen from Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province Taken into Custody in Beijing
In September 2008, Ms. Zhang Muwen from Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, went to Beijing on a tour and was taken into custody. Her family has been trying to locate her for months. They have not been told her whereabouts and have not been allowed to see her. Recently, local police officers asked her husband to sign a piece of paper. They told him that she had been detained for 15 days in Beijing because some brochures and a memory stick with some Falun Gong contents were found in her bag. The police lied to him and told him that she would be released if he signed the paper. However, Ms. Zhang has remained in police custody. Her family has not received any legal documents or anything in writing. She has contracted hepatitis while being held in the detention center.
3. [Wudi County, Shandong Province] Mr. Huang Shaoyao Taken into Custody by the 610 Office
Mr. Huang Shaoyan, from Chezhen Township in Wudi County, Shandong Province, was doing business in Dongli District, Tianjin. At around 10:00 a.m. on December 9, 2008, he went to the Commerce and Trade Market in Dongli District to make deliveries. Officers from the 610 Office took him into custody. His whereabouts remain unknown.
4. [Chongqing City] Mr. Deng Fushou Faces Trial
Mr. Deng Fushou, in his fifties, has been held at the Huayansi Detention Center in Jiulongpo District since being taken into custody in June 2009. Mr. Deng was scheduled to be tried by the Jiulongpo District Court at 2:00 p.m. on December 29.
Tribunal Director: 86-23-68159910
Wu Can, judge: 86-23-68152822
Chu Haotian, Zheng Jing, officials responsible for the case at the Procuratorate: 86-23-89062077 (Office)
Xiang Longxi, officer at the High and New Technology District Police Station in Chongqing City who took Mr. Deng into custody: 86-138-83537022 (Cell)
5. [Jiaonan City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhang Bingmei, Ms. Ding Shouxiang, Ms. Feng Xiuchun and Ms. Wu Shuihua Receive Heavy Sentencing
Ms. Zhao Bingmei, Ms. Ding Shouxiang, Ms. Feng Xiuchun and Ms. Wu Shuihua, who live in Jiaonan City, were taken into custody by the Jiaonan police on April 5, 2008. On April 15, they were taken to the Dashan Detention Center in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. At 9:00 a.m. on August 18, the Jiaonan City Court held a trial involving the four practitioners at the Dashan Detention Center. Four attorneys, including Mr. Du Xiangzhong, volunteered to defend the innocence of the four practitioners. The judge sentenced Ms. Zhao, Ms. Ding, and Ms. Feng each to seven years in prison, and Ms. Wu to three years in prison. Four months later, the Jiaonan City Court upheld the original sentencing. On December 22, the four practitioners were transferred to Jinan City Prison after being unlawfully held for eight months in the Dashan Detention Center.
6. [Pingdu City, Shandong Province] Ms. Jiang Caifang Taken into Custody; 15,000 Yuan Extorted From Her Family
Ms. Jiang Caifang, 38, lives in Zhuanxiqiu Village, Wanjia Town, Pingdu City, Shandong Province. At around 8:30 a.m. on December 24, 2008, Liu Jie, from the Pingdu City Police Department, Yu Tao, director of the Wanjia Town Police Station, and half a dozen police officers smashed through the door at Ms. Jiang's home. They ransacked her home, confiscated a computer, a camcorder, a cellular phone, some Falun Dafa books, brochures, and DVDs. Ms. Jiang was cooking at the time and continued to cook while she told the police the facts about the persecution. Two officers dragged her to the police vehicle and threw her into it without saying a word. Ms. Jiang was taken to the Wanjia Town Police Station where officers took turns kicking and punching her during an interrogation. An officer named Wang Xizhou pulled her hair and slapped her repeatedly. When Ms. Jiang asked him his name, he started cursing Falun Gong and hit her even harder. Officers Xu Zengcai and Liu Jie punched her to the ground and took turns kicking her.
The Wanjia Town Police Station is notorious for its brutal treatment of practitioners. Ms. Jiang's family went to the police the same afternoon and asked for her release. Yu Tao, the police station director, demanded 400 yuan from them right away. He swindled her family into paying 20,000 yuan in exchange for her release. Ms. Jiang's family borrowed money from various sources and came up with 15,000 yuan. Ms. Jiang was not released until 7:00 p.m. that evening. Ms. Jiang's family lives on a shoestring and their financial situation has worsened since having money extorted from them by the police.
7. [Changchun City, Jilin Province] Ms. Wang Xiuyun Held in Prison
Ms. Wang Xiuyun, 46, lives in the Niangniangmiao area in Chejia Village, Luyuan District, Changchun City. On October 20, 2008, the Luyuan District Domestic Security Division took her into custody. She has been held at the Shuangyang No. 3 Prison in Changchun City. Ms. Wang has suffered from numerous illnesses; however, all her illnesses vanished after she started practicing Falun Gong. When the police took her into custody, they also confiscated a computer and a typewriter. Her family has been denied visits for two months.
8. [Meihekou City, Jilin Province] Ms. Li Suyuan Manages to Escape after Being Taken into Police Custody
On December 23, 2008, officers in the Tonghua area in Jilin Province and those from the Xiaoyang Township Police Station unlawfully arrested Mr. Wang Jian, Mr. Ding Yufeng and Ms. Shi Chunxiang in Shancheng Town, Heihekou City, Jilin Province. At around 3:00 p.m. on December 24, You Hongtao, Wu Zhigang (badge number 530482), Sun Yanying and another officer from the Shancheng Town Police Department arrived at the Yuzeng Underwear and Socks Mart where Ms. Li Suyuan works. The four officers tore off Ms. Li's clothes in public and took her to the Shancheng Town Police Department. The police confiscated her cellular phone. At around 5:00 p.m. Ms. Li Suyuan managed to escape.
9. [Siping City, Jilin Province] Ms. Ai Lianxiang, Ms. Wei Guiqin, and Two Other Practitioners Taken into Custody
At around 4:00 p.m. on December 23, 2008, local police officers and residential community officials received reports and went to a rented room where Ms. Ai Lianxiang, Ms. Wei Guiqin, Ms. Li Shufen and Ms. Li Shuchun lived. The officers took the four practitioners to the Siping Detention Center.
10. [Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Duo Tao's Whereabouts Remain Unknown
Mr. Duo Tao, from Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, is an architectural engineer in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. Between July 10 and July 20, about a month before the Beijing Olympic Games began, he was taken into custody by the local police at his home in Zhuhai City. His whereabouts remain unknown. His wife Ms. Liu Di, also a Falun Dafa practitioner, was taken into custody in March or April 2007. She has been held at the Sanshui Forced Labor Camp in Guangdong Province. The couple has no family or relatives in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province.
11. [Miyun County, Beijing] Ms. Yang Guirong Taken into Custody
Ms. Yang Guirong, who lives in Jingziyu Village, Miyun County, Beijing, was turned in to the police. She was taken to the Miyun Detention Center on December 21, 2008. Ms. Yang gave out the name of a fellow practitioner, Ms. Li Jinglian. On December 24, Ms. Li was taken from her relatives' home in Tong County, Beijing to the Miyun Detention Center.
12. [Zhongjiang County, Sichuan Province] Ms. Lu Xiurong, Ms. Tian Yuxiu and Two Other Practitioners Face Trial
Ms. Lu Xiurong, Ms. Tian Yuxiu, Ms. Wang Xiaomei and Qi Xiaoping (gender unknown) remain in custody at the Zhongjiang County Detention Center in Sichuan Province. The local court is planning a trial. On December 18, the Zhongjiang Court interrogated the practitioners in preparation for the trial.
Zhu Taiju (gender unknown) and another 18-year-old practitioner are being held at the Jingyang District Detention Center in Deyang City, Sichuan Province. The Jingyang District Court took orders from the 610 Office and unlawfully sentenced Zhu to three years in prison.
Zhang Yong, head of the Domestic Security Division of the Zhongjiang County Police Department in Deyang City, Sichuan Province: 86-159-83839998 (Cell), 86-838-7208499
Zhou Hongliang, political instructor
Zheng Min, deputy head of the Domestic Security Division: 86-838-7209666, 86-139-80117668 (Cell)
Huang Ying, head of the No. 1 Team of the Domestic Security Division: 86-838-7201362, 86-139-80117668 (Cell)
Chen Jiaguo, head of the No. 2 Team of the Domestic Security Division: 86-838-7209030
Office of the Domestic Security Division: 86-838-7209030
13. [Yinan County, Shandong Province] Ms. Xue Li Taken into Custody; Her Home Searched
Ms. Xue Li was taken into custody. It has been confirmed that her home in Yinan County was searched. The police confiscated a computer, a printer, DVDs and Falun Gong brochures.
Li Xiaofeng, head of the Yinan County 610 Office: 86-138-54959994 (Cell)
Ma Chenglong, head of the Domestic Security Division: 86-135-73945281 (Cell)
Xue Yunbo, deputy chief of the police department and director of the 610 Office: 86-136-05497379 (Cell)
Yu Shoumei, wife of Xue Yunbo: 86-138-64952296 (Cell)
Huang Bangtao, detention center director: 86-138-53988069 (Cell)
14. [Xiangfan City, Hubei Province] Mr. Chen Xinan Recently Sentenced to Three Years in Prison by Fancheng District Court
Fancheng District Procuratorate: 86-710-3248077, 86-710-3236772, 86-710-3233497
Office of the Fancheng District Court: 86-710-3222849
Office of Xiangfan City Procuratorate: 86-710-3569923
Office of the Xiangfan City Intermediate Court: 86-710-3515066, 86-710-3511664
15. [Qingdao City, Shandong Province] Ms. Liu Hengping Taken into Custody
Ms. Liu Hengping has been forced to stay away from her hometown due to the persecution. She found a job with a rental agency in Qingdao City, Shandong Province and lived there. It seems someone Ms. Liu knows became jealous of her work performance. On December 16, 2008, that person cursed and yelled at her in public, and then framed her and turned her in to the police. Officers from the Jinhu Road Police Station in Nan District, Qingdao City took Ms. Liu into custody. She is currently being held at the No. 3 Team of the Dashan Detention Center in Qingdao City.
A preliminary investigation has indicated that Guo Yongjun and Liu Xuyun at the detention center are the guards in charge of Ms. Liu. Their telephone number is 86-532-82901610.
16. [Linzhang County, Hebei Province] Ms. Guo Huabin Taken into Custody and Held at the Linzhang County Detention Center
On the morning of December 9, 2008, Mr. Guo Huabin was on her way from her home in Nangang Village to visit with relatives at her mother's home in Nandongfang Town, Linzhang County, Hebei Province. Li Shuang, Zhang Xuming and other officers from the Linzhang County Domestic Security Division took her into custody in broad daylight. Ms. Guo is being held at the Linzhang County Detention Center.
17. [Benxi City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Zhang Shu'e Taken to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp
Ten days after Ms. Zhang Shu'e, from Benxi City, was taken into custody, she was transferred to the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp for refusing to give up the practice of Falun Gong.
18. [Diaobingshan City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Hu Ying from Tieling City Secretly Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison by Diaobingshan Court
On December 25, Ms. Hu's family arrived at the Diaobingshan Court to inquire about her situation. The court officials told them that she had been sentenced to seven years in prison. Her family asked why they did not receive any notice regarding the trial. The court officials replied that notifying the family was not required if the plaintiff was over 18 years old. Ms. Hu's family asked to see her. The officials said the request would not to be considered before January 1, 2009. Her family is worried about her health.
19. [Fushun City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Qi Caimei and Ms. Tang Shuxiang Brutally Force-Fed at Detention Center
Ms. Qi Caimei and Ms. Tang Shuxiang, from Fushun City, stayed on a hunger strike after being taken into custody. They were brutally force-fed at the Nangou Detention Center in Fushun City. Ms. Tang's life was in imminent danger. She was taken to the Mining Affairs Hospital in Fushun City. She went home with her family at noon on December 24.
20. [Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province] Mr. Wang Yuqing Taken into Custody by Raoyang Police Station in Jinzhou City
At around 7:00 p.m. on December 24, 2008, Mr. Wang Yuqing was giving out brochures across from the city's Christian church. Three plainclothes police officers showed up and took him to the Raoyang Police Station. At the police station, a team head with the surname Ding and an officer with the surname Yu put a rope around Mr. Wang's neck and lifted him off the ground. He almost suffocated. Ding and Yu also brutally beat him. Mr. Wang suffered injuries to his internal organs along with several bruises on his body. He was taken to the city detention center. Officers at the Raoyang Police Station confiscated a deposit receipt worth 4,900 yuan, a motorcycle, his motorcycle driver's license, a cellular phone, and his residential identification card. The police also searched his home.
21. [Wafangdian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Jinhua and Ms. Gao Shuyun Taken into Custody
Ms. Liu Jinhua and Ms. Gao Shuyun, from Lidian Town in Wafangdian City, were turned in to the police while handing out brochures with persecution facts in the Datian Town area of Pulandian City. Local police officers took the two practitioners into custody.
22. [Wafangdian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Tan Guodi Taken to Brainwashing Center
At 8:00 a.m. on December 24, 2008, Ms. Tan Guodi, from Songshu Town in Wafangdian City, Liaoning Province, was taken to a brainwashing center by state security officers from Dalian City and police officers from the local Songshu Police Station.
23. [Liaoyang County, Liaoning Province] Ms. Yang Qing, from Anshan City, Taken to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp
Ms. Yang Qing, from Anshan City, was taken into custody by officers from the Wayao Police Station in Liaoyang County. She has been unlawfully sentenced to 15 months of forced labor and her family was not notified. Ms. Yang is being held at the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Liaoning Province. Her family did not know about her sentence until recently when they went to the labor camp to visit her. The labor camp guards rudely rejected their request for visitation. One guard viciously claimed that they would not be able to see her unless she gave up her belief.
Han Jian, director of the Wayao Police Station in Liaoyang County: 86-419-3302303
24. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Zhang Zhijie Taken into Custody
Ms. Zhang Zhijie, almost 70 years old, lives in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. On December 26 (or December 25), she might have been turned in to the police while telling others about the persecution of Falun Gong. It has been reported that there was a torch relay in Harbin City on December 26 for the 24th Winter Universiade. Plainclothes police officers were dispatched to numerous sites in the city.
25. [Huludao City, Liaoning Province] Ms. He Fengyun and Ms. Xin Guirong Taken into Custody; Their Homes Searched
On December 26, 2008, Ms. He Fengyun and Ms. Xin Guirong were turned in to the police while they were telling others the facts about the persecution. Officers from the Dong Street Police Station in Longgang District searched the two practitioners' homes on Dong Street in Longgang District, Huludao City.
Ma Donghe, deputy director of the Dong Street Police Station in Longgang District, Huludao City: 86-138-42996449 (Cell)
Chen Jiuzhi, officer at the Dong Street Police Station: 86-138-98796363 (Cell)
Dong Street Police Station: 86-429-3172552, 86-429-2097581
26. [Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province] Two Practitioners Taken into Custody
The torch relay for the 24th Winter Universiade was to reach Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province on December 25. At around 3:00 p.m. on December 24, 2008, a dozen police officers from the Jiamusi City Police Department and from the local police department and station arrived in three police vehicles at Ms. Yuan Yuqin's home. After deceiving the people inside into opening the door for them, the officers forced their way in. They confiscated portraits of the founder of Falun Gong and brochures with Falun Gong contents. They were accused of violating the law and officers forcibly took the two practitioners into custody using the excuse that they were looking for someone. The two practitioners were taken to the police station. After the practitioners were interrogated, the officers took out a camera and tried to take pictures. The practitioners did not cooperate and no pictures were taken. At 8:00 p.m., the officers took the two practitioners to the city's women and children's hospital for physical examinations. The two practitioners refused the exams and were taken back to the police station. The two practitioners sat in the office under the surveillance of four police officers throughout the night. At 4:00 p.m. the following day, the police station received orders that the two practitioners were to be released.
27. [Xuyong County, Sichuan Province] Ma Yuliang, a Domestic Security Officer, Abuses a Practitioner Again
At noon on December 20, Ms. Fan Shizhi gave a driver a copy of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party near a bridge by the Dingshui Middle School. The driver turned her in to the police. Ma Yuliang, an officer of the Domestic Security Division, forcibly pushed Ms. Fan into a police vehicle. The police searched her home and took pictures of her. Several hours later, Ms. Fan, in her sixties, was released.
28. [Zibo City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhang Yuxiang in Linzi District Taken to Forced Labor Camp for Second Time
Ms. Zhang Yuxiang, 43, works at the Qilu Petrochemical Company. She was framed and turned in to the police. In mid-December 2008, agents of the 610 Office at the Lizi Police Department sentenced her to 18 months of forced labor. Ms. Zhang is being held at the Wangcun Forced Labor Camp. She has been taken into custody several times by officers of the Qidu Police Department, which is in charge of the suppression of Falun Gong practitioners at the Qilu Petrochemical Company. She was taken to a psychiatric facility, a brainwashing center, a detention center and then a forced labor camp. This is the second time she has been taken to a forced labor camp.
29. [Yichun City, Jiangxi Province] Ms. Li Shuixiang Taken to Prison
Ms. Li Shuixiang, around 40 years old, is from Nanmu Township in Yichun City, Jiangxi Province. She used to work as a maid in a practitioner's home. After the suppression started in 1999, the practitioner was arrested for telling others about the persecution and later unlawfully sentenced to three years of forced labor. Ms. Li was also sentenced to three years of forced labor for not turning the practitioner in to the police. After being released at the end of the 3-year term, Ms. Li left Yichun City to avoid police harassment and went to Xinyu City in Jiangxi Province to work as a maid. In recent years, she returned to Yichun City and was selling bean curd on the street. She continued to tell others the facts of the persecution while persuading them to withdraw from the Communist Party and its affiliated organizations. Around August 2008, when the Olympic Games were being held in Beijing, police followed her and arrested her as she was distributing brochures in the streets. She was held at the Xicun area in Yichun City where she was forced to engage in labor. She has refused to be "transformed" or give out the names of other practitioners. It has been reported that recently, she was taken to a prison or labor camp in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province.
30 [Wanzai County, Jiangxi Province] Ms. Xiong Meiying and Ms. Zhong Longhua from Wanzai County Taken into Police Custody for Distributing Brochures and Copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party
31. [Yibin City, Sichuan Province] Nanxi County Court to Place Practitioners on Trial
The Nanxi County Court has assisted the county 610 Office (also known as the Comprehensive Management Office), the Political Judiciary Committee, and the Nanxi County Procuratorate in persecuting several practitioners who were unlawfully arrested around August 2008, when the Olympic Games were held in Beijing. The practitioners have been held at the Nanxi County Detention Center. The Nanxi County Court was to put the detained practitioners on trial between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on December 29. Mr. Huang Hua, Mr. Chen Lixiang, Ms. Song Shufen, and Mr. Wu remain in custody at the detention center.
Nanxi County Procuratorate in Yibin City, Sichuan Province: 86-831-3322904
Tang Shenghua, in charge of the case at the Nanxi County Court: 86-831-3322772
Yi Qiang, head of the Nanxi County Comprehensive Management Office (the 610 Office): 86-139-09093428 (Cell)
Li Zeming, officer at the Domestic Security Division: 86-135-08199218
610 Office of the Nanxi County State Security Department: 86-831-3334611
Nanxi County Detention Center: 86-831-3334790
32. [Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province] Mr. Zhang Litian's Family Continues to Investigate the Cause of His Death
Mr. Zhang was tortured to death at the Jinzhou Prison. On December 25, 2008, Mr. Zhang Litian's younger brother went to the Chengjiao Procuratorate in Jinzhou City again. The younger brother found Liu Fei, who was in charge of Mr. Zhang's case. Liu asked Mr. Zhang, "Why are you here again?" Mr. Zhang replied, "The Jinzhou City Procuratorate sent me here to talk about the forensic analysis." Liu Fei rudely told him that because he had not paid money when he was told to do so at the beginning, it was now too late.
Mr. Zhang said that the family was going to find an impartial organization to conduct the forensic analysis. He considered it unreasonable that the Procuratorate and the prison, which was responsible for his elder brother's abnormal death, were insisting that the forensic analysis be carried out by a local forensic expert who was appointed by them. This excluded any forensic expert that might be hired by the family. He was especially concerned that his elder brother's body remained in the hands of the prison. Liu Fei insisted that no one other than their appointed forensic expert was allowed to be present. Mr. Zhang pointed out that Cheng Jun, head of the No. 20 Ward, Zhang Baozhi of the Jinzhou Prison, and two inmates were murder suspects. He pointed out that the Procuratorate officials were abusing their power by covering up the murder by authorizing the prison authorities to steal the corpse.
Mr. Zhang Litian's family and relatives are determined to bring the murderers to justice, regardless of what it takes and how long it takes.
33. [Yongnian County, Hebei Province] Ms. Qiao Qiaoshu in the Xuezhuang Area Sentenced to Two Years in Prison and Taken to the Shijiazhuang Women's Prison
(Clearwisdom.net) My son started reading "Zhuan Falun" when he was five, one or two paragraphs per day, or three to four paragraphs when his xinxing was good. He is almost six now and can recognize most of the characters in the book. He learned his characters from reading Zhuan Falun. Even when he was three, my wife pointed out the characters to him and read to him. Nowadays, the three of us read three to four pages of Zhuan Falun every evening and memorize two poems from Hong Yin. In addition, my son follows the exercise VCD with Teacher's instructions and does all the standing exercises from Monday through Friday. On the weekends he does the sitting exercise for 20-30 minutes.
Compared to a year ago, my son has a better understanding of Fa principles and has become firm in his cultivation. He is also doing the three things. However, as he grows up, his mind is getting more complicated. He has picked up some bad behavior from his kindergarten class and is sometimes very short-tempered. When his demon nature takes over, he is not very respectful of Dafa. He gets angry and slaps the desk when we remind him to sit properly and do the exercises properly. For a long time, we did not know what to do. We either yelled at him, spanked him, or gave up on him, which we knew was not right.
We asked ourselves, "When we think that our son is not doing well, are we looking at it from our own perspectives? Are we in line with the Fa ourselves? How does Teacher treat us when we have strong attachments? Was it severe punishment or bountiful compassion that moved us to tears and motivated us to advance more diligently?" In fact, my son was able to finish the five sets of exercises at other practitioners' homes. I thought hard about it and found that my son's state was a reflection of my attachments. When I am pure in mind, my son is a very good practitioner.
1. Faith in Teacher
My son's grandmother was against his doing the exercises. She was afraid that due to my son's showoff mentality, he would say something he should not at school and cause trouble. As soon as she saw him doing the exercises or studying the Fa, she would ask him to do something else. Sometimes she was very stern with him. So, my son would close the door when he did the exercises. When his grandma came into his room, he would stop. Later on, I asked him, "When you were scared, did you think about Teacher?" He said that he forgot. A few days later, he did it again. I reminded him to call for Teacher. He said he wasn't sure if it would be useful. I held his hand and said, "How do you know that it will not work since you have not even tried?" He agreed to try next time, but he wanted me to be there.
One day when he was doing the exercises, the door abruptly opened. My son looked at me with fear on his face. His grandma was standing at the door. I signaled for him to continue. She walked towards him and stood behind him. His legs were trembling and he was going to put his arms down. He turned to look at me. I reminded him to call for Teacher. Then he stood tall and relaxed. His grandma did not get upset and smiled, "Oh, you are rather dedicated. I will not bother with you anymore. Go ahead and practice." My son was very excited. He came to understand what it means to have faith in Teacher.
My son's grandmother is a doctor. When he was sick, she thought that he had to take medication. Every time he had illness karma, my wife and I sent forth righteous thoughts to clear out the interference. When it did not have an effect right away, his grandmother would force him to take some medication, using candy and toys as a lure or scaring him by threatening not to take him out to play. My son would just follow along and said that Grandma's candies were tasty. We talked to him and asked him to think about what cultivation truly is and what illness means to cultivators and reminded him to remember Teacher when he is being pressured by his grandma.
On the second day, he told his grandma that he was not sick and at the same time thought about Teacher. Grandma did not insist anymore. This incident further increased his faith in Teacher. A few days ago, my son was home alone when there was a blackout. When we got home, he was very excited to tell us that Teacher gave him a test by having him be alone in a dark room. He said that he was not scared because he had Teacher in his mind. Having faith in Teacher had firmly rooted in his mind.
We think that all that has happened to our son has to do with our cultivation. We have had many arguments with my mother on such issues for a long time. When we can be calm and my son can have firm faith, all interference is gone. This is really a case of "Cultivation depends on one's own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one's master."(Zhuan Falun)
2. Studying the Fa
Our son has studied the Fa with us for over two months. At first, he would heshi to Teacher's portrait before we started and was very attentive in reading the Fa. After a while, he slacked off. He only paid attention when he was reading and when others read, he was absentminded. He became upset when we reminded him to remain focused. We wasted a lot time on it, which was frustrating. One day, I calmed down and really looked inward to see what was bothering us. I wondered if we saw raising a young practitioner as a task to meet our own needs; once we accomplish the task of teaching him the Fa, we send him to sleep and we can do other things. Our selfishness was reflected in his only paying attention when he was reading.
3. Producing informational materials
In the past, we made truth clarification materials when my son was asleep because we were afraid that he would tell others what we were doing. We were very limited as a result. A fellow practitioner suggested that our son do it with us. Our son was so happy when we invited him to join us so we asked him to thank Teacher for that. It was the most exciting thing for him to do, more exciting than watching cartoons or playing computer games. He became very experienced in burning CDs. He did it while singing Dafa songs. He was very lovely and pure when he worked.
Recently, he has been lax. Whenever he has time, he watches VCDs for children and plays computer games and does not want to make materials. I realized that I am not doing well in my cultivation. A great deal of interference has prevented me from paying attention to him. I sometimes forced him to turn off the children's program that he was watching. He became rebellious. We did not really spend much time with him. He was so happy when we actually sat down to read with him, do wooden puzzles, tell stories with him, but we could not do this too often. We kept telling him, "You are a little practitioner and different from other kids. We don't have much time to play with you but you should get rid of your attachments to play." He would agree but still wanted to play a bit more.
When he misbehaves, we tend to scold him, spank him, or send forth righteous thoughts. It works some of the time. However, sometimes it even has an opposite effect. At these times, we forget to cultivate ourselves. We forget that "as a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at--you must be tolerant. Otherwise, what kind of practitioner will you be?" (Zhuan Falun)
When we only want to change others instead of ourselves, that is the manifestation of the old cosmos' beings, which is what we need to correct. There is also sentimentality involved: "You are my son. I raised you and I push you to study and do the exercises for your own good. You have to listen to me." Think about what Teacher has done for us and His compassion. Think about what Teacher said,
"I often say that if all a person wants is the well-being of others and if this is without the slightest personal motivation or personal understanding, what he says will move the listener to tears. I have not only taught you Dafa, but have also left you my demeanor. While working, your tone of voice, your kindheartedness, and your reasoning can change a person's heart, whereas commands never could! " ("Clearheadedness" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
We must wake up and cultivate ourselves in how we treat our child. When children misbehave and cause us to feel uneasy, we should look for what made our hearts move and calm ourselves down. We should communicate with our children more often and encourage them to point out what it is that we did wrong. When we can elevate in the Fa, our children's behavior is usually good.
The above are my personal cultivation experiences. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
(Clearwisdom.net) Prior to the Olympics, there were thousands of Falun Gong practitioners arrested by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This is a crime committed by the Communist regime against Falun Gong practitioners. The Olympics were over four months ago but many practitioners are still being illegally detained. Besides the forced labor camp persecution, there has been additional illegal sentencing of Falun Gong practitioners recently.
In November and December 2008, twelve practitioners were illegally sentenced in Shuangyashan City, Helongjiang Province. Practitioner Wang Haiyang was sentenced to four years, Dong Mingfeng three years, Guo Shuzhen seven years, Wang Yaojun yet to be confirmed, Liu Junzhong ten years, Wang Junhong ten years, Yu Zhanhong nine years, Tian Xiaoxuan eight years, Jiang Jie seven years, Meng Xianguo seven years, Wang Yarong seven years, Tian Chengjun five years and Jiang Guifu four years. Four of them are women over sixty years old.
On November 13, 2008, the Lianshan District Court in Huludao City, Liaoning Province sentenced practitioners Li Mingyan to eleven years and Li Yanqun to ten years. In December, the Beixin District Court of Liaoning Province sentenced practitioners Wang Shumei to ten years, Xi Changhai eleven years, Sun Yushu eight years and Huo Defu six years.
In December 2008, Qiaodong Court of Xingtai City, Hebei Province illegally sentenced seven practitioners. Qian Wanyun was sentenced to eight years, Wang Jinshan eight years, Zhang Zhihong six years, Wu Sanbai four years, Tian Shuzhen three years, Hao Bushen three years and Yin Shunfeng three years.
Why are these practitioners still being detained even after the Olympics? Is it because we have been slacking off in clarifying the truth or we have not clarified the truth clearly enough? I feel that since the end of the Olympics, many practitioners, including myself, have not been paying close enough attention to the practitioners arrested due to the Olympics. Practitioners in China should learn from the lessons of these illegal sentences. Some of the practitioners being sentenced are being considered assistants. If we cannot truly improve as one body and cultivate from the perspective of the Fa, and if we merely rely on individual practitioners' influence, the old forces will take advantage of us and use this to undermine our determination in practicing Dafa. Their excuse is for us to truly become independent and eliminate the attachment to relying on others.
Our normal and righteous state should be that as long as the persecution continues, we should never stop clarifying the truth. Now, it is imperative to rescue practitioners being persecuted in China. Overseas practitioners have only been focusing on individual cases when exposing the persecution instead of holistically viewing the situation due to the Olympics. We hope overseas practitioners can focus more on this recent illegal sentencing of Falun Gong practitioners.
(Clearwisdom.net) My mother-in-law started to practice Falun Gong in 1996. Before becoming a practitioner, her health was very poor. She often suffered from insomnia and frequent vomiting. She retired in her 40s because of her poor health. After she started practicing Falun Gong, her health was restored completely.
In the spring of 2003, after I met my wife, my mother-in-law introduced Falun Gong to me and hoped I would practice, too. At that time, the Chinese Communist Party had been persecuting Falun Gong for four years. Due to my mother-in-law's explanations, I learned that Falun Gong had been vilified by the CCP.
After hearing what my mother-in-law had to say about Falun Gong, I had a positive impression about it. However, I still regarded it as a common qigong practice and planned to start practicing after I retired. In the summer of 2003, my wife's rhinitis became very severe, and small bumps grew inside her nose. There was no specific medicine for rhinitis, and it was hard to cure. What could we do?
Actually, my mother-in-law's experience had demonstrated the miracle of Falun Gong. Before 1999, my wife practiced Falun Gong, too, but she stopped when the CCP started to persecute it. Following my mother-in-law's advice, my wife resumed practicing Falun Gong. In order to encourage her to practice, I also started. I was not at all diligent at the time. I mainly did the exercises. Although I read Zhuan Falun with them, it was not with my heart, and I was not quite convinced by what was said in the book. Even so, Falun Gong worked miracles on me and my wife. I used to have a runny nose whenever it was cold, but it never happened again after I started practicing Falun Gong, and my wife is clearly recovering from her rhinitis.
We named our son "Zenzen," and we hoped he would walk the path of cultivation in the future. Soon after he was born, my mother came to help us take care of him. My mother suffered from severe high blood pressure and could not do any housework. She also suffered from severe hemorrhoids and could not touch spicy foods at all. My mother-in-law had already expressed the hope that my mother would practice Falun Gong. This was just the right opportunity. My mother-in-law taught my mother the exercises, and she learned very quickly. When she heard Teacher's lectures, she believed immediately what Teacher taught. Miracles occurred. My mother's blood pressure went back to normal and her hemorrhoids disappeared. She does not need to avoid any foods, and she walks with more energy than before.
I was stunned by my mother's improvements. I knew clearly how poor my mother's health was, but it was miraculously restored after practicing Falun Gong. My wife and I started to be more diligent about studying Zhuan Falun and reciting Hong Yin, and we tried our best to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to our relatives and friends.
Later on, my father came to take care of our son for us. Through my mother's efforts, my father was also willing to practice Falun Gong. My mother-in-law taught him the movements, and my father read Zhuan Falun with us. My father had suffered from pain in his hip joints. Even on a very soft, thick mattress, he often woke up because of the pain. After practicing Falun Gong, the pain disappeared. Also, he was seriously addicted to drinking alcohol before, yet he gave it up for good after practicing Falun Gong.
Falun Gong miracles happened to my parents, which not only stunned my wife and me but also my younger sister and her husband. They also decided to practice Falun Gong.
Since I was young, I wished for good health for my parents. I tried many means, but all of them failed. Falun Gong made my wish come true. Falun Gong not only brings my family good health but also elevates my family member's thoughts. My wife always lived in the city and I came from a rural area. My wife and my parents are very different in their thoughts and habits, and my wife did not used to get along with my father very well. Dealing with the relationship between my parents and my wife became one of the big problems in our home. Fortunately, all of us practice Falun Gong now. Whenever there is a conflict, we try to be tolerant and look inward. Their relationship is improving. Now they can get along pretty well. Although there are still small conflicts, the discord passes quickly because everyone looks inward. Thus, we can also credit Falun Gong for the harmonious relationships in our family.
Of course, we still have shortcomings in cultivation. We will keep studying the Fa, practicing the exercises and clarifying the truth about Falun Gong. Our family's experience is clearly one example of Falun Gong being the path to health and harmony.
(Clearwisdom.net) The Singapore Divine Land Marching Band, composed of more than 60 Falun Gong practitioners from Singapore, performed for the public in East Coast Park at dusk on January 4, 2009. The band members, dressed in blue shirts and white pants, lined up neatly. The band drew attention from many locals and tourists.
Singapore Divine Land Marching Band performs in East Coast Park
Spectators give warm applause for the band's performance
The band performed "Falun Dafa Is Good," "Ode to Joy," "Fa Drums and Fa Trumpets Shake the World in Ten Directions," "The Fa Rectifies Heaven and Earth," "Delivering Precious Gifts," and "Joy to the World." The audience gave them a round of applause for their wonderful presentation.
People who were jogging or riding bikes and some tourists who were nearby stopped to find out more about the band. One person said, "Such a performance, such a scene, I have never seen before!" A little girl in bright-colored clothes, riding on her father's shoulders, clapped her hands and cheered for the performance.
An elderly woman who came from China, where Falun Gong is persecuted, was surprised as it was the first time that she had seen Falun Gong practitioners perform since she had come to Singapore to visit her relatives. A Frenchman said that he had learned Taichi before, and came over to ask the practitioners about Falun Gong.
After the performance, band member Ms. Li smiled brightly and said, "I feel great. And next time, the Singapore Divine Land Marching Band will do even better!" Mr. Chen, another band member, wiped his sweat away while speaking with smile. He said that in order to let more people in Singapore hear their performance and learn the facts about Falun Gong, he would be happy to make great efforts, no matter how tired and exhausted he feels.
(Clearwisdom.net) At around noon on August 15, 2007, when my wife and I were working in the vegetable garden, personnel from the Hengyang County 610 Office, the Jibing Town Political and Judiciary Committee, and the police station came to our home and surrounded it. The police also surrounded our garden. As we walked towards our home, two policemen followed me closely, so I signaled my wife to walk ahead. I asked Master to strengthen my righteous thoughts and not let the police see me because I cannot be taken away by them. My wife and I both managed to escape.
After we left, the police used hoes to break the windows and door of our house. Then they confiscated a computer, two printers, a DVD player, a CD-writer, paper cutters, 2,500 blank VCDs, 15 cases of A4 paper, 50 bottles of carbon powder, a photo of Teacher, Dafa books, truth-clarification materials and other items that were worth more than 20,000 yuan.
Twenty to thirty policemen were involved in this illegal action. Since they couldn't arrest us, they took away my son and my son-in-law, who is not a practitioner. They detained them at the county detention center for a month to try to force them to give out the names of practitioners that they knew. For three days, the police also closely monitored my home. On the second day, they held a local meeting for communist party members and requested everyone who attended to sign their names to remove me from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They also announced that anyone who reported us to the authorities would get a reward, and that we would be harshly sentenced if caught.
Since then, my wife and I have been destitute and homeless for almost a year. Before the Olympic Games, CCP personnel told me that I would be all right if I paid them an 8,000-yuan fine. However, I refused to cooperate with them. Later on, my son and my son-in-law paid them 2,000 yuan without informing me. The government authorities also forced them pay for a 700-yuan dinner for them. Prior to the Olympic Games, Hengyang City held a brainwashing session, and I was summoned to attend. I told them that I am a good citizen and did not violate any law, so I would not attend. As a result, they arrested my son-in-law and held him for three days. Later, my wife and I were able to return home safely.
Jibing Town Police Station: 86-734-6846883
Police Chief: Liu Xiangdong
Deputy Chief: Huang Wenbing
Instructor: Wei Fangping
Police officer Li Jianguo: 86-13762411856 (Cell)
Police officer Su Junjie
The Clearwisdom Review is a weekly newsletter, which highlights current information about the persecution, practitioners' activities worldwide, and the benefits of Falun Dafa. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide current and updated information about Falun Dafa in a brief and easily accessible format. Through new articles each week, the newsletter will strive to provide a balance of coverage on a range of topics relevant to Falun Gong. The newsletter can be downloaded in PDF format for viewing or distribution.
Download Clearwisdom Review 2008 Issue 50
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Lu Yaobin has to stay away from home to avoid another arrest, while his wife is still bedridden in the detention center due to mistreatment. With all of savings confiscated by the police, their two young daughters are left at home and unable to go to school.
Due to posting "Falun Dafa is Good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is Good" signs, Mr. Lin Huiguo was sentenced to three years in prison. His wife fainted after hearing the news, while she was still recovering from injuries caused by tortures in jail.
After long imprisonment and torture, Mr. Han is dying in a hospital but his family still has not been able to obtain a medical release.
Mr. Kang has not received proper medical attention for injuries suffered during his arrest.
The official claim of 'suicide' does not make sense given the facts. Ms. Cao's family wants an investigation of the cause of her death.
Mr. Niu Jiming, a disabled person who operates a tricycle 'taxi' to transport people, has been arrested and imprisoned just for transporting practitioners who were carrying Dafa materials. He has not received proper care for his disability while imprisoned.
Because of going on a hunger strike to protest the persecution, Mr. Zhang Litan was beaten to death by guards and inmates on November 17, 2008, just one month after being imprisoned in Jinzhou City Prison.
Clearwisdom.net and its Chinese-language sister-website (minghui.ca) provide first-hand reports about the horrors of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Dozens of reports are received every day from the victims of torture, the wrongfully imprisoned, and families crippled by the senseless hardship and grief for their loved ones imposed by the persecution. In contrast, the websites also report positive news and events from the more than 80 countries around the world where Falun Gong is practiced, and serve as an online forum for practitioners to share stories of the good things Falun Gong has brought to their lives. For more information, please contact editor@clearwisdom.net.