My name is Levi Browde. I am an American, born and raised in the Southwestern United States. I now live in Manhattan with my wife and work at a software company on Wall Street. I am 29 years old.

I began practicing Falun Gong in the spring of 1999. It has brought me tremendous health, stronger and happier relationships with my family, and provided the energy and guidance to live my life based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance -- principles that are rooted in the best of China's traditional values and ancient heritage. The land of China is one of greatness, with a rich and full history. Falun Gong stems from this dignified history, allowing the traditional values of ancient times to resurface in people's lives once again.

Having discovered so much through Falun Gong, it was with great shock that I learned of the persecution against Falun Gong in China that officially began on July 20th, 1999, when the Chinese Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, banned the practice in China. What immediately followed the ban was an onslaught of propaganda, distortions of Falun Gong teachings and outright fabrications interwoven together into news stories broadcast throughout the country in an attempt to lend legitimacy to and gain support for the persecution. Having practiced and studied Falun Gong myself, I knew these stories were untrue, so it was somewhat difficult for me at first to fathom why a government leader would go to this extent to attack a peaceful spiritual practice. As the persecution unfolded, however, the real reasons for the persecution were soon brought to light by inside sources and international media:

1) Overwhelmingly popularity among Chinese people: According to government surveys carried out in 1997, between 70-100 million people in China had taken up the practice of Falun Gong since its introduction to the public in 1992. Jiang perceived this popularity as a threat to his power.

2) Rooted in traditional Chinese values: Although new to the public, Falun Gong has roots in ancient Chinese history, espousing traditional values. Jiang perceived this re-emergence of traditional values as a challenge to Communist ideology in the hearts and minds of the people.

Of particular concern in this persecution is that Jiang's regime has utilized all media resources throughout the world under his influence to distort and demonize the teachings of Falun Gong, so that throughout the world, people are made to mistrust or feel hatred toward Falun Gong and those who practice it. This causes governments, organizations and individuals throughout the world to hesitate to speak out against the persecution, resulting in greater loss of life as Jiang's regime is free to carry out the persecution with impunity.

The most dramatic example of this demonizing propaganda was how Jiang's regime capitalized on the self-immolation incident that took place on January 23rd, 2001, in which five individuals set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square. Jiang utilized this event to initiate a worldwide media campaign against Falun Gong, incorporating fabrications, lies, distortions of Falun Gong teachings and numerous other elements to play upon the fears of people so as to thoroughly demonize Falun Gong in a horrific manner.

Today, one year after the self-immolation incident took place, I have traveled to Beijing to identify and review countless discrepancies between the self-immolation propaganda, and the actual incident as it was caught on film (along with other facts provided by third party sources, such as CNN and the Washington Post), all of which clearly indicate the self-immolation incident was, in part or entirely, staged. In doing so, I hope the media and the world's people can have a more factual understanding about the self-immolation as well as the real situation facing Falun Gong in China under the persecution. At the same time, I believe by exposing the truth regarding this incident, many of the distorted views about Falun Gong that people today have fostered under the influence of the endless propaganda sent out by Jiang's regime will begin to unravel.

I am not against the Communist Party, nor am I against the Chinese government. On the contrary, I long to see a moral, stable and prosperous China. But given the rich and dignified culture of this great part of the world, I firmly believe this persecution of Falun Gong is ruining this grand land, bringing shame upon China and the Chinese people.

Let the Falun Gong practitioners practice peacefully. End the senselessness, end the brutality.

Sincerely,

Levi Browde