(Clearwisdom.net June 12)

[Editor's Note: This article was written by a non-practitioner and does not necessarily represent the understanding of Falun Gong practitioners.]

News from Xinhua News Agency on June 9th indicated that Falun Gong practitioners tried to become infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in order to spread it all over the country. Isn't that ridiculous? There was a comment on Sina Net BBS saying, "Zhang Wenkang (the former Minister of Health, who lied about the SARS epidemic) came out again! Show your evidence." Some people even directly referred to it as another sensational, "venomous scheme," concocted to frame Falun Gong. The truth is laid bare for all to see with this one utterly outrageous remark.

The Xinhua article also said that Falun Gong practitioners "boasted that practicing 'Falun Gong' would protect them from being infected by the SARS epidemic." Isn't this contradictory? If practicing Falun Gong protects people from being infected by the SARS epidemic, how could Falun Gong practitioners get infected by it and spread it all over the country?

The Xinhua News Agency said, Falun Gong practitioners "are spreading the so-called truth about the 'SARS Virus' by means of the Internet, making phone calls, sending faxes, and sending emails."

In fact, the information that Falun Gong practitioners disseminate about SARS is true. Many people in China have learned the truth about SARS from practitioners, especially before the Chinese government decided to publicly admit the rise of the epidemic of SARS in China on April 20th.

Since then, Falun Gong practitioners' exposure of Jiang, the prime culprit responsible for the cover-up of the SARS epidemic, has been beneficial in that it shows how the country is being run by using lies, and therefore helps to pinpoint the problem so that future tragedies can be avoided. This exposure touched the nerves of Jiang and his criminal group, which shows that the "truth clarification" of Falun Gong gets to the heart of the matter. That's why Jiang and his group of criminals are eager to concoct charges against Falun Gong in the name of the "SARS epidemic."

Have Falun Gong practitioners taken advantage of the SARS issue? Since July 1999, Falun Gong has been subject to lies and slander. Many Chinese people hate Falun Gong because of the lies and fabrications. The crackdown on Falun Gong and the SARS epidemic in China are both based on lies. The fact that Jiang covered up the truth about the epidemic, leading to the even more widespread outbreak of SARS in China and around the world, woke up many Chinese people who had been concerned only about their economic benefits, and had gradually forgotten about the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square event on June 4, 1989. They realized that the government's deceptive nature has not changed. Also, it is easy to remind Chinese people of the uncompensated injustice that Falun Gong has been subjected to during this time. Zhang Wenkang, the Minister of Health, told lies to the whole world, so how can Xinhua News Agency attacks against Falun Gong be convincing? Falun Gong practitioners expose the lies concerning the SARS issue in order to warn people to be on guard against the virus, and to arouse people's attention to the lies and slander used to attack Falun Gong. A murderer kills one person. If you don't stop him, he may become bold enough to kill a second person, and then another, and so on. Similarly, because we didn't stop Jiang when he fabricated facts to persecute Falun Gong, naturally he kept on telling lies and covering up the truth when it came to the SARS issue. If we don't step forward and expose him, he may go on with his lies in the future. Eventually it is the common people who are harmed. Therefore, what Falun Gong is doing to clarify the truth and expose the lies is truly a great cause, beneficial to the Chinese nationality in maintaining a long period of peace and stability. They deserve our respect.

It is absurd that Jiang pushed the whole country to the extreme in vilifying Falun Gong and staging the so-called "hanging themselves," "committing suicide," "self-immolation," and "going insane" incidences. It looks like Falun Gong is successfully running its course. In fact, for the past few years, Falun Gong has spread from China to several dozen countries, and it has become stronger and stronger. Falun Gong is printing newspapers, running radio and television stations, designing websites, breaking through internet blocks, clarifying the truth, and exposing Jiang's crimes, including his cover-up of the SARS virus. Now Falun Gong has even launched a global campaign to "Bring Jiang to Justice." Are these people obsessive types who "attempt suicide" as Jiang has portrayed? What Jiang fears is that these people are too clear in mind and righteous in behavior. This might be one of the reasons that Jiang and his accomplices have tried so hard to frame Falun Gong by means of the "SARS virus." As commented on the Sina BBS, "Why should they involve Falun Gong in everything?"

It is fortunate that people are clearer about the truth now. In the past, when the Xinhua News Agency framed Falun Gong with unfounded lies, many deceived people might have jumped out and supported the lies on the Internet. Presently, through the battle against the "SARS epidemic," people have begun to think about everything in a new way, "Is this just another scheme?"

Let's look at a typical commentary concerning whether Beijing is able to control SARS effectively. The spokesman from the Beijing Health Bureau explained "why the SARS virus has been effectively under control in Beijing," on March 26th. In less than a month, the Chinese government had to make public the epidemic situation in China under pressure from outside of China. Gao Qiang, the Deputy Minister of Health explained "why the SARS epidemic has not been under control in Beijing," on April 20th. Let's have a look at what they said.

The spokesman from the Beijing Health Bureau: "A complete virus monitoring network has been established in Beijing for a long time" (Indicating it is under control).

Gao Qiang, Deputy Minister of Health: "There is a lack of efficient connection among hospitals in Beijing" (Indicating it is not under control).

The spokesman from the Beijing Health Bureau: "A professional team has been formed and an examining laboratory has been set up to investigate and deal with the virus" (Indicating it is under control).

Gao Qiang, Deputy Minister of Health: "There have been inadequate preparations for unexpected public health problems" (Indicating it is not under control).

The spokesman from the Beijing Health Bureau: "We are able to deal with an epidemic and guarantee the safety and health of people in the capital city" (Indicating it is under control).

Gao Qiang, Deputy Minister of Health: "The epidemic prevention system is relatively weak" (Indicating it is not under control).

How could the Ministry of Health and the Beijing Health Bureau explain the situation in totally opposite ways!