(Clearwisdom.net) Once a person benefits both physically and mentally from practicing Falun Gong, their families know it the best. The families of Falun Gong practitioners are thus very capable to judge whether Falun Gong is good or not.

However, due to the brutal and evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), many families of Falun Gong practitioners were driven to fear that their family members would be persecuted, and thus they tried to persuade them to stop practicing. However, as time passed, they could eventually see the truthful, compassionate, and forbearing characters of the Falun Gong practitioners, which in the end would change their minds. Many families now understand the persecution and when the CCP again tries to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, the families immediately stand up for them.

The stories below recently appeared on Minghui:

Son Appealed for His Mother

On February 11, 2012, Minghui published an article titled “Ms. Luo Minhu from Kunming, Yunnan Province Arrested by Police, Son Seeks Justice” (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2012/3/9/131985.html). Ms. Luo, a cleaning lady, worked for Kunming City Xinke Software Ltd. She was arrested on the morning of June 23, 2011, by officers from the Xishan Police Department and her home was ransacked. Her son Deng Jun was a college student at the time and he witnessed the police arresting his mother and taking her away. On the morning of June 30, one of the police officers who arrested Ms. Luo asked Deng to sign the paperwork. Deng refused and said, “My mother did not commit any crimes. Thus I refuse to sign this.”

Deng said, “My mother had many illnesses before, including hepatitis B and ascites. Her health was very bad. I was still young at the time. In order to pay for the medical treatment, my father even sold his tobacco. But my mother's illnesses were not cured. However, after she began practicing Falun Gong, all the illnesses disappeared and she did not take any medicine in over ten years. Her health is very good. She does things according to the principles of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance' and tries to be a good person everywhere. At work, she works very hard; at home, she is a very responsible mother. I know that Falun Gong has saved her and given me a kind and caring mother.”

As a college student, Deng has read the relevant laws and concluded that the CCP does not have any legal basis to back up the persecution of Falun Gong. The CCP is the real criminal. Deng appealed for her mother's arrest and asked for his mother's immediate release. He said in the appeal letter, “My mother is a good person. She did not do anything wrong by practicing Falun Gong. She did not do anything wrong by telling others that Falun Gong is good. She knows that it will put her in danger by telling others that Falun Gong is good, but she has benefited a lot from Falun Gong and she always thinks of others first.”

Father Appealed for His Daughter and Son-in-Law

On February 12, 2022, Minghui published an article titled “Yunnan's 70-Year Old Elder Appealed for Daughter and Son-in-Law” (http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2012/2/12/252943.html ). Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Liang Guofen and husband Mr. Liu Gufang from Luliang County, Yunnan Province were arrested in March 2010 by the 610 Office and police. Their home was ransacked. They were sentenced to 12 years and 7 years in prison, respectively. Ms. Liang's father told how Ms. Liang and Mr. Liu were persecuted. He said, “My daughter Liang Guofen had very bad health when she was young. In 1998 she began practicing Falun Gong and she quickly gained good health. She does things according to Falun Gong's principles 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance' and tries to be a good person everywhere. She is praised by all of our neighbors.”

“My son-in-law saw my daughter’s changes and was determined to start practicing Falun Gong, despite how the CCP began to slandering Falun Gong and persecuting Falun Gong practitioners in July 1999. He also follows the principle of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance'. He takes great care of elders and youths at home and never tricks his customers in his business. There are many customers who come to him from far away because they are aware of his honesty.”

“In the fall of 2010, I heard that the court was going to sentence my daughter and my son-in-law. Our entire family of more than ten people immediately went to the court. On the same day, four judges of Qujing City Court came to Luliang County court and opened a court session. The court did not notify us beforehand. We all know that my daughter and her husband did nothing wrong by practicing Falun Gong. They are all innocent. Thus all of us went. They did not make a decision during the court session.”

Wife Appealed for Husband

Minghui published another article titled “Husband Persecuted to Death; His Wife Ren Guifang Continued to Appeal” (http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2012/2/12/252961.html ). Falun Gong practitioner Wang Gang from Yihe Village, Zuozhou City, Hebei Province was persecuted to death on October 31, 2009. His wife Ren Guifang has written to many places to appeal for her husband and ask for compensation. She wrote to China's president Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, State Council's Office of Letters and Calls, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Security, Hebei Province Department of Justice, Hebei Province Department of Public Security, Hebei Province Bureau of Prisons, and two prisons. But after two years, she has gotten no response.

Ms. Ren was determined to fight for justice for her husband, who was persecuted to death by Baoding Prison and Tangshan Prison. She was determined to bring to justice people like Gao Ying and Fan Jianli for their crimes. In December 2010, she hired a lawyer from Beijing and submitted appeals to both the prisons and asked for compensation in the amount of one million yuan, and for them to be held responsible for their crimes.

The two prisons both replied in letters, and said they would not give any compensation. Ms. Ren did not accept it and and wrote to Hebei Bureau of Prisons for reconsideration. On July 4, 2011, the Bureau of Prisons made the decision to uphold the original decisions made by the two prisons.

Ms. Ren further appealed to Hebei Province Court and the court again upheld the original decisions.

Ms. Ren did not give up, and she again appealed to China's Supreme Court on January 17, 2012. She is currently working very hard for the case.

Husband Appealed for Wife

On February 12, 2012, Minghui published an article titled “Kunming Xiao Yuxia Arrested; Husband Appealed and Said, “Practicing Falun Gong is Not a Crime” (http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2012/2/13/253015.html ).

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Xiao Yuxia was arrested on February 7, 2012. Her husband Tang Wenxiang appealed for his wife's release. He said in the letter,

“My wife Xiao Yuxia began practicing Falun Gong in 1997. Before that she had several illnesses such as varicose veins. She also had a bad temper and frequently fought with my mother and sisters, as well as myself. We rarely had any peaceful days at home. In the Chinese New Year, we often made a lot of food, but no one wanted to eat anything because my wife and my mother were fighting. If she didn't start practicing Falun Gong, it would have been difficult for us to continue our marriage.”

“After she began practicing Falun Gong, she always followed the principle of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance' and tried to be a good person everywhere. She never argues with my mother and my sisters anymore. Instead, she takes the initiative to take care of me, my mother, and my sisters. Our home environment has become very warm and peaceful. Before, I was very afraid of going home, because being between them made me very uncomfortable. Now, my home is a very warm place. Falun Gong has given me a kind and gentle wife and a warm home.”

“My wife was arrested and thus I looked up our national laws. I have concluded the following. China's Constitution No.36 says the Chinese citizens have freedom of belief and it is protected by the Constitution; No.35 says Chinese citizens have freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, parade, and demonstration. Falun Gong practitioners did not commit any crimes; it is the people who persecute Falun Gong practitioners who are committing crimes.”

“Because of the above, I ask for the following. My wife's current whereabouts are unknown and she should be found as soon as possible; Guandu Police Department, Juhua Police Department, Luliang County Police Department ransacked our home, and I ask all the people who participated to be held accountable and to bring back what they took away; They also must compensate for the our mental, financial, and reputation damage that they caused.”

Neighbors and Fellow Villagers Appealed for Zhou Xiangyang

On February 14, 2012, Minghui published an article titled “Release Zhou Xiangyang and Investigate Gangbei Prison's Crimes of Torturing Falun Gong Practitioners” (http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2012/2/14/253071.html ). The case of Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhou Xiangyang being tortured in prison has made a large impact and it has been recorded by the United Nations. Mr. Zhou was a former engineer from the Third Exploration and Design Institute of Tianjin. He suffered extreme torture in prison because he practices Falun Gong. As the result of the torture, he has nearly died several times. He has been tortured in Tianjin Railroad Detention Center, Tianjin Qingbowa Forced Labor Camp, Tianjin Shuangkou Detention Center, Tianjin Ji County Hexi Detention Center, Tianjin Liyuantou Prison, and Tianjin Gangbei Prison. He has been shocked with electric batons all night long, which damaged his entire body; he was forced to not sleep for more than 30 days; he was put in a small cell, tied-up, brutally beaten, and forced-fed many times.

During the time Mr. Zhou was in prison, his then-girlfriend, a fellow practitioner Li Shanshan, waited for him for seven years, until he finally was released from prison. Then they finally got married. In order to rescue Mr. Zhou, more than 1500 fellow villagers jointly signed a petition, which made the Chinese government extremely nervous.

In mid-July 2011, the families of the Falun Gong practitioners as well as the Falun Gong themselves who have been tortured in Gangbei Prison jointly sued Gangbei Prison. They collected the evidence of 67 practitioners who were tortured to various degrees with forced standing, sitting on small stool, being beaten, shocked with electric batons, locked in small cells, “floor anchor” (fixing a person's hands and feet to an iron ring on the ground for long period of time), pouring cold water on the body, forced-feeding, cursing, forced labor, not allowed to be visited, and so on. From July 19 to July 28, Falun Gong practitioner Li Xiwang was tortured to death while being subjected to the “floor anchor” for 10 consecutive days. Mr. Zhou was being tortured with the “stretching bed” at the same time.

The families hired two lawyers from Beijing on August 12 to sue the prison. The lawyers have gone to the prison many times to meet their client Mr. Zhou, but were denied entry. Later they formally turned in the accusation letter to Tianjin City Procuratorate and sued Gangbei Prison's head Li Guoyu and Prison Regional head Zhang Shilin for their crimes of using brutal methods to torture Falun Gong practitioners.

On November 14, Amnesty International showed their strong concern toward this case and asked China's government to immediately release Li Shanshan and Zhou Xiangyang. Amnesty International's Asia Deputy Director Catherine Baber said, “This kind of joint activity is very rare in China. More than one thousand ordinary residents were not afraid of the government and openly supported the individual who was mistreated and tortured.”

The above five cases were reported over a four-day period on the Minghui website. The families of Falun Gong practitioners have realized the innocence of the practitioners and were not afraid to appeal to the judicial and prosecuting branches. They have taken righteous and just actions after distinguishing right and wrong.