(Minghui.org) Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since July 1999.
The head of our local Domestic Security Division had been actively participating in the persecution for many years. He worked hand in hand with the local 610 Office, an extra-legal agency tasked with carrying out the persecution policy, to arrest and detain local Falun Gong practitioners.
Many practitioners, myself included, had our homes ransacked, Falun Gong books and other personal belongings confiscated, or even had blood samples and fingerprints taken against our will.
The head of the Domestic Security Division either directly made the arrests or assigned his subordinates to do so. He often said he didn't care whether he violated any laws and he'd arrest any practitioner reported to him.
I had urged him to not persecute Falun Gong practitioners when he showed up to ransack my home, but he'd just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Someone reported you to us. The higher-ups ordered us to arrest you. We have no choice but to follow orders.”
From his words, I could tell that his moral conscience was not yet completely bankrupt. I had the thought to help him understand the consequences of persecuting law-abiding practitioners.
But then another voice surfaced in my mind, “He has persecuted so many Falun Gong practitioners. Is he worth my efforts?”
I then remembered what Master Li, the founder of Falun Gong, said when he taught us to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance (Zhen-Shan-Ren in Chinese).
Master said,
“Shan is the manifestation of the nature of the universe at different levels and in different dimensions. It is also the fundamental nature of Great Enlightened Beings. Therefore, a cultivator must cultivate Shan and assimilate to the nature of the universe, Zhen-Shan-Ren.” (“A Brief Explanation of Shan," from Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement)
Shan manifests as compassion. Master also said, “Shan is really powerful.”(“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Singapore”)
I enlightened to the fact that police officers have been deceived by the Chinese Communist Party and deeply poisoned, and that we must help them break free from the slanderous propaganda against Falun Gong. As to whether it's worth our efforts, that is not something we should even consider. Everything is decided by Master. We just need to talk to the police about why they should stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.
I wrote a letter to the head of the Domestic Security Division and mailed it to him. When I didn't receive a response within a week, I went to visit him at the police station. He happened to be standing at the entrance when I arrived. With his arms folded across his chest, he blocked my way and asked me arrogantly, “Whom are you looking for?”
I told him I was looking for him and handed him my letter.
He opened the envelope, took out the letter, and threw it into a trash bin. I asked him, “Why did you do that?”
I picked up the letter. He said, “I do not read typed letters. Since it is a letter to me, I want to read a handwritten one.”
I promised to handwrite a letter to him. He said, “I will read it if it's handwritten. If you show me respect, I will also respect you.”
I started writing the letter as soon as I returned home. I reminded myself to think from his perspective and to maintain kindness while trying to persuade him to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.
Though my hands were sore after writing the letter, I felt warm in my heart.
I went to his office the following day. He still looked arrogant. I respectfully handed the letter to him with both hands. He hesitantly accepted my letter with both hands, and a smile began to appear on his face. He promised to read the letter and said he would talk to me again in three days.
Three days later, I came back as scheduled and we went to a restaurant to have a chat.
He asked me, “Don't you hate me?”
I replied, “Our Master told us that practitioners do not have enemies. I do not hate you at all.”
He said he had to follow orders to persecute Falun Gong practitioners in order to keep his job and get paid.
I told him a story, “The Berlin Wall border guard Inger Henrich killed Chris Gueffroy, a young man who attempted to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin across the Berlin Wall. The guard was later sentenced to prison. He could have chosen to lift up his gun by 1cm to miss Chris and avoid killing him.”
I continued, “You can do your job without making the effort to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.”
He argued, “It's easier said than done! You don't know our situation. Many of us police officers have worked our entire career without getting any promotions. I have no diploma, no connections, and no money to bribe higher-ups. It's really difficult to get promoted! I can only work hard and painstakingly climb up through the ranks.”
I advised him to not violate the law or betray his conscience and morality no matter what job he was asked to do. I warned him that the Chinese Communist Party has a reputation for getting rid of scapegoats once it is done with its various political movements.
I reminded him that in the later period of the Cultural Revolution, many police officers in Yunnan Province were executed and that when it is time to seek justice against the perpetrators of Falun Gong practitioners, police officers who harassed and arrested practitioners would be used as scapegoats and be punished.
I warned him to not risk losing his life by following orders to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.
He responded, “All right, stop it. I understand. I will no longer harass you in the future. Just take it easy.”
I asked him to not persecute any other Falun Gong practitioners either. He said he'd try his best to not persecute practitioners.
I continued, “Human beings are doing things on Earth, while the gods in the heavens are watching...”
Before I finished, he interrupted me, “The next line is 'without the slightest error,' right? I've read your letter more than once. I will find a good time to tell my workmates what you told me, including the truth about the staged Self-Immolation Hoax on Tian'anmen Square and help them know the facts too.”
I wished him well. “Spread the truth, and you will be blessed,” I said.
Six months later, my two new supervisors at work talked to me very seriously and demanded that I give up practicing Falun Gong or I'd be terminated. They said it was an order from higher-ups to check on every Falun Gong practitioner in the province.
I refused to write a statement to give up the practice of Falun Gong. They warned me that police officers from the local 610 Office and the Domestic Security Division would call me in a couple of days.
I went to visit the head of the Domestic Security Division and asked him why he still participated in the persecution when he promised to stop doing it.
He denied his participation in the persecution. When he saw me still confused, he took out his cell phone to call the head of the local 610 Office and pressed the hands-free key so that I could listen to their conversation.
He told the 610 Office head, “Without our consent, do not tell people that we are working with you to arrest Falun Gong practitioners. Moreover, we will not participate in this particular action to check on every practitioner in the province. It's your business if you want to participate in it. Whoever orders those things should take the responsibility.”
He hung up his phone and said, “Now are you clear about it?”
I took the opportunity to ask him, “Is it time for you to quit the Chinese Communist Party?”
He agreed, “Just help me quit it.”