Some Thoughts on the Persecution of Elderly Falun Dafa Practitioners

(Minghui.org) It always saddens me to read frequent reports on Minghui.org about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners in their 80s.

On April 26, 2022, Minghui reported that 85-year-old retired teacher Han Guiyun from Yingkou City, Liaoning Province, was unlawfully sentenced to three years in prison and fined 10,000 yuan in June 2021 for practicing Falun Dafa. She suffered a stroke on March 21, 2022, and has since been paralyzed in bed with a confused state of mind.

Just a day later, on April 27, 2022, Minghui.org reported that, while 88-year-old Cui Jinshi was reading a Falun Dafa book with a few other elderly practitioners at her place, the police broke in and confiscated a portrait of the founder of Falun Dafa, their Dafa books, cash, and other personal belongings. Ms. Cui was in shock and collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital but died two hours later.

Ms. Cui had practiced Falun Dafa for over 20 years and was very healthy with a glowing complexion. She had a straight back, walked gracefully, and was very able to take care of herself. But as a result of CCP police violence, she lost her life in less than two hours.

In a report on April 28, 2022, 80-year-old Bai Yuzhen from Xinyang, Henan Province was illegally sentenced to three years in prison and fined 5,000 yuan, just for practicing Falun Dafa.

What was more outrageous to me was that this fragile, elderly woman was handcuffed throughout the hearing. She is already 80 years old. I couldn’t understand what the point was of keeping her handcuffed. Were the judges worried that she might run away? Or were they afraid that she might protest?

I was deeply disturbed to read such reports three days in a row about the demise or mistreatment of elderly practitioners by the CCP and its followers.

These women did not commit any crime but were persecuted simply because they lived by Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and wanted to be good people.

When I was a child, I was taught to “respect not only the elderly people in our own family but others as well; care not only for our own children but all children, too.” We also understood that, as human beings, we need to pay attention to morality.

As we grew up, however, we discovered that in China today under the rule of the CCP, all those beautiful concepts and words have been reduced to no more than stories in forgotten books.

Sadly, what we see in China now is that in the pursuit of wealth and personal gains, people are prepared to commit any form of evil and have no bottom line. The persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners, in particular, is an act of cruelty against humanity, and there have been frequent incidents in which people in their 80s were harassed, sentenced to prison, or tortured to death. Not only the elderly but Falun Dafa practitioners of all ages have been persecuted over the last 23 years.

Some people may wonder if those who work in public security and the judiciary system truly believe that Falun Dafa practitioners are violating the law? I have personally gotten to know quite a few of them over the years, and many have said to me in private, “I know you are all good people, but what can I do? It’s my job and I need to make a living and support my family. I have to pay my mortgage, make car payments, etc.”

Another one said to me, “I really don’t want to arrest you, but what can I do? My boss told me to.”

Even a public prosecutor said to me, “Strictly speaking, practicing Falun Dafa does not constitute a crime in China. As for the persecution, it is because someone was pushing for it behind the scenes.”

Based on my own experience, I believe that quite a number of people in law enforcement know very well that Falun Dafa practitioners are good people, and they don’t intend to get involved in the persecution, but they cannot resist the temptation of money and personal gains, and when they are under pressure from above, they cannot help but follow the CCP in doing evil.

When Duke Ai of Lu State asked Confucius how to win the people’s trust and obedience, Confucius replied: “Promoting upright people above those who are not can help rectify wrongdoings.”

In today’s China, it is not that people, in general, cannot tell right from wrong. It is because the CCP rules China by violence and deception, restraining people’s kindness and leading them astray. In particular, due to the CCP regime’s countless lies and malicious slander about Falun Dafa, right and wrong are now totally confused. While Falun Dafa practitioners are being persecuted, people’s pursuit of kindness and their perception of kindness have also been destroyed. When I see just how evil the CCP is, I feel so sad for those who go along with it.

From my conversations with those people, I could see their helplessness and the little bit of kindness still remaining in their hearts. I could also see how their consciences are also struggling. So, in a way, while persecuting Falun Dafa, they are also persecuting themselves.

It’s high time this evil persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners was put to an end, not only for practitioners but also for those who have participated in it—before they have gone too far, past the point of no return.