News and Events from Around the World -- September 28, 2005

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Li Weixun from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province obtained United Nations refugee status in Thailand. With assistance and support from the Friends of Falun Gong Organization in the U.S., the U.S. State Department, U.S. Congress and some NGOs, she received approval from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to stay in the U.S., and she safely arrived at the Baltimore International Airport at midnight on September 21, 2005.

Falun Gong practitioner Li Weixun arrives in the U.S.

Li Weixun was savagely tortured by the CCP police in early January 2002 for persevering in her practice of Falun Gong. She could not move her arms or legs, and she could not talk or eat. When she was on the brink of death, the perpetrators reluctantly approved medical parole through the Shenyang City 610 Office, and they sent her to the No. 1 Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University for emergency treatment, only after strong repeated requests from her family and friends. During her stay at the hospital, four police officers watched her around the clock. She successfully escaped the monitoring and left China, and she obtained UN refugee status in Thailand. After she went through some procedures and waited for a while, the UNHCR and the Friends of Falun Gong organization sought and obtained support from the U.S. government on her behalf, and Li Weixun received permission to live in the U.S.

According to Li Weixun, she and her husband both worked for the CCP Committee of a large factory in Shenyang City. To defame her and attack her  practice, the CCP Committee slandered Falun Gong through a loudspeaker that resonated throughout the factory, which hurt her and her family. The police constantly harassed her and frightened her mother-in-law, who became nervous whenever someone knocked on the door. During her illegal detention, she was tortured to the brink of death. The police were afraid to take responsibility for this, so they agreed to release her on medical parole. Later she went home on an outpatient basis. The police stayed at her home next to her room and they asked to break open the room through the dividing wall so they could watch her at all times. Her family members, who do not practice Falun Gong, could not take it anymore and said to the police, "We know you are doing this to keep your job, otherwise we would have kicked you out and you would have to sleep in the street." Her family, friends and other Falun Gong practitioners risked their lives and helped her escape from home to go to another country. The people who helped her were severely persecuted; some of her family members who are not Falun Gong practitioners were sentenced to eight years in prison and are currently being incarcerated.

Li Weixun's hometown of Shenyang City is under the jurisdiction of Bo Xilai, the governor of Liaoning Province. Li Weixun was one of the plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit in the U.S. against Bo Xilai during his visit there, because his actions have resulted in the severe persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in that region.

On the morning of September 23, 2005, some Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S. accompanied Li Weixun to attend training and service programs for refugees provided by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Li Weixun thanked the people for their help and support. Ms. Sala thanked Falun Gong practitioners for their help with Li Weixun's release. The officials informed the trainees that the U.S. government accepted some international refugees who do not have family members or friends in the U.S., and Li Weixun is one of them.

In the afternoon, Li Weixun visited the U.S. State Department and expressed her sincere gratitude for the help that the U.S. government has extended to her and other Falun Gong practitioners. She also told three veteran officials the State Department about the unreasonable persecution she suffered in China for practicing Falun Gong.

Regarding the new CCP leader's speech that included the phrase "building a harmonious society" that was recently given at a United Nations meeting, Li Weixun told the U.S. officials that she personally witnessed Falun Gong practitioners being tortured and disabled. She saw many Falun Gong practitioners who were forced to leave home under the severe persecution to avoid harassment; yet they could not rent a room from any hotel and the police constantly pursued them. Oftentimes dozens of practitioners slept on the floor in a small room. The CCP tried to physically destroy Falun Gong practitioners, but the practitioners resolutely refused to give up their belief despite tremendous risk to their lives. The slogan "building a harmonious society" is a lie in China. Not only are Falun Gong practitioners persecuted, but people of various beliefs as well as political dissidents were also arrested and persecuted. The CCP leader was only trying to deceive and brainwash the world's people by spreading the propaganda of "building a harmonious society" to the international society.

The State Department officials thanked Li Weixun for her visit and said they would continue to pay attention to the persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP, and they will bring up the topic during future meetings with Chinese officials, and they will urge the Chinese government to respect Falun Gong practitioners and other Chinese people's freedom of belief and freedom of speech.

Ms. Li Weixun is another Falun Gong practitioner who does not have any family relations in the U.S., but was still accepted by the U.S. government in the past six years during the persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP and Jiang Zemin's regime. In 2001, several Falun Gong practitioners studying in Singapore did exercises in a park and clarified the truth about the persecution. Due to political pressure and financial incentives from the CCP government, the Singapore government arrested and detained them. After Falun Gong practitioners from other parts of the world clarified the truth to the Singapore government, it released the practitioners but demanded that they leave Singapore. They faced persecution if they returned to China. The UNHCR and the U.S. Government extended a helping hand and got them to the U.S. in a very short time.

It was people who loved freedom of belief that created the tradition of the U.S.' emphasis on democracy, freedom, and human rights--the country's founding principles. As the government upholds and maintains justice and order in the world under the banner of justice and morality, America has prospered and flourished.

WHO: Falun Dafa Association in Greater Washington, D.C., Area

WHEN: 12:45 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27

WHERE: Chinese Embassy, 2300 Connecticut Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C.

DETAILS:

Sun Jiazheng, China's Minister of Culture, intends to attend the Festival of China at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the United States in October 2005.

We request the State Department to deny Chinese government official Sun Jiazheng an entry visa into the United States pursuant to INA 212(a)(2)(G), 8 U.S.C.A. Section 1182(a)(2)(G) -- "Foreign government officials who have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom." Sun Jiazheng has played a major role in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China:

-- China's Ministry of Culture has closely followed Jiang Zemin's orders in the suppression of Falun Gong by banning and massive destroying Falun Gong publications;

-- Sun chairs an organizing committee of "internet civilization project" to monitor and block the "antagonistic forces" inside and outside China including emails with contents of Falun Gong;

-- China's Ministry of Culture launched hate campaign to direct intellectuals in producing numerous literature and art pieces smearing and instigating hatred of Falun Gong;

-- In January of 2004, a lawsuit was filed against Sun in France during his visit as part of Sino-France Cultural Year Exchange Program. The charges include "incitement of massacre and persecution"

The anti-Falun Gong "cultural" campaign directly resulted in Chinese people's hate against Falun Gong, and legitimized the torture and killing. To allow Sun Jiazheng into the United States to attend events hosted by John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a US government organization, would send a troubling message that the U.S. government ignores its own immigration and human rights laws when dealing with the People's Republic of China.

As the Nine Commentaries on Communist Party put it in "On How the Chinese Communist Party Destroyed Traditional Culture", the Communist regime destroyed Chinese traditional culture, replacing it with 'communist culture' which advocates the philosophy of 'struggling with heaven, earth and humanity' and destroyed traditional faith of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Communist "culture" is actually a propaganda tool to control Chinese people's minds and force a suppressive social environment, wielded whenever it desires to persecute a group the CCP recognizes as different from its own violent nature. Past recipients of this destructive dictation of culture include landowners, intellectuals, artists, and people of Chinese traditional faiths.

The 2005 Australia Falun Dafa Practice Experience Sharing Conference was held on September 25, 2005 at the Queanbeyan Conference Center in Canberra. Practitioners from across Australia and some Asia-Pacific countries attended. More than a dozen practitioners gave speeches.

Practitioners who gave the speeches shared their understandings and experiences as part of the Fa-rectification practicing process and their experiences in validating Dafa through various means.

Among them, a practitioner who is involved in media work shared from different angles how he let go of self, worked together with others as one body, clarified the truth, and how this affected his personal practice and improvement.

Regarding the recent situation of some practitioners appearing to have symptoms of illness karma, Ms. Zhu shared her experience of breaking through evil persecution with the power of her righteous thoughts, and her understanding of Teacher's poem, "When practitioners' righteous thoughts are strong, Teacher's mighty power can help them do everything." (Provisional translation of 'The Kindness of Master and practitioners' from Hongyin II, a collection of Teacher's poems)

Practitioners who have long been holding peaceful appeals in front of the Chinese Embassy and practitioners who have long been clarifying the truth to Chinese tourists at various sites also shared their experiences.

Mr. Yang, who used to be pro-democracy activist, shared his experience of seeing through the CCP's wicked nature by reading the "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party." He completely abandoned the CCP and took the path of practice that will lead him to return to his original, true self.

Practitioner Susan shared her Fa-rectification practice experience. She did not complete primary school. At the beginning of this year, she did not know how to use a computer or how to get on the Internet. As time went on, she became proficient in using the computer and chatted online with people to clarify the truth to them.

A representative of practitioners who do media work shared about how they maintained righteous thoughts and righteous actions, and overcame economic barriers when holding a Mid-Autumn Festival activity this year.

The Fa conference concluded after practitioners from the Tong Song Chorus performed the song "Ode to Lotus Flowers."

Falun Gong exercise demonstration at the welcome-party sponsored by student clubs and organizations

On September 13, 2005, the Falun Dafa Club at the National Cheng Kung University took part in a party to welcome new students. Young students who practice Falun Gong in Tainan County demonstrated the elegant five sets of Falun Gong exercises at the university's performance hall. They also recounted the persecution facts in Mainland China.

The peaceful exercise demonstration distinguished itself from other clubs or organizations' songs and dances. When the euphonious exercise music resounded, the entire hall was suddenly quiet and peaceful. The demonstration brought new students something fresh, beautiful and pure.

Falun Dafa club's exercise demonstration at the welcome-party

The elegant fifth exercise, the sitting meditation

On September 14 and 15, clubs and organizations at National Cheng Kung University held activities to recruit new students. The Falun Dafa Club decorated their booth with beautiful lotus flowers. They also exhibited the book "Zhuan Falun," as well as a brief introduction to Falun Gong and other truth-clarification materials exposing the persecution.

New students attentively listen while veteran students talk about the worldwide spread of Falun Dafa and about how practitioners benefit from the practice.

During the two days, many new students took the initiative to learn more about Falun Dafa. They expressed their interest in our profound  practice and left their contact information. Some new students liked the lotus flowers very much and they began learning how to fold the flowers at the booth. Two students took the initiative to help with the Falun Dafa club booth.

There were also quite a number of new students who did not understand why Falun Gong is persecuted in Mainland China. Practitioners patiently explained to them: Falun Gong has helped people to improve their physical health and moral standard and had been warmly received in China. In just a few years, 100 million people began practicing Falun Gong. Unfortunately, the Chinese Communist Party's evil nature determined that it could not tolerate the wide spreading of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." The former head of China, Jiang Zemin, was especially jealous of the great popularity of Falun Gong. On June 10, 1999, under Jiang's personal orders, an agency for terrorism, the 610 Office, was established. The 610 Office overrides the Chinese constitution and is above the Chinese law, and its sole purpose is to carry out the persecution of Falun Gong. On July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin ordered the "610 Office" to systematically oppress Falun Gong practitioners by applying the following policies: "Ruin their reputations, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically;" "if a practitioner is beaten to death, count it as suicide;" and "directly cremate their bodies without verifying their identities." Numerous Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death as a result of Jiang's murderous policies. Countless families have been torn apart. Millions of practitioners have been forced to leave their homes to avoid further persecution. The family members, friends and even the colleagues of Falun Gong practitioners have encountered brainwashing and have been incriminated to different degrees.

Since July 20, 1999, 2,728 Falun Gong practitioners have been confirmed dead as a result of the persecution. The death cases are spread over more than 30 provinces in Mainland China. Due to the difficulty of obtaining the facts in China, this number represents only a small portion of the true number of deaths.

Practitioners also wished that those who have learned the facts about Falun Dafa could provide some help to Mainland practitioners, and suggested that doing so will also bring them a good future.

On September 24, 2005, at the Dehsing Stadium where the Hualian County Sports Meeting was held, Falun Gong practitioners collected signatures in support of rescuing children who are suffering from the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Since August 25, when the signature drive and the rescue campaign began, we have received about 8000 signatures from citizens of different cities and counties in Taiwan.

The Hualian County Sports Meeting began to cheers. Two art paintings exhibited at the stadium entrance were very eye-catching. One painting depicted a lovely girl whose eyes were full of tears. Another one depicted a little boy who stood inside an iron-barred cell. His eyes expressed confusion. With a careful look, one could understand that the paintings helped the signature drive for rescuing children who are suffering the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Practitioners relating the persecution facts to people

People signing the petition in support of the rescue effort

Practitioner Mr. Lu said, "Since the Chinese communist regime and Jiang's faction launched the inhuman persecution of Falun Gong practitioners who believe in 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,' nearly 3000 practitioners have been verified to have died in the persecution. The persecution also deprived countless children of their right to go to school. Some were forced to leave home and became homeless. Some have been orphaned." He said that such brutal persecution has continued for more than six years and the bloody persecution has never stopped. Because of the Chinese Communist Party's information blockade, people are unable to learn about the facts of the persecution.

Practitioners carried truth-clarification materials and told athletes and visitors the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution initiated by Jiang Zemin out of his jealousy. One after another, people signed the petition and expressed their sympathy towards those orphans, and indignation towards the suppression. One visitor signed the petition and brought his friends and family members to sign the petition. Police officers assigned to patrol the event also supported the signature drive.

A foreign visitor signed the petition and took some postcards dedicated to the rescue effort. He said that he would bring the postcards for his friends so that they would also become aware of the plight of the orphans. He said that he would mail the postcards to President Bush and call for attention by the U.S. government. A lay-Buddhist expressed his support of this benevolent act. He took a stack of postcards and said that he would help more people to know about it and support the rescue effort.

A little girl came with her mother to attend the sports meeting. In front of the petition desk, a practitioner recounted the persecution facts to the girl's mother. After the mother signed the petition, the little girl said that she also wanted to sign the petition. The mother said, "You don't know how to write your name in Chinese, so you can't sign it." The girl resolutely said, "I can use pinyin to substitute the words that I can't spell." In the end, she used some Chinese characters and some pinyin to fill out the petition form.

Hualian Falun Dafa practitioners call upon everyone to uphold justice and conscience and work together to stop this ruthless persecution. Practitioners hope that people will pay attention to these Falun Gong children and help them to regain the happy life that they deserve.