Why I Am Going To Tiananmen Square

My name is Thai Ton. I am a Vietnamese-American from the U.S. and I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. I will go to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. With all the compassion, selflessness and courage I am capable of, I will hold up a banner that says "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance." I will also announce to everyone in Tiananmen Square that "Falun Dafa is good!" I will not be alone. Many other Falun Gong practitioners from around the world, most of whom I have never met before, will be there. We will be of different nationalities, races, ages, and walks of life. But we will be as one; we will be Falun Gong practitioners standing up for "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance" in the world. We will tell the Chinese president that his bloody, atrocious persecution of tens of millions of kind-hearted, innocent people in China must come to an end.

Please understand I am very clear minded in what I am doing. This has nothing to do with politics, religion, or any agenda. I know fully well that Chinese Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested, beaten, detained and tortured for doing the same thing. In fact, a Chinese woman died from being beaten by police a few weeks ago after she unfurled her Falun Dafa banner in Tiananmen Square. This has to do with finding the courage within to take the initiative and stand up for everything that is good about humanity when it's being savagely attacked. If good people do nothing, than evil has won. What kind of world would that be for our children?

Four years ago, I stumbled across a pure land. In this cold world of selfishness, dishonesty, hatred and intolerance, I could not believe such a thing even existed. I had found a large group of people, one hundred million strong, who genuinely practice and embody what they talk about -- Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance. I learned profound, scientific teachings that explain everything about life, humanity and the universe. I benefited from powerful qigong-type exercises that brought health, fitness, and vitality, and had healed countless people, many suffering from terminal illnesses. Moreover, it was absolutely free; even donations were not accepted. There were no leaders to tell you what to do. You'd come if you wanted to learn, and you'd go if you didn't. There were no formalities, no rituals, no worship, no religious doctrines or dogma, and no politics. There were no claims of anything. The only requirement was that you wanted to become a good, healthy person, cultivating Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, benefiting others and society. It was called Falun Dafa (Falun Gong).

I was not alone. In a few short years, over 100 million people from more than 40 countries began to learn and practice Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa was a quiet, revitalizing wave sweeping across the world, touching and changing the lives of both those who practiced it and those who didn't. Things seemed so bright.

Then, on July 20, 1999, the dark clouds rolled in and the sky collapsed. Because of the very reason that Falun Dafa was so popular, the Chinese president and a few others in power in China declared it illegal. The darkest, most unprecedented hours in China's once glorious history had begun. The president and his cohorts jealousy guarded their power, not caring about the Chinese people or China's future.

What has happened in the last two and a half years is the most hellish nightmare. A mother and her 8 year-old baby tortured to death. People dragged to death behind motorcycles. Some burned alive; others tortured to near death and cremated before they were even dead. Women stripped naked and thrown into male criminal jail cells. Many suffered brutal sexual assault or gang rape. The handicapped and elderly beaten and tortured. Overall, hundreds have been tortured to death. Tens of thousands more suffer torture everyday now in labor camps. These atrocities were committed by the police authorities against their own citizens -- citizens they were supposed to protect, citizens who want to practice Truth, Compassion, Tolerance!

The persecution is not limited to China. Jiang's government has staged self-immolations and blamed it on Falun Gong to incite hatred towards Falun Gong. Practitioners in other countries including the U.S. have been harassed, molested and even beaten. Jiang's regime has used all its resources, be it the media, trade, diplomacy, or blatant intimidation, to turn other countries and their people against Falun Gong.

The choice is really clear to me. There are those who cherish and practice Truth-Compassion-Tolerance and there are those who despise and attack it. There is benevolent compassion vs. sadistic hatred. Mother's love vs. mother's weeping sorrow. Families in harmony vs. families torn apart. Millions benefiting society vs. millions put in concentration camps. Selflessness and altruism vs. selfishness and greed. Good vs. wicked. Humanity vs. inhumanity.

My choice is to stand here in Tiananmen Square with fellow Falun Gong practitioners from all over the world. Our message: Falun Dafa is good. Truth, Compassion, Tolerance.

I would also like to say something to the good Chinese people. Because of the effects of the vicious propaganda from China, many of you whom I've spoken to actually have negative opinions of Falun Gong. I am deeply saddened by this. Through Falun Gong, I have gotten to know how great and beautiful the Chinese culture is and how precious its people are. Falun Gong is your own history and heritage! It is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese ways of living. You are turning your back on your own culture! It is your own good people that need you now more than ever. Please become clearheaded and awaken your hearts.