(Clearwisdom.net)
Late at night on December 23, 2002, I read that fellow practitioner Song Xu, whom I didn't know, had been on a hunger strike for over 40 days in the first Detention Centre in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. (see http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/1/2/30441.html and http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/1/4/30526.html) After reading the story of his situation, I could not calm down for a long time. I decided to tell my colleagues about it and let more people know how Jiang's regime persecutes good people that practice Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.
The next day was Christmas Eve and my colleagues were going to have a joyful party. I was worried that I would upset them by talking about Song Xu and that I would have negative responses from people, which were human notions containing no righteous thoughts. During dinner on the 24th, my colleagues asked me why I didn't seem to be happy. At first, I worried I would affect their originally good mood by talking about such brutal things. Later, under their continuous inquiry, I successively told four colleagues about Song Xu's situation.
(1) Colleague Z
I had previously explained the facts of the persecution against Falun Dafa to Z on several occasions; she has a very correct understanding of Dafa. When we are together, she always treats me as her good friend.
After I told her how Song Xu was suffering because of the persecution, she sadly said, "I do not know what to say. Don't be too sad, I believe one day the truth will be revealed. Good people must receive a good reward!" I had saved Song Xu's story on a floppy disk and showed it to her. After watching it, she felt very sad and repeated, "How can it be like this? This is too cruel! I couldn't imagine it!"
(2) Colleague Y
When I previously told Y about the brutal persecution of Dafa practitioners, he did not show any intense feelings. On that day, I told him with tears in my eyes, "A fellow practitioner has been illegally arrested for practicing Falun Gong, and he has been on a hunger strike for over 40 days now." He was extremely shocked and asked me again and again, "Is this true? Is this really happening so close to you?!" I felt this matter shocked him a lot. After a long while, he then said one sentence, "Don't be too sad, everything will pass. Look forward more, brightness is before us!"
(3) Canadian colleague E
Colleague E is a thoroughly westernized Canadian youth; he is also a Christian. He learned about Falun Gong when he was in Canada. He asked me, "How can I help you?" When he was leaving, he asked again, "Please let me know when you need my help, I can send emails or help with translating, etc."
Then, in an extremely dignified tone, E asked me: "How can I help you?"
I said, "I ask only this: When it is convenient, please tell your friends the whole story, and let them know how brutally Jiang's regime persecutes Falun Gong practitioners in China."
After the party was over, he said to me again as he was leaving, "Please let me know when you need my help, I can send emails or help with translating, etc.." I replied, "Thank you for your concern, but I don't know if this will bring you some troubles." He said, "That's all right, this is also my faith."
(4) Manager
After my manager heard about Mr. Song's situation, he said, "From now on, we need to consider how to protect you. You also need to learn how to protect yourself." He said to me, "Firstly, as friends, we absolutely respect your personal beliefs, but we also need to pay attention to your safety. You also know that one of my schoolmates was tortured to death just for practicing Falun Gong. We all understand it in our hearts. One of my schoolmates is a policeman; he also told me about the persecution of Falun Gong. It is truly extremely brutal."
He is usually very tactful when he speaks; however, what he said that night clearly indicated that he understands that Falun Gong is righteous, and he believes one day the situation will turn around!
(5) Other colleagues
Because there was not enough time, I did not explain the facts to two other colleagues that day. However, they had displayed a correct understanding of Dafa long ago. I remembered how one day, colleague H told me that his father used to practice Falun Gong. After the persecution started on July 20, his brothers and sisters were scared and forced the elderly man to give up his belief and stop practicing. He said, "But my father knows Falun Gong is good from the bottom of his heart. If he hears people say bad things about Falun Gong, he becomes very angry. All of our family members also know Falun Gong is good."
Once, colleague S said, "What we believe are the most wonderful things in our hearts, therefore we should maintain it with all our strength." Later, he indirectly told me that his wife, sisters-in-law, and his brothers are practicing Falun Gong, and promised we could get together when I have time.