(Clearwisdom.net)

Reference Material

Cai Yongmei, editor-in-chief of Open magazine said when interviewed by a journalist from Epoch Times in Hong Kong that Jiang Zemin's persecution of Falun Gong is "doing the most stupid thing;" that he was forcing people who weren't enemies to become enemies and he was extremely brutal in the persecution, which is one of the main reasons why he is not giving up his power. Article 23 is directly targeting Falun Gong. She also said Jiang's lawsuit symbolizes "taking a stand on the issue of good versus evil."

The police in Mainland China kidnapped 180 Falun Gong practitioners in Hebei Province. Xinhua News Agency, the dictator's mouthpiece, again slandered and cursed Falun Gong. As SARS is spreading, Falun Gong practitioners told people, from their angle, about the cause of the plague, so they can learn about the truth, keep away from the disaster and have a bright future. The knowledge of modern science is very limited. The Western scientific world has gradually realized the existence of supernatural phenomena, and everything that happens in the world has deep, predestined interconnections. In Western societies where science is more advanced, people can freely exercise and promote their beliefs, whereas in China where scientific development is behind the Western world, the ruler persecutes Falun Gong practitioners' transmission of the truth in the name of science. Do Xinhua News Agency and the dictator really care about science? The spread of SARS is exactly the result of their cover-up of the epidemic and distribution of lies. This is absolutely not the scientific way of doing things. For them, science is only a stick with which to attack people.

Truths About Persecution

Recently, police officers in Changchun City conducted a blanket-style search and arrest campaign. Many Dafa practitioners were abducted. Right now, this fanatic search and persecution is continuing. The police arrest the practitioners and then put them in torture rooms, where they torture the practitioners with base and cruel means, including the tiger bench1 and other means, and try to force them to write guarantee statements and curse Master.

From February 4 to February 6, 2003 [Chinese lunar calendar], Liu Xiangyu, head of the Duozhuang Township Judicial Department and police from the township police station and township government in Mengyin County, Shandong Province formed a joint search group. They conducted numerous searches and persecuted the Dafa practitioners in Duozhuang Town. Practitioner Wei Xingdong suffered the most severe persecution. Two of his Zhuan Falun books were taken away, and he was robbed of about 6,000 Yuan in cash. He was also arrested but released after one night of detention. Prior to his release he was extorted 4,000 Yuan.

The vicious guards at Group 304, Division Three in Shijiazhuang City Labor Camp use base means to persecute Dafa practitioners. They order prisoners to monitor Dafa practitioners around the clock; they don't allow the practitioners to sleep or go to the restroom; they force-feed practitioners and order collaborators [former Falun Gong practitioners who went astray due to torture and brainwashing] to torture the practitioners. They hang the practitioners up by their handcuffs and they use "tying the rope"2 on practitioners. The guards at Group 202, Division Two in Shijiazhuang City Labor Camp, don't allow the practitioners to sleep, either during the day or at night, and they order the collaborators to attack the practitioners as a group. The guards brutally beat determined practitioners and detain them in solitary confinement.

Dafa practitioner Jin Shanyu, a former employee from Huadian City Industrial and Commercial Bank was held at Huadian City Detention Center because she practices Falun Gong. She is extremely weak and on the verge of death from the brutal tortures.

Practitioners Exchange Insights

Take solemn announcements and their content seriously. The fact that a corner of Clearwisdom Net used for publishing practitioners' solemn announcements is the true manifestation of the benevolence of Master and Dafa, and boundless Buddha's saving grace. This has never happened in history. Practitioners who have gone astray must cherish this opportunity given by Master, take their announcements and their content seriously, and do not play with Master's benevolence. At the same time, practitioners who go online should also take charge and truly be responsible for the Fa and themselves. This also shows whether or not we respect the Fa.

The Truth and People's Heart

I am a farmer. I contracted many diseases when I gave birth to my second child at the age of 29. My whole body ached and I shivered in the summer, even when wearing heavy coats. I took medications all day long, and my family's money was exhausted from treating my illnesses. We lived in poverty. A neighbor introduced me to Falun Dafa. I firmly remembered Master's teachings and conducted myself according to Truth, Compassion, Tolerance and I also did the exercises. All of my illnesses disappeared without me spending a cent. Right now I am very healthy. I can work both at home and in the fields. My whole family is very grateful for Master and Falun Dafa.

1 Tiger Bench: Practitioners are forced to sit on a small iron bench that is approximately 20 cm (6 inches) tall with their knees tied together. With their hands tied behind their backs or sometimes placed on their knees, they are forced to sit straight up and look straight ahead. They are not allowed to turn their heads, close their eyes, talk to anyone or move at all. Several inmates are assigned to watch over the practitioners and force themáto remain motionless while sitting on the bench. Usually some hard objects are inserted underneath the practitioners' lower legs or ankles to make it harder for them to tolerate this abuse (see illustration on http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2001/11/24/16156.html)

2Tying the rope: The police tie up the practitioner with a thin rope, circle the rope around his neck, and tie his hands behind his back. Then the police would use all the force they could muster to tighten the rope. The rope becomes tighter and tighter around the body of the practitioner, and makes it more and more difficult for him to breathe. The pain is so intense that the practitioner sometimes loses control of his bladder. There are instances when the rope was tightened enough to break a practitioner's arm