June 11, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net) On April 18 at Huangguoshu Falls in Guizhou Province, the local officials falsely blamed Falun Gong for a civil disturbance between farmers and a local resort.
By mid-April, the administration of Huangguoshu Falls Resort had monopolized the local businesses and driven away the farmers that used to trade in the area. At the same time, due to lack of rain, the Huangguoshu Falls were not as grand as they used to be. In order to get more water for the falls, the resort simply tore down the reservoir that had been built and used by the farmers.
To resolve the conflict, the farmers appealed to the local government but got no response. On April 18, hundreds of farmers sat in front of the gate of Huangguoshu Falls Park and stopped the park employees from selling tickets. The sit-in prevented many foreign as well as domestic tourists from being able to visit the falls. On the night of April 19 the local police station sent 6 police cars to put down the protest. Lacking any legal reasons, the police spread the rumor that "Falun Gong is causing the trouble" and arrested many people on the spot. They also threatened the farmers, telling them to maintain the stability of the country.
This is yet another case of the government shifting blame onto Falun Gong. People familiar with the true situation say, "In the past, the government would try to cover up a little bit while telling its lies. Now they brazenly shift the blame onto Falun Gong and openly slander it. It's so unfair to Falun Gong."
