Local Artist's Dolls Help People to Understand the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

(Clearwisdom.net) On May 10 2002, a Falun Dafa practitioner from Overland Park, Kansas delivered a speech that recounted the story of Ms Wang Lixuan and her 8-month-old baby, Meng Hao, who were both tortured to death in the Tuanhe Labor Camp in Beijing on November 7, 2000. A local artist created a pair of dolls to commemorate the deaths of Ms. Wang and Meng Hao.

Many of the members of the Toastmaster's Club were shocked by the sheer brutality of the guards at the Tuanhe Labor Camp. Some asked for web sites they could visit to learn more about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. About 20 members of the club, plus visitors, attended the event, and many expressed how impressed they were with the presentation and congratulated the speaker on doing so well with such a difficult subject on his first speech to this group.

The text of the speech is as follows.

"In February 2002, I went to China to help shine the international spotlight on the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. I went there to be a voice for those who were denied their constitutional right to appeal, for those who were not allowed to seek a redress of wrongs or have their grievances heard. I was detained, interrogated and my possessions were stolen by the police. I was held captive overnight.

I went there because of stories like this one about Wang Lixuan and her 8-month old baby Meng Hao. They were tortured to death at the Tuanhe Labor Camp in Beijing on November 7, 2000. Ms Wang's neck and knucklebones were broken, an area of her skull was depressed and there was a needle stuck in her body. There were two deep bruises on little Meng Hao's ankles and two black and blue marks on his head with blood pooled inside his little nose. It appears that he had been shackled by his ankles and hung upside down before he died.

There are many stories similar to this one that prompted me to make the journey to China. They don't all end in death, but they most often involve torture and brutality. At least 955 Falun Gong practitioners have died, over 100,000 have been sent to labor camps, with many forced to make products that may be sold here in the United States. Thousands more have been sent to mental institutions and injected with powerful drugs. I went to China to support those being abused, to speak out against the atrocities and to meet brute force with a heart of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance.

How did this persecution start? Jiang Zemin is responsible. He has abused his position as the leader of the communist party, as the one who controls China's military and police forces. In addition, Jiang has tied the financial and political futures of people at all levels of government, including policemen, to the elimination of Falun Gong. Fines, demotions and loss of positions are punishment for not being effective enough at forcing people to renounce their beliefs, while promotions, monetary awards and elevated status await those who are zealous enough to produce results at any cost. Yes, Jiang Zemin is the cause of this 5-year-old persecution. He said, 'No means are too excessive to eradicate Falun Gong.'

We Falun Gong practitioners have spent a great deal of time over the last several years to bring an end to this ugly drama. Many often go without sleep in order to see these atrocities end sooner and to have more of the world's people become aware of the situation. Many leaders from all over the world have voiced their concerns. Presidents, governors, mayors, city council members, lawmakers and many others have expressed outrage. And it doesn't stop there. Every person in the world, which includes all of us in this room, has the opportunity to speak out against this blatant disregard for people's most fundamental rights. There are online petitions to sign letters to write postcards to send, phone calls to make. The opportunities to lend support are numerous.

I've shared about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, how it started and how it has continued for 5 years. Speaking out and educating the world's people are the preferred ways to peacefully ending these atrocities. To find out more, please visit the Faluninfo.net web site, the Friends of Falun Gong web site or talk to me. Together, let's help make this world a brighter place to live."

This practitioner delivered the speech to help more people learn the truth about the persecution in China. He hopes to have more opportunities to speak in public about these terrible human rights abuses.