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The Chinese Consulate in Osaka Unreasonably Withheld My Passport (Photo)

August 14, 2004 |  

(Clearwisdom.net) My name is Xiaoyang Wang and I work at a food company in Japan. I have a Japanese husband and we live together with his mother. We have a happy family. From April 2001 to July 2002, however, the Chinese consulate at Osaka unreasonably withheld my passport because of my practice of Falun Dafa. The illegal action of the consulate brought my family and me great difficulties.

Origin of the Incident

In July 1999, I heard about Falun Dafa from a friend from China. At that time, I was not interested in Qigong; however, I was looking for answers in life and had read a lot of literature. I read Zhuan Falun (the main text of Falun Gong) continuously until I finished it. I was deeply amazed by the teachings, as so many questions of mine were answered at once! I felt so lucky to have found a way to Buddhahood and decided to cultivate all the way to Consummation.

The days that followed were the best time in my life. As I strove to live up to the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance," my heart became more and more peaceful and compassionate. Everything truly happened naturally, and I experienced true happiness.

When Jiang's regime first launched the persecution, I only heard the news without knowing any details. It was not until October 1999 that I learned how severe the persecution was from internet. Every time I browsed the internet, I cried. I was also deeply touched by the pure compassion of Chinese practitioners, who continued to put others' interest first despite the persecution. I wanted to go back to China to tell my government: The persecution of Falun Gong is wrong. By the end of 1999, I heard that some Tokyo practitioners were planning to go to China to appeal, so, I joined them.

To our surprise, our appeal ended up in the Beijing Security Bureau even before we arrived at the Central Appeals Office. We were interrogated as if we were criminals and were forcefully deported after overnight detention. Since then, problems have come one after another because China added my name to its blacklist.

Chinese Consulate Withholds my Passport

When I came back to Japan, my husband suggested that I apply for Japanese citizenship so that I wouldn't be persecuted or harassed again. To obtain the citizenship, I needed a document verifying my Chinese nationality. On April 18, 2001, I went to the Chinese Consulate in Osaka to apply for such a document. After receiving my passport (see photo), a consulate officer gave me a card as a receipt to pick up my Chinese nationality certificate three days later.

Three days later, however, the consulate told me that my passport had some problems and asked me to go home to wait for further notice. I asked what happened. Officers in the consulate refused to answer. At that time, I sensed that it might have something to do with my appeal in Beijing. After one month, I still didn't get any notice from the consulate. During this period, I called the consulate several times and was hung up on every time before I finished my question.

High Resolution Picture

Wang's passport

One month later, I went to the consulate again to request the nationality certificate. The consulate refused my request. When I asked why, they told me: "You know why." I said that I didn't know. They were very unreasonable and ordered me to leave. I said: "If you won't issue me the nationality certificate, please return my passport." They said that it was impossible. I said: "I didn't do anything wrong, why you would withhold my passport." They simply ignored me as if I didn't exist. From then on, I went to the consulate a few times and they always put me off with all kinds of excuse. Eventually, they refused to see me.

Because I didn't have a deep understanding of the Fa, I accepted the persecution passively. I felt that I couldn't do anything. Later, through Fa study and sharing with fellow practitioners, I realized that I shouldn't be led by evil and I should clarify the truth wherever there is a problem or tribulation. Since June 2002, I went back to the consulate again for my passport and the nationality certificate. I resigned from work and was determined to fight until I got my rights back. By that time, the consul who worked on my case had been replaced by another man, who also refused to see me. I then went to an office window to tell a receptionist that I hadn't done anything wrong, but the consulate was withholding my passport because of my practice of Falun Gong. If the consul in charge would not come out to see me, I wouldn't leave. The receptionist then called the consul out. The consul told me that he was busy and had no time to see me. I said: "This is your job, you have no reason not to see me." I told him that I had resigned from work and would stay at the consulate until my request was properly addressed.

He then started to talk with me. I told him how I learned Falun Dafa and the positive changes in my life because of Dafa, as well as how wrong the persecution is. One month later, he told me that he could issue me the nationality certificate. However, to satisfy his supervisors, he wanted me to write a warrant letter stating that I would not go against the Chinese government. I thought that I never wanted to go against Chinese government and we just wanted to help the government to realize its mistake, so there wasn't anything wrong with writing such a letter. So I wrote: "I was never against [Chinese] government, and I promise I will never go against the government." However, my conscience told me that it was wrong to do this, to comply with their demands of any type. Because of my attachment to the nationality certificate, I still wrote that letter. The Consulate in Osaka then returned my passport and issued me a Nationality Certificate on July 26, 2002. I obtained Japanese citizenship in April, 2003.

Later, I clearly realized that I had made a big mistake and was very regretful. I published a solemn statement on Clearwisdom.net on January 8, 2003 to declare that my words were null and void.

I have been striving to be a good person and better person by following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. However, the Chinese Consulate in Osaka persecuted me for this very reason. In more than one year, their persecution brought trouble, pressure and serious damage to my family and me.

Postscript

When fellow practitioners asked me to write down my experiences with the consulate, I didn't want to do it. Later, I asked myself, "If this a good thing that can expose evil and save sentient beings, why don't I want to do it?" I realized that it was the fear to lose face and to expose the stains in my cultivation. I realize that cultivation is solemn and I won't succeed with even a tiny bit of attachments. When I enlightened to this principle, I once again experienced the state of being selflessness.

Thank you, Master, for giving me another opportunity to purify myself.