News and Events from Around the World
Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experience
The People Awaken to the Truth
News and Events from Around the World
Criminal Lawsuit Filed against Chinese Officials in Athens
One week prior to the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, three Falun Gong practitioners, including 37 year-old Australian citizen Chris Cominos, jointly submitted a criminal lawsuit against former Chinese communist head Jiang Zemin, former Vice-Premier Li Lanqing, and Politburo Standing Committee member Luo Gan for genocide and torture.
On August 5th 2004, European and Greek Falun Dafa Associations in conjunction with International Advocates for Justice (IAFJ), sponsored a press conference in Athens to announce to filing of the suit.
The lawsuit is based on Greek criminal law, and the sentence can be as high as 20 years in prison. Once formally accepted by the Greek court, Luo Gan, Li Lanqing and Jiang Zemin will be summoned to court upon entering Greece. After it abolished dictatorship in 1974, Greece created tough laws to prevent the government from committing crimes of torture.
Lawsuits have been filed in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and now Greece to bring those responsible for the atrocities to justice and to put an end to the genocide of Falun Gong in China.
Mr Cominos, who grew up in Melbourne and who has been residing in Sydney for the last few months, is the lead plaintiff in the action and was physically abused by Chinese Police when he visited Beijing in 2001. Ireland resident Zhao Ming and American Frances Bakatsias, residing in Athens, are also plaintiffs.
Mr Cominos was born in Greece and has practiced Falun Gong for more than five years. He is very proud of Athens for holding the 2004 Olympics. He said: "Like China, Greece has great ancient culture and moral heritage. I hope that China will end the inhuman persecution of Falun Gong, uphold the spirit of peace, justice and mutual respect, and take this spirit to the next Olympics in Beijing."
The Chinese ambassador to Greece recently addressed the media after a meeting at Greece's foreign ministry office. He said: "The Olympic ideal is not related to human rights..." He continued to say that it is wrong to link the situation in the field of human rights to the Beijing Olympics games.
During its bid for procuring the 2008 Olympic Games three years ago, the Chinese Government indicated that the organization of the Games would contribute to human rights improvements in China. The Olympic Watch Committee has already twice condemned the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong and has called on the Chinese Government to respect freedom of speech and religion thereby putting an end to the genocide of Falun Gong.
"Hitler used the 1936 Olympic Games to cover up his genocidal policy against Jewish people," says Mr. Cominos. "Sadly, this seems to be the same tactic Jiang is using to cover up his illicit bid to 'eradicate Falun Gong' in China."
Mr. Cominos added, "This lawsuit filed in Greece recalls the spirit of the Olympics, so as not to allow history to repeat itself in China."
Russia: Practitioners File Lawsuit against Bo Xilai During His Visit to Russia
Russian Falun Dafa practitioners submitted a lawsuit to Russia's Inquisitorial Court during a visit by the current Chinese Minister of Trade Bo Xilai, accusing him of brutally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners when he was Mayor of Dalian and Governor of Liaoning Province. The lawsuit states that Bo Xilai has contravened Article 357 of the Russian Criminal Law in his crimes of genocide, torture and crimes against humanity.
Bo Xilai's indictment listed detailed cases of the persecution Falun Gong practitioners have suffered when Bo Xilai was Mayor of Dalian and Governor of Liaoning Province. Documents from related international organizations were also included. The lawsuit has been accepted by the Russian Inquisitorial Court and is now being processed according to legal procedures.
Bo Xilai has shown that he is willing to go to any lengths to follow Jiang Zemin's orders to eliminate Falun Gong. Masanjia Labor Re-education Center in Liaoning, where Bo Xilai was Governor, is notorious for the amount of Falun Gong practitioners who died from torture and ill treatment.
Before the legal action was launched against Bo Xilai in Russia, similar lawsuits were filed in many other countries around the world. On April 22, 2004, at Hotel Fairmont in Washington DC, Bo Xilai personally received a court subpoena during his visit to America. When Bo Xilai followed Hu Jintao to visit Romania, he experienced similar actions to bring him to justice yet Hu Jintao was welcomed. Legal actions were also launched against Bo Xilai in other European countries, including Poland and the United Kingdom.
Another Successful Overseas Rescue
Following the successful rescue of Ms. Li Ying, fiancee of Australian Citizen Li Qizhong, from a Chinese forced labor camp, another couple has been happily reunited in Sydney.
On October 2, 2002, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Xie Yan from Guangzhou City was illegally sentenced to two years' forced labor, and was detained in the notorious Chatou Forced Labor Camp of Guangzhou City. As she refused to renounce her belief in Falun Dafa, her term was extended 3 months. She was not released until January 2003. In the forced labor camp, she suffered many cruel tortures. She was only 24 years old at the time. Unfortunately, around 10:30 p.m. on the night of 23 February 2004, Guangzhou City Tianhe Police Department deceived her and abducted her. Her fiance, Mr. Philip Law, an Australian citizen, tried many ways to find her. Eventually, he found out that she was detained in the brainwashing class in the so-called "Law School" set up by Tianhe Police Department. Philip requested to communicate with Xie Yan but was refused. Philip then started a rescue bid with his fellow overseas Falun Gong practitioners.
On the streets of Australia, practitioners handed out flyers about the sad story of this couple, and appealed to the public to write to the Chinese Embassy. At the same time, telephone calls from overseas were continually made to the brainwashing class. The crimes of the criminals, including Zeng, the chief of the brainwashing class, Xie, from "610 Office" of Wushanjie Police Station, Zhang Lifang and Ren Renjie of the class, were exposed overseas. Facing the continuous phone calls from overseas, they were very nervous. In the end, they had to admit that they detained Xie Yan. While they tried to shirk their responsibilities, they still did not allow Xie Yan to speak to anyone from the outside.
This didn't stop Philip's determination to rescue his fianc¨¦e. On April 8, 2004, he published an open letter to call for help to rescue his fianc¨¦e and other Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering in China. He left Australia for Geneva on April 9 to appeal to the 60th United Nations Human Rights Conference.
The Australian government provided assistance. The NSW Liberal Party Member for Lane Cove, Mr. Anthony Roberts, expressed that he would tell his colleagues about Xie's situation. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, MLA from Canberra, made an inquiry with the Chinese Embassy regarding Xie's circumstance, and the details of their refusal of granting Philip the visa to China. John Murphy, MP wrote to the foreign minister, Alexander Downer, requesting the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to raise the matter with the Chinese authorities. Mr. Downer later replied that he has pointed out to the Chinese authorities that they have violated the human rights convention. John Murphy, MP further contacted the Australian Consulate in Guangzhou, asking them to help with Xie Yan's application to Australia, and to assist her in getting to Australia as soon as possible.
The story of the couple was also reported in the local newspaper "Inner West Weekly," which aroused many people's concern and sympathy. They were all shocked by the fact that the persecution has extended to their fellow Australians.
At this time, the truth-clarifying phone calls were still made to the brainwashing class. On April 23, 2004 due to international pressure, the brainwashing class released Xie Yan.
On July 31, 2004, Xie Yan safely arrived at Sydney International Airport, and the young couple was finally reunited. They deeply appreciate the help from the Australian people, the Australian Government and Falun Gong practitioners from Australia, Switzerland and Thailand, and are very concerned about many practitioners who are still illegally detained in China. They appeal to all kind-hearted people to help stop this inhuman persecution, to stop the Jiang regime's persecution of people who believe in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and to unconditionally free all Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Judge Gives Green Light to Criminal Trial of Chen Zhili in Tanzania
New progress has been made in the lawsuit against Chen Zhili, the former Minister of Education and currently a Member of the Chinese State Council. The preliminary hearing in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 3 was in favor of the Falun Gong practitioners in Ethiopia, on whose behalf attorneys brought the case.
The case was initiated as a civil action via an affidavit filed with the Tanzanian Court on July 19. The affidavit alleges Chen Zhili is guilty of murder and torture of Chinese teachers and students who practice Falun Gong. The judge's decision concluded the civil action, clearing the way for a criminal trial. According to the Falun Gong practitioners' attorney, the plaintiff's witnesses are ready to appear in court.
Chen was the Minister of Education from 1998-2003, and is currently a member of the Chinese State Council. She had an affair with Jiang Zemin and championed Jiang's persecution policies in the Chinese educational system, which resulted in an extraordinarily cruel persecution in that system. According to incomplete estimates, in 2003 alone, at least 435 Falun Gong practitioners in 210 Chinese universities and colleges were forced into labor camps or mental hospitals. Over the past five years, at least 61 teachers or students were killed for practicing Falun Gong.
Moreover, Chen Zhili also held numerous meetings to implement the persecution. She published decrees in the name of the Ministry of Education, to order teachers and students in schools to take their stand in this persecution; she forced teachers and students to view propaganda films that defamed Falun Gong and sign statements that renounced and slandered Falun Gong. Due to her orders, educational content designed to defame Falun Gong and incite hatred was incorporated into school textbooks as well as tests and exams, including those in universities and graduate schools. State run propaganda in the form of TV programs produced by CCTV was broadcast at teacher training institutions to instill hatred against Falun Gong into the minds of future teachers.
After visiting South Africa and the Republic of Zimbabwe, she arrived in Tanzania on July 17, 2004 for a four-day visit. She appeared in person in court on July 19, upon being subpoenaed in Tanzania. This was the first time that a defendant personally appeared in an overseas court in the series of ongoing lawsuits against Chinese officials for their crimes in the persecution of Falun Gong.
Tanzania, a democratic country, located in eastern Africa, has an independent legal system. Before Chen was sued, at least ten Chinese government officials who personally participated in the persecution of Falun Gong were served with lawsuits in the U.S.A., Canada, Taiwan and European countries. The officials include former Chinese president Jiang Zemin who single-handedly launched and directed the persecution.
Canada: MP Rob Anders Urges the Department of Foreign Affairs to Press the South African Government to Make a Full Inquiry into the Shooting of Falun Gong Practitioner
Rob Anders
MP for Calgary West
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A5
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Room 507 Confederation Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear Minister,
I am writing to you in regards to the recent shooting incident in South Africa involving Falun Gong practitioner, Mr. David Liang. As he and his associates were traveling from Johannesburg to Pretoria, their vehicle was overtaken by another car. The other vehicle pulled alongside and one of the three occupants opened fire with an automatic assault rifle. Mr. Liang was shot and wounded and his car disabled.
Mr. Liang and his fellow Falun Gong practitioners were in South Africa to peacefully protest a visit by Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and Commerce Minister Bo Xilai. Previous to their trip, Mr. Liang and other Falun Gong supporters had experienced harassment and threatening phone calls in Australia, where they are resident. The practitioners wished to raise awareness about the human rights situation in the People's Republic of China and the current persecution of Falun Gong there.
What was unusual about this incident was that after the shooting there was no attempt to rob those attacked. The crime seemed to accomplish nothing other than to send a message to the victims. As Falun Gong practitioners have also been the victims of harassment here in Canada in recent years, I urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to press the South African government to make a full inquiry into the incident to determine the motivation behind the attack.
Sincerely,
Rob Anders, MP
Calgary West
Canada MP Keith Martin: I Would Hate to See the Situation in South Africa Repeated in Canada
Dr. Keith Martin, M.D., M.P.
Esquimalt -- Juan de Fuca
House of Commons
Victoria, BC
Canada
July 26, 2004
The Honorable Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Lester B. Pearson Building, Tower A, 10th Floor
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
Dear Minister Pettigrew,
First, let me express my warmest congratulations to you on your new appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
My reason for this letter is to communicate to you an issue that was recently brought to my attention by a constituent. On June 28, 2004 there was a drive-by shooting in South Africa somewhere en-route from the Johannesburg airport to Pretoria that allegedly targeted a Falun Gong Practitioner, David Liang. There is concern that this was a premeditated attack by hit men hired by the Chinese government because Liang was planning to hold a press conference exposing the alleged crimes of two visiting Chinese government officials, Vice President Zeng Quinghong and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai, implicated in persecuting practitioners of Falun Gong in China. These government officials are facing legal cases submitted in the United States and Poland for crimes against humanity. What is our policy on dealing with Vice President Zeng Quinghong and Minister Bo Xilai? Are they allowed to enter Canada to visit? I would hate to see the situation in South Africa repeated in Canada.
Could you please send your response to my constituency office?
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Keith Martin, M.P.
Esquimalt -- Juan de Fuca
Letter to the Austrian Falun Dafa Association from Slovenian Minister of Defense Office
Republic of Slovenia
Ministry of Defense
Office of the Minister
9th March 2004.
To the Austrian Falun Dafa Association,
It is in the nature of humankind to choose its own way of living, and if someone's beliefs and acts do not take away the freedoms of another human being, nobody has the right to restrict him for that. Also, the rules of the International Declaration of Human Rights explicitly forbid any access to one's integrity and to his own belief, as that would mean the restriction of personal freedom.
In the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, we implicitly condemn execution or support of any kind to genocide, especially such that is incited by a government that is obliged to care for its own citizens. We principally agree with the Concurrent Resolution 188 of the US Congress, which states that the government of the Republic of China should stop the senseless persecution of members of the Falun Gong movement -- a traditional practice of mind and body improvement. Also, because that philosophy is based on truthfulness, goodness and mutual tolerance, without a doubt it positively influences the contentment of people, as well as the spiritual and physical health. Only contented individuals can create a healthy, democratic society, which altogether enables growth and development of each individual.
Apart from that, we support the right of each person to decide to join the Falun Gong movement, because belief is one of the most important elements of the base of human dignity, and according to that it is inalienable.
With pleasant greetings,
Mr. Darko Lubi.
Chief of the Office of the Minister
Statement by NGO Interfaith International at the 56th Session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
The fifty-sixth session of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights is taking place this year from July 26 to August 13 at the Office of the United Nations in Geneva. The representative of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Interfaith International made a statement on the responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights. The complete text is below.
Working Group established to examine the working methods and
activities of transnational corporations
Responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights
Mr Chairperson,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We speak on behalf of Interfaith International and wish to thank you for the work you are doing, which becomes increasingly urgent. We wish to draw your attention to the problem of the origin of products manufactured principally in China. In fact, there are currently more and more reports on Chinese products which use only a borrowed name to hide economic slavery, without western enterprises suspecting the fact.
Nestle, for example, was directly implicated in 2001. Nestle had placed an order for soft-toy rabbits at a toy factory in Beijing. These toys were in fact made in a forced labour camp at Xinan, Beijing, where 90 per cent of the detainees are innocent victims imprisoned because they practise the method of qigong called Falun Gong and cultivate three universal values: Truthfulness, Benevolence and Tolerance. The practitioners work like slaves under torture and constant persecution. All the products made there for export are soiled with pus, blood and tears.
The number of forced labour camps transformed into factories is many. We deplore the fact that the Special Rapporteur on torture had to cancel his visit to the camps at the request of the Chinese Government that allegedly needs more time to prepare. The majority of national and transnational business enterprises are completely ignorant of the manner in which the products they sell in our western world are manufactured and, even more so, the consumer. This system was set up by the Chinese Government and is encouraged at all levels and supported by corruption.
Another danger for business enterprises with subsidiaries in China lies in the fact that their directors can find themselves participating in the total eradication campaign aimed at 70 to 100 million innocent people: Mary Kay and Volkswagen have begun to give notice to their employees solely because they practise this method.
Purely for economic interests, enterprises of all sizes and foreign investors who are aware of the situation prefer to close their eyes. They do not consider the fact that they are making themselves accomplices of what well-known human rights lawyers consider one of the most serious situations of persecution and genocide currently existing, in terms both of its size and of the means used: slander, incitement to hatred, incitement to denounce, privation of all social, economic and cultural rights, torture and murder. One quarter of the financial resources of China is being used for this repression. Thus, all contracts, all investment and all setting up of enterprises support this persecution. The initiator Jiang Zemin and his main collaborators are now the subjects of a lawsuit in Chicago and complaints filed in some 15 countries for torture, crimes against humanity and genocide.
What enterprises do not know is that their financial aid is equally feeding the extension of this persecution in our countries and the growth of the violence. In fact, since July 1999 those who practise Falun Gong and who denounce the persecution, whatever their nationality, are being spied upon, followed, photographed, their telephones are tapped, computers hacked, they are put on a blacklist, harassed and threatened. An example took place recently for the first time outside China, at the end of June 2004 in South Africa, when Australian practitioners were shot on sight while they were preparing to file a lawsuit against two Chinese officials responsible for the repression.
Thanks to the norms established by the Working Group we hope that not only the victims will be defended but also the enterprises and investors protected, so that respect for fundamental rights will take precedence over economic interest.
Thank you for your attention.
Letter from US Senator Paul Sarbanes for the Washington DC Public Rally to End the Persecution of Falun Gong
Paul S. Sarbanes
Maryland
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.
July 22, 2004
Dear Friends:
I am most pleased to extend warm greetings to all gathered for today's rally to "End the Persecution of Falun Gong."
Over the years, the Congress has repeatedly expressed its concern about the deplorable human rights conditions in China. I have joined in these efforts during my service in the Senate to ensure that this matter receives the appropriate attention of the international community. The government of China has outlawed the practice of Falun Gong, imprisoned many followers, and prosecuted group leaders. The Chinese government continues to deny systematically to members of Falun Gong basic and international recognized rights and freedoms.
As one who is deeply concerned about this matter, I have repeatedly contacted the Department of State to urge that our government continue to convey to Chinese authorities the concern with which we view the worsening conditions for practitioners of Falun Gong. You may be assured of my continued efforts in this regard.
Please accept my best wishes for a productive and successful rally.
With best regards,
Sincerely,
Paul Sarbanes
United States Senator
Private Prisons Set up in China to Persecute Falun Gong
While former Chinese president Jiang Zemin was still in office, he abused his power and huge proportion of China's national resources to build private prisons to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. These prisons were usually set up secretly. Now, almost every county and city in the nation has such prisons. The "610 Office" is directly in charge of these prisons, whereas judicial and legal departments often administer regular prisons. Such private prisons are often mislabeled as "Legal System Education Classes" to deceive the public. Many practitioners have been sent to these types of prisons to be persecuted and they will not be released if they refuse to give up their belief in Falun Gong. Some practitioners have even lost their lives in these prisons.
The photo (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2004-7-29-jail.jpg) shows the gate of a private prison located on the east side of the Veneer Factory - Raw Wood Material Processing Plant in Yakeshi City, Inner Mongolia. There are two boards hung on the gate (one board in Chinese characters and another in Mongolian) reading, "The Daxinganling District Legal System Education Base in Inner Mongolia." The Raw Wood Material Processing Plant used to be the largest plant of its kind in Asia and has a history of several dozen years. It went broke, however, in the 1990s and many workers were laid off.
What's surprising is that in the autumn of 2003, the "610 Office" spent a large amount of money renovating the plant and turning it into a private prison. A two-meter high wall was set up around the plant with a gate that was tightly closed. One can often hear dogs barking inside. The landscaping outside makes it hard for people to imagine it is in fact a place where innocent people are tortured and killed.
My Firsthand Experience of the Crimes Against Humanity being Committed at the Beijing Female Forced Labor Camp
Jiang's group has hidden the brutal persecution of Falun Gong behind the façade of such slogans as, "[This is] The best period of human rights in history." After spending nearly two years in forced labor camps, I would like to reveal the truth behind Jiang's claim that this is "The best period of human rights."
1. Having a Spiritual Belief is Considered "a Crime" Under Jiang's Rule
I'm a Dafa practitioner from Beijing. Since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, I have been taken to brainwashing classes several times simply because I practice "Truth, Compassion and Forbearance." One day in 2002, while clarifying the facts to people about the persecution of Falun Dafa, local police arrested me and sent me to the police station. 24 hours later, I was transferred to the district police department where I was detained. A month later, without any legal proceedings, I was sentenced to two years of hard labor to be served at the Beijing Women's Forced Labor Camp. Before I was sent to the labor camp, I was taken to the Dispatch Center first. Shortly after arriving at the camp, I was put in a brainwashing class where I was continuously beaten, abused, and forced to repeat slanderous language against Falun Dafa. Punishments were escalated whenever I refused to obey.
2. Depriving People of Food and Water
During my twenty-four hours' detention at the police station I was incessantly interrogated, deprived of food and water, and forbidden from using bathroom facilities. Practitioners there were basically deprived of water. During lunch, two bowls of water were passed among a group of over ten people. By the time the bowls came to us practitioners, little or no water was left. Once, a female Dafa practitioner was so thirsty that she drank a little water from the tap while brushing her teeth. For this she was severely reprimanded.
3. Depriving People From Using Bathroom Facilities
In the labor camp there is a set time for detainees to use the bathroom and a guard must accompany the detainee.
On one occasion all the guards were busy registering newcomers into the camp, so no one could accompany us to go to the restroom. Therefore, they simply refused to let us use the restroom while they were busying with the registration. For the whole afternoon, all of our requests to use the bathroom were refused. Later that day, a practitioner could not wait any more and simply rushed into the bathroom. For doing that she was beaten and cursed.
4. Sleep Deprivation
The camp's chief weapon is sleep deprivation. The experience is nearly unbearable. The victim is put in a room together with about 14 others, who are supervised by some other prisoners. Boards with the camp's regulations written on them are given to each person and they all have to keep repeating the regulations. Anyone found not concentrating is beaten.
I remember after I had been transferred to the Beijing Forced Labor Camp at the end of 2002, the instructor of the brainwashing class did not allow us to sleep, not even during the lunch break. Anyone found dosing off was punished.
5. Demoralization by Being Locked in a "Small Cell"
Without exception, every Falun Gong practitioner who is arrested has to go through the brainwashing class. If practitioners do not show "improvement," they will be locked up in an isolated "small cell" and on top of that, during the night they will have to stay awake repeating aloud the labor camp regulations. Once, after watching a documentary slandering Falun Dafa, a practitioner was questioned, "Is Falun Gong a [slanderous word omitted]?" When she replied that is was not, she was then immediately beaten by a group of prisoners who later reported her to the chief guard. For three days afterwards, that practitioner was locked up in isolation and interrogated.
Later, the chief guard personally reprimanded her and forced her to watch more slanderous documentaries about Falun Dafa. When they saw that she was tired, she would be encircled by prisoners and forced to run around in circles. Every time she bumped into someone, she would be beaten. Finally she collapsed from exhaustion.
This practitioner was then locked up in isolation again for a month, during which time she was taken to different cells. She was taken out of her cell for punishment only during the night, just before she was about to sleep.
6. Demoralization Through Punishment from Drug Offenders
It was not uncommon for the guards to beat and use electric batons to shock Falun Gong practitioners. The guards also often encourage prisoners to beat up the practitioners as well. One day, four or five prisoners arrested for drug offences, who are all in their thirties, were basically asked to be thugs. The cruel tactics used by these prisoners were even worse than what the guards did. They took turns beating us. But before they began, one of them by the name Chang, stuffed her socks into the mouth of a practitioner to prevent her from screaming. These prisoners had their terms reduced for doing this work for the labor camp police.
Every meal we had consisted of a bun made from ground corn flour mixed with other grains. Anyone refusing to eat was beaten. One time a practitioner was beaten so badly that her whole body, except for her face, was bruised. In order to not to let others see what had happened to her, the guards stopped her from taking showers for a long time.
In the labor camp, the guards cut away the top buttons of practitioners' shirts, as well as the zipper for the fly and waistbands of their pants, leaving the practitioners with no choice but to hold up their pants at all times. The guards often said, "See how weak you are, you're not even able to put up with a slight beating." One young practitioner even had a couple of her teeth knocked out from being beaten by the guards and had a hard time eating because of it. After one university student had completed serving a year and a half in the labor camp, her sentence was then extended for another six months. The guards always tortured that practitioner with electric batons.
7. Strip Searched
Normally, when being transferred from one place of detention to another, the admissions officer goes through all your belongings doing a complete search. Even a person's bedcovers are thoroughly examined. Later, they simply refused to let the practitioners take any covers with them. On admission to the camp the first time, a prisoner's clothes are stripped off followed by a thorough examination. After admission, they strip you naked again for another examination. Then every month, they conduct a regular search, to make sure nothing is hidden.
Nineteen Persecution Deaths in China Verified in July
According to reports on Clearwisdom.net in July 2004, it was confirmed that another 19 Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of torture in the year 2004, which brings the verified death case toll to 1,016.
Nineteen torture deaths verified in China in July
In July 2004, 19 torture deaths were confirmed through non-governmental channels. Eleven of these practitioners died in 2004, and three died in July.
The deaths took place in 11 provinces and municipalities: four cases in Jilin Province, three in Liaoning Province, three in Shandong Province, two in Heilongjiang Province and one case each in Hebei Province, Beijing, Sichuan Province, Guangdong Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, and Chongqing City. Among the deceased practitioners were retired workers, farmers, civil servants, and teachers.
The oldest practitioner who died as a result of torture was Zhou Dehong, 78, from Quankou Village, Lanlong Township, Hengyang County, Hunan Province. The youngest practitioner was Ms. Wang Xiaodong, 34, who was a teacher at the Nantou Middle School in Shenzhen City. Eight of these practitioners were over 50 years of age, which accounts for 42% of the 19 deaths. Twelve were female, which accounts for 63% of the death toll.
Physical and mental torture was common among the cases reported in July. Many practitioners' homes were ransacked, and they were abducted and fined. They were beaten, tortured and subjected to brainwashing. They were held in detention centers, labor camps, and brainwashing classes, where local police and persecutors from the "610 Office" tortured them to try to force them to renounce their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.
Husband tortured to death and wife sent to forced labor
Dafa practitioner Mr. Jiang Yong, 46, began practicing Falun Gong in 1996. He was from Guangming Village, Xingfu Township, Changchun City, Jilin Province, and was abducted and detained numerous times because he refused to give up his belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. He was sent to a forced labor camp, where he was brutally tortured. During the past five years, Jiang Yong had persisted in practicing Falun Gong, and had to stay away from his home to avoid being arrested there. The persecutors even sent his wife, a non-practitioner, to a labor camp for one year.
On April 13, 2004, police from the Public Security Bureau of Changchun City abducted Mr. Jiang and several other practitioners. Mr. Jiang suffered savage torture and was sent to the Tiebei Detention Center. His injuries from the torture were so severe that he was sent to the Changchun City Police Hospital on April 22, 2004, and was subsequently transferred back to the Tiebei Detention Center on May 26 for continued imprisonment.
His family's many requests to visit him were denied. During the evening of July 4, 2004, Mr. Jiang died as a result of the torture and abuse he suffered at the hands of police.
According to those who saw his dead body, there were rope marks on his neck and many dark bruises on his chest and upper back. His eyes were wide open, and blood oozed out of his mouth when his body was touched. Some tissues were placed under his rectum. Police frantically stopped people from taking photos of his body, and even beat his family members.
The officials in the Tiebei Detention Center feared their crime being exposed. In order to avoid responsibility for his death, they tried to cover up the truth by lying to his family members, saying that he died of a sudden sickness.
Mr. Jiang Yong was a very strong man, about 5' 10", and very muscular. His illnesses stopped after he began practicing Falun Dafa, and those close to him knew him as an "iron man." Yet, such a healthy man was tortured to death in less than three months.
The day after his death, his body was treated, the blood was cleaned from his mouth and the bruises were covered. There were bottles of alcohol, cotton balls, etc. all over the room. The persecutors apparently tried to destroy the evidence to cover up their crime.
Mr. Chen Fenglin dies as a result of the persecution
Mr. Chen Fenglin, 51, was a Falun Dafa practitioner from Beiyuan Village,
Laiguangying Township, in the Chaoyang District, Beijing. Since July 20, 1999, which marked the beginning of the persecution of Falun Gong, he went to Beijing many times to appeal for Falun Gong. In December 1999, he was detained and held at the Chaoyang Detention Center for one month. He then was transferred to the village party committee, where they persecuted him for over two weeks. After returning home, he was placed under constant surveillance. The police frequently climbed over the wall or onto the roof, or simply broke into his house. This severely disrupted his daily life. He went into exile, going from place to place for several months to avoid further persecution.
In January 2001, employees of the local police station and the "610 Office" arrested Mr. Chen while he was in the Green Garden in Chaoyang District. They sent him to a brainwashing center. During that time the cruel persecution affected his health. It was found that his blood pressure far exceeded normal levels, and he was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment. He lost his freedom immediately after leaving the hospital. Even during the Chinese New Year's Eve, while making dumplings at home, two policemen watched him. When he went to visit his relatives or friends, policemen followed him. Because Mr. Chen Fenglin refused to give up his belief in Falun Dafa, he was taken to a brainwashing center on July 31, 2001 by officers from the local police station and the "610 Office." In July 2003, when the police tried to send him to a brainwashing center again, he steadfastly refused. The police went to his home dozens of times to threaten him and sent people to watch him around the clock until the end of the year.
After continual imprisonment and various forms of persecution, Mr. Chen's physical and mental health had severely deteriorated. He died in the hospital on July 7, 2004.
Three teachers die as a result of torture in July; Chen Zhili served with lawsuit in Africa
Among the 19 practitioners who were tortured to death, three are grade school and middle school teachers. They are Li Guangzhen, Li Zhi, and Wang Xiaodong.
Ms. Li Guangzhen, 52, was an outstanding teacher at the Machang Township Center Primary School, Jianping County, Liaoning Province. Her husband, Zhou Xirong, is an English teacher in Machang Town Middle School. Because they were steadfast in their Falun Dafa practice, the police frequently searched their home. They were detained and severely beaten, and the police extorted money from them. In October 2002, the police arrested and detained them. In March of 2003, they were each illegally sentenced to a three-year prison term.
Li Guangzhen was taken to Dabei Prison in Shenyang City. She was severely tortured and thus unable to eat, and she quickly became emaciated. In October 2003, she was bailed out for medical treatment, and died on June 18, 2004. Her husband, Zhou Xirong, is now detained and tortured in Dongling Prison of Shenyang. His life is in danger, as well.
Ms. Li Zhi was a teacher at the Wujiashan Fourth Middle School in Dongxi Lake District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province. In 2002 she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was detained. Li Zhi's husband is an official working in the Labor Bureau. In order to keep his position, he often beat his wife. In the summer of 2002, Li Zhi passed away in the hospital.
Wang Xiaodong, 34, was a teacher at the Nantou Middle School in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. She went to Beijing to appeal in 2000, and on April 29, 2000 was illegally detained in the Nanshan Detention Center in Shenzhen City, where she was beaten and tied up. In July 2003, she died from torture after holding a four-month hunger strike at the detention center. Her husband Liu Xifeng, who is also a Falun Gong practitioner, has disappeared and his current whereabouts are unknown. Their 11-year-old son Liu Xiang was sent to an orphanage in Shenzhen.
An Account of the Brutalities at the Baoding Labor Camp: Economic Exploitation, Hard Labor and Torture Resulting in Disability and Death
The Baoding Labor Camp in Hebei Province forces detainees to perform hard labor. For the female team, the work starts at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 2:00 a.m. the next day. As a result of the long hours of hard labor, many practitioners' hands have been injured to the point that they are disabled. Right now, the labor camp forces the male team to staple together pages of books. Even those who are sick are made to do this. They are forced to work a whole day, and they are not allowed to take a rest at noon-time. They cannot rest until after 10:00 pm. The book currently being produced is entitled, The Very Best Three on Their Way. All the books made at the labor camp are pirated copies. The camp stopped this work for seven days after the CCTV broadcast the news that pirating copies of books is very rampant in Hebei Province. They started again after the story blew over.
The labor camp makes enormous profits illegally and treats the detainees very badly. It also exploits the prisoners in other ways as well. The meals served at the Baoding Labor Camp get worse every day. The only food currently available for the whole day is eggplant cooked in water. Even when family members come to visit, they are not allowed to bring any food to their loved ones. There is a convenience store in the labor camp where prisoners can buy food to supplement their meals. The convenience store posts a notice saying that their prices are the same as those of the stores outside the labor camp. Actually, the prices are much higher than outside stores. For example, for instant noodles, regular stores sell them for 0.6 Chinese yuan, while the store at the labor camp sells them for one yuan. For eggs, a normal store would sell them for one yuan per jin (450 grams), while at the labor camp they sell them for five yuan per jin. This is nothing more than economic exploitation.
A practitioner named Di Wanqing, from Li County, Hebei Province, was severely tortured at the labor camp. The guards used all kinds of means to torture him, including beating him with ropes, shocking him with high-voltage electric batons, tying him to the "Death Bed">Death Bed" (1), and forcing him to stand facing the wall with a guard standing right behind him, kicking him. He endured this treatment non-stop for three days and nights. Another torture inflicted on Mr. Di was a torture known as "watching TV" (being tied up and forced to bend over a bucket of urine for several days straight).
Since Di Wanqing refused to renounce Falun Dafa, a guard named Li Dayong brought him to a room and said viciously, " I will beat you up until I force you to give in." Following that, he beat Mr. Di until he lost consciousness.
Di Wangqing went on a hunger strike to protest the inhuman torture and persecution at Baoding Labor Camp. He was force-fed several times. As a result of the long-term persecution, Mr. Di was close to death, with his entire body swollen and fluids accumulating in his stomach. The guards sent him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with an inflammation of the lungs characterized by difficult, painful breathing and an accumulation of fluids. The guards were afraid to shoulder the responsibility for his death and so sent him home. He died soon after, on May 1, 2003.
A guard named Li Dayong handcuffed practitioner Tian Jianxing in a spread-eagle position to an iron rail for seven days and nights. As a result, Jianxing Tian's legs and feet were swollen so badly he could not put on his shoes, and he could hardly walk by himself.
A practitioner named Li Jiangguo, 56 years old, was deprived of sleep for 13 days and was tied to the "Death Bed">Death Bed" for one and a half months.
A practitioner named Ma Yuling was tortured several times by the guards. Four to five guards tied him with a rope and beat him severely. When they could not tie the rope any tighter, they forced a beer bottle under the rope so that the nylon rope cut deeply into Mr. Ma's flesh. For three consecutive days, they repeatedly tied him up until he lost consciousness from the pain. The skin where the ropes cut his flesh became necrotic in many places, and he lost the use of his arms. For one month, Mr. Ma could not take care of himself. Even then, the guards still used two high-voltage electric batons to torture him, burning him severely on his neck, back, face, genitals and mouth. The guards also instigated the criminal prisoners to beat Ma Yuling whenever they liked. Some criminal prisoners, in order to gain favor from the guards, used all means to torture him.
Northern District Times Falun Gong Practitioner Petitions Australian Prime Minister
On August 11, 2004, The Northern District Times in Australia reported that Chinese-Australian Falun Gong practitioner David Liang has delivered a petition to Prime Minister John Howard.
The petition, which bears the names of 1700 people, asks the Federal Government to work with the South African authorities to investigate a recent incident in which Mr. Liang was shot while driving a car in South Africa. It also condemns acts of terrorism by the Chinese Government and calls on the Federal Government to be vigilant in protecting Australians who may face terrorist attacks for their beliefs.
David Liang's feet were shattered by a gunman's bullet as he and other Falun Gong practitioners were on the way to file a lawsuit in South Africa against two Chinese officials for their role in persecuting Falun Gong in China. Doctors say that his mobility will be affected for two years.
The Times article states: "The lawsuit charged China's Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Trade Minister Bo Xilai with torture, genocide and crimes against humanity for persecuting people who practice the meditation which teaches truth, compassion and tolerance."
Mr. Liang, the father of two children, believes that he and the other practitioners were targeted by clothing, which identified them as Falun Gong practitioners. He said the South African authorities are investigating the incident as an "attempted murder," and expressed his hope that the Australian government would take action to put an end to the violence against Falun Gong practitioners.
Despite his brush with death, Mr. Liang remains firm in his beliefs and has no intention of giving up his practice of Falun Gong.
Associated Press Worldstream Reports on Falun Gong Practitioners' March Through Central Athens to Call for Attention to the Persecution in China
On August 11, The Associated Press reported on Falun Gong practitioners' parade through central Athens to call for attention from international society regarding the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. One Falun Gong practitioner pointed out that although Beijing has been approved to hold the 2008 Olympics, its current human rights situation opposes the values which the Olympics are founded upon.
The report stated that about 100 Falun Gong followers marched peacefully
Wednesday through central Athens.Many were dressed in colorful clothing and
accompanied by a bright yellow band playing traditional Chinese music.
Organizers of the march compared the upcoming 2008 Olympics in China with the
1936 Olympics in Berlin during the Nazi occupation.
The report quoted a Falun Gong practitioner from Belgium, Mattias Slaats who
said, "I think China has a great history, which has the values of the
Olympic Games and the people of China deserve them. But the current human rights
situation there opposes the values of the Olympic spirit,"
According to the report, organizers of the march, which dispersed peacefully,
claimed the Chinese embassy in Athens had demanded that the peaceful protest be
banned.
El Mundo: Editorial about the Chinese Economy and Falun Gong
On July 22, 2004, one of the two most important newspapers in Spain, El Mundo, famous for its investigative reporting, published an editorial lead article presenting the persecution against Falun Gong as the most evident example of why China's "economic freedom" is an illusion that will clearly fail without human rights and the rule of law.
The fifth anniversary of the Chinese government's illegalization of the Falun Gong organization recently passed; it is considered religious by some, although it is probably more precisely defined as spiritual. It suffered a brutal spiral of repression: the reeducation of hundreds of millions of people--a repetition on a smaller scale of that terrible act by the regime, the Cultural Revolution--as well as the jailing of over 6,000 members, of which an important number, perhaps more than one thousand, have died in Chinese prisons. Falun Gong, with the support of international human rights organizations, affirms that many of them have suffered terrible tortures.
This group preached a practice by which to improve physical and spiritual health through qigong exercises, a form of ancient oriental gymnastics, and incorporated elements from various religious traditions. Its elimination in China by use of force has not prevented its spread to many other places in the world in the last five years. Whatever one's opinion may be about this movement and the goals of its leader, Li Hongzhi [slanderous terms of Jiang's regime omitted], it is clear that its members have always acted in a peaceful manner. Even angelically. But that did not prevent a brutal persecution, one that reminds of the repression some years before of those equally peaceful demonstrators of Tiananmen. These precedents do, in fact, make one fear the worst for the growing movement defending the democratic rights of Hong Kong, which has drawn huge demonstrations.
The persecution of these most benign and civilized forms of dissent, brings out the deep contradictions of Beijing's reportedly reformist regime. In the long run, it is not possible to promote economic liberalization--with such colorful examples as the incorporation of capitalist principles and entrepreneurialism with those of the communist system--and, at the same time, to mercilessly continue suppressing civil rights and freedom of expression. A homologous capitalist system in the international community must provide legal security for investors and consumers, and public administrations must make decisions based on equality.
A communist regime that acts arbitrarily, and often dictatorially, can't offer the conditions--in particular, an independent legal system--necessary so that the so-called economic liberty does not end up being synonymous with abuse and corruption. In this way, Falun Gong's sad fate becomes a premonition of the future failure of the Chinese political system, as schizophrenic as it is unjust.
Boston Herald Reports on Falun Gong Practitioners Exposing the Persecution
At the end of July, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners from around the world held anti-torture exhibitions in Boston to expose the Jiang Zemin faction's cruel torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Reporters from the Boston Herald witnessed and reported the shocking scenes.
Boston Herald published a report by Jessica Heslam. The article stated, "Bound to a wooden bench with his hands tied behind his back, one man was covered in fake blood as a ''prison guard'' held a plank of wood beneath his neck.
Nearby, a woman's wrists were tied to a wooden scaffold as a guard menaced her with a metal pipe. Another woman sat cross-legged in a tiny cage."
The report continued, "The disturbing sights on Boston Common are part of an exhibit that depicts the brutal torture methods used by China on devotees of Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, a meditative and exercise technique.
Followers claim more than 1,000 practitioners have been killed while thousands of others are imprisoned and being tortured. More than 3,000 devotees from around the world have descended on the Hub this week, hoping their message is heard by Democrats and others."
The report also interviewed Mary Byrom, a Maine woman who designed the exhibit. She said, ''They do these methods in order to stop them from practicing,''
An American citizen is also being tortured in China. The report stated, "Yeong-ching Foo, 31, said her fianc? Dr. Charles Lee, who used to practice at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been imprisoned for the past 18 months.
'He went to China trying to expose the persecution of Falun Dafa. It's so hard for me,' said Foo, who said her fianc?is being tortured."
Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experience
Patient with a Breast Tumor and Bone Cancer Obtained a New Life after Practicing Falun Gong for Less than Three Months
I am from Datong City, Shanxi Province, China. I suffered from a breast tumor, and I underwent an operation in the year 2000 and started chemotherapy after that. I received chemotherapy in the hospital for three years. I cannot express with words the suffering I endured. Even though I kept taking medication every day, in April of 2004, my tumor came back and metastasized to the bone (bone cancer). After I went to the hospital, my doctor said it was impossible to be completely cured. The only thing that could be done was to use chemotherapy, which might ease my sickness and relieve the pain for the time being. The doctor told my family members: "She will be paralyzed soon."
I felt totally hopeless. It was so painful that I could not even get up from bed. I had no appetite and even started making arrangements for my funeral. Many of those around me thought that my time was up. However, one of my neighbors, a Falun Gong practitioner, introduced Falun Gong to me.
Perhaps I had a predestined relationship with Falun Gong, and the benevolent Teacher gave me a chance. I was very happy to begin to study Falun Gong books. My family members tried to stop me after they found out. They said: "The government does not allow Falun Gong." I said: "I am just a small potato, and I am not against my country and government. Besides, I am close to death. Falun Gong is so precious. Why not just try?"
What a miracle! I felt better and spoke louder right after beginning to practice. At the beginning, I could only sit in meditation for a short time while being propped up. After only one week, my condition was improved, and I got better and stronger day-by-day. Now I can cook meals and do household chores again. I regained weight and have a healthy complexion. Everyone says that I do not look like a patient any more.
I will make sure to be a good person and improve my character according to Falun Gong's requirements. I will tell people the facts about Falun Gong.
I want to sincerely thank Master Li and Falun Gong for giving me a new life.
My Testimony: Severe Liver Cirrhosis Disappears after
Practicing Falun Gong
Diary of the cultivation experiences of a new practitioner in China
The following are excerpts from a diary written by a new practitioner in Jilin Province who just started practicing Falun Gong several months ago. She affirmed: "Every word is from the bottom of my heart, not a single sentence is made up, and it is all true." She titled this article, "My Testimony."
On February 16, 2004, I was diagnosed with "cirrhosis of the liver with ascites." I had already been hospitalized for over one month for it at the end of 1998, and had spent more than 20,000 Yuan on medical expenses. So I asked the doctor, "Is there hope for my condition?" The doctor said: "You need to be mentally prepared. I suggest you budget 30,000 Yuan for treatment in the hospital." I got a prescription for one month's supply of medicine and went home. I went to my neighbor who practices Falun Gong and asked him: "I want to practice Falun Gong. Can you please teach me?" That's how I got started, practicing Falun Gong since March 17, 2004, while taking medicine. I felt my health improving day by day. Each day I excreted foul things from my bowels several times a day. After one month, I felt very well and stopped taking medicine altogether. I persisted in doing the whole set of exercises every day. Practicing the fifth exercise, the sitting meditation, was very difficult. I had to clench my teeth to endure the pain. But Teacher Li said to keep it up, "It's hard to endure, but you can endure it. It's hard to do, but you can do it." (Zhuan Falun) So every day when I do the sitting meditation, I think of Teacher Li's words and tough it out even though it hurts a lot. I am determined to follow Teacher's words and the principles of "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance," and be strict with myself. I am now a practitioner and should no longer conduct myself like an everyday person. I truly feel the goodness of Falun Gong.
April 21, 2004
Since April 25, I started doing the sitting meditation for one hour. Afterwards I cried so much that I could not see well. At times, I wasn't even aware that I was crying. I cried like it was so sad, and the more I cried the more I wanted to cry. I did not know why. My legs hurt so much during the sitting meditation. It hurt more than childbirth. But I felt very comfortable and relaxed afterwards.
Falun Gong is truly magnificent. My chronic ailments are all gone. Before practicing, I weighed 140 Jin (approximately 156 pounds; 1 lb. = 0.9 Jin) because of the ascites. After practicing for only one and a half month, I lost 3 Jin. I no longer feel bloated after each meal. My bowel movement is good now. All the accumulated fluid in my abdomen is also gone. I feel wonderful! I will persevere in practicing even if it means more hardships. For such a good practice, why not? I feel better day after day. My mood is uplifted from one day to the next. Before, I had even contemplated suicide because of my unbearable sicknesses. Apart from kidney stones, peripheral neuritis, etc., life was miserable. If I did not have my son, I would have been gone long ago. After learning Falun Gong, I changed my view of life. I no longer abuse others or commit wrongdoings; instead I always consider others. Before I do anything, I tell myself: "I am a practitioner. I cannot do anything I should not do." Teacher Li said: "One Standard Alone Determines if Someone is Good or Bad: Whether He is Able to be True, Good, and Endure." (Zhuan Falun, 2003) I will follow Teacher's words and truly and steadfastly cultivate myself.
April 27, 2004
I have practiced for over one month now. It is truly "working the body and tempering the will." My legs feel much better as the days go by. They no longer feel numb, and I also sleep better now. I used to be afraid of nightfall because my whole body would ache at night. My son came home on the May 1st holiday, and was stunned to see me because I had changed so much. After learning that all my diseases have been cured, he told me: "Falun Gong is so wonderful. I won't oppose it, and you should continue to practice." (I had once mentioned to him over the phone about my practicing Falun Gong. He was against it at that time.) He had always worried about my health and called me every day to enquire about it. Now everything is fine. He no longer needs to worry about me. My younger sister is also amazed to see the change in me. I know that cultivation is not child's play. It is very serious. Not everyone can do it. Without a true yearning for cultivation, one cannot succeed. It is hard. I cried for over one and a half months, and still cry when I do the sitting meditation. But I am healthy now, and I am happy, and all my family is happy for me.
May 8, 2004
It has been two months since I started practicing Falun Gong. I cleaned out all the messy books [that are not in accordance with the principles of Falun Gong] at home. I sold some of them and burned the rest. I don't know why it felt more painful than ever today when doing the sitting meditation. Fellow practitioners advised me to stop crying, and suggested that I look within for the problem. I think they are right. Crying is also an attachment. Although it is very painful, I am unable to suppress my feeling of gratitude to Teacher. I want to say a thousand thanks, and that Teacher is the most magnificent. Falun Gong has saved me and renewed my vitality. Before, I was very selfish. Now that I have learned Falun Gong, I think of others first. Whatever I do, I regard myself as a cultivator and follow the standard in word and deed. I practice and study the book every day. I have read the book four times now and I like reading it more and more. Before, I would have a headache whenever I picked up a book. Now my eyes don't even hurt. I will treasure Falun Gong.
May 17, 2004
I am very happy today as I lost two more Jin. Falun Gong is wonderful. People would never know it if they do not practice it. Now I know I will do one thing: that is to follow the principle of "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance."
Practitioners are so kind. They never ask for return when they help others. For example, the practitioner who taught me the exercises has a full time job and is very busy. But he would come over every day after work to teach me. He also gave me the videotapes and Falun Gong books. I wanted to invite him for dinner to thank him. But he said: Teacher says to teach anyone who wants to learn. There is no recompense involved. You do not need to thank me. Do what you should, studying the Fa and practicing conscientiously is better than anything else. We do this voluntarily and do not ask for return.
My legs still hurt. To be honest, one of my legs was rather stiff and I thought it was due to a stroke, so I went to the hospital. The doctor told me that it was unlikely. After reading the book, I realize that it is karma being eliminated. So I am no longer afraid and continue to practice.
Several times my legs hurt so much that I could not sit for the whole hour. After studying the books, I understand that I should bear the pain. I told myself: pain cannot discourage me. I will persevere in practicing.
The People Awaken to the Truth
Participating in the Persecution Brings Retribution, While Repenting and Practicing Falun Gong Saved My Life
I am 71 years old and a resident of Dehui City, Jilin Province. When I was village head, due to the pressure from the higher authorities, I participated against my will to put local Falun Dafa practitioners on a "blacklist," in order to persecute them.
On March 27, 2004, I suddenly became seriously ill and fell into a coma. I was sent to various major hospitals, but the doctors couldn't cure my illness. My family saw that I was dying and made arrangements for my funeral.
Fortunately, I obtained a copy of Zhuan Falun while lamenting over the briefness of life. Through reading the book, I came to understand a lot about the meaning of life. I made a thorough self-examination about my past wrongdoing. I decided to sincerely mend my ways. Right at that moment, my body was purified and I recovered from the verge of death. Soon, I could walk again with the help of a cane.
Now, the walking cane has been thrown away and I am walking about freely. Master Li gave me a second life. I will surely make amends for my past mistakes and recover the losses I caused to Falun Gong.
I hope my experience can awaken more people. I honestly hope people will realize the truth of Falun Dafa and treat Falun Gong practitioners well.
The People Learn the Truth as the Anti-Torture Exhibition Exposes the Persecution
In order to let more people know about Falun Gong and the persecution in China, Falun Gong practitioners held a one-week anti-torture exhibition at various locations in Washington, D.C. before July 20, 2004.
During a one-week period, practitioners held anti-torture exhibitions every day in two or three places with crowds such as the Lincoln Memorial, Lafayette Square, the Capitol Hill Lawn, Dupont Circle, etc. The exhibited torture methods included Driving in Bamboo Sticks, Tiger Bench, Dead Person's Bed, forced-feeding, cuffing, caging, pressing hard, electrical shocking, burning, hanging, dragging. These torture methods were accompanied by posters with detailed illustrations and cases.
People were shocked upon seeing the torture exhibition, and they began to look for more information. Some were thinking of a way to end the persecution, and some asked how to they could help. There were some who asked friends and colleagues to come to see, and some wanted to start the practice. Aside from learning about the brutal torture, many people started to respect Falun Gong practitioners for their perseverance in their belief even under such extreme situations.
After being moved by the torture exhibition, a 90-year-old woman immediately called a newspaper asking them to come to report on this.
After learning that Falun Gong practitioners had been persecuted by Jiang's regime for their belief in "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance," an African-American woman hugged a practitioner for a long time and offered her blessings.
An American who originally came from Vietnam told the practitioners, "You have done very well. These crimes need to be exposed so that more people will truly know what is happening!"
A delegation from Kenya was passing by, and they asked practitioners what was going on. They were shocked by the brutality that Jiang's regime had used against Falun Gong. One parliament member went back to get a camera to take some pictures.
A reporter from Radio Free Asia for the Tibetan Program also came to interview us, hoping to let more Tibetan people come to know the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong.
A college student said she was very interested in Falun Gong. Although she had not practiced yet, she wanted to help practitioners oppose the persecution. Right after that, she went to a bookstore nearby and purchased Falun Gong books.