(Clearwisdom.net)

I. The Falun Gong "Issue"

The so called Falun Gong "issue" in China is not really about Falun Gong at all. The problem has been created by a handful of people in the regime who looked down on freedom of belief, refused to recognize the tremendous positive impact of Falun Gong in the society, and severely underestimated the determination of Falun Gong practitioners to keep their beliefs. The regime adopted extreme measures, employed the nation-wide propaganda machine, and exercised tyranny with the intention of eradicating Falun Gong. They fabricated vicious lies such as the staged "Tiannanmen self-immolation incident" to deceive the Chinese people, and in carrying out a policy of genocide against Falun Gong, they have cause countless tragedies to Chinese people and adversely impacted both social order and their own political future.

Falun Gong practitioners around the world have been paying close attention to the situation in China. Among many cases of persecution, Ms. Gao Rongrong's case is well known. Ms. Gao died from the persecution on June 16, 2005. After she passed away, Falun Gong practitioners in more than 70 countries protested in front of the Chinese Embassies and Consulates. Upright people in many countries publicly condemned the persecutors on various occasions. The suffering of Ms. Gao Rongrong in recent years is proof of the failure of the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party over the past six years. We hope that you will gain a better understanding of this persecution of Falun Gong practitioners' beliefs through this case.

Today, all sorts of conflicts in the Chinese society are complicated, and many problems are sensitive and stand out. The whole society is becoming very unstable. Everyone in the regime is analyzing China's social problems and trying to find a way out for themselves. It is known that most people in the regime ignore the issue of Falun Gong when examining the political situation. Furthermore, they ignore the fact that there are numerous people within the regime who intentionally cover up their crimes in order to shift responsibility, thus making it difficult for many Chinese officials to grasp the totality of the situation. Some people think that the Chinese government has won a "decisive victory" against Falun Gong, and that Falun Gong is fading away and is no longer a major concern. Some people think that Falun Gong has been dealt with excessively, and that now Falun Gong has disappeared to the point that it is no longer an issue that needs their attention. There are also many people who maintain their own respective judgment and understanding. We, however, would like to say, "You must pay close attention to the Falun Gong 'issue,' because China has already been destroyed during the process of persecuting Falun Gong, and from this stand point, China's future is in serious crisis.

II. A Typical Case

(The following facts are quoted from Ms.Gao Rongrong's personal statement and account, transcribed from a video recording)

"Tang Yubao tortured me with electric batons until after 9:00 p.m. During the six to seven hours of torture, I was in extreme pain and horror. Tang Yubao continuously shocked my face, ears and neck with two electric batons for a long time. My body convulsed and bumped against the heating pipe. The scars on my wrists from being handcuffed are still visible today, and my arms were numb for more than two months afterwards. My eyes were dry and my eyebrow fell off after Tang Yubao shocked my eye sockets. The skin shed around my ears and mouth.

Guard Zeng Xiaoping came in and held a small mirror in front of my face. He said that I could only blame myself for the disfiguration. My face, ears, neck, back, ankles and other parts of my body were repeatedly shocked with high-voltage electric batons. The skin blistered and turned black. My face swelled up by about two inches and was severely deformed. My eyes could barely open and yellow fluid continuously seeped out from my face. My hair stuck to my face and ears, and the blisters on my neck were the size of my thumb. I felt that I would rather die than live when the electric batons shocked the injured parts of my body."

Falun Gong Practitioner Ms. Gao Rongrong Worked for the Financial Division in Shenyang Luxun Fine Arts College

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Ms. Gao Rongrong was severely disfigured by the electric batons (This photo was taken on May 17, 2004, ten days after she was tortured)

1. Steadfast, "Transformed," and Perplexed

Ms. Gao Rongrong , born in February 1968, worked for the audit section of Luxun Fine Arts College, and later became financial personnel. Her parents were retired. Her older brother is a deputy director of the ministry of education in Guangming Daily. Her two older sisters also studied and worked in Luxun Fine Arts College.

Ms. Gao Rongrong began practicing Falun Gong in 1996, and later became a voluntary assistant. Like many Falun Gong practitioners, she went to Beijing to appeal after July 20, 1999. She was illegally arrested and detained three times, and her workplace spent nearly 200,000 yuan to look for her. In May 2000, she was sentenced to three years of forced labor, and then sent to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Liaoning Province.

In the forced labor camp, she was "transformed" and turned into a "collaborator" acting to confuse other practitioners. Because of this, she received leniency and gained early release in January 2001. After the "self-immolation incident" until May 2003, Ms.Gao Rongrong did not practice Falun Gong, but during that time, she was filled with perplexity and loss from within.

The general Chinese people do not understand that Falun Gong is a solemn belief - the belief in the universal truth, and that once this belief is established, its significance is intricately related to one's life. Depriving a person of the belief is like depriving one's life. What suppressors care about is simply whether the practitioners have been "transformed" to completely abandon their beliefs. For them, this proves a victory, and validates that the brutal persecution is correct. What the suppressors do not know is that people being persecuted will re-establish their suppressed beliefs and even become stronger due to their basic instinct towards life, spiritually and psychologically. Claiming a "decisive victory" in persecuting Falun Gong is a tragedy to China and the Chinese race. This "victory" will eventually be totally overthrown by the power of the spiritual belief and life. This is a spiritual rule that cannot be transformed by people's will. This has also been proven throughout history.

2. Awakened and Tortured Again

"During the three years of giving up Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance, I lost the true meaning of life, and suffered from depression and anguish. The little bit of conscience and kindness that remained in me made me wish that I could still find guidance in being a good person. I found that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance was still restraining me unknowingly, and I was continually aware of the universal principle that good and evil meet with just rewards. After a long period of confusion and struggle, I finally realized that my life could not be devoid of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. At the end of May 2003, I started to awaken, and I was determined to practice Falun Gong again."

Nobody forced Ms. Gao Rongrong to do so. With great personal difficulty she chose Falun Gong again. Her choice was also the choice of tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who had similar experiences. The perpetrators have not found a method to eradicate Falun Gong during the past six years. Instead, they should have proof that all of their means have failed. They have not found any theory to prove that Falun Gong is not good and with which to replace people's beliefs. To those people who are deeply concerned about the fate of the country and the future of the nation, we would like to say, "Suppressors, you wantonly spend large amounts of the country's manpower, financial and material resources to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, who bring to society only benefits and no harm. What is this persecution for, and what on earth are you thinking?"

In June 2003, when Ms. Gao Rongrong told the students at her workplace to practice Falun Gong steadfastly, she was sentenced to three years of forced labor. Under the dictatorial environment in Longshan Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang, she again encountered twists and turns in her belief, was tortured, and did difficult slave labor with other practitioners who refused to be "transformed."

Because of Ms. Gao Rongrong's firm attitude on Falun Gong, she suffered brutal torture on May 7, 2004. Li Fengshi, the manager of the forced labor camp, once said, "What can the dictatorial organizations do? What can handcuffs and electric batons do? I do not believe that we cannot control you little Gao Rongrong." The guards continuously shocked her with four electric batons for six to seven hours, which even a strong and healthy person could not bear, let alone a slender lady of 5 foot 2 inches. With a strong will, she refused to compromise. Under the terror and excruciating pain, while the guards were not there, she saw a thread of hope from the unlatched window on the second floor and jumped out. Unfortunately, her weak body could not sustain her escape, and she injured her legs and hips. Of course, Longshan Forced Labor Camp, and the work unit in charge, totally denied that her injuries were the result of the brutal persecution they inflicted on her.

3. Rescued, and Then Murdered?

According to our deep understanding gained over this many years, physical suffering does not mean much to a Falun Gong practitioner. What is important is to have the freedom to practice Falun Gong, and to let every Chinese person understand Falun Gong properly, and in turn have the freedom to practice Falun Gong. This is the key to understanding what the Falun Gong practitioners have been thinking about and doing for these years. Ms. Gao Rongrong was eager for personal freedom. When she was in the hospital, she said to a relative, "I truly hope that I can study the Fa, practice the exercises and clarify the truth like those practitioners outside." Although she was guarded by more than ten police officers in the hospital, Ms. Gao Rongrong felt freedom was near at hand. She wanted to leave the hospital, but the labor camp and judicial bureau feared the exposure of their evildoings and denied Ms. Gao Rongrong's requests.

Falun Gong practitioners helped Ms. Gao Rongrong to regain her personal freedom. On October 5, 2004, Ms. Gao was successfully rescued and obtained her freedom temporarily. Through a peaceful period of Fa study and practicing the exercises, Ms. Gao Rongrong recovered well. Unfortunately, her disappearance became a big issue for the authorities. It was called "10.5 Big Case" in the beginning, and later changed to "No. 26 Big Case." (Quite obviously, it was renamed according to bureau No. 26 of the Ministry of Public Security - the bureau in charge of dealing with Falun Gong). The relevant department of Shenyang City issued a notice intended to assist investigations on Ms. Gao's case. They repeatedly used broadcast stations to gather up clues, and utilized massive human resources to search for her.q2q

The "investigation notice" issued by Shenyang City Judicial Bureau, exposing the crimes of disfigurement and other crimes committed in the labor camp

Why were some people in power so afraid of an ordinary person like Ms. Gao Rongrong? It is because she was proof of the absolute failure of the persecution of Falun Gong. She was once forced to abandon her belief. However three years later, under further consideration, like many other practitioners, she resolutely chose to firmly practice Falun Gong. What made certain people even more terrified was that the evidence of Ms. Gao Rongrong being shocked - the photo of her disfigurement was widely circulated.

In March 2005, Ms. Gao Rongrong was arrested, and lost her freedom again. On June 8, Ms. Gao was sent to the China Medical College Hospital. On June 16, the beautiful Ms. Gao Rongrong left this world forever.

III. In Serious Crisis

1. Beyond Fixing

How huge is this so-called "victory" in persecuting Falun Gong, and how evil and vicious is the truth behind it? In the topmost level of the political arena, they hold all of the evidence related to the fabricated "Tiananmen self-immolation incident." Prior to the 16^th Congress Meeting, one former CCP official published the book, Poisonous Deceit (in Chinese and English) with anonymity overseas and detailed a description of the cause and operations of the persecution from an insider's perspective. Says the author: "I can tell you clearly and frankly that those 'so called victims' of the 'self-immolation incident' are not Falun Gong practitioners. I know who they were, why they were chosen, what benefits they received, and in what form." Among folks inside and outside of China, there is also strong evidence that the self-immolation was staged.

Officials who have a sense of justice organized an information network in jails, forced labor camps, and Embassies and Consulates abroad to secretly gather up evidence on the persecution of Falun Gong. Experts from the Chinese Social Science Academy published a document titled, "13 Torture Methods in China" after the 16^th Congress Meeting, however, the methods of persecuting Falun Gong practitioners are far more than 13 physical torture methods! Moreover, all of the murders and the tortures have been covered up so well that countless people who do not know the truth are still deceived by the regime.

As a matter of fact, when the suppressors fell into an unprecedented deathtrap in persecuting Falun Gong in 2000, they already knew that if they could not prove the persecution was correct via extreme measures, and failed to succeed through mass murder, then the Falun Gong "issue" that they could not back down from would mean that they could face the consequences of being brought to trial. In reality, the Falun Gong "issue" has actually dominated the direction of China's political situation for several years, and this is also the fundamental cause for the rapid deterioration of the political climate in China.

More important is that if all this is true, then this would be the wickedest political event among the many movements conducted by the CCP over the last fifty years. When the truth comes out, how will you feel? This is also an important reason why we urge you to pay close attention to the Falun Gong "issue."

2. Governing People with Dictatorship

Moreover, the mistreatment of Falun Gong over recent years via the use of enormous national power, including the force used to attack all sorts of criminals, not only caused serious damage to the social order, it also caused severe damage within the regime itself. The example it set for all levels of authorities is that dictatorship means that one can wantonly employ any measure on innocent Falun Gong practitioners. Can other social groups be treated in the same manner? This intensifies the social conflicts and complicates social problems. In some places, regular conflicts in the communities are even handled in the same manner as Falun Gong, so the problems become more sensitive and complicated. It can be said that the important root cause of the extreme instability in the Chinese society lies in the government's handling of the persecution of Falun Gong without considering the consequences.

The book Zhuan Falun has been translated into more than 20 languages. Falun Gong is well established in more than 70 countries, and has received 1337 awards and proclamations from outside of China (139 support motions), bringing positive recognition to Chinese culture. On the other hand, while persisting in treating people with tyrannical rule and moving against the international support for human rights and freedom of belief, China finds itself in a passive role in foreign affairs, unable to fulfill the promises made under international treaties. Recently, leaders from western countries openly put pressure on President Hu Jintao to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. In order to prohibit Falun Gong activities in Hong Kong, China intended to forcibly pass Article 23, but one million Hong Kong residents took to the streets on July 1, 2004, to protest, and Article 23 could not be passed. Nonetheless, the attempt cast a black mark on China's efforts to implement "one nation, two systems" with Taiwan. Falun Gong is legal in Taiwan, and the numbers of practitioners has increased rapidly over the years. The People's Daily disclosed that there were already 300,000 members at the end of 2004. The attitude on both sides of the strait is completely different, and the contrast is so huge that recognizing the significance of this difference is unavoidable.

3. This Persecution Is Completely Illegal

The law has never applied in the persecution of Falun Gong. In other words, the entire suppression of Falun Gong is totally illegal. The suppressors set up a central 610 Office with subordinate branches and organizations nation-wide in order to achieve their goal of eradicating Falun Gong. This organization in charge of persecuting Falun Gong is led directly by the highest CCP officials. It exercises powers above the constitution, the law, and the government.

"Article Six," issued by the Ministry of Public Security, and publicized on July 22, 1999, deprived Falun Gong practitioners of their right to appeal and their freedom of speech guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution. This article is unconstitutional and represents a serious breach of the law. Yet this article gave the go ahead for hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners to later be sentenced to forced labor!

The government's mishandling of Falun Gong must be resolved in order for China to establish and develop a society that is governed by law. Without resolving this issue, while continuously persecuting Falun Gong illegally, justice cannot possibly be restored, and the law can only be a game for the politicians to play.

4. Destruction and Persecution of Belief

For a few decades, the Chinese people did not have any genuine personal beliefs. While the Chinese society was moving towards a market economy, or developing a market economy under the authoritarian government, members of the regime, facing the enticement of power and benefits, had great difficulty exercising self discipline and not becoming depraved. The average citizens did not have the desire from within to be good, thus morality deteriorated rapidly. This erroneous trend made most of the Chinese people unable to understand what a belief should be. This social psychological environment became the important foundation of persecuting Falun Gong. The people in the community, including those in power, did not understand why people would believe in the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and denounced them as "obsessed" or "mentally deranged" simply for their belief. In fact, when you probe Buddhism or Christianity, you will find the same significance and power in their beliefs. It is not blind obsession.

The relentless suppression of Falun Gong has rapidly pushed the social ethics and psychological environment that were necessary for the healthy development of Chinese society to the brink of destruction. To this day the government still disregards the issue of freedom of belief as a crisis of social stability, and still advocates atheism. Can the subsequent covering up of the mistakes committed in the persecution of Falun Gong and other religions be the responsible way for China, the Chinese race and the Chinese people?!

5. The Tragedy Caused by Party Culture

The indoctrination of party culture that has taken place over recent decades has led the Chinese people to think and to view issues in an unhealthy and even twisted manner. How could the suppressors instigate such an insane persecution? This insanity cannot be separated from the deviant social mentality infiltrated by the party culture. In the presence of dictatorial power, this twisted mentality and thinking can easily come into play, leading good and evil as well as right and wrong to be easily reversed.

As a result of the deep-rooted party culture, the Chinese think and analyze objective matters in an extremely distorted fashion, and China continuously makes mistake upon mistake resulting in serious disasters. In China, knowing and following the truth is not an easy matter.

Today, Falun Gong practitioners are becoming more and more mature, and they have already seen through the party culture's control. This party culture controls one's spirit and thought until one can no longer hold firmly on to one's own belief or understand the facts even when they are clearly presented. Nothing can confuse these Falun Gong practitioners, and this is an important element that caused the complete failure of this persecution. At the moment, there is a very popular book in China and the rest of the world, called the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. If you can truly understand the history of the CCP and learn about its nature, you will understand your own limitations and the degree of distortion induced by the party culture, and then you will understand Falun Gong, the Chinese people, the Chinese race, and the future of China correctly.

In addition, I would also like to tell you, for those of us who believe in the existence of gods, that everything is predestined, and that the good will be rewarded and the evil will meet with retribution.