(Clearwisdom.net) When the Chinese Government launched its persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, it was looking for a quick kill - three months to be exact. Jiang Zemin, the main perpetrator of the persecution, claimed, "I just do not believe the Communist Party cannot conquer Falun Gong." The very fact that the persecution is still going on, however, sends an unmistakable message: Falun Gong is still standing in China, and Falun Gong practitioners are still going strong!
The sacrifices made by Falun Gong practitioners are tremendous. From what has leaked through the tight media control of the Chinese government, we know that over 1,400 Falun Gong practitioners have died at the hands of police.
What makes Falun Gong practitioners so resilient? What are they insisting on? A new book, Stories of Conscience, addresses the significance and nature of this historical event from the angle of human conscience. As stated in the book's preface:
"Why are Falun Gong practitioners so unyielding to coercion? Why are they so uncompromising in insisting on their conscience? If right and wrong can be compromised, why have right and wrong? If good can cave in to evil, what will values and principles be based on? Conscience, the innate knowing of goodness, is the very essence of humanity. Everything else, even our 'inalienable rights,' can be forcibly taken away. The alteration of our conscience, no matter how small, must be consented to from within. Conscience, thus, defines human nature, and the right to conscience is a human being's most fundamental right.
"No crime, therefore, is worse than the crime against conscience. The Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong not only violates Falun Gong practitioners' right to conscience, but is also an assault aimed at the destruction of human nature."
Through eleven heart-touching stories, Stories of Conscience describes not only how barbaric the persecution is, but, much more importantly, it eloquently portrays practitioners' gallant defense of humanity and their conscious choice of goodness in resisting evil. The simple narration brings to life those who have lost their lives during the persecution, presents these real, kind and common people to the world, and gives a new meaning to peace, courage and conscience through their stories and experiences. The barbaric persecution will become a distant past in the near future when the evildoers are reduced to dust, but Falun Gong practitioner's conscience, courage, and sacrifice will forever remain humanity's most precious heritage.
Even though this book was published only one week ago, an abundance of positive feedback has been received. One reader, who formerly held a suspicious attitude towards Falun Gong, said after reading just a few pages of this book, "These stories are thought- provoking. What can I do [for these practitioners]?" When told this book does not require the reader to do anything, he said, "Well, that's true. But when you read a book like this, you naturally think about what you can do to help."
Another reader said, "It's unbelievable. Falun Gong has an incredible strength that enables its practitioners to endure one round of brutal torture after another." As a qigong lover, he has been exploring various kinds of qigong. But due to the misleading information provided by the media, he had been evading Falun Gong. Now he is very happy to read this book and thinks it will undoubtedly change his life. This person not only wants to learn Falun Gong himself, but he also wants his son to join him.
Stories of Conscience is published by the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group (www.falunhr.org). Readers can download this book free of charge from http://www.falunhr.org/reports/2005/Report2005.pdf
Those who would like to purchase this book, please contact info@falunhr.org.
