(Minghui.org) The suppression of Falun Dafa has changed significantly in China recently. Fewer practitioners are now arrested in many areas and even some police have become supportive. But in Miyun County (a part of the metropolitan Beijing area) the persecution is still rampant and many practitioners are detained.
There could be a number of reasons behind this. Below are my thoughts.
Following the Fa Rather than Following Role Models
I have seen a trend in our area since the persecution started in 1999, where after some elderly practitioners put effort into telling people about Falun Dafa and debunking the defamatory propaganda, others would share their stories around suggesting that others should follow suit, “Look at such and such practitioners, they are very diligent with truth-clarification materials in every closet of their house, and they walk miles every day to distribute them.”
After some practitioners chipped in to purchase a printer or a copier, word would also spread around quickly, “Those 10 practitioners bought a professional copier to make a large number of materials.” Another example was that one young couple was said to be responsible for all the materials production in an area, or that practitioners gathered at such and such a place for group Fa study.
These stories were sometimes exaggerated as they continued to spread. The stories even spread to non-practitioners who reported some practitioners to the authorities. As a result, these “role model” practitioners were persecuted one after another. When other “role model” practitioners came to light afterward, their visibility and the hearsay that spread about them often put them in danger too.
As practitioners we know we should follow the Fa, not role models. Then, why do we pass on such information and do it so excitedly? In fact, if a practitioner is not clear on what to do based on the Fa, but instead motivated by others, their xinxing improvement is probably not solid. When real tests come, these practitioners' reactions would be unpredictable.
The Issue of Fear
As I understand it, the above situation is related to communist party culture. One consequence is the fear in practitioners, because they do not know how to or are not willing to tell others about Falun Dafa on a large scale.
Some practitioners mainly study the Fa and do the exercises at home. They hardly go out to tell people about Falun Dafa, or even if they do, they may speak indirectly in a subtle way. To avoid trouble, some others refuse to buy a computer or a printer, or refuse to learn how to use the Internet.
For example, many regions in China have now been covered with phone calls or text messages from practitioners either in China or overseas, but the phone numbers for the Miyun County government have not been updated for at least 10 years. In fact the area codes for the justice system, including the police departments, have changed, but the new information is not available on the Minghui website.
It is fairly common to own a computer or printer these days. Even people in their 80s are beginning to learn computer skills. As long as we pay attention to the basic safety requirements, it is no problem to access Minghui to download and print materials.
Some people are anxious about time and are waiting for the persecution to end. Such a mentality is not right because we practitioners must fulfill our mission and save people.
Suggestions for Clarifying the Truth
I would suggest collecting contact information for the major government agencies, including phone numbers and email addresses. It would also be helpful to have contact information for business owners and company executives. For those who live in the countryside, people's names and the times they work need to be included so that we can follow up later to tell them the facts about Falun Dafa.
Doing this may take time, but it will lay a foundation for our future efforts. We can also collect information about persecution cases, and then compile them into booklets for distribution.
The above are my understandings. Please point out anything inappropriate.
