Thoughts on Working to Secure the Release of a Practitioner Detained in Beijing

(Minghui.org) Ms. Liu Xiuyun is a Falun Dafa practitioner in her 60s from the Fengtai District in Beijing. She was arrested on November 18, 2021, and her illegal detention was approved a month later. Her daughter hired a lawyer who had been deceived by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) defamatory propaganda about Falun Dafa. As result, Ms. Liu was forced to write statements denouncing Falun Dafa at each step in the judicial process. In the end, she was still sentenced to four years in prison.

Her daughter searched online and found another lawyer who understood Falun Dafa. Because a verdict had already been handed down, appealing the case was very difficult. This new lawyer said that, even based on the CCP’s absurd logic, Ms. Liu’s signed statements renouncing the practice should have been a factor in reducing her sentence, but the previous lawyer didn’t even submit those statements to the court. 

Involvement in the Persecution

Looking back on this case, we can see that no Falun Dafa practitioners contacted Ms. Liu’s family or helped to secure her release from detention. We did not help the first defense lawyer understand the facts about Falun Dafa, either. A lot of money was spent, but the lawyer did not play a positive role. Misled by the CCP’s hate propaganda, both the lawyer and justice system officials committed a crime against Falun Dafa. 

When other practitioners talked with me in the past about helping detained practitioners, I also hesitated at first. However, when we tell people the facts about Falun Dafa and distribute informational materials, we can see concrete results. But in securing the release of detained practitioners, there are many hurdles, from contacting family members and interacting with lawyers, to finding information on the officials involved in the case. It is like an arduous journey with all sorts of problems at every step. 

This requires us to step out of our comfort zones and follow Dafa’s principles. With strong faith in Dafa, we have the ability to shatter a mountain. Because the requirements are high and it is hard to see progress, some practitioners may prefer other methods of truth clarification. When another practitioner urged me to help, and because I did want to help detained practitioners, I decided to step forward. In doing so, I overcame difficulties and received encouragement from the teachings of Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa)—and we were able to make miraculous breakthroughs.

Some family members who do not practice Falun Dafa also came to better understand Dafa along the way. 

“Thank you for helping us so selflessly and risking your own life,” one of them said. 

“Seeing you practitioners do so much, I learned that we need to do our part, too,” another commented. 

After a practitioner was detained, her husband received talking points from us explaining why Falun Dafa practitioners are innocent of any crime. He called the judge and had a good 10-minute conversation over the phone. 

“Now I can see why this is important. If we rescue all [detained] practitioners like this, the entire area would be different,” he remarked. “I wish this had been done in the past.”

This also opens a door for officials in the justice system to learn the facts. Each case involves many different officials. If we make solid efforts at each step of the way, many people will learn what Falun Dafa really is. The situation did improve in many areas. On so-called “sensitive dates,” some police officers still went to practitioners’ homes as ordered [to harass them], but they often just knocked on the door and said, “No need to open up. Just be careful” and then left. 

One Example 

With Master’s support, I have witnessed many miracles. Gang, a practitioner in the Tongzhou District, is one example. 

We lost contact with him for a while. Since Gang was trustworthy, we suspected that something might have happened to him. With no idea of where he or his family lived, however, tracking down information about him was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But we did not give up and asked one practitioner after another. In the end, we learned that Gang lived in a practitioner’s apartment. From the landlord, we overheard that Gang had an older sister who worked in a store faraway. 

It took some effort, but we were able to find Gang’s sister, Fen. She had contacted a lawyer and agreed to give us more details. But as we tried to follow up, she did not answer our phone calls or tell us her lawyer’s name. Noticing her hesitancy to work with us, we went to see her again and spoke with her. We told her the basic facts about Falun Dafa and asked her how we could work together to help Gang. Seeing that we had traveled a long way back and forth repeatedly to offer help, and knowing that my child was about to take the college entrance exam (and therefore needed my support), she was moved.

Fen said that her main concern was that clarifying facts about Falun Dafa like we were doing might make Gang’s situation even worse. We explained to her that Gang was innocent. We showed her many examples, including legal documents. To prepare for our meeting with the lawyer, surnamed Lai, we printed out a few cases handled by renowned lawyers who’d entered not guilty pleas on behalf of practitioners. We also prepared a USB drive with videos on the real story of Falun Dafa. 

When we met with Attorney Lai, he said Gang had to plead guilty for a lighter sentence since he had been arrested before for practicing Falun Dafa and was therefore considered a “repeat offender.” I was surprised, and replied by saying that Falun Dafa practitioners were innocent and had broken no law. 

Although he was only in his 30s, Lai was already a director in his law firm. He became infuriated when I said that Falun Dafa practitioners were innocent. “Do you know who you are talking to? I am a lawyer—you do not need to teach me the law,” he said, unwilling to plead “not guilty.” Since Gang had been incarcerated before for practicing Falun Dafa, even a light sentence this time would be at least three and a half years. 

Thanks to remembering Master’s teachings, we were able to remain calm. 

“You know that the Constitution protects freedom of belief,” I explained. “Some lawyers do plead not guilty for practitioners.”

“If you can show me one example, you don’t have to pay me to handle this case, and I will give you 50,000 yuan,” he said. 

“Here you are,” I said as I handed him the examples we’d printed out. “Renowned lawyers represented practitioners in these cases.” 

Lai looked at the documents and did not know what to say. 

“If Gang were just going to plead guilty, we could take care of it ourselves without hiring a lawyer,” said Yun, another practitioner who was with me. 

By then I realized that Lai had probably already spoken to Gang and advised him to plead guilty, but Gang would not have agreed. Fortunately, we were there. If not, Gang would have faced enormous pressure both from the detention center officials and as well as his lawyer. 

Making Breakthroughs

I told Lai that the plea of innocence we showed him was prepared by a renowned expert from Southeast University in Nanjing. I added that we had studied law when we were in college, too. In fact, Yun had graduated from a prestigious university and had a legal background. 

“If Gang is innocent, no matter how many times he was sentenced, it is a failure of justice. And he is not a repeat offender,” Yun added. 

Lai nodded and agreed to read it. 

After this, Gang’s sister Fen stood firmly on our side. She even suggested switching to another lawyer, even if doing so meant losing the 50,000 yuan she’d already paid to the law firm. But we decided to give Lai a chance. When Gang went on trial several months later, Lai pleaded not guilty on his behalf. When the verdict was read, his term was reduced by one and a half years. 

Lai was glad to see the progress. We were also happy that he’d learned the facts about Dafa and chosen to support the innocent. 

A Misconception

Many practitioners have been arrested in Beijing over the past two years. Some practitioners have opposed rescue efforts, citing the risks. They said it is important to “protect” those who have yet been arrested. 

I think such thoughts are not righteous. We practitioners should take the initiative to eliminate evil, as this is the most fundamental way to be safe. When we work to free detained practitioners, everything we say and every phone call we make can help lead officials as well as ordinary citizens in the right direction. The more we do, all the more will vicious elements be eliminated. 

On the surface our goal is to secure the release of one practitioner. But as we do that, we are working on the officials in the entire justice system, plus the practitioners’ family members and their lawyers. And, of course, the word gets spread around. One official we contact might tell his or her superiors or colleagues what he or she has learned, and the case a lawyer handles is brought to the attention of his or her entire law firm. Similarly, family members of the detained practitioners update their relatives, which might help them learn the facts.

Our Responsibilities

Our efforts directly help detained practitioners who are suffering physical torture and mental abuse. If we act quickly, they might write Solemn Declarations to void any remarks or statements against Dafa made under pressure during detention. 

Some practitioners have said they are too busy to do this work. It is true that diligent practitioners are all very busy. But rescue work does not take much sustained effort. If we prepare well and do well at critical moments, it can be sufficient. The timing is critical because, if we miss it, it is hard to make it up. 

Many officials in Beijing have not been awakened by the pandemic. They arrest practitioners from time to time and consider it an “assignment.” They are harming others and hurting themselves. We have to help them.

Some practitioners said they have been sending forth righteous thoughts. But that is just part of the picture. We still need to reach out to people and tell them the facts about Dafa and show them that the persecution is illegal. Doing so will eliminate the evil, save sentient beings, and help detained practitioners. 

We hope practitioners in Beijing will do better and better at this. 

Above are my personal thoughts. Please point it out if there is anything inappropriate. 

Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare in studying, compare in cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)