Using the Law to Apply for My Retirement Is an Opportunity to Expose the Persecution

(Minghui.org) For more than two decades, Falun Dafa practitioners endured hardship. They diligently cultivate themselves so they can do well in clarifying the truth, resist the persecution, and to assist Master in saving sentient beings. Incidents of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) personnel tracking, abducting, ransacking homes, and illegally sentencing practitioners continue to occur across various regions. After reading the news reports on Minghui.org about the ongoing brutal persecution of many practitioners by the CCP’s public security, procuratorate, and judicial personnel, I would like to share some of my thoughts.

I was imprisoned for more than 10 years because I practice Falun Dafa. I was released more than a year ago, but I have been constantly harassed at my home by personnel from my work unit and various government agencies. I decided to apply for retirement.

Opportunities to Tell People the Truth About the Persecution

I went to my work unit and the Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC) to apply for retirement, according to the law. I talked to them about the persecution I personally experienced and explained the truth about Falun Dafa. I also wrote letters to personnel in the relevant government agencies to explain what Falun Dafa is and to expose the persecution. They seemed to accept what I said, however, they did not process my retirement request. The person who handled my application at my work unit said if he processed my retirement, he would lose his job. They finally told me that it was impossible to process my retirement.

Not knowing what to do, I thought of the Justice Forum run by practitioners, and I decided to ask them for advice on how to use China’s legal system to expose the persecution and in the process clarify the truth about it.

I had very limited knowledge of the legal aspects of my request and I didn’t understand basic legal terminology. I shared the truth-clarification letters I wrote when I applied for my retirement with the practitioners on the forum, and I asked for their advice. They reminded me that I should follow Master’s teaching, and focus on the process, rather than pursue results. I was grateful for their advice—so I shifted the focus of my effort to clarifying the truth to save lives, instead of getting my retirement benefits. I saw the appeal process as an opportunity to connect with people and help them understand the truth about Falun Dafa.

I recalled that, after I was released from prison, when I clarified the truth face-to-face to the PLAC personnel and my employer, I felt I couldn’t get to the point. Our conversation was often interrupted by phone calls or visitors. This time I decided to write truth-clarification letters to them, rather than speak to them in person.

I started writing the letter with a peaceful mindset. It was easy for me to write about the beauty of practicing Falun Dafa and my own experience of being persecuted by the CCP. However, I had difficulty writing from a legal perspective that practicing Falun Dafa is legal, and that persecuting Falun Dafa is illegal. So I visited the Minghui website to read experience-sharing articles about how other practitioners discussed the legal aspects.

The first article that caught my eye was titled “The Persecution of Falun Gong in China Is Illegal.” As I read the article, I was so grateful that I put my hands together in “Heshi.” I said to Master, “Master, this is what I was looking for—an explanation of why the persecution is illegal from a legal perspective. Thank you, Master! Thank you, Dafa!”

I soon completed a 16-page truth-clarification letter. I repeatedly read it and felt it was well written: it explained that practicing Falun Dafa improves one’s physical health and morals, and it benefits people, society, and the country. It also explained from a legal perspective that practicing Falun Dafa is lawful, but persecuting Falun Dafa is violating the law and committing crimes. The letter read like it was written by someone with legal knowledge. I was grateful for Master’s help. I also further understood the meaning of “Dafa Disciples Are One Body.”

Overcoming Interference

However, when I was ready to mail it, fear crept into my mind; I worried about being persecuted for mailing this letter. By reading the Fa I understood that saving lives is a Falun Dafa practitioner’s mission, and I must mail the letter. After mailing it, I felt nervous for several days, and fear frequently popped into my mind. I calmed myself and studied the Fa; I also intensified sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the interference in our local area.

One day, a person from the PLAC (Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission) and my employer came to visit me; they told me they read my letter. One of them said, “You dared to write it! I didn’t want to read it.” Only then was I able to completely discard fear. My righteous thoughts to deny the persecution came from the Fa, from my cultivation, and from walking the cultivation path arranged by Master.

With the help of fellow practitioners on the forum, I submitted my Application for Retirement According to the Law to the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (HRSSB) and attached a copy of my truth clarification letter. I also sent copies of these materials to officials of the relevant government agencies, from the central to local levels. Two months passed but I did not receive a response. I then submitted an Application for Administrative Reconsideration to the administrative reconsideration agency. As soon as I sent it, my employer sent me a Notification of Acceptance of Petition (indicating my petition was being processed).

Using the law to assert our rights is an opportunity to tell people that practicing Falun Dafa is legal, and that persecuting Falun Dafa is illegal. I also filed a Criminal Complaint with the help of practitioners on the forum and I sued the police for their having knowingly committed crimes against me over the years. I also demanded that relevant departments hold the police accountable and return my personal belongings the police confiscated. To widely expose the persecution, I also mailed the materials to relevant government agencies, from the central level to local authorities, including the responsible personnel at the police stations and street/community committees.

Soon after I filed the Criminal Complaint, one of the people I accused came to my home to harass me. He seemed afraid that I would continue the legal action against him. My actions widely exposed the persecution to people and deterred and restrained the law enforcement officials from continuing their wrongdoings. It also gave people an opportunity to learn the truth about Falun Dafa. Those personnel and government agencies became a lot less arrogant, and didn’t harass me as much as before.

Through this process, I cultivated compassion and rejected hatred and resentment. I came to understand that this is not simply a persecution of people by people. The perpetrators are manipulated by evil factors in other dimensions, and eliminating those evil factors will improve the situation.

During the process I focused on exposing the persecution from a legal perspective to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and the persecution, in order to save people. My goal was to help others, rather than simply obtain my retirement, get my belongings back, or punish people. I focused on helping more people understand the truth about Falun Dafa. I treated the process of submitting the applications and complaints as an opportunity to tell people the true situation.

Falun Dafa practitioners in China have been brutally persecuted in the past 26 years. However, many people still don’t know the truth about the persecution. If we inform people about the persecution from a legal perspective, and tell them, “Practicing Falun Dafa is lawful, and persecuting Falun Dafa is illegal,” we can deter the persecution and allow people to learn the truth about Falun Dafa and choose their future.