On May 10th and 11th, Turkish Falun Gong practitioners from different cities gathered to celebrate the ninth "World Falun Gong Day", which is also the 16th anniversary of Falun Gong's introduction to the world.

The practitioners demonstrate the five Falun Gong exercises

Some practitioners sat together to fold paper lotus flowers, which attracted many visitors to stop and watch. Many people took the initiative to join in and with the help of the practitioners they happily made their own lotus flowers. At the same time they listened to practitioners’ introduction to Falun Gong and the truth about the persecution in China.

During the course of events, the participants also distributed leaflets about Falun Gong to the onlookers.

Falun Gong practitioners in Athens celebrated World Falun Gong Day on Sunday May 11th to commemorate Falun Gong's introduction to the world. Practitioners demonstrated the exercises near the archaeological site of the Acropolis.

As many passersby were taking their Sunday stroll and visiting the archaeological museum and sites and the spring book fair, many stopped to admire and inquire what Falun Gong is.

Local Greek practitioners informed the public how the practice can benefit someone both spiritually and physically and that free teachings are available in Athens. The practitioners also informed the public about the on-going persecution of Falun Gong in China. The people were shocked when they heard about the atrocity of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong detainees in Chinese labour camps so much so that several people said they would take the matter up with their public representatives.

In April 2008, seven Falun Gong practitioners were reported to have died as a direct result of the persecution. Among them, two were female, and three were over 50 years old. All seven victims died between January and April of this year, with five of the seven deaths occurring in April. The Minghui/Clearwisdom website has revealed that among the 34 confirmed death reports between January and April 2008, twenty-six died within the January to April period.

Of the seven cases in April, three took place in Liaoning Province and one each in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Hebei, Hubei and the Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region. As of now, 3,150 practitioners are confirmed to have died as a result of the brutal persecution in China.

These cases indicate that with the approach of the Beijing Olympics, and with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) having ordered a series of secret arrests under the excuse of "preparing for the Olympics," the persecution of Falun Gong is getting worse.

The CCP Issues Secret Orders to Severely Attack Falun Gong with the Excuse of "Preparing for the Olympics"

According to overseas media reports, in 2005, the Public Safety Deputy Minister Liu Jing received an order to "eliminate Falun Gong" before the Olympics, and issued an order to the entire police system to carry this out. In March 2007, the former Public Safety Minister Zhou Yongkang issued another order, demanding a second round of severe persecution against Falun Gong. Soon after, many large-scale arrests of Falun Gong practitioners took place in several regions.

On February 19th, 2008, the CCP Central Political and Judiciary Committee issued a secret document, which was titled "Suggestions to Guarantee the Security of the Beijing Olympic Games," requiring recipients to "strictly prevent and severely attack" Falun Gong from March to September 2008. It especially stressed "to strictly guard against and hit hard" Falun Gong.

From the end of 2007 up to March 31st, 2008, statistics from 1,878 arrest cases indicate that they were spread out over 29 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions.

At the end of April 2008, former Public Safety Minister Zhou Yongkang held a teleconference as the current CCP Political and Judiciary Committee Secretary, and a series of follow up meeting were also held in each province, called "Social Stability Work Meetings during the Beijing Olympics." The meeting focused on attacking "Tibetan Independence," "Falun Gong," "Other Religions," "Extremists," "Repeat Appealers." The orders are to place emphasis on people who go to their provincial capital or Beijing to appeal (a right guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution), interview them one by one, "solve these problems" locally, and strictly control and attack them. It was requested to take extra measures towards Falun Gong practitioners, and to strictly monitor the Internet. Any incident must be reported by media according to the Party line, and the local person in charge [normally the CCP Secretary-translator's note] will be punished if this is not done. The "attack mode" began from the meeting date, completely entering into "war" status, and real-life practice training has started, to ensure no problems go to the provincial level or higher. All attendees of the meeting were required to keep the meeting a secret and destroy all records.

Since the end of 2007, the Minghui/Clearwisdom website has reported a large amount of Falun Gong practitioners being arrested in their homes, workplaces, and public facilities. Some of them are detained or have been sentenced to prison, some have gone missing, and some were tortured to death. Large numbers detained in labour camps or prisons are suffering severe abuse due to this attack order. The disabled or death cases from torture are increasing rapidly.

The facts show that the CCP has not only failed to keep its promise of improving human rights before hosting the Olympics, but has actually escalated its human rights violations. At the same time, due to fear of retribution for its crimes of harvesting living Falun Gong practitioners' organs for profit, organ transplant records are being destroyed, or fabricated by many hospital personnel. The Minghui/Clearwisdom website reported on May 3rd, 2008 (http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/5/3/177431.html) what the family of one surgeon employed by Tongji Hospital in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, revealed in a private conversation: In order to deal with large quantity of journalists, lawyers, and other professionals coming to China during the Olympics, the CCP is urging organ transplant doctors to fabricate donor certificates, wills, operation records, and destroy all medical records that could reveal live organ-harvesting crimes.

Several Confirmed Death Cases in April 2008

1. Mr. Fan Dezhen Dies at Only 33

Mr. Fan Dezhen

Mr. Fan Dezhen, 33, was a Falun Gong practitioner who lived in Huludao City, Liaoning Province. Mr. Fan had been been detained and violently beaten multiple times. In 2001 he went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong and was detained in the Huludao Labour Camp for three years. In order to force him give up his faith, several guards shocked him simultaneously with electric batons, and beat him cruelly, causing his whole body to be injured and swollen, and his face to be deformed. In October 2002, Mr. Fan went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. Guards directed prisoners to cuff his wrists and shackle his ankles onto a metal bed frame all day, and brutally force-fed him. Once, when the feeding tube was inserted into his lung, it almost choked him to death. The guards released him when he was close to death. He recovered, but later had to leave home and do odd jobs to survive.

On April 1st, 2004, Mr. Fan was followed when going to a fellow practitioner's home, and was arrested by police waiting in the house. He was detained in the Huludao City Detention Centre, and again was cruelly beaten, force-fed, and released when his life was in danger.

On September 17th, 2005, Mr. Fan was working on the second floor of the Huludao City Home Appliance Shopping Mall, when a few plain-clothes police arrested him at 2:00 p.m. and handcuffed him. He was taken to the Huludao City Labour Camp to serve a second forced labour term, where he was tortured many times again.

On February 25th, 2008, Suizhong County Domestic Security Division Leader Li Changhua (male) arrested eleven practitioners, including Mr. Fan and his wife Yang Xiaoxue. Mr. Fan died at around 7:00 a.m. on April 20th, 2008 in the Suizhong County Detention Centre. Surviving are his wife and a nine-month-old baby. Officers notified his family after 4:00 p.m. that day. Mr. Fan's family requested to see his body the next morning, but were refused. They were told that if they wanted to see the body, to come back that evening, because there would be an autopsy and cremation the next day. They would only see his ashes if they came the next day.

2. Mr. Zhao Shouzhu Tortured to Death within a Month after Being Arrested

Practitioner Mr. Zhao Shouzhu, 38, lived in Bei'an Village, Yaobao Township, in Xinmin City of Liaoning Province. In September 2000, he was forcibly taken into custody at the Longshan Forced Labour Camp and forced to go through brainwashing and subjected to severe beatings. In mid-October 2000, practitioners who refused to accept the brainwashing were transferred to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. Warden Su found Mr. Zhao doing the Falun Gong exercises, and Warden Feng pulled Mr. Zhao by his ears to the interrogation room. Three of Mr. Zhao's ribs were fractured during a subsequent beating. Guards told Mr. Zhao, "You are not allowed to say that we beat you." When Mr. Zhao was returned to his cell, the other detained practitioners, who saw that he had passed out shouted, "The guards were beating people!" Later several guards came to examine Mr. Zhao and said he was pretending to be hurt. As a result, he received no treatment, and instead seven prisoners dragged him to a room, beat him down to the floor, forced him to stand up, then beat him down again. They held his head down to the floor and took turns kicking him with their heavy shoes.

Upon being released, Mr. Zhao had to leave home to avoid being arrested. He made a living by pedalling a three-wheeled flat carrier. On the evening of March 31st, 2008, Domestic Security officers from the Xinmin City Police Department arrested Mr. Zhao while he was distributing Falun Gong leaflets exposing the persecution. He was detained in the Xinmin City Detention Centre. He began a hunger strike to protest the persecution. The police had people from the City Hospital brutally force-feed him with unknown drugs. His condition became critical, and on April 14th, 2008, he was bailed out and picked up by his sister. He died around April 20th, 2008.

3. Mr. Qirimailatu Dies in Custody in Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region

Mr. Qirimailatu, 72, was a Falun Gong practitioner living in Huhhot City, Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region. He was a minority construction expert, employed by the Regional Civil Engineering Design Institute as a senior engineer. His name is in The World Minority Who's Who book. He began cultivating Falun Gong in 1999 and became very healthy. He constantly informed people about the true nature of Falun Gong after the persecution started, wrote a letter appealing for justice for Falun Gong, and was sentenced to two years of forced labour, which he served in the Wuyuan County Forced Labour Camp. Mr. Qirimailatu was the oldest inmate in the camp and endured numerous instances of physical torture and threats. Prisoners closely monitored him 24 hours per day. His term was extended three additional months because he firmly held his belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." The camp administration said that Mr. Qirimailatu "openly opposed the government," forced him to clean the toilets in the First Ward, and made him participate in cruel "physical training." Drug-addict inmate Liu Zhengrong (male, assigned to watch Mr. Qirimailatu) beat and cursed him, took his personal belongings, and often did not allow him to eat. Guard Zhao Naidong (male) encouraged Liu Zhengrong to beat him.

In the beginning of May 2004, Mr. Qirimailatu was arrested by plain-clothes police officers while distributing leaflets exposing the persecution and telling people the facts about Falun Gong in a park. The police ransacked his home, then sentenced him to three years of forced labour, imprisoning him in the Wuyuan County Labour Camp again. At the beginning of 2005, guards Yang Furong, Wang Donglei, and Liu Ming (all male) locked Mr. Qirimailatu in solitary confinement for several months. After serving more than two years of the term, he was bailed out on medical parole due to his physical condition.

On August 8th, 2007, police arrested Mr. Qirimailatu for the third time while he was distributing leaflets. They had him sentenced to forced labour again, but the camp refused to admit him due to his advanced age and the physical tests that he failed, so he was detained in the Inner-Mongolia Detention Centre. He went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution on December 6th, 2007. He died after detention centre administrators rushed him to the prison hospital on January 5th, 2008. Information revealed he was as thin as a skeleton and was unable to speak during the time he was detained.

4. Mr. Guo Hanpo Dies in Baoding Prison

Mr. Guo Hanpo was a Falun Gong practitioner in his fifties who lived in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province. Early on the morning of April 5th, 2008, his family received a phone call from the Baoding City Prison saying that he had died. His family rushed to the prison. Details have yet to be investigated.

Mr. Guo Hanpo

Mr. Guo was a famous silver craftsman. He used to make jewellery in the Huabei Shopping Mall for many years, and had a great business. He was also well-known for being a good son, because he treated his elderly mother very well. In the early part of the summer of 2000, Mr. Guo opened "Sincerity Jewellery Store" on Shuxi Street, and the store was crowded with customers every day.

In March 2001, police from Cang County ransacked his store, and took products worth over three thousand yuan¹. He was placed on the Cangzhou City Police Wanted List after that, causing him to not be able to go home or visit his mother so as to avoid being arrested. On July 22nd, 2001, when he passed the City Birth Control Committee gate on his bike, officers who were following him suddenly grabbed Guo Hanpo, pushed him into a vehicle, and took him into custody, detaining him at the Violence Prevention Division of the Police Department. He was tortured, deprived of sleep for many days, handcuffed with his arms behind his back in an excruciatingly painful position, brutally beaten, and shocked with electric batons, which caused damage to his left hand. He was unable to bend or move his hand for a long period of time.

After being detained at the Cangzhou City Detention Centre for a whole year, police had him sentenced to eleven years in prison, without notifying his family, and took him to the Baoding City First Prison secretly. Mr. Guo was forced to do slave labour in the ceramic factory of the prison. He had to do the most heavy labour - crack the rocks, but in a half starved state. He had to ask for money from home to buy over-priced food, while being mentally tortured by forced brainwashing. He became very thin and frail, so different from his normal, healthy condition.

Local police constantly harassed Mr. Guo's family during his imprisonment, and constantly created difficulties for them, causing his family to live in terror. His wife had to borrow money to send to him in prison.

The CCP Exposes Its Evil Nature Through Escalation of the Persecution Before the Olympics

Safeguarding human rights is a common value in the civilized world. It has been seven years since Beijing was awarded the Olympics. The CCP has not only failed to improve its human rights, but has used the Olympics as an excuse to further the persecution of Falun Gong cultivators who follow Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance. The Chinese people and the whole world are seeing the true nature of the CCP and its crimes clearly. The CCP is moving towards complete disintegration.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/5/5/177835.html

When I browsed the Minghui website (the Chinese version of Clearwisdom) on April 23rd, I read the sad news that Fan Dezhen, a Falun Dafa practitioner from Huludao, had been tortured to death in jail. I pictured him in my mind.

At the end of 2000, when about a hundred practitioners from Huludao went to Tiananmen Square in Beijing to peacefully protest the persecution to Falun Gong, they were detained or sent to labour camps. In January 2001, I got to know Fan Dezhen in the Huludao Detention Centre. He and his father had been apprehended together.

Fan Dezhen, other practitioners, and I started to study Falun Gong after we entered the jail. Although we were beaten many times, we pulled together and resisted the violence, gradually creating a normal environment in which to practise Falun Gong. Later, we initiated a group hunger strike to protest the long term detention of Falun Gong practitioners. After observing the hunger strike for a few days, the detention centre sent several practitioners to a guarded area. Then we were all sent off to forced labour camps. The female practitioners were sent to Masanjia Forced Labour Camp in Shenyang, and the male practitioners were sent to Huludao Forced Labour Camp.

A few days after we arrived in the labour camp, I saw Fan Dezhen again. At the time, the labour camp had dispatched a group of people to brainwash us. During that time, Fan Dezhen firmly resisted their attempts to "transform¹" him, so he was sent to a more strict supervisory team. Although we did not see Fan Dezhen any more, we could often hear shouts of "Falun Gong is good" from upstairs. We knew he was still firmly safeguarding his faith. Later we heard that he had become hoarse from crying out. Eventually we heard that the labour camp officials, fearing that Fan's determination would influence others, shut him into a vacant room in a nearby building.

After I was released, I went around inquiring for news of Fan Dezhen. Someone told me that after Fan had been on hunger strike for a month, his health was very poor and he was released. Later, because he printed Falun Gong leaflets exposing the persecution and distributed them publicly, he was sentenced to forced labour several times. However, Fan was released every time, due to his firm faith and by hunger striking.

Today, Fan Dezhen has left this human world due to the Chinese Communist Party's brutal persecution of Falun Gong. His wife and child will never see him again.

Note

1. "Reform or Transform" Implementation of brainwashing and torture in order to force a practitioner to renounce Falun Gong. (Variations: "reform", "transform", "reformed", "reforming", "transformed", "transforming", and "transformation")

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/4/27/177301.html

Wang Caixia began cultivating in Falun Gong in January 1996. At that time, she had been recently laid off, and was depressed over her marriage problems. As a result, her health deteriorated. Not long after cultivating in Falun Gong, her moral character and physical condition began to improve drastically. Many of her diseases including tracheitis disappeared. She found a good job and gave birth to a healthy baby girl in 1998.

However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. In order to appeal for Falun Gong and its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, Ms. Wang travelled to Beijing in October 2000. She was beaten by plain-clothed policemen on Tiananmen Square, and was imprisoned in the Taoshuping Detention Centre in Lanzhou for two weeks.

In April 2001, Ms. Wang was abducted by the Chengguan Division of the Public Security Bureau. At the First Detention Centre in Lanzhou, she was imprisoned in the Fourteenth Team and subject to inhumane torture. Ms. Wang began a hunger strike to protest against the persecution, but was beaten up by convicts under the instigation of a police team leader surnamed Tian and another policeman Zhang Lingling. She was pressed down on the floor by several convicts, her jaws pried open and the convicts began to use chopsticks and metal spoons to force apart her teeth. After being brutally beaten, she was force-fed brutally until she almost passed out. Then, the prison doctor forced thick saline solution into her stomach, which almost killed her. However, Ms. Wang maintained the compassion of a cultivator and told the convicts about the goodness of Falun Gong. Some of the convicts even wanted to learn Falun Gong after learning the facts.

After nearly four months of detention and torture, Ms. Wang developed severe scabies in the damp and dirty environment of the detention centre. Policeman Wei Dong from the Chengguan Division's 26th Section extorted 2,000 yuan¹ from her father before releasing her. Throughout her detention, Ms. Wang's child often cried silently in loneliness. After Ms. Wang returned home, her child also contracted scabies and both of them suffered severely. In August 2001, Ms. Wang's husband could not handle the great pressure and demanded a divorce. Citing Ms. Wang's practice of Falun Gong as an excuse, the Weiyuanlu Courts gave the the 3-year-old child's alimony rights to her husband. Thus, Ms. Wang lost her daughter and was deprived of her income.

Even then, the CCP henchmen still harassed her at home. Ms. Wang was forced to leave her home. But they would not stop, they went to her child's kindergarten, and tried to force the kindergarten teacher to say that her child was sick in order to try to deceive her into coming forward. The kind hearted teacher refused. In September 2002, policemen followed the child back to Ms. Wang's parents' home and broke in to demand Ms. Wang's whereabouts.

On October 1st, 2004, the 26th Section of the Chengguan Division dispatched a large number of people and surrounded the Wang home for two days around the clock. They used all kinds of methods to threaten Ms. Wang's parents. Because of the parents' persevering resistance, their plan to abduct Ms. Wang failed.

In August 2005, when Ms. Wang's former husband brought her child to register at an elementary school, he was told by the principal that the Public Security Bureau was searching for Ms. Wang and if she visits her child in school, the school will report her to the authorities immediately. Policemen at the school even threatened that if he covered up for her, he would be abducted too.

As she was coming home from work in mid-May, 2007, Liu Bailin, Liu Tongchang and a gang from the Landa Police Station, Weiyuanlu Police Station and the local 610 Office followed Ms. Wang and took her to the Gongjiawan Brainwashing Centre. She was immediately handcuffed on one of the bunk beds on the first floor for three days straight. Ms. Wang started a hunger strike to protest against the abduction and on the fifth day, she was cuffed onto another bed for four days and three nights and force-fed by policemen Sun Qiang and Yang Wentai's gang.

In November 2007, policeman Qi Ruijun imprisoned Ms. Wang in an isolated room. Each isolation room is only about eight square metres, and there are about twenty of them in total. The room has no windows, no heating, and is tightly sealed, damp and dark. There is a squat bowl and sink in the room. All the doors are metallic and about a metre above the doors, there are a whole range of uneven metal bars used for hanging cuffs. Ms.Wang, together with three other practitioners were hung on the metal bars facing the room with their backs against the metal door. Besides letting them down during the three meals every day and one toilet break at around 11 p.m., they were hung up for the rest of the time. Their arms and hands all became swollen as a result.

Ms. Wang was steadfast in her belief of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Due to her family's rescue efforts, Ms. Wang was released after being hung for two weeks. By then, her legs, arms and hands were paralyzed. The torture she suffered at Gongjiawan Brainwashing Centre - from force-feeding, squatting with cuffs, cuffs around her back and the psychological torture, lasted about seven months.

While Ms. Wang was imprisoned, her mother suffered emotionally, to the point that her life was hanging by a thin thread. Her young daughter became emaciated after losing her mother, and her grades in school plunged. She did not even dare to reveal her longing for her mother, and could only write behind Ms. Wang's photo, "I miss Mum, my Mum is the best Mum in the world." Ms. Wang's manager and colleagues also missed her and hoped for her release.

Thanks to her family's insistence and strong requests, Ms. Wang was released in late 2007. However, Liu Tongchang, Liu Bailin and Wu Jianqiang's gang from the Landa Police Station demanded that Ms. Wang's father and brother will be implicated. By then, Ms. Wang's arms had already become paralyzed from the cuff-hanging torture. Even so, Liu Tongchang and Liu Bailin's gang from the Landa Police Station refused to stop, and threatened her to force her to renounce her belief in Falun Gong, otherwise, her brother would lose his job. Every two or three days they would go to Ms. Wang's parents' place to harass and threaten them. Ms. Wang's elderly parents had to live every day in fear. Ms. Wang was forced to leave home and was not able to take care of her severely sick mother and her young daughter. Once again, she was forced to abandon her home to avoid arrest.

Gongjiawan Brainwashing Centre: 136 Gongjiaping Beilu Road, Qilihe District, Lanzho City
Qi Ruijun (Secretary) :86-931-286001

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/4/25/177201.html

Since July 20th, 1999, people from the 610 Office¹ and the police bureau in Lingshi County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, have been closely following the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to persecute Falun Gong. Under orders from Kong Yi, deputy chief of the police bureau; Zhao Xiuyun, manager of the Politics and Security Division; Xie Linsheng, former head of the Renyi Police Station; and other officials, police officers led by Wang Jianjun attempted to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their cultivation practice. The means they used were very base and cruel.

1. The Persecution of Ms. Wang Linying

In spring 2001, Xie Linsheng, former head of the Renyi Police Station, stopped Ms. Wang Linying from doing the exercises. They arrested her and took her to the police station, where they ordered her to hand in her Falun Gong materials. They threatened Ms. Xie by saying, "If you don't hand them in, then we'll strip you."

In summer 2002, Ms. Wang was handing out distributing leaflets exposing the persecution and telling people the facts about Falun Gong when she was reported by people who were not aware of the truth. She was arrested and detained in the police station, where she was forced to hand in leaflets and tell where she got them. She was released that same day. The local police station handed over the Falun Gong leaflets from Ms. Wang to the police bureau. Three days after Ms. Wang's arrest, police officers Zhao Xiuyun and Xie Linsheng arrested her again and took her to the police station, where they forced her to "confess" by torturing her. They handcuffed her to a heating device, deprived her of sleep, didn't allow her to eat or drink, and even tried to force her to curse Falun Gong. The torture lasted for a day and a night.

Later, Ms. Wang loosened her handcuffs and managed to escape. To avoid further persecution, however, she had to leave home and move from place to place. In November, Ms. Wang was discovered by someone in Taiyuan City. Kong Yi and Zhao Xiuyun arrested her and took her back to the Lingshi County Police Bureau, where they put her in handcuffs and shackles and beat her. They used a wooden club to hit Ms. Wang on the back of her hands, face, and her entire body. She was beaten until she had bruises all over her body, her hands and face were purple, and the backs of her hands were swollen badly. It broke people's hearts when they saw her injuries. Later, Ms. Wang was detained at a detention centre.

A few days later, Zhao Xiuyun brought in a thug, and together they beat Ms. Wang until she had bruises around her eyes and was dizzy. Only when they were exhausted did they stop beating her. Later they sent Ms. Wang to a forced labour camp, where she was detained for three years. During that period of time, they didn't allow Ms. Wang's family to visit her. Zhao even told the labour camp to treat her harshly.

At the forced labour camp, Ms. Wang endured severe persecution. Her hair turned grey, and she suffered from serious anaemia and, eventually, severe mental instability.

2. An Account of the Persecution of Ms. Shi Xiuneng

In January 2000, because she went to Beijing to appeal to the government for justice for Falun Gong, Ms. Shi Xiuneng was arrested and taken to the Lingshi County Police Bureau. At the bureau, Kong Yi, Zhao Xiuyun, and a group of police officers tried to terrify her: they held her in a secret place and tried to force her to write the so-called Repentance Statement² and Guarantee Statement³. Later, they held her at a detention centre for 30 days, where she suffered inhuman torture.

On January 16th, 2001, Ren Zhaoting and personnel from the 610 Office broke into Ms. Shi Xiuneng's home without presenting any identification or reason. They searched every corner of her home and didn't find anything but a notebook. They forced Ms. Shi to go to the police station a few times, where they interrogated her and tried to terrify her. Ms. Shi was forced to leave home and move from place to place in order to avoid further persecution.

In mid-November 2001, Xie Lingsheng and Wang Jianjun from the Shiyi Police Station arrested Ms. Shi and took her to a police station, where they tried to force her to write the Guarantee Statement. They also threatened her, telling her to not speak out for justice for Falun Gong or contact fellow practitioners.

In November 2002, Xie Linsheng and Wang Jianjun broke into Ms. Shi's home again and deceived her by asking her to validate some materials at the police station. Instead, they took her directly to the Police Bureau. Politics and Security Division Manager Zhao Xiuyun swore at her with cruel words and beat her severely. He then held Ms. Shi in the detention centre. At the detention centre, Zhao Xiuyun instigated a few criminals to monitor, bully, and torture Ms. Shi. She was sentenced and detained in the forced labour camp for three years. The head of the police station boasted to others, "It was I who threw Ms. Shi in jail."

At the detention centre, Ms. Shi wasn't given enough food and she was not able to sleep. Inhuman torture triggered her old diseases. As a result, she was extremely weak, yet Kong Yi and Zhao Xiuyun still took her to Shanxi Women's Forced Labour Camp. Because of her poor health, Ms. Shi was denied admittance to the forced labour camp. Later, they forced Ms. Shi's family to hand over 3,000 yuan⁴ as a deposit before they released her.

3. The Persecution of Ms. Song Miaomiao

In early November 2002, a group of people led by Zhao Xiuyun broke into Ms. Song Miaomiao's home for no reason. They arrested Ms. Song and Cao Lihong and took them to the police bureau. Kong Yi and Zhao Xiuyun ordered a few robustly-built police officers to cruelly torture both of them. They struck them with clubs, beating them very badly, especially Song Miaomiao. She was beaten to the point where others could not bear the sight of her and hardly any place on her body was uninjured.

4. The Persecution of Practitioners Ms. Cao Shuangmei and Wen Changsheng

Around the 2006 New Year Ms. Cao Shuangmei and Wen Changsheng were arrested. Zhao Xiuyun beat them repeatedly, and Ms. Cao was beaten so badly that she lost hearing in both ears and her teeth were loosened, yet she was still taken to the detention centre.

Between November 3rd and 6th, 2002, six practitioners were arrested. They suffered from Zhao Xiuyun's cruel torture to different degrees. Zhao cursed Falun Gong and shouted that he would place female practitioners in isolated areas where only men resided.

Since 1999, police officials and officers under orders from Kong Yi and Zhao Xiuyun have been persecuting Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners. They have caused practitioners and their family members tremendous physical and mental torment. They have also caused considerable financial loss to their family members. During these past nine years, over 30 practitioners in this area have suffered from persecution to different degrees.

Practitioners who were fined: Qin Lixiang, Wen Changsheng

Practitioners who were held in Administrative Detention: Wang Linying, Han Lianzhi, Li Junmin, Hao Xiuping, Guo Genquan, Shi Yaoxian

Practitioners who were held in Criminal Detention: Li Guobao, Shi Xiuneng, Cao Shuangmei

Practitioners who were under surveillance: Zhao Baohuai, Zhang Laiwang, Shi Yaoxian

Practitioners who were detained in forced labour camps: Shi Xiuneng, Wu Wenlan, Wang Linying, Shi Yaoxian, Zhang Laiwang, Cao Caihong, Jiang Genglian, Cao Fuquan, Qin Linxiang, Zhao Anping, Cao Yihong, Song Miaomiao.

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

2. Repentance Statement: In this statement the practitioner is forced to admit remorse for practising Falun Gong, promise to give up Falun Gong, and never again associate with other practitioners or go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.

3. "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

4. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/4/21/176921.html

A Chinese student at Duke University was accused as being a "traitor" simply because she did not side with the local Chinese Student Association controlled by the Chinese Consulate at a gathering supporting human rights on April 9. Photos from the AFP showed that on the walls of her family's residence in China, someone wrote in red paint, "Kill the whole family, kill the traitor." The New York Times and Washington Post also reported that someone even sprayed feces on her family home in China.

As many already know, Chinese student associations at universities in the United States are often controlled by the Chinese government. The chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Duke University admitted that they received funding from the Chinese Consulate. The student was humiliated simply because her actions were not completely consistent with the Chinese Communist Party's policies. This begs the question: Does love for the country equate with love for the Communist Party?

Chinese Communist Party Confuses the Concepts of the Party and the Country

In order to protect its dictatorship, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) often spreads slogans along the line of, "Loving the Party is loving the country." When its regime is threatened, it often says, "If the Party dies, the country dies." This is a wicked lie told by the CCP to tie the fate of the CCP with the fate of China. Rationally, it's not difficult to separate the CCP from China. Those who love the CCP may not love the country, and those who love the country may not love the CCP. If the CCP dies, China will still exist.

The CCP often lumps together the CCP and the country, placing the CCP above the country. This is actually hijacking the country, which is unthinkable in a normal society. The CCP always mixes the concepts of the CCP and the country in its propaganda, intentionally confusing the two. As a result, many Chinese people naturally consider the two concepts to be the same.

When democratic countries criticize China's human rights conditions and dictatorship, the CCP calls them "anti-China," as though those who are against the Communist Party are all against China. The CCP has twisted the idea of patriotism by saying, "Weaknesses of the Party are also weaknesses of the country, and need to be kept internal."

China Does Not Equate With the CCP--Love for the Country Does Not Equate with Love for the CCP

China has a 5,000-year history, only 58 of which have been under the control of the CCP. There have been more than 20 dynasties in China. These dynasties, however long or short they may have been, were only a moment in the long history of China. The CCP's regime is also just a short, passing moment of history. How can it call itself China? When the CCP collapses, China will still stand.

Samuel Johnson said, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." After the bankruptcy of the international communist bloc, the CCP buried itself even more deeply under the banner of patriotism. When any Western country criticizes the CCP, it is called "anti-China." When the Chinese public resists the CCP, it calls them "anti-government." When overseas Chinese people criticize the CCP, it calls them unpatriotic.

Those who have long been brainwashed by the CCP often say, "Without the CCP, there is no 'new China.'" Since the collapse of the USSR and Communism in Eastern Europe, only China, North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos remain communist. These countries are all marked by poverty, dictatorship, and persecution. In contrast, after abandoning communism, Eastern Europe has developed quickly, and people's lives are improving. This shows that, "Only without the CCP, can there be a 'new China.'"

Absurdity in the CCP's Lies

The CCP has a set of absurd "logic." "The country is the CCP, the CCP is the country. Love for the CCP is love for the country. Anyone against the CCP is unpatriotic and is involved in politics." As an extension of this, whoever makes a suggestion or criticizes the CCP is considered to be "involved in politics" and is a bad person. To take this one step further, no one could offer any suggestion to their supervisor without being labeled a "bad person" or "involved in politics."

To the Chinese people who have been confused, anyone who criticizes a high-level CCP official is labeled unpatriotic, "involved in politics," and sometimes even "cooperating with overseas anti-China forces." During the last few years, Falun Gong practitioners have exposed the brutal persecution by the CCP and Jiang Zemin against Falun Gong, and the CCP has instigated the Chinese public to say, "Falun Gong has stained the reputation of China," or "Falun Gong is unpatriotic." Does anyone who points out the crimes of the CCP automatically becomes unpatriotic, and someone who "stains the reputation of China"?

A Chinese student at Duke University was accused as being a "traitor" simply because she did not side with the local Chinese Student Association controlled by the Chinese Consulate at a gathering supporting human rights on April 9. Photos from the AFP showed that on the walls of her family's residence in China, someone wrote in red paint, "Kill the whole family, kill the traitor." The New York Times and Washington Post also reported that someone even sprayed feces on her family home in China.

As many already know, Chinese student associations at universities in the United States are often controlled by the Chinese government. The chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Duke University admitted that they received funding from the Chinese Consulate. The student was humiliated simply because her actions were not completely consistent with the Chinese Communist Party's policies. This begs the question: Does love for the country equate with love for the Communist Party?

Chinese Communist Party Confuses the Concepts of the Party and the Country

In order to protect its dictatorship, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) often spreads slogans along the line of, "Loving the Party is loving the country." When its regime is threatened, it often says, "If the Party dies, the country dies." This is a wicked lie told by the CCP to tie the fate of the CCP with the fate of China. Rationally, it's not difficult to separate the CCP from China. Those who love the CCP may not love the country, and those who love the country may not love the CCP. If the CCP dies, China will still exist.

The CCP often lumps together the CCP and the country, placing the CCP above the country. This is actually hijacking the country, which is unthinkable in a normal society. The CCP always mixes the concepts of the CCP and the country in its propaganda, intentionally confusing the two. As a result, many Chinese people naturally consider the two concepts to be the same.

When democratic countries criticize China's human rights conditions and dictatorship, the CCP calls them "anti-China," as though those who are against the Communist Party are all against China. The CCP has twisted the idea of patriotism by saying, "Weaknesses of the Party are also weaknesses of the country, and need to be kept internal."

China Does Not Equate With the CCP--Love for the Country Does Not Equate with Love for the CCP

China has a 5,000-year history, only 58 of which have been under the control of the CCP. There have been more than 20 dynasties in China. These dynasties, however long or short they may have been, were only a moment in the long history of China. The CCP's regime is also just a short, passing moment of history. How can it call itself China? When the CCP collapses, China will still stand.

Samuel Johnson said, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." After the bankruptcy of the international communist bloc, the CCP buried itself even more deeply under the banner of patriotism. When any Western country criticizes the CCP, it is called "anti-China." When the Chinese public resists the CCP, it calls them "anti-government." When overseas Chinese people criticize the CCP, it calls them unpatriotic.

Those who have long been brainwashed by the CCP often say, "Without the CCP, there is no 'new China.'" Since the collapse of the USSR and Communism in Eastern Europe, only China, North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos remain communist. These countries are all marked by poverty, dictatorship, and persecution. In contrast, after abandoning communism, Eastern Europe has developed quickly, and people's lives are improving. This shows that, "Only without the CCP, can there be a 'new China.'"

Absurdity in the CCP's Lies

The CCP has a set of absurd "logic." "The country is the CCP, the CCP is the country. Love for the CCP is love for the country. Anyone against the CCP is unpatriotic and is involved in politics." As an extension of this, whoever makes a suggestion or criticizes the CCP is considered to be "involved in politics" and is a bad person. To take this one step further, no one could offer any suggestion to their supervisor without being labeled a "bad person" or "involved in politics."

To the Chinese people who have been confused, anyone who criticizes a high-level CCP official is labeled unpatriotic, "involved in politics," and sometimes even "cooperating with overseas anti-China forces." During the last few years, Falun Gong practitioners have exposed the brutal persecution by the CCP and Jiang Zemin against Falun Gong, and the CCP has instigated the Chinese public to say, "Falun Gong has stained the reputation of China," or "Falun Gong is unpatriotic." Does anyone who points out the crimes of the CCP automatically becomes unpatriotic, and someone who "stains the reputation of China"?

On the afternoon of April 24, I was at the market buying groceries when I saw the principal of the Township Central Elementary School walking toward me. I thought this would be an opportunity to let him know the truth so he could quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and be saved.

I went up to say hello to him and asked, "Principal, have you heard about the 'three withdrawals?'" "What's that?" he asked. I said, " Withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party, the Youth League, and the Young Pioneers." He said, "How do I withdraw?" I said, "If you agree, I can use your nickname or an alias to make the withdrawals for you." He agreed, "Great." I said, "So I will use your first name to help you to withdraw from the CCP?"

He said, "No problem." When he was ready to leave, I told him again, "Falun Dafa is good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" and can save people's lives. He said that he would remember it and then walked away.

I left the market and walked in the opposite direction. Suddenly I saw the Party secretary of the Township Middle School about 20 meters ahead of me. I knew him well because I had once worked in the township. Meeting two education leaders of the town in one day--what a good opportunity. It must be Teacher who had arranged for the Party secretary to be saved. I needed to save him as soon as possible.

I walked faster to catch up with him, but when I saw his back, I suddenly remembered that we had conflicts with each other when we worked together 20 years ago. He gave me the impression that he was not easy to work with and his personality was strange (actually it was my attachment of jealousy). I thought that if I talked with him about the "three withdrawals," he might have contradictions because of our conflicts before. But I thought again that since I ran into him today, it must be predestined. It would be great if I could persuade him to quit the CCP. If not, at least I would give him the opportunity. Then I caught up with him. I brought up the topic of the "three withdrawals" and asked him if he had ever heard of them. He said, "How can you still believe this?" After I heard him say that, I knew he must have heard of the "three withdrawals." I asked him further whether he thought quitting the Party was right or wrong. He did not answer me directly. Instead, he said that since we had not seen each other for such a long time, why not talk of some other things. I agreed and then told him about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and the truth that many innocent people died in the Great Cultural Revolution that we both went through. Soon we arrived at his home. I told him to think about it carefully and we could talk about it later. Then we said good-bye.

When I got home, I thought about how Teacher had arranged two predestined persons for me to save. Why did I only save one, but could not save the other one?

In the evening, I studied Zhuan Falun(This book comprises the principal teachings of Falun Dafa). Teacher said in "Qigong Psychosis" in the Sixth Talk:

"When you always think that you've got health problems, you might just give yourself health problems. That's because your character has dropped to the level of an ordinary person, and of course ordinary people do get health problems."

I suddenly remembered what I had been thinking when I clarified the truth to those two people. When I clarified the truth to the principal, I did not think of anything else. I just had a very natural and calm talk with him. I saved him after just a few words (at that time, I was unconsciously in a divine state of "no pursuit"). But when I clarified the truth to the Party secretary, it was just like what Teacher said, "You always think that you've got health problems." I had all those human thoughts even before I started to clarify the truth to him, such as I about my previous conflicts with him, that he gave me a strange impression, that was not easy to work with, that he would not accept it if I told him about the "three withdrawals." I had it in my mind that if I told him the truth, he might not accept it and might not want to quit the CCP. As a result I did not persuade him to quit the CCP. This is just like Teacher said, "When you always think that you've got health problems, you might just give yourself health problems..." Why did this happen? "That's because your character has dropped to the level of an ordinary person." In other words, I was just an ordinary person at that time. An ordinary person cannot save another ordinary person. In that state, I certainly could not save the Party secretary.

That is why Teacher arranged those two people for me to save, but I only saved one. The reason is that my thoughts were different when I talked to each person, which brought about different results. From this, I understood that only divine thoughts can save people, human thoughts cannot save people.

I often go out to clarify the truth like a monk wondering around and Master's poem "Tathagata" would come to my mind:

"Coming with true principles of free will,
With a light and easy spirit, traversing the four seas
The Fa principles spread everywhere in the human world
Fully laden with living beings, the Fa boat sails."

My understanding is that Master is not afraid of difficulty and hardships in saving us and has brought us onto the Falun Dafa boat of rectifying Fa right from the beginning. Now we have to give up our self-attachments and cultivate well to become Buddhas and gods so we can better save people, just like Buddhas and gods.

On my travels I have met some fellow practitioners. Among them there are kind aunties, mature middle aged gentlemen, young active Dafa disciples and also pretty outgoing elder sisters. We will greet each other with "I am the same as you," or an understanding smile, or a heshi with two hands. Then we leave each other and are busy with our own things. However, seeing each other on the way enhances my righteous thoughts and will to be more diligent.

Recently, I realized that I launch my internet browser more often than normal and browsed through various websites with the excuse of needing to pay close attention to national and international situations so it is easier to tell the truth. If I missed a day and didn't go on the internet to scan some information or make some posts in the online chat rooms, I felt that there is something missing from the day and I am very uncomfortable. Even though I do the three things and read the Dafa book, do I still have an attachment? Is it something that I can not let go of and have not yet eliminated my attachment to through cultivation? I always used doing three things as an excuse to cover and protect myself. The cultivation process is a process of getting rid of attachments. If I can not eliminate my attachment of enjoying the internet and news, how can I walk on the right path of saving people and rectifying the Fa?

Because we tell the truth so often, sometimes we feel that the environment is getting better and better and the situation is becoming clearer. Many people now realize the truth and agree with Dafa. Once we feel happy about his we can often neglect our safety? I send the righteous thoughts four times a day. However I often slept through the midnight one. I just sat there for 10 to 20 minutes without sending out the righteous thoughts and then lay down to continue sleeping. During the daytime, my mind can also become unclear and is interfered with when I send forth righteous thoughts. All these phenomenon are warning signs about my diligence.

Now let me talk about my attachment of showing off. I have not completely eliminated the attachment of pursuing fame. Sometimes I do not even realize it when it appears, thus it isn't controlled. It seems to me that I understand the Fa principles slightly better than others and that I've persuaded more people to quit Communist party and its related youth associations than others. So I somehow feel delighted about myself without being aware of it. When I tell the truth to everyday people and introduce the Dafa principles and situations, I somehow have an emotional feeling of being superior to them and feel like I am walking on air. Every time I publish an article on the web, I feel happy in my heart. Even though, on the surface, it may seem that I did not show off and my family members did not know about some articles, the feeling of pride is still there. All these areas reflect my attachment of pursuing fame and showing off. It is not obvious when I do not do anything. However, when I have some kind of achievement, I have found that this attachment becomes really obvious. What do I do all these things for? Is it for showing off myself and my abilities? Or is it for better validating Dafa, for Fa-rectification and for better saving sentient beings? All my abilities are manifested by Dafa and I am only a tiny particle within Dafa. In front of the profound Buddha's Fa and Grand Master, I am only a tiny microscopic speck of dirt in the enormous universe. Doing the three things well (Study the Fa [the teachings of Falun Dafa], send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and about the persecution to the world's people) is what I should do and it is my vow from millions of years ago and my predestined historic arrangement. If I do not do well, I should think deeply and feel ashamed. Because my sense of self and my selfish attachments are so strong, it is hard for my righteous side to manifest.

In the mean time, when I see a fellow practitioners' attachment, what kind of a heart do I have? Is it a tolerant merciful heart for helping? Or a standing-by person's heart for criticizing? Do we kindly provide help? Or do we just judge it indifferently? The difference in xinxing (charachter) levels and cultivation states will clearly manifest.

I feel my cultivation is clearly better than before. But when I really look inward I find that my xinxing is still far away from the standard of purity and from the level of a Buddha or God. I still have so many attachments that I need to get rid of.

Here I want to thank Master again for his compassionate hints. I will be the cultivator described as "Forbearing hardships, advancing whole-heartedly, discarding attachments" (from "Hong Yin" - Climbing the Tai Mountains), and do three things even better!

In the week following the 9th anniversary of "April 25 Grand Peaceful Appeal", Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong and other organisations held two marches to protest the Chinese Communist Party's persecution and to support the 35 million Chinese who have quit the Communist Party and its affiliated organisations.

Many people watch Falun Gong's march against the persecution in Hong Kong

Banner reads "Against the persecution rationally and peacefully"

A display board exposes the CCP's torture of Falun Gong practitioners

Spectators applaud Falun Gong's parade

At a rally on May 1st, Falun Gong condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for escalating the persecution of Falun Gong in the name of the Olympic Games. From the end of last year to the end of March, there were more than 1800 cases of Falun Gong practitioners being illegally abducted and some of them were tortured to death, including the well known musician Yu Zhou of Beijing. At present, three Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners were jailed in Mainland China for their belief. The rally called on local people and the international community to work together to stop the CCP's human rights atrocities.

After the rally, participants marched down the streets of Koolong. The orderly procession, accompanied by waist drums, and the colourful banners and flags attracted many residents. It was the May 1st long holidays, and many tourists from Mainland China were also watching along the streets.

A lady from Mainland China followed the parade for a long time with tears. When she was asked, she said her parents both practiced Falun Gong and her father was jailed for three months. Her whole family were under house arrest for a long time. When she saw the parade in Hong Kong, she was moved and hoped China would also have the same freedom soon.

Anti-Persecution Signature Drive

Some practitioners were collecting signatures for the appeal to stop the persecution. Many Hong Kong residents only knew that Falun Gong was being suppressed, but they didn't know the whole story. After the practitioners explained to them, they were very willing to sign. Some people said, "It's justice, I ought to sign it." Some said openly that they supported Falun Gong practitioners for human rights. Some residents said they had been watching Falun Gong's parade and encouraged them to continue their efforts. Some people applauded when the parade was passing them.

A tourist from Mainland China praised Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners for their peaceful behaviour. He said, "People should be peaceful like this and have good morality. This is human nature."

Welcoming a bright future without the Evil Communist Party

On April 26th, a few hundred Falun Gong practitioners participated in a march organised by the Hong Kong Quitting the Chinese Communist Party Service Center in responding to 35 million Chinese people withdrawing from the CCP. The Chairman of the Global Quiting the CCP Center, Mr. Gao Dawei, said in a written statement, "Spreading the "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party", promoting withdrawing from CCP and its affiliated organisations, this is the great wisdom of the Chinese people. It is creating a seamless movement to eliminate the evil party by clearing away the poison of CCP spiritually and disassembling the CCP from inside."

In his statement, Gao said that the CCP is approaching its end and he called on all Chinese people to join the effort. "Chinese people, please catch this historical moment," he stated, "Under the current situation of Mainland China, join the effort to spread Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and promote the three-withdrawals. At the same time, encourage more Chinese people to embrace the movement of returning to spiritual conscience, human nature and rebuilding the humanity and morality and to welcome a bright future without the Communist Party."

A former legislative member, Pastor Feng Zhihuo, said that even though there were a lot of limitations for the Hong Kong media to report on people withdrawing from the CCP, it is really important to support those people. "I believe many people are supporting the effort quietly in Hong Kong," he said.

"The Chinese Communist Party uses atheism as its main principle. People don't believe in retribution and punishment, it is very unfortunate. So we must remind everyone to do the right thing, the good thing, to be human. One must act with fairness," he said.

Two volunteers from Quitting the CCP Center introduced the current information. Based on the statistics provided by the Global Quiting the CCP Center, there are about 50,000 people quitting the CCP daily. The number shows the rate of the CCP's disintegration is getting faster.

After the rally, a few hundred people paraded from the park to the Chinese Liaison Office and the parade attracted many passersby to watch and take photos. After two hours, the procession arrived at the Liaison Office. They announced a statement of quitting CCP at the gate to conclude the activity.