Ireland: Letter from a Practitioner to a Member of Parliament

18th January 2003

Dear […]

As you can see by my address I live in your constituency. A beautiful area close to the beach and countryside, which my family and I never take for granted having moved here from Dublin several years ago. I work full time in Dublin and have a family of five, the youngest of whom is 21 this year.

I am aware of the work you have done on behalf of women experiencing violence here at home and I feel that you would want to know of another situation of cruelty and inhumanity.

I am a Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practitioner. I have benefited greatly from this practise both physically and spiritually. Falun Dafa is practised widely throughout the world in at least 50 countries. The practise is based on the Cosmic Characteristic of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance". These principles are practised literally, and not just lip service. Falun Dafa is non political. We don't have a hierarchy or organisation. Every practitioner is equal to every other practitioner. All our classes are free. It is not allowed to charge any fee for any purpose whatsoever. The majority of practitioners coming to our free classes every Tuesday and Thursday in T.C.D. [Trinity College Dublin] are Irish. They come because of the remarkable health benefits.

Falun Dafa teaches us to be law abiding, honest, hard working and to have a high moral standard.

My reason for writing is to raise your awareness of the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. It is my hope that you could encourage the Irish Government to initiate a resolution and publicly speak out during the coming UN Human Rights Convention.

Many local governments of other countries have applauded Falun Dafa and given awards to Falun Dafa for it's contribution to improving peoples health and social morality. Copies of all of these awards can be found on the "falundafa.org" site on the internet. There is lots of information and photo's regarding the persecution in China, on sites linked to this one. Some of the photo's can be distressing.

Falun Dafa is illegal in China. Since November 2002, 46 Falun Dafa practitioners have been tortured to death. Chinese torturers are no respecters of age. People from approximately 80 years to baby's, have died under their torture. The threat of children being taken, are used to stop mothers from practising. Work cards can be cancelled if a worker or his wife does not stop practising.

In this country I've heard people complain about our justice system. I agree it's not perfect. It's impossible for it to be perfect as situations keep changing. But, at least we have a Justice System. In China, anyone who is a practitioner of Falun Dafa, or is suspected of being a practitioner, can be picked up from home, work, the street, at any time, with no warrant, no reason, no trial and no evidence, and simply disappear. Months later the family will hear that they are at a labour camp for "re-education".

Re-education methods include, sleep deprivation, torture, force feeding, and injections of unknown substance(s) which affect the mind and mobility capabilities, turning some of them into vegetables. The latter usually takes place in psychiatric units.

Criminal inmates are used to hold practitioners down while force-feeding is done by other criminal inmates. There are several proven reports of female practitioners of all ages, being thrown into a cell with several male inmates, where they have been repeatedly raped and beaten.

A favourite torture is to use electric cattle prods all over the bodies of both male and female practitioners, by several guards at the same time. They also force the cattle prods inside the genital area's of these victims.

Why is the Jiang regime doing this to these people? They are no threat to the government in any political sense. They are no threat to the security of the country. In fact, they are actually saving the country money each year due to their remarkable health.

Jiang Zemin banned Falun Dafa on 20th July 1999, having realised that there were in the region of 70-80 million practitioners. More than the number in the Communist party. In fact, quite a large number of party members were practising at the time because of the remarkable health benefits. Was he afraid of the numbers? There was no need for him to be afraid of this. Surely, every government in the world would like to have a large number of good people, who would cost the state very little for health care. In fact, prior to July 1999, some practitioners were given awards by the state for good citizens, healthy citizens, good workers, etc.

Why do the other 50 Countries where Falun Dafa is practiced not feel threatened? Because these countries, just like our own, are democracies. We are used to people having basic human rights. We are lucky enough to be able to take them for granted.

I know that in this country my grandson will not be tortured because he is Catholic and wants to make his first communion. This couldn't happen in China.

After the second world war, the world was shocked when it heard about the atrocities.

The atrocities are happening in China on a large scale. It has been going on for three years now. The difference now, is that Governments have been made aware of it this time, giving them an opportunity to cut short another Holocaust.

There are several legal cases going on at present whereby Falun Dafa practitioners have filed suit against Jiang Zemin in cases in the United States and European Countries, for his crimes of inhuman brutality. Chinese people have nowhere to appeal to defend their rights. You can help do it for them.

In March 2003, the United Nations Human Rights Convention will take place in Geneva. You could encourage the Irish People to initiate a resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners.

I know the Irish Government have always been there to support human rights and we are grateful for the influence that was brought to bear, when our fellow practitioner Zhao Ming, (Trinity Student) was released from the labour camp in China after two years. Ming is willing to be interviewed by members of our government if they so wish.

I would be deeply grateful for anything you can do to highlight this situation and end the suffering of our practitioners is China.