The Chinese Consulate in San Francisco Refused to Extend My Passport

My name is Guo Wei. I work in the San Francisco bay area as a computer engineer. During my college days at Beijing's Qinghua University, in 1995, I started to practise Falun Gong. A friend introduced it to me. At that time, after reading it once, I thought the book Zhuan Falun was very good. I have been diligent in my practice of Falun Gong. It helped me attain a healthy body and mind.

Beyond my comprehension, out of jealousy and disregarding the general public's benefits, Jiang launched the brutal Cultural Revolution style persecution against Falun Gong. Being abroad I could see clearly the sufferings of tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China. If this persecution was allowed to last, I believed it would become a tragedy similar to the Cultural Revolution, and it would bring catastrophe to the nation. So, three times during 1999 to 2000, I went back to China to peacefully appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. I wished to help government officials who still have a conscience to stop the tragedy from going too far. But instead, I was thrown behind bars.

I was forced to leave China. My passport, which was issued to me in 1996 when I left China to study in the US, was due to expire on July 29, 2001. Therefore, around January 16, 2001, I went to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to apply for a passport extension. Upon my submitting the filled form and related materials, the consulate visa worker told me to come and get it on the 18th.

Two days later, as I showed up to get my passport, the consulate personnel said that they could not grant the extension to me. I asked why not and he rudely replied, "You know the reason why." I said, "I don't know why. I am a Chinese citizen. Why can't my passport be extended? Could it be due to my practising of Falun Gong?" Then he commented, "Every day you all come to protest in front of the consulate, and you dare to think you can get a passport extension?" I explained to him that we came to appeal because of the innocent Falun Gong practitioners who were unlawfully detained, beaten, and tortured to death; without such a persecution we would not come to protest.

After getting my passport back I noticed that they had extended it till July 28, 2006 with the official red seal of San Francisco Chinese Consulate; but then it was crossed out with a blue CANCELLED stamp. This was obviously done after they found out I am a Falun Gong practitioner.

This incident occurred several years ago but I still remember it vividly. I was really disappointed that Chinese consulate officials in San Francisco did not adhere to China's Constitution and trampled Chinese citizen's right of receiving a passport extension. Now I am writing this down, hoping to let more people know about the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners outside of China.