The Chinese Embassy in Holland Refuses my Application to Renew my Passport

My name is Deng Qing. I am 28 years old. After graduating from the Department of Mathematics in the Beijing Normal University, I came to Holland in 1996 for advanced study. In 2001, I graduated from the Eindhoven University of Technology with a Doctorate degree in mathematics. Right now, I am working for a computer company in Holland.

I began to suffer from serious neurasthenia in 1996. Ever since then, I have been foggy headed. I felt languid and tired all day long. The symptom got worse and worse until it turned into severe prolonged headaches. The severity of the headache almost resulted in mental collapse. I felt as though I wore a thick hat on the top of my head. When the headache hit me, the brain didn’t function at all as though it was just a pile of paste. The efficiency of my learning ability was very low. I was forced to abandon the academic work. As the situation kept deteriorating, I thought I was heading towards death. During that period of time, I tried all kinds of western and oriental therapies. However, none of the doctors could identify the root cause, not to mention a medical treatment that could alleviate my suffering. Back then, I swore that I would trade everything I had for a healthy body.

I began practicing Falun Gong in July 1998. The headaches were eased very soon followed by an ultimate disappearance. It no longer interfered with my academic work or life. As I continued to practice the exercises and learn the Fa [universal principle, the teachings in Falun Gong] to cultivate my moral character, my physical condition improved as every day passed by. I completed the study for the Ph.D. degree in September of 2001. It was almost like a miracle considering the fact that I used to be on verge of abandoning my study. As of now, my mind is clear and sharp as though the brain has been replaced. What a significant difference! Nobody other than the person himself can have a deeper understanding about his own physical condition. I know it was Falun Dafa that saved my life and it was Master Li who gave who provided me with the Fa. Much to my surprise, however, the Chinese government suspended my passport, attempting to force me to give up practicing Falun Gong.

My passport was stolen when I travelled to Denmark in September 2002. In early November of the same year, I went to the Chinese Embassy at the Hague and applied for a passport renewal. I was told that the passport would be ready for a collection within three weeks. At that time, I thought nobody was aware that I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I received a phone call from the Embassy on November 15th, saying that my passport was ready for collection. Two days later, I received a second phone call, in which a staff member of the Embassy told me my passport wasn’t ready yet.

Three weeks later, a consul whose last name is Wang invited me for an interview. She asked me if I practiced Falun Gong. She said I could have my passport as long as I signed a statement guaranteeing that I would not practice Falun Gong any more. I showed her several pictures that illustrated the suspicious points of the self-immolation at the Tiananmen Square incident. She said these were all fake pictures. I then explained to her how my mind and body had benefited from learning Falun Gong. She said I could stay at home practicing Falun Gong if Falun Gong was so good. She asked me if I could guarantee that I wouldn’t practice Falun Gong exercises or sit in meditation at the Chinese Embassy. I replied to her that the Embassy was a place to express our opinions and I couldn’t make any guarantee. I explained to her about the ongoing bloody persecution back in the homeland. I said if it were not because of the persecution, I wouldn’t have accepted her invitation to meet her in the office. After all, who doesn’t want to stay home for rest during the weekend? I told her it is illegal to deprive me of my nationality arbitrarily. She denied it was her intention. She said neither did they plan to deprive me of my nationality, nor did they reject my application for a passport renewal. However, they would need some more time for a more detailed investigation. I asked her how long I would have to wait. In return, she said she was not sure.

Slip for picking up the reissued passport

My legal residency in Holland would expire in February of 2003. However, I could not apply for an extension without the Chinese passport. Therefore, I went to the Chinese Embassy again. I was seen by another consul whose last name was Sun. I showed him truth pictures of the self-immolation at Tiananmen Square and the bloody pictures of the tortured Falun Gong practitioners in the labour camps. He closed his eyes, and didn’t dare to look. In the face of the facts all they could do was deceiving themselves as well as others. I told him about the improvements of my mind and body after practicing Falun Gong and my intention to keep practicing Falun Gong since it is such an excellent cultivation way. The main purpose for him to have a dialogue with me was to understand my attitudes towards Falun Gong. Upon the completion of the interview, he said that he would not give the passport to me because of my attitudes, and that he needed to consult his superiors. I asked him why he held up my passport. He said I violated the law. I asked him which law did l violate, but he didn’t answer. Up to now, I still have no idea which article of the law I have violated. Another three months elapsed before I went to the Embassy the next time. The answer I got this time was that the passport was still under review in China. I went there again in March this year, but I got the same answer from Sun. Not until then did I realise that waiting for approval is just an excuse to stall me off. I paid additional visits to the Embassy in this May and September, respectively, but the result was still disappointing.

In order to extend my residency in Holland, my legal representative sent a fax to the Embassy to make enquiries about my passport several times, but no reply was ever provided so far.

The Chinese Embassy tried to force me to abandon Falun Gong by with holding my passport. I used to be a seriously ill person. To me, abandoning Falun Gong is equivalent to the recurrence of the illness or the arrival of death. Who will be responsible for my life and safety once that occurs? What the Chinese Embassy has done to me is inhuman! On the other hand, Chinese citizens should be granted the freedom of belief according to the Chinese constitution. For what reasons can the Chinese Embassy interfere with the freedom of belief of its citizens?

Furthermore, the lack of a passport has made the extension of my residency in Holland far more difficult. It is likely that I will lose my job if my legal residency expires. I know there are thousands and thousands of people dismissed from their jobs in China because of practicing Falun Gong. Even though I am so far away from China, who can imagine a similar persecution actually occurs for me over-seas? During the period of time without a passport, I feel extremely frustrated because I am anxious about the probability of losing my residency and my job and the reunion with my family members in China may be postponed to the unforeseeable future.

Up to now, I have not got back my passport because I didn’t want to betray my conscience. I look forward to the arrival of the date on which I can travel back to the motherland to see my elderly parents. I also look forward to the date on which people can freely practice Falun Gong in China.