People In China Comment on Falun Gong

One day whilst buying some fruit at the market I asked the vendors: "Have you heard about Falun Gong?"

One vendor said: "I have. They said on TV that Falun Gong practitioners were involved in the self-immolation and murder people. I think that it's horrible." Another vendor said: "I know some Falun Gong practitioners. They are not like what the TV says at all. They're very nice people. When buying my fruit, they never fight with me over the prices like other people."

I stopped in front of a fabric booth and asked the vendors: "Do you know anything about Falun Gong? Have you met any Falun Gong practitioners?"

One vendor said: "I know them very well. I run into them quite often in this market. They're the nicest people here. I think the restoration of Falun Gong's reputation is only a matter of time. If the government continues the persecution, then the leaders are doomed. A country that cannot distinguish good from bad is doomed. I'll practise Falun Gong too after the restoration of Falun Gong's reputation."

I asked an elderly gentleman who was selling turnips: "Have you heard about Falun Gong?"

He said: "Sure. Don't listen to what they say on TV. They fabricated the story of Falun Gong practitioners setting themselves on fire. There are quite a few practitioners in my village. They are all nice people. I want to practise too."

I asked an elderly lady: "Have you heard about Falun Gong?"

She said: "Yes. There is a practitioner in my apartment block. She is such a kind person. After she started practising Falun Gong, all her illnesses disappeared, even her cancer, and she didn't need to take anymore medicine. She is now very healthy. She took such good care of her child and her parents, one of whom was paralysed. Her whole family lived together happily. But the police kept harassing her. They put her in a detention centre several times. One time, she was tortured nearly to death before being released. However, she recovered in just a few days. I think Falun Gong is very good. Why else would so many people practise it?"

I asked several clothes vendors in a shopping mall: "Do you know anything about Falun Gong?"

They told me: "We have met some practitioners. They are easygoing people. They never argue about prices. They're not like what the TV said at all." A customer also said: "My husband is a policeman and works in the detention centre. He often told me that he admired Falun Gong practitioners the most because they are kind people; they don't scramble for power and profit; they really follow the teaching of "not striking back when beaten, not swearing back when sworn at;" and they risk their own safety to tell others the truth about Falun Gong. My husband asked all our family members to remember 'Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.' He said that good and evil actions will meet their due returns. He told us not to mistreat Falun Gong practitioners. Many people all over the world are practising Falun Gong now. He also said that the restoration of Falun Gong's reputation is just a matter of time."

A co-worker was really sick. I went to visit her and asked her: "Why don't you practise Falun Gong?"

She answered: "I heard it's pretty good. But who dares to practise? Yesterday, four policemen arrested a woman who practises Falun Gong. Her husband lost a well-paying job for practising Falun Gong. Her daughter-in-law was also laid off. People who live in the same apartment building told me that they are such nice people. They even voluntarily swept the staircases every day. Yet they were arrested and tortured. This woman was coughing up blood and had to stay in bed due to the torture. It's just terrible."

One day I ran into a former colleague who I hadn't seen for a long time. I asked her: "Do you know anything about Falun Gong?"

She said: "I heard people who practised Falun Gong got rid of their illnesses and became quite fit. But the government doesn't allow them to practise any more. Just yesterday they were trying to arrest some practitioners in my community. There were a lot of policemen all over the community. It was horrifying!"

It's been over five years since the Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin and his regime launched an unprecedented campaign to slander, frame and persecute Falun Gong practitioners. I hope all people with a conscience will understand the evil nature of this persecution and recognise that Falun Gong is good.