The Chinese Embassy Unreasonably Refused my Passport Renewal in Germany

My name is Qi Luyi, I came to Germany to study in the year 2000. Now I am studying Economics in a German University. I started to practise Falun Gong in 1998 when I was working. Since Jiang Zemin and his group initiated the persecution against Falun Gong in July of 1999, the company I was working for deliberately made things difficult for me. I was forced to leave my country.

In June this year, I married a German Falun Dafa practitioner, therefore I needed to change my surname Qi to my husband’s surname. Later on the foreign management office told me that I should go to the Chinese consulate to make the same change of my name in my passport.

So I went to the Chinese Consulate in Bonn on Monday the 6th of December 2004. As my fiancé and I came here in April this year to get our unmarried proof and passport extension, I never thought that my passport would be held this time.

Above are the receipts of my passport extension and unmarried proof made out in April of 2004

It was 10:40 in the morning. Just like last time I came here, I showed them my marriage certificate and the original copy of the certificate confirming I had changed my name, I also handed in all required documents, my passport and photo to the female officer who was the same one I dealt with last time, I ordered the special service which should be done in one hour. She gave me a price list, the normal service for changing to my husband’s name was ten Euro, the special service required put thirty Euro on top of that, all together it totalled forty Euro. She asked me to pay the forty Euro at the fees window in half an hour. After that I needed to return to her and collect my passport with the changed name.

At about 11.am a male officer who I had never seen before appeared; he was not very tall and in his forties. He was holding my passport in hand and said to me: “Qi Luyi, come with me, I want to ask you something.” He took me to a meeting room next door while he was talking to me. He asked me when I came to Germany, I told him the truth. Then he asked: “Did you practise Falun Gong in China?” I replied: “yes, I did.” “Are you still practising it?”, “Yes, I am” I replied.

Then he asked me whether I had joined any activity, for example, practising the Falun Dafa exercises with other practitioners or experience sharing. He wanted to know who joined these activities and said that I was required to write a report. I did not give him any information but said:“I know what you mean. It is not the first time this kind of thing has happened, doing this kind of thing is not good for you.”

I said: “I know you have to do this properly because you are required by your boss, but the task can be done in different ways. After the second World War and the great cultural revolution, those people who did bad deeds all were punished for what they had done, some were only scapegoats. I think you know about the Communist Party in depth, in every movement they persecute the people, only a small part of the people dared to speak out the truth that they held in their conscience.

He said: “What you just said has nothing to do with your passport, you need a legal document…” I told him that I had looked at their website, I had handed in what I was supposed to, all required certificates and documents were handed in. He said that he needed to check on the computer then went out. He came back after a while and admitted: “Yes you do not need any more things, the legal document is only required in China when getting married. Are you still going to practise Falun Gong?” I replied: “Of course I am going to practise it as it is such a great cultivation way, why not? Dafa is widespread and practised in over sixty countries, and has won 1000 awards. Don’t you know about the Communist Party? The self-immolation was staged by them, you will understand if you have seen the slow motion.” He agreed in silence.

Then he said he needed to consult his superior about my passport. I pointed out:: “You don’t want to return my passport to me, is that right? By doing this you only add one more crime on what you and Jiang's group have done. I find the workers sitting here are actually quite nice, we are all Chinese, why…” He defended himself immediately: “No, we will send it back to you shortly. You need to write…” I stopped him and said: “You know I won’t write that report.” He tried to defend himself again:“No, I mean you need to write your address down. We need to think about your case. We will return the fees you paid, then we will send the passport to you.” I pointed at the receipt and told him I ordered the special service, he must return my passport to me immediately. At the end he dashed into his office and never returned. The female officer came out and gave me a white envelop to write down my address, which I did. I repeated what I said to the male officer:“If I don’t receive my passport in one week, I am going to make it public.” At about 12:15, I left.

Our conversation was carried out in a gentle way, he looked very nerves with a guilty conscience in the whole process. I was the one doing the talking most of the time, I felt that he took in what I said, because he definitely knew that he was doing something illegal, therefore he was in and out the meeting room several times and looking cautious.

As a result I left home at 5 o’clock in the morning and came back at about eight in the evening, I did not go to college and my passport was gone when I came back. Prior to my trip to the Consulate my mother and farther in law told me not to trust the Communist Party, this kind of small thing as changing names can be done by post. I phoned the consulate about this, and a female officer told me that “You must come to the consulate in person, this is the regulation of the foreign department.” I followed what they required, but still lost my passport.

Afterwards I realised, I should have spoken to more to the officers at the Consulate and to the German people who were here for their visas about Falun Dafa and the persecution, I should have also asked for the name and contact details of the officer who kept my passport and confirmation of they keeping my passport, what they do is totally against the law, no matter whether my passport is kept for an hour or a day. This event has my husband’s relatives very discontented, they all said the Chinese Consulate is behaving like hoodlums. I will continue to make it public in German society, each day they keep my passport, the more German people will see the evil tactics of how Jiang’s regime extends the persecution overseas.