Chinese Ice Hockey Coach Facing Trial for Practising Falun Dafa

On May 9th, 2007, a Chinese national ice hockey coach by the name of Mr. Gao Weixi was arrested by officers of the Nanguan Branch of Jilin Police Department for practising Falun Dafa. Mr. Gao is now detained in the No. 3 Detention Centre in Changchun City and is facing trial.

Mr. Gao Weixi is 68 years old and has been a senior ice hockey coach for Changchun City Athletic Team. He was a renowned coach for the ice hockey team in Jilin Province and for the Zijin Flower Ice Hockey Team in Hong Kong. Mr. Gao began the groundwork for ice hockey in the 1960s, laying a foundation for the sport in China. He frequently led a team to international competitions and obtained many prizes for Changchun City, Jilin Province, and China.

Mr. Gao was an ice sports layman early on when the sport was played only outdoors where it was coldest. During the spring season, he would be the first to skate on the ice to determine the safe areas and sometimes fell into the cold river. Throughout the years, Mr. Gao developed many serious illnesses, including a brain tumour and heart and liver diseases. During one phase of his life, sickness lowered his spirits and gave him a bad temper. He feared nobody and dared to insult anybody. He was bedridden for two years. He suffered both mentally and physically.

Mr. Gao started to practise Falun Gong in 1998. Around January 2nd, 1998, he participated in Falun Dafa activities that were being conducted on a grand scale in Nanling Stadium during the winter sports competition. He coordinated the stadium rental and did the exercises with other practitioners to demonstrate the practice, regardless of his physical discomfort during the periods when his body was being cleansed.

On July 20th, 1999, when the Chinese Communist regime began to persecute Falun Gong, Mr. Gao continued to do the exercises at the local botanical garden for three months. During the Chinese New Year in 2000, he went to Tiananmen Square to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong and demonstrate the exercises but was detained by the police. On April 8th, 2000, while doing the exercises in front of the Dizhi Palace Square in Changchun City, he was detained again.

On December 3rd, 2000, Mr. Gao was arrested by officers from the Nanguan Branch of Changchun City Police Department. The police threatened him and tried to make him give up practising Falun Gong. He demonstrated Falun Dafa with his conduct and attempted to persuade the officers to be good. The officers would not listen to him and sent him to forced labour camps for three years.

Mr. Gao was held in two forced labour camps in Changchun City: Weizigou Forced Labour Camp and Chaoyanggou Forced Labour Camp.

He suffered from illnesses during his detention in Chaoyanggou Forced Labour Camp and was released for a while for medical treatment. This did not affect his determination to cultivate. However, before he recovered, he was taken to Chaoyanggou Forced Labour Camp again. During his detention, he repeatedly stated for two months, "I will definitely practise Falun Gong!" His voice resonated throughout the forced labour camp. He recovered after two months and his face had a rosy glow. No one would think that he was a 70-year-old man.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/6/18/157141.html