Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes – Looking Back at the April 25th Spirit

Editor's Note: To commemorate the ninth anniversary of the April 25 Appeal, this is one of a series of republished articles from years past. The April 25th Appeal was notable not only for its size, but also because it was remarkably peaceful and orderly. Some 10,000 practitioners gathered in central Beijing that day, peacefully protesting for their civil rights. The CCP propaganda machine, however, in its quest to crush Falun Gong at the bidding of then Party Chairman Jiang Zemin, twisted the facts to serve its own motives. To this day, CCP propaganda accuses Falun Gong of "laying siege to the Zhongnanhai Central Government Compound" on April 25, 1999, falsely alleging that the 10,000 gathered posed a violent threat to the nation and its leaders. Nothing could be further from the truth, of course, as this series of articles documents from various angles.

Good and evil, benevolence and ruthlessness, are qualities that are most easily discovered in times of conflict, and when people fight for personal gain. It does not matter how the conflict begins, the benevolent person will choose to resolve it peacefully, and will even sacrifice personal gain to achieve a beneficial end. The bad person will choose to solve the conflict with an eye on personal gain, using extreme means, including criticism, deception, or violence.

Remembering the April 25, 1999, appeal where over ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners gathered in peaceful protest, one can see clearly the distinction between good and evil, benevolence and ruthlessness.

Party officials, wanting to "justify" the persecution of Falun Gong, said the April 25 appeal "threatened social stability."

Let's take a look at what really happened, though.

First of all, the appeal was peaceful. The appeal itself was based on trust in the Chinese leadership and with the hope that recently arrested practitioners who had been beaten and jailed would be released. The 10,000 assembled practitioners hoped for an end to the unjust treatment toward Falun Dafa and those who practised "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance."

If Jiang's regime had not violently suppressed and banned Falun Gong at that time, but had listened and guaranteed the fundamental freedom of belief, practitioners would have been able to continue their practice. This way more people would have become healthy, more would strive to improve themselves and live in accordance with "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance," and China's society would have become more stable and prosperous. Instead, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) chose violence, regardless of the financial and spiritual loss to the Chinese populace, because of the persecution. The CCP backed themselves into a corner.

With the CCP itself being corrupt to the core, CCP leaders couldn't value Falun Gong practitioners' goodness and ethical standards. The April 25 incident showed clearly that practitioners were not afraid to appeal to the authorities.

After experiencing the horrors of the Cultural Revolution, numerous murderous crusades and the Tiananmen Square Massacre, most Chinese people would expect to feel the heavy weight of CCP oppression if they were to openly express opposition to a CCP decision on such a large scale. They knew what kind of consequences could result. Few people could have done such a thing. Such opposition could only be achieved by those with great courage and strong convictions.

The purpose of the April 25 peaceful appeal was to make the most of Chinese citizens' fundamental rights and to give the CCP an opportunity to mend its ways and listen to the will of the people. However, Jiang Zemin and the CCP regime missed this opportunity, and instead used extreme actions to crush belief in "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance." This has now continued for nine years.

China has abundant natural resources and its people are wise and industrious. The history of 5,000 years of civilisation makes the Chinese people and their environment unique. However, the prolonged suppression of Falun Gong consumed a vast amount of China's fortune and resources and resulted in a great number of outstanding and talented people, as well as ordinary labourers, being detained in prisons and held in darkness. During the past 9 years, natural and artificial disasters in China have increased many times. It seems there is no end to them. The ancient belief that "heaven and earth are one" can clearly explain these disasters. Gods are punishing and warning the wrongdoers.

The persecutors have pushed themselves to the point of no return with deception and violence. The CCP brought its extensive experience with criticism, fighting, deception, and propaganda from the past several decades into full play in the persecution of Falun Gong. The CCP regime has lost people's hearts worldwide. Who would trust and support a party that accuses people for what they didn't do? It's time for people to see clearly the evil nature of the CCP. The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party triggered the phenomenon of quitting the CCP, and have so far helped over 35 million people break away from the CCP's mind control. The CCP is facing an unprecedented crisis to its existence, as Mencius once said, "An unjust cause finds scant support."

At the same time, Falun Gong practitioners time and again resist the evil force peacefully and resolutely. This has made every Falun Gong practitioner like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Practitioners have become more mature, compassionate, and steadfast. The persecution made more people feel the power of "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance." The bearing shown by Falun Gong practitioners, after unprecedented tribulations, is uplifting. It is of deep spiritual value from which mankind can learn and benefit.