Let the Whole World Know the Truth about Falun Gong!

By a practitioner from Sweden

I want the whole world to know about the persecution of Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) in China so that people, governments, politicians, organizations and the media take a definite position so that it comes to an end as quickly as possible. But the persecution is continuing and at times I feel powerless. What can I do so that more people get to know what is happening to innocent Falun Gong practitioners in China? Why is this holistic method of qigong – which is practised openly and appreciated in more than 50 countries around the world and which, furthermore, has had more than 800 awards and forms of recognition conferred upon it by governors, politicians and majors in the USA, Canada, and Australia – being persecuted in China?

Most of all I hope people can watch the video analysis of the self-immolation incident which took place in Tiananmen Square on 23 January 2001, because there one can see that China’s government has staged this event and exploited innocent people. When I watched it for the first time, I cried – to be sure, this was murdering innocent people. By all means watch it and you will certainly understand what I mean: http://www.faluninfo.net/devstories/tiananmen/immolation.asp.

Falun Gong practitioners were conspired against merely because China’s leader Jiang Zemin wants people in China to feel hatred towards Falun Gong - so that his persecution can be justified. Here in the Western World, the media, governments, politicians, and a large number of good-hearted people have already seen through the slanderous propaganda and lies about Falun Gong which the regime is spreading with its state-controlled media. But in China the people are still poisoned by the untruthful propaganda.

However, Jiang Zemin and China’s leaders are merely making a laughing-stock of themselves and are bringing disgrace down upon the noble and ancient history of this beautiful country. More and more people are starting to take a definite position and are feeling a loathing for the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Not only are they reacting this way regarding the persecution of Falun Gong but also that of Tibetans, Buddhists, monks, nuns and other dissidents.

Imagine yourself in the following situation: you are a seeker and you read various books dealing with philosophy, new age, religion, etc. in order to understand the meaning of life and the mysteries of the universe. After several years of intensive searching, you still have not discovered the profound meaning of life and the universe and you are nearly ready to give up. You consider going to the Andes to become a monk because you are so damned tired of everything involving stress, money, chaos, status, pain, and other things relating to materialism which do not provide you with any satisfaction or inner harmony. All of a sudden a friend comes to visit you and asks whether you would like to try Falun Gong. You feel a little sceptical, you have no money and are tired of the fact that all the courses and methods for health improvement cost so much money. But then your friend says that it is free. Suddenly you feel happy and become curious and go along to try Falun Gong. Once you are there, you are struck by the powerful energy and by the fact that this method of qigong can be free. The people that are instructing say that there is no hierarchy, that instead all those present, inexperienced as well as experienced, are kindred spirits. You almost find it too good to be true.

You become more and more curious and notice all of a sudden that it does not only involve exercises for body and soul, but that there is even a profound philosophy behind the method. You download the book Zhuan Falun, which is the main book of Falun Gong, from the Internet: it too is free! You start reading the book with interest. The first time you read it, you do not understand so much, but your heart is awakened when the author of the book, Li Hongzhi, talks of the fact that one should raise the nature of one’s heart and one’s morals and assimilate to the characteristics of the universe: Zhen, Shan, Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance). When you read it again, you achieve a deeper understanding and realize suddenly that the answers to your questions which pertained to the meaning of life and the mysteries of the universe are becoming all the more evident to you. You think that you have at last found that which you have been searching for after so many years; you feel that you have found your way home. You start associating with others that practise this method and notice that they are so calm, kind and pleasant; you think that you too want to become like that.

After practising for more than two years, you are now in harmony with yourself and you feel safe. Your self-confidence has improved. Your sleeping problems are gone; your back problems and your poor health are gone without a trace. You are able to blend into society more easily and manage to deal with conflicts in your daily life much more easily than before due to the fact that you try to follow Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. When you read the stories of others’ experiences you become more and more convinced about the power of this method which really can change people – from bad to better people, from thieves to honest people, from liars to tellers-of-the-truth, from people with a life of narcotics and alcohol to people without such a life – and that it really is something unique that can change people so that they have a life filled with inner peace.

Now when you have experienced such changes, have read a large number of experience-sharing stories that have changed other people and have met practitioners who glow with harmony and self-confidence, would you then not stand up for this method if it was persecuted? And when you realize that those who practise this method in China have the same goal as you and have experienced considerable effects regarding their health and the raising of their morals, would you then not want to help them in some way?

Despite the fact that this method of self-improvement has brought inner peace, health and higher moral standards to millions, it is prohibited in China. You may have a hard time believing it, but when talking to practitioners or digging deeper into the causes you realize that simply because of its popularity, it is banned in China. Add to this popularity the fact that many high officials within the communist party practised Falun Gong and you can see why Jiang Zemin got jealous and ordered the persecution in July of 1999.

To this day, more than 500 Falun Gong practitioners are confirmed to have been killed, mostly while in custody. Thousands has been sent to mental hospitals and brainwashing classes and tens of thousands has been sent to labour camps. You cannot go to Tiananmen Square to say that your human rights, that are granted by the constitution, are being undermined and you cannot say that the government is making a mistake by persecuting Falun Gong. It is a crime to appeal for you basic human rights in China. If you hand out flyers that clarify the truth about this matter to the passers-by on the street – you could easily get shot by the police. Jiang Zemin ordered Chinese officials to “Kill them without mercy!” after some practitioners succeeded in clarifying the facts about the persecution using a cable-TV signal in the city of Changchun.

Jiang’s persecution has extended to other countries as well, using economic pressure to get his way in Iceland, Germany, Denmark etc. During Jiang’s visit to Iceland a couple of months ago, the Icelandic government was supplied with a blacklist of the names of Falun Gong practitioners that the regime didn’t want to face during their visit. As a result they were not allowed to enter the country. All they had on their minds was to draw attention to the brutal persecution in China carried out by Jiang’s regime, and Jiang is fully aware of that.

Zhao Ming, a practitioner from Ireland was tortured for 22 months, merely for practising Falun Gong – he wanted to be a good human being and follow the fundamental principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. He was finally released and could return to Ireland thanks to the efforts from friends, colleagues, MEPs, Lord Moyne, Amnesty International etc.

My only wish is that more people take a stance and help us to bring this horrible persecution to an end. I myself help to translate articles from English to Swedish for the Swedish Clear Harmony website. Sometimes I also send letters, information and VCDs about the persecution to the public, politicians, organizations etc. I also participate in activities such as parades and vigils. I have arranged some photo exhibitions in public libraries, as well as submitting articles to newspapers so that people can understand us and realize what’s going on in China.

On Wednesday I’m off to Houston, USA. I’m going to help other practitioners expose Jiang Zemin’s crimes against humanity during his visit. The whole world shall know what he does against his own people and how he spreads the persecution and his evil propaganda to the rest of the world.

To persecute Truth, Compassion, Tolerance, something that has helped millions achieve better health and to become better people with a high moral standard – has to be the most serious crime one could possibly commit. That is why it is our duty to expose this inhumane persecution so that it will come to an end.