A Chinese Attorney Stands Up for What He Knows To Be Right

A Chinese Attorney Stands Up for What He Knows To Be Right

By a Clearwisdom correspondent from Gansu Province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) At 9:00 a.m. on December 1, 2011, the Xifeng District Court in Qingyang City, Gansu Province held a second hearing of the charges brought against Mr. Kou Chuangiin. Mr. Kou's attorney, brought in from Beijing to defend him, pleaded not guilty on his behalf. All of those present in the courtroom were thus provided with an opportunity to learn about both the righteous goodness of Falun Gong, and about the brutal truth of the persecution that Falun Gong adherents face under China's communist regime.

Mr. Kou, 60, is a former cadre of the Qingyang Business Bureau. He, his wife Ms. Li Ruihua, and their daughter Ms. Kou Juanjuan, all enjoyed improvements in their health and well-being after they began practicing Falun Gong. However, the Chinese Communist Party has a policy of persecuting Falun Gong, and this has brought great pain to the family.

1. None of the Evidence Presented Showed that Any Law Had Been Broken

During the court's investigation period, the attorney questioned all evidence submitted by the prosecutor and pointed out that all evidence is untenable on the law.

Mr. Kou stated the reason why he practices Falun Gong. He said, “I suffered from liver cancer, stomach cancer, and other illnesses. The hospital declared that I was incurable. Since I started practicing Falun Gong, all my illnesses have disappeared and I have experienced fundamental changes in both my physical health and mental well-being.”

Mr. Kou declared that his arrest and evidence collected against him are illegal. On the day of the arrest, more than a dozen officers from the Xifeng District Police Sub-Bureau pried open Mr. Kou's door and broke into his home. However, none of the officers were wearing police uniforms, and the officers ransacked his home without showing any identification. Mr. Kou saw the search warrant for the first time in court. During the arrest, the officers were violent, throwing him onto the sofa and ordering him not to move. Several people witnessed the arrest, including Mr. Kou's mother, daughter, grandson, and neighbors.

Mr. Kou stated that Falun Gong is a spiritual belief, and that having spiritual beliefs does not violate any law. It is not a crime, nor is it a crime to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to better oneself. He requested an immediate release.

The prosecutor declared that Falun Gong related documents were extracted from Mr. Kou's computer as “evidence.” She started playing one of them for the courtroom to hear. As the recording began playing on her computer, the words “Traditional Chinese culture teaches us that a promise is as good as a thousand bars of gold ...” sounded out for all to hear. She stopped the recording quickly and began playing it again from another point in the recording. This time, the words, “Traditional Chinese culture teaches us ...” were heard. She stopped it and tried again, but again similar words rang out, “Traditional Chinese ...” She finally just turned it off and carried on.

The prosecutor told the judge, “Here's a recording entitled, 'Ensure your safety by quitting the CCP.'” She tried playing this file, and the following words came out, “Hello, my friend. This is a free phone call to you ...” She stopped playing it. After quite a while, she tried again, “My friend, have you ever joined the CCP, the Youth League, or the Young Pioneers ...” The prosecutor claimed, “This is what we found in Kou's computer. It contains content that is against the CCP.” The people in the gallery who had come to observe the proceedings did not think there was anything wrong with the recordings they heard. Instead, it was apparent that they thought the whole process was actually quite funny.

2. Having Spiritual Beliefs Is Not a Crime – People's Constitutional Rights Are Being Denied

During the proceedings, the attorney maintained Mr. Kou's innocence. He stated that neither Mr. Kou's intentions nor his actions constituted infringements of China's laws or administrative regulations.

The attorney argued that Mr. Kou practiced Falun Gong for the purpose of good health and mental improvement, as well as to better himself by adhering to Falun Gong's standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Belief belongs to the area of ideology and is an issue of the field of the mind. A person's mind cannot commit a crime, as there are no “thought crimes” contained in China's law books. Only one's behaviors may be counted as crimes. No matter what a person believes in, as long as he doesn't commit any criminal act, he is not guilty of any crime.

During the trial, the prosecutor didn't provide any evidence of Mr. Kou's, “using a heretical organization to undermine the implementation of law,” the "crime" with which he had been charged.

(Editor's note: Falun Gong teaches people to be kind. There is extensive evidence, beyond the scope of this particular article, that suggests that in fact it is the Chinese Communist Party that is the true heretical organization. [the Chinese characters for "heretical organization" are often alternatively translated as “cult”] It is the CCP that undermines the execution of China's laws and regulations. It is the CCP that abuses and twists the law to its own end to use as a weapon to aid in the persecution of good people)

What cult or heretical organization did Mr. Kou employ? What kind of an organization is it? What do its members, staff, and management structure look like? Is this organization inside or outside of China? What title does Mr. Kou Chuangjin hold within the organization? What capabilities does he have within the organization? Who does he oversee within the organization? What orders did he give? How did he use the organization? Did he obtain orders or funds from the organization? What laws or administrative regulations has he impaired the execution of?

Distribution of Falun Gong materials doesn't violate China's laws. On the contrary, it is the reflection of the freedoms of speech, expression, and belief that are stipulated in China's constitution. Distribution of Falun Gong materials is therefore not a crime; it is in fact an exercise of citizens' rights under the constitution.

As for the contents of the Falun Gong materials, one type includes contents about Falun Dafa cultivation, such as the books Zhuan Falun and Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa. They are all for teaching people how to cultivate xinxing according to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. There is nothing illegal in them. They don't practice or encourage the sabotage of any of China's laws or regulations.

Another type of the materials are handouts that proclaim “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Others speak of “Destruction of the CCP is heaven's mandate. Quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations for your own safety,” or “The CCP is disintegrating.” Other materials are about Shen Yun Performing Arts and its revival of 5000 years of China's traditional culture. There are also copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, “Disintegrating the Party Culture” and so on.

Let's take a look at some of these more closely:

“Falun Dafa is good” is for recommending Falun Gong to others and to illustrate Falun Gong's benefits. It is a behavior of telling the truth and helping others within the range of law. It is definitely not sabotaging any laws. As for “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” these are universal principles acknowledged by all of humankind. The DVDs and other materials about Shen Yun Performing Arts present and spread the essence of the five-thousand-year old Chinese traditional culture. This should be cherished as spiritual treasures. Who would, or who could stand against such principles?

As for “The Destruction of the CCP is heaven's mandate” and “Quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations for safety,” “The CCP is disintegrating” and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, according to the principles of “sovereignty belongs to people,” social contract theory and Article 41 of China's constitution, which states that “Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the right to criticize and make suggestions to any government agencies and staff members,” these materials represent nothing more than citizens exercising their legal rights.

Falun Gong practitioners have been slandered for no reason. With no public channels open to them to exercise their freedom of expression, they instead produce materials with their own money to clarify the truth to people, to expose the lies propagated about Falun Gong in China's state-run media, and to introduce people to the beauty of Falun Gong. What's wrong with that?

Who has seen any Falun Gong practitioners conduct any acts of violence, extreme behavior, or bring harm to others? Of course everyone in China, and even in many other places in the world, has heard about the so-called "self-immolation" on Tiananmen Square. There have also been claims of Falun Gong practitioners being serial killers broadcast over and over in high profile cases on China Central Television (CCTV). But who doesn't realize that CCTV is nothing but a propaganda mouthpiece employed to vilify anything or anyone out of favor with the CCP regime? In fact, no practitioners of Falun Gong are serial killers. And in fact, no practitioners of Falun Gong set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square. And who could believe that if practitioners were to do a thing so totally against the Falun Gong principles, that they would do it at exactly the same time as multiple CCTV cameras and gangs of Chinese police with fire extinguishers in hand conveniently happened to be on the scene? This so-called “self-immolation incident,” just as with the serial killer story, is nothing but an elaborate propaganda stunt contrived and shamelessly executed by the CCP in attempts to turn public opinion against Falun Gong, and to thus, in some twisted way, thereby “justify” the persecution Falun Gong in the minds of the public.

Just as the attorney pointed out, there are no “thought crimes” in China's law books. Freedom of belief, also known as religious freedom, has become the norm around the world and has been written into Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. China signed on to both of these treaties several years ago.

Article 36 of the Constitution stipulates: “Citizens of People's Republic of China have religious freedom.” Separation of religion and state is a common principle. Religious organizations should not intervene with their members' political choices. States should not intervene with citizens' religious beliefs. No government agencies should attempt to coerce citizens to stop believing in Falun Gong. Government agencies do not have the right to label any spiritual belief as a “cult”or heretical organization. To do so is a political trespass onto the rights of private citizens, and constitutes in and of itself grave human rights violations.

Mr. Kou Chuangjin's belief in and practice of Falun Gong is a reflection of the religious freedom stipulated by the constitution and the exercise of citizens' legal rights. The judicial agencies' framing of Mr. Kou Chuangjin constitutes the crime of “illegally depriving citizens of freedom of religious belief.” This is a crime that should be prosecuted according to the law.

3. The Suppression of Falun Gong In and Of Itself Broadly and Systematically Subverts China's Legal System

As is widely known, the only legal basis the CCP can use to prosecute Falun Gong practitioners is to claim that they have violated Article 300 of the Criminal Law. This applies to anyone “using a heretical organization to subvert the law.” In fact, such claims completely lack both factual and legal bases.

In October 1999, Jiang Zemin unilaterally declared Falun Gong as a cult. It was first broadcast publicly in a Paris-based Le Figaro interview. On October 30, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress hastily followed up with the "Decision Regarding Banning Heretical Organizations, and Being on Guard Against and Punishing the Activities of Heretical Organizations." Based on this decision, there came out “the Supreme People's Court's Notice Regarding Implementing the National People's Congress Standing Committee's 'Decision Regarding Banning Heretical Organizations, and Being on Guard Against and Punishing Heretical Activities' and the Supreme Court and Supreme Procuratorate's Interpretation.”

In the normal course of events in history, the power and legitimacy of a country's leaders and governing organizations are determined by that country's constitution and laws. In China, there is no law that grants the head of state or the Supreme Court the power to determine whether an organization is a cult.

We cannot thus help but ask, “What is the legal basis for Jiang's speech labeling Falun Gong as an heretical organization? What is the legal basis of the notice from the Supreme Court, and of the interpretation by the Supreme Court and the Supreme Procuratorate? What standard has been applied? Who has given them the power? Were there any hearings? Are those who are determined to belong to the category of cults allowed to defend themselves? If allowed, what is the procedure and which organization is to handle the defense?”

Apparently, neither Jiang's speech nor the Supreme Court notices were authorized in accordance with the law. As a result, they are void of any legal effect and should not be used as the basis for court decisions. The CCP is fully aware of this, and fears having it pointed out. There is not a single law that publicly prohibits practicing Falun Gong. Even the list of 14 cults or heretical organizations compiled by China's Ministry of Public Security does not contain Falun Gong.

As a matter of fact, Falun Gong is loosely organized. There is no hierarchy or organizational structure akin to those exhibited by organized religion, or even government. There is no membership. There are no duties or payments required. One is free to come and go.

In this case, the defendant Mr. Kou Chuangjin is an ordinary citizen, an ordinary Falun Gong practitioner. What ability and power does he possess that could result in undermining the full or partial implementation or application of law and/or administrative rules and regulations? And what law or administrative rule did he undermine? As a result, the defense attorney considered the case lacked sufficient evidence, was short of clear facts, and the charges brought by the prosecution could not hold.

Mr. Kou Chuangjin's behavior has violated no law, and he should be released unconditionally.

The CCP judiciary system uses Article 300 of the Criminal Law, “using a heretical organization to undermine the implementation of law,” as a catch-all charge against Falun Gong practitioners, in absence of actual legal wrongdoing. Under normal logic, one might expect the arresting entity to identify what law the accused has undermined, but the CCP simply makes the broad charge and leaves it at that. It’s analogous to creating a law that says “breaking the law is illegal,” and then charging someone with it, but without evidence of any specific wrongdoing. Such circular validation shows the lack of logic and legitimacy of the CCP. Such absurdity has been the legal basis for sentencing thousands upon thousands of practitioners to terms of forced labor and prison, thus destroying their families and bringing about social turmoil. Falun Gong practitioners have committed no crimes by adhering to their beliefs. It is the CCP itself who systematically undermines the law and sabotages the constitution, all with the state power in their hands.

4. Regarding Law, Justice, and Conscience

During the trial, the defense attorney quoted from Dr. Qian Yuejun's book, Overview of German Law, "The sole purpose of making laws is for the sake of the harmonious development of a society. A law that complies and meets social justice must be a kind one. The sole purpose of establishing a court of law is to uphold social justice, not to protect the law. Therefore, a legal trial must be guided by justice. A judge must make a good judgment of justice and tell right from wrong. The most traditional and the most modern way to rule a case is to go by one's conscience, to use one's conscience to tell a good law from a bad one, and to use one's conscience to determine if a verdict is a just one. In this sense, conscience is the highest principle of law and the ultimate method to make a verdict."

In February 1992, two years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, former East German border guard Ingo Heinrich was tried in Berlin for killing a young man named Chris Gueffroy as he attempted to flee for freedom in West Berlin.

Heinrich's defense attorney argued that he was merely executing an order to shoot any East Germans attempting to escape to West Germany, and that he therefore had no choice but to kill Gueffroy. The defense attorney pleaded not guilty. But the judge did not approve of the argument. A similar argument had been presented at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII. Governments around the world took the same stance – no one should ask for forgiveness using the excuse that they were under orders when they committed immoral crimes. No one should cross the line of morality with the excuse of following orders.

Judge Theodor Seidel found Heinrich guilty and sentenced him to three and one-half years in prison for manslaughter, without bail. The judge told Heinrich that failing to carry out his orders to “shoot to kill” would have been considered a crime at the time, but missing the target would not be. “As a man with a sound mind, at that moment, you had the right to lift your gun up one centimeter. And that’s the responsibility of conscience that you should bear. In this world, conscience is above the law. When there is a conflict between the law and conscience, conscience, not the law, is the highest guiding principle for any action. Respecting life is a principle that should be upheld everywhere. Before you became a border guard, you should have known that even East German law must not violate the highest guiding principle.”

The "highest guiding principle" (or justice) surpasses any law. If any law violates justice, it becomes an unlawful law. Anyone who follows an unlawful law is violating the law.

Dr. Lung Ying-Tai from Taiwan once asked a former East German border guard, "Do you think it is just to try border guards?" He replied, "Of course it is just. The president ordered them to shoot, but no one ordered that they must not miss! You can argue that you must carry out orders to shoot people [crossing the Berlin Wall], but it is murder if you choose not to miss the target!"

Laws exist to protect people's conscience and justice. The justice system is the final frontier to human conscience and social justice. People place their hope in prosecutors and judges. In China, certain laws and orders severely violate conscience. For example, Article 300 of China's Criminal Law pertaining to evil cults, which has been used by the Chinese justice system to frame, suppress, and persecute innocent Falun Gong practitioners, as well as China's Supreme Court's interpretations on the law in 1999 and 2001, is unjust, and severely violates human conscience, moral values, and social justice. The prosecutors and judges are supposed to know the highest guiding principles of law, yet they violated their own conscience to try innocent Falun Gong practitioners and send them to prison. People practice Falun Gong and follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance because they want to become better people, but in the courts of China they are deprived of their personal freedom, are subjected to cruel tortures, and have even lost their precious lives. Countless families have been torn apart as a result! The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners represents the biggest injustice in human history.

5. It is a Wise Decision to Treat Falun Gong Practitioners with Kindness

In the past few years more and more Falun Gong practitioners tried in China's courts have been given lesser sentences. In fact, many have been retried only to then receive lesser sentences or be found not guilty in the first place. Mr. Kou's defense attorney cited such examples from courts in Hunan, Hubei, Shenyang, Shanghai, Fujian, and Tianjin where Falun Gong practitioners were found not guilty or given probation.

The defense attorney believes that the trend suggested by these cases is a sign that the legal professionals in China are awakening to their conscience and have made wise decisions based on the facts. They have made good choices for their own futures and set good legal precedents for future trials of Falun Gong practitioners.

Finally, Mr. Kou's defense attorney expressed his hope that the judge would not make a political case out of it and urged the judge to follow his conscience and make a just verdict.

The judge then announced that he would delay the verdict until the next hearing. The hearing ended at around 11:15 a.m.

Conclusion

To try a Falun Gong practitioner for his or her belief is an insult against the law. It is by no means a criminal offense to practice Falun Gong; it is instead a persecution of one's spiritual belief, and an offense against human rights. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been using China's justice system, including the police, prosecutors, and judges, as a tool to suppress its dissidents. China's justice system no longer upholds justice.

A nation's legal resources should be used to fight violence, crimes, corruption, and other criminal offenses. They should be used to protect taxpayers' lives, freedoms, and property. They should not be used to suppress kindhearted, law-abiding citizens who have a personal belief that is different from that of the ruling party. Those who follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance will never endanger society. Instead, they will only benefit society. If only there were more people who follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, then China's society would surely achieve greater harmony and stability. It is just like what Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, said,

"If everyone searches internally and considers how to conduct himself or herself well, I would say that society will stabilize and the human moral standard will improve again." ("Upgrading Xinxing," from Lecture Four of Zhuan Falun)

It is a heavenly principle that heaven will ultimately reward acts of goodness and punish acts of evil. This is the ultimate guiding principle of all laws and verdicts. Everyone is writing his or her history with his or her own actions. Every person decides his or her own future. It is a crime to sentence a Falun Gong practitioner knowing he or she is innocent. No one can justify that action using the excuse that he or she is only carrying out orders to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. We hope that the prosecutors and judges involved in the trial against Mr. Kou will follow their conscience and moral values, and rule in this and other cases justly. Make the right choice to find Mr. Kou not guilty and release him.

Persons involved in the persecution:

Qiangyang City 610 Office:
Shi Jianguo, director: +86-934-8237199, +86-13993496862 (Cell)
Wen Shixin, deputy director: +86-934-8228324, +86-13993422797 (Cell)
Zhang Jinming, officer: +86-934-8237189, +86-13369348596 (Cell)

Liu Hongtao, deputy head of the Qingyang City Political and Judiciary Committee: +86-934-8237195, +86-13809343001 (Cell)

Qingyang City Police Department:
Director: +86-934-8868281
Deputy director: +86-934-8868282

Posting date: 1/12/2012
Category: Persecution Accounts
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2012/1/7/寇创金遭第二次非法庭审-律师做无罪辩护-251572.html

Philadelphia: Shen Yun Performing Arts Receives a Long Standing Ovation on Opening Night

By a Clearwisdom correspondent

(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts returned to the historic Merriam Theater in Philadelphia on Friday night, January 6, 2012, with a brand-new production, as part of its 2012 world tour. People from the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond flocked to the venue to learn about traditional Chinese culture and experience the beauty of classical Chinese dance, the hallmark of Shen Yun performances. The evening concluded with a standing ovation lasting through three curtain calls, as the audience enthusiastically expressed its delight and appreciation.

Established in 2006 and based in New York, Shen Yun consists of three companies that tour the world simultaneously in an effort to revive five millennia of China's rich, divinely inspired cultural heritage though the performing arts.

Friends Drive Two Hours to See Shen Yun

Ms. Elizabeth Martinec, who works for the state, learned of Shen Yun at a recent state convention. She bought tickets as Christmas gifts for two friends and brought them to the show. The three women drove nearly two hours from Harrisburg, PA, to see the opening-night performance.

“I loved it. It was great!” exclaimed Ms. Martinec after the show. “Everything—from the colors of the costumes, to the dances, to the singing, the different stories and the culture—I just loved it all.”

She said she gained a new understanding of the traditional Chinese culture through the performance and noted that the concepts of “spirituality and [distinguishing] right from wrong” presented in the show are also valuable in our Western society today.

Ms. Martinec’s friend, Claudia Madrigal, a program specialist, was equally enthusiastic, calling the evening “A really great, great experience.”

She said she enjoyed “the sharing of the tradition—all of it, all of the dances [and] the tradition that’s actually very rich—and that they were able to bring it out in such a beautiful way.”

Both Ms. Martinec and Ms. Madrigal said they would recommend Shen Yun to their friends and colleagues.

“Everyone should see this performance,” said Ms. Martinec. “Even people who may not [think they are] interested, if they came they would learn something, and I think everyone would enjoy it. It was an amazing show, and I am glad we came.”


Ms. Madrigal, Ms. Martinec, and their friend


Family Thrilled with Shen Yun

Mr. Ken Vollmer, a computer programmer, attended the performance with his wife, son, and daughter. “My wife got us tickets for the holidays,” he explained.

“I loved it. It’s something I’d never seen before. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen all the different cultures [of China],” said Mr. Vollmer, referring to the vast ethnic diversity and history represented in Shen Yun’s performance through classical and folk dance, handcrafted costumes, and digital backdrops.

“I very much loved the classical dance that they have. I really enjoyed it,” Mr. Vollmer continued. His family shared the feeling.

“I’ve laughed, I’ve cried. It’s great!” enthused his daughter, Kaitlyn, a senior in high school. “I laughed at the ‘[Joyful Little] Monks,’ cried at the ‘The Choice,’” she elaborated, referring to a lighthearted dance about playful monks and a story about a tough choice two friends face in modern China.

“I liked the singers, too,” she added, in agreement with her mother, Mrs. Michele Vollmer. “And the hostess and the host were really funny, too,” Kaitlyn said of the Chinese- and English-speaking emcees who introduced each of the performances.

The family was also impressed with the animated, digital backdrops—a modern advancement that Shen Yun has masterfully integrated into its presentation of the legendary stories from China’s rich cultural heritage. “I’ve never seen anything like that before,” said Mr. Vollmer. “Very unique,” echoed Mrs. Vollmer, while their son, Kenny, a sixth-grader who was enjoying his first trip to the theater, thought they were “very realistic.”

“I will definitely recommend it to other people,” said Mr. Vollmer of the show. “The dance, the costumes, everything—I think it’s all great. I really, really enjoyed it.”


Mr. Ken Vollmer, Mrs. Michele Vollmer, and their children, Kaitlyn and Kenny

Retired professional: “The orchestra is phenomenal”

Sharon Forman, a retired professional who worked for Verizon, sat near the Vollmers at the venue and shared much of their enthusiasm for the performance.

“The costumes are absolutely gorgeous. The colors are just beautiful,” said Ms. Forman.

She was equally enchanted with the music. “The orchestra is phenomenal!” she exclaimed, impressed by Shen Yun’s unique orchestra that combines both Western and Chinese instruments and performs all-original compositions created specifically for each dance.

“The piano player is out of this world. She is beautiful,” added Ms. Forman, referring to the pianist who accompanied the tenor and soprano soloists featured in the performance.

Tourist Couple: “So glad we had this opportunity”

Dr. Judy Scheatzle, a psychologist, and her husband, Mr. Al Scheatzle, who is retired, discovered Shen Yun on their visit to Philadelphia from Scranton, PA. The couple saw a promotional poster at their hotel and decided not to miss the opportunity to see the performance.

“It’s just so visually beautiful; the colors are so vibrant,” said Dr. Scheatzle. “And the orchestration...everything was just amazing.”

Mr. Scheatzle agreed. “It’s beautiful—really, really nice. The colorful costumes and all of the dancing—really beautiful,” he said.

“The integration of the graphics—I’ve never seen that before. It’s really original,” added Dr. Scheatzle, referring to the synchronization of the animated backdrops with the rest of the performance.

“We are glad we came, so glad we had this opportunity!” she concluded.


Dr. Judy Scheatzle and her husband, Mr. Al Scheatzle

Posting date: 1/8/2012
Category: Reports on Shen Yun

Store Clerk in Hong Kong Uses Kindness to Talk a Man Out of Committing Armed Robbery (Photos)

By a Falun Gong practitioner in Hong Kong

(Clearwisdom.net) What would you do if you were faced with a man trying to rob your store armed with a handgun and a bomb? The Hong Kong media recently reported a story about a store clerk who persuaded a man to abort his attempt at armed robbery. Where did the clerk get his courage? This is his story.

A news report on December 26, 2011, on Apple Daily News told of a 41-year-old clerk at a 7-11 store who was faced with an attempt at armed robbery. However, the clerk talked the man into fleeing the scene without following through with his plan. Several other news agencies ran the same story. This news received a lot of attention on the Internet as well.



Mr. Kuang Senqia at his workplace

Although the media gave the clerk such nicknames as "Mr. Jiang" and "Jiang Axia” (meaning Superman), his real name is Kuang Senqia. Mr. Kuang has been working at the 7-11 for 11 years. The incident took place at the 118 Queens Blvd location in Hong Kong at 4 a.m. on December 24, 2011. According to Mr. Kuang, his co-worker had just left, leaving Mr. Kuang alone in the store. All of the sudden, a man wearing a black ski-mask and speaking in a Mainland Chinese accent approached the check-out counter. The man revealed his gun and produced a small box, which he claimed was a bomb that he could detonate by remote control. The man demanded that Mr. Kuang give him all the money in the cash register.

Mr. Kuang has confessed that he has never before been faced with a robbery, so when it happened, his mind went blank. "I did not think about my own safety. I only thought about the robber." Mr. Kuang did not take the money out. Instead, he spoke calmly to the robber, a man in his 30s, and tried to reason with him. "I told him, 'Wow. This is a very serious crime. Think carefully. There is very little money in this cash register. Besides, there is a camera videotaping us. It will be difficult for you to walk away from this. Think carefully about it. Don't do such a foolish thing. Hurry up and leave.' I tried to talk him out of it.”

“The man was taken by surprise. He froze and listened to me quietly. It seemed as though he actually listened.” Then a customer walked into the store. Mr. Kuang told the would-be robber, “Someone has come in. Be good. Leave quickly.” The man looked as though he had suddenly awakened. He picked up his handgun and supposed bomb and ran out of the store. The entire incident lasted only a few minutes.

Heaven Will Ultimately Reward Good Deeds and Punish Bad Ones

People were astonished by Mr. Kuang's courage. Some media claimed that he was a Buddhist. About this claim, Mr. Kuang solemnly clarified that he is not a Buddhist, but a Falun Gong practitioner. He believes that Heaven will ultimately reward good deeds and punish bad ones.

Mr. Kuang said, "As a Falun Gong practitioner, I cannot stand there and watch bad deeds take place. I should be responsible to society. Our Teacher teaches us to follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance and to become a better person. I hope more people will become better. I didn't want to see him commit the crime of robbery. I thought of the best for him. I did not want him to do such a foolish thing. Repent and salvation is at hand."



Several years ago, Mr. Kuang and his two children attended a public appeal to have his wife, Zhang Lihong, released from prison after she was incarcerated for practicing Falun Gong

When asked how he began practicing Falun Gong, Mr. Kuang says that his cousin in China introduced Falun Gong to him in 1996. He has benefited from the practice, which teaches him to cultivate his morality. When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, his wife, from Shantou, Guangdong Province, was illegally sentenced to three years in prison for practicing Falun Gong. He appealed for her release in Hong Kong, saying, "I know Falun Gong is good. After all, I practice Falun Gong as well. Since my innocent wife was arrested, my two children have been without their mother. I will do my best to rescue her." She was ultimately released.

Mr. Kuang tries to be a good person in his daily life. His company is very pleased with his work performance and recently gave him a promotion. It is his New Year's wish that everybody will step forward and demand justice for Falun Gong.



Mr. Kuang Senqia; his wife, Zhang Lihong; and his two children in Malaysia after his wife's release

Mr. Kuang impressed the Hong Kong police and residents with his courage. A Hong Kong resident gave him a thumbs up, "He was very clearheaded. He did not lose his composure in the face of danger. He must have had a lot of work experience. A young man with limited experience might not have had the courage."

A Chinese Tourist: May the Righteous Energy Keep Expanding

A tourist from Hainan Province, China, commented, "I think he is very courageous and has a strong sense of justice. I might not have had his courage and wisdom. If I faced the same situation, I might want to flee first."

The female tourist added that the level of morality is continuing to decline. People in Foshan, Guangdong, watched a toddler get repeatedly run over by cars, yet no one stopped to offer a hand. She saw a beacon of hope in Mr. Kuang's act of valor.

She commented, "What he did was righteous. He gave us righteous energy. I hope there will be more people like him in society. I hope that everyone will become more noble and courageous, so that the righteous energy may keep expanding. If everyone were to begin behaving like this, then I think our society would stabilize."

Posting date: 1/16/2012
Category: Validate the Fa
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/12/31/善心劝退持枪抢匪的香港店员（图）-251268.html

Shen Yun Breathes Life Into China’s Historic Characters and Tales

All but lost in the East, the essence of an age-old culture rises in the West. In a special series, The Epoch Times takes a close look at the renaissance of China’s traditional culture and how a New York based performing arts company has become its driving force.

Over the past 5,000 years, China amassed a diverse legacy of heroes, characters, myths, and legends, and this rich treasure trove is what Shen Yun Performing Arts draws inspiration from.

The New York-based performing arts company takes these timeless tales of ancient China and presents them to audiences through the medium of classical Chinese dance.

The great General Yue Fei, the Monkey King, Journey to the West, the Yellow Emperor, the Terracotta Warriors—Shen Yun has done them all.

But it’s not just that these are entertaining stories—it’s the ethics and upright traditions that their characters embodied that Shen Yun also aims to portray. In ancient China, adhering to values such as honour, loyalty, selflessness, striving for excellence, tolerance, and filial piety (respect for parents) was a way of life.

For instance, Hua Mulan, who is believed to have lived sometime during the Northern and Southern dynasties (386–589), disguised herself as a man and went to war in place of her father because she feared he wouldn’t survive the ordeal.

She fought beside her male counterparts for 12 years, and nobody guessed her secret. After the war ended, the emperor bestowed honours on Mulan and wished to make her a high-ranking official but she declined, preferring to return home to care for her aging parents.

The legend of Mulan inspired the Shen Yun dance, Mulan Goes to Battle.

Shen Yun has also told the tale of Wu Song, a famous character from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh who saved a village from a marauding tiger even though he’d had a bit too much to drink that day.

Another Shen Yun favourite is the story of Li Bai (701–762), arguably the greatest Chinese poet of all time.

Known as the Poet Transcendent, Li Bai’s work was the epitome of the classic Tang Dynasty poetry. Li Bai was a wandering spirit, and his travels across China led him into the company of Daoists, literary men, and high officials, all of whom admired him greatly. He left behind 20 volumes of writing and some 900 poems.

Le Zun’s Vision

Shen Yun’s piece A Dunhuang Dream is a dedication to the legacy of the Mogao Grottoes, also known as the “Thousand Buddha Caves,” home to one of the most outstanding collections of Buddhist paintings and statues in the world.

The story goes that in 366 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty, a Buddhist monk named Le Zun, who was making the long journey to the Western Paradise, stopped by Sanwei Mountain near Dunhuang to take a rest. There, he had a vision of a glorious golden Maitreya Buddha floating in the sky. A thousand more Buddhas appeared, surrounded by flying fairies playing heavenly music.

Le Zun had learned painting and sculpture, and he used his skills to recreate his vision and filled a cave with paintings and statues of the divine scene. Some years later another monk had an identical vision at the same place, and he filled another cave with artwork depicting what he saw.

Mogao quickly became a pilgrimage site. Over the years, more than 500 caves were dug into Sanwei Mountain, many of them during the Tang Dynasty. Today, the caves hold some of the finest Tang Dynasty artworks, including a 30-metre statue of Maitreya Buddha, one of the tallest in the world.

Successfully portraying these legends from China’s rich history is no small task, and that’s where classical Chinese dance comes in.

Within Chinese dance lie China’s deep cultural traditions, which allow its movements to be richly expressive so that even the personalities and feelings of characters can be portrayed with clarity and accuracy.

Through dance, General Yue Fei displays his bravery and loyalty, Chen Xiang splits a mountain to rescue his mother, Monkey King and Pigsy escape another dicey situation, delicate Udumbara flowers bloom, and Terracotta Warriors awaken from the dust.

As Shen Yun readies for another world tour, continuing with its renaissance of traditional Chinese arts and culture, audiences can look forward to seeing more of China’s most interesting characters take centre stage.

Chinese AIDS Whistleblower Condemns Regime’s Cover-up

Elderly female doctor claims 10 million AIDS patients in China, with most contracting the disease through blood donation

In Houyang Village, Henan Province, Gao did a survey of children born after 1996 from AIDS infected parents, and found that 38% had contracted AIDS. (Courtesy of Gao Yaojie)

About two years ago, Gao Yaojie, an elderly Chinese medical doctor and AIDS activist, painstakingly avoided layers of surveillance by the Chinese communist regime and escaped to the United States. Her mission: to show there is an AIDS epidemic in China whose extent and cause authorities have been hiding.

Since her arrival Gao has published three books and is preparing two more. She spends at least four hours a day at her computer writing books, even though she finds doing so exhausting. Two days ago she fainted at home.

Though 85 years-old, Gao does not regret enduring such hardship. She said she “hopes that her writings can improve the situation of AIDS patients in China.”

Chinese authorities have been persistently denying that the rampant spread of AIDS in the country was caused by blood selling. In “The Sixth International Experience Sharing Conference of AIDS Prevention in China” held in late November, China’s Minister of Health, Chen Zhu, continued to stress that sexual contacts had been the primary route for the transmission of AIDS in China. Chen added that since the first AIDS victim was identified in 1985, there have been 429,000 reported cases of HIV-infection and AIDS patients, leading to a death toll of 86,000.

Gao condemned the number cited by the Ministry of Health as ridiculously low.

“Chen is talking nonsense,” Gao said. “To-date, the HIV-infected population has exceeded 10 million. Ms. Ding Zilin, whose son was killed at the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, said she had identified 202 bodies after the massacre [the Party claimed that no one had been killed]. I would like to claim that I can locate more than 200,000 graves of AIDS victims. I once went to an AIDS-stricken rural village and saw 6 victims buried that very day.”

Gao explained that there are different types of HIV found in Chinese AIDS patients and most of the disease’s contraction can be traced to the practice of selling blood.

“There used to be 10,000 places across China where you could sell blood,” Gao said. “Contraction due to blood transfusion has always been the last thing that they [the authorities] want to admit. They obstinately attribute the cause to sexual intercourse. As a matter of fact, sexual transmission was responsible for less than ten percent of the cases. In contrast, sixty percent of those who engaged in blood selling contracted HIV.”

Gao added that blood-selling in China has not disappeared but has merely assumed different forms—a formerly public practice has gone underground and shifted from the north to the south. Because the HIV-infected blood was sold to the entire country, there have been increasing reports of infection in the cities due to blood transfusion.

She has also found other abuses. “Now there exist even more appalling things such as stealing money from AIDS donation funds,” Gao said. “Those who are supposed to be in charge dare to steal both money and property, and they deceive everyone. During the last few years, they have suppressed everyone who dares to speak up. Now many people are dying and the number is even approaching the level of the Great Famine [1958-61].”

Gao has had a very tough life. Because she was born to a large and wealthy family, she was classified as a “Class Enemy” during the Culture Revolution. She was locked up in a morgue for nearly eight months.

After the Cultural Revolution, she was transferred to Henan Province to work as a doctor and lecturer in medical science. During a consultation in 1996, she met an AIDS patient. She suspected that this patient had contracted the virus during a blood transfusion and she worried that there might be more than one victim. Out of her sense of responsibility as a doctor, she started to become involved in AIDS prevention.

After a long period of both open and secret investigations, she found that since the 1980s, many people had been selling their blood to make money in mainland China. Many poor citizens contracted AIDS in this way and the victims could do nothing but wait for their death in despair, leaving behind many children who also had AIDS.

Gao’s care for AIDS victims and her attempt to reveal the truth behind the epidemic in China resulted in the Chinese Communist Regime targeting her. In order to continue providing care and support for AIDs patients in China, the 85-year-old Gao decided in the winter of 2009 to leave her home and family and become an exile in the United States.

chinareports@epochtimes.com

Mr. Li Kongxiang Dies after Three Days of Brutal Interrogation (Photos)

By a Clearwisdom correspondent from Zhejiang Province, China

Name: Li Kongxiang (李孔祥)
Gender: Male
Age: 64
Address: #1 Puhu Road, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Death: November 11, 2011
Date of Most Recent Arrest: November 7, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Sanmen County Special Patrol Police Division (三门巡特警大队)
City: Ningbo
Province: Zhejiang
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, beatings, torture, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogation

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Li Kongxiang, 64, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. He died on November 11, 2011 after being interrogated and tortured for three days by police at the Sanmen County Special Patrol Division.

On November 7, 2011, a group of officers, led by Ninghai County 610 Office instructor Fan Haocheng, broke into Mr. Li's home. They ransacked his house and arrested Mr. Li without showing any identification or legal documentation. In the following days, his family inquired about his whereabouts through various avenues, but they received no information.



Mr. Li Kongxiang

Three days later, on November 10, Mr. Li's daughter received a phone call from the Sanmen County Special Patrol Police Division informing her that she needed come to pick up Mr. Li. Mr. Li returned home around 6:00 p.m. that evening.

According to Mr. Li, he was transferred to the Sanmen County Special Patrol Police Division after he was arrested. Chief Luo and about a dozen special police officers attempted to extort a confession from him by torturing him. They deprived him of sleep for three days, and they tied him to an iron chair. He was tied up so tightly that he couldn't move. The officers took turns beating him severely. They called Mr. Li's family when they saw that he was close to death.

Mr. Li was on the verge of death after three days of torture. He was very weak and unable to sit up. His whole head, back, abdomen, and inner thighs were black and blue. His stomach was discolored and swollen.



Mr. Li's body, after three days of torture in police custody

When his family offered to cook something for him, he stated that he was not hungry, that he was very tired, and that he only wanted to sleep. He later awoke around 10 p.m. just to eat a small amount of oatmeal before falling back to sleep. At 2:10 a.m., he called his sister to inform her that he had pain everywhere, and that his stomach was bloated and especially painful. He had difficulty urinating; when he did urinate, he passed large quantities of blood. Mr Li. passed away later that day.

Mr. Li's daughter was determined to press charges against the officers who had murdered her father. The officers offered a settlement of 70,000 yuan. They threatened and pressured Mr. Li's family into cremating his body right away, and his body has since been cremated.

Mr. Li began practicing Falun Gong in 1995, and enjoyed good health and inner peace ever since. He was arrested multiple times for practicing Falun Gong after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to suppress the practice in July of 1999.

We hope that people worldwide will pay attention to the ongoing persecution in China. We cannot allow such atrocities to continue to take place.

Agencies and personnel involved in the persecution of Mr. Li Kongxiang:

Pan Benmiao, head of the Ninghai County 610 Office
Fang Haocheng, instructor for the Ninghai County 610 Office: +86-13906606139 (Cell)
The Ninghai County Police Department: +86-574-65347000, +86-574-65536000

The Sanmen County Police Department:
Zhang Zhengwen, chief of the Special Patrol Police Division: +86-576-83306629
Luo Junjie, deputy chief of the Public Security Division
Yu Yongqing, chief of the Domestic Security Division: +86-13906550721 (Cell), +86-576-83306510

Posting date: 12/5/2011
Category: Death Cases
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/12/3/宁波李孔祥被刑豆逼供三天三夜致死-图--250111.html

10-Year Anniversary of Western Falun Gong Practitioners' Appeal in Tiananmen Square (Photo)

By Joel Chipkar

(Clearwisdom.net) Half a world away from home, I look into the mirror to see if the spy camera is visible. I am in Beijing, China, and have sewn a pinhole camera into the shoulder strap of my backpack. After catching my own eyes in the mirror, a bolt of fear stabs through my heart. Being caught as a spy in Mainland China is no small charge. They apply the death penalty for much smaller crimes.

After a brisk but shaky five-mile walk to Tiananmen Square, I stand aghast at the size. It’s really hard to imagine it filled with tanks and students. The day is bright and chilly. The gentle, cold north wind hits my face as I catch sight of the main flagpole. I arrive at the rendezvous point standing alone, wondering if they are going to make it.



Before I know it, over 30 people from over ten countries, wearing their national flags, gather to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. On cue, most sit in meditation while a few unfurl a 12-foot golden banner sporting three giant Chinese characters that read, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance.” Passersby are shocked. I stand motionless capturing the event with my hidden video camera. In less than 30 seconds police vans scream in from all directions.

In the months that followed more foreigners from around the world would travel to China in an attempt to awaken the Chinese people to the unjust persecution and defamation of Falun Gong happening in their country.

That was ten years ago.

An Appeal for Conscience

The appeal made headline news around the world, and so accomplished part of what we had set out to achieve. People who had never heard about the persecution of Falun Gong now knew about it. And this awareness was the first step toward more people demanding the Chinese regime stop it.

However, our hearts were set on changing things in China. Our appeal was focused on telling the people of China who are smothered by a media blockade to awaken to the realities of the evils happening in their own-censored back yard and not blindly follow an illegal persecution.

In the past ten years we have come to understand more deeply how difficult what we were asking was.

China has an ancient, rich culture that brings deep and unshakeable pride to its people. It was built on the teachings of honor, loyalty, compassion, responsibility and most notably the pursuit of truth. Each dynasty understood the importance of spirituality, and although each change of dynasty was tumultuous, after the change Chinese people lived hundreds of years in relative harmony.

The era of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule, however, has been different than any other time in China’s history.

Since seizing the rule of China in 1949, the CCP has made enemies of its own citizens by waging countless campaigns against them and by turning citizens against each other in order to sway focus off of the corruption of the regime itself. Approximately 80 million people have died unnatural deaths as a result.

The Party has created one crisis after another: the 1950’s mass regime-created famine during the so called “Great Leap Forward,” the terrifying Cultural Revolution that ended in the mid-70’s which targeted and destroyed all spirituality that could potentially empower the people, the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the real-time, ongoing persecution of Falun Gong etc. As a result, every family in China has at least one relative who has faced persecution by the CCP. Yet, partly because of this unending terror, many Chinese blindly follow the CCP and its propaganda.

China’s Moral Dilemma

The CCP’s China has become a place where people are forced to live without the freedom of belief, where people are afraid to say one wrong word in public for fear of arrest and torture, and where thinking of others, standing up for principle, and acting out of integrity have been replaced by fear, jealousy, selfishness, and indifference.

Chinese people witness daily the unjust arrest, abuse, discrimination against and dehumanization of groups all across China: the attacks on the Uighurs and Tibetans, the crackdowns on house Christians and papal Catholics, the silencing and jailing of human rights lawyers, the injustice done to those whose homes are demolished in order to enrich local officials, the threats to the parents to stop protesting over the deaths of their children killed in collapsed schools during the Sichuan earthquake—the list is endless.

For the past 12 years Chinese society has also been witness to the arrest, torture, and killing of Falun Gong practitioners. Tens of thousands of imprisoned practitioners have been murdered by state-owned hospitals to fuel the regime’s multi-billion dollar organ transplant tourism.

The affects of the blows to the moral fabric of society are becoming more visible everyday.

I watched a YouTube video of a 2-year-old baby who wandered out of her parents store onto a street in China where she was hit twice by vans and lay on the road dying. 18 people walked by without stopping or helping. Chinese manufacturers sell poisoned milk, poisoned baby food, diluted or tainted drugs, and contaminated drywall to consumers for money.

Looking to the Future

Every Sunday morning my mother and I get together to practice the Falun Gong exercises in a nearby park. Sometimes during the sitting meditation I open my eyes and look at her spare, 70-year-old body as she sits with perfect posture, her eyes gently closed with a little smile on her face. She looks so peaceful. I remember when family fights and violent tempers ripped through our not so happy home. It was like magic to me how in less than a year this seemingly simple spiritual discipline brought calm into my family’s life.

The peaceful look on my mothers face was in complete contrast from the look of shock on the faces of those Chinese people in Tiananmen Square that day.

They had forgotten that in the beginning Falun Gong was awarded and praised by the CCP for the benefits it brought to the Chinese people. It was even congratulated by the Public Security Bureau for “bringing the crime fighting virtues back to China.” It would not be long until the popularity of Falun Gong would threaten the corrupt state and its fear of citizen empowerment.

It would also not be until 2006 when the world would finally have a clear answer of why the CCP continues its crackdown on Falun Gong. Mr. Chen Yonglin, a high ranked Chinese Embassy Official in Australia would defect from his post and state: “The Chinese Communist Party has always relied on violence, lies, and advocating atheism to maintain its power. They could not understand Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful efforts to protect their freedom of belief. Now they feel they can’t let people know about what has been done to Falun Gong in China.”

Today millions around the world cherish the teachings of Falun Gong and the focus on morality that it has brought into their lives. It is something China needs desperately.

Ten years later, our appeals have been joined by countless actions from practitioners and citizens who have taken the same end in view.

Millions of practitioners inside China continue to operate home workshops where they print leaflets and fliers for distribution to their fellow citizens. Outside of China Falun Gong practitioners have created state of the art firewalls to break down the Chinese regime’s Internet blockade. With this new flow of information over 100 million Chinese in and out of China have renounced membership in the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

Thousands of government officials from countries around the world have stood in solidarity with Falun Gong. Millions of people worldwide have signed petitions and written letters calling for an end to the illegal persecution and to bring those responsible in China to justice.

Although it was 10 years ago it still feels like it was yesterday. My heart was beating out of my chest as I raced on a rickshaw through Beijing back to my hotel while Tiananmen Square faded behind me. My only question: Did we succeed or did we fail?

Ten years later I feel a great honor to have been a part of a movement that continues to stand up in the face of tyranny for the protection of others.

Throughout history good and evil has played out in frightening and inspiring stories. The line has been drawn in the sand more times than one can count. Today we keep deep in our hearts a wish that more and more people will stand on the right side.

Joel Chipkar is a real estate broker and human rights advocate living in Toronto, Canada. View the video that Chipkar shot at
 http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2001/11/26/16209.html

Posting date: 11/29/2011
Category: In the News

Falun Gong Float Makes an Elegant Appearance at Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade (Photos)

By Xiao Su in Chicago


(Clearwisdom.net) McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade was held on the morning of November 24, 2011, on State Street in downtown Chicago. Several hundred thousand spectators lined the streets to watch. Falun Gong participated in the parade for the ninth year, and brought their creation: Huge Lotus Flowers. Chicago Tribune reports on the parade featured photos of the Falun Gong float.


 Chicago practitioners take part in 2011 Thanksgiving Parade


Elegantly dressed practitioners demonstrate Falun Gong exercises on a beautifully decorated float


Falun Gong float in Chicago's 2011 Thanksgiving Parade


Spectators watch Falun Gong parade procession pass by


 Photo of Falun Gong float on the Chicago Tribune website

According to Mr. Yang Sen, president of the Mid-US Falun Dafa Association, “It is a challenge to present a new look in the parade each year. This year, they got inspiration from the Hollywood Parade in Los Angeles. In 2005, a Falun Gong parade float dazzled attendees with a lotus flower that stood six feet tall. The local Chicago Falun Gong contingent decided to adopt a similar design.”

There were also different-colored small lotus blossoms on the float, on which practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises and other movements. Chicago's largest newspaper, Chicago Tribune, published a photo of the Falun Gong float on its website, and several hundred thousand television viewers saw Falun Gong practitioners and their elegant demeanor via live broadcast on TV.

The annual McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade is one of the most grand parades in Chicago and the mid-U.S. Applicants must go through a rigorous screening by the organizing committee in order to secure an opportunity to appear in the parade. Falun Gong contingent made its first appearance in the Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade in 2003. Its creative and unique design impressed the organizing committee, and thereafter has been invited to take part in the parade in the ensuing years. It is the ninth year now.

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. The practice involves slow, gentle movements and meditation. It is easy to learn, enjoyable to practice, and free of charge. Its principles are based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practice was first introduced by Master Li Hongzhi in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and then beyond. Its beneficial effects in uplifting an individual's physical health, spiritual well-being, and moral character, not to mention its positive influence in the community and society as a whole, have been undeniable. In fact, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people in 110 countries. The main works of Falun Gong are available in over 30 languages.

Posting date: 11/29/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/11/28/芝加哥感恩节大游行-法轮功花车展风采-图--249942.html

A Western Practitioner Recalls Group Protest on Tiananmen Square a Decade Ago (Photos)

By Dexiang, Clearwisdom correspondent

(Clearwisdom.net) Nina from Hamburg, Germany began practicing Falun Gong in 1998. In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the brutal persecution of Falun Gong. On November 20, 2001, Nina and thirty-five other Western practitioners from a number of different countries staged a peaceful protest of the persecution on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, carrying a large banner bearing the words “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” The presence of the Western practitioners allowed people in China and around the world to see Falun Gong’s wide popularity across the globe. The peaceful protest caused a big stir in the West, drawing worldwide attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.


Thirty-six Western Falun Gong practitioners protest the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong on Tiananmen Square. Nina (the fifth from right) sits in the front row.


Practitioners protest the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong in front of the Chinese Consulate (Nina is the second from left)


Nina sits on top of a float and demonstrates the Falun Gong exercises.

For the last ten years, like many practitioners around the world, Nina has not stopped participating in various activities to expose and protest the persecution. She hopes that the persecution will end as soon as possible, and that more Chinese people will learn the truth and get rid of the CCP's control.

The persecution of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the persecution of the entire human race

In discussing the motives for the peaceful protest in Beijing, Nina said, "I learned that countless Falun Gong practitioners were being persecuted in China, subjected to unfair treatment. There was a Chinese practitioner in Hamburg who was detained for petitioning in China. I felt I should do something."

As a Western practitioner, why did she campaign for practitioners in China? Nina said, "Falun Gong’s principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is important for everyone. When Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is persecuted, regardless of where it happens in the world, it is the persecution of the entire human race. Therefore it is important to protest the persecution. Without Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, there would be no life."

The thirty-six Western practitioners had several wishes when they went to Tiananmen Square. Nina explained, "We wanted to show the CCP that many Westerners practiced Falun Gong. Not only did the CCP stage a smear campaign against Falun Gong in China, it also spread its lies all around the world, misleading people across the globe. We wanted to tell the Chinese regime that there are Falun Gong practitioners in dozens of countries around the world.” Nina continued, “We also wanted to let the Chinese people know that Falun Gong is embraced all around the world, because we knew that the CCP used all state propaganda machines to frame and slander Falun Gong. We also hoped that this action would encourage practitioners in China. They cannot go to practice sites or do the Falun Gong exercises at home. Their lives are even in danger. They have no freedom of practice."

Nina recalled that about twenty seconds after they sat down and unfurled the banner on Tiananmen Square, they were surrounded by police, the China National Security agents and plainclothes police. "The police told us to get into the police cars, which we did not obey. They began to use violence. Some practitioners were injured. One practitioner’s fingers were fractured. We were locked up."

"In the past I only knew that many practitioners in Beijing were detained, and did not expect to have it happen to me. Of course, the situation is completely different for Western practitioners. We had informed the German media beforehand, as well as practitioners in Germany. We notified a lot of German officials, which was one of the things that we wanted to achieve, to expose the persecution of Falun Gong in China. At the time, there was not much reported about Falun Gong in the Western media. Whatever little bit there was, it was quoted from the CCP, further spreading the lies that the CCP fabricated against Falun Gong. So it was very important for Western practitioners to do peaceful appeals in Beijing.”

Nina and other practitioners were held together in one large room, and interrogated one by one. "In the beginning we did the Falun Gong exercises, and I meditated. Later, a policeman came in and laughed in a weird manner, which even made me shake. Having seen this, he laughed more loudly. Then he poked me with his hands. The more he did that, the more I calmed down. My attachment of fear was completely gone. I realized that I should finish the meditation. Later he pushed me harder and harder, until I fell to the ground."

A new life after practicing Falun Gong

Nina had learned about the unfair treatment ofFalun Gong practitioners in China. In the labor camps, practitioners are not allowed to sleep. They are forced to watch TV programs that slander Falun Gong, which causes confusion in their minds. Some practitioners were forced to give up their beliefs. If one does not give up Falun Gong, he could be beaten to death, brainwashed, and so on. "To be honest, although I believe in Falun Gong, the news of the persecution scared me. I was worried whether I could go through with it. I did not know what I would encounter in China, but I did not hesitate. All I thought about was to validate Dafa on Tiananmen Square."

So what gave Nina the courage to take part in the peaceful appeal on Tiananmen Square? Nina said that since practicing Falun Gong she felt she found the meaning of life. She was full of gratitude for Dafa. "Not only did I learn the exercises, but I also gained a new life,” she explained. “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance indeed changed my life. Looking back at my life before joining the practice, I felt it was boring and hopeless. My physical health was poor as well. Often I did not know what my future would be. After practicing Falun Gong, I realized that living by the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance will change one's life drastically. Life is full of vitality."

Nina was willing to devote herself wholeheartedly. "Without Falun Gong, I would feel that my life has no meaning. From this point, when I was asked if I was willing to go to Tiananmen Square, I agreed without hesitation. I wished to validate Dafa. "

The greatness of practitioners in China: upholding their belief under brutal persecution

Through the CCP’s detention that time, Nina understood further the plight of practitioners in China. "For practitioners in China, no media would report about them factually. Few people support them openly. Many practitioners are locked up in prison. Some just disappeared. None of these tragedies drew the attention of foreign media. The CCP fabricates false charges at will. The greatness of practitioners in China is that, despite the brutal persecution, they still uphold their belief and continue the practice.”

A decade of spare time spent on stopping the persecution

Ever since Nina returned to Germany from Beijing ten years ago, she has not stopped campaigning for practitioners in China. She has participated in a numerous Falun Gong activities in Germany, Europe and the United States.

"I spend all my spare time on stopping the CCP's continued persecution of Falun Gong, campaigning for mainland practitioners."

For example, she regularly participates in the protests in front of the CCP’s Consulate in Hamburg. She and her fellow practitioners talk to the Chinese people who come to the Consulate about the persecution, and they have told the German police on duty about Falun Gong. Due to their year-round activities in front of the Consulate, they have become quite familiar with the police on duty and have established friendship and mutual trust between them.

This year Nina also joined the European Divine Land Marching Band and took part in events throughout Europe. Through these activities, she hopes that more people throughout the world will know about the persecution of Falun Gong.

Her wish is that the CCP will immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong, that the mainland public will have an opportunity to get to know Falun Gong, and that they will read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and no longer be deceived by the CCP. She hopes that more Chinese people will quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

Posting date: 11/28/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
 http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2011/11/21/西人学员忆十年前天安门抗议迫害-图--249688.html

Taiwan: Group Practice of 7,500 Held at Freedom Plaza (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) On November 26, one day before the Asian-Pacific Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference, over 7,500 practitioners from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, and several other countries held a group practice at the Freedom Plaza in Taipei.


Group practice at Freedom Plaza. A spectacular practice site of 7,500 practitioners attracts many tourists

A spokesperson for the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association pointed out that Falun Dafa is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions around the world, with over 100 million people who have benefited from the practice. The number of practitioners in Taiwan is second only to Mainland China. She said, “Today, we formed a portrait of our Master. We want to express our heart-felt gratitude to our Master for giving us a new life, and to let people know the beauty of Falun Dafa and the fact that Falun Dafa is widely practiced around the world.”

Joyce from Sweden learned Falun Dafa in Changchun, in 1993. She said that she was very fortunate to be a part of Master’s portrait. She felt that she was immersed in a giant energy field.




Many passersby and tourists were attracted to the demonstration and started to learn the exercises

Sang Dexun, 32, is from Brazil. One of his friends gave him a copy of Zhuan Falun eight years ago. He was inspired and started to learn the exercises via the Internet. He said that the biggest benefit from the practice was improvement in mind nature and spirit. He said that he is very peaceful now and hardly moved by anything. Sang is now working on a Master's degree at Taiwan Normal University.



Sang Dexun, a practitioner from Brazil

Practitioner Mingxin (Pen name) is from Israel. As a fresh college graduate, she moved to Hong Kong three months ago for a new job. She came to this conference with fellow practitioners from Hong Kong. Her Caucasian face attracted much attention, and yet she spoke fluent Chinese. She also shared her xinxing improvement, as she is improving in every aspect of life. She learned about Falun Dafa from a friend in 2005.



Macao practitioner Lin Yiming

Macao practitioner Lin Yiming learned the practice in Mainland China. He was on a business trip to Suifenhe, Heilongjiang Province during the Lantern Festival of 1997. A company executive gave him three Falun Dafa books as a gift. On his way back home, he almost finished reading the three books. Lin said that in the past he had tried many qigong practices, because of health problems. When he got the Falun Dafa books, he was deeply drawn into them and started his journey with the practice immediately. His wife and two daughters are now also practitioners. He said that he came this time to learn how to clarify the truth to Mainland Chinese people from fellow practitioners in Taiwan.

When the practitioners formed Master’s Li’s portrait at the Plaza, many Mainland Chinese tourists and other local people were attracted to the site. They asked for Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials and took photos of the scene.

A Mainland tourist told a practitioner that the line-up was spectacular and they could not see this in China. The practitioner then told him, “Falun Dafa is good. Quit the Chinese Communist Party for a safe future.” He smiled and said, “Yes.”

Mr. Ren from Mainland China watched for a long time and exclaimed, “Master Li Hongzhi is very powerful, and Falun Gong is a true cultivation practice. His disciples can sit so long during the lining up.” He commented that the CCP did two major wrong things. The Cultural Revolution and the persecution of Falun Gong.

Another Mainland tourist said that many people had heard about this character-forming event and they came from Hong Kong just to see it. He estimated that there were probably over 100 Chinese tourists who came to Taiwan just to witness this event.

Mr. and Mrs. Huang from Hong Kong stopped by Freedom Plaza on their last day in Taiwan, and they took many photos of the group practice site. Mrs. Huang said that she rarely saw such a spectacular scene in Hong Kong. She said it was hard to believe that so many people can sit together to practice the same exercises. When they learned that Falun Gong is being persecuted in China, they were completely surprised and puzzled.



Two western tourists were fascinated by the practice site

Many passersby were attracted by the peaceful exercise demonstration and started learning the exercises on site.

Mr. Liao Huashi is a high-tech company manager who started practicing Falun Gong six years ago. While he is always busy at work, regular practice of Falun Gong exercises and Fa study have helped him to maintain a peaceful heart. He thus can work more efficiently. Today, his mother, mother-in-law, wife, and child all practice Falun Gong.



Mr. and Mrs. Liao and their child

Ms. Dong Sijin has practiced Falun Gong for 15 years. During the Chinese character event and later Master’s portrait forming, she felt that she was surrounded by a powerful energy field and was not tired or thirsty during the two-hour sitting. Her mind was very pure. Working for a travel agency, she has worked with numerous customers, and she always tries her best to serve every customer to their satisfaction. In any conflict, she now always looks inside to improve her forbearance.

Painter Meng Qiwen attended a nine-day lecture class this past July, and she said that she loves studying the Fa . “I have tried many cultivation practices before, but I knew they were not what I was looking for. When I got in touch with Falun Gong, I realized that this was what I had been looking for, for so long.”

Early in the morning, a police officer came and asked about the schedule of practitioners’ activities. He then left. Practitioner Cai Shouren, who was in charge of renting the venue, said that Taiwan police know Falun Gong well and they respect practitioners.

Cai said, “While Freedom Plaza is next to the Presidential Compound and we have so many people, they are not worried at all. Not a single police officer has been deployed to watch us.”



Posting date: 12/1/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/11/27/亚洲法会前夕--七千五百人集体炼功-249901.html