Falun Gong is simply a popular qigong activity. It does not have any particular organization, let alone any political objectives. We have never been involved in any anti-government activities. I am a cultivator myself, and I have never been destined to be involved in political power. I am just teaching people how to practice cultivation. If one wants to practice qigong well, he/she must be a person of high moral standards. In actuality, I have achieved this -- more than 100 million people have become good people, or be even better people. As a matter of fact, I had not intended to do this, but when the morality of cultivators is upgraded, it really has brought benefits to society.

Some sources claim that I forbid people to take medicine. Actually, that is absolutely untrue. I have simply explained the relationship between cultivation practice and taking medication. I have enabled more than 100 million people to achieve health. Countless terminally ill patients have recovered and have become healthy. This is a fact. As for those who are critically ill or mentally ill, I have always advised them to not learn Falun Gong. Yet some people nonetheless insisted on learning it without my knowledge. In that case, is it fair to call this kind of individual who died of his own illness my disciple? I have never heard that people who are not being taken care of do not die just because they have learned a few exercise movements. Then, just because hospitals are able to treat illnesses, does that mean that there should not be anyone dying in hospitals?

Some people spread rumors that I changed my date of birth, and this is true. During the Cultural Revolution, the government misprinted my date of birth. What I did was simply to change the misprinted date of birth to the correct one. As for the fact that Sakyamuni was also born on this day, what does that have to do with me? Many other people were also born on this day. In addition, I have never claimed that I am Sakyamuni.

With regard to the issue of practitioners gathering at Zhongnanhai in Beijing to present the facts, I was on my way to Australia and was changing planes in Beijing. I departed without knowing at all what took place in Beijing. I always travel alone in order to avoid inconvenience. I do not get in touch with local practitioners wherever I go because there would be many people hoping to see me. As a result, I was not aware of what was going on in Beijing.

We are not against the government now, nor will we be in the future. Other people may treat us badly, but we do not treat others badly, nor do we treat people as enemies.

We are calling for all governments, international organizations, and people of goodwill worldwide to extend their support and assistance to us in order to resolve the present crisis that is taking place in China. At present, my mother and sister are still in Beijing, and they are in a difficult situation. It has been said that police intend to detain them. Some reports said that policemen have beaten up many people in Shenyang, Dalian, and in other areas. I am asking the Chinese government to not treat them this way. It is my hope that the Chinese government and its leadership will not treat the people who practice Falun Gong as enemies. Chinese people throughout the country have a very in-depth understanding of Falun Gong, and the consequences would cause people to lose confidence in the government and its leadership and to be disappointed in the Chinese government.

Li Hongzhi
July 22, 1999