A year ago, many Falun Gong practitioners went to Zhongnanhai to appeal to the Chinese central government for the facts on Tianjin, where police beat and arrested peaceful Falun Gong practitioners. They made three requests: 1) Release those innocent practitioners arrested in Tianjin. 2) Lift the ban on publishing and distributing of Falun Dafa books in China. 3) Allow a legal and non-hostile environment for practicing Falun Dafa in China.
Today, Falun Gong practitioners from all around the world went to the Tiananmen Square, to the Chinese embassies and consulates, to the news media, to the governments of their counties, and to all social strata. We made the same requests as above. In addition, we ask the Chinese government to rescind the arrest warrant for Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, and to resume Falun Gong's innocence.
Some say that we are involved in politics. Let's see with what "politics" we have been involved in the past year:
China's huge state machinery mobilized all its forces, including police, army, court, news media, Party and administrative systems of all levels, and even communities and street committees. Various measures against Falun Gong practitioners were taken, for example, warnings, discharges from positions, discharges from public employment, expulsion from the Party and the Army, assets frozen, arbitrary arrests, beatings, abuses, labor camps, prosecutions, etc.. In the face of this, Falun Gong practitioners always hold firmly to Zhen-Shan-Ren. They manifest great benevolence and tolerance without any discontent or hatred. They endure all kinds of unfair treatment and harsh persecution. Their words and deeds touched the hearts of many who had been misled by the Chinese government's propaganda, many prisoners and police officers who carried out the suppression. In the world, more and more people and countries are getting to know Falun Gong. More and more good-hearted people show their concern, sympathy, and support to Falun Gong practitioners. Many have joined us and have become practitioners.
As Falun Gong practitioners, we know clearly that we have no political agenda, nor are we against the Chinese government. Even though the Chinese government has committed so many wrong deeds, if they want to truly find out what Falun Gong is and have a peaceful dialogue, every practitioner will be glad to cooperate. Believe it or not, if officers from the Chinese embassies have the courage to come to our practitioners, they will be sincerely welcomed. Please think about it, what kind of politics is this?
If all the citizens of a country keep quiet out of fear in the face of irrational suppression, will the country and its people have hope? This is not "tolerance", but rather submission. A Chinese scientist said privately that although he doesn't understand or agree with some theories in Zhuan Falun, he doesn't want to speak out now to help a tyrant do evil. A Chinese police officer said to some practitioners: "The campaign against you will definitely be reversed sooner or later." An elderly person told some practitioners in Toronto: "The Chinese government is actually helping you. Otherwise, how would people in the world get to know Falun Gong so fast?"
We commemorate April-25, since it shows that in such a world full of material pursuits and selfish desires, there are still so many people who have enlightened to the law of the universe, who are following the principles of Zhen-Shan-Ren and are becoming better people. As to "truthfulness", they dared to speak out their minds at such places like Zhongnanhai and Tiananmen Square; as to "benevolence", they are good to all people, including the police participating in the suppression; as to "forbearance", for the sake of truth and sentient beings, they went in the police van, the jail, the court with a smile, with no discontent or hatred. They are the hope of humankind. If everyone follows Zhen-Shan-Ren, won't the world become a most beautiful place? Isn't this the dream of all good-hearted people?
April 25, 2000
(Translated on Apr. 30, 2000)