(Clearwisdom.net) When I initially participated in the project to rescue family members of Canadian practitioners who live in China, my only focus was to call on the local government representatives to help with the rescue efforts. I felt that we must bring these family members out; bring them to safety. As the rescue work continues to deepen and, as a result, practitioners are actually being rescued, I have become more and more aware that the significance of the project far exceeds the actual rescue effort itself.
Through Fa-study and experience sharing, practitioners whose family members are suffering persecution in China believe that we should first of all expose these persecution cases through the media, so that people are able to hear firsthand stories of the persecution. We therefore held a series of press conferences and reported the story of every one of our family members through the local Chinese media, which evoked a strong reaction from the local Chinese community. When people realized that this persecution was taking place right beside them, they paid more attention to Falun Gong. When they learned that people of wide renown, such as He Lizhi and Yang Yueli, were being persecuted, they felt it even harder to comprehend why Falun Gong is persecuted and were shocked.
We published announcements in the Chinese media calling on local Chinese people to join us in the rescue work. These Chinese people are non-practitioners, but have family members in China who suffer persecution due to their practice of Falun Gong. Many people called and asked questions. Some could not understand how we could rescue people considering the extreme autocratic means of the Chinese government. They were surprised when we told them that three practitioners had already been rescued. When Wu Yanxia's sister was released, they were truly amazed. Many of them thought that our appeal overseas would have no impact and people in the world could not do anything about the evil that is taking place in China, as they want to do business with China and to make money. When they learned that a group of practitioners like us have made themselves heard to the whole Canadian government and to the public, and have moved the hearts of so many kind-hearted Canadians, and, especially when they heard that with joint efforts, people were indeed rescued within a short period of time, they felt nothing but sincere admiration for Dafa practitioners.
A local Chinese called and said that he had paid continuous attention to our rescue work from the very beginning, but didn't have the courage to call us. Today, he finally picked up the phone and told me about the persecution his family suffered in China as well as things he could not understand about Falun Gong. When I told him how great his family was for persisting in upholding the truth in such an adverse environment, he was truly moved. Another person called and told me that he knew the gloom within the police system in China, for he worked there before, but at the same time he also doubted that we could rescue our family members under such severe conditions. I told him that all kind-hearted people in Canada are paying attention to this issue, and evil can never overcome justice. He said he was willing to expose the outrageous bleakness and gloom prevailing in forced labor camps and police departments in China.
The rescue work also had great impact on our families and friends in China. Our practitioners told their families and friends in China what is happening here, and they also mailed some media reports to China. Those who learned the news were surprised and moved. In China, once a person is sent to jail or a forced labor camp, he/she would have no hope left whatsoever, but when we began appealing in Canada, all major media vied with each other to report these cases and their reports were also put on major Internet websites. Amnesty International called on the Canadian people to work together in rescuing He Lizhi. In no time, our practitioners appeared in international news. When former colleagues learned that these people who they thought have no hope left had become "world famous," they were deeply moved. When we again clarified the truth to them, they were much more willing to listen and expressed their sincere admiration.
The rescue work also had great impact on forced labor camps and jails in China. Due to the attention and pressure from the international community, forced labor camps and jails improved certain conditions for practitioners' family members, and they even showed some restraint in their persecution of other practitioners. The higher authorities dictating to these practitioners' family members also became very nervous.
A few days ago, the Canadian foreign minister on different occasions expressed his concern for the rescue of Canadian residents' family members in China. He said that, "If there should be any major issue in the field of foreign affairs in Canada, then it must be the issue of Falun Gong."
During this new stage of Fa-rectification and during the process of actively rescuing Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China, we will clarify the truth about the persecution more solidly, more widely and thoroughly to the Chinese people abroad as well as the Canadian government and the media, so more people will join in the action of supporting justice and goodness.
