January 18, 2003

(Clearwisdom) "Truth Compassion and Tolerance" has never left 38 year-old Dai Zhizhen's belief. Five years ago when she learned the cultivation way established by Mr. Li Hongzhi, she found the meaning and the goal of life and she never felt emptiness again.

Now she has to face a cruel test of life. Her husband, Mr Cheng Chengyong was also a Falun Gong practitioner. He was kidnapped by Chinese police and tortured to death. This tragic experience was told to a Gatra reporter last Thursday by Dai Zhizhen.

The 160-cm tall female who was born in Guangzhou, China, came to tears several times when she described the cruelties he had suffered.

Dai Zhizhen became an Australian citizen in 1992. Five years later she went back to China and married Chen Chengyong, who was 4 years younger. However, the Chinese government had implemented terrorist tactics against her family. She was forced to resign from a management position of a hotel. To save their now-two-year-old daughter Chen Fadu, she returned to Australia at end of 2000.

In January, 2001, Dai Zhizhen lost track and contact with her husband. However, five months later while on a Falun Dafa website she read a report that her husband's decaying body had been found in the outskirts of Guangzhou. She said when recounting her feeling, "I felt like the whole sky had caved in."

The reason that Chen Chengyong was tortured to death by Jiang's regime was because he stood firm in his belief in Falun Gong. Her two brothers have been also detained in Forced Labor Camps for two years now. Because of these tragedies, Chen Chengyong's father left this world early. Dai Zhizhen decided to go to China to get her husband's ashes back; however the Chinese embassy in Australia refused her visa application.

Dai Zhizhen did not give up her efforts. She contacted human rights organizations and told her experience to media and asked for help from the Australian government. Finally her wish was realized last March as the Australian Consulate in Guangzhou obtained Chen's ashes from China.

Cheng Chengyong had been actively against the Jiang regime's ban on Falun Gong. He had gone to appeal in Beijing several times and did not hesitate to sacrifice his personal interest. He was fired from his technician position at the Guangzhou Paper Factory.

In June 2002 he was arrested and subjected to three weeks' of torture. During the torture he was subjected to brainwashing. However, he never gave up his belief. At the end of 2000 he was detained because he unfurled a Falun Dafa banner at Tiananmen Square. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners suffered the same fates in China.

Since July 1999, when the Jiang regime banned Falun Gong in China, the cases of abuse and torture of Falun Gong practitioners have emerged in an endless stream. There are no official statistics on the death cases. According to reports, the number of the death cases is over 1600. In addition over 100,0000 are jailed or detained in forced labor camps.

The numbers of people supporting Falun Gong have been ever increasing. Falun Gong practitioners protest the Chinese government's cruelties around the world. United Nations and Human Rights Organizations also strongly protest the atrocities against Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Dai Zhizhen never loses hopes. Since her husband passed away, she has met with officials and reporters and human rights organizations in different counties and told them the tragedies happening in China.

Indonesia was the 22^nd country she visited. She will also visit Singapore and Thailand. She holds press conferences in different countries.

Here are parts from the interview:

Question: What is the itinerary and goal of your tour of the world?

Answer: I just want to tell what is really happening in China. Many Falun Gong practitioners are being tortured and killed. It is a serious human tragedy.

Question: When are you going to stop?

Answer: I do not know. As long as the persecution continues, I will never stop.

Question: What is the effect?

Answer: I tried my best to meet officials of the governments, especially news reporters. I believe news media will carry the truth. The Chinese government slanders Falun Gong through its embassies overseas. In fact, Falun Gong not only improves health but also teaches people to be better people. Why should teaching people to be good be banned?

Question: What are the benefits you obtained since you practiced Falun Gong?

Answer: My father-in-law had kidney disease. He spent lots of money on medical bills. Since he practiced Falun Gong he was cured. Before I felt my life was meaningless. I had been to church and studied the Bible but I was still very worried. If it were not because of Falun Gong, I would not be able to withstand this tragedy.

Question: How did you find Falun Gong?

Answer: In 1987, I went to Australia. In addition to studying English in Sydney's Language School, I also worked in a coffee shop. In 1992 I became an Australian citizen, then I visited UK, Canada and Israel. I tried to find the meaning of the life but did not find it. In 1997 I went back to China and found Falun Gong. I then felt I had found the true meaning of the life. Falun Gong's principle is simple, i.e. to follow the principle of Truth Compassion Tolerance.

Question: Did you receive moral education when you were young?

Answer: No. The education I received is atheistic Communist education. I never knew what the truth was. I lived in fear.

Question: Why is the Chinese government so afraid of Falun Gong?

Answer: Many Chinese government officials also practiced Falun Gong. They also believe Falun Gong teaches the people the principles of how to be a good person. If Falun Gong were allowed to continue to grow, the Party was afraid that its influence would be weakened and they would not be able to implement its corrupt system.

Question: What is your plan for the future?

Answer: I will probably go back to Australia and send my daughter to school. Now I only want to help to end the persecution in China. I have to fulfill this responsibility and tell everyone that Falun Dafa is good.