(Minghui.org) You may have read stories on the Minghui website regarding Chinese people quitting the communist party. While most do so in China, some make that choice while visiting other countries.
Since the book Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party was published in 2004, about 200 million Chinese have withdrawn from the Party or its affiliated organizations.
Why Chinese Join Communist Organizations in the First Place
There are three communist organizations in China: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for adults, the Youth League for teenagers, and the Young Pioneers for elementary school students.
For those who grow up in the mainland, joining the Young Pioneers and the Youth League is expected as they get to the requisite age. Membership is mandatory for all intents and purposes, given the social and peer pressure placed on those who don't want to join.
Once they reach adulthood, many join the CCP for the simple reason of opening up avenues for career advancement. A majority of CCP members join in college or at their workplaces. A small portion of high school students join the CCP before they graduate.
What Happens at the Initiation Ceremony
The ritual includes the prospective member raising the right hand and swearing to devote his/her life to “fight for communism.” The vow to join the CCP also includes being “prepared to sacrifice everything for the Party” and to “never betray the Party.”
People generally don't think too much about these words, as they have seen or heard these mantras repeated so much as part of the propaganda that they have been inundated with all their lives.
Why They Are Choosing to Quit the Party
Individuals have different reasons for quitting the CCP, and Falun Gong practitioners who volunteer their time to help Chinese visitors at tourist sites have learned of a few of these reasons.
Many know that the CCP has become very corrupt, and they are ashamed to be part of it. Upon learning about the persecution of Falun Gong, especially the CCP's killing of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience for their organs, they believe that the Party will meet with karmic retribution for its crimes (a version of “what goes around comes around”).
In order to steer clear of the CCP's accountability and avoid going down with it, many Chinese people are choosing to disassociate themselves.
For those who didn't remember what they said when joining the communist organizations, Falun Gong practitioners remind them that the vow to devote one's life to the Party cannot be easily nullified just because they've stopped paying the Party dues or think they have passed the age limit for the Young Pioneers and/or the Youth League.
If there was an action and process to join, there must be a formal step to renounce the membership. Otherwise, the vow is still in effect.
Why Falun Gong Practitioners Are Involved
Many Falun Gong practitioners volunteer their time at tourist sites and/or call China to help people quit the Party organizations.
These practitioners have seen through the true nature of the CCP and would like to help others free themselves from the Party's mind control, where the vows at the time of joining play an essential role.
Chinese tourists have told practitioners that they experienced a feeling of casting off a burden and a sense of inner peace after quitting the Party. The issue of promise-keeping and the binding nature of vows has always been a prominent part of Chinese culture, and those who quit the CCP organizations often feel a sense of relief upon severing ties with an entity that goes against many commonly held moral principles.
How Chinese Quit the CCP
To quit the CCP organizations, people go to the Epoch Times web site http://tuidang.epochtimes.com and publish an online statement. They will obtain a certificate and a unique certificate number upon doing so.
For those who quit the CCP at tourist sites or over the phone, the Falun Gong practitioner volunteers who speak to them help them complete the process. They may choose to the quit the Party with either their real name or an alias.
Category: Perspective
