(Minghui.org) The 19th anniversary of the “April 25” appeal is here. It is a significant date for Falun Dafa practitioners.
Although 19 years have passed, I am still moved to tears when I remember that eventful day. More than 10,000 practitioners took part in creating history.
I was one of the practitioners from our area who went to Beijing to appeal that day. Some of the practitioners from our group later passed away after being persecuted. A few stopped cultivating because of the intense pressure and harassment. But the majority of our group who went to Beijing that day continue to steadfastly cultivate and are fulfilling their prehistoric vows to save people.
On April 23 and 24, 1999, more than 300 armed officers from the Tianjin City Police Department arrested practitioners who gathered to protest a magazine article. Countless practitioners were arrested during those two days, and many were beaten and injured.
Seeking to bring attention to this injustice, more than 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei came together to appeal for justice to the State Department of Appeals in the Zhongnanhai Central Government Compound on the following day, April 25th.
When I arrived at Fuyou Street (near the building itself), several police officers lined the center of the street, with officers standing every 100 feet.
Many people stood on the sidewalk west of the street. The police led our group of practitioners to join those standing on the west sidewalk. The long red wall of the Zhongnanhai Central Government Compound loomed behind us. We opened a path to allow pedestrians to walk through.
Then-premier Zhu Rongji met with representatives of the practitioners who came to appeal and ordered the leaders of the State Department Office to work on their requests, which were:
1. Release the arrested Tianjin practitioners2. Allow Falun Dafa practitioners a non-hostile environment in which to practice3. Allow Falun Dafa books to be published
Some people came in the afternoon with a printed notice telling us to leave. Most of us did not take the notice and neither did I. We all stayed, calmly and quietly making a statement with our peaceful presence.
Around 9 p.m., a message was verbally passed down the line of practitioners that the issues were basically resolved and that we could leave. All 10,000 of us quietly left.
Aftermath
Liu Huimin, a lieutenant from Brigade 65 of the Beijing military district, came to join our appeal, wearing his uniform. According to Minghui reports, Liu benefited a lot from practicing Falun Dafa and could not understand why such a good practice was being persecuted.
To appeal to the central government openly and publicly, Liu decided to put on a new uniform. He wanted to let the government know that people from all walks of life practice Falun Dafa.
Because he participated, Liu was forced to leave the military in October 1999. He and his family were escorted back to his hometown. He has endured years of harassment.
After the Chinese Communist Party took power, it launched numerous political campaigns, which resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese people. Unwilling to give up their spiritual belief, thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners have endured pressure from society, their employers, and their families. They openly and publicly stepped up to appeal to the government; it was a display of great compassion and great forbearance.
Although several older practitioners experienced the “cultural revolution” and the “June 4 Tiananmen Massacre” and had a good understanding of the evil nature of the CCP, they also joined the peaceful appeal. They knowingly risked the Party's retaliation.
More than 300 million Chinese people have withdrawn from the Party and its affiliated organizations; the Party's end is fast approaching.
After 19 years, the persecution is difficult to maintain. Many high-profile figures responsible for carrying out the persecution, such as Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Li Dongsheng, Zhou Benshun, and Zhang Yue, have been imprisoned themselves. Before long, Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, and Zeng Qinghong will also be brought to justice.
“April 25” is a great historic moment in the story of mankind. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance stands in sharp contrast to the CCP's destructive and deadly rule. Its impact will resonate throughout China and spread throughout the world.
