(Minghui.org) In a desperate attempt to suppress Falun Gong in China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently launched a nation-wide “zero-out campaign” to force every practitioner on the regime's black lists to renounce Falun Gong. These practitioners are being harassed by local authorities, who try to have them sign a statement denouncing their spiritual belief.
With such directives, the local police and Community Committee officials paid me a visit too. I was not home, and to find my whereabouts they called my husband. My husband sent me a text message right away, “The Community Committee officials are looking for you.” When I got home from work, he filled me in on the encounter.
Worried about possible consequences, he suggested that I sign the statement and get it over with, “Or else they [the local authorities] would harass us every day.” Just the thought of it caused tremendous pressure for my husband—he complained and decided he couldn’t take it anymore, “I’m not going to help you anymore.”
It’s been more than 20 years since I was first targeted by the local authorities for my belief in Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), and my family suffered alongside. My poor husband has probably not had peace of mind for the last two decades, worrying about me being arrested.
My husband has been very understanding and supportive up to this point and has helped me as much as he could. Facing local police and community officials on many occasions, he was not intimidated, and did exactly what I told him to do or say to get rid of them. Once, he grabbed the head of the local 610 Office by the collar and threatened to take him down with him. This has earned him quite the reputation among local practitioners, who refer to him as the “good husband.” Even the local authorities are a little scared of him.
Looking back on all he’s done to protect me, I realized that I have been selfish to have always left my husband, a non-practitioner, to deal with the local authorities when they showed up, while these should have been my tribulation. He is an ordinary person without the guidance of the almighty Fa. Out of his love for his wife and the righteous mind of an upright citizen, he’s done the right things to defend Dafa and protect his family—what he’s done is truly admirable. It is understandable that he feels depleted and hopeless after more than 20 years, as he cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I assured my husband, “You don’t have to worry anymore.” “What are you going to do?” I said, “I’ll go to the Community Committee tomorrow.” He thought I was joking, “Really? You dare to do that?” I didn’t explain myself, nor argue with him. Despite what my husband thinks, I had made up my mind to pay the community official a visit. I had had this idea the last time they came looking for me.
When the persecution intensified like it often did in the past, my husband had always asked me to stay somewhere else for a few days to avoid being arrested and I had always complied. However, I would not do it this time.
I thought about what Master said,
“Autumn still lingersyet spring has arrivedWhat humans doubtall now comes forthThe sky cracks openand the earth burnsThe evil tries to hideand the wicked ones to fleeAs gong surges forthevil spirits wail and screamThe Dafa disciplesascend to the highest heavensAnd, presiding over Heaven and Earth,rectify the human realm”(“The Foretelling,” Hong Yin Volume II)
Fa-rectification Honor Bestowed by Master
As a Dafa practitioner, I should “rectify the human realm.” My mind was filled with Master’s words, and my righteous thoughts grew stronger and stronger. I am a Dafa practitioner. Who am I scared of? The evil should be scared of me, not the other way around. I will show the evil beings what the mighty virtue of a Dafa practitioner is. Plus, the divine beings of the universe are watching me. I could not let them look down on me, as I am a Dafa practitioner of the Fa-rectification period. I will prove to them that I am worthy of such a high honor bestowed by Master.
I have enlightened to the principles, now I needed to apply them to my actions—only then is it solid cultivation. I sent forth righteous thoughts for a long time that night to eliminate the evil factors and beings in different dimensions that are controlling the community official, to incinerate and completely get rid of them.
Before my husband went to work the next morning, he repeatedly told me to not be a fool and turn myself in. But, I had made up my mind. I got ready, sent forth righteous thoughts, and left the house. I first went to a practitioner’s place. After telling her briefly what happened and what I planned to do, I asked her to send righteous thoughts for me. She was concerned, “You’re going all by yourself?” I said, “Yes. Please help send righteous thoughts. I will go and eliminate evil.”
Dealing with Officials
I headed straight to the office of the Community Committee, but slowed my pace to send righteous thoughts one more time before I got there. I walked in, greeted the receptionist and told her whom I was looking for. The official just happened to be there. She thought I was just another resident of the community at first, and was very surprised when I introduced myself. She obviously was a little shocked, as she didn’t know what to do.
By switching from being passive to being active, I threw off the evil’s plan. I was playing the lead, and was in control. When the committee officials or the local police go to a practitioner’s home, they usually go in groups of three, five, seven, eight, sometimes even up to more than a dozen. They need the support in persecuting a good person. I could tell from the official’s expression that my visit was unexpected.
She invited me into her office. After I sat down, she said, “The higher-ups wanted you to sign the statement to guarantee that you will give up Falun Gong. After you sign this, we won’t bother you again.”
I said, “The Community Committee is a government agency serving the residents of the community, isn’t it?” She said yes. I said, “There are banners everywhere outside on the street that say: ‘People have beliefs, our race has hope; our nation has strength,’ did you guys put those up there? You guys on one hand promote and encourage people to have beliefs, but on the other hand by all possible means you pressure people to give up their religion. What are you guys really doing?” She didn’t respond to that.
I continued, “Article No. 36 of the Constitution stipulates, ‘Citizens of the People's Republic have freedom of belief and religion. No state organ, social organization or individual shall force citizens to believe in or not believe in religion. No one shall discriminate against citizens who have or do not have a belief in religion. The country protects normal religious activities.’”
“I am merely exercising my constitutional rights as a Chinese citizen. But you guys coerce me and discriminate against me without any legal basis. You have repeatedly come to my home, isn’t this the same as labeling me? What would the neighbors think of us?” She said, “Yes. Yes. We don’t want to go to your home either. I don’t know what they want us to do. These people [Falun Gong practitioners] are only doing these exercises to heal illnesses and keeping fit, and they haven’t caused any trouble for anybody.”
She dialed the number to the local police. I heard the person on the line telling her to have me sign the papers. After she hung up, she explained that the police said I had to sign the statement.
“This is not even under your jurisdiction,” I said. “I think you should stay out of it and avoid having to deal with this. Although the higher-ups have policies, you have countermeasures. It is best to keep yourself out of this mess of a campaign. A wise person looks after his own hide after all, otherwise you may end up losing your reputation and position.”
“You know Zhou Yongkang, the former senior leader of the CCP. He made it pretty high up there in the Party, and had tremendous power. He was the Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, oversaw China's security apparatus and law enforcement institutions, with power stretching into courts, prosecution agencies, police forces, paramilitary forces, and intelligence organs. He has influence in the government as well as the gangs. However, he ended up being convicted of corruption and is imprisoned. Why? Because he committed the worse crime—persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.”
“Falun Gong practitioners are cultivators. There is a saying, ‘Hitting a monk or cursing a Taoist will bring about retribution.’ Look at the high ranking officials of the central government, such as Zhou Yongkang and Bo Xilai (former Minister of Commerce, served as a member of the Politburo of the CCP from 2007 and 2012, was stripped of all assets and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 after being found guilty of corruption, bribery and embezzlement). Didn’t they receive their retribution? When the heavens are determined to punish them, can human beings possibly stop it?”
I went on and told her how some local policemen and the Party secretary of the local Political and Legal Affairs Commission received retribution. “You asking me to sign the statement is harming me and harming yourself, a bad move all around. If later someone investigates it, you don’t have any legal ground and you’re not upholding personal or professional ethical principles either. Am I right? Please don’t come to my home anymore from now on. Not only that you should not go, you should also try to stop others from going. If they insist that you go with them, I think you’ll know how to deal with the situation, and get yourself out of it, right?” She nodded, “Okay. I’ll try my best not to go with them.”
By citing the law and the constitution, I convinced this community official. I wanted to share this experience and hopefully it will be helpful to other practitioners.
Before my visit, I also sent the phone numbers of the community officials to the Minghui website and asked that practitioners from overseas make truth-clarification phone calls to them. Things would not have gone so smoothly with this official without the help of oversea practitioners, as their direct calls have proven to be very effective. Thank you very much fellow practitioners for your cooperation and support.
I was inspired by another practitioner that I read about on the Minghui website, who took the initiative in clarifying the truth and to reason with the police by citing the law. I admire what that practitioner has done.
My suggestion to practitioners in China is to acquire more knowledge regarding the law, which could come handy in avoiding being persecuted and in clarifying the truth to government officials.
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