(Minghui.org) The date was again “July 20.” I stood in front of the windows, looking at the black-and-white clouds rolling above in the sky. I couldn’t help but have mixed emotions as the clouds moved to the south, and behind them was clear blue sky. Just as I remembered from 22 years ago today, that eternal scene appeared before me again.
The Start of the Persecution
I recall that morning – I went to the practice site, saw a few practitioners who looked very serious. There seemed to be a sense of sorrow in their seriousness. I asked them, “What’s the matter?” One said that people from the Falun Dafa Research Association had been arrested as well as practitioners from the General Assistance Center and local Assistance Centers, with details to be confirmed. But truth be told, many people were arrested. Many practitioners had gone to the city. I was shocked and said, “Please go ahead with your practice.” I then turned around. After walking a few steps, a couple of people caught up with me and said, “We’ll go with you.” I said okay.
We quickly went to a corner near Fuyou Street. I saw many people were standing in a few rows next to the wall. There was the sound of reciting “On Dafa” coming from the crowd. Roads were circled lines and surrounded by military police. They didn’t allow people to go inside, nor move forward, but only allowed them to go back. More people arrived however, and no one left. Thus, more and more people gathered.
A few times I attempted to go towards those people, but each time I was stopped by military police. When I got a bit anxious, I saw someone lifting up his arm from the the crowd to get my attention. When I gazed at him, I thought to myself: What a coincidence! It turned out to be Mr. Hu (alias), who was one of the assistants from the Assistance Center, with another practitioner standing beside him. Probably his movement caught the attention of the military police officers beside him. Then I was able to take this opportunity to lift up the rope, enter the line, and quickly get through it. A few people followed me. A military police officer tried to catch me, but failed. He then quickly turned around to stop the other people behind me. I used my fastest speed to dash into the crowd. Then Mr. Hu made some room for me. After I found my spot, I recited “On Dafa” along with other practitioners. After we finished, we then recited:
In life, nothing sought,In death, regretting naught;Washing away all wrong thought,Buddhahood, with less adversity, is wrought.(“Nothing Kept,” Hong Yin)
Another busload of military police then arrived. As soon as it stopped, they quickly got off the bus and lined up in a row facing us. Other police officers drove the people outside the line to go behind them. Then a bus – No. 45 – arrived. After the doors opened, the military police officers in the front began dragging the practitioners in the front rows into the bus. Practitioners struggled to get on the bus. Some of them were dragged into the bus, and some got away from the police and ran back. Then military police officers began to hit people. A few of them pulled and pushed one practitioner. Some ended up being punched and kicked, before being thrown into the bus.
Looking at this scene, we began to stand arm in arm, forming one body. We shouted, “Obey the Constitution, don’t beat us!” “Obey the Constitution, Don’t beat us!” But how could they listen to us? Their atrocities worsened. No matter whether it was a male or female, young or old, they beat them and dragged them over the ground. Many practitioners were injured, some got their hair messed up, and some practitioners’ clothes were messed up. When one bus was full, it drove away, then another bus arrived, one after the other. No one counted the number of buses that arrived.
On the bus, practitioners recited “On Dafa” and Hong Yin. A few police officers guarded the bus. All the windows were tightly closed. Police officers stood by the front and back entrances. It drove very fast. Practitioners didn’t ask where it headed, and the police officers didn’t say anything.
When the bus stopped, we got off and looked – Wow, it was such a huge stadium – We were later told that it was Fengtai Stadium. It was packed with people. People were sitting on the ground. It took the police officers and military police time to make some room for us, so we could also sit on the ground.
Soon enough, three people came over, they brought pen and paper, to register our names, addresses, work, and and so on. Practitioners all shared with them. Strangely enough, they passed by me a few times and asked everyone else around me, but not me.
After they left, Mr. Hu said to me, “We have discussed before to leave you behind. So that at the practice site, you could be there to lead others to do the exercises. That’s why we didn’t tell you, but you still came.” Only then did I know the reason why they didn’t tell me. More practitioners arrived in additional buses coming into the stadium. It was said that it was packed with people, even the washrooms.
Although we didn’t eat lunch or drink anything the entire day, we didn’t feel thirsty or hungry. The entire stadium was divided into quite a few sections. In each section were several military, regular police officers, and plainclothes supervising. We were all very quiet, with no one talking. At past 5 p.m., I wanted to use the washroom. A fellow practitioner showed me to go to the left. I looked in that direction. It was the only entrance and exit for the stadium, with many military police officers starting to guard there.
Leaving the Guarded Place
I didn’t tell the police officers near me, as I didn’t feel it was necessary. I got up from the ground and walked towards the entrance. It was as if they didn’t see me. It was very packed at the entrance. I looked around. The washroom was right beside the entrance. It looked like it was a mobile one, and packed with people. I squeezed sideways through the gap in the crowd and waited outside against the wall.
I realized that outside the Stadium was an open field. Except for the washroom, there was nothing else. There were military and regular police officers here and there standing around the three sides of the washroom, but the walls were unguarded, as there was a bit of a distance from the walls. Right then, an idea flashed in my mind: Let me get out, I’ll come back after settling in. I thus walked along the walls to move forward. I didn’t know about the direction, nor where I was, and there were soldiers guarding everywhere, with no pedestrians. It was as if I was in another world, and dimension.
I got away from those soldiers and walked for close to a mile. I then saw a main road. I took it and followed it for quite a while. Suddenly, I saw an elderly lady by the curbside, who was leaning over a vendor stand selling cold beverages. I was so thrilled and rushed to her. I asked her, “Elderly lady, where is the bus stop?” She looked at me in surprises: Martial law was happening, so where could there be any buses? I subconsciously repeated the phrase: All martial law? No wonder I couldn’t see a single person.
She said, “It started last night.” I asked, “Why you are still here?” She said, “I didn’t know about this. My vendor stand is at this stadium. Those soldiers didn’t want me to leave. They wanted to have some cold drinks when they were thirsty. Look, they took almost all my cold beverages.” While we were chatting, two soldiers walked in our direction. I had to quickly leave her, and sped up to move forward. At a bit over 8 p.m., I arrived home on foot.
Returning Home
After all these years, I can’t figure out how I got out of that stadium. Today however, when I was writing this article, a sentence suddenly flashed in my mind: It was Master who sent you back! Only then did I enlighten. I truly appreciate benevolent Master! This was gratitude coming 22 years late! As we know how big a district Beijing is, and I crossed two districts, including one that I had never been in.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw my husband, who was also a practitioner, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sad face. When he looked up and saw me, he immediately cheered up, and said, “You came back!” Then he began to complain about me, “Where the hell were you for the whole day? I was so worried. You didn’t eat yet, did you? Let me boil some noodles for you.” I said, “Wait, let me talk to other practitioners, to let them know what’s going on.” He said, “It’s very tense outside, are you still going out?” I replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back shortly.”
I came home at 11 p.m. I didn’t feel hungry and only drank two sips of water. I briefly told my husband about what went on that day. I didn’t want to sleep, nor worry about what would have happened to me if I were to go out tomorrow again, but only thought about fellow practitioners at the stadium. I didn’t know how they spent their evening. My husband also twisted and turned in his bed. I knew that he was under tremendous mental pressure.
Eternal Memory: The Persecution Started Full Throttle
I later learned that after it turned dark, many buses came to Fengtai Stadium, filled with many soldiers. They forced practitioners into the buses. If they refused, they were beaten very hard. Nobody would have seen this anyway. Some practitioners were thrown to the ground, some were carried to the buses. They were taken to different police stations. After being detained for a few days, their companies were notified to take them back. Practitioners who didn’t have workplaces were picked up by either people from their local community management committee or their family members, followed by an endless persecution.
This was July 20, 1999, when many practitioners mainly from Beijing let go of life and death, and stepped forward to safeguard Dafa and restore the reputation for Master, restore the reputation of Dafa! It showcased the universal values of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” and demonstrated and witnessed the demeanor of Dafa disciples who had their faith in Master and Dafa, and never gave up Dafa cultivation! It also marked the beginning of practitioners safeguarding Dafa and demonstrating against the persecution. This day, with its special inner meanings and significance have become my eternal memory.
Reporting the Truth About the Persecution
The situation was reported by the Minghui website. From July 1999 to June 2021, practitioners whose names were identified and verified as being persecuted to death amounts to 4,660. Due to the CCP blocking off information, many facts about the persecution have been covered up. The actual number of practitioners persecuted to death far exceeds this number, which is more tragic than an average person can imagine. It goes without saying that there were also an unknown number of practitioners who had their organs harvested while still alive. Recently, the CCP has carried out the “zero-out” campaign country-wide targeting practitioners.
Twenty-two years have passed, and the evil CCP is about to collapse, but its cruel persecution towards Dafa practitioners has never stopped for a moment. However, the practitioners were not intimidated by illegal arrests, abductions, detentions, sentences, torture, and killings. But rather, they upheld their belief and continuously clarified the facts to people. Their peacefulness, rationality, and persistence have won praise and support worldwide.
To date 380 million people have renounced their memberships from the CCP and its youth organizations. More and more people are sincerely accepting and reciting “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” The collapse of the CCP is numbered in short months. An era without the CCP will soon arrive.
Those who still support the CCP and participate in the persecution of practitioners, along with public prosecutors and judicial officers, and all those who work for local community management, I sincerely advise you to never fall for the CCP’s lies again, as Falun Dafa is Buddha Law cultivation.
In the past and present, all those who persecuted righteous believers have never ended up well. Don’t do evil things against your conscience for the sake of a little profit. Think about the future of yourself and your family. Quit the evil CCP promptly so you can stay safe. Treat and protect practitioners well, and you will be blessed by Heaven!
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