Ever since Falun Gong practitioners worldwide began to uphold their faith and report the truth to the world, some Chinese people have asked the following question: You Falun Gong practitioners have demonstrated exercises in front of the Chinese Embassy and the United Nations in order to appeal for your rights but are you not bringing shame to the Chinese government? Indeed, in the past year, there has been a lot of shame on the Chinese government and some of its leaders. But the point is, who is responsible for that shame?
The answer is: President Jiang Zemin. It was Jiang who launched the crackdown on Falun Gong and the widespread persecution of innocent practitioners. Practitioners' human rights have been severely violated, and more than 50 practitioners have lost their lives because of the crackdown. All these crimes were committed under the direction of Jiang Zemin. The only way to stop the atrocities is to expose them to the whole world.
Let us take a look at what has happened over the past year. One year ago, Jiang Zemin conspired and directed the crackdown on Falun Gong. In Mainland China, he has utilized all the power at his command to persecute practitioners. At the same time, he has employed the Chinese Communist propaganda machine to defame Falun Gong using fabricated stories and distorted facts. To mislead the international community, Jiang has personally distributed slanderous material to the leaders of other countries in order to tarnish the image of Falun Gong and, at the same time, tried to justify his crimes. But his approach has not fooled anyone. Many governments and organizations have condemned the human rights violations by the Chinese government, including the US President who received the propaganda material from Jiang Zemin. Jiang, as the leader of a major nation, has been using this propaganda to defame the people of his very own country. Does he still have any dignity and self-esteem left? Isn't it clear who is damaging the image of the Chinese government?
Unfortunately, the international condemnation has not taught Jiang a lesson yet. Recently, in his interview with CBS, he once again slandered Falun Gong and its founder using outright falsehoods. But many people worldwide have already gained some understanding of Falun Gong, and some have even taken up the cultivation practice. So Jiangs attempted deception could only leave people with a bad impression of him. Some Americans see him as only a smooth talker after watching his interview on CBS. As the leader of China, Jiang has not only lost face himself, but also brought shame to the Chinese government.
As a dictator, Jiang has placed himself above the people and above the law. The crimes he has committed against Falun Gong and the shameful show he has put on the international stage have greatly damaged the image of China. When such criminal and reckless behavior still continues to this day, should we cover his crimes or expose them? I believe that most Chinese people want a good future for China. We should not forget that many disasters were caused by our indifference to wrongfulness.
To expose crime is the first step toward stopping it, and this is absolutely necessary to make China a healthier and more prosperous country.
A Falun Gong practitioner in New York.
September 20, 2000
