[Clearwisdom.net] December 12, when I heard that Zhao Xin had passed away, I hurried to her home.
Zhao Xin was lying in her own room. Her eyes closed. She looked peaceful, as if she was asleep. Her color looked good.
When Zhao Xin's parents talked to us about her, the pain of separation made their tears run down their faces. However, they seemed relieved at the end and said, "Zhao Xin is in heaven now!" They then started to arrange her funeral with more ease. Her mom stayed by the telephone and told their relatives one by one: "Zhao Xin has gone to heaven!" They had not had a rest for a whole day and night, yet they asked us to sit down and rest. They were incredible! Zhao Xin's sister was crying. Her tears did not come from the sadness of separation rather they were from regrets: "Sister had endured so much pain and suffering. She had done so much while I did nothing. I know why she did not close her eyes, nor her mouth (when she died), I know what she wanted to say, what she wanted to see...." Zhao Xin left but her sister was awakened. She was the first one I met to have been awakened. I believe there will be a second, third....!
On the afternoon of December12, Zhao Xin's family went to discuss her funeral with the university (where Zhao used to work). The university initially told the family not to bother themselves with the funeral; the university would take care of everything. Zhao's parents requested that Zhao's sister write the speech for the funeral and have Zhao's favorite Falun Dafa music played rather than some other melancholic tunes. The university did not unequivocally object and promised to honor the requests. Her parents mentioned that it was possible that many practitioners who knew Zhao Xin would come to the funeral and the university responded, "we will reserve enough buses". They also agreed to let Zhao's family provide the banners for the memorial service. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. I left their house in the evening.
On Dec 13, I rushed to Zhao Xin's funeral. As planed on the 12th, we would meet at her home first and then get rides to Ba Bao Shan (the funeral home). I arrived around 11 or so in the morning. Zhao Xin's color looked even better than yesterday. Her lips were as her mom described, "as if painted with lipstick". More people arrived and reported that there were several police cars parked outside. Zhao's cousin and another practitioner went to buy a flower wreath and were not allowed to come back in. They were questioned for their identities. After some hassles, the guards let them go in from the front (south) gate then went into the security guards' office to make phone calls. After they entered the front gate, they noticed several people were watching them and also saw several police cars. They surmised that the authorities are feeling insecure again. Some people sent by the university arrived around noon and said that, "The police forbid any mention of your sister practicing Falun Dafa in the memorial speech, not even the word "Fa", nor is music allowed; otherwise, there will be arrests. Only one car can be used and is only for Zhao's relatives. Zhao's classmates and colleagues have been taken to Ba Bao Shan already. You need not wait for them. The rest must ride on the big bus parked outside the gate."
Everybody was exasperated by the authorities' doings. They made all the promises but reneged on everything today. What kind of hearts do they have? Someone was crying and said, "Zhao Xin is a Falun Dafa practitioner. Why can't we mention it? Can people speak anymore? She has already passed away they want to harass us for this? Do they still have humanity?" Zhao Xin's parents kept repeating: "They are all good people. Nothing bad would happen." The university finally said: "The police would allow a normal memorial as long as "Fa" is not mentioned. Anyone who mentions "Fa" will be arrested." Zhao's family later had to take out all phrases in the speech, which contained "Fa" as well as those in the memorial banners. It would appear that the authorities were so afraid as to become completely irrational.
We arrived at Ba Bao Shan around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We went to the third farewell hall and saw many people (300 ~ 500) were standing outside the hall, including many plain cloths policemen (there were also many police cars). When the service started, they sent words: "The relatives are not allowed to read the speech for the memorial". Zhao Xin's sister was exasperated, "What do you people really want? Who doesn't know what has happened to my sister? She's gone, what are you still trying to cover up? I have given in and taken out the parts that were told to take out. Go ahead if you want to arrest people. I have to read it today regardless!" Finally they (the authorities) made some compromise - the speech could be read, but only the relatives are allowed to listen and Zhao's sister would have to stand at the front. Zhao's mom cried when she saw the plain cloths policemen stopping people from entering the hall and demanded that they let everybody in: "They all come here to send my daughter off and they all want to see her. Why won't you let them in? What are you doing barring them?" The policemen were speechless and let a number of people in. Zhao's mom cried and demanded that they let everybody in. Finally more people were allowed in, but because of the large number of people, many practitioners were unable to get in. Of the people that made it in, they were Zhao Xin's former teachers, colleagues, classmates, and many practitioners. Zhao's parents were very touched when they saw so many people came to sent her off: "Zhao Xin, you see, you see, there are so many people came to say goodbye to you, some you know, some you don't know, you see...." Among them there was one young practitioner about 10 years old. Zhao's dad was choked and could only held the boy's hands and pat his shoulder, sobbing with tears ...
They (the authorities) separated the family from the other people after the memorial service making the relatives leave in a car. I saw the practitioners standing outside when I held up Zhao Xin's enlarged picture from the car window. Everybody came toward the car and heshi ( palms together in front of their chest), except one man who was smoking and kept looking at us. It was obvious that he was a plain cloth policeman. As the car was leaving, I saw a police car parked by the gate. The police were busy talking on mobile phones. There were also police cars parked at the cross section bt Zhao Xin's home. I felt that they were so afraid and became irrational.
I found out later after I came back that most of the practitioners had to catch a taxi to go to the funeral home, some took the big bus. There was someone checking their identities. One elderly woman told me that she could not find the bus when she went out the gate. One man walked up to her and ask: "You want a ride? Come with me." She followed him. When she got into the car, she saw that the drivers were two soldiers. She sensed something was wrong, she immediately got out. She would not ride with them regardless. Another practitioner said that a foreigner came and asked her who had died and how old, when she was holding the flower wreath outside waiting for a ride. Before the foreigner could ask more questions, a man came and pushed him away so hard that he almost fell, yelling at him: "What do you think you are doing? What do you think you are doing? ..." When we came back, we still saw police cars parked near Zhao's home.
The above was what I personally encountered on Dec. 12 and 13.
A practitioner from Mainland China
December 13, 2000
