12/18/03

By HONGYING LI

As a newcomer from China to the United States, I have noticed many products here are labeled "Made in China," and many people think that China's economy is growing fast. However, International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 reminded me of my responsibility to let people know of the terrible human rights violations going on in China.

In 1996, I was fortunate to get to know Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong -- a self-cultivation system for mind, body and spirit. Like millions of others, I tried to do better according to its guiding principles: truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. This benefited me both physically and mentally, and made me a happy person. I never imagined that I would be put into prison simply because I wanted to say true words and exercise my basic human right protected by the Chinese Constitution.

The persecution of Falun Dafa in China started July 20, 1999, and thousands of people were arrested overnight. Millions of practitioners were saddened by the ban of the practice by the orders of Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese chairman, so the practitioners went to the government's appeal offices to share their experiences and express their opinions.

I went to Beijing, where I was told that I could express my concern through mail only. However, before I even finished my letter to the Congress of People's Representatives, I was taken from my hotel by police.

After they sent me back to my hometown police station, I was asked to give up the practice. I said no, because that is what my heart says, and I have to be truthful. So I was put into a detention center where mostly drug addicts and common criminals were held. I also found that about 200 Falun Dafa practitioners were detained there, and many suffered severe beatings by the police and by inmates who were incited by the police. Heavy labor was forced on the innocent practitioners; even someone as old as my mother was on hunger strike for five days in protest.

All of us were there only because we wanted to tell the truth and ask for a peaceful environment to practice. When my father asked what law I had violated, the answer to him was, "In dealing with Falun Dafa practitioners, we do not follow the law."

My experience in prison is shocking and horrifying. It also caused great pain and financial loss to my family. What do people still have left as human beings when they are not allowed to think and express themselves peacefully? Thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners have been deprived of their basic human rights; they have lost their jobs, education, families and even lives.

Jiang is no longer the [president] of China, but he is still chairman of the military and directs the persecution to continue.

Many practitioners in many countries have filed lawsuits against Jiang to stop the persecution and bring him to justice.

In observing Human Rights Day, I would like to remind everyone that many families are still living in this horror. We can help by voicing our concerns in ending the injustice and human rights violation in this world.

Hongying Li lives in Beaverton. She moved to the United States five months ago.

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