By Shida
(Clearwisdom.net) The Chinese have a saying, “When you have
principles on your side, you’re not afraid of anyone, anywhere.”
Recently, some Falun Gong practitioners have brought charges of
genocide against Jiang Zemin in a United States District Court.
One of the most well known crimes of genocide was the killing of
millions of Jews in Germany during World War II. A few years ago,
instances of genocide also took place in Africa and South America.
Genocide exists when members of a national, ethnic, racial, or
religious group are killed, tortured, and/or inhumanly treated because
they belong to the group. The intent to commit genocide is precisely
described in the language used by the “610 Office” (an agency
specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over
each level of administration in the Party and all other political and
judiciary systems) in China in its persecution of Falun Gong: “Defame
them politically, destroy them economically, and eliminate them
physically.” We can see that humanity’s barbaric history
is being mercilessly repeated.
Some people feel that Falun Gong should not have brought this case to
the courts; however, when we see what they have been through by looking at
the unbiased media coverage, we can clearly see that they exist in the
same state of persecution as the Jewish people in Germany who were
stripped of their clothing and lined up for the gas chamber!
The means that are often employed during the persecution of Falun Gong
practitioners are various types of brutal torture, including electrical
shocks, “tiger bench” (Practitioners are forced to sit on a small iron
bench that is approximately 20 cm (6 inches) tall with their knees tied
together. With their hands tied behind their backs or sometimes placed
on their knees, they are forced to sit straight up and look straight
ahead. They are not allowed to turn their heads, close their eyes, talk to
anyone or move at all. Several inmates are assigned to watch over and
force the practitioners to remain motionless while sitting on the bench.
Usually some hard objects are inserted underneath the practitioners’ lower
legs or ankles to make it harder for them to tolerate this abuse http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2001/11/24/16156.html),
“water dungeon” (a torture in which one is forced to wear a cotton coat
and pants and sit on the cold cement floor of a very small, dark
compartment. The police will then pour water ice cold water into the
compartment until it is chest deep), sleep deprivation, baking under
the scorching sun, freezing with ice water, burning the flesh with red-hot
rods, forced intensive labor etc. Healthy people are even committed to
mental hospitals, and forcibly injected with drugs that caused severe
impairment to the central nervous system. All of this, though
inconceivable in this civilized age, is actually taking place in China. It
is especially hard to believe, when Chinese culture has always championed
the principle of “never doing to others what you don’t want done to
yourself.”
I feel that mankind can no longer continue to ignore such
atrocities.
Actually, I very much admire Falun Gong’s consistently peaceful
ideology and principles. Without it, Falun Gong practitioners and their
family members could not have resisted the temptation to retaliate with
violence. However, they have not resorted to that, nor have they lost
their rationality and given up their belief in “Truthfulness, Compassion
and Forbearance.” Of course, there are other ways than litigation to deal
with such barbarity. Besides legal action, humanity also allows violent
means for justifiable defense. However, Falun Gong practitioners did not
choose the latter. It is because of their forbearance that they have
always chosen a peaceful route, and I applaud them for their choice, which
again demonstrates their spiritual strength.
Posting date: 28/Jan/2003
Original article date: 26/Jan/2003
Category: Open Forum
