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Family Fears for Son's Welfare in Chinese Jail Exercises Believed To 16 MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2001 MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2001 17 Banned in China, Falun Gong finds home in U.S. FOLLOWERS ENDANGER THEIR LIVES IN THE EAST, WHILE THE PRACTICE IS FINDING A GROWING BASE IN PHILADELPHIA looked better.” METROFACTS/ FALUN GONG large groups out of their con- TERRI MORSE of Media, WEB SITES AND LINKS trol,” he said. “They resent any Delaware County, gives Falun • www.mindspring.com/~falun/ group that gathers in any large Family fears for son’s Gong classes and said the prac- home1.html number.” tice helped her defeat the • www.voicesofchinese.org/falun (The Chinese government welfare in Chinese jail dreaded Lyme disease, which /surveypt.shtml (opinions of the banned Zhong Gong, another attacks the joints, nervous sys- Chinese on the practice) Qigong movement, in February Published reports in the New Appeal Bureau to register their NANETTE KARDASZESKI/METRO tem and other parts of the body. • www.gospelcom.net/apologe 2000. Ironically, a Chinese news- York Times, Washington Post, protest. They saw police arrest Suffering from aches, stiffness ticsindex/f02.html (a skeptic's paper reported that Jiang had con- Time magazine and other inter- many practitioners before they and low energy, she tried herbal take on Falun Gong) sulted a Zhong Gong master to national media only go so far in could even enter the office. medicine, “which just skimmed • www.let.leidenuniv.nl/bth/ cure arthritis and back problems.) illustrating the physical and the surface,” she said. falun.htm (an academic paper) Since 1999, according to a fact emotional torture, imprison- Police crackdown “If there was going to be any For Falun Gong instructions and sheet released by the Falun Dafa ment, forced labor and other In June 2000, police broke into change, it was going to be on a online books, click onto: Information Center in New York, horrors of the Chinese govern- the Chens’ house, ransacked it much deeper level,” Morse said. • www.amazon.com (also find the the Chinese government has ment’s crackdown on Falun and arrested Gong for no appar- “I started to live by these princi- excerpt from “Falun Gong's detained or arrested some 50,000 Gong. ent cause. The Chens have never ples (truthfulness, compassion Challenge to China”) adherents, sent more than 10,000 received an explanation. and tolerance). I had always • www.barnesandnoble.com to forced labor camps without But at Swarthmore College “The police wanted to charge intellectualized, but I learned • www.falundafa.org trial, illegally imprisoned more recently, a Chinese couple gave him with a crime,” said an how to incorporate them into For more information, e-mail: than 1,000 in mental hospitals a first-hand account of their angry Ning Fang Chen, who also my everyday life and relation- [email protected], call 1-888- and tortured more than 130 to son’s imprisonment at the was questioned. She and her ships.” 842-4797, fax 650-558-5960 or death. hands of Chinese officials. husband didn’t hear from Gong Morse said she has no more write to the Falun Dafa Ning Fang Chen, a flautist, and for four days. Later, Gong was symptoms of Lyme disease and Information Center, 331 West THE CHINESE government re- her husband, Rhutang Chen, a cel- sent to the Tuan He Labor Camp, that she can now sit on the 57th St., Suite 409, New York, NY portedly extended its crack- list, are retired members of but, again, officials gave no rea- floor for seated exercise, where- 10019. down against forbidden groups China’s Central Philharmonic son for his imprisonment. as before, sitting on the floor last year by burning “house Orchestra. They described the The Chens said that every would hurt and she would need adding that the government churches,” or those in which experience of their son, Gong, practitioner who was impris- help getting up. resented the practice because it clandestine Christian services who has been in a forced labor oned was told to repent or show A Falun Gong group practices atop the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. The group usually practices in Rittenhouse Square. has no organization and are held, Yang said. camp since last June. Gong, 29, a regret for practicing Falun FALUN GONG also helps reverse charges no fees for classes or lit- These abuses are evoking company manager, hasn’t been Gong, to pledge never again to alun Gong, a spiritual Chinese government sees it as a ed “re-education” efforts. practitioners of Falun Gong. University Hospital, pointed out the negative effects of aging, erature. outrage from governments seen or heard from since practice it and to inform gov- practice that features cult, a threat to the communist Despite the Chinese govern- The practitioners held a peace- that Falun Gong is unique in Morse said, noting that most Chinese leaders went so far and human rights groups December. ernment officials about fellow slow exercises and medi- nation’s very fabric. ment’s frantic efforts to sup- ful vigil that day. that, unlike ancient practices practitioners in China, at least, as to accuse Hongzhi of under- around the world and in the practitioners. tation, has swept the press and eventually purge The standoff between the such as Zen Buddhism, its are middle-aged women. mining the government and United States. In November Appeal to government globe rapidly in a mere IN 1999 — just months before a Falun Gong from the Chinese Chinese government and Falun founder is still alive and still Zhou said the Chinese gov- social order, Zhou said. 1999, the U.S. Congress passed It began in 1999 when Gong and Prisoner mistreatment eight years of existence. 50th birthday celebration for population, a few adherents Gong’s adherents is the latest writing about it. That gives ernment endorsed Falun Gong a joint resolution condemning thousands of other Falun Gong Gong, who would not comply With more than 100 mil- the People’s Republic of China snuck into Tiananmen Square example of China’s long history practitioners “the truth,” because many of its officials THE GOVERNMENT’S crack- Chinese oppression and, one adherents went to the Chinese with these demands, was Flion adherents worldwide, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square just a few hours before the start of conflict between politics and unspoiled by misinterpretations practiced it and because the down is symptomatic of China’s month later, President Clinton government’s Appeal Bureau in deprived of sleep for several con- Falun Gong — also known as — President Jiang Zemin banned of the Republic’s massive birth- religion, said practitioner Shiyu of spiritual texts, he said. positive health effects saved the longtime history of suppressing issued a statement denounc- Beijing to protest the crack- secutive days and, after Falun Dafa — is highly regarded Falun Gong and called for day celebration. But, unlike the Zhou, an assistant professor of government money on prescrip- religious and spiritual practices ing the crackdown on Falun down. Gong, like his fellow peti- December, wasn’t allowed to for its physical and spiritual founder Li Hongzhi to be pro-Democracy protesters of computer and information sci- FALUN GONG is also attractive tion drugs and other health that promote individual Gong. tioners, wanted to tell govern- have visitors. Before, visits had benefits. recalled from exile in the 1989, they were non-political ence at the University of to many because it can be prac- programs. thought. Falun Gong’s strong “Its [the government’s] tar- ment officials about the posi- been permitted once a month. In 1999, more than 70 mil- United States and arrested as and only wanted to be left Pennsylvania. ticed for any length of time, The trouble began, Zhou popularity is borne out by gets are not political dissi- tive physical and spiritual The Chens voiced hope that lion people in China alone prac- soon as possible. alone. Just what is Falun Gong? from just a few minutes to said, when the government images of adherents flocking to dents, and their practices and effects of Falun Gong and the U.S. government and inter- ticed Falun Gong, which has no A regime that had reportedly THE CHINESE government was What makes it so appealing to about an hour, Yang said. wanted to “institutionalize” the city parks in the mornings to do beliefs are unfamiliar to us,” defend founder Li Honzhi national human rights organi- formal organization and whose supported Falun Gong because anticipating Muslim terrorists its legions of adherents? And Practitioners can exercise alone practice, profit from it and use exercises — a picture that is Clinton said. “But the princi- against accusations of charging zations will be able to help volunteers give classes for free. it helped reduce health care and political protesters in how can a spiritual practice but prefer to meet in groups. it as a tool for spreading propa- threatening to officials of the ple still surely must be the money for classes and literature. Gong and thousands of other But, according to Danny costs turned on a dime and Tiananmen Square for the Oct. that adherents believe makes Though it’s said to help peo- ganda. Li Hongzhi resisted the communist government, Zhou same: freedom of conscience Gong was arrested and Falun Gong practitioners — Schechter’s book “Falun Gong’s started to imprison — and even 1 birthday celebration, but it them better people be consid- ple overcome addictions to alco- government’s efforts to appro- said. and freedom of association.” detained for 30 days, after including a few U.S. citizens — Challenge to China,” the torture — adherents who resist- perceived a real threat from the ered such a threat? hol, tobacco and other sub- priate Falun Gong, he said, “China has never tolerated ALL TEXT BY MATT HASSON which his parents went to the leave prison.
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