(Minghui.org) July 20, 2023, marks the twenty-fourth anniversary of the persecution of Falun Dafa by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Reflecting on my Fa-rectification cultivation journey over the years, I am overwhelmed with emotion. There is so much I want to write about, but it all boils down to one thing: I am deeply grateful for Master Li’s compassionate salvation.
My personal experiences around July 20, 1999, serve as a testament to Master’s compassion and the greatness of Falun Dafa.
On April 25, 1999, my wife and I traveled to the central government appeals office in Beijing, which was near Zhongnanhai–the compound where the top CCP leaders reside and work. The events on this day later became known as the “April 25 incident,” and was wrongly depicted by the CCP as Falun Gong practitioners besieging Zhongnanhai.
Our lives remained relatively calm after the incident. However, the establishment of the 610 Office on June 10, 1999 signaled that the CCP was gearing up to launch the persecution. On June 21, 1999, the People’s Daily published an article, in a series of commentaries, titled “Venerating Science and Dismantling Superstition.” On July 5, 1999, the third article that promoted atheism raised my concern. Then, on July 13, 1999, the fourth article specifically targeted Falun Dafa. In response, I wrote a letter to the People’s Daily explaining how Falun Dafa brought benefits and harmony to individuals and to society. But no one responded.
A week later, on the morning of July 21, 1999, at the group practice site, I learned about the government’s intention to ban Falun Dafa. Many practitioners were talking about going to Beijing to petition for the right to practice our beliefs. My wife, mother, sister-in-law (all practitioners), our five-year-old son, and I then boarded a bus to Tiananmen Square.
Many practitioners were present in Tiananmen Square and near Zhongnanhai, walking quietly along the streets peacefully and solemnly. As we were doing the same, I couldn’t help but feel the sacredness of the moment. We walked back and forth, from east to west and from south to north, expressing our peaceful resistance against the impending ban.
That same night, a fellow practitioner who was visiting me was detained right after stepping out of my home, as my house was already under surveillance. The next morning, two police officers followed me to the group practice location. Determined to return to Beijing to appeal again, I managed to evade the surveillance team, and called my wife and mother to tell them to head to Tiananmen separately.
When I arrived at Tiananmen Square, I saw a familiar sight – many practitioners walking quietly on the street in both directions, just like the day before. More and more practitioners arrived by the afternoon. Suddenly, numerous policemen and police cars appeared. They used long ropes to encircle practitioners on the side of the road and forced them into cars. In an attempt to avoid detention, many practitioners quickly crossed to the opposite side of the street. I found myself within one of the circles but managed to lift the rope and escape, and began running toward the west.
Amid the chaos, I unexpectedly saw my wife and son getting out of a cab. Together, we entered a nearby fast food restaurant, only to be startled by a person in camouflage standing motionless in the store and carrying a gun. It was a shocking reminder that the CCP was prepared to resort to extreme measures.
Later that day, we met other practitioners who had escaped from the street arrests. After discussing what to do next, we decided to return home and wait to see how the situation unfolded.
All the radio and television stations began broadcasting programs that smeared Falun Dafa that afternoon. The unprecedented persecution had begun.
I was summoned to the local police station twice, once at the end of July 1999 and again in August 1999. The police questioned me and tried to force me to renounce Dafa, but I refused to do so. During my first trip, I was able to clarify the misunderstanding the police officer had about Falun Dafa.
One day in September 1999, the principal of my school called me to his office while I was teaching a class. A man who claimed to be from the National Security Bureau was there to investigate me. The principal knew that Dafa is a righteous cultivation system and was worried about me.
On Sunday, October 3, 1999, I practiced the exercises in a park with about 70 other practitioners without fear, and I felt great. That evening, the neighborhood committee staff members and police arrived at my home and took me to the police station. I was transferred to a detention center at around 1:00 a.m. that same night.
Upon entering the holding cell, I found everyone was asleep, so I stood there all night reflecting on Master’s selflessness and compassion, and grateful for his guidance throughout this difficult journey. During my detention, the secretary of the city’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee visited the detention center to observe the Falun Dafa practitioners. Our Sunday group practice had been the first large-scale one to occur in Beijing after the persecution officially began, so it garnered significant attention.
Most of the arrested practitioners were released after 15 days of detention, except for five of us, who were considered to be organizers. The police intended to send us to jail, but with more practitioners joining the group practice on the following two Sundays, the support from our families and friends, and the help of those from local judiciary agencies who were quietly supporting us, we were all released after one month, without facing any charges. However, we heard that some practitioners were sentenced to up to ten years in prison in Hainan Province for doing the exercises in public.
Throughout our detention, Master’s protection was evident as we were not beaten—a rare occurrence in detention centers known for their harsh treatment. I took the opportunity during interrogations to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa to the police and to my cellmates, and fostered an atmosphere of respect and understanding.
Looking back at the past 24 years of the persecution, I feel honored to have been a witness to this extraordinary period in Falun Dafa’s history. Despite the CCP’s relentless efforts to eradicate Falun Dafa, practitioners have remained steadfast on their cultivation path, guided by Master’s compassion and teachings.
Throughout these years, despite losing my job as a respected teacher and enduring the hardships of being in a labor camp, my determination to practice Falun Dafa has never changed. My unwavering belief in Master and the Fa fills me with immense happiness. Master has held my hand, leading me step by step, and saving not only me but also all sentient beings and the entire universe. As I continue on this path of cultivation, I am forever grateful for Master’s compassionate salvation.