| Hong Jiang Local educator practices Falun Gong By Laura Salinger |
Hong Jiang, an assistant professor of geography at UW-Madison, has a story to tell and she is risking her research
and connection with China in order to do so. Hong, a native of and frequent visitor to China where she has conducted
extensive research in Inner Mongolia, cannot return to the country without risking her life. It is all because of her
participation in a very harmless and spiritual practice called Falun Gong.
Jiang is one of the lucky Falun Gong practitioners. She is safe in the United States and understands the risk she
faces should she return to China. Falun Gong practitioners in China have met a much worse fate.
On July 6, former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) David Kilgour and international human rights lawyer
David Matas released an independent report outlining the atrocities committed against Falun Gong practitioners in
China. The report addressed allegations that vital organs are being harvested from Falun Gong practitioners in
hospitals and detention camps across the country.
The report found that "the government of China and its agencies in numerous parts of the country, in particular
hospitals but also detention centres and 'people's courts,' since 1999, have put to death a large but unknown number
of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. Their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, were virtually
simultaneously seized for sale at high prices, sometimes to foreigners, who normally face long waits for voluntary
donations of such organs in their home countries."
As proof, Matas and Kilgour offered up numerous transcripts of interviews and telephone conversations. They also
pointed out the extraordinarily short wait times for organs in China, as well as a climate that has long displayed
intolerance towards Falun Gong (which was officially banned in China in 1999).
In one interview, the ex-wife of a Chinese surgeon said he admitted to removing corneas from approximately 2,000
Falun Gong practitioners. A retired military official attests that there are at least 36 labor camps performing organ
harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners. Numerous other interviews with actual Falun Gong practitioners detail their
time in labor camps where they were beaten and subjected to unwarranted medical examinations. The report also
highlights telephone conversations in which Chinese officials admit to undercover investigators (posing as Canadians
and Americans inquiring about transplants), that they use organs from Falun Gong prisoners. Despite the evidence
offered up by the report, the Chinese government continues to deny these allegations.
In addition to organ harvesting -- a very lucrative trade for China -- Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally
imprisoned, tortured, and severely abused. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, anywhere from 200,000 to
one million Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally arrested, detained, and forced into labor camps without trials.
Human rights workers have documented 38,000 specific cases of torture and severe abuse.
With these reports pointing to large-scale human rights atrocities in China, the question now becomes: Why isn't
the world listening?, Jiang asks. Although there are advocates working against the persecution, there are still
hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who are arrested, detained, tortured, and/or killed. They are not
militants, but innocent civilians practicing a very beneficial spiritual discipline.
Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice rooted in Chinese cultural tradition. Dubbed the "Chinese Yoga,"
Falun Gong utilizes slow-moving exercises and meditation to cultivate three major principles: Truthfulness,
Compassion, and Tolerance. Made public by Teacher Li in 1992, the practice quickly spread throughout China and the
world. It is estimated that anywhere from 70 to 100 million people practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong is touted for the
extraordinary health benefits it brings its practitioners.
"It has tremendous effect, often miraculous effects, on improving people's mind and body health," Jiang said. "It is a
practice that not only greatly benefits its practitioners, but that also would benefit any government."
Although Falun Gong promotes peace and tolerance, it was met with extreme resistance from the Chinese
government. Falun Gong's popularity was perceived as a threat to the Chinese Communist Party and its leader Jiang
Zemin. In 1999, a full-scale persecution of Falun Gong practitioners was launched.
Madison resident and Chinese native Jiang stumbled upon Falun Gong in her quest to discover beneficial
mind-body practices. In the beginning, she did not realize the effect that Falun Gong would have on her life and her
work. Now, Jiang fears that she may be risking her life if she returns to China.
"It has become very questionable whether I can return to China to do my work," Jiang said. "I haven't been back to
China since I started the practice. It is affecting my work, which I really did not expect at all."
But Jiang stands by her devotion to Falun Gong and her steadfast hope that humanitarian efforts will end the
persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
"Now with the Falun Gong practice, I have started another journey -- a spiritual journey guided by the universal
principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance," Jiang said. "I am humbled by it, and all the more I hope
China's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners will stop soon. I hope more people in the world will help in bringing
that day to come. The world would (then) be a better place."
and connection with China in order to do so. Hong, a native of and frequent visitor to China where she has conducted
extensive research in Inner Mongolia, cannot return to the country without risking her life. It is all because of her
participation in a very harmless and spiritual practice called Falun Gong.
Jiang is one of the lucky Falun Gong practitioners. She is safe in the United States and understands the risk she
faces should she return to China. Falun Gong practitioners in China have met a much worse fate.
On July 6, former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) David Kilgour and international human rights lawyer
David Matas released an independent report outlining the atrocities committed against Falun Gong practitioners in
China. The report addressed allegations that vital organs are being harvested from Falun Gong practitioners in
hospitals and detention camps across the country.
The report found that "the government of China and its agencies in numerous parts of the country, in particular
hospitals but also detention centres and 'people's courts,' since 1999, have put to death a large but unknown number
of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. Their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, were virtually
simultaneously seized for sale at high prices, sometimes to foreigners, who normally face long waits for voluntary
donations of such organs in their home countries."
As proof, Matas and Kilgour offered up numerous transcripts of interviews and telephone conversations. They also
pointed out the extraordinarily short wait times for organs in China, as well as a climate that has long displayed
intolerance towards Falun Gong (which was officially banned in China in 1999).
In one interview, the ex-wife of a Chinese surgeon said he admitted to removing corneas from approximately 2,000
Falun Gong practitioners. A retired military official attests that there are at least 36 labor camps performing organ
harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners. Numerous other interviews with actual Falun Gong practitioners detail their
time in labor camps where they were beaten and subjected to unwarranted medical examinations. The report also
highlights telephone conversations in which Chinese officials admit to undercover investigators (posing as Canadians
and Americans inquiring about transplants), that they use organs from Falun Gong prisoners. Despite the evidence
offered up by the report, the Chinese government continues to deny these allegations.
In addition to organ harvesting -- a very lucrative trade for China -- Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally
imprisoned, tortured, and severely abused. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, anywhere from 200,000 to
one million Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally arrested, detained, and forced into labor camps without trials.
Human rights workers have documented 38,000 specific cases of torture and severe abuse.
With these reports pointing to large-scale human rights atrocities in China, the question now becomes: Why isn't
the world listening?, Jiang asks. Although there are advocates working against the persecution, there are still
hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who are arrested, detained, tortured, and/or killed. They are not
militants, but innocent civilians practicing a very beneficial spiritual discipline.
Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice rooted in Chinese cultural tradition. Dubbed the "Chinese Yoga,"
Falun Gong utilizes slow-moving exercises and meditation to cultivate three major principles: Truthfulness,
Compassion, and Tolerance. Made public by Teacher Li in 1992, the practice quickly spread throughout China and the
world. It is estimated that anywhere from 70 to 100 million people practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong is touted for the
extraordinary health benefits it brings its practitioners.
"It has tremendous effect, often miraculous effects, on improving people's mind and body health," Jiang said. "It is a
practice that not only greatly benefits its practitioners, but that also would benefit any government."
Although Falun Gong promotes peace and tolerance, it was met with extreme resistance from the Chinese
government. Falun Gong's popularity was perceived as a threat to the Chinese Communist Party and its leader Jiang
Zemin. In 1999, a full-scale persecution of Falun Gong practitioners was launched.
Madison resident and Chinese native Jiang stumbled upon Falun Gong in her quest to discover beneficial
mind-body practices. In the beginning, she did not realize the effect that Falun Gong would have on her life and her
work. Now, Jiang fears that she may be risking her life if she returns to China.
"It has become very questionable whether I can return to China to do my work," Jiang said. "I haven't been back to
China since I started the practice. It is affecting my work, which I really did not expect at all."
But Jiang stands by her devotion to Falun Gong and her steadfast hope that humanitarian efforts will end the
persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
"Now with the Falun Gong practice, I have started another journey -- a spiritual journey guided by the universal
principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance," Jiang said. "I am humbled by it, and all the more I hope
China's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners will stop soon. I hope more people in the world will help in bringing
that day to come. The world would (then) be a better place."
