Why they go to Tian An Men? 

Walk into Falun Gong – series 1 

Camera 1: 

Ever since the crake down of Falun Gong, practitioners’ practicing in Tian An Men square, unfolding banners and policemen’s ruthless beating and chasing became frequent scenes in Tian An Men square. 

Some admired their actions, but some puzzled, saying,” Why can’t they practice at home? Why is it that they have to go to Tian An Men Square?” “The government has already forbidden it, why they have to make such a fuss at Tian An Men Square?” 

In deed, in Chinese people’s hearts, Tian An Men square is a “solemn place” in a good way. In another word, it is a “trouble place.” If it was not for being pushed into a hopeless state, no one dares to protest in Tian An Men Square. 

Camera 2: 

When this unprecedented large scale of crake down started in China July 1999, the reactions among Falun Gong practitioners were quite different as well.  

Due to the fear of the past political movements, some practitioners gave up the practice. 

Some were confused by the “one voiced” government propagandas.  

Some practice at home secretly.  

Some of them afraid that the neighbors might found out, therefore hide the excises tape player in the dresser, and then pock a hole at the door. 

Some of them afraid their kids might tell others, therefore practice after midnight when no one else is up. 

But, many others think that they should practice the right thing openly with dignity. 

Imagine that if you were so agitated when practicing, afraid of being heard or being seen by the others, how could you achieve the state of tranquility? Work places force everyone face the dilemma. If one wrote the guarantee statement of “not to practice any more” and still secretly practice at home, isn’t that itself is being hypocritical, which is a volition of one of the Falun Gong principals “Truthfulness”? 

Tolerated or Not 

For those who didn’t follow the government’s decision but went to Beijing to appeal, were they violating the Falun Gong principal of “Tolerance”? 

Camera 3: 

The issue of weather they should go to Beijing or not had really brought serious thinking to the practitioners. For those who hide at home and practice, what have they born? They passively and unwillingly accepted the reality of government’s crack down. For those who went to Beijing to appeal, what they have born is the possibility of losing job, schooling, houses and pensions. They have to bear the pressure from home due to the government’s policy of implicating family. They have to bear the ridicule from misunderstanding; the danger of being beaten, arrested and even losing lives. One is the “Tolerance” for the sake of compromise. The other is the great “Forbearance” that one can give up personal interests for the course of justice. Which “Tolerance” bears more hardship and suffering? And which one makes people admire more?

Camera 4: 

At detention centers, the police often question practitioners who are mothers,” You said you practice Compassion. How could you leave your kids behind and go to Beijing?” What they have thought on that question? 

If it weren’t for the government’s brutal crack down, no one would have gone to Beijing to appeal. As a mom, it is not easy to make that step. Who would not love and care about their children? But knowing that his mom stepped out for the truth as he grows up, don’t you think that is the best education of justice for him? If I live an ignoble life right now, I would be letting my child down.  

Camera 5:

It’s exactly because of their “truthfulness” towards their belief, the “tolerance” of the lost of their personal interest and the “compassion” of being responsible to the society, practitioners keep going to Beijing to appeal one after another.  

During the first few months of the crack down, no one went to Tian An Men Square to protest. Falun Gong practitioners followed the Constrictions and the state laws and went to the Appealing Bureau to speak to the government officials of what’s in their mind. 

But the National Security Bureau issued a “Six Prohibits” statement, prohibited Falun Gong practitioners from appealing. 

Since then, the Appealing Bureau started acting like the Security Bureau. As soon as practitioners got there, they were sent to detention centers, and escorted home by the local police. Later, local police force would wait at the Appealing office’s door and arrest practitioners right there, so the central government would not know how many people went to appeal from their districts. Therefore, they would not lose their jobs.

Only under such hopeless circumstances, did practitioners headed to Tian An Men Square, started their public protests. 

The police dare to beat people and use violence under broad day light in Tian An Men Square. Then, what would restrict them behind the close doors? Only from those pictures and video footage, did the people outside China learn the severity of the persecution of Falun Gong.  

Camera 6: 

In April 2000, a fifty-year-old farmer, Mr. Ten, with only thirty Yuan in his pocket, walked a thousand miles in 26 days from his hometown to Tian An Men Square. He wore out 3 pairs of shoes and endured much hardship along the way. His feet were covered with blisters.  

Chinese government claims people’s peaceful appeal as social disturbance. Even criminals on death roll still have the right to speak out. Yet, Falun Gong practitioners in China have no chance to speak out. But different from any other political movement in modern Chinese history, this time, the victims of this movement – the tens and thousands Falun Gong practitioners didn’t yield to the pressure.  

Looking back on history, in the 50’s Anti-rightwing movement, tens and thousands intellectuals were persecuted as rightwing activists. They were under injustice for more than 20 years. Ever since then, the Chinese intellectuals dare not to challenge the authority. In the 60’s culture revolution, only a few people like Lin Shao, Zhang Zhixing and Yu Luoke stood up for the truth under server circumstances. They all ended up being murdered by the tyranny. 

Followed the gunshots of June 4th, 1989, a million people’s democracy movement was crushed in days. 

Camera 7: 

“A wise man would avoid immediate confrontation.” “Arms don’t have the strength like the legs.” Those life philosophies have long been in Chinese’s blood for thousands of years. 

For the Falun Gong practitioners who practice the principals of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance”, those life philosophies are no longer valid. Peace and freedom is the aspiration for the people, the direction for the society. What does Falun Gong practitioners’ resistance towards the most scoundrel persecution from a powerful authority means to the Chinese society? 

Falun Gong practitioners let go their fear of death and go to protest in Tian An Men Square one after another. It is unprecedented in the five thousand years of Chinese history for tens of thousands regular citizens risking their lives to remonstrate with the highest authority. All they want are the freedom to practice Falun Gong and restoration of the innocence of Falun Gong.  

Awakened people are no longer timidity, no longer hesitated and no longer bowing to the evil. Isn’t this the hope for China? Aren’t they the backbones of China?