Please see http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/11/30/55086.html for Part 1
The following story was told by University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Association (UDSM-Human Rights) President Bahati Tweve, a Psychology Professor and university activity coordinator, as well as a member of UDSM-Human Rights Association. UDSM-Human Rights Association is a renowned human rights organization in Tanzania.
Background
On October 24, 2004, the renowned UDSM-Human Rights Association passed a resolution condemning former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin's human rights persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This resolution also supported bringing Jiang to justice.
The convention pointed out that just as air and water transcend national boundaries, any person or region's air and water pollution is nothing less than an infringement on the basic survival resources of humanity. Human rights also transcend national boundaries. When Jiang Zemin decided to persecute "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," he issued a challenge to the human rights of all citizens of the world. The convention also passed a resolution "condemning China's persecution of Falun Gong and supporting bringing Jiang Zemin to justice." The resolution, along with signatures, will be submitted to the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and transcribed to the Tanzania Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania and the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The resolution was also sent to all human rights organisations in Africa. Below are some stories about what happened after the resolution was passed.
October 29th: Submitting the Letter to the Chinese Embassy
On Friday October 29, several representatives from the UDSM-Human Rights Association took the resolution bearing signatures of more than 600 students, and went to the Chinese embassy to officially submit it. The Ambassador refused to allow the student representatives to enter the embassy, nor would he accept the letter.
All representatives submitting the letter were local Tanzanian residents, but among them was a Caucasian. However, when the Ambassador saw this white gentleman, his stern face became even more furious. "You represent the Western forces against China! Get out of here!" Without another word, the Ambassador drove the Caucasian away.
This representative is a law student who came here from the United States to study. Because Tanzanian human rights organisations are globally known, many Americans and Canadians choose to come here to take human rights courses.
November 3rd: A Battle on Campus
After refusing to accept the letter, Chinese Ambassador Yu Yongtai went to the university the following week and urged the university to withdraw the resolution and make an open statement. The university officials said that the human rights organisation was a student organisation, and that it would be beyond the university's authority to do that. The university officials then suggested that the Ambassador talk directly with the human rights organisation. Yu Yongtai thus requested that the university arrange a meeting with all leaders of the human rights organisation and asked that "university faculty be present." The university officials agreed.
Two days later, on November 3, the Ambassador met with the UDSM-Human Rights Association president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. A psychology professor and a coordinator of student activities also attended the meeting.
The student representatives found that during the three-hour meeting, the only thing the Ambassador and his secretary wanted to say was that Falun Gong was a (Jiang's slanderous word omitted), and was being used by "Western forces" against China. However, he did not have any facts to support that assertion. The students also found that the Ambassador tried as much as he could to deny that the persecution of Falun Gong in China was even happening.
The students asked, "Since you deny the persecution, could you tell us how you feel the Communist Party treats Falun Gong practitioners?" The Ambassador said, "We educate them again and again, patiently and kindly like a teacher towards a student." Students then asked, "What if such education failed?" The Ambassador said, "Then we continue educating." The students thought that was funny, because it sounded more like brainwashing to transform them. In the United Nations Human Rights reports and Amnesty International's Annual Reports, there were many reported cases of healthy persons being persecuted to death in the brainwashing classes. The students then asked, "Since you deny the persecution, how do you explain those persecution pictures?" The Ambassador said that they were "faked" by Falun Gong practitioners.
Then the Ambassador gave an example of how Falun Gong practitioners "faked" stories. He said the South Africa shooting was a good example, since it did not exist, and the injury of David Liang (1) was also "made up."
The students could not believe that the Ambassador would use that as an example. UDSM-Human Rights Association President Bahati Tweve thus said, "Are you talking about the Falun Gong practitioner David Liang who came from Australia to sue China's Vice-Chair, Zeng Qinghong? We just met him on campus last week. I have also read a lot about him. He came to our university to give lectures and confirmed the miracles that happened to him. We also saw the scars left by the shooting of both of his feet. It is only now that he can do the sitting meditation and walk without crutches."
Bahati Tweve recalled that, "[At that moment] the Ambassador was shocked, and did not know what to do. Then he said, 'What? David Liang came? When?'" Unfortunately, the Ambassador continued to lie and repeat his previous lies. However, now it was already very clear to the students, the difference between night and day, true and false.
Finally, seeing the students were undisturbed, the Ambassador said, "You cannot just stand on the side of Falun Gong. You also need to listen to us." The students then said, "This is a democratic country. And a resolution is not decided by one person, either. The resolution 'supporting bringing Jiang Zemin to justice' was passed after being discussed by all our members. If you want us to listen to you, why don't you also come to our university and give a lecture to explain your opinions?" The Ambassador then said, "I am too busy. I have already spent more than two hours talking with you, and have no more time. Now, it is your responsibility to pass the information onto your members."
In the end, he added, "[Passing the resolution] is damaging the friendship between the people of China and Tanzania." The students replied, "We are not against the friendship between our two countries. What we do is just on the issue of human rights. We are safeguarding human rights. We hope Falun Gong practitioners will have the freedom of belief and human rights that they are supposed to have."
The discussion ended like that without any agreement.
"Everyone on Campus Says We Are Heroes"
After about one week, overseas Falun Gong practitioners travelled to Tanzania again. After hearing these stories, the practitioners went to meet the professor who had been present at the discussion. Upon hearing that Falun Gong practitioners were coming, the professor set aside what he was doing and talked with the practitioners.
The Falun Gong practitioners were initially worried that the professor might not understand much about Falun Gong, perhaps being misled by the lies. It turned out that the professor was very open-minded. After hearing the true situation of how Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted, he also asked several questions, and was satisfied with the practitioners' detailed answers. In the end, he said happily, "I now understand the situation. I am happy you came and told me the facts, so that I can see the issue of Falun Gong correctly." We practitioners were glad to hear that. One of our group also told the professor his personal experience and the things that had happened to him during his trip to China. He also showed the professor some pictures, so that he could have an idea of what the persecution was like.
The practitioners also met with the president of UDSM-Human Rights Association again and said, "Thank you for your righteousness. We really appreciate that you could resist the vicious influence under pressure. Between justice and evil, there is no middle ground, since a neutral position is actually on the side of evil. Therefore, please do not give in, even under pressure, but, instead, step forward to oppose the evil. Please continue to support justice until the issues are resolved. In the future, you will know what an important and magnificent thing you have done."
The students were also very happy to see Falun Gong practitioners again. They said, "Please do not worry. We know what is right and what is wrong. In fact, whenever we see you, we are more confident and feel more powerful. Plus, even on campus many consider us heroes--heroes who dare to oppose evil and safeguard human rights."
The practitioners were glad to hear that. "That is great. Falun Gong practitioners around the world will firmly support you in their hearts."
Concluding Remarks
People in Tanzania are peaceful and kind. The word "Dar es Salaam," the name of the capital city, means "peace." Interestingly, the geographic outline of the city forms the shape of a dove, representing peace. More and more practitioners have found that people here are easily moved upon hearing about Falun Dafa. Then, they would immediately make a decision as to whether they would start practising. Falun Dafa already has a foundation in Tanzania. Moreover, Tanzanian's upright decisions during these recent contacts with evil interference will certainly create a wonderful future for them. In the future, Dafa will transcend all issues of race and religious differences and attract more and more people to the practise.
Note -
(1) On June 28, 2004, several Australian Falun Gong practitioners arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China during the visit of Chinese Deputy President Zeng Qinghong. On their way to the Capital City, Pretoria, they were attacked by gunmen in a drive-by shooting. This obvious attack by the Jiang faction's hired gunmen drew worldwide attention to the persecution of Falun Gong. In the shooting incident, the story of Falun Gong practitioner David Liang, who had both feet severely injured in the attack, stuck a sympathetic chord in numerous people. Through practising Falun Gong, however, David Liang made a remarkable recovery, and in October of this year, Mr. Liang returned to South Africa to thank the African people for their support and to show the amazing effects of Falun Gong. Mr. Liang also attended the conference in Dar es Salaam, where he was a key speaker.
* * *
You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.
more ...