The Passing of Liu Zhirong

Why is it that much of the world, despite the excellent documentation,
continually fails to recognize this as a major problem? Is it the lure
of big business? Is it that China seems too far away to make a
difference to us? Hasn't history adequately demonstrated that what we
ignore ends up on our back porch sooner or later?

Liu Zhirong was a 42-year-old schoolteacher at Tuanjie Elementary School
in the Xifeng District of Qingyang City in China. He practiced
meditation and aspired to embrace and manifest truthfulness, compassion
and tolerance in his daily life. His life was brought to an end
prematurely by those who did not have the same lofty ideals to guide them.

Zhirong enjoyed the practice of Falun Gong. For more than six years, the
Chinese Communist Party has embarked on a campaign to eliminate this
peaceful meditation practice and Zhirong was a victim of the CCP's goal.

It is claimed that he was tortured to death in the Tianshui City No 3
Prison on or around January 14th 2006 in Prison Ward number 1. The
address of the prison is No 196 Jianshe Road, Tianshui City, Gansu
Province. The phone number there is 86-938-8278849.

What was Zhirong doing in prison? In most countries around the world,
elementary school teachers are not imprisoned for meditation. Things are
a little different under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party.
Stories such as Zhirong's are not at all uncommon.

The Clear wisdom website records these abuses. They have documented over
2800 deaths like Liu Zhirong's since 1999. Other organizations have also
documented this ongoing persecution. The methods of torture utilized
include so many different varieties that it is difficult to remember
them all.

Records indicate that the CCP also persecutes a wide range of groups and
individuals. Christians and Tibetan Buddhists as well as those who
support various freedoms are among the Party's victims.

One may question why the Chinese Communist Party engages in or permits
torture. It is hoped that the reader recognizes that there is no
rational justification for torture and even less so in the case of
peaceful, non-violent meditators like Zhirong.

Why all this violence? Why all this hatred? Sadly, the Chinese Communist
Party has been a brutal entity since its very beginning. History has
documented the millions of Chinese people that the CCP has killed since
it took power decades ago. The tally far exceeds the number of people
killed by Adolf Hitler.

Why is it that much of the world, despite the excellent documentation,
continually fails to recognize this as a major problem? Is it the lure
of big business? Is it that China seems too far away to make a
difference to us? Hasn't history adequately demonstrated that what we
ignore ends up on our back porch sooner or later?

Whatever the reason, we must not turn a blind eye and sit idly while
innocent men, women and children are brutalized by the Chinese Communist
Party for practicing meditation or having a belief. Each of us can stand
up and provide a voice for those who have been silenced by the CCP.

Shining the international spotlight on the atrocities may help to reduce
them. Writing letters and raising awareness are an important beginning.