Former Professor Reflects on the Coronavirus Pandemic and Falun Gong’s Historic Appeal

(Minghui.org) “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) fabricated big lies about Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful appeal on April 25, 1999, and deceived both the Chinese people and the rest of the world.”

“Today, the same CCP, lied and concealed vital information about the Wuhan coronavirus, causing enormous devastation to humanity. Its cover-up of the outbreak has enabled many politicians, media outlets and people around the world to finally realize the evil nature of the CCP.” said Li Yuanhua, former associate professor from Capital Normal University in Beijing, in an interview with a Minghui correspondent.

Communist Regime Rules by Lies and Violence

Mr. Li was arrested twice for his faith in 1999 and 2001. He eventually decided to give up his job and flee China in 2006, after a close friend of his who also practices Falun Gong was given two years of forced labor that year. He now resides in Sydney, Australia.

Having experienced the CCP’s brutality and lies first hand, Mr. Li said he is very grateful for the freedom he is now enjoying in Australia.

Mr. Li said the CCP's mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic is a good reminder to the world that this is a regime that rules by lies and violence. He pointed out that no matter how hard the West is trying to engage with it in democratic activities, it would never change itself to be a good, honest global player.

The CCP's cover-up of the pandemic also reminded Mr. Li of its persecution of Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners’ large-scale peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25, 1999, to seek the basic rights to practice their faith.

Mr. Li, who attended the appeal in person 21 years ago, recalled that “on the day of the appeal, the 10,000 practitioners just stood on the pavement along one side of the street and left the other side for passersby. We were so peaceful and quiet that even the police assigned to watch us became relaxed.”

“The then Premier Zhu Rongji met with a few Falun Gong representatives and discussed with them solutions to their requests – a peaceful environment for practicing their faith and the release of dozens of Falun Gong practitioners unlawfully arrested in Tianjin days earlier.

“After Zhu agreed to look into the requests and consider an immediate release of the arrested Falun Gong practitioners, we left quietly, leaving behind not even a tiny piece of trash on the ground, including cigarette butts from the police.”

However, such a peaceful appeal was soon labeled as “attacking the central government” and “siege” by Jiang Zemin, the then CCP's General Secretary, and used as an excuse to launch a nationwide persecution of the practice three months later.

“I think the appeal in fact offered an opportunity to the CCP to treat a spiritual group in a peaceful and rational manner, and to rebuild China on moral ground. However, the CCP, determined by its violent and deceitful nature, still decided to launch the persecution.” said Mr. Li.

Despite brutal persecution and defamation by the CCP, Falun Gong has become even stronger with more than one hundred million people practicing and benefiting from its guiding principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”

For the past twenty-one years, Falun Gong practitioners have never stopped clarifying the truth to people and exposing the evil nature of the CCP. Their persistent efforts have helped more and more people see the CCP for what it is.

Keep Away from the CCP to Stay Safe

“In fighting the global pandemic, if people take a look at the things done by the CCP, both in China and outside of China, objectively, they would find that the CCP never intends to be open or transparent.”

Mr. Li said he was very pleased to see that more than thirty Australian politicians and professionals have spoken out about the CCP's deadly coronavirus cover-up, “Australia is one of the first western countries that has its two major political parties join forces and require the international community to conduct an independent investigation into the source of infection.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called leaders in the US and a number of European states to discuss how to get to the bottom of the source of the coronavirus, calling for member states of the WHO to support an independent inquiry.

“Australian politicians are telling the CCP: We know your evil nature now, and we will not allow you to keep doing evil,” Mr. Li said.

In response to the criticism, the Chinese ambassador threatened to boycott Australian products. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison maintained his stance and vowed to continue pushing for an independent inquiry into the origin of coronavirus.

“We will of course continue to support moves to ensure there is a proper independent assessment of what has happened here,” he said to reporters in Canberra on April 29, stating it is “a position that we don't resile from.”

“We aren't going to be held to ransom or succumb to threats from anybody,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told A55 Radio.

Cross-bench senator Rex Patric also voiced his view, “The ambassador revealed China (CCP)'s true diplomatic face and confirmed concerns about China (CCP)'s preference for control and coercion rather than partnership.”

“Humanity needs to abandon and reject the CCP and its evil. Keeping away from the CCP as far as we could. This might be the fundamental way out for us to have a bright future,” said Mr. Li.