On June 20, 2009, the Ukraine Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference was held in Dnipropetrovsk. It was the first such conference held in this city.

2009 Ukraine Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference held in Dnipropetrovsk

Ukraine practitioners share their cultivation experiences

Ten practitioners shared their cultivation experiences on stage. Yulia from Kharkiv shared her experience: her body suddenly showed up illness that she had before cultivation. In looking inward, she found that she took cultivation as insurance for healthy body, but did not genuinely cultivate. She expressed she would do well to be a genuine practitioner in Fa-rectification period.

Practitioner Anna from Kiev shared her experience, "Our family and social environment is the best place to save people since the predestined people can learn the facts and broadcast the truth to others."

Another practitioner from Kiev said, "We need to treasure reading Dafa books and practising the exercises every day and do well what we should do. Don't leave any regret for future. At the same time, we need to pay attention to clean evil in our own field. If the "three" things are not done well, the area would have little change."

Falun Gong practitioners parade in Dnipropetrovsk

On June 21, the practitioners held a march in Dnipropetrovsk. The procession was headed by a large banner with the words "Falun Dafa is great", followed by a huge model of the main book of Falun Dafa practice Zhuan Falun, a large banner reading "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance", a group of waist drummers, an exercise demonstration, and posters exposing the persecution. The procession moved along the well-known Dnieper River. The whole parade lasted three hours.

Mr. Liang Yuncheng, 42, a resident from Fengcheng City, Liaoning Province, was arrested for practising Falun Gong. He was detained for more than three months and tortured to near blindness. Recently, the director of the Fengcheng Detention Centre called Mr. Liang's brother and told him that Mr. Liang needed a defence lawyer for his upcoming trial. When Mr. Liang's brother went to the detention centre to find out more about the case, the guards would not let him in the building.

Mr. Liang's brother then called the director of the detention centre and asked why he was not allowed to visit his brother. The director told him that a higher ranking official had ordered him to do this and that he should take the matter up with the Department of Legal Policy. The family member took his advice but the personnel there skirted the visitation rights issue by blaming the Political and Judiciary Committee.

They further explained to him that since Mr. Liang's case was a provincial-level issue, his family needed approval from a provincial official before they could visit him. Mr. Liang's brother warned them that Mr. Liang's existing eye condition needed to be treated regularly, or else he could lose his eyesight.

Mr. Liang was recently tortured because of his faith in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. After his parents went to visit him and saw how badly the guards had tortured him, they were very saddened and worried themselves sick. Not long afterwards, his father died then two months later his mother died.

Mr. Liang is a former teacher at the Fengcheng Occupation High School. He later took an entrance exam for a job at the Fengcheng City People's Court and received a very high score. In 1996, he started practising Falun Gong and began acting in strict accordance to the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

While working at the court, he never accepted any food, drink, property, or goods from any defendant or plaintiff and always tried to do good deeds for others. After Jiang Zemin's, [former leader of China and instigator of the persecution] regime started persecuting Falun Gong in July 20th, 1999, Mr. Liang refused to give up his faith in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. As a result, he was transferred to the Fengcheng City Irrigation Bureau, where he soon excelled in his work. He received an award for excellence at his work place and from the Dandong Irrigation Project System.

During the three years that he spent at his job, he persisted in following his beliefs and as a result, he was tortured both physically and spiritually. In addition, he was forced to divorce his wife and leave his son. On January 3rd, 2009, when Mr. Liang was distributing leaflets exposing the persecution and telling people the facts about Falun Gong in Kuandian County, he was arrested by local police officers and taken to the Binxi Forced Labour Camp where he suffered brutal and inhuman torture.

When Mr. Liang was distributing Falun Gong leaflets in Hepanxincheng on March 7th, 2009, he was arrested by officers from the National Security Division of the Fengcheng City Police Department. Later that day, he was taken to the Beishan Detention Centre in Fengcheng City where he started a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment and abuse. Shortly after, the guards brutally beat him then tied him up and tortured him.

Mr. Liang was later transferred to the Fengcheng Detention Centre where he was sentenced to one year in the Benxi Forced Labour Camp and one year in the Fushun Brainwashing Centre. But due to his health condition, the forced labour camp refused to accept him and transferred him back to the Fengcheng City Detention Centre. Because he exposed the persecution wherever he went, the police did not know what to do with him.

The Fengcheng City Detention Centre:
Song Zhenhua, director: 86-4158126032 (Home), 86-13604952687 (Mobile)
Xin Hongqi, deputy director: 86-4158124429 (Home), 86-13942525596 (Mobile)

Related article: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2009/4/13/106460.html

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/12/202642.html

Mr. Li Feng from Anguo City, Hebei Province is imprisoned at the Fourth Prison of Shijiazhuang City. He is in critical condition, but the prison administration refuses to release him to get medical help.

Mr. Li developed many severe illnesses as a result of persecution after he was imprisoned in 2002. He was diagnosed with heart stem necrosis, high blood pressure, and coronary disease by the doctors from both the Shijiazhuang People's Hospital and the Second Hospital of Hebei Province. In 2005, he was in a coma for 14 hours after he was forced to work under 113 degree Fahrenheit conditions in a tube factory.

By June 2nd, 2009, Mr. Li's high blood pressure reached 180 mm Hg, sometimes 230 mm Hg. His hypertension was in stage 3, and he suffered from lower limb oedema. He suffered from dizziness and a lack of strength throughout his whole body. He has a dull facial expression, and when he sleeps, he has to curl up. When he walks, he has to lean against a wall for support and proceeds slowly. He also suffers from uncontrollable vomiting. In an attempt to release his chest congestion while vomiting, he slowly rubbed raw the area from his shoulder to his heart. Mr. Li is in critical condition.

On May 26th, 2009, the prison administration issued a medical parole form to Mr. Li's family. When the family sought the approval of the Anguo City Police Department, Gan Jianhu, the deputy director of the department, refused to approve it, citing that the illness space in the form was blank and asking for a diagnosis from the Third Hospital of Hebei Province. On June 2nd, the family asked the prison administration to fill in the illness in the form and was told that it would be ready in 5 to 6 days.

Related report: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2007/1/6/81486.html

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/6/202320.html

Mr. Xu Dawei, a 34-year-old Falun Gong practitioner, was from Qingyuan County, Fushun City, Liaoning Province. Mr. Xu was persecuted for eight years by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials in Dabei Prison in Shenyang, First Prison in Lingyuan County, Second Prison in Fushun City, and Dongling Prison in Shenyang City. Mr. Xu was tortured in a number of ways: violent brainwashing, being forced to wear handcuffs and shackles for extensive periods of time, brutal beatings, being hung up, force-feeding, being beaten with a rubber hose, being pierced with a steel needle more than 10 cm long, electric baton shocks, etc. February 3rd, 2009, was the last day of Mr. Xu's imprisonment. When his family came to Dongling Prison to take him home they found that he was emaciated, his hair had turned grey, and his face was heavily bruised and stiff. Worst of all, Mr. Xu did not even recognize his family members. Just 13 days after returning home, on February 16th, 2009, Mr. Xu died. Upon his death, his body still exhibited numerous injuries and scars caused by the tortures while in custody.

The following are some facts about Mr. Xu's persecution in Dabei Prison in Shenyang City and First Prison in Lingyuan County.

Mr. Xu Dawei was transferred to the Lujian Team in Dabei Prison and kept there for about 40 days. At first, the inmates forced Mr. Xu and three other practitioners to stand facing a wall, during which time other inmates were instigated to monitor and torment the four practitioners. When the practitioners were asked if they would continue to practice Falun Gong, they asserted that they would. Then policemen instructed inmates to remove Mr. Xu's pants and beat him. However, Mr. Xu continued to practice the exercises. Later, Mr. Xu and other practitioners went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. The inmates then intensified their tactics with brutal force-feeding and hanging them under a ladder for about 20 days.

Mr. Xu Dawei and Mr. Yang Xinyu were taken away for torture and brainwashing. Both practitioners were resistant ,and the police allowed other inmates to strictly monitor them and beat them. They were then taken to the "strict management team" for much more severe abuse. The then-deputy head of the 12th team incited armed policemen in plain-clothes to handcuff Mr. Xu and other practitioners with their arms behind their backs and then sent them to the "strict management team." They were locked in a small cell, where Mr. Xu and the others were beaten by inmates regularly. They were subjected to long-term starvation and were only allowed a small portion (about 100 g) of bread or just a cup of porridge.

The two-person cell to which Mr. Xu Dawei was confined was two square metres. Mr. Xu had to sit from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. After an extended period of time passed, the muscles in his buttocks degenerated, resulting in extreme pain.

On January 31st, 2002, Mr. Xu and five other practitioners were taken to First Prison in Lingyuan County. Because Mr. Xu, Liang Hongbo, and other practitioners continued to practise Falun Gong, they were sent to the"strict management team" and were confined in a solitary cell by Wang Hongbo, the head of the Prison Administration Section. The police designed handcuffs made of reinforcing bar that was 8 mm in diameter and caused severe pain when put on. The policemen used these handcuffs on Mr. Xu for one month; his hands were handcuffed behind his back 24 hours a day and his feet were shackled. He could not move his hands even a little, for even the slightest movement would induce excruciating pain. His skin was broken and infected, which resulted in further festering and pain. The suffering Mr. Xu Dawei endured was unfathomable.

The prison in Lingyuan also forced practitioners to do hard labour, such as making carpets, etc. Mr. Xu resisted by going on a hunger strike, which resulted in brutal force-feeding. He was sent to the "strict management team" many times and tortured further. One of those tortures was the "extreme stretching method:" his limbs were stretched in four different directions for 24 hours a day. Usually a person could not bear it for more than three days, but Mr. Xu 's limbs were stretched like that for seven days the first time and then many more times thereafter.

Wang Hongbo, Head of the Prison Administration Section Chief, over 40 years old, lives in Lingyuan County.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/20/203085.html

Zhao Guiqin is a villager in Changshan Town, Donggang City, Liaoning Province. On September 25th, 2008, when Ms. Zhao was doing housework at home, Wang Runlong, the team leader of the National Security Team at Donggang Public Security Bureau, instigated Jiang Kun and several others to arrest and detain her at the Donggang Detention Centre. On December 12th, 2008, Ms. Zhao was secretly sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment by the public security and procuratorate authorities and the people's court. At present, Ms. Zhao can no longer walk due to the brutal torture, but the Donggang Procuratorial Judicial and Public Security Committee refuses to release her.

On October 27th, 2008, Zhao Guiqin's mother received a phone call telling her that Ms. Zhao's legs were paralysed from torture and that the family should rescue Ms. Zhao from the detention centre. Ms. Zhao's family members went there straight away.

On February 24th, 2009, after the lawyer hired by Ms. Zhao's family saw Ms. Zhao, he confirmed that she was not fit enough to be detained, and that the situation was quite serious. The lawyer also helped the family to apply for "awaiting trial out of custody" for Ms. Zhao, and told the family to send the application to the director of the Intermediate People's Court by express mail. After that, Ms. Zhao's family visited the person who was handling the case in the Dandong Intermediate Court and told him the actual condition of Ms. Zhao's health. At the same time, the family also visited the Donggang Public Security Bureau and Donggang Detention Centre, asking for those in charge to allow Ms. Zhao to await her trial out of custody so that her illnesses could be treated. But their request was turned down.

On April 26th, the Donggang Public Security Bureau forcibly sent Ms. Zhao, who couldn't walk, to Shenyang Women's Prison in Liaoning Province. Someone witnessed Ms. Zhao being carried to a car. Because Ms. Zhao was so ill, Shenyang Women's Prison refused to take her, but Donggang Public Security Bureau didn't release her and kept her at the detention centre.

On May 15th, Donggang Public Security Bureau again sent Ms. Zhao to Shenyang Women's Prison and the prison once more refused to take her because she didn't pass the physical examination. Again the Donggang Public Security Bureau refused to release her and continued to keep her at the detention center. Because Ms. Zhao kept requesting to go home to treat her illnesses and refused to take treatment in the detention centre, they separated her from the rest of the practitioners and locked her up by herself.

On May 21st, after Ms. Zhao's 80-year-old mother learned that her daughter was twice rejected by the prison for health reasons, she knew that her daughter's situation must be quite critical. She got up from her bed (she had been in the hospital for several months because of worrying about her daughter who was being persecuted) and walked with a cane and with a relative to the Public Security Bureau. They found Wang Runlong, the team leader of the National Security Team, and asked for Ms. Zhao's release. Wang Runlong said that the matter had been passed to his superiors. The elderly mother had no choice but to find Wang Shangqing, the director of the Public Security Bureau. Wang Shangqing told her, "Director Ha is the one who is taking care of this case."

On May 27th, Ms. Zhao's son went to see Director Ha Hecai. Mr. Ha said it wasn't up to him and that Director Zhang would be the one to make the decision, so Ms. Zhao's son went to see Director Zhang Xichen. Mr. Zhang told him that the procuratorate and the court would make the decision. It was obvious that the officials in Donggang Public Security Bureau were shifting the responsibility to each other and deceiving Ms. Zhao's family.

It has been more than eight months since Ms. Zhao was arrested by the police from Donggang Public Security Bureau. Shenyang Women's Prison twice refused to take her because of her poor health.

Recently, a policeman from the Public Security Bureau blurted out the truth under the influence of alcohol. He said, "Zhao Guiqin is indeed critically ill. Her minimum blood pressure was 120. There was also another Falun Gong practitioner who had been sentenced and was also seriously ill. Normally they would have been released, but if they were released, wouldn't it mean that Falun Gong had won the case?"

After Practitioners Zhao Guiqin and Song Jiwei were sentenced to three-and-a-half years of imprisonment, two practitioners and their family members wrote several indictments and sent them to various relevant departments and local communities, alon with the first judgement from the Donggang Court, the second judgement from Dandong Intermediate Court, the defense argument of the lawyer, and the details of how the Donggang public security and procuratorial authorities and the people's court persecuted these two practitioners. In only twenty days, the number of people who have supported these two families in their request for the release of Zhao Guiqin and Song Jiwei rose from dozens to several hundred, and then nearly a thousand, and the number keeps increasing.

Related article:

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2009/2/4/104524.html

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/6/202312.html

I started cultivating Falun Gong in 1997. During cultivation I have always experienced a lot of tribulations, took some wrong turns, failed some tests, etc. With the blessing of Teacher, I continue to cultivate. I deeply understand that cultivation changes our innate bodies. I would like to share my current understanding with follow practitioners.

Before the persecution began on July 20, 1999, we practitioners had an open and positive group-exercise environment. Many improved quickly this way. However, after the persecution began, these conditions disappeared and many fellow practitioners reduced their exercise times, and some even almost stopped exercising. I never stopped. No matter what the circumstance, I never slacked off. Teacher even indicated in Zhuan Falun,

"When you continually practice cultivation, you will constantly prolong your life. With consistent practice, your life will be constantly prolonged. Those elderly people with good inborn quality will have sufficient time for practice."

This principle is rooted deeply in my mind, and it has guided my cultivation. Even in detention centres, brainwashing sessions, and whenever I could find an opportunity I did the exercises.

In May, 2007, the Clearwisdom website recommended practicing the exercises globally at the same time. I realized that these coordinated exercise times would benefit all persecuted practitioners in China, and it would be a big benefit to every practitioner, so I immediately joined in these collective exercises. In May 2008, according to requirements of the practitioners in China, Clearwisdom.net designated the time period of the exercises as 9:50 p.m. to 11:50 p.m., Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. By the third month of these exercises, I felt my body changing each day. My skin was becoming delicate and reddish-white, and my white hair started turning black. While doing these coordinated exercises, I could sense the energy mechanisms and systems that Teacher had provided us become stronger and larger. My cultivation state has also been getting better and better, and this helps me to do the three things (study the Fa [the teachings of Falun Dafa], send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and about the persecution to the world's people) Additionally, I no longer have the problem of feeling sleepy. I always feel energetic.

In order to validate the Fa, practitioners need to change their innate bodies by doing the exercises. When fellow practitioners see me, they say that I seem younger. My friends also notice that I seem very energetic and young. There are even strangers who ask me how I take care of my skin, which looks so delicate. I think all these are wonderful opportunities for me to clarify the truth, and to persuade people to quit the communist party and its subordinate organizations. These opportunities can also show the demeanour and dignity of a Dafa disciple.

Fellow practitioners, let's all participate in collective exercises, strengthen the pure energy field, eliminate all evil factors and more effectively save sentient beings.
Please point out anything inappropriate.

On the Clearwisdom website, practitioners have shared a lot on how to eliminate distracting thoughts and focus on Fa study with a peaceful mind, such as sitting up straight, having a good mindset, staying focused, slowing down their reading speed, reading out loud, reading the Fa as if you are reading it for the first time, and so on and so forth. These sharings helped me tremendously. Recently, I also have some personal experience that I would like to share with fellow practitioners.

In 2005, we also set up a small group to study the Fa together. Under these circumstances, when we got together in the group, we would lower our voices. When we studied the Fa, one person read one paragraph in a low voice. If someone raised his voice, others would remind him to be quiet. My understanding at that time was that we should not add our personal feelings when we read the Fa, we should not read the Fa like a teacher in a class or as a student reads a textbook. Therefore, when we studied the Fa, our voices were very low, and our tone was very flat. Several years have have passed, and everyone can read Zhuan Falun very fluently and very fast. However, we all feel that when we study in the group, we don't feel that the Fa enters our hearts. When one person reads, others can be distracted easily, and even feel very sleepy, and the effects are not as good as studying the Fa at home alone. How can this happen?

A few days ago, I saw another practitioner's article. He was home alone and read the Fa aloud, and felt very good. So when I studied the Fa at home with my parents, I also read the Fa aloud, and slowed down my speed of reading. I suddenly realized that reading the Fa can be so holy, so magnificent, and so powerful!

I understand that one of the reasons we could not study the Fa with a focused and peaceful mind is that when we read the Fa, we didn't express the holiness and the power of the Fa. Thinking of the time when Master taught the Fa, his compassionate and solemn look filled people's hearts with respect. His voice was loud, and every word entered people's hearts. The whole field was filled with powerful energy, and Master's voice echoed in the air, and everyone could feel the beauty and holiness of the Fa. Their bodies and hearts were greatly changed and their xinxing (character) improved and bad thoughts were eliminated. When they stepped out of the auditorium, they were changed completely.

I think that when we study the Fa, we should have the same feeling. When we read the Fa, we should also have a solemn manner and a respectful heart. We should also slow down and read out every word aloud and clearly, and demonstrate the holiness, greatness, magnificence, and powerfulness of Dafa.

Knowing this, my heart is filled with a sacred feelings when I read the Fa. My eyes concentrate on each word, my mouth reads the Fa solemnly, and Master's teaching echoes in my ears--my mind is completely focused on the Fa. At these times, I am always so touched by how painstakingly compassionate is Master's grand salvation that tears run down my face and bad thoughts don't have a chance.

I think when we study the Fa in our small group, if everyone can read out the power of the Fa and express the magnificent holiness of the Fa, the whole field will be filled with powerful righteous energy that corrects all wrongful states automatically, and no one will be distracted or fall asleep again.

From June 26th to 28th, 2009, people in Ballwin, Missouri, celebrated the 32nd anniversary of Ballwin Day. Falun Gong practitioners participated in the parade on the 27th.

Falun Dafa banner in both Chinese and English leads the group's procession	Practitioners introduce Falun Dafa to crowd members

Ballwin, located west of St. Louis, holds its annual Ballwin Day festival from Friday to Sunday. The main attraction is always the parade on Saturday morning. Nearly the entire town comes out to see it.

It was a sunny day with temperature in the upper 90s. When the Falun Dafa entry appeared in front of the crowd, it received warm cheers and applause.

Three practitioners led the procession holding a banner with golden characters reading "Falun Dafa" and "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance." Following the banner was the drum team playing noble and powerful beats. After the drums was the float decorated with lotus flowers. Practitioners stood on the float and demonstrated the five exercises.

The theme of this year's parade was "Books on Parade." Practitioners put a large model of the book Zhuan Falun on top of the float. The book provides spiritual guidance for Falun Gong practitioners, and it is translated into over 30 languages.

Along the route of the parade, practitioners distributed Falun Dafa fliers to the crowd. Many read them on the spot. A resident was pleased to see Falun Gong float this year. He said that he had learned about Falun Dafa last year. They were glad to hear that there were free teaching sessions at a local park. A young man was very happy and surprised to know that all of the exercise instructions and teachings were available for free download online.