"In September the government of Hong Kong put forward a suggestion for a new law that threatens freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of belief in the region. The Falun Gong movement, as well as Christian Churches that are not approved of by the Chinese government, would have the same legal status in Hong Kong as it has had in China since 1999."

On December 14 2002, the Milanese branch of Forza Italia, the current ruling party in Italy, held a meeting...Because a practitioner had previously sent materials to them and they had learned about the persecution of Falun Gong on the radio, the organisers asked practitioners if they would like to introduce the situation of Falun Gong to everyone by making a presentation on the stage before the meeting began.

Seeing that they could not deceive her into following them, several policemen kidnapped Xia and carried her from her home. The neighbours were all astonished by what they saw. They could not believe that such a kind-hearted disabled woman could be illegally arrested in Shanghai, an international metropolitan city.

After torturing a practitioner to death, the brainwashing centre rigorously blocked the news of his death to prevent others from knowing about their criminal acts. They even threatened his family members with the criminal charges of being a "reactionary family" or being "against the government" if they appealed to a higher court.

I saw a middle-aged man walking up the stairs with difficulty using a cane. A police officer blocked him and asked, "What are you doing here?" The man said, "I am going to visit Tiananmen Square." The officer said, "You are a Falun Gong practitioner." The man replied, "No." The police officer said, "It does not matter. Just say that you practise Falun Gong and thus became crippled." The man answered, "I do not practise Falun Gong." The officer said, "You just say so and I will let you visit Tiananmen Square. If not, you will be arrested."

On October 8 2002, I was tried in court. The so-called confession and plea read by the prosecutor were not my words. I told them that the police didn't record what I actually said and it was not my confession at all. I was deceived and coerced under severe torture. I told them that the police officers are the real criminals.

In January 2002, Xu was arrested. In jail, he was determined and did not give up his belief. He went on a hunger strike for over two months, to protest the mistreatment he was suffering. During the persecution, he lost his hearing. A medical examination revealed that he suffered from gallstones and liver disease.

"I am a student. In not understanding Falun Gong, and under pressure from my school, I signed my name against Falun Gong at school. Later, I realised that Dafa is right, and not at all like the descriptions given by news media. Thus, I solemnly declare that what I said and wrote against Dafa is completely invalid."

“At this moment, civil rights is not just a concern in Hong Kong, it is a global concern...What we need to do is to express those concerns to the Hong Kong government to ensure that this unique law is not used to suppress people’s rights.

"Here I willingly and sincerely tell you: you have a duty to express your concerns against the legislation of Article 23 to your relatives and friends and to government officials. Only through kindness and defending human rights and freedom today can we be ensured of our human rights and freedom tomorrow! Once Hong Kong loses its democracy and freedom, its prosperity will degrade relentlessly."

In order to avoid being persecuted under the new legislation, many workers in the cultural circles would have to examine their work or publications closely to see if they could be construed as seditious. What is even worse is that competitors may use Article 23 to strike at their rivals. It may lead to the withering of creativity and culture in Hong Kong.

"It is not because the labour camp is compassionate that she was released, but because the International Rescue Committee and Canadian Government exerted pressure on China."

The poetry on Clear Harmony is inspired by the practice of Falun Gong and is intended to allow our readers to understand Falun Gong from another level and perspective.

One day, a four-year-old girl, holding her grandpa's photo in her hands, wept in silence. When her grandmother saw her so upset, she asked her with great concern, "Xiaoxue, what happened? Why are you crying?" The little girl said, "I miss grandpa." Her grandpa is a Falun Dafa practitioner and was taken away from home and sent to a forced labour camp.

Some practitioners made phone calls in advance to arrange for an appointment, but the members of parliament were all very busy and their assistants frequently said that they had no time for us. We therefore went directly to knock on their doors and to reveal the truth. I realised that during this time our hearts were very righteous and the response of the members of parliament were also very positive.

When my cultivation encountered a large number of hardships, I asked myself, "How can I insist on firmly Practising Falun Dafa?". The following article is my experiences of been determined in my cultivation.