Torture survivor Charles Wei shared about the power of compassion and faith and how it helped him deal with torture and inhumane conditions during a six-year prison term in China. He shared his experiences as San Diego Falun Dafa practitioners held their annual 7.20 event in Balboa Park to commemorate the beginning of the persecution by the Chinese communist regime on July 20, 1999. Wei was imprisoned for not denouncing his faith in Falun Dafa and for displaying a banner that said: Falun Dafa is Good.
County Supervisor Joel Anderson sent his staffer Miles Buhain to present a proclamation to honor Falun Gong practitioners. The Proclamation reads:
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Proclamation Presented by Supervisor Joel Anderson HONORING FALUN GONG ART EXHIBIT AND VIGIL
WHEREAS, Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual discipline with roots in traditional Chinese culture that combines meditation exercises and moral teachings centered on the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance; AND
WHEREAS, since July 20, 1999, Falun Gong practitioners have endured decades of persecution from the Chinese Communist Party, including severe human rights abuses because of their beliefs, responding through peaceful advocacy that promotes religious freedom, human rights, human dignity, and respect for fundamental freedoms; AND
WHEREAS, bipartisan members of the United States Senate have introduced S.4009, the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act, reflecting continued congressional attention to allegations of forced organ harvesting, religious persecution, and other human rights abuses, while recognizing the importance of protecting freedom of belief and promoting accountability for violations of internationally recognized human rights; AND
WHEREAS, Falun Gong has flourished around the world, benefiting millions through its meditative practices and emphasis on personal cultivation and moral values, with its teachings translated into more than 50 languages, and through cultural initiatives in which practitioners have worked to preserve and share the richness of traditional Chinese culture while promoting values of compassion, integrity, perseverance, and respect for human dignity; AND
WHEREAS, the Falun Gong Art Exhibit and Vigil serves as a powerful testament to those who uphold their beliefs in the face of adversity, while fostering compassion, awareness, and dialogue within our own communities; AND
WHEREAS, Supervisor Joel Anderson is committed to honoring occasions that exemplify the noblest ideals of public service, and the Falun Gong Art Exhibit and Vigil is one such worthy occasion; NOW THEREFORE
BE IT PROCLAIMED that I, Joel Anderson, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Second District Supervisor for the County of San Diego, do hereby proclaim this 18th day of July as “FALUN GONG DAY” in the Second District to recognize the resilience of Falun Gong practitioners and acknowledge their contributions to the community through cultural preservation and human rights advocacy.
Signed: Joel Anderson Supervisor, Second District
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Video Summary
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An interview with Charles, a former prisoner in China who was incarcerated for six years due to his practice of Falun Gong. He discusses the torture and solitary confinement he endured, the spiritual strength that allowed him to resist brainwashing, and his ability to maintain compassion toward his captors. The video concludes with a proclamation recognizing a Falun Gong art exhibition.
Because in China, the government controls everything.
All the news, all the media, newspaper, TV, everything.
Right?
Why?
Because they have something to hide.
Yeah, because...
Yes, because...
The only purpose they want...
So they're scared, you know?
You see, even like 1% of your people do something that we cannot control.
Because they are evil, we are not.
Right?
If we fight back, then we are the same thing.
Hi Charles.
Hi, nice to see you again.
Yeah, so I interviewed you before.
Right.
And I have a couple more questions.
Sure, go ahead.
You know, you've been in jail for six years.
You were incarcerated in China because you practiced Falun Gong and you spread the banner that said Falun Dafa is good.
Correct.
And for that, they gave you six years in prison.
Right.
And I understand 11 months you were in solitary confinement.
That's right.
I wonder how you managed to survive this.
There was also torture.
What were you thinking?
What was going through your mind?
Well, a lot of people ask me about that, actually, after I've been released.
It's really magic for other people, especially for the ordinary person, facing such kind of suffering and even death.
To be honest, I cannot recall at that time what was in my mind.
It's like empty.
I did not think about anything.
Empty?
Yeah, it's just like dragging your soul out of your body and then you cannot feel any kind of suffering.
To be honest, like that.
Wow.
But if we go back to the serious side, it's like, how do you say, it's the power from our belief, I think.
Because the thing is, if I want to escape from that torture, I can do a very simple thing, just lie to them.
You could lie.
I could lie and then I can stay away from all this suffering.
They would not torture you then.
Anymore.
But the lie needs to be like, I was wrong.
I gave up my belief.
That's what I need to tell them as a lie.
Then I can stay away.
But I will not do that.
I did not do that.
Because if I did that, then I don't think I'm one of the practitioners of Falun Dafa anymore.
It was your belief in Falun Dafa that helped you to get through day by day.
Yes, I think so.
Especially in solitary confinement.
Were you meditating?
Yes, I did it every day.
Every day?
Every day.
At least in my mind, I just recall as many as possible the words or the main texts from our Master.
And that was also very strong support for every day at that time.
Yes.
So now, how did you interact with the guards?
Oh, I just told the truth to them.
Just tell them, hey, what you have seen from your government is a lie.
Tell them what is the truth.
Yeah, that's all.
I just want to convince them to understand.
So in your heart, did you feel anger toward them?
No, no.
No?
Not at all.
Even faced with the tortures, I still remember there was a young prisoner they assigned to me to torture me.
Like a 20-year-old young boy.
He used a needle stuck into my fingernail.
And I even did not say bad words to him.
I just used compassion to treat him.
I just asked him, why you have such kind of terrible behavior?
And he just told me, hey, because before I got into this jail, I was in a detention center for the young 18 years old or something.
I think he experienced a lot of horrible things over there.
So that experience changed him a lot.
He didn't think that was right.
Yeah, they think it's normal.
What he has done to me is normal.
That's what he experienced at that time every day.
And also I think the Chinese government also spent a lot of time to brainwash these guys.
Asking them to see a lot of lies on us and make them think we are bad.
So that's why they can do such kind of terrible, horrible things to us without any mercy.
And do you think they saw it as just their job that they had to do?
Yeah, because they got the benefit from it.
Even the prison guard, they got the benefit from it, they got the money, they got the bonus.
If they can successfully make us compromise.
And for the prisoners, they assigned to prosecute us the same thing.
If they can help the prison guard to make us change their mind,
and then they can be released at least one year earlier.
So you kind of felt sorry for them?
Yes, because even their prisoners, I don't think they are really, really bad guys.
They just did something wrong.
And just because they believe the lie from the government,
in the meantime they want to get the benefit.
They want to stay away from the suffering of the prison.
Because if they can help them to do something to us, they can stay away from the labor.
Everyday labor, they need to go to work, they can get good stuff, good food.
That's normal for the ordinary person.
So you treated everyone with compassion according to the teachings of Falun Dafa?
Yes, that's one of the three principles that we need to follow during our daily behavior.
Compassion, forbearance, and truthfulness.
So for the forbearance, of course, we need to bear the suffering, we cannot be angry.
We need to control our mind, control our emotions.
So you endured a lot of torture too.
And probably the food was terrible during this.
How was your physical condition when you came out of prison?
You were young.
I only can walk very, very slow.
I take at least three months to recover.
Because when I was in the confinement cell, it was very small.
Less than 100 square feet.
Less than that.
You just lay down on the ground, and there's a hole.
Because it's a toilet, it's not a toilet, it's a hole.
And everyday they only give you one cup of water.
You use that one cup of water, you can use it to drink, you can use it to wash yourself.
You can use it to wash your bowl, wash your...
Food bowl.
Just one cup of water.
They just give you that.
They want to insult you.
That's why we only can use the water from that hole to wash ourselves.
Because we don't have enough water.
That was a toilet hole.
They don't treat people as human.
So you were still young, you were in your early 30s.
But still, one's health suffers a lot after six years of such mistreatment and bad nutrition.
And so little water.
Your kidneys, you know, suffer.
So you must have been in bad shape, and yet you recovered after a few months.
That's also magic from our meditation.
So at that time, yes.
Because I have a physical body, I take a long time.
But even that, I think it's also amazing.
Because for the ordinary person, I don't think they can be recovered.
Forever, no.
Especially the mental damage.
The mental damage is even worse compared with the physical one.
Because in that kind of environment, every minute you are facing such kind of stress or suffering or threat.
They can beat you any time without any reason.
You don't know what will happen in the next minute from someone around you.
That is extreme psychological stress.
Yes, yes.
People will go crazy, right?
Just like the torture I experienced.
You just imagine, you sit on a chair for six days, no living, no sitting, no eating.
For a normal person, they will go crazy, right?
Yes, absolutely.
So it speaks to the power of Falun Dafa.
I have read many, many articles of people who have similar experiences as you.
Horrible damage from torture and they recovered fairly fast.
That's the good part of it.
I'm so glad you got through this and you're here in the United States now.
So good to have you here.
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you for talking to me again.
You're welcome.
Thanks.
Thank you.
The Falun Gong art exhibition and visual exemplify these ideals by bringing people together to reflect on the importance of freedom of belief and peaceful expression.
This exhibition showcases artwork that inspires reflection with powerful stories of courage, perseverance, and hope.
Your efforts encourage meaningful dialogue and strengthen the value of tolerance, kindness, and civic engagement in our community.
On behalf of Supervisor Joel Anderson, it is my privilege to present this proclamation in recognition of the Falun Gong art exhibition and visual.
Thank you.
