LI: I feel sorry for the way the Chinese government has treated the practitioners of Falun Gong. I think it is unfair. How could the government push more than 100 million [people] to the opposing side of the government? I think the government’s biggest concern is that the number of Falun Gong practitioners outnumbers the membership of the Chinese Communist Party. Even worse, Chinese Communist Party members are open practitioners of Falun Gong.
I have heard that [some] beatings have been severe. Some people have had their bones broken, and some have had their hair pulled out. I really don’t know what is on the mind of the Chinese government.
I hope the Chinese government will listen to the real wishes of the practitioners of Falun Gong and treat them justly and fairly. I also hope that the Falun Gong disciples would not be in confrontation with the Chinese government under any circumstances.
I think that their way of expression is the right way. They don’t have any channels to express their own wishes. The only possibility is to go to Beijing and express their problems to the government. I think they should continue doing that. I think that the Chinese government is irrational in raising the stakes. I don’t think they can take control over people’s hearts. They can lock people up, but they cannot lock up their hearts.
I don’t know how to use a computer. So far, we haven’t done this.
There are over 100 million people practicing. If they had been organized, there wouldn’t have been thousands of people out there. There would have been tens of millions.
The incident happened right after I left Beijing. I stayed over in Beijing for about a day.
It was quite calm because I always travel alone. If I come with a large group of people, people will surround me because there is a large community of practitioners. Whenever they got word that I was there, they would come to see me.
No. If I did, the situation would have been different.
I don’t believe so. Because until now, people in China still believe in Marxism and Mao’s thoughts. I don’t believe people are learning Falun Gong because of a vacuum. I have enabled 100 million people to be healthy. At the same time, I have taught people how to be good. This is something that people in China have not been talking about for some time.
The Chinese government is treating the ordinary citizen as their enemy. It is very hard for me to predict the consequences if the Chinese government continues like this and begins to kill people–then it is very hard to say. There could be another Tiananmen incident.
I believe they would do anything.
I have not wanted to cause trouble in society. I taught people to be good and responsible to others. For the past few years the Chinese government has begun to understand Falun Gong better. There is no money. We are not organized. I find it ridiculous that the government is trying to ban the organization.
(Laughter) Absolutely not. They say that I am doing this for profit. If I took one dollar from each of my practitioners, I would become a billionaire. I ask people not to participate in power and politics. The most terrifying consequence is that no matter how hard the Chinese government will push people away, the masses will lose their confidence in the government.
It is hard for me to say, because maybe they might change tomorrow. I also think there is fear on their part, but it is very hard to define that fear. Why should the government be afraid of the people? These people do not resort to violence. Where are their rights? Why can’t they even give them the right to be good people?
I have never heard of [Prime Minister] Zhu Rongji being against us. As a matter of fact, many people in the Politburo of the party have not opposed [Falun Gong].
I believe that is the legacy of the Cultural Revolution. It was meant to eradicate all spiritual practice. That is why they cannot accept the appearance of Falun Gong.
