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（明慧记者卢欣然编译报导）二零零七年七月二十四日，美国拉斯维加斯的《观点新闻》发表了记者萝拉•凯罗（Laura Carroll）题为“心灵的修炼”的文章，介绍了在沙漠凉风公园的法轮大法炼功点。文章著重介绍了法轮功在中国遭受迫害的残酷现实。

文章开门见山说，你能想像因打坐修炼及学习帮助人们过有意义人生的原则而被抓捕吗？在当今的中国，这是法轮功学员面对的现实。

文章介绍说，法轮大法，亦称法轮功，是一九九二年在中国公开传出的一门性命双修功法。学员学习其原理，打坐炼功，并免费义务教功。

在拉斯维加斯的学员每周七天在位于Spring Mountain街8275号的沙漠凉风公园集体炼功。周一到周六，从早上七点五十五分开始，在公园的儿童乐园旁；周日，从早上八点五十五分开始，在市池楼前。每次时间两个小时，包括炼动功、静功和学法。整个活动免费，并对公众开放。

作者采访了当地居民田波[音译]。他来美前住在中国，过著平淡的生活，在一家旅馆上班，喜欢读书。有一年，还被其单位评为“最佳雇员”称号。他也打坐并行使他信仰法轮功的权利，直到被中共警察抓走。

文中说，一九九九年在中国各地，炼法轮功被视为与中共对抗。学员被强迫签字放弃信仰；如不服从，则被关入牢房。

田先生对记者说：“在中国，我会因和记者说话而被捕”。

自一九九九年起，四十四岁的田先生在中国被抓三次。他告诉记者：“一夜之间，我们被视为异类。政府不把我们当人对待”。

田先生第三次被关时，听到受刑者的痛苦呻吟，非常真实恐怖。他说，有一次他连续二十四小时不能动。

他还回忆起一名五、六十岁的男子，冬天被押到户外强迫脱掉鞋、袜，在雪中从半夜一直蹲到次日凌晨。当再次见到他时，他已没法睁眼，看上去像冻僵了似的。

另一位本地法轮功学员Sandy St. John称，中共曾想在法轮功内安插人员，但没有成功。她对记者说，当中共对[法轮功]无法控制时，就视其为威胁。

另一位当地学员Magala Moa告诉记者：“中共认为它没法控制炼法轮功的人的思想，所以感到很惊恐”。

据田先生说，在中国大陆，电视、广播和所有的新闻都受中共控制。“到处都是秘密警察”。由于这个原因，人们都不敢说出自己的想法，怕家人受到威胁。

Magala说：“中共是凌驾于法律之上的。西方社会的民众搞不懂是怎么回事。我们是有信仰权利的。请给你们当地政府打电话，寻求帮助”。

她希望大家能上法轮功的网站www.falundafa.org了解，并签名支持法轮功。

文章介绍，每年中国新年期间，在中国城广场，法轮功学员都举行“和平请愿”。而且全国各地的学员也在公共场所举办活动，让大众了解他们的诉求。他们还散发传单，上面印著学员被中共酷刑折磨致死的画面。

文章在最后提到中共活摘法轮功学员器官。学员们告诉记者，他们在活人身上摘取器官。如果有人需做器官移植手术，中共就会将关押的人处死后出售其器官。人们真的不知道中共有多坏，对这个巨额贸易伙伴我们一无所知。

MIND EXERCISE

Falun Dafa participants practice in park

By LAURA CARROLL
VIEW STAFF WRITER

Above, Tian Bo, left, Lisa Bao and Karen Carr practice the art of Falun Dafa in Desert Breeze Park on July 15. The group meets each morning for a free class. Right, Tian meditates as part of the philosophy of Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, is a mind and body practice, combining Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism philosophies. Falun Dafa followers meet at Desert Breeze Park, located at 8275 Spring Mountain Road, seven days a week. Photos by louie traub/VIEW Above, Tian Bo, left, Lisa Bao and Karen Carr practice the art of Falun Dafa in Desert Breeze Park on July 15. The group meets each morning for a free class. Right, Tian meditates as part of the philosophy of Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, is a mind and body practice, combining Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism philosophies. Falun Dafa followers meet at Desert Breeze Park, located at 8275 Spring Mountain Road, seven days a week. Photos by louie traub/VIEW

Imagine being arrested for meditating, learning principles to help you live a good life and exercising. In modern-day China, this is a reality for practitioners of Falun Dafa.

Las Vegas resident Tian Bo lived in China before moving to the United States. He lived an average, quiet lifestyle, worked at a hotel and read books. He was voted "Best Employee" at work one year. He also meditated and exercised his right to believe in the philosophy of Falun Dafa -- until he was arrested by Chinese police.

Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, is a mind and body practice from China that was introduced publicly in 1992. Participants study principles, practice meditation and exercise, and all classes are free and taught by volunteers. It is a combination of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism philosophies.

In Las Vegas, Falun Dafa followers meet and practice at Desert Breeze Park, located at 8275 Spring Mountain Road, seven days a week. Practice starts on Monday through Saturday at 7:55 a.m., and meets between the children's playground and the public restrooms. Sunday sessions start at 8:55 a.m. and are held in front of the municipal pool building. The classes include movement exercises, philosophy readings and meditation. All meetings are free and open to the public.

In 1999, it was declared an act of war against the Chinese Communist Party to practice Falun Dafa anywhere in China. Practitioners were asked to sign forms renouncing their beliefs, and if they didn't, were jailed.

"For talking to a newspaper, I would be arrested," Tian said.

Since 1999, the 44-year-old has been arrested three times in his home country.

"In one night we are totally different," Tian continued. "The government treated us like animals."

Tian explained that after the law was proclaimed, police officers required all those who frequented the Falun Dafa meetings to register their identification with the police. It was the only group asked to register to practice in China's public parks, according to Tian.

According to Sandy St. John, a local Falun Dafa follower, the Chinese Communist Party wanted to place some of its members within the governing body of Falun Dafa. Because the religion has no hierarchy, the communist party could not do so.

"When they couldn't control it, they saw it as a threat," she said.

According to St. John, the goal of Falun Dafa is to bring the conscious mind into enlightenment, and practitioners work to be able to control their thoughts and minds.

"(The Chinese Communist Party) thinks they can't control people's minds who practice Falun Dafa. That's why they are so scared," said Las Vegas practitioner Magala Moa.

During Tian's third imprisonment in China, he heard the screams of people being tortured, and said that for 24 hours, he was not able to move. "When people are really being tortured, it sounds like a cow screaming. It's not like a movie. When people are really being tortured, it sounds different," he said.

Tian recalled one man, about 50 or 60 years old, who was taken outside during winter. He was ordered to take off his shoes and socks and squat outside in the snow from midnight to the next morning. When Tian saw him next, he could barely open his eyes and looked like he was frozen through.

"Billions of dollars are generated by trade with China, so the CCP can get away with anything -- just like the early Carnegies, but it's still happening in China," St. John said.

In mainland China, television, radio and the news are all controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and, according to Tian, "there are a lot of secret police." Because of that, he said, people are afraid to speak their minds because they don't want their families to be threatened.

"The party is above the law," Magala said. "People in the Western world don't know what's going on. We do have a right to believe."

Magala also said she hopes people will sign the group's petition online.

"Help Chinese people have freedom like us. Stand up and say, 'I don't want to buy that,' " she said of Chinese goods. "It's the consumer that changes everything."

Falun Dafa practitioners host "peaceful appeals" at the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown Plaza every year, and practitioners all over the country stage them in public places where many people will see their cause. They also pass out graphic information documenting practitioners' deaths as a result of torture inflicted by the Chinese Communist Party.

"People just don't know how bad it is," Magala said. "They are taking organs from people while they are still alive."

"If someone needs an organ transplant, they'll condemn the person to death and sell their organs," St. John said.

More information about the philosophy or the situation in China can be found by visiting www.falundafa.org.

http://www.viewnews.com/2007/VIEW-Jul-24-Tue-2007/SpringValley/15537198.html