Jennifer Zheng
Allen & Unwin
Otago Daily Times, March 11th 2005
Until I read Witnessing History by Jennifer Zeng, I knew very little about Falun Gong, other than vague memories of headlines several years ago about the Chinese Government banning its practice. Based on Buddhist principles, it is a combination of physical and spiritual disciplines, utilizing exercise and meditation to improve both body and mind. The peacefulness of this religion makes the brutal suppression meted out by the Chinese authorities all the more horrific. On June 19th, 1999 Jang Zemin formally announced his intention to eradicate Falun Gong, and since thousands of practitioners have been arrested and forced to renounce their beliefs.
Subtitled “one woman’s fight for freedom and Falun Gong”, Zheng’s autobiography is grueling reading. Arrested in 2000, she was sentenced to reeducation through forced labour, a process involving physical and psychological torture intended to make people renounce their practice. Techniques reminiscent of Abu Gahreb-sleep deprivation, beatings, hours forced to stand or squat in under blazing sun-are among the abuses to which she and her fellow prisoners were (and are) subjected. It is amazing that the Chinese Government can carry out such practices with apparent impunity.
Determined to raise international attention to the abuses being committed, Zheng ‘reformed’, was released in April 2001 and fled to Australia to write this book. In addition to her story, she includes a timeline of events from the founding of Falun Gong in 1992 up until October 2004, as well as links to websites monitoring ongoing events.
Regardless of any personal criticisms of the book (I am dubious about some of the “scientific” claims regarding the healing effects of Falun Gong, and the intensely introspective focus of the narrative becomes tiresome), its message is a vital one. As long as the rest of the world stands by in ignorance or casual acquiescence, the torture and deaths will continue.
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