Dr. Wang Wenyi openly shouted "Stop the persecution of Falun Gong" during a welcoming ceremony for Hu Jintao at the White House. Hu Jintao appeared embarrassed, and President Bush later apologized for the mishap. Hu Jintao should reflect upon the deep connotations of Wang Wenyi's outburst.
Falun Gong practitioners treat Hu Jintao differently from Jiang Zemin. Although Wang Wenyi's speaking out was a spontaneous individual action, her message was well-considered. If it had been Jiang Zemin on the stage, what would Wang Wenyi have shouted? Most likely she would have shouted: "Bring Jiang Zemin to justice!" Yet facing Hu Jintao, Wang Wenyi's cries were "Stop the persecution of Falun Gong!" [ Editor's Note: Ex-Party Chairman Jiang Zemin initiated the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999. ]
In a CNN interview on April 21, Wang Wenyi explained why she shouted the words "karmic retribution"—an age-old belief passed down in Chinese culture that a person's deeds will have karmic retribution, future repercussions. When applied to the phrase "Stop the persecution of Falun Gong," one can clearly see Wenyi's good intentions. In fact if Hu Jintao refuses to deal with the persecution of Falun Gong, then he is earning himself painful retribution. The other side of this concept is that if one refrains from doing bad deeds, one will avoid retribution, and if one does good deeds, one will earn benefits. Thus mentioning "karmic retribution" was a warning offered of kindness.
I remember an anecdote I read many years ago. This short tale has created a soft spot in my heart for President Reagan. On one occasion when President Reagan was on an official visit to Canada, shouts of protestors drowned out his voice and prevented him from continuing with his speech. The host was quite embarrassed but Reagan waited for the shouts to quiet down then said: I often come across such protests in the U.S. I like to think that these protestors have come all the way from the U.S. to make me feel at home. Everyone laughed at his anecdote, resolving both Reagan and the host's embarrassment.
In 1998 when President Clinton visited Beijing University, a student asked him: "When President Jiang Zemin visited Harvard University as a guest, he encountered protestors. Today you are a guest in Beijing University, if protestors were allowed to protest, how would you feel?" Clinton answered: "I will meet with protestors and listen to their views. In fact I often encounter protestors." These words earned a hearty laugh from the audience.
If Hu Jintao could hold the same attitude towards protestors as Reagan and Clinton, it would be a great boost to his reputation. President Bush would not have to formally "apologize;" perhaps a simple "Sorry," would be enough as a diplomatic courtesy from the host.
Currently the Wang Wenyi incident has not played out, and Hu Jintao still has an opportunity to display his manners as a guest. Hu Jintao returns to China, having seen even more of the truth about Falun Gong and heard even more appeals made by Falun Gong practitioners. Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang, your lessons in history are close at hand. [ Editor's Note: These CCP officials, deeply implicated in the persecution of Falun Gong, are the focus of a global campaign for justice; most have been sued in various courts, as explained in this Clearwisdom article. ]
Rewards await those who make exceptional contributions under exceptional circumstances. At present the persecution of Falun Gong has attracted great attention from those in the international community who believe in justice, particularly as the atrocity of organ-harvesting in labor camps by the communist regime gains greater exposure. Hu Jintao has always been the weaker force in the fight for power within the communist regime. If he is able to make use of this opportunity to consolidate the righteous forces inside and outside China, investigate and take Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan and other evil perpetrators to court for their crimes, and end the persecution of Falun Gong, then this becomes a turning point for him as well.
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