Editor’s note: In 2007 the Chinese civil rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng wrote the article “Dark Night, Dark Hood, and Kidnapping by Dark Mafia,” which gives a harrowing account of 50 days of torture he endured at the hands of Chinese security agents in September, October, and November 2007. The article was released for publication after Gao was once again arrested on Feb. 6, 2009. Gao’s wife, Geng He, recently discovered the prologue to “Dark Night,” the article “Speaking From My Heart.” She has authorized The Epoch Times to publish it for the first time in English.
Under Heaven’s watchful eye, and amidst the vast free and civilized world, there is no evil that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would shy away from or is incapable of. It is truly shocking!
Even though China possesses 1.3 billion fellow citizens, my family, bereft of support, can be so very helpless!
Before September 2007, there were only four people in China who refused to follow the Chinese Communist Party and persisted in being friends with me openly. As a result, one of them is continually followed by police; the other three were kidnapped in September and suffered brutal beatings and mental torture.
In 2008, Hu Jia, who continued to refuse to follow the orders of the CCP, was held in prison. Huang Yan was kidnapped and kept in prison with Falun Gong practitioners where she suffered cruel torture. In addition, Huang heard and witnessed that the torture Falun Gong adherents had suffered was even more terrifying. Under the intimidation of torture, no one dares to communicate with me openly in today’s China.
It is now extremely difficult for me to make my voice heard. Moreover, I am constantly in a situation of peril. For more than three years, the authorities have invested a large amount of manpower, money, as well as employed the most merciless methods, to achieve their goal of silencing me.
Under Heaven’s watchful eye, and amidst the vast free and civilized world, there is no evil that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would shy away from or is incapable of. It is truly shocking!
Even though China possesses 1.3 billion fellow citizens, my family, bereft of support, can be so very helpless!
Before September 2007, there were only four people in China who refused to follow the Chinese Communist Party and persisted in being friends with me openly. As a result, one of them is continually followed by police; the other three were kidnapped in September and suffered brutal beatings and mental torture.
In 2008, Hu Jia, who continued to refuse to follow the orders of the CCP, was held in prison. Huang Yan was kidnapped and kept in prison with Falun Gong practitioners where she suffered cruel torture. In addition, Huang heard and witnessed that the torture Falun Gong adherents had suffered was even more terrifying. Under the intimidation of torture, no one dares to communicate with me openly in today’s China.
It is now extremely difficult for me to make my voice heard. Moreover, I am constantly in a situation of peril. For more than three years, the authorities have invested a large amount of manpower, money, as well as employed the most merciless methods, to achieve their goal of silencing me.
In November last year when I lived in a hotel, police shared the same room with me, stifling every morsel of personal freedom. They have actually achieved their purpose of turning me into an alive but pitiful human being. I often tell my wife Geng jokingly: “Six billion people live together on our global village, but our family is severed from the rest of the world.”
Outsiders may feel that my family is leading an extremely miserable life. As a matter of fact, my wife is the one who has suffered the most. I am optimistic by nature, and I believe in the Creator.
Even when I was tortured to near-death, the pain was only in the physical body. A heart that is filled with God has no room to entertain pain and suffering. I often sing along loudly with my two children, but my wife never joins us. Despite all my efforts, she still feels miserable in her heart.
The root of her suffering comes from the fact that our daughter Gege cannot go to school. Since she was forbidden to go to school, I was also in despair for a while. There is nothing more traumatizing than this. Shocked and outraged, I continuously protest to the authorities. My wife Geng is on the brink of a mental breakdown over this matter.
I’d like to take this opportunity to appeal to those friends who still enjoy a certain measure of freedom to continue to show your concern for Guo Feixiong, and to help his wife and children. When the CCP’s hired thugs are everywhere on China’s soil, when our nation’s spirit falls into an impasse, we need heroes like Guo who fight for the people.
These courageous heroes, Guo Feixiong, Hu Jia, Yang Tianshui, Chen Guangcheng, Xu Wanping, Wang Bingzhang and Guo Quan, who sacrifice and risk their lives to defend China’s freedom and belief, are the true hope of China. If we offer more help to them and their loved ones today, our children and grandchildren will not feel ashamed of us when looking back in this chapter of history.
In today’s China, we know in our hearts that kindness and moral values are getting harder to find. Hu Jia’s experience further demonstrated a harsh reality – it is not only difficult but also dangerous to be a morally righteous person.
Since ancient times, people have long believed that kindness will be repaid with kindness, and evil will be repaid with evil. However, this belief has been devastated in today’s China where the Communist Party culture has infiltrated into every order of society.
In the old days when tradition was maintained, people cherished and protected virtues and kindness. However, in today’s China, the upholding of moral values and goodness has been uprooted. The Chinese communist regime has become synonymous for immorality and evil.
[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]he so-called economic miracle in China was merely built upon deadly destruction to the environment. While people rejoice at the distorted economic development that results in China’s superficial prosperity, they turn a blind eye to the horrific damage to the environment in China, and to the cruel reality that 70 percent of the Chinese population have been deprived of social rights.
Outsiders may feel that my family is leading an extremely miserable life. As a matter of fact, my wife is the one who has suffered the most. I am optimistic by nature, and I believe in the Creator.
Even when I was tortured to near-death, the pain was only in the physical body. A heart that is filled with God has no room to entertain pain and suffering. I often sing along loudly with my two children, but my wife never joins us. Despite all my efforts, she still feels miserable in her heart.
The root of her suffering comes from the fact that our daughter Gege cannot go to school. Since she was forbidden to go to school, I was also in despair for a while. There is nothing more traumatizing than this. Shocked and outraged, I continuously protest to the authorities. My wife Geng is on the brink of a mental breakdown over this matter.
I’d like to take this opportunity to appeal to those friends who still enjoy a certain measure of freedom to continue to show your concern for Guo Feixiong, and to help his wife and children. When the CCP’s hired thugs are everywhere on China’s soil, when our nation’s spirit falls into an impasse, we need heroes like Guo who fight for the people.
These courageous heroes, Guo Feixiong, Hu Jia, Yang Tianshui, Chen Guangcheng, Xu Wanping, Wang Bingzhang and Guo Quan, who sacrifice and risk their lives to defend China’s freedom and belief, are the true hope of China. If we offer more help to them and their loved ones today, our children and grandchildren will not feel ashamed of us when looking back in this chapter of history.
In today’s China, we know in our hearts that kindness and moral values are getting harder to find. Hu Jia’s experience further demonstrated a harsh reality – it is not only difficult but also dangerous to be a morally righteous person.
Since ancient times, people have long believed that kindness will be repaid with kindness, and evil will be repaid with evil. However, this belief has been devastated in today’s China where the Communist Party culture has infiltrated into every order of society.
In the old days when tradition was maintained, people cherished and protected virtues and kindness. However, in today’s China, the upholding of moral values and goodness has been uprooted. The Chinese communist regime has become synonymous for immorality and evil.
[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]he so-called economic miracle in China was merely built upon deadly destruction to the environment. While people rejoice at the distorted economic development that results in China’s superficial prosperity, they turn a blind eye to the horrific damage to the environment in China, and to the cruel reality that 70 percent of the Chinese population have been deprived of social rights.
In today’s China, people in villages with water resources are afraid of drinking their own water, those in milk farms are afraid of drinking their own milk, farmers are afraid of eating their own harvests, and food manufacturers are afraid of eating their own food products.
It is the overwhelming reality. People pretend not to see the reality and deny the truth. It has become a trend in China to dismiss beauty and worship ugliness. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party sets a bad example and is the source of all the problems in China.
The depraved government of China makes regulations to suppress the good and encourage the bad, causing bad people to become rampant in China. Those with power will always prevail in competition. Those without morals, too, will prevail. Those with power and without morals form groups of the powerful. The corrupted justice system in China has further instigated hatred and loathing against the powerful groups that have risen from the unjust economic reforms. Protests and violence take place all over China, leading China into yet another cycle of violence.
Today’s China is a corrupted society. It is not corrupted by a selected few. Instead, the majority of the Chinese population is corrupted.
While the CCP took great pride in hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Games allowed the regime to enforce its totalitarian rule upon this grand sports event. The CCP replaced the Olympic spirit with its totalitarianism.
It is the overwhelming reality. People pretend not to see the reality and deny the truth. It has become a trend in China to dismiss beauty and worship ugliness. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party sets a bad example and is the source of all the problems in China.
The depraved government of China makes regulations to suppress the good and encourage the bad, causing bad people to become rampant in China. Those with power will always prevail in competition. Those without morals, too, will prevail. Those with power and without morals form groups of the powerful. The corrupted justice system in China has further instigated hatred and loathing against the powerful groups that have risen from the unjust economic reforms. Protests and violence take place all over China, leading China into yet another cycle of violence.
Today’s China is a corrupted society. It is not corrupted by a selected few. Instead, the majority of the Chinese population is corrupted.
While the CCP took great pride in hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Games allowed the regime to enforce its totalitarian rule upon this grand sports event. The CCP replaced the Olympic spirit with its totalitarianism.
The North Korean style programs at the Olympic opening and ending ceremonies embodied the authoritarian culture, including depiction of China’s “peaceful rise.” The songs and dances at the Games covered up the cries for help from people at the bottom of the Chinese society and the CCP’s human rights violations.
I learned when I was in Xinjiang that the crowds that cheered for the Olympic torch relays along the streets were hired by the Chinese authorities. In fact, each and every family along the path of the Olympic torch relays had been warned: No one is to open his window or door. No one is to raise any banner or shout slogans. Otherwise, they will be shot by the snipers on the streets.
The outside world never knew that behind the cheers for the Olympic torch relay lay CCP’s violence and threats. This is how the CCP controls the people and suppresses the different voices of the Chinese people in order to present a false image of China to the world.
Some of the power players in China must have realized that all the false impressions the CCP has made will not save it from its doom. The CCP’s costly propaganda has neither stopped the corruption of Chinese officials and police nor reduced the protests all over China.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude towards those Chinese people in and outside of China who have been concerned about China’s future.
I would like to urge more overseas Chinese people to work together for a democratic China.
I would like to urge democratic and religious groups to work together and persevere in advocating for a peaceful transformation of China into a democratic state.
I would like to suggest establishing a human rights committee that represents each and every victim of China’s human rights violations. After all, there are more such victims in China than one could ever count. The reported cases should be presented to the human rights committee at the UN and countries around the world.
I would also recommend founding a Human Rights newspaper dedicated to reporting human rights violations daily and the victims’ names and cities so that the large litany of human rights violations will be publicized before the world. The proposed human rights committee should have branches in different provinces and cities in China so that they can collect reports of human rights violations in China.
[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]he committee can have different work groups for violations against religious freedom, suppression against people appealing for their rights, farmers who were deprived of their lands, and people persecuted for their involvement in the democratic protest in Beijing in 1989 that ended up in the June 4 student massacre. The value of democratic rule is to be able to take action for those who suffer from human rights violations.
I learned when I was in Xinjiang that the crowds that cheered for the Olympic torch relays along the streets were hired by the Chinese authorities. In fact, each and every family along the path of the Olympic torch relays had been warned: No one is to open his window or door. No one is to raise any banner or shout slogans. Otherwise, they will be shot by the snipers on the streets.
The outside world never knew that behind the cheers for the Olympic torch relay lay CCP’s violence and threats. This is how the CCP controls the people and suppresses the different voices of the Chinese people in order to present a false image of China to the world.
Some of the power players in China must have realized that all the false impressions the CCP has made will not save it from its doom. The CCP’s costly propaganda has neither stopped the corruption of Chinese officials and police nor reduced the protests all over China.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude towards those Chinese people in and outside of China who have been concerned about China’s future.
I would like to urge more overseas Chinese people to work together for a democratic China.
I would like to urge democratic and religious groups to work together and persevere in advocating for a peaceful transformation of China into a democratic state.
I would like to suggest establishing a human rights committee that represents each and every victim of China’s human rights violations. After all, there are more such victims in China than one could ever count. The reported cases should be presented to the human rights committee at the UN and countries around the world.
I would also recommend founding a Human Rights newspaper dedicated to reporting human rights violations daily and the victims’ names and cities so that the large litany of human rights violations will be publicized before the world. The proposed human rights committee should have branches in different provinces and cities in China so that they can collect reports of human rights violations in China.
[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]he committee can have different work groups for violations against religious freedom, suppression against people appealing for their rights, farmers who were deprived of their lands, and people persecuted for their involvement in the democratic protest in Beijing in 1989 that ended up in the June 4 student massacre. The value of democratic rule is to be able to take action for those who suffer from human rights violations.
I propose that for people who are willing take action that they unite all Chinese who are against totalitarian rule, including ethnic groups seeking autonomy. Also, [they should] utilize broadcast networks to tell the citizens about the benefits of a federal autonomous union of provinces. Let them know it will naturally lead to the realization of autonomy for ethnic groups.
The new system also needs to develop medical care, pensions, and other general social security measures for the future China; develop an independent judicial system; develop a promise of annual compensation for the victims of dictators’ persecutions; and investigate the crimes committed by those heading the Communist Party.
We need to effectively spread our thoughts similar to the way the doctrines of the Nine Commentaries were disseminated and promote people’s awareness.
Also, I specially call for groups inside and outside of China, to make every effort to rescue Guo Quan and Liu Xiaobo. The arrest of Liu Xiaobo reveals the shamelessness of the current regime.
Also, I cannot help but appeal to Chinese democratic and human rights activists. Currently many of the democratic and human rights figures are no longer virtuous advocates for change; they have become fame-chasing opportunists. They turn a blind eye to the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist regime, as if it doesn’t exist, but which is the most horrifying and cruel persecution in the history of China’s disasters.
After I publicly spoke out for Falun Gong practitioners, those who contacted me in private called me radical. This kind of “consensus” view nourished the greatest evil deeds ever committed in China, and made the persecutions of their countrymen even worse.
The anti-violence hunger strike I started was peaceful and within the law, but those fame-chasing democratic activists, instead of showing any support, rallied together to scold me. The writers among them even invoked the name of justice to attack me. They didn’t stop even after I was behind bars; this really makes me sigh with regret.
Why did they do this? A chance for me to speak does not happen very often, but today I must make this clear: Those are actions by the dark side of human nature! Their selfish nature! Cease at once! No matter how skillfully you can articulate your shameless views, it’s all in vain. After suffering torture, I speak out of my true voice of pain. While not pleasant to hear, it definitely is not the voice of anger.
Today, for those CCP’s collaborators in the world, they should all know the fact that the CCP is today’s darkest regime, possessing a nature opposed to civilization. However, many of these connivers of the CCP became part of the dark politics in search of their material interests. Other collaborators of the CCP are deceived by the CCP’s intricate lies, don’t understand the evil nature of the CCP, and even sing praises to its false claims and fakery.
Finally I would like to thank those friends outside the country who truly care about human rights in China. Thanks to Scott [Edward McMillan-Scott, vice-president, European Union], Manfred Nowak [former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture], the two David’s [David Kilgour and David Matas, Nobel Peace prize nominees and authors of Bloody Harvest: Report on the Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China], in Canada, and the ladies and gentlemen of the European Union! You gave us your selfless moral support, and our hope in fighting for freedom and human rights.
The publication of this article will cause me to be kidnapped again. Kidnappings are part of my normal life now. If it happens again, then let it happen!
Gao Zhisheng,
Jan. 1, 2009
The new system also needs to develop medical care, pensions, and other general social security measures for the future China; develop an independent judicial system; develop a promise of annual compensation for the victims of dictators’ persecutions; and investigate the crimes committed by those heading the Communist Party.
We need to effectively spread our thoughts similar to the way the doctrines of the Nine Commentaries were disseminated and promote people’s awareness.
Also, I specially call for groups inside and outside of China, to make every effort to rescue Guo Quan and Liu Xiaobo. The arrest of Liu Xiaobo reveals the shamelessness of the current regime.
Also, I cannot help but appeal to Chinese democratic and human rights activists. Currently many of the democratic and human rights figures are no longer virtuous advocates for change; they have become fame-chasing opportunists. They turn a blind eye to the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist regime, as if it doesn’t exist, but which is the most horrifying and cruel persecution in the history of China’s disasters.
After I publicly spoke out for Falun Gong practitioners, those who contacted me in private called me radical. This kind of “consensus” view nourished the greatest evil deeds ever committed in China, and made the persecutions of their countrymen even worse.
The anti-violence hunger strike I started was peaceful and within the law, but those fame-chasing democratic activists, instead of showing any support, rallied together to scold me. The writers among them even invoked the name of justice to attack me. They didn’t stop even after I was behind bars; this really makes me sigh with regret.
Why did they do this? A chance for me to speak does not happen very often, but today I must make this clear: Those are actions by the dark side of human nature! Their selfish nature! Cease at once! No matter how skillfully you can articulate your shameless views, it’s all in vain. After suffering torture, I speak out of my true voice of pain. While not pleasant to hear, it definitely is not the voice of anger.
Today, for those CCP’s collaborators in the world, they should all know the fact that the CCP is today’s darkest regime, possessing a nature opposed to civilization. However, many of these connivers of the CCP became part of the dark politics in search of their material interests. Other collaborators of the CCP are deceived by the CCP’s intricate lies, don’t understand the evil nature of the CCP, and even sing praises to its false claims and fakery.
Finally I would like to thank those friends outside the country who truly care about human rights in China. Thanks to Scott [Edward McMillan-Scott, vice-president, European Union], Manfred Nowak [former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture], the two David’s [David Kilgour and David Matas, Nobel Peace prize nominees and authors of Bloody Harvest: Report on the Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China], in Canada, and the ladies and gentlemen of the European Union! You gave us your selfless moral support, and our hope in fighting for freedom and human rights.
The publication of this article will cause me to be kidnapped again. Kidnappings are part of my normal life now. If it happens again, then let it happen!
Gao Zhisheng,
Jan. 1, 2009
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