This is the second installment
of the interview in August:
AUGUST 2, 1999 VOL. 154 NO.
4
"I am just a very ordinary
man"
By ANTHONY
SPAETH
As Chinese authorities were
arresting his followers on the mainland, the founder of Falun Gong,
Li Hongzhi, spoke by phone from New York City with TIME reporter
Isabella Ng. Excerpts from the interview:
TIME: How do you feel about the crackdown?
Li: This is unfair. The Chinese government has no understanding of
Falun Gong, the practice of qigong or the masses. They should not
impose such a ban on Falun Gong.
TIME: Why do you think the Beijing government is doing
this?
Li: Probably they think there are too many people practicing Falun
Gong, or that some Communist Party members are practicing as
well.
TIME: Are they afraid people will listen to you instead of
the Communist Party?
Li: I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't know why the
government is so against it. I only know that I am working for the
country and the people. And I think Falun Gong is good for the
community. Isn't it nice if everyone can be virtuous and
healthy?
TIME: Do you have relatives in China? Are they in
trouble?
Li: My mother, my sister and her kids are in China. They are
watched by the authorities. But I don't know if they have been
interrogated by the police.
TIME: Do you believe that someone may have tried to use
Falun Gong to engage in illegal activities?
Li: A true Falun Gong member will not do anything illegal. Most of
them are people of good nature. As Chinese say, "They don't hit
back when you hit them, and they won't answer back when you scream
at them." They will always look into themselves first when a
conflict occurs. A true member of Falun Gong will never in his life
be a criminal.
TIME: Do you think that you should be held responsible for
what is happening now in China?
Li: I taught Falun Gong in China for only three years. I have not
been in direct contact with the members for almost four years. They
practice on their own. I have never forced them. People passed my
book around, and the practice got known through word of
mouth.
TIME: But Falun Gong members seem to be well-connected and
always seem to be in touch with each other.
Li: They just call each other and ask if they will practice. It's
not very organized.
TIME: If you were given a chance to talk to China's
leaders, what would you say to them?
Li: I would sincerely tell them, "If I have done anything wrong, I
will change. If there is anything wrong with Falun Gong, it can be
changed. Don't hit Falun Gong. It's no good for the community, and
no good for the government."
TIME: The government has accused you of changing your date
of birth to when Sakyamuni [Siddhartha Gautama] was
born.
Li: During the Cultural Revolution, the government misprinted my
birthdate. I just corrected it. During the Cultural Revolution,
there were lots of misprints on identity. A man could become a
woman, and a woman could become a man. It's natural that when
people want to smear you, they will dig out whatever they can to
destroy you. What's the big deal about having the same birthday as
Sakyamuni? Many criminals were also born on that date. I have never
said that I am Sakyamuni. I am just a very ordinary man.