| When devotion leads to deportation |
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| Written by Richard Powell | |
| Thursday, 14 February 2002 | |
 Leeds schoolboy, Alexander Rostron, has arrived back in the UK after being deported from Beijing for protesting against alleged human rights abuses against Falun Gong practitioners. The 18-year old, middle class grammar schoolboy described his arrest and dedication to the spiritual practice, which has been outlawed in China. "The police pulled my coat over my head to restrain my arms when I unfurled a banner in the Beijing’s ‘Forbidden City.’ They squeezed my throat to stop me shouting 'Falun Gong is good,'" he explained. "I was taken into custody and all of my possessions were taken away. I resisted when they tried to take my photograph, so six police officers manhandled me until I stood still, then one of them hit me around the head with the back of his hand. "I was put in a room with other Westerners who had been detained and the police brought in food and drink. A camera crew came in to film us, but we didn’t eat or drink anything."  Alex Rostron: back in the UK "Almost immediately I saw improvements in myself, I harboured less anger towards my parents and my friends, I became less jealous, less competitive and less selfish and materialistic," he said. “I also saw my mock GCSE grades rise from Cs and Ds to As and Bs.” Falun Gong practitioners maintain they have no formal membership, temples or worship. "I can learn it by myself and go to any classes held in any location throughout the UK. “I’ve even started to help people learn the exercises of Falun Gong in Roundhay Park, where I exercise. If anyone wants to come and learn, I’ll teach them - but I don’t force it on people," Alexander said. He put the majority of the £460 it cost him to travel to China up himself, but also borrowed from his father and a friend. Despite his commitment to Falun Gong, Alexander insists it does not interfere with his personal life. "I spend time with my family and go out with friends and do school work as usual, but if I have a lot of time free then I’ll dedicate it to exercising and reading Falun Gong books. “The main book, Zhuan Falun, showed me how good to be a good person and showed materialism and capitalism to me as they really are. Before, I was a strong atheist, like my whole family, but after reading Zhuan Falun my perception of life changed for the better.” Alexander recently won Amnesty International's 'A Fairer World - A World Without Torture' competition in his age group. his submission was a yin and yang symbol collage showing the freedom of Falun Gong practitioners outside of China on one side, with the suffering and deaths of practitioners living in China in the other. He defended the practice against the Chinese authorities' labelling of Falun Gong as a cult. “There’s no membership and no hierarchy. Cults try to take you away from society or promote supremacy. We’re not like that. We live within society and live well with nice things and good jobs. “There’s a misconception that Falun Gong warps people’s mentalities- but it only changes your mentality in making you less selfish,” he added. He was unfazed by his detention by the Chinese police. “When there are people being killed and tortured for their beliefs, it doesn’t matter!" he said. "It’s the same situation as the Nazis persecuting the Jews. Martin Niemoller, the German Protestant Pastor wrote a poem once that ends: ‘Then they came for me, and there was no one left to object.’ “You can’t just take that mentality and say: "It’s China, it’s got nothing to do with me." You have to stand up and say to the Chinese Government: "You’ve signed these human rights declarations, but you break them every time you detain, torture and kill these people!" Back in the UK, for the time being, Alexander looks set to continue his work to raise awareness of the issues. “I’ve got my local MP, Fabian Hamilton, involved and handed a signed petition to him last year. I have also got replies about my concerns from the Foreign Office saying they agree the Chinese authorities behaviour is wrong and they are looking into what they can do.” Related Items:
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