The Harvest of Silence. Chronicles of the Persecution of Fai ...
Edward Clare
- 22 januari 2026
- 9798232784362
Samenvatting:
Edward Clare's book "Harvest of Silence: Chronicles of the Persecution of Faith in China" is a comprehensive investigation into one of the most brutal crimes against humanity taking place in the People's Republic of China. The narrative begins with the harrowing story of Cheng Peimin, a survivor of forced organ harvesting who escaped and became the first documented witness to this horrific practice. His testimony sparks an investigation into the terror faced by millions of peaceful citizens persecuted for their spiritual beliefs. Clare traces the origins of this tragedy back to the 1990s when Falun Gong practitioners engaged in peaceful meditation in parks in Beijing, promoting a spiritual awakening. He details the April 1999 appeal where tens of thousands of practitioners, displaying remarkable self-discipline, demanded the release of fellow believers. However, the CCP, led by Jiang Zemin, viewed this movement as a threat to their ideological control and launched a campaign of destruction in July 1999, starting with the establishment of the extrajudicial "Office 610." Clare reveals a three-part strategy: to discredit, bankrupt, and physically destroy. He highlights how the media dehumanized victims, culminating in a state-orchestrated self-immolation at Tiananmen Square in 2001 to portray practitioners as dangerous fanatics. The book also discusses the role of the Chinese Anti-Cult Association, which collaborates internationally to legitimize persecution. A key analysis involves forced organ harvesting, demonstrating that a system exists that exploits prisoners of conscience as organ sources. Clare recounts the horrific experiences of victims, including engineers who suffered torture in re-education camps. Furthermore, Clare illustrates how the repressive methods against Falun Gong have also been applied to the Church of Almighty God, resulting in similar tortures and disappearances. He cites alarming statistics on arrests and suspicious deaths, showing that the number of transplants significantly exceeds official donor rates. Clare argues that this is not just a local human rights issue but a global threat as the Chinese model of suppression spreads, criminalizing faith. His book is a powerful indictment of indifference and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of evil.