1. We Were Forced into the Mental Hospital Simply Because We Wanted to Observe the Open Trial in Beijing Middle-Level District Court

It was reported that on Dec. 3 the Beijing Middle-Level People's Court was going to hold an open trial of members of the former Falun Gong Research Society and that the public was allowed to observe. On the morning of Dec.3, we went to the court and requested to observe the trial. We were told that the trial was not on that day. We were about to go home when we found that police were everywhere on the street. Without allowing any argument from us, they forced us into a transit bus. Along with several hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners from others places we were taken to Shi-Jing-Shan Sports Stadium.

After some interrogation, the Public Security Bureau officers took us to Fang-Shan Detention Centre. We were all given a sentence of 10 or 15 days of detention for the accusation of "disturbing the social order." We thought we'd be released after the 10 or 15 days of detention. Yet 4 days later, the police put us into a bus without any explanation. They then drove us to Beijing Zhou-Kou-Dian Hospital for Mental Patients and locked us up in a room that looks very much like a jail cell. Soon the director of the hospital summoned us and said, "the reason you are kept in the hospital is because the return of Macau and New Year are approaching and they are afraid that you Falun Gong practitioners would go to Beijing to appeal. Don't you even think about escaping from here because we have facilities similar to prisons." It was at that time when we knew why we were sent there.

There were few necessities for us. We have nothing but one bed, one thin quilt, two bowls and a pair of chopsticks. We do not have any other articles of everyday use such as washing utensils, let alone changing clothes or taking a bath. At night, the attendants would come to check us like they do to other mental patients. They would turn on and off the lights many times to count the heads. The footsteps never stopped. Our cell is close to a Karaoke bar. Every night, we have to bear the loud noises and could hardly fall asleep for more than half a night.

Our daily breakfast and supper is a bowl of porridge, a steamed bun and a few slices of pickles. The lunch is just a half bowl of rice and a few pieces of boiled cabbage. Few could feel having enough food.

We've been kept indoors for over 40 days now. We are absolutely isolated and don't know what has happened outside. We are neither criminals nor patients. All we have been doing is practising Falun Gong to become good people, yet we are so unfairly and illegally treated. Where is the justice and where are the human rights?

By seven Falun Gong practitioners (signatures omitted)

(2000/01/15)

2. How I was Forced Into Hospital for Mental Patients

My name is Xu Jian-guan, 41 years old. On Dec 6, 1999, I came home from work very late. My neighbor told me that my wife was taken away by the District police and the Village Public Security officers for a re-education class. I went to the village office. There I was told that they were afraid that my wife and others would go to Beijing to appeal and that my wife would be released after Macau's return and New Year's Day, provided she paid a penalty of 800 Yuan (about the monthly income of an average Chinese worker). I was further told that our village was not alone; Falun Gong practitioners from the whole District were gathered to attend the re-education class.

I hurried back to see how Zhang Wen-Long's family were doing. I went there. The yard was empty. All the rooms were dark except for one. I went in and found two little girls there - one 14 years old, cooking dinner, and another 12 year old in sixth grade. "My dad was arrested for practicing Falun Gong and I don't know where my mom went," said one girl with tears in her eyes. I felt very sad. As a Falun Gong practitioner I felt the responsibility and took the two little girls to my home. The next day I took off from work to take care of them as well as my own two kids.

At 8:00 PM that night, the District police came and asked me, along with another Falun Gong practitioner in my village, to go to the police station. I was taken to the station by police car. There I also saw the spouse of the other practitioner. The District police said that they would detain us two. The spouse of the other practitioner was scared and begged to the police with kind words. The police then said: "OK, you two can go home; but you must come back tomorrow morning at 8:00 and ask your village officers and families come to bail you out."

The next morning, I and the other practitioner went to the Police Station, along with the village head. The District police asked the other practitioner to write a promise "to abandon Falun Gong, not to get in touch in any way with so and so, and never practice Falun Gong again." If he did not sign it his kid wouldn't be allowed to take the middle school entrance exam next year. Facing the pressure from his family the practitioner signed the paper, with tears in his eyes. The village head and the person's spouse also had to sign the paper in order for that person to go home.

"Xu Jian-Guang, you must also write the same." I began to shed tears. How can I do this to my Master who deserves more respect than my parents? How can I stop practicing Falun Gong that teaches people to be good? I refused him right away.

Seeing my strong attitude, the police softened. "You should also think about your two kids. Don't ruin their future. If you continue the practice, your kids will not be allowed to join the army or the Communist Party. It will be difficult even for them to find a job." I said: "What can I do? I must practice Falun Gong." The police got angry, "Alright! Alright! I'll get you to a place to practice Falun Gong. You'll be released only if you tell me not to practice it anymore."

I was thus taken to the Hospital for Mental Patients. I have been here for over 40 days now.

I've lost all the freedom. I have to stay in the room, with surveillance of the attendants. Over the 40 days, I was only allowed to go out twice - to shovel the snow under the surveillance of attendants.

Breakfast was just a steamed bun (now there is also a bowl of porridge). Lunch is a steamed bun, half a bowl of rice and a little bit of vegetable. No one feels having enough food.

What law have I violated to deserve being kept in hospital for mental patients? Don't you know how much mental pressure a normal person suffers in this kind of place?! I don't know how much longer my respectable District officers would keep me here.

(2000/01/16)

3. Couple Forced into Hospital for Mental Patients, Kids Left at Home with Power Cut off and Threatened

I'm Su Xiu-rong from Rao-Le-Fu Village, Fang-Shan District of Beijing. I'm 45 years old. On the morning of Dec. 1, 1999, a few of our friends dropped by while my husband and I were having breakfast. Soon the village security officer came. Seeing the strangers in my home, the officer asked: "Are you all Falun Gong practitioners?" He took down the names of our visitors and warned them not to come again. Our guests left.

In the evening, the District police came to ask my husband and me to have a chat at the police station. From there they took us to Fang-Shan Detention centre, claiming that we were to be detained for 15 days. Six days later, we were sent to Zhou-Kou-Dian Hospital for Mental Patients. The director of the hospital said to us, " the District Police sent you here and asked us to keep you until Macau is returned."

We don't have any mental illnesses, yet we are kept here, with no freedom, little food and being treated like criminals. We've been kept for over 40 days, without any paper work done. No one has ever come to talk to us.

Keeping us in the hospital also hurts our kids. Our 18 year old and 13 year old kids are under great pressure at home. The electric power supply at our home has been cut off for over a month now. They are also threatened to be thrown into the hospital for mental patients. Our oldest daughter had to quit her job to take care of her young brother and sister. We are not only suffering economically, our kids are also stressed to the unbearable level.

We are the citizens of the People's Republic of China. We did not violate any laws. Why can't we be given a legitimate environment for practicing Falun Gong and for leading a normal life?

There is another villager named Liu Shu-Xing. She was forced into the hospital while staying at a relative's home. She was kept for over 20 days before bailed out by her family when they found out. Because of this, her husband keeps abusing her physically and mentally. She is devastated. Would the authorities show us the justice?

We are kept in the Hospital for Mental Patients simply because we've learnt Falun Gong. We try to become good people. Since we started practicing Falun Gong, we've been healthy and kind. What's wrong with that?

(2000/01/16)

4. A Practitioner Was Trapped into a Mental Hospital, Her Whole Family Suffered

My name is Feng-xia Su, a 52-year-old female. I am a villager at Four Company, Hongshi Village, Chengguan Town, in Fangshan District, Beijing). I work in Hongshi Village Metal Product Factory as an accounting manager.

[1] They trapped me into a mental hospital. I have been detained here for more than forty days without a clue of how our case got handled.

This is what happened: I went to work in the morning of December 6, 1999. I prepared to go to the Tax Office and Post Office for filing tax by mail. So I dropped by the Secretary's Office of the Four Company and found Xin-ying Zhang, the accountant, to go and file tax with me. Meanwhile the secretary, Fu Sun, saw me and said, "You come at the right time. We need to talk about something in a little while." Zhang and I both said, "We are about to file tax at the Tax Office." Mr. Sun said, "Go in the afternoon." Afterwards, we were informed that Yu-xiang Liu and Zhen-lan Song came (both Falun Gong practitioners). Mr. Sun said, "So everybody come. Let's go to the village office. There is something to be discussed. We will be back right away." Three of us were brought to the village office just like this. After we stepped in, we saw the local police station officer Xiu-lin Zhang, the head of village Qing-sen Meng, and five to six public security officers. Two other Falun Gong practitioners Wan-feng Li and Shu-ling Chen were already there. The police officer Zhang said, "Mr. Meng, please speak first." Meng gave us a lecture saying that practicing Falun Gong was illegal, and so on.

While speaking, somebody reported that the van came. They encircled us and said, "Go! Get in the van!" I even asked, "Where to?" The Officer Zhang said, "Don't ask. Just get in. Don't ask. Just get in." I thought at the moment, "We have only been practicing Falun Gong to attain a healthy body. We have never done anything bad nor broken the law. While we always do our best to be kind persons, what's there to be afraid of?" So we were surrounded and forced into the van. The vehicle went all the way to Fangshan Mental Hospital. After we got out of the van, we were locked up in some rooms in the Mental Hospital. Until today it has been forty-some days. They didn't carry out any explanation or procedures. Which law did we break? And what kind of crime did we commit? This is illegal imprisonment that violates human rights. I don't have enough to eat. There is no shower room and we have not taken any bath yet. We are treated just like criminals.

[2] They ruined the old and the young in my family mentally and physically

Our people had a great tradition to respect old people and take care of young kids since ancient times. But nowadays these people have lost such fine national tradition.

My family is really not in good shape. We have four people in the family. My husband Yin-de Xie, sixty-two-year-old, is handicapped. He has a rigid spine and rigid hip joints. He has a difficulty in walking and he works as a doorkeeper at the courtyard branch of the Village Construction Group with a 300-Yuan monthly salary. He has long working hours. He is on duty all night long every night and works every other day during daytime. He cannot walk well and so he comes home only at 8am when he is off in the daytime but he has to return to work before dark. For this reason he cannot do much housework at home. Looking after older and younger generations is all my responsibility. I am a 52-year-old accountant at the Metal Product Factory with a 300-Yuan monthly salary. My mother-in-law is 90-year-old. She is handicapped of old age and has to walk with crutches. All her eating, drinking and bathing depend on others' help.

My husband and his two brothers' families take turns to take care of my mother-in-law. She lives in our two-bedroom home because my husband is her oldest son. Since the two brothers-in-law live relatively farther from us, I take care of all her needs at night. It just happened that December, 1999 is our turn to take care of her. The old lady never knew anything when I was cheated away and nobody took care of her lunch on December 6th. I heard that the old lady was crying everyday ever since I was gone. Two out of her three daughters-in-law are detained here (Zhen-lan Song is the other one). How can my old and vulnerable mother-in-law tolerate it? How can she not cry in front of any visitors?

My daughter Hong Xie is 11-year-old. She is in 5th Grade 3rd class at Hongshi Elementary School. She is too young to take care of herself, let alone her elderly grandma. Luckily some kind folks who cannot stand seeing all these distressing occurrences took her to their own home and took care of her daily life so that she can continue going to school. They also took her to see doctors when she got sick. Once she had a stomachache at night and they took her to the hospital. I just want to have a healthy body when I practice Falun Gong. Why do they ruin my whole family like that?

[3] How can the official care so little of the collective property?

I work in the Metal Product Factory as an accounting manager. Our country has accounting laws as well as tax laws. Metal Product Factory is a joint enterprise unit of the Hongshi Village Four Company and is the collective property of Hongshi Village Four Company. I was prepared to file tax on December 6th. Knowing that I was going to file tax, the director of the company still misled me that I could "go in the afternoon." Yet forty-some days later I still haven't returned. Our accountant always carries out year-end accounting on December 20th every year. I also heard that our factory head requested the official to let me go and finish up the work, yet they have never released me. While all the accounting procedures depend on me, how can the official care so little of the collective property?

[4] They fooled us and also cheated our money.

More than ten days after we were trapped, a village supervisor came to my home and asked for money. My family was told that we would be locked up for a month. In addition, since we stayed in hospital rooms, occupied beds in the hospital, and ate meals at the hospital, we had to pay 1,000 Yuan for our board and lodging. My family, the honest villagers, just paid unreservedly without a receipt. I heard that after the New Year Eve, the village supervisor went to my home and asked for another 1,000 Yuan for bail. Yet we didn't paid since we didn't have any more money.

Feng-xia Su - January, 2000

5. I Was Forcibly Taken Away From Home By Plainclothes Agent

I am a Falun Gong practitioner living at Chenguan South St. I am 50years old. At around 9am of December 6, Lian-zhong Ma, the village head, came to my house and asked me to the village office to have a conversation with the local police officer called Gang Qing. I just washed my hair, so it was still wet, and I only had a thin sweater on. It was very cold that day. I thought I would be back very soon, so I did not put more clothes on, and I did not bring any money with me. I went to the village office without any preparation. That police officer talked about some irrelevant matters. Near noontime several agents in plain clothes suddenly arrived and forced me to get on a vehicle.

I asked: "I told you I won't go to Beijing, why are you still arresting me? "Police Officer: "You said you wouldn't go, but I am stilled concerned. "I asked: "You police officer should deal with bad people. Our Master Li teaches us to be good people. Our village head also know it very wellthat we donated money to disaster areas from our own pocket and we built the road voluntarily. We are righteous people. "Police Officer: "Some practitioners went to Beijing and you are scapegoats.

"I only had thin clothes on and did not have any money. I was dragged to the vehicle. At that time no one was at home, no one knew my whereabouts. Security officer of the village came along. We were sent to Zhou-kou-dian Mental Hospital like criminals, and my family was never notified. They blocked the news and did not allow people to know where we were kept. Each meal we had one bun and half spoon of the vegetable dish. We were treated like criminals. From December 6 to January 16, we have lost our freedom and had been in custody illegally for 41 days. We would be detained here with no end.

Because my kid and husband were left unattended, my husband has already asked a divorce. A good family was separated like this. I don't know what crime I committed and why I was tortured like this without any reason.

Shu-fang Yang, January 16, 2000

6. I Was Deceived to the Mental Hospital by My Boss, the Village Head and the Plainclothes Agents

My name is Zhen-lan Song and I am 48 years old. I am a villager in Hong-si Four Company at Fangshan District. December 6, 1999, my boss, Zhen-sheng Liu, came to my home and asked me to go to the company for a talk. I was washing my hair and I left afterwards. After I got there, two other Falun Gong practitioners, Feng-xia Su and Yu-xiang Liu, got there too. Then the secretary, Fu Sun, sent three of us to the village office and handed us to the village head, Qing-sen Meng, and then left. Then the village head and the local police officer, whose surname is Zhang, talked to each of us briefly. I said I had something else to do in the morning, the village head asked me to do it in the afternoon. My appointment was in the morning. But I was not allowed to leave. Soon after a bus vehicle arrived, we were forced to get on it without any explanation. At that time my child was sleeping at home and I had locked the door. I had to give the key to others. We did not know where we would be sent to at that time. I did not have any money or extra clothes with me. After we got off we found out it was Zhou-Kou-Dian Mental Hospital. We did not break the law and we don't know why we were kept here far as long as a month. At home we have our mother-in-law who is over 90 years old and needs to be taken care of. We two daughters-in-law were kept in the mental hospital. After we were here the head of the hospital said we would be sent home after Macao's return to China and after the New Year's Day. But now it is already January 15 and we are still here. We don't know what crime we committed and why we are kept here illegally. We have lost our freedom and could not take care of our families. We were tortured both physically and spiritually. I hope we can get a reasonable answer.

Moreover, at the same time we were kept illegally, Police Station blackmailed cash through the village head in the name of boarding fee and deposit. My spouse had to hand in 1,000 Yuan.

Zhen-lan Song, January 15, 2000

Category: Accounts of Persecution