(Minghui.org) I am a resident of Heilongjiang Province, and one of the family members of millions of Falun Gong practitioners. After the persecution began in 1999, I was under intense pressure from both the government and my employer. Since my family members are Falun Gong practitioners, I was forced into this catastrophe and have been suffering from persecution as well.
During the past nearly 14 years years, my wife has been detained three times, my mother-in-law four times, and my mother once. My whole family had to leave home for a year to avoid persecution, and I was taken away by the police several times. Every day I have been living in fear and unable to eat or sleep well. I thank the Minghui website for giving me an opportunity to share my experiences over these difficult past years.
Forced to Leave Home for a Year
I was a model employee and had been recognized by my boss and colleagues. However, after the persecution began, the officials at my workplace forced me to write a guarantee statement to guarantee that my wife would not go to Beijing to appeal or continue to practice Falun Gong. Otherwise, I would have to resign. To continue to earn a living, I wrote it. Once, an official from the 610 Office where I worked called me to his office and talked to me. I accidentally saw a Falun Gong flyer on his desk that mentioned police officers raping Falun Gong practitioners. I asked him about this shameless act and pounded the table. I refused to talk to them anymore.
To keep my wife safe, I arranged for her to live in a friend's home in 2001. Then, one day, the local police took me from work to the police station. No legal procedures were followed. They interrogated me to find out where my wife was. I told them that she was on a trip and I had no duty to report her whereabouts since she was not a criminal. They had to release me.
Around that time, I was very nervous whenever any stranger came to my workplace. My home phone was monitored and the police followed me. Every morning, I was hoping for news that Falun Gong was legalized again.
However, my wife was arrested again. I spent a lot of money to try to get her released, which she was 40 days later. After she was released, to avoid further persecution, my wife, my mother, my wife, our child, and I left home for Gaizhou City, Liaoning Province, leaving my work behind.
At our new place, we had to start from scratch. The house we rented only had a wood burning stove. I had never lived in these kinds of conditions when I grew up and had never done any physical labor. I now had to learn everything.
It was harder than I imagined. Nobody wanted to give me a job. I finally found work laying rebar. The rebar gouged into my hands every day. The old wounds had not yet healed before new ones appeared. I checked the clock several times a day to see if it was break time or quitting time. My coat and shoes were torn open. Compared to the clean working environment I had before, this was like hell.
However, I never complained to my wife because I believe that Dafa is righteous. This thought supported me all the way. I worked as a stevedore or operated the crane. To earn 25 yuan a morning, I had to grit my teeth. When December came, construction stopped and I was unable to find any work.
I will never forget the 2002 Chinese New Year. It was my first Chinese New Year outside of my home without other relatives around. Although we cooked many dishes, we did not have an appetite. We missed our home.
When SARS broke out in April 2002, my family had to return to Jiamusi. We did not return to our home, but rented a place in the suburbs. Many practitioners came to visit us after they heard about our return. I later found a job delivering bread at 400 yuan per month. I treasured this job, worked diligently, and always kept the car clean. My boss was touched by my behavior. When we chatted, I told him about our family's experience. He was really surprised, because what he had learned about Falun Gong from the media was very different from what I told him. He realized that he did not truly know the evilness of the Chinese Communist Party, and he had a new view about Falun Gong afterward. Since then, his attitude towards me changed, and he trusted me more than anyone else. Supernatural incidents happened to me several times. Once while I was driving, a bike suddenly appeared in front of my car. I stepped on the brakes and the car stopped about two feet away from the bicycle. I felt that someone had pulled my car to a stop. I knew that my car could not stop in such a short distance. I realized that Master had protected me.
My Wife and I Got Our Jobs Back
Because my mother's health had deteriorated and she was near death, my family had to return home. Since we were no longer in hiding, I went back to my former employer in hopes of getting my job back. When I met the deputy manger, he asked me first when I would like to come back to work. I was surprised and touched. Many people who left to do business were unable to come back even after paying bribes. I was asked to come back to work the next day. This was really amazing, and I knew that I should thank Master again.
In March of 2004, my mother passed away. She suffered a lot due to the persecution. It was the persecution that took her life.
In May 2004, I talked to the party secretary where I worked about spiritual beliefs. I also brought up the issue of my wife's job. She had avoided this topic before. However, after she heard about my experience of the past year, she was shocked at how much I had suffered, since I was about the same age as her children. After talking with her several times, she was touched. She went to talk with the 610 Office to help my wife get her job back. Although the general manager firmly rejected my first request, I decided to try again. I asked for Master's help before I went to talk to him again. I politely told him about my request and the truth of the persecution. At first, he was still very angry, but after he listened to me, his attitude became milder. He told me to go home and wait for news. Half an hour after I left, the party secretary called me and told me that my wife could come back to work the next day.
“My Energy Originates from You!”
In September 2009, my wife was arrested while she was clarifying truth. This was her third arrest, and I was stunned. When other practitioners heard about it, they did not think about their safety first but came to my home to see if we needed anything. I refused their help, out of consideration for their safety. Later on when I was away from home, I got a phone call from the police telling me that they were at my home. When I got home, the door was open and many police officers were standing outside. My son was there. He was so scared that he was holding a cloth hanger to confront them. After they ransacked my home, I settled my son down and then went to the police station. I saw two police officers with my wife. They did not allow me to speak to her and took me to another room to interrogate me. Since I could not give them any information, they kicked me out of the station. While I was waiting outside, an officer came out to tell me that they would send my wife to a detention center and asked me to sign the document, but I refused. They told me that they still could do it without my consent. Shortly after, four police officers carried her to the police car while she was shouting, “Falun Dafa is good!” I was standing there, but could not do anything for her as I watched the car disappear from my sight.
The next day, I brought some of my wife's clothes to the detention center. During the following days, I called and visited different agencies, spending money trying to get her released. I did not tell my wife's family about her arrest. I thought that she would be released after I had spent so much money. I always dreamed about her coming home.
Many practitioners visited us after my wife's arrest. They brought food and some even brought money. I refused to accept their money, but I really appreciated their help and could not express my gratitude with words.
Around the end of October, 2009, I suddenly received a phone call from my wife. She called from the labor camp and told me that she had been sentenced to one year of forced labor. This sudden news shocked me. Early the next morning, I went to the labor camp, but I was told that I was not allowed to see her and I had to come a month later. I was only allowed to leave her a note. Although I felt there were so many things to tell her, I only wrote a few words, telling her that everything was fine. I felt suffocated during those days.
Some practitioners suggested I seek a legal solution to get my wife back. Although I did not think it was possible, I really did not have any other choice and decided to try it. On the day I went to the police station, I saw many practitioners standing at the gate to support me. When I got the chance to talk to the director of the police station, I told him that I wanted to appeal for my wife and asked him to give me the correct legal documents. But he told me that no lawyer would accept her case. I told him that I had contacted the lawyer already and finally got all the proper documents. I then went to the political and legal affairs department of the district police department with other Falun Gong practitioners. They clarified the truth to the police officer and his attitude changed. He suggested that I go to the forced labor committee to get more documents. When I walked out of the police department, I saw many practitioners standing outside to support me. At that moment, I knew that they were the greatest.
When the practitioners saw me walking out the door, they gathered around me to find out how things went. When they heard that I was going to the city police department next, they all went there without hesitation to support me. After that, some of the practitioners and I visited the police department every day. One day, the official in charge told me that they would not deal with my wife's case because they had received so many phone calls urging her release, many of them from overseas. I was surprised. So many practitioners that I did not even know were supporting and helping us. This was truly cooperation. I sincerely thanked them.
We later went to the appeals office, and when a policeman came out and saw so many people there, he was so shocked that he muttered that it was illegal to appeal like this. All the practitioners gathered around and told him that there was no other way. The official of the appeals office sent us back to the forced labor committee to appeal. However, when we got there, they refused to meet and expelled us.
At the gate of the police department, many practitioners encouraged me. They told me that if many family members of practitioners were as righteous as I, the persecution would be less severe. Some the practitioners were in their 60s or 70s, and some were young and brought their children along. I was really touched. I knew that my energy originated from them.
Later in the labor camp, I was finally able to see my wife. I did not know what to say to her during our 15-minutes visit. I just told her that our son and the family were doing well. I heard that the guard treated her better because of our family's strong support.
A few days later, however, she was transferred to the Harbin City Drug Rehabilitation Institute. We were not allowed to visit her during her first month there. One night, a female guard from the institute called me and told me to pay 1000 yuan. When I asked to speak to my wife, she found excuses for not letting me talk to her. When I asked why my wife was transferred here and if they had all the required legal documents, she refused to answer me but told to send a request letter.
Before the 2010 Chinese New Year, I was informed that I could visit my wife. But when I met her, I did not know what to say. It was very hard to say goodbye. When I received a letter from her, I kept it with me as a promise to see her again soon.
On Chinese New Year's Day, I kept waiting for her phone call, but she did not call. After the Chinese New Year, I went to visit her, but the guard did not let me see her since she refused to renounce Falun Gong. The lead guard told me to write to her to persuade her. I did not do it and had to leave. Sometimes, I thought about divorcing her, but I could not since she would not have any way to make a living.
In the spring of 2010, I took the overnight train to visit her, but I was still not allowed to see her. In the summer of 2010, I went there again. After waiting for two hours, I was surprised that I was allowed to see her. I was so happy. I had the chance to visit with her for half an hour.
By September of 2010, my wife's one-year term had ended, but I did not hear any news about her release. I called the institute every day. After eight days, she called and told me to come and get her in a few days. I was supposed to get a Guarantee Statement from the local 610 Office. After some practitioners told me not to do it based on the experience of the 610 Office, I decided not to do it and took the train to the institute. I made up my mind that I had to get her out of there. Around 10:00 a.m., a guard asked me for the documents and I told him that I did not get them. He checked the records and did not find my name, so they thought they might have forgotten to mail them. Around 1:00 p.m., I saw my wife coming out of the building.
The memories are painful. I believe that the persecution will end soon and hope is always with me. I sincerely want to thank Master and all the practitioners that supported us.
