(Minghui.org) The authorities in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, arrested and tortured me multiple times because of my faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), is a meditation practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
My name is Li Shixia. I started practicing Falun Gong in 1997. I suffered from severe stomachaches for years. I visited many hospitals, but nothing helped. My health issues were resolved after I began practicing Falun Gong. My relationship with family also became harmonious because I became a kinder and healthier person.
After the persecution began, I refused to give up my spiritual belief. As a result, the authorities ransacked my home five times. I was sentenced to two years in prison and sent to Yunnan Province Second Women’s Prison.
Arrested at Provincial Appeals Office
After July 20, 1999, local police officer Yang Shilong summoned a number of practitioners to the police station. He tried to force us to hand in our Falun Gong books and give up our belief. I refused. He then followed me to my home. I told him the facts about the unlawful nature of the persecution and refused to give him my Falun Gong books.
On the morning of April 4, 2000, I went to the Yunnan Provincial Appeals Office to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. There were about 64 Falun Gong practitioners in the waiting room. After 20 minutes, a group of police officers came in and said all the Falun Gong practitioners would be taken to another location. They forced us into police cars and a shuttle bus and drove us to the Wuhua District Police Department. We were detained in the police garage where we were photographed and interrogated.
Afterwards, we were transferred to our local police stations, interrogated, and had our fingerprints taken. I was released the same day. Other practitioners were detained, and four practitioners, including Professor Ms. She Renshu, Mr. Zhou Jiong, Ms. Wang Shulan, and Ms. Long Huaxian, were given forced labor camp terms.
Repeatedly Arrested and Home Ransacked
On October 27, 2011, I distributed truth-clarification brochures with another practitioner, Ms. Deng Guiying, in public. Two security guards arrested us and sent us to the Jincheng Police Department. When we clarified the truth to the officers there, they were sympathetic and released us later that afternoon.
In October 2014, when we talked to people about Falun Gong in Dachong Village, we were abducted and taken to the Shuihaizi Police Station. We were photographed, registered, and interrogated for two hours.
On September 24, 2016, I distributed brochures with five other practitioners. We were arrested and sent to the Jinning Police Station. We were surprised when we were all then sent to Jinning Hospital.
The hospital staff checked all of our organs and gave each of us ultrasounds and drew large tubes of blood from us. Afterwards, we were sent to the Kunming City Police Department where we went through another round of check-ups and more blood samples were taken. This intensive check-up went on all day. When it was over, we were taken back to the police department.
Four elderly practitioners in their 70s were released after their family members paid an extortion fee of 2000 yuan. Another practitioner and I were detained in Kunming Women’s Detention Center because we were under 70 years old.
On August 29, 2017, I was illegally sentenced to two years in prison, which was suspended for three years.
Tortured at Yunnan Province Second Women’s Prison
On June 25, 2019, Dang Yue, an official from a judicial office in Kunming City, framed me and ordered twelve police officers and staff to break into my home. They did not explain why they were there, instead they twisted my arm behind my back and shoved me to the ground. Four officers carried me to a police car.
They sent me to the Yunnan Province Second Women’s Prison where I was subjected to all kinds of inhuman tortures, including being repeatedly insulted and restricted from using the toilet. Two prisoners, Song Jing and Ma Yumei, both drug traffickers, monitored me closely and tried to force me to give up my belief in Falun Gong. I remained steadfast.
