(Minghui.org) Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, I have been repeatedly harassed and arrested for not giving up my faith. Occasionally, I encountered some police officers who didn’t participate in the persecution and tried their best to protect practitioners.
It happened over 20 years ago but my memory is still vivid.
After the CCP started the persecution, many Falun Gong practitioners went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice our faith. One day a fellow practitioner and I tried to take the train to Beijing. Before boarding, every passenger was forced to curse Falun Gong and its founder Mr. Li Hongzhi. Whoever refused to do so would be taken away. This was how the local authorities searched for practitioners and prevented us from going to Beijing.
We refused to comply and were taken to an office. An officer attempted to beat us but was stopped by his supervisor. After the police left, the supervisor asked for our names and addresses. We refused to answer, knowing that many police officers had tricked us into revealing our personal information this way. He assured us that he was trying to help us.
He thought for a while and said he would discuss the situation with his leader on how he could best help us.
Soon he came back and told us, “My superior just wanted to have your names and addresses and then we will let you go. We won’t report you to anyone.”
Having witnessed how the police used various tricks to deceive Falun Gong practitioners, we still didn’t trust him. No matter whether he really wanted to help us, we shouldn’t tell him our names whatsoever.
He went to discuss with his superior back and forth several times. At last, he suggested to us that we give him a fake name and address; otherwise he couldn’t fill out his work report.
We told him that we couldn’t lie because we follow the principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” Then I started to tell him about my personal experience.
I told him that before practicing Falun Gong, I was a very calculated person. Now I learned to think in others’ shoes. My mother-in-law has four children, but after minor surgery, I was the only child or daughter-in-law taking care of her, day and night. Yet I had no complaint. After I practiced Falun Gong, all my diseases were also gone without any medical treatment. But the CCP launched the persecution and banned Falun Gong. Not only were we not allowed to practice our faith, but the local authorities also often attempted to force us to give up our faith. In order to get our signatures, they lied to us and detained us at will. My whole family was worried because I might be arrested at any time.
I spoke without realizing that I was crying. The police supervisor listened quietly and shed tears silently. He sighed and said, “Well, I won’t ask again. Please wait for a little longer.” He went upstairs again.
After a while, he came back and said, “You two are lucky to meet us on duty tonight; otherwise you would be detained. You know what? In the summer of 1999, the police arrested so many Falun Gong practitioners that this room was completely full. A university professor talked to us about Falun Gong the whole night. Later I got some materials at home that was slipped through the door. I understand the truth. There is no way for you to go to Beijing now, so you should go home and print more materials to distribute. People who read them will understand the truth.”
We were shocked by his words and began to trust him. Then he continued, “I will turn my back to the door. Please leave before people from the next shift come.”
We were touched by his kindness and tried to leave. But we didn’t know how to unlock the door and the police officers in the yard found out and yelled, “Falun Gong (practitioners) are running away!”
The supervisor came and said to them, “Stop shouting! It is none of your business. Just do your work!” He helped us open the door and reminded us to pay attention to safety.
Once I was arrested when I tried to rescue a fellow practitioner and was put into jail.
I didn’t break any law. To protest, I refused to cooperate with prison guards and didn’t join any prison activities.
One day all the prisoners were required to watch the video of the Wenchun Earthquake in 2008. When the prison guards found out I didn’t watch the video, she was angry. “Why didn’t you watch the video? So many people died in the earthquake. Don’t you care at all?” I smiled at her, “Don’t be angry. Please sit down and listen to me.”
I told her that the reason that I didn’t watch the video was not against her but I could not bear to see the tragic scenes. “Since it already happened, what is the point of watching it? We need to think about the reason behind the tragedy. We all know the principle that good receive good and evil receives retribution. Natural disasters and human-caused disasters are the consequence of people doing bad things.” She didn’t stop me.
I continued, “Jiang Zemin (former CCP leader) started the persecution of Falun Gong, and staged the Tiananmen Self-immolation Hoax to frame Falun Gong. The CCP spread hatred among people. Won’t there be consequences? We are clarifying the truth to people, so people wouldn’t follow the CCP blindly and thus they can escape the disaster. Isn’t that better?”
She listened carefully and nodded. I answered her questions and explained in detail why the Tiananmen Self-immolation incident was a hoax.
When she saw me the next day, she smiled. Later I heard that she agreed to quit the CCP and its associated organizations when another practitioner talked to her. She later gave birth to a baby boy, after years of struggling to conceive.
After I was released from prison, I was sent to the local brainwashing center since I refused to give up my faith.
I went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. One agent from the 610 Office couldn’t bear to see me suffering, so he gave me two bowls of noodles secretly. He said, “I paid for the noodles myself. You should eat because your health is more important.” I was surprised. I never imagined that there was such a good person in the 610 Office.
I talked to him about Falun Gong and he was happy to listen. I suggested that he find another job because the purpose of the 610 Office is to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. He said, “I have wanted to leave here for a long time, but it is difficult.” I hope that he was able to find a different job after that.
Once a fellow practitioner and I were talking to people about Falun Gong at a market when we were reported to the police. Police officers took us to the police station, and put us in two different rooms. They took turns interrogating us and attempted to force us to fingerprint their pre-prepared statement to renounce our faith.
I noticed that one of the officers remained quiet. When he was finally left alone, he asked me several questions, all of which were about the propaganda spread by the CCP to defame Falun Gong. I explained to him in detail. As he listened, he suddenly applauded and shouted, “Good! Great explanation!”
I was not prepared for this and was surprised by him. I was glad that he asked me those questions. I hope that he can learn more about Falun Gong in the future and stop participating in the persecution.