My name is Zhenzhen (note: real name withheld), and I work in the international business department of a bank, with the main responsibility for handling foreign currency transactions.
I was released on June 20, from the detention center after having been detained for four months, only after my family paid for my release. Otherwise, I would have been sent to a labor camp. This was the third time I was detained after going to to Guangxi Province to promote Falun Dafa. The first time I was put into Shanhaiguan detention center because I went to Beijing to appeal. The second time I was taken away from home for no reason and was detained in the 1st detention center of Qinhuandao City. The situation was very harsh there. Prison guards not only had prisoners beat Falun Dafa practitioners, but they also did so. I had spent nearly 6 months there. In order to maintain our group study and practice the exercises, we undertook a hunger strike, were handcuffed and shackled, hit with a leather belt, hit in the face with the bottom of shoes, beaten with rubber batons and forced to stand outside in the winter cold after being drenched with water. We showed a mind of great benevolence and forbearance through enduring all these abuses. Some prison guards and prisoners were moved after witnessing the optimistic attitude and innocent smiles of practitioners. One prisoner who often beat practitioners said to me with tears: "I owe you too much. I really regret having beaten you so much; we really dont want to do that. We were told we would be punished if we didnt cooperate youve been bearing all of our beatings without anger, grudge and regret."
July was coming and Falun Dafa practitioners had gone through nearly one year of tribulation. Many practitioners stepped forward to validate Falun Dafa. More than 80 practitioners from Qinhuangdao went on a hunger strike in prison. With the first anniversary of crackdown of Falun Dafa approaching, I decided to go forward to tell people the truth of Falun Dafa. I went to Tiananmen Square one day in mid-July. It was clear and quiet there. Police cars were moving to and fro. The weather was very cool that day. I was surprised to find a side door open at the eastside of Tiananmen. I walked around the square for a while, and then sat down in front of the Monument to practice. Before long I was taken put into a police car and was sent to the Tiananmen branch police station. It was filled with lots of practitioners from all over the country, who refused to tell their names and home addresses. I was then transferred to the Tongzhou Police station and later to a detention center.
In order to welcome our arrival, the administrator of the detention center recruited several ruthless people from other areas. They even had several hard-core criminals wearing shackles and pretending to be Dafa practitioners, thus making the environment full of terror. Head prisoners cursed at Falun Dafa and our revered Teacher loudly. Later we knew why they put out so much effort. They were to be awarded for beating practitioners and punished if they did not. The next morning, more than 20 practitioners got up to practice together. Six prisoners jumped on them and dragged the practitioners to the ground by their hair. Though clumps of hair were pulled out, the practitioners were not afraid and continued to wit with legs still crossed. Even 50 and 60-year old ladies were dragged by their hair to the wet ground. Then the prisoners slapped practitioners faces with the bottoms of shoes for about an hour Few practitioners ate breakfast. They did a little work with prisoners in the morning. Then somebody reminded us to recite Dafa articles. We realized we should begin our group study. As we began to recite the Falun Dafa articles together, the prisoners started beating us again. They slapped my face with the bottom of a shoe for around 20 minutes. I had been keeping a serene smile on my face while reciting Teachers poem:
"Worldly people are all deluded, and they are all attached to fame and profit; Ancient people were honest and benevolent, and their minds were serene while enjoying both happiness and longevity."
The female prisoner who was beating me suddenly stopped. Another prisoner said: "Let her stand there while we pour 10 basins of water on her." Then two people joined together to pour water on my head. They also poured two basins of urine on me. One practitioner who couldnt recite Dafa received a lot of beatings. Prisoners said: "How come you cant recite, you cant even recite your Teachers Dafa!" One practitioner, a very young lady who came from Xinxiang city of Henan province, was beaten heavily on her buttocks until beaten black and blue. She was punished by being forced to hold both arms high behind her while leaning forward, with her head facing the ground.. Our xinxing (nature of mind) improved after these two incidents. I had not received any bruises upon my body except a blackened right eye. Just after he beatings stopped, we were called to "check out" and leave the detention center. There were around 30 practitioners and each was fined about $5, (roughly one days pay in China.) which was used to reward the prisoners who beat us. Then we were put into police cars. On the way out of Beijing, we saw a long line of police cars, filled with detained Falun Dafa practitioners from all over the country, as far as the eye could see.
Twenty of us were sent to the Xianghe police station. In order to make us give our names and home addresses, the police there resorted to torture when they realized their initial soft tactic didnt work. They employed a criminal to beat us. Wang Chunhua from Xinxiang city of Hunan province was beaten until black and blue all over his body. Two practitioners were punished by being forced to kneel on the ground, for 2 hours. They fainted twice. A 50-year-old lady from Guangzhou was tortured with an electric baton for one and half days. Police from Xianghe Police station conducted all these tortures. The next day, Ju Defa from Department of Law and Security and four other people interrogated me again. They told me to kneel down. I didnt obey. Because I did not speak, a guy named Ho grabbed my hair and slapped my face twice then gave me a hard kick. After I still refused to talk, four other guys held me on the ground, while Ho used an electric baton to hit my feet. He stomped upon my leg with his boot. I yelled miserably until the electric baton was almost broken. I nearly collapsed because I hadnt eaten any food for 5 days. The next morning, I was taken to Xianghe police station from the detention house. They told me to wait while waiting for their sheriffs order whether to release me. I had waited outside until 3 pm. Then deputy sheriff Tian Qingzong called me to his office. I told him about all the tortures Falun Dafa practitioners received and explained to him that Falun Dafa is the real Buddha Law and its not right to beat people. He said: "I am not in charge of this area, but beating people is not right. Tell me who used the electric stick on you and Ill punish him." The sheriff, I thought at the time, was a man of integrity. I returned to the office of Law and Security Department from the Sheriffs office and waited there for further notice. Tian rushed into the room less than 10 minutes later. He began punching me with his fists and kicking me using all his strength. I was kicked around and hit upward from the sofa. I saw stars before my eyes. I thought that since I am a Falun Dafa practitioner I must forbear. He then pulled my hair hard. Ju saw that he hit me too hard and tried to pull Tian off of me but failed. After a while, the deputy sheriff took a break. He held his thick fat wrist with his hand, saying: "XX, I was just wondering how I could vent my anger today!" He started beating me again while cursing using very dirty, obscene words. Seeing I still kept my silence, he grabbed my hair with one hand and burned my lips with cigarette with the other. After the torture stopped, they gave me a mirror and let me clean up a little bit. I found myself looking like a giant panda. Both of my eyes were black and blue, my chin was swollen, and a big clump of hairs fell out. In the report they stated that my right eye was black and said it was done at the detention house of Tongzhou city. Before they released me they fined me $12 for 3 days in which period I hadnt taken one bite of food.
After that day was finally over, I was taken to 2nd detention center of Qinhuandao. The practitioners there were on a hunger strike. I was then sent to a labor camp in Kaiping of Tangshan city. It was raining and there were four special prisoner vehicles drove slowly toward Tangshan city with one practitioner being "escorted" by four people in each car. Going back to my hometown in such a weather reminded me Masters poem Visiting native place:
Autumn rain shedding like tears, each drop of which grieved my heart; all past acquaintances are gone, and the home was devastated several times. Eight hundred years have passed, and who remebers who I am; I burnt a couple of pieces of incense with my head lowered, and the smoke flew to the old acquaintance; Turning around with my wish fulfilled, Ill sail people back to where they came from.
During the days in detention house, I got to know a lot of Falun Dafa practitioners among whom were: Zhou Ximeng, Wei Shuyan, Liu Guimei, Cai Shuping, Song Guoying, Li Qing and Shi Yurong. Their moving cultivation stories inspired me greatly. They paid for their environment to hold group study and practice with their blood Basically the entire 70~80 practitioners enlightened to the fact that they needed to protect the Law if it cost them their lives. They submitted their report of mistreatments to the procurators offices. More than 60 people were on hunger strike while waiting for the reply. They solemnly requested the government return innocence to Falun Dafa and our Teacher, unconditionally release Falun Dafa practitioners, and punish the vile people who have persecuted the practitioners.
By Zhenzhen
Aug. 22, 2000
