I'm an old lady at the age of 64. For Falun Dafa and for the sake of all sentient beings, I brought an appeal letter and went to Tiananmen Square at 9 O'clock on May 11th, 2000. I saw a young and strong policeman kicking with his heavy boots at the belly of a gentle young man wearing glasses. The gentle young man squatted down on the ground and was suffering badly. He was foaming at the mouth and he was very pale. I told the policeman: "young man, handle things with good words. Don't beat other people, beating other people is illegal." Then he shouted at me: "Who are you? "I said; "I'm a Falun Dafa practitioner". Momentarily, he twisted my arms to the back, pushed and beat me, and took me to a place under the roof. Meanwhile, several policemen brought in two old ladies and a middle-aged woman. That young man being beaten up was still squatting down and could not stand up. Other practitioners were forced to stand and face the wall. The policeman who beat the practitioner even said in a smug manner, "How dare you talk about the law with me, I am the law. What can you do to me? Now see what you will suffer." After these words, he continued to beat that young practitioner on his chest and mouth, saying: "you're really good, hanging on without a word, good."

Later we were brought to a little room, where they had the initial interrogation for the Falun Dafa practitioners. At that moment, they were interrogating one practitioner. They asked: " how did you bring one 10-meter-long banner to the gate tower of the Tiananmen Square?" Answer: "wrapping it around the waist and covering it with clothes". He had an accent of Northeast China. Later they beat him, interrogated him, he just hanged on without a word. His great courage without any fear was really admirable.

Then the police interrogated me. They asked: "What is your name?" Because I saw them acting barbarously without obeying the law, I did not want to answer it. He asked continuously for 3 times, then said: " Are you a dumb?" I then answered: " I'm a Falun Dafa practitioner". He asked again: "Where are you from?" I said: " dropping down from the heaven."

The police realized that they could not get any thing from my answer, so they turned to ask that young practitioner with glasses. Question: "What is your name?" answer: "Falun Dafa practitioner". Question: " How many books you've read?" Answer: "I only read my Teacher's books." Question: " What has Li Hongzhi given you?" Answer: " Master Li gave me the second life." The police said then: "You looks like an intellectual. Let us call it off."

Later, we were all escorted to the bus. The young practitioner with glasses and I were sitting on the rear seat. We held our hands tightly to encourage each other, to prepare for more severe tests. The bus stopped at the Tiananmen police station. On the sidewalk, there were more than 200 practitioners gathering there, with men and women separated. When we passed by, grand applause rose up. They were encouraging me and welcoming me to join the lines to rectify the Fa. I returned my respect with Heshi gesture, and felt inspired immediately. Practitioners recited "Lunyu" (the preface in the book "Zhuan Falun" and "Hongyin" (the poems) together. Our voice soared up to the sky. There was someone pouring water and throwing stones at us, but we did not care about these at all.

Later, they loaded us to the vans with man and women separated. On our van, the oldest practitioner was 70 years old, while the youngest one was only about 1 year old. We were simultaneously reciting "Lunyu" and "Hongyin" all the way. Our reciting sound can be heard all the way to the detention center at Beijing Dongcheng District. After arrival, we held each other tightly on the waist. The young practitioners blocked the door and refused to get off the van. Six policemen beat up practitioners badly with fists and feet, used all means of force, broke up practitioners, pulled, dragged and threw us down. It was too horrible to see.

About a dozen of us, including the mother with her 1-year-old baby were locked up in a room. We could only sit since there was not enough room. That night, it was chilly and we all huddled ourselves up to keep warm. The next day, the police did "security examination". They pulled off all of our clothes and searched over the pockets. All the carried-on items, even the belts and shoes, were all confiscated. All the money was exchanged with Jail tickets.

Everyone was photographed for prisoner's ID. They beat up the practitioners who did not want to have their photos taken. One old lady from Guangdong Province in her seventies was beaten up because of that. Her face was shedding blood and bruised all over. Her arms were black and blue. Her hair on one spot of the head was all pulled off. She was even asked to pay 100 Yuan for photography (usually 20 Yuan per person each time). When they forced me to take photos, I said: "I'm not a prisoner. I did nothing against the law. It is wrong for you to act this way." That young policeman taking photos unleashed all his ferocity: "You old lady did not even appreciate my favor. You look like a teacher with poor health, I would be rather polite to you." While taking photo, he grinned and said: " You could even think that this is violating your right of portrait." I was forced to take one front-view photo.

On the third morning, we were switched to another place, and took another front-view picture and one side-view picture. I was numbered 001. Then we were brought to interrogation room one by one. We all had no sleep, food and drink for two days and two nights. Since I am old, I felt fatigued. A young policeman interrogated me. He gave me a cup of water before the interrogation.

He asked my name, age, race, education and occupation. When he asked my name, I answered: "Falun Dafa practitioner." He asked where I was from, I answered: " dropping down from the heaven." When he asked what was my purpose to come to Beijing, I said: "To appeal". He asked me: "Why you were here?" I said: "I was looking for appealing office in the Tiananmen Square. I saw a strong young policeman beating a young man; it was really terrible. So I went over and nicely asked him to stop beating. That policeman caught me. So, I am here. " He asked: "What do you appeal?" I said: "I want to tell the leaders the true situation of Falun Gong with my own personal experience."

"First, Falun Gong has great effects on healing and keeping fit and it is a great exercise, it requires people to become good persons. I used to be a patient with severe diseases, lying on the bed all the time. All the big hospitals, specialists and professors in medicines have treated my diseases. They diagnosed that all parts of my body went bad, which was just like a 'death sentence'. I lost faith in life and it was very painful. I was fortunate enough to learn Falun Gong. It has saved my life. All my diseases were cured. I did not spend a penny on medical expenses in past 3 years.

Secondly, Master Li has immense virtue. He teaches us to cultivate the Xinxing, to be a person better than Lei Feng (the role model), to obey the law and maintain the law of the universe. He has unconditionally healed my diseases and given me a healthy body. He has told us that we should not be against the government, nor will we in the future. He also said: some people are actually not cultivators, but politicians.

Third, the government has intensified the conflicts:

1. Many good party members, good leaders were dismissed from their positions and had their party membership deprived just because they have practiced Falun Gong. They were pushed to the opposite side. Would this be right?

2. For my appealing this time, probably there would be many people being involved. The local cadres would be punished, and the head of police would be demoted to be a district police, while the district police might lose their job. The local residence committee that I belong to would also lose their honor titles... Would this be right?

3. Regardless man or woman, old or young, as long as they practice Falun Gong, all was pushed to the opposite side as the enemy. Even for an old person like myself, I have worked for socialism for 37 years and always had a close relation with the communist party and never made any political mistakes. As a good person to tell the country leaders about the true situation of Falun Gong, I was also treated as a bad person and suffered torture and humiliation. I feel sorry about it. My relatives and children would also be involved. You have treated a few vicious people, who stirred up the incidents of Falun Gong, as good people. Isn't this making good people suffer and bad people happy? It is needless to mention that the Constitution also entitles freedom of belief. I request not to further escalate the conflicts and harm more good people."

He asked: "Why don't you tell us your true name and address?" I said: "If I tell you, it might not harm myself and my children, since they don't live with me. In addition, they don't cultivate Falun Dafa; my spouse is also retired. I'm just afraid of harming cadres at different government levels. Our teacher told us: other people can treat us badly, but we cannot treat others badly. I would take all responsibility for what I did and take all the consequences myself." He was shocked by my answer. Finally, the police said: "You are a kind-hearted old lady. I will faithfully report your appeal letter and the situation you have mentioned to my supervisor." After this 3-hour interrogation came to end. I was sent to the 2nd cell in the 7th section, together with other criminals. There have been 3 practitioners there already. I lived as a "prisoner" there.

Later, I was interrogated twice a day, each time 3 hours in the morning and afternoon. Every time, I talked with calm.

My life in the jail has lasted more than 10 days. During these days, I was interrogated twice a day, each 3 hours, but I didn't have hatred and fearing. However, I could not eat and sleep well. My body was getting slimmer daily. I felt that my strength could not hold on. My fellow practitioners were very concerned about my health and the interrogations. They quite agreed with my answers, and particularly applauded my insisting on wearing my own clothes rather than the prisoner's uniform. They took care of me very well and even helped me to use the toilet. This further encouraged me.

In the morning of May 21st, a policeman came to interrogate me.

He asked: "Falun Gong is an evil cult; the government has banned it, why you still want to appeal?" and "Don't you read newspaper and watch TV?" I answered: "I've seen newspaper and watched TV. But they are just propaganda machines, not a legislative body. Moreover, the propaganda only allows the voice of one side. I never saw that Falun Gong practitioners were allowed to speak. Don't we talk about freedom of speech and freedom of news reports? They could say things this way today, and the other way tomorrow. The genuine legislative body is the Committee of People's Representatives. The standing committee only discussed the issue of cults, but did not define that Falun Gong is an "evil cult". The law-enforcement body, the Public Security Bureau, did not disclose the evidence that Falun Gong is an evil cult either. It is the year 2000 now, instead of 1966 when one article in People's Daily could bring up the Culture Revolution, with a 10-year calamity and the disaster to the nation and the people. Now China is a law-based country. Falun Gong is actually a good practice that teaches people to be good and brings people healing and fitness. The teachings in Christianity in other countries have stabilized the families and societies, which is very beneficial to the countries and plays a better role than the police. Why doesn't our government send people to study what Falun Gong is? As for Master Li's words and behaviors, "Zhuan Falun" and "Hongyin" well present his realm and inner world. If you have time, you'd better take a look at the book, then you'll know that our teacher is of great virtue and deserves great respect. The genuine practitioners are persons better than Lei Feng (the role model). If everyone in our country can make themselves to this standard, the country would prosperous and the people would live with a peaceful lives."

He said: "Falun Gong is idealism." I said: "NO, it is materialism. Our teacher has combined the concepts of spirit and matter. Whatever kinds of mind activity it is, there are similar kinds of matter movement. Just because you cannot see and touch them, does not mean that they don't exist."

He said: "Falun Gong killed 2000 people." I said, "So many people died, yet they are suicide, not murder. For suicide, then it is hard to tell. I saw that the heads of hospitals and the work models who were the Community Party members committed suicide as well: some jumped off the building, some took poisons, so who to blame? In addition, our teacher teaches us not to kill living beings, needless to say not commit suicide. Suicide is due to their deviated minds and is caused by intense pursuits. Those were not Falun Dafa practitioners."

He said: "Your teacher earns 100 Yuan for every audiotape." I said: "I don't know. I've cultivated 3 years and I only spent 12 Yuan for the book "Zhuan Falun". I had to see the doctors weekly before, the registration fee would cost 11.50 Yuan per visit. Yet my diseases were not cured. What you have mentioned might exist, but it was the merchants who made illegal copies to make money.

He said: "Your teacher is a Chinese, why go to US?" I said: "Our teacher preaches the Law of the Universe. Of course, he can teach it abroad, to all mankind."

Later he said that his supervisor said he would faithfully report what I had said. He also told me privately that he had received education in college and he did not have hatred toward Falun Gong. He was not willing to take this job, but had no choice. He also said with his supervisor present, "You are a kind-hearted old lady." I appreciated him and said: "All kinds of work need people to do it. The key is to respect the fact. It would not be a problem if you do it according to the law."

On May 22, the two practitioners in the same cell as mine saw I was very weak, even wobbling while walking. They decided to have hunger strike. Having been able to get nothing from us in the past 10 days, to gain some political benefit, a policeman asked 6 people, including 2 male and 2 female prisoners, and 2 doctors as well, brought me to the medical room. They pressed me down to a bench, some pressed my hands; some hold my legs; some pressed my head; some seized my neck. I could not move. One of the doctors held a test tube; and the other doctor took a rubber tube and inserted it into my nose. He stirred the tube when it reached the lung. He even said: "You're the worst, taking the lead in making trouble." The stirring was unbearable, I struggled and yelled; I told them that I had high blood pressure before and they must be responsible for the consequence. They measured my blood pressure and then conducted another round of torture. I felt my whole body losing strength and could not say a word. I felt dizzy and coughed out blood. They tortured me in the name of force-feeding. Two female prisoners brought me back to the cell. Two practitioners in tears asked me what happened. I told them and then lost consciousness. But I was still clear in my heart and heard the two practitioners crying loud and said that I had coughed out blood. Their tears testified everything about my suffering of the torture.

Later, 3 female prisoners came and said that I was released. Two practitioners were very happy, helped me put my things together and asked me to open my eyes. However, I knew from my heart that this must be a trap. They would do bad thing again. I could not open eyes and could not stand up either. Then it seemed that they uplifted and dragged me to a sealed truck. The voices of the practitioners were crying and complaining that the police were cruel to me gradually faded away from me. The prisoners slapped my face, choked my neck, and even tried to deceive me: "Sister, you go home now. Open your eyes, see, your family members are all around you." I did not say a word all the time. They measured my blood pressure, my heart was over-beating; the temperature went up. They checked my lung and said that I had lung disease (Actually, I don't have lung disease). They were trying to shirk the responsibility. They also open my eyelids to check my pupils. I did not have strength to struggle, but had to let them do at will. I said in my heart: "When it's difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it's impossible to do, you can do it." "Embracing Zhen, Shan, Ren in the heart and cultivation of Falun Dafa will succeed." Then, they applied electrocution on me. They cruelly insert two electrodes into my legs. Immediately, my muscles contracted, my hands and legs had seizure, my whole body cramped and I yelled out wildly. It seemed like that my heart would jump out of the chest. My breathing was very difficult. Even so, they still did not quit and did it once more. The electrocution was longer the second time. The experience was the same as the first time. I still did not say anything. My whole body was weak and could not move. I had no choice but to endure the torture. At that time, they measured my blood pressure and my body temperature, which were 190/110 and 38.5 C, respectively. My heart was over-beating and I was breathing heavily. The doctors said: "Now she really has disease, even lung disease; she has to take medicines regularly. She is too weak. Let us call it off." They put so much effort, even dragging the prisoners to be accomplice, yet they still did not get what they want. They had to admit the failure. The police could only condemn the two young female prisoners, saying that they were useless and only knew crying.

Three female prisoners pulled me into the #1 cell, where there was only one practitioner. She took care of me all the time, crying, feeding me some water. I felt that the water was very cool and sweet and there was a wind blowing to my heart. It felt like someone open my clothes, let a fan blowing towards my chest. It was very cool. There were red cloths around my body and I was lying in the middle of a circle. I could not open my eyes and could not move my body. The next day, I opened my eyes and felt clear-minded. "Why I am alone in this room? Why am I here? What is this place?" After a while, someone waked me up and pushed me. She was a Falun Dafa practitioner. She told me that this was #1 cell and I was switched to this cell. I was in coma when I was brought into the cell and it had been one day and one night. Those 3 prisoners said that it was they who took me back and they even sweat all over their bodies when they lifted me. I knew from my heart that they were actually the accomplices. But after all, it was they who brought me back to this cell. So I said: thank you. They walked away, feeling uneasy.

Later, I had endless coughing and had blood in the sputum. Doctors claimed that I had lung diseases to shirk their responsibility. This terrified the prisoners in the cell. They were afraid that they would be infected and their sleep be interfered with, so they cursed me badly. I had to endure. The practitioner took care of me all the time. In order not to interfere others' sleep, I didn't lie down to sleep at night because it would cause severe coughing. I then did the sitting meditation. There were two hours of nap at noon. I had to do meditation. I endured day after day.

From being brought into the detention center until I was released, was 20 days. I went through many interrogations and suffered the cruel torture twice and lost consciousness several times in the cell. My body was hurt severely. Why did they arrest me? What law did I violate? Nobody told me and I did not sign any document to admit anything. What on earth is this?

Shanghai Practitioner June 20, 2000

For an earlier report related to this article, please visit: http://www.minghui.ca/eng/2000/July/10/MNC091000_1.html