(Minghui.org) I have been to police stations, detention centers and the courts many times. I was detained only once for several hours. At other times, I was there to help fellow practitioners. With strong righteous thoughts, I met little resistance from the authorities.
Visiting a Fellow Practitioner in the Detention Center
When I heard that a practitioner had been taken to the local detention center, I immediately picked up some things for her and went there. The gate was wide open. I walked in and looked for the practitioner in every room. Suddenly a guard yelled, “How did you get in?” “The gate was open so I walked in. I'm looking for... [the practitioners name]” I answered. The guard then brought her to the visitor's room.
I handed the practitioner the things I had brought and told her to maintain her righteous thoughts. She nodded and said: “Don't worry. I won't tell them anything.” I told her that many practitioners were sending righteous thoughts for her. She was touched and determined to get out soon. A few days later, she was indeed released.
From this experience I realized that for practitioners who are in detention, to be visited by another practitioner can be a huge encouragement. So I went to visit practitioners who were detained many times.
Visiting Practitioners Held in Police Stations
A practitioner was taken to a police station where one of my relatives worked. I visited my relative and asked him if he could allow me to visit a friend who was arrested because he practiced Falun Gong. The relative said that he couldn't help me, as no one can touch Falun Gong cases. I then asked if he could try to protect the practitioner. He agreed to try.
Another practitioner was taken to a police station and went on a hunger strike. I met with her mother, who is also a practitioner. I told her that we must go and see her daughter, as she is going through a tough time and needs our support. Her mother was hesitant, as she had already been there several times and was not allowed to see her, while I believed we must still go. Besides encouraging a fellow practitioner to maintain righteous thoughts, we should also let the police know that her family members were trying to get her released, so they may not treat her too badly. Her mother then agreed to go.
The practitioner's mother, brother and I went to the police station, but they refused to let us see her. I said: “You tortured her, didn't you? Otherwise, why won't you let us see her? She practices Falun Gong and wants to be a good person. She hasn't committed a crime. Why did you arrest her? She has been on a hunger strike for several days. Why didn't you inform her family?” The police had no answer and eventually let us see the practitioner.
Supporting Practitioners During Their Court Trial
When we heard that a practitioner was to be tried, many local practitioners went to the court to send righteous thoughts. Some practitioners and I went inside. One practitioner put up posters about Falun Gong inside the courthouse.
The practitioner to be tried was escorted in. I walked up to her, gave her a big hug, and patted her on the back. The police didn't even try to stop us.
During the trial I sat right behind her, sending righteous thoughts. The practitioner defended herself and did not admit to any accusation or any crime. However, she was still sentenced to prison. After her release, she came to thank me and said that the hug I gave her before the hearing encouraged her greatly.
Practitioners know that any encouragement from fellow practitioners is important when facing persecution. Even a simple encouraging look can make a huge difference.
Two practitioners were tried in another city one time. I rushed there and entered the court. When they were brought in, they saw me. They looked at each other and knew that other practitioners were supporting them.
“Is it time for me to try your friend, or is it time for you to talk about Falun Gong?”
Police are very afraid of practitioners attending trials, and often change the trial location without informing the practitioners' families.
A practitioner was once taken to a small town to be tried. Her brother called me to say that he'd just received this information and had no time to inform more practitioners. He asked if I could attend the trial.
I quickly gathered several practitioners and went to the court, where we were informed that the trial had been relocated to the detention center. So we rushed over there. When we got there, we were told that the police had taken the practitioner away. We rushed back to the court, and arrived at the same time as the police car with the practitioner inside.
The practitioner was being held by two officers when she got out of the car, as she had difficulty walking. I went up to help. She was trembling due to the cold, so I took off my coat and put it around her. An officer yelled, asking who I was. “I am her friend,” I said, “what have you done to her? Look at her!” The officer remained silent.
Before anyone could say anything in the courtroom, I spoke aloud: “My friend is a good person. You arrested her only because she practices Falun Gong. You have done bad things to her and now she can barely walk. Before she practiced, she had quite a temper and no one dared to argue with her. After she practiced, her attitude improved a lot and now she always thinks others first. Your superiors told you Falun Gong is bad and you just followed them. Have you ever learned anything about the practice?”
The judge pounded on the table: “Be quiet! Listen to the prosecutor.” The prosecutor read the indictment, which listed how many Falun Gong leaflets the practitioner had distributed and how many people she had helped to quit the Chinese Communist Party. The prosecutor then accused the practitioner of disturbing the social order and law enforcement.
“What you said is wrong,” I shouted, as I spoke up for her. “My friend gave out the leaflets in order to save people. Have you read them? It reports the truth. When you saw on television that practitioners set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square, you probably believed it. But after you read the leaflet you would know that the incident was staged and those people were not practitioners. Where did that many fire extinguishers come from? How could a person's hair not burn when it was supposedly on fire? How could the plastic bottle supposedly holding gasoline not ignite?”
The practitioner's brother also spoke up: “There was also that little girl on TV. How could she sing after her trachea had been cut? The whole thing was clearly made up! Why is Falun Gong labeled an evil cult only in Mainland China?”
I then cut in, “... but the practice is welcomed in more than 100 countries and regions, including Taiwan and Hong Kong.”
We went on talking for about 30 minutes. The judge, prosecutor, clerks and police listened quietly. After a long time, the judge suddenly said, “Stop it now!” He looked around and then continued, “Is this a time for me to try your friend, or for you to talk about Falun Gong?” He then yawned and said: “Today's trial will end now.”
Police Chief Tells Subordinates to Return the Money They Took
The police ransacked my home after following me from a practitioner's home. There were many informational materials about Falun Gong in the room, but they didn't seem to notice them. They only saw some Yuan bills with truth clarification messages written on them.
I was taken to the police station. My family and an official from my village went there to see me. “Why didn't you speak to me when you took her from my village? I need to take her back home!” The village official told the police chief.
The police chief said: “Don't get angry. I was just following orders from the 610 Office. She is still talking about how good Falun Gong is. Can you tell her to stop?” The village official replied: “She can say whatever she wants. You must release her now, even it costs me my job!”
When someone from the 610 Office called, the police chief told them: “We didn't get any evidence from her home. You told me to bring her to the station. Now her family and a local official are here complaining.”
After the phone call, the police chief told my village official: “You can take her home. I don't want to get involved anymore.” My husband took my hand and wanted to leave, but I asked: “Where is my money? They took my money.” My husband wanted to leave right away. “Forget about the money,” he said. “No! It's mine and they can't take it!” I turned to the police chief: “Please return my money your men took!” The chief shouted to his subordinates: “Where's her money? Return it to her so we won't get blamed!”
