(Minghui.org) Former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin launched the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. He used the state media to run propaganda to turn the nation against Falun Gong, and many people in China developed hatred of Falun Gong as a result. However, some have seen through the propaganda and defended Falun Gong publicly. I would like to share a few stories of people I’ve encountered.
My Supervisor
On the day of July 20, 1999 (when the persecution officially began), a new employee in our department insulted Falun Gong in the hallway where everybody could hear him. It was loud enough that our supervisor came out of his office.
“Shut up! What do you know? Get back to your office,” he told the newbie.
The air seemed to freeze as everyone turned to look at me. Somebody mumbled, “Another round of political struggle is coming.”
Not long after that, the police and the agents from the 610 Office came to arrest me.
My coworkers later told me that after I was taken away, our supervisor told the new hire about the positive changes that I underwent in both mind and body after I took up Falun Gong. The new hire ended up changing his view of Falun Gong as a result, and he even supported me in my practice later on.
On the evening of my arrest, my supervisor came to visit me at the police station and brought dinner for me. He told the police that I was a reliable and trustworthy person, and that I had helped him a lot at work. He also told them how practicing Falun Gong had improved my health.
Shortly after I was released, I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in September, but I was arrested midway, escorted back, and detained.
The head of the detention center called me to his office and asked, “Please let me know if you've been mistreated by anyone here. Your supervisor has spoken to me directly and asked me to take good care of you. Looks like you're indeed a good person.”
My supervisor also spoke very highly of me to others after I was detained. He told people about how my health had improved after practicing Falun Gong, and how that was why I wanted to go to Beijing to appeal.
My work department was nominating two star workers towards the end of the year. Many people competed for these awards.
My supervisor commented, “I believe that the only two Falun Gong practitioners in our department are qualified to receive these awards. But unfortunately, the higher-ups won't allow me to give the award to them.”
My Coworkers
To prevent me from going to Beijing again, I was held at my workplace and monitored by the Communist Party secretary in my department. One day, he was trying to flaunt his authority and said some disrespectful things.
I remained calm and said to him, “We work in the same office, and you should know me very well. Before the government started persecuting Falun Gong, you often told others about how Falun Gong healed my illnesses. What's the matter with you today? Our ancestors taught us to be grateful to those who help us. Falun Gong helps me to become a healthy and better person, so I feel very grateful for Falun Gong. How can I lie?”
He raised his voice: “The CCP tells you to stop practicing Falun Gong, so you must do what the government tells you to!”
Hearing that, several of my coworkers came over to reason with him.
“We all know she's a good person!” one of them said. “We don't like the way you treat her!”
“Don't forget that she's helped you before,” said another. “You should be grateful to her.”
A college graduate joined our team shortly after the persecution began. After working here for a few months, she said to me, “I didn't know anything about Falun Gong before, and I didn't pay much attention to it. But after getting to know you, I realize that Falun Gong is nothing like what the government wants us to believe.”
“I noticed that the media only repeats the same political slogans against Falun Gong, but they seldom use any facts, so their propaganda isn't convincing. Millions of Chinese people practiced Falun Gong before the persecution started, and many were well-educated. There must be some merit in Falun Gong, and that's why people like it. Anyway, I won't be easily fooled by the government propaganda anymore.”
I was later arrested again and given a three-year sentence in 2001. At that time, my husband had just been laid off from work, and our child was about to start college. We lost all of our income. My coworkers wrote a letter to me and told me that they missed the happy times with me in the office. Many of them made donations to me to support my family through the difficult times.
I was so happy that they were able to stand up for justice despite the government's suppression. Although I declined their donations, I was deeply touched by their kindness. This letter also impressed the prison guards, who all treated me with respect afterward.
My Neighbors
We lived in an old apartment building where five families shared one toilet and a hallway. We all got along very well. I tutored my neighbors' children in Chinese and English, and my husband tutored them in math. Neither of us accepted any money to do this. When the grandmothers were sick, we helped take them to the hospital.
After I returned from prison, people from the local police station and neighborhood committee came to harass me every day, but my neighbors stopped them.
A police officer told me, “Every time we go to your apartment, a few old ladies come out and try to reason with us. They told us that your entire family are good people. You cleaned the public toilet and changed the light bulbs in the hallway for everyone. If the toilet was clogged, you cleaned it by hand. You also tutored their grandchildren voluntarily. They asked us why we don't go arrest the thieves, drug dealers, and prostitutes around the area instead!”
After the police understood the facts, they did not prevent our child from getting a passport to study aboard while I was imprisoned.
My Uncle
My uncle was the CCP secretary of his village for many years. When the central government ordered them to study the CCP's propaganda against Falun Gong, my uncle said, “I haven't seen what the propaganda says, but my niece practices Falun Gong, and all her illnesses were healed. No matter what you say, I will trust the facts. She was in poor health before, but now she is strong and healthy and looks younger than her age.”
After I was released, I went to visit my uncle and told the villagers about Falun Gong and the persecution. Everybody was friendly to me even though they knew why I was arrested. With my uncle's help, they easily accepted me and understood Falun Gong.
The host of one family greeted me warmly, “Welcome! Your uncle has told me about your situation.”
He was overcome with emotion when he said, “You have suffered!” and started to cry. I was so moved that tears ran down my cheeks, too.
My uncle later told me about him: “That man is very talented, but because of his family history, he has been persecuted by the CCP and was once imprisoned. He and his wife were homeless for a long time, and they suffered tremendously in the CCP's political persecutions.”
