Police Harass 77-year-old Man for His Faith in Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) Since the Chinese Communist Party began to persecute Falun Gong in 1999, Mr. Duan Fanghe, a 77-year-old Chongqing resident, has been repeatedly detained and held in brainwashing centers and labor camps. 

Detailed below is his own account of the most recent harassment. 

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Local police officer Zhang Zekun knocked on my door on April 13, 2022. I said to him, “If you have anything to discuss, you can say it outside. You are trespassing on my property if you come in.”

“Are you still practicing Falun Gong?” he asked.

“It’s such a great practice and improves my health. Of course I’m practicing it.”

“The government doesn’t allow you to practice it.”

“Whether it’s in China or the rest of the world, practicing Falun Gong doesn’t break any law,” I said to him. 

“Let’s take a photo together.”

“I won’t do it. If you dare to do it, you are breaking the privacy law.”

Zhang insisted on getting into my home to take a look around, but I wouldn’t let him. Then he left.

Just as I returned from grocery shopping at around 11 a.m. on April 25, Zhang and another officer who had been waiting for me outside of my apartment arrested me and took me to the Changshengqiao Police Station, where they took everything from me, including the tissue paper I’d bought.

The police handcuffed me to the interrogation chair and questioned me about my personal information. I refused to answer and said to them, “I’m almost 80 years old. It’s wrong for you to treat me like this!” They then left.

Torture reenactment: Interrogation chair

Several other officers came later in and continued to interrogate me. They said that I was distributing Falun Gong materials somewhere between 6:10 and 7: 30 a.m. on April 24, when in fact I didn’t even go out during that time. The police took out two Falun Gong booklets and said they were distributed by me. I said to them, “Now, Falun Gong materials are everywhere. No matter who distributed it, you should take a close look at it.” 

They said to me again, “It’s illegal to practice Falun Gong.”

I replied, “It doesn’t violate any law, whether it’s in China or anywhere else in the world. If you claim that it’s illegal, why don’t you show me the proof. Which law states that practicing Falun Gong is illegal? But I do know that the Chinese Constitution protects one’s freedom of religious belief.”

“We are not debating you. This is our job.”

“I’m not debating you. I’m talking about the facts. You are the law enforcement department and you have to follow the law. Don’t you know the new rule that government employees are to be held responsible for the things they have done in the past years? You should be clear that you bear responsibility for participating in the persecution.” I kept talking to them, hoping they would stop persecuting good people.

The police later handed me some documents and asked me to sign. I said to them, “I can’t sign it. It’s not good for you or me.”

After I was released at around 9 p.m., I realized that the police had searched my home while I was in detention. I asked my wife if the police forced her or our daughter to sign anything. She said our daughter did so in order to get me released. I hereby declare that my daughter’s signature on my behalf is nullified.