85-Year-Old Retired Engineer Harassed for Talking to People About Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) An 85-year-old retired senior engineer in Beijing has been harassed and had his home frequently raided in recent years, for talking to people about his faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditation practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime for the past 22 years.

The recent harassment of Mr. Pan Qin started on February 26, 2020. More than ten agents from Babaoshan Police Station and the local residential committee broke into his home and spent two hours ransacking the apartment. They confiscated his Falun Gong books, a photo of Falun Gong’s founder, 1,000 yuan in cash, three laptop computers, three printers, and a paper cutter. He protested the raid and refused to sign the list of confiscated items.

A group of unidentified officers ransacked Mr. Pan’s home again on April 23, 2021, without a search warrant. This time, they confiscated one laptop computer, one printer, and over 1,000 yuan in cash.

Mr. Pan went to a local tourist site on October 1, 2021, and was reported by two middle school students for talking to people about Falun Gong. The police took him to the Xiangshan Police Station after body searching him and finding three copies of Falun Gong informational materials on him.

One police officer snatched Mr. Pan’s home key and searched his apartment. His computer, printer, and Zhuan Falun, the main teaching of Falun Gong, were confiscated. The police intended to give Mr. Pan 14 days of administrative detention but relented due to his advanced age.

Police officers subsequently monitored Mr. Pan around the clock until November 9. Agents from the residential committee went to Mr. Pan’s home twice and tried to persuade him to sign statements to renounce his faith. He refused to comply.

Further Harassment by the Police

A newly appointed chief of the Domestic Security Office, along with three other officers, went to “interview” Mr. Pan in late October 2021. The police chief introduced himself as a graduate from the law school of the prestigious Peking University. He said, “The state banned Falun Gong in accordance with the law. You cannot break the law, or you will be punished and your family members will also be implicated.”

Mr. Pan replied, “One’s freedom of belief is protected by the Constitution. Practicing Falun Gong is legal. It seems that you do not know the law well. On the contrary, your threatening me to give up my faith is illegal. You shouldn’t follow the communist regime’s persecution blindly. You’ll eventually be held accountable.”

Seeing that he was unable to persuade Mr. Pan, the police chief left.

While they were talking, two police officers searched Mr. Pan’s rooms. Before they left, Mr. Pan noticed that they had picked up his new computer and flash drive without telling him.

“You can’t take my computer,” he said to them.

“We are just taking it for an inspection,” the police insisted.

Another group of police and residential committee officials took Mr. Pan to the residential committee on November 9, 2021, for a talk.

Mr. Pan said to them, “When I was young, I worked hard and neglected my health. I developed high blood pressure when I was in my 50s. After practicing Falun Gong, I have since been healthy. I’m close to 90 now and can still go hiking every day. People hardly believe my age when they see me on the hiking trail. They ask me how I maintain my health. I always tell them that I practice Falun Gong. Isn’t that a miracle?”

As Mr. Pan was talking, an officer surnamed Li continuously verbally abused him and Falun Gong.

Mr. Pan told him, “I hope you will be a good person and have a good future.” The officer immediately stood up, “I am a good person.”

When they continued abusing and slandering Falun Gong, Mr. Pan remained silent. They later took him home upon finding that he had high blood pressure.

Mr. Pan said to the Minghui correspondent who interviewed him, “I joined the military in my youth and I also worked as the Party secretary of a machinery factory after I was demobilized. Through the decades of my career as a veteran Party official, I witnessed political campaigns one after another, as well as the communist regime’s evil nature. After I retired, I began to practice Falun Gong, and benefitted from it. I hope people who believe the communist regime’s propaganda against Falun Gong can all think about this for themselves and see through the lies.”