(Minghui.org) Ms. Dai Mingrong was no longer the same woman that her family knew of when she was released on September 17, 2023 after serving ten months for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Her loved ones noted that she was emaciated, twitched her body uncontrollably, and appeared panicky. They heard that someone had laced her food with some unknown substance while she was in detention. They suspected that she had been drugged, which resulted in her unusual physical and mental state.
Police Harassment Precedes Latest Arrest
Ms. Dai, a 62-year-old resident of Zhaoyuan County, Heilongjiang Province, was harassed by police on September 3, 2022. The chief of the Maoxing Town Police Station led three officers and broke into her home that day. They confiscated one of her Falun Gong books, a laptop, and a tape recorder.
Ms. Dai refused to go with the police, and they dragged her out to her yard. She yelled that the police were arresting people, drawing a big crowd. Her mother-in-law, who lives with her, followed outside and said, “My daughter-in-law is a good person. Let go of her! Do not arrest her!”
The police relented and left without arresting Ms. Dai. They, however, returned days later, on September 16. They ordered her to go to their police station to verify something. She refused to comply and the police left after one hour.
Four officers showed up at Ms. Dai’s home the next morning and attempted to arrest her again. She managed to escape but had to live away from home to avoid arrest. The police returned to her home numerous times to see if she had come back. One day when no one was home, a few officers pried open her door and broke in. They confiscated all her Falun Gong books, totaling more than 40.
While in hiding, Ms. Dai was very concerned about her home situation. Her husband’s younger brother, who is mentally disabled and suffers mental ilness, lives with them. She had been the main caregiver for her brother-in-law and mother-in-law for many years.
Knowing that her husband struggled to care for his mother and brother, Ms. Dai returned home on the morning of October 10, 2022. She was saddened to see her home in disarray while she was away for just two months. She began to tidy up the house and do the laundry. While she was busy doing chores, the police suddenly broke in that afternoon and dragged her away.
Her husband went to the Maoxing Town Police Station and other relevant agencies to inquire about her whereabouts, but was not given any information. It wasn’t until early 2023 that he learned that Ms. Dai had been sentenced to ten months in prison. He still does not know any details of her indictment, trial, or sentencing.
Tortured and Possibly Drugged in Detention
Ms. Dai was held at the Dumeng Detention Center for an unknown amount of time before being transferred to the Daqing City Detention Center, where she served the remainder of her prison term.
According to insiders, the guards at the Daqing City Detention Center instigated inmates to smear an unknown drug (unclear whether it was liquid or ointment) on Ms. Dai’s face and mix her food with some unknown substance. She then developed a mental collapse. She was seen shaking her body uncontrollably and talking to herself. When asked what she was saying, she had no clue of her self-talk. She also appeared to have lost control of her facial expressions.
Despite her condition, the guards still forced her to stand for long periods of time and didn’t allow her to sleep. They also beat her and verbally abused her at will. Her body was covered with bruises after being pinched hard by the inmates.
Past Persecution
Ms. Dai was previously arrested on the night of July 24, 2007, while putting up Falun Gong materials at the local Nanhu Fish Farm. Three officers took turns slapping her in the face while interrogating her at the Nanhu Fish Farm Police Station. The next morning, they raided her home together with the Maoxing Town Police Station. They confiscated 16 Falun Gong books and some informational materials.
While Ms. Dai was soon released, she was forced to live away from home to avoid further arrest.
One July day in 2015, Ms. Dai was pulling weeds in her vegetable garden, when three plainclothes officers broke in and arrested her. They took her to the Zhaoyuan County Police Department. The police kicked and punched her while interrogating her. They asked if she had filed a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese dictator who ordered the persecution of Falun Gong. She said yes and the police took her to a local lockup.
The Zhaoyuan County Domestic Security Office and the Maoxing Police Station arrested Ms. Dai at home on May 20, 2016 and took her to the Zhaoyuan County Lockup, where she was held for an unknown amount of time.
A Giving and Honest Married Couple
Ms. Dai and her husband both took up Falun Gong in July 1996 at the recommendation of a neighbor. The couple strove to live by Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and no longer quarreled. Their health also improved and they were able to enjoy a harmonious and peaceful life.
Ms. Dai’s husband was an electrician at the local village government. In September 2000, he was tasked with leading a project to rewire the village’s electric grid. The couple’s house was used as a temporary cafeteria and warehouse, with the government sending in food and project materials (such as aluminum wires). The workers would eat at the couple’s house and fetch supplies from there too.
Ms. Dai reminded her husband that they must tally everything accurately and save money for the government whenever possible. After the project was concluded, they sent back two car-loads of unused food items and project supplies. The village secretary was surprised, “Silly you! Why didn’t you know to just keep those for yourselves?”
Ms. Dai responded, “We have learned Falun Gong and our teacher has taught us to be good people in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We must not take advantage of others or keep things that do not belong to us.”
A Good In-law
Ms. Dai’s husband has two brothers, who both used to live with their mother in her house. One of the brothers has mental disabilities. The other one’s wife fought with the brothers’ mother all the time.
Ms. Dai’s mother-in-law ended up selling her house so she didn’t have to deal with the daughter-in-law who couldn’t see eye to eye with her.
Ms. Dai then invited her mother-in-law to live with her husband and their two children. Her mother-in-law took the offer, but also brought along the son with disability and her pregnant daughter, whom she had been caring for.
Ms. Dai had no complaint and took in her mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. She said Falun Gong gave her a big heart and the strength to care for her extended family.
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