A Former Female Prison Guard's Story (Part 1)

My name is Wang Shuzhen and I used to work in Jilin prison. I started practising Falun Gong in 1994. Having benefitted so much from the practice, I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong on October 1, 2000. I witnessed the Jiang regime's bloody genocide of those that practise "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." For my appeal, I was sentenced to two years of forced labour and fired from my job. From the detention centre in Beijing to the labour camp in Jilin, fellow practitioners and I endured endless mental and physical abuse. The following are some of my experiences.

1. Benefitting from Falun Gong

I started practising Falun Gong in 1994. At that time, I studied the books by myself and didn't go to a practice site. I followed Teacher's requirement of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance," and cultivated my xinxing (character). Two years later, I learned the movements from the instruction videotape and my illnesses disappeared. I cultivated my xinxing and truly experienced the miracles of cultivating Falun Dafa.

My coworkers were all old school friends and neighbours, and they knew me well. I had been a weak person since I was young. I had anemia and rheumatism. My nose was broken when I was young so I often suffered nosebleeds. Since practising Falun Gong, all these symptoms disappeared and I was worry-free. I felt relaxed after practicsng every day. I was happy every day, as if I had endless strength.

Our company had a spring games meet in 1999. My employer, without my consent, signed me up for various competitions: the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter dashes, as well as four laps of the 800-meter relay. Most of my matches were squeezed into one day. In addition, I still had to find time to finish my work shift. I got second and third places in all the competitions. During the 800-meter relay, I started about 20 meters behind the 6th place runner. As soon as I got the baton I dashed all the way to third place. I brought glory to my unit. I was third place on average. Our unit received about 30 points. Of these points, over 20 points belonged to me. The unit leader said to me, "Shuzhen, I just discovered that you are incredible." I replied, "Let me tell you, it is all because of Falun Gong that I am so healthy and energetic now." He patted my shoulder and said, "Keep it up!"

Since I started practising Falun Gong, I have given up a lot of my old habits, such as smoking, drinking, gambling, drugs, etc. I felt peaceful and full of strength everyday. I could focus on my life and work. I witnessed my coworkers and neighbours as they were consumed by emotional attachments, family matters, physical sickness, as well as the negative impact various bad habits are having on people and our human society, and how this has created various family tragedies for people. I talked to them about "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance" and taught them how to treat others with tolerance, and how to change themselves from within. I taught them how to give without asking in return, and how to be kind and brave. Even some of my neighbours who used to drink excessively, who made trouble or beat their wives and parents, were changed and quit drinking and gambling. Some of the families that were facing divorce became harmonized, and learned how to love each other. Even addicts in the labour camp found themselves giving up drugs.

Falun Dafa can eradicate various attachments and correct all human notions. Practitioners can bring virtue to human society as well as stabilize society, and bring prestige to the nation. It's good for people and has no bad effects. We genuinely put our nation and fellow citizens' before ourselves. All nations should promote Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Falun Dafa is great.

During this economic boom in China, what we need the most of is virtue. The appearance of Falun Gong and Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance is a great blessing for China. But Jiang reversed black and white and fooled the innocent with lies. He has used punishment by implication and suppressed innocent people. He has used money and power as well as human sympathy to force others to commit crimes, betraying their own virtue and consciences. He has fanned hatred among the people. The practitioners want to save people from the lies and be responsible to the nation and to their fellow human beings. They have continuously safeguarded the innocent and their freedom to be virtuous. They want to have kind people know the truth, value life, tell right from wrong, and witness this period of history with righteous thoughts.

2. Appealing in Beijing under High Pressure

In July of 1999, Jiang was jealous of Falun Gong's popularity and mobilized the nation's propaganda machine to create one-sided news, intentionally framing Falun Gong and stripping practitioners of their freedom to practice. We were stripped of our basic human rights, the right to work and to live. Government workers were especially targeted. We were told to choose between our jobs and the practice, and to write Guarantee Statements and sign contracts that said we would not practice.

Those in charge of brainwashing me were political commissar Liu, Secretary Pan Rongbin, human affairs department director Jian Shenqing, as well as motivation director Liu Zhenyu. They talked to me everyday continuously. Pan and Jian came to my house everyday to "reform" me. Pan said, "If you don't reform I will live and have meals in your house." I did not understand why we could not practise Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Were we supposed to reform into people who were deceitful, hateful and vengeful?

At that time, the persecution was so intense it was like the sky was falling down on us. Our Teacher and Falun Dafa were framed. I benefited from Falun Dafa and I knew the truth. I could not betray my conscience for my own self-interest. I decided to appeal, clarify the truth of Falun Gong and defend the good reputation of Teacher and Falun Dafa. On October 1, 1999, I took time off work and went to the Changchun Appeals Office. The appeals office had become a place where practitioners were often apprehended. Jiang eliminated all the appeals offices as well as the media, and changed them into propaganda machines that displayed a false kindness. The Ministry of Justice never observes any laws when they deal with practitioners. We have no audience or courts to bring our cases to.

The one-sided lies and propaganda, the arbitrary distortion of the truth, and the ugliness and deceitfulness escalated continuously. The brainwashing programs were relentless. It seriously disturbed my family and my life. Various government agents threatened me, saying that if I refused to "reform" they would not let my husband or my sister continue to work. On September 27, 2000, the unit leader came to talk to me and said, "A human affairs director from some unit went to Beijing and held up a banner by himself. Now don't you be stupid and do the same." Political commissar Liu went to the company and talked to me, saying that he wished that I would cooperate with him and not make any trouble for him. He said, "The Central Government does not allow government workers to practise Falun Gong. You must give it up, and you must write the contract and Guarantee Statement to renounce the practice. You have to choose between your job and the practice."

I said, "Even if you laid me off or fired me, or sentenced me to death, I would continue the practice and never give it up." Liu replied that he would give me time to think it over and warned, "We have to carry out the Central Government's decisions." When I returned home, there was nothing but foolish dramas on television that framed Falun Gong and fabricated lies against it. This furthered my decision to make an appeal. I bought a train ticket to Beijing that afternoon. On the second day, I wrote a letter to my husband while he was at work, saying that I had to leave home, and for him to not go looking for me. I knew deep down, that during this period of lies, one needs the courage to tell the truth and pay a certain price. After I got into the train, the police arrested about six or seven practitioners in the same car. Some policemen started cursing Teacher and Falun Dafa as soon as they boarded the train, and several practitioners were arrested when they tried to stop the policemen from saying such things. Some of the policemen forced the passengers to curse Teacher and Falun Dafa, and if anyone refused, the police would arrest them.

A train officer came to me and said, "I can tell that you are a practitioner." He wanted to see a letter from my employer and an ID. I told him that I did not have it. He said, "Do you have any witness?"

I replied, "Chinese law never requires people to carry an ID when travelling, a letter from one's employer or a travelling companion."

Later, another train officer came to force me to curse Teacher. I said, "I never cursed anyone in my life. Now a policeman is telling me to curse? What kind of a world do we live in?"

I held back my tears, closed my eyes and stopped talking. The train officer came over and shouted, "No sleeping allowed." I went to the toilet, and he stayed outside and waited. When I returned to my seat, two train officers came over to check my ticket, but took it away instead, and said that I had to get off the train and have a talk. Another train officer asked, "Why are you crying?" I saw that their leader looked like my great uncle who just passed away. So I said, "I just came back from a funeral. You can't treat me like this." Hearing this, they gave me back my ticket and left. I finally arrived in Beijing.

In various hotels and motels in Beijing, signs reading, "Falun Gong not allowed" were posted in front. It was October 1, 2000, the national annual celebration of the Communist Party. I was on the outskirts of Tiananmen Square. Around 2 a.m. I followed a group of people who were going to see the flag raising ceremony in the square. I didn't see any familiar faces. I hadn't eaten anything in two days, and felt very tired. I found a corner and sat down.

To be continued...

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/9/13/83745.html