Invading a Citizen's Privacy--National Security and Police Monitor Readers in Shanghai Library

In 2002 and 2003, I set out large amounts of Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials in the Shanghai Library. As a result, several police officers were sent to patrol the different reading rooms, which have since been closed. After hidden cameras were installed in the entrance lobby ceilings, the police set me up as their target. In February 2004, I went to renew my expired library card. After renewing the card, I went to borrow some books. After a short while, I sensed that the situation that day was a bit strange. I left my seat. When I came back, I found several police officers and library staff members waiting at the reading room door. I calmly returned the books and left. After that, I discovered that my library and ID card numbers were being monitored by the library information system. Now, whenever you use any library computer to look for information on books or journals, you must swipe your card to gain access.

After that, I seldom went to the library. During this period, I mailed several lists of names of thugs who work for the Public Safety Department and the Political Security Office to many places. Some of these lists of names had been obtained from libraries. After officials in the Shanghai National Security Department discovered this, they removed some of the latest journals related to political security and the police from the reading room I used to frequent. They only left issues of these journals dated before 2004. The shelves of these journals were monitored directly by the video monitors. In addition, several hemispherical monitors had been added to this reading room--three of them evenly distributed along three-meter intervals.

One time a National Security officer came into the reading room, but I escaped again with my righteous thoughts. Since last year, some of the staff in that reading have become very suspicious of me. Obviously they received orders from their superiors. Of course, most of them have not caused me much trouble because they already know the truth. Some of them have even helped me a great deal.

In the future, my chances to go to the library will continue to decrease. The District Library in Shanghai now requires its patrons to have a library card from the Shanghai Library, as well as one from their district library, and all the libraries are interconnected. I sincerely hope that Dafa practitioners can put more emphasis on the staff of the Shanghai Library in clarifying the truth by telephone. Many of the staff are student interns who have just graduated from school. Please don't let them be deceived by the police, National Security or the "610 Office" in Shanghai.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/7/14/79400.html