After Experiencing the Persecution Firsthand, I Began Practising Falun Gong

A year ago I practised Taichi, and I knew a fellow countryman who was a Falun Gong practitioner. Although we live in the same city outside of China, and it's not often that we encounter other Chinese here, we did not have much contact. We practised different schools, plus I was deceived by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda and misunderstood Falun Gong. I doubted that Falun Gong was persecuted as severely in China as my countryman had stated.

One time I went to China to visit. My countryman asked me to visit a friend's family who lived in my hometown. The couple (her friends) had been sent to jail, and only their two young daughters were left at home. Their grandparents were taking care of them. The whole family lived on the grandfather's pension. But several months later the grandfather passed away because he was very angry that his only son was jailed for no reason. The family lost its only income source. My countryman asked me to take some money to the family. Out of sympathy and politeness, I agreed to help.

After I got to my hometown, my sister and I found the home. At the reception office of the dormitory, I asked the guard very politely whether they lived there. The guard asked me why I wanted to know. I replied that I came to see them for a friend. The guard asked me to wait. A few minutes later, four or five big men showed up and cornered us. I did not understand what was going on. A police car arrived within a few minutes and took us to a police station.

The police separated my sister and me. They demanded our IDs, and asked us several questions, including: What's your name? Where do you live? What's your profession? Why did you come back to China? Why did you go to visit these people? How do you know them and what's your relationship with them? Do you practise Falun Gong? Where have you been? Whom have you contacted?

After much questioning they believed that we did not know them. They asked us for the name of the person who requested that we come to China. I told them my countryman asked me to do it. They searched my telephone book and wrote down my countryman's name, age, phone number and address. They also asked for some info about my countryman. For example: What's her relationship with them? Does she practise Falun Gong? Where did she work before she left China? Does she have any relatives in China? I answered their questions one by one. Later police videotaped us and let us go home. The whole process lasted three hours. I thought it was over.

Two days later, three plainclothes policemen suddenly showed up at my home, and interrogated my family and me. They recorded the conversation. They also investigated every family member separately. I have a big family, and my siblings all have their own families. They investigated each one of them including my nieces and nephews. Even my eighty year-old father did not escape the questioning. They not only investigated the local area but they also went to everyone's school and workplace. We then thought for sure that was the end of it.

A few days later, National Security officers asked me to go to a place to talk. The place used to belong to the Public Security Department (The street was just renovated, I am not very sure.) I was questioned again. They were very curious about Falun Gong overseas and asked me whether Falun Gong is open to the public. I said yes, Falun Gong practitioners often hold public events to promote Falun Gong. National Security officers requested that I not tell anyone about this after I left China, and wanted me to provide more information about my countryman. For example, when will she come to China, what family members she has, where they live, and who she usually contacts when in China. Later I told them that I had not given money to the family as I had promised. I still needed to go see them. They said, "You cannot go. If you go, you will be responsible for your acts." I said, "If you don't want me go, can you pass the money to them?" They refused. My vacation was over, and so I came back. I thought this time it must be over.

Six months later, I called my sister. My sister said the police were still investigating our family. The person at her human resources is tired of seeing these investigators. Upon seeing them, he would shake his hand and say, "I told you they do not practise Falun Gong. No one here practises Falun Gong." My sister said it's very tense, just like in the Great Cultural Revolution.

This special experience changed my sister and me. We truly recognise what the CCP is. I started to practise Falun Gong, and my sister is now actively involved in asking people to withdraw from the CCP.