Stories of Practitioner Ms. Li Guangqin from Shandong Province During Her Imprisonment

When the persecution of Falun Gong started in the summer of 1999, on such a large scale, Falun Gong practitioners from all over the country stood up and went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa.

To help more practitioners appeal for Dafa in Beijing, after July 20th, 1999, practitioner Ms. Li Guangqin rented four buses and five taxi cabs in just one day, helping 150 practitioners travel to Beijing. Some practitioners arrived at Beijing but others were stopped and apprehended on the road. Ms. Li and several practitioners were stopped by the police at Gu-an, about 50 km from Beijing. After they were taken back to their areas, some practitioners were sent to Licheng Detention Centre and some to Liuchangshan Detention Centre.

While the police were conducting body searches in Liuchangshan Detention Centre, Li Guangqin took a chance, ran to a cell, and quickly passed a copy of Zhuan Falun[This book comprises the principal teachings of Falun Dafa] , which was later circulated in the cells. Many detained practitioners, who had not been able to read the book since being detained, read it. Although the guards searched the cells several times, they did not find the book. They kept asking Li Guangqin what she had passed, and she just simply said, "No comment!"

Li Guangqin and other practitioners wanted to be released and protested their illegal detainment. She was stripped of her upper clothes. She stood in the hallway and kept calling for 20 minutes, "Falun Dafa is good! The persecution of Falun Dafa is intolerable by heaven's justice." After she was pressed down to the floor, she still kept calling, "Falun Dafa is good!" A guard in heavy shoes viciously kicked her.

In the brainwashing session, a practitioner from the Li District was made to stand straight in the hallway for several hours for practising the Falun Gong exercises. Ms. Li Guangqin and several practitioners stood hand in hand to request the release of the practitioner. The practitioner was released but Li Guangqin and five other practitioners were sent to Licheng Detention Centre. The head of the detention centre beat them first. Then Li Guangqin and a fellow practitioner were handcuffed at the top of the stairs for two days and two nights, while two other practitioners were handcuffed to a pole near the stairs. Since one handcuff was not long enough, two handcuffs were locked together and used. The other two practitioners were detained in a 50 cm high (about 1.5 ft) cage for 30 hours.

To claim their right to study the teachings and to practise the exercises, Li Guangqin and several other practitioners from the Licheng District started a hunger strike. Several days later the head of the detention centre gave in and said that the guards could pretend to not see them doing exercises. Of course, the promise was not enforced. When practitioners studied the teachings and practised the exercises, the guards still kept harassing them. Practitioners would call out together, "Falun Dafa is good" to protest the violation of their rights. One month later, Li Guangqin and other practitioners were sent to a brainwashing session.

Because she persisted in cultivating Dafa, Li Guangqin was sentenced to three years of forced labour and sent to Shandong Province Women's Forced Labour Camp in Jiangshui County. In the labour camp, she succumbed to the authorities demands to renounce Falun Dafa. When she was released, Li Guangqin resumed her Dafa cultivation again.

Li Guangqin decided to appeal for justice again and went to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. She explained the facts about Falun Dafa to the police at the square and handed out Falun Dafa materials to them. The police officer was confused and asked, "Why are you doing this? Don't you fear being sent to a forced labour camp?" She answered, "I just want to tell you that Falun Gong practitioners are good people. Do not persecute them. If you do not stop, you will receive retribution. I also want to tell you that Falun Dafa is a righteous law; it is to save people. Please do not do bad things again. Why do I dare to say these words in front of you? It is because I have given no thought to life or death."

Ms. Li Guangqin was sentenced to two and a half years of forced labour again and was sent to Shandong Province Women's Forced Labour Camp once again.

Once a guard was verbally abusing a practitioner who had just arrived at the labour camp. To support the practitioner, Ms. Li Guangqin started to call out, "Falun Dafa is good. Falun Dafa is a righteous practice." Other practitioners followed her and called out together, which shocked the authorities. The labour camp guards wanted the practitioners to write a so-called "education summary" but no one wrote anything. When they wanted to take a practitioner away, Li Guangqin held onto the practitioner and stopped them. Two male guards were called in and forcefully took Li Guangqin and the other practitioner away and put them in a solitary confinement cell. Li Guangqin was handcuffed to a heating pipe for three days and nights. She was told that as long as she agreed to follow the rules in the labour camp, they would let her go. She answered, "We have not violated any laws but you detain us. You are the ones who violate the law. I cannot follow these evil rules." While she was detained in the labour camp, whenever she heard any practitioner being persecuted, Ms. Li would call out, "Heaven does not tolerate the persecution of Dafa." Once, she was detained for eleven days. The guards couldn't understand her, "It is not your business. Why do you keep getting involved? " Li Guangqin told them, "Dafa practitioners are one body. Your persecuting anyone else is just like persecuting me." It is very difficult for one to suffer being handcuffed for four days or more. When Li Guangqin was handcuffed for four days, she was asked to repent but she refused. She was handcuffed continually until the 11th day.

When practitioners were required to write a so-called "education summary" again, Li Guangqin wrote down carefully, "Falun Dafa is good." Guard Liu Duanqin brutally kicked and punched her. While suffering beatings, Li Guangqin still kept calling out, "Falun Dafa is good." Liu Duanqin tightly sealed her mouth with a tape, held her by her hair, and slammed her head against the wall. After she got tired of beating Ms. Li, she locked her in a solitary compartment for six days. Once, guard Liu Duanqin stated in front of many practitioners, "You are all social rejects." Li Guangqin immediately refuted her, "You are indeed evil. We are practitioners, the truly good people. We are not here to work as slaves for you." Liu Duanqin was enraged. She put Li Guangqin into a cold room. Li Guangqin's feet froze and oozed pus. However, Li Guangqin kept calling out, "Falun Dafa is good!"

Li Guangqin was again sent to a solitary confinement cell because she wrote, "Falun Dafa is good" on another so-called "education summary." A detainee was assigned to watch her. Li Guangqin was put in handcuffs from 6:00 a.m. Until 2:00 p.m. every day. When she was not handcuffed, she was forced to sit on the concrete floor. The torture lasted nine days in total. The detainee who was assigned to watch her wrote a note and showed her, "It is too cruel that they treat you like this. I feel very sad for you. It is not right." However, when she was found showing the note to Li Guangqin, this detainee was ordered to write a self-criticism and her detention term was extended. After nine days in solitary confinement, Li Guangqin continued her validation of Dafa without any hesitation. She was again put in a solitary confinement cell for two months.

After suffering two and a half years in the forced labour camp, Li Guangqin was released.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/12/6/143868.html