Using Facts and Sound Reasoning to Resist Forceful Brainwashing in China

Ms. Zhang is an elderly Falun Gong practitioner living in China. She was seized by the police in 2004 simply for her wish to practise the Falun Gong exercises and to read the Falun Gong books. After twenty days, she walked away from the detention centre thanks to her righteous thoughts.

When Ms. Zhang arrived at the detention centre, a guard asked her, "What is your name? Where did you get your CDs and flyers?" Ms. Zhang calmly answered, "It does not matter what my name is or where the materials are from. You may as well see the CD first and see if what it says is true or not. I am innocent, but you handcuffed me. Jiang Zemin committed the crime of genocide, yet you do not prosecute him, and instead you persecute practitioners. We are risking our lives to tell people the truth and save them. You are helping a tyrant to do evil. That is what I want to say and you may write it down." The guard was scared and said repeatedly, "No, no, I will not do that."

In order to defile Falun Gong, the guards publicized the six criteria of a cult in the detention centre. Ms. Zhang wrote them down one by one. Then she matched the characteristics of Jiang Zemin and the Chinese Communist Party to each of the criteria. What she did was clear and logical. The guards were so fearful of her actions that they were sweating beads.

Since the detention centre frequently held what they called "education classes," Ms. Zhang seized the opportunity and suggested, "May I talk about my thoughts?" That afternoon, Aunt Zhang was brought to a place specifically to talk about her thoughts. She spoke about minor matters and important ones and ideas from ancient times to modern times. Applying the wisdom she had enlightened to from the Falun Gong teachings, she talked about what a good person is and what a bad person is. The guards either nodded repeatedly or kept silent. It seemed they were on the verge of applauding.

Since the guards in the detention centre were at their wits' end, after several days the local Political and Judiciary Committee specifically dispatched someone to brainwash Ms. Zhang. When the person said to her, "May I have a word with you?" she answered, "Sure, but I have two conditions. First, both of us should have the right to speak. Second, we should comply with the correct standpoint no matter which one it is. Is that OK?" The person responded, "How could that be possible?" Ms. Zhang said, "If we can not agree on such basic terms, how can we talk with each other?" When the person had no choice but to back down, the factory director from Ms. Zhang's workplace came to see her and the person said hurriedly, "I have to go. It is your turn to try to "transform" her." Dejectedly, he then left.