What I Know about Mr. Gu Qun, Who Died in a Detention Centre on April 8th

Twelve years ago on a wintry morning in Laodong Park in Dalian City, I met a practitioner named Mr. Gu Qun. He was busy teaching new practitioners the Falun Gong exercises. When he heard that I wanted to learn Falun Gong, he came over and patiently introduced Falun Gong to me. He was very calm and cordial. Later on he took me with him to a small exhibition.

The exhibition space was a two-bedroom apartment provided for free by a practitioner. When I looked up on the snow-white wall, I saw different sized paintings and works of calligraphy and photography. I also saw many handwritten copies of Falun Gong books. At the exhibition, I was totally immersed in compassionate energy. At that moment, I understood why there were so may people practising Falun Gong.

From then on, I was in frequent contact with Mr. Gu Qun, who corrected my exercise movements and shared his cultivation experience with me. I got to know him much better.

Mr. Gu Qun worked for the Xigang District Industrial and Commercial Bureau in Dalian City. Before he started to cultivate, he had many illnesses, and he could hardly walk.

Since practising Falun Gong, all his illnesses were cured without treatment, and, more importantly, he understood the purpose of cultivation. Since then, he always followed the principles of "Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance" both at work and home. Mr. Gu's moral standard also elevated.

Phones with landlines were the mode of communication in the 90s. Whenever he borrowed someone else's phone, he insisted on paying the owner, so that he didn't benefit at another's expense. Whenever his clients had difficulties, Mr. Gu always helped them and quietly made improvements. As a result, he gained his clients' trust and approval.

Residential apartments were scarce, so Mr. Gu voluntarily gave up the residence allotted to him. Since for most working class citizens in China obtaining a work-place allotted residence was the major career goal, his voluntary relinquishment of his allotment was widely discussed. The person in charge of allocating residences was deeply touched and said "You have proved yourself as a good person who believes in 'Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance.'"

To stand up for Falun Gong during the persecution, Mr. Gu took the train to Beijing to appeal in February 2000. He was arrested, escorted back to Dalian, and then detained at the drug rehabilitation centre. To protest the persecution, he went on a hunger strike. When he returned to work after his release, he was disciplined. During this period, He was pressured to give up his belief, and he was threatened with unemployment and a reduction in pay.

Near the end of the disciplinary period, Mr. Gu was still practising Falun Gong, so his employer, 610 Office¹ personnel, and other authorities colluded to have him sent to a brainwashing centre. With no other options, he wandered to Harbin and became homeless, still wanted by the Chinese authorities. Six months later, he was arrested in his home town

After his appeal in Beijing, Mr. Gu was arrested six times, detained, sentenced to forced labour, and severely persecuted. Here I just want to give one example.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) worked hard on Mr. Gu Qun to make his case into propaganda. He was set up as a "typical example" of a "transformed²" Falun Gong practitioner. On November 22nd, 2001, at the Qingniwa Bridge Police Station in Dalian City, they set up the camera and focused on his face only. His hands and legs were shackled to a metal table. He could not move at all. Above his head was an air-conditioner and beside him a bucket of cold water, a ladle, and a towel. Several CCP officials from six departments, headed by the 610 Office, sat across from him. They ordered him to raise his head, but he did not move. They tried to force him to defame Falun Gong, but Mr. Gu did not say anything. They threatened him again, but he still did nothing. They repeated this several times with no success. Infuriated, the officials stripped off all of his clothes. With Mr. Gu completely naked, the officials put the wet towel on his body, opened the window, and turned the air-conditioner to full force. They then poured the cold water down his neck.

In the afternoon on March 16th, 2008, Mr. Gu Qun was distributing leaflets exposing the persecution. Tianjin Street Police Sub-station officers arrested him. The next day he was taken to Yaojia Detention Centre in Dalian City and was sentenced to one and a half years of forced labour. Before he was escorted to the forced labour camp, in the morning on April 8th, Mr. Gu died in Yaojia Detention Centre. Only 23 days had passed between the time of his arrest and his death as a result of torture.

When word of Mr. Gu's death leaked out, all of his acquaintances were saddened and shocked. They understood more about the cruelty and ruthlessness of the CCP. Even today, Yaojia Detention Centre is still trying hard to hide the truth and conceal the news.

Although Mr. Gu Qun has left us, his noble spirit will live forever. The physical and spiritual benefits Mr. Gu obtained from practising Falun Gong and his elevated moral standard bore witness to Falun Gong's teachings.

Related article: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200804/43953.html

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

2. "Reform or Transform" Implementation of brainwashing and torture in order to force a practitioner to renounce Falun Gong. (Variations: "reform", "transform", "reformed", "reforming", "transformed", "transforming", and "transformation")

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/5/20/178847.html