His Father Already Imprisoned, an Overseas Student Appeals for Help to Free His Recently Arrested Mother

During the years 1999 to 2009, I went from being a student in junior high school to graduating from a university. My parents and countless other Falun Gong practitioners have proven a truth with their ten years of suffering, which is that kindness is indestructible. They bear hardships because of their kindness and belief.

Several days ago I learned that my mother, Zhang Guilan, had been arrested and sent to a detention centre on March 14th, 2009. This is her fourth arrest. My father is currently detained in Jidong Prison in Hebei Province. My sister stays at home alone. I have an 86-year-old grandmother. We haven't told her of my mother's arrest because we are afraid that she might not be able to bear it. And I myself am far away overseas. I am getting anxious and disturbed.

I am writing this article to appeal to all kind hearted people and people of conscience to help rescue my mother. I'd also like to let you know a bit more about my family.

I am 25 years old and a university student. I come from Qianxi County in Hebei Province. My family consists of my father, Chen Baihe; my mother, Zhang Guilan; my younger sister, Chen Qing; and me. My parents are both Falun Gong practitioners. My mother was the first one to practise Falun Gong in my family over ten years ago. Before practising, she was very weak and suffered from many diseases. She had the flu all year round. She was very unhappy with her job. She worked very hard but always failed to get recognition. This disturbed her so much that it had a bad effect on her. She did everything in low spirits and often lost her temper over small issues. When she came across the Falun Gong book Zhuan Falun, she knew she had found the root causes of all her unhappiness. Thus she became very determined in her belief in Falun Gong. Though I was still young at the time, I knew that my mother became patient and good tempered. She was no longer in pain or frustrated. She didn't argue with my father anymore. My family gradually became harmonious and warm. I was very happy then.

Such a happy life would have continued for my family if it were not for the shocking persecution begun on July 20th, 1999. I often wonder what if that had not happened, what would things be like now? Why did that happen anyway? In the past seven years, my mother has been put into prisons three times. On one occasion she was in prison for one and a half years, during which time she was brainwashed, beaten, tortured to "confess," lied to, had money extorted from her, and intimidated. During this time our home was searched.

When I was in my second year at university, my mother was released from prison. She didn't walk out by herself but had to be carried out. My parents had been arrested at the same time. I was in class when my uncle notified me. I was told that the situation was very serious and my parents might be sentenced to four or five years. A month later my mother was released but was very weak and nearly at the point of death. She had been on a hunger strike for nine days inside the prison. Due to her strong belief in Falun Gong, she recovered very quickly and became healthy within days.

My father was sentenced to four years in prison. He is in Jidong Prison in Hebei Province. This is the third time he has been in prison. When he was sent to prison the first time, he was not even a Falun Gong practitioner. He believed that my mother was right and he was oblivious to the intimidation of the police or the social pressure. One day when he went to see my mother in prison, he gave her new Falun Gong articles and was arrested.

I have much to say to my father, but I don't know where to start because it seems as if he did nothing extraordinary. But today, when I am in a safe environment and can look back at those dark days, I realize what extraordinary things he has done for this family. He was a father and also at one time assumed a mother's role in the family. He did the housework and kept the house clean and tidy. He had no power and no social position, yet he never succumbed to any tyranny or intimidation. Though he was in a dangerous situation, he made my sister and I believe that we were safe beside him. Even at the darkest time, he made us feel our home was warm and secure, and as long as we were at home, nothing would happen. He mobilized all his connections and resources and went everywhere to try to rescue my mum. He seized every chance to see my imprisoned mother and brought her a sense of security. With his limited few words, he let my mother know that her loved ones and her family hadn't deserted her and that it was not all darkness that surrounded her. He also looked after his over 80-year-old mother-in-law like he was her own son. If I was asked to pick a role model for my life, I would choose my father. As a man and as a father, he has done everything possible under the circumstances.

One day when I was on school holiday at home from university, he told me calmly, "I have started to practise."

Today my parents have been sent to prison again and are being tortured again, which I am afraid to see. That was also the reason why I went abroad after my mother was released after she went on a hunger strike. I hope one day my parents can also enjoy freedom of belief and can live a decent life with dignity like the majority of the world's people.

As a member of a Falun Gong family, I hereby appeal for all kind hearted people and people with conscience to help rescue my mother so that our family can be reunited. I also appeal for people around the world to step forward with courage and help those that are being persecuted for being kind. They don't deserve that. I'd like to tell you that it is a shameful thing for humanity to let kind people be tortured and to let evil people have their way. Throughout history, evil has never prevailed nor will it in the future. No matter how hard the way ahead, justice will be done because I believe that fundamental human nature is kind and that the world is fundamentally kind.

Telephone numbers of relevant personnel:
Bai Xingyuan, Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Qianxi County: 86-13582843688(mobile), 86-315-5612537(office), 86-315-5613336(home)
Gao Jianxiang, Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Qianxi County: 86- 13832982718(mobile),, 86-315-5612417(office), 86-315-5689585(home)
Gao Zengcai, Director of the Prevention Office: 86-315-5612080(office), 86-315-5627332(home), 86-13933410163(cell)
Rui Hongyu, officer: 86-315-5610805, 86-315-5620125(home), 86-13832562632(cell), 86-315- 5610805(office)
Liu Jinying, Leader of the Domestic Security Division: 86-315-5086738, 86-315-5619005, 86-13832988311(mobile),
Zhao Guoqi: 86-315-5661240, 86-13832984779(mobile),
Wang Yingguang, Deputy Leader: 86-13832988350(mobile),

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/4/9/198399.html