(Minghui.org) After Falun Dafa was banned in China in 1999, family members of practitioners were also under huge pressure. But my son has supported me all along.
He became upset one day upon seeing several television programs which defamed Falun Dafa, “There were so many practitioners practicing Falun Dafa before the persecution started. And now some have gone to the opposite side [attacking Dafa]. Do these people have guts?” He turned to me, “Mother, you have to keep it up!”
Since no independent voice was heard other than the slanderous propaganda, I decided to join other practitioners in going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa. On the other hand, since I lived alone, I was a little hesitant. What if I was arrested and could not come back? When I discussed this with my son hoping he would take care of my property, he assured me, “Mom, please do not worry about it. I know what Falun Dafa means to you and our family. If you are too concerned about things in this apartment, you may lose everything in the end. If you are determined and do the right thing, you will ultimately have everything.”
With his encouragement, I took the train to Beijing.
Who Broke the Law?
Police arrested me in Beijing and took me and my sister-in-law to a labor camp. We were kept at the same labor camp, where guards tortured me with electric batons.
My son came to visit us and his aunt told him that I had been shocked with electric batons. When we met, my son said he supported me, “The fact that they tortured you with electric batons [trying to force you to give up your belief] confirms that you did the right thing.”
One guard who overheard his words asked later what he had said. My son refused to answer and his visits were thus denied by officials for several months.
When my son was eventually able to seem me again, an officer took the two of us to a separate room, planning to interrogate both of us. Not intimated by this, my son explained to the officer that Falun Dafa practitioners had been wronged, and that it was those officers who were breaking the law by detaining and torturing the practitioners.
He said, “When the persecution is over, won't you officers go to jail?”
Pondering over his words, the officer nodded, “Yeah, I guess you are right.”
Thumbs-up
The officials did not stop after my release from the labor camp. They came harassing me, and took me to a brainwashing center. My son was unable to stop them, but told them not to mistreat me. “I hope you can treat her as if she was your own mother,” he said to an officer, “If something happens to my mom, I won't accept it.”
The brainwashing sessions were closed to the outside, and family visits were prohibited. Although the officers told us that people would be sent to labor camps for continuing to practice Falun Dafa, I ignored it and told them I would safeguard my belief. My son came every day requesting to see me, but he was turned down each time. Nonetheless, the officers knew about his visits and were moved. One guard said, “Your son is the best,” and gave me a thumbs-up.
Later my son came one day and we were able to meet. One officer announced that my term had expired. “Glad to see you are such a happy family,” he said, “Now you can go home together.”
Arrest and Release on the Same Day
After the police learned that I had a materials production site at my home, they arrested me and confiscated my possessions. Seeing the equipment and consumables such as paper occupying almost an entire police van, an offer said that my case was a major one, “It seems as if you own a printing shop.” Neighbors who witnessed the arrest were also worried about me.
The police took me to a labor camp, but I refused to get out of the vehicle. Officers had no choice but to contact my son. An officer said, “I promise you, your mother only needs a physical exam, and she will return home right away.” Later that day, my son picked me up and we both went home.
One practitioner who did not know I had been released asked an officer if I would be kept at the labor camp, the officer said no, “We promised her son to let her go. We cannot break our word.”
“The Day Will Come”
Despite my son's positive attitude, he was not in a high mood all the time. One day he said that many of his coworkers had misunderstandings about Falun Dafa due to the hate propaganda from the communist regime. “Sometimes they threw me weird looks, which made me very uncomfortable,” he said.
I said to him, “Son, I am sorry for what has happened. But I think we need not worry too much about it, as long as we are on the right path... Remember the saying, 'Go your own way, let people talk'? The day will come for the justice to prevail. It happened in the past and it will happen in the future.”
Comforted by my words, my son now feels much better, especially upon hearing that more than 200,000 criminal complaints have been filed against former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin for persecuting Falun Dafa. Once when a coworker asked him whether I still practiced my belief, he said, “Of course!”
Seeing other people also listening to their conversation, he raised his voice, “Imagine that there is something out there that makes you healthy and happy, and it is free. Wouldn't you embrace it?!”
