(Minghui.org) Mr. Zhang Jintao is a Falun Gong practitioner from Yunmeng County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. He was arrested and detained for two weeks for informing the public about Falun Gong. He was then taken to a brainwashing center and beaten for trying to do the Falun Gong exercises.
Arrested and Detained
Mr. Zhang was reported to the police when he posted a “Falun Dafa is good” banner in the Qiaokou District of Wuhan City. He was arrested by Fazhan Police Station officers in Wuhan City on September 25, 2017, and detained in the Qiaokou District Detention Center for 15 days.
As he left the detention center on October 10, 2017, he found several officials and police officers from his home county of Yunmeng County waiting for him. Although his mother and younger brother and sister were there to pick him up, the officials wouldn't let him get into their car. They insisted that he go with them to write a statement and promised to leave him alone when it was done.
Mr. Zhang was first taken to Chengnan Police Station in Yunmeng County. Half an hour later, he was put in another car and taken to a brainwashing center in Anlu City, Hubei Province.
On a Hunger Strike and Beaten
Mr. Zhang immediately started a hunger strike to protest this continued detention and refused to eat anything at the brainwashing center.
Mr. Zhang sat on the bed to send righteous thoughts at lunchtime and was ordered to put his hands down. When he refused, he was slapped in the face multiple times but didn't give in.
At dinnertime, he sat on the bed and sent righteous thoughts again. Someone came in and slapped him in the face again, then kicked him off the bed. He climbed up and continued to send righteous thoughts with his eyes closed. The person beating him eventually gave up.
The same thing happened the next day. In the end, he was left alone and was able to do the exercises.
Brainwashing Sessions
On Mr. Zhang’s second morning in the brainwashing center, two young people, He and Li, showed up to “teach” him. At first, they asked him to talk about how he had changed after practicing Falun Gong. Mr. Zhang told them how he used to be selfish but now always thought of others first. He said it was not against the law to practice Falun Gong.
The next day they advised him to give up his hunger strike and said it was against the law. They advised him to obey the regulations. Mr. Zhang simply told them that only his master had the final say.
A woman was Mr. Zhang's “teacher” the following day. She tried to explain that Zhuan Falun contained a twisted, evil theory. Mr. Zhang ignored her and studied the Fa.
Although Mr. Zhang was detained in the brainwashing center for five days, it didn't affect him much, since he was still able to study the Fa and to do the exercises.
On October 14, 2017, Mr. Zhang was told to pack his bags. Officers from the Chengnan Police Station in the Kaifa District were waiting for him outside. He refused to get into the car until they promised to take him to his home.
Mr. Zhang was then taken to the office in his village and ordered not to leave the area for work until after October 30. He was told to stop by the village office twice a day, at 9 a.m. and at 3 p.m., to do their cleaning jobs for 100 yuan per day until October 30.
Three other practitioners, Ms. Mao Cuiying, Ms. Chen Ping, and Ms. Zhou Shaoping, are still detained in the brainwashing center.
