Detention Centre Officer Moved by a Practitioner’s Honesty and Compassion

I was staked out, followed, and arrested for talking to people about Falun Dafa in August 2021. My home was ransacked, and I was held in a detention centre in another city.

All kinds of people were detained there. A college student who refused to scan the QR code at the supermarkets was detained for seven days. So were tofu sellers, mahjong players, disabled people who’d been beaten by the public security personnel, and even store owners whose goods were stolen. I was the only one who was detained because of my faith.

The next day an officer took me to the office for questioning, saying he would take notes and record the entire process.

He asked me how I was arrested. I said, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, a good person who believes in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I didn’t commit any crime. I was arrested while telling people the facts about Falun Dafa and how the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) persecutes it. According to the constitution, I have the freedom to practice my belief. Why was I arrested? I can tell you about Falun Dafa if you want to know more. Don’t ask me anything else. I won’t answer you.”

To my surprise, he was happy to hear that I was a practitioner. He said, “Falun Dafa is good, and the practitioners we see are exceptionally good people!” Just then he noticed that the camera was on, so he said, “Wait a minute. I’ll delete this part.”

He deleted the conversation, turned off the camera, took off his mask, and showed me his police number. He then told me about the practitioners he interacted with in 2000 when the CCP started brutally persecuting Falun Dafa.

He said, “That year, our superiors ordered us to treat arrested Falun Dafa practitioners severely. All the orders were verbal—there were no documents.

“There was a practitioner in the cell I was in charge of. He was firm in his belief. I observed him and felt that he was very compassionate, which was different from what was said about practitioners on TV. I was impressed by his words and actions. Twenty years have passed, and I still remember his name was Qi. He was really good!

“I made him the cell head. All the other cell heads kept some of the clothes and food sent to the other cellmates when they inspected them. Some cell heads would take a big bag of socks and clothes they collected when they left prison. But this Falun Dafa practitioner was very honest and never withheld anything. He never took any bribes. From observing his behavior, I saw how great and precious the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are. Falun Dafa is good! I still remember his heels showed through holes in his socks when he left the cell.”

At this point, the police officer choked up a little and said, “Let me know if you need any help. I will try my best to help you except for making phone calls because the phones here are monitored.” I thanked him for his kindness and understanding and urged him to stay safe in the pandemic.

He continued, “I do this job to make a living. I have no choice! But I can guarantee you that I won’t let anyone torture or bully you here. You can do your exercises. You are here temporarily, but we are here as if serving a life sentence. I think all officers should learn the truth and stop persecuting Falun Dafa for a better future.”

I was really happy for him. Our efforts, sometimes risking our lives, to clarify the truth have not been in vain.

I was released a few days later. I walked out of the detention centre with a list of people who agreed to quit the CCP and its affiliated organisations. I continue to tell people the truth about Falun Dafa and hope that more people will learn the facts and stop following the CCP.