(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Li Hongcheng began practicing Falun Dafa in October 1995. On the evening of February 4, 2000, he and other practitioners went to Tiananmen Square in Beijing to appeal on behalf of Dafa and were arrested by the police. Here is his story:

I met many old friends when I was at a village fair. Everyone knew I had just been released from the labor camp. They asked me if I had been beaten. I said: "Far more than beating, I experienced all kinds of torture." I frankly told them how the labor camp tortured me.

More and more people came and surrounded me. I told them how Jiang does not tolerate citizens' becoming good people and how he fabricated the self-immolation incident in Tiananmen Square, as well as all the false evidence surrounding various events that are lies "planted" to deceive the people. Later, the crowd grew so large that it blocked the road. I moved to another place to continue clarifying the truth to them. In this way, I clarified the truth in three different locations.

That afternoon, Wang Yonggui and another policeman came to my home and asked me where I was that morning. I said; "I met several friends at the village fair and chatted with them. I told them the facts about the labor camp and the detention centers torturing me by using various tortures, such as the Tiger Bench, scratching my upper torso with iron crampons, scratching my penis, and inserting electric batons into my mouth, etc." After hearing this, the two policemen raised their thumbs and said: "We really admire you. You dare to do something and accept responsibility for it. We have been dispatched from higher authorities. Please consider our situation. Don't talk too long. Change to another place after talking in one place. If you do this, we won't prevent you from speaking." I said: "Speaking is a human right. Moreover, what I have said is the truth. You aren't persecuting me, but I would just clarify the truth to you if you did." They said: "Yes, that's fine, but don't talk too long. Keep it short." Then, they left.

In 2002, the Town Party Committee held a "transformation" class. Chen Yishun was in charge of the area where I live. He came to my home once a day. One day, he said the Party Committee was going to hold a transformation class and he wanted me to attend. I said: "Who is going to come to transform us? He said: "Former practitioners who have been transformed and released from labor camps. All villages have been notified about the meeting." I said: "No problem. However, I have a requirement that the forum allows me to speak." He said: "OK." I responded: "That's fine, I will be there. But let's see who will transform whom." The following morning, I just waited for their telephone call after breakfast. After a while, they called me and let me know that I did not need to go. They were afraid that they would lose control over the outcome of the meeting if I was there.

Two days later, Wang Yonggui, the instructor at the local police station, and Du Xueshan, the secretary of the Party Committee, led a team to search my home. They claimed that I had hung up a Falun Dafa banner illegally. I was not at home that day, and my wife was there alone. They left after rummaging around for a while.

That evening, I came back home and thought: "Something is not right here. They searched my home without any reason. I have to ask for the reason." The next day, I went to the Town Party Committee and attempted to speak with the Secretary. However, the Secretary was not in his office. I decided to talk to his assistant: "You went to my home yesterday and rummaged through my home. Without any evidence, you just said it was because I hung up the banner. Do you violate the law by searching another person's home at your pleasure?" He felt the situation was out of control after listening. He said: "Yes, I know about this situation. However, I did not lead the team. The county authorities produced a search order." I questioned him: "It was said that I made the banner. Did you see me do this or were there fingerprints on the banner?" He said; "I was just joking with you." I said: "How can you make a joke of this? You also searched my home. I will not go home until I see the Secretary."

Later, I met with the Secretary and asked him; "You issued a search warrant and entered my home without any evidence." He asked me what I was going to do about it. I said: "I am going to Beijing to accuse you of breaking the law. How could you dare issue a search warrant?" He said he did not. Later, he asked the village mayor to come and persuade me to leave. They told me they would not search my home again. Then I said: "If this happens again, I will not open the door if I'm at home. If you kick the door open and enter my home, I'll treat it as a robbery and burglary. If I am not at home and you search my home, I will go to Beijing to the national appeals office." They said this thing would not happen again.

It was three days before the Chinese New Year. Wang Yonggui and the Secretary came to my home again. He said: "According to our instructions, we are to put your welfare as our first priority. If you have any problem with your personal finances or your house, we can help you ." I said: "I have one question. Falun Dafa is very good, but why don't you allow people to practice? At this point in my life, because of Dafa, I have become a very good person. What's wrong with this? Jiang tells lies, rejects Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance, deprives people of their right to be good, sends Falun Dafa practitioners to jail to be persecuted, tortures good people with all kinds of malicious means and has tortured so many people to death, which violates the law!" He seemed to understand what I was getting at. Then, he said: "This is good. Then you just practice at home. Do not go to Beijing." I said: "It does not violate the law to go to Beijing."

I make a living driving a taxi. I do business with anyone, rich or poor, young and old alike. Whenever I find something left behind in my vehicle (even cell phones), I always leave my vehicle and try to find the owner of the lost property. I try just as hard to find them even if it consumes more gasoline and takes valuable time and money I could have earned transporting others. People who travel between Yuji Town and the electric power plant know me, and my business increases because of my honesty. Everyone says that I am kindhearted, so everyone who sees me shouts: "Falun Dafa is good." No matter where I am, they stop and talk with me. Someone said: "Lao Li clarify more truth to us ..." I just have faith. I am going to clarify the truth to save all beings wherever I go.

One day, I went to the local police station to register my niece's new address for her. A policeman saw me and shouted to me. "I have been transferred from the detention center to the Yuji Town Police Station. I was the captain when I was at the detention center. You were practicing when I was on duty, so I handcuffed you on the window with the handcuffs ..." I filled in his words and said: "I said you could handcuff my hands, but not my heart."

At that time, the superintendent of the police station was also present and heard our conversation. He said: "Lao Li, what do the words on the banner at your home mean?" I responded: "The saying is written in this way: It is an eternal law that good will be rewarded with good and evil with evil. Burning grievances that have lasted throughout the ages will certainly be righted. The horizontal text on the banner states 'What is wrong with Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance?'" The superintendent asked me to tear the banner down. I said: "Let me explain its purpose, which will sincerely convince you to let it remain where it is. If what I say has no basis, I'll just take it down. What do you think?" He said: "Fine."

I said: "It is a truism that good will be rewarded with good and evil with evil isn't it? We do good things, but the government is against it. Those who oppose us are corrupt. Instead, the police should arrest those that persecute us, shouldn't they? We study Falun Dafa, clarify the truth, do things truthfully and become better people. Is this wrong? Isn't this exceptionally good? People tell lies to cheat someone. It is good to tell the truth. So the word 'Truthfulness' cannot be changed, moreover, 'Compassion' means to do good things and be considerate of others everywhere. However, doing bad things will do harm to people. So do you think the word 'Compassion' can be changed or not?" He said: "It cannot be changed." I continued: "Lets look at the word 'Tolerance'." Tolerance is not cowardice. A heart with great tolerance can tolerate life. You abuse and beat me, but I do not strike you back. On the contrary, if you punch me and I stab you with a knife, what then? Which way do you think is good? In your opinion, is 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance' good or is 'Deceitfulness-Cruelty-Fight' good?" He said: "Of course, the word 'Tolerance' is good." I responded: "In other words, the word 'Tolerance' cannot be changed either. So all three words, 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance' cannot be changed ......" I talked to him for a while. Later, another person came by. He shook his head and said: "Do not say any more. I understand clearly what you are saying. The saying should remain exactly as it is." This saying of mine has been hanging there for several years. No one can take it down.

One night, the police from the power plant arrested me at my home and took me to the detention center. I shouted "Falun Dafa is good!" during the entire trip. When I arrived at the detention center, they told me they had administratively sentenced me outside of the court. I was beaten until unconscious. I did not know how long I had been unconscious when I awoke. All I could hear was the electric batons firing around my ear. I did not know how long they had beaten me. I was in extreme pain and it seemed as if my body was falling apart. I was not even able to stand up. I went on a hunger strike and insisted on practicing the exercises. Liu Zheng, the superintendent, said: "Lao Li, I am going to detain you for fifteen days. On the morning of the fifteenth day, I will let you go, no matter whether you eat or not." I said: "You do not tell the truth. I cannot trust your words." I proceeded to clarify the truth to the people who were detained with me in the same room. They all knew the truth after hearing what I said and no longer held any animosity against Falun Dafa. Moreover, they shouted: "Falun Dafa is good!"

By the thirteenth day, the guards at the detention center carried me out and transferred me to the police station. While there, they started to process me for a term of forced labor. At 9 a.m. the next morning, I was sent to the labor camp. At that time, I had not eaten or had any water for thirteen days. I had no energy left in me. When I arrived at the labor camp medical center, the doctor and the nurse in charge who did the medical examination knew me. They said: "Is this Lao Li? What's happened? What did you do?"

The doctor asked: "Lao Li, why are you in this condition?" The police did not dare to say anything. The doctor said: "Lao Li, open your eyes. Look at me. I am the doctor. I once went to your home." I slowly opened my eyes, but was unable to see clearly who he was. He said: "Lao Li, what did you do? How many days have you not eaten?" I said: "I did not do anything. I was at home when they arrested me. I have not eaten or drunk anything for thirteen days. They tortured, beat and abused me. But I do not hate them. I am only able to use the hunger strike against the persecution."

Finally, the labor camp decided that they would not accept me. The police had to release me.

On another occasion, I was reported when I was clarifying the truth at the Qilihe Market in Yi County. Half an hour later, the police sent me to the Qilihe Police Station. They intended to send me to a detention center and then to a labor camp. They asked me my address, but I refused to tell them. One of the policemen knew I was from Lihai City. I just told him how good Falun Dafa is and how righteous Falun Dafa is, and also that Falun Dafa is the cosmic Dafa. At that time, he took out a form and was about to complete it. When he listened to what I said, he stopped completing it. Later the superintendent called the my local police office and asked me to leave. I said: "Where will I go? I have not finished my message, how can I leave?" He said: "You don't want to leave, you still want to stay here?" I said: "Did I come here of my own will? Isn't it you who asked me to come here? Once I come here, I cannot come in vain. I will finish my truth-clarification and then leave. You should return those items you confiscated from me, as well as that Dafa book." He did not return them to me. I just stayed there and did not leave. Finally, he had me carried out to the gate and asked two persons to secure the gate so I couldn't enter."

Therefore, I just went to the town government offices to clarify the truth. After I finished the truth-clarification, I also did a meditation there. Later, a group of people from the government came and beat me. I went back to the yard and sat cross-legged. At that time, many people came by and said: "This person practices Falun Gong. He is so good. The government does not allow anyone to practice Falun Gong. He comes to the town government office and does the practice!" At that moment, several policemen came and pulled me into a vehicle. Later, the police became worried: "Where do we send him? No facility will accept him." I held onto the door of the vehicle, because I did not want to leave with them. Two persons got out of the vehicle and pried my hands off the door and forced me inside. They drove the vehicle back to the police station.

When they delivered me to the police station, the superintendent was surprised: "You are really good. We have you driven away that far. And now, you come back again. Can you fly? You journey was so fast. Why do you come here again?" I said: "You did not return the Dafa book to me. How can I not come back?" He would not return the book, so I just sat on the floor of the police station. When I tried to sit cross-legged, the superintendent said: "Give him the book - quickly. Ask him to leave." I said: "I cannot leave. I have not yet finished clarifying the truth to you." When he saw that many people were coming to the open market to do business, he just asked two people to remove me from the area. When I saw I had no way to enter the market, I just clarified the truth at the entrance of the market. No one prevented me from clarifying the truth any more.

One afternoon, I returned to the same police station and clarified the truth to the police. The superintendent asked me why I was there. I said: "I did not finish clarifying the truth last time I was here. I come here to finish my message." After he heard this, he just asked someone to push me beyond the gate. He took a wooden stool to sit at the gate and said: "You will come again if I don't listen to you. Just talk to me here." I noticed more than ten people, including policemen, who were at the gate. I just started to talk about how practicing Falun Dafa has many advantages; cultivation can heal illnesses and people can become healthy; how the labor camps brutally beat good people and counted those who were beaten to death as suicides; how Jiang Zemin corrupted and ordered police to arrest good persons. I also discussed the relationship between loss and gain...... I spoke for more than an hour. He said: "Lao Li, you've finished your talk. I also understand what you have said. Don't come here again."

Whenever there were "sensitive" anniversaries, such as July 20 (1999) when the persecution started or April 25 (1999) when 10,000 practitioners silently assembled in front of the State Council Appeals Office adjacent to Beijing's Zhongnanhai central government compound, the labor camp would send someone to harass me. In 2004, the labor camp came to harass me again. This time, it was the captain of the labor camp who came to my home. I reasoned with him: "I did not commit any crime at all. It's wrong to sentence me. Do not threaten me with a term of three years, even three days is too long. I am not a prisoner. I will not go."

Finally, when the term was extended to three years and ten months, the captain came again. I told him: "I do not admit guilt to anything. I will not go!" Later, he came to my home and asked me to write the words: "I am diligent in observing and obeying the law." I said: "Every day, I strictly observe and obey the law. Do I still need to write it?" He said: "Its just fine as long as you write them." I said: "No! I won't write a word. You sentenced me three years in the labor camp before. Now, you ask me to write. This will not do!" He could see that I was not going to write anything. He asked me to appear before the Party Committee and then to see the head of the village. The head of the village said: "He behaves pretty well. If there is a summons, he always shows up. He has never kept a lost item that he found. He is a good person. All the local people say he is a good man. Just let him alone." The captain said: "We will release him very soon." A week later, someone from the labor camp came and said: "Here is your notification of release. The labor camp will not take any responsibility if any thing happens to you in the future." He gave me a sheet of paper and asked me to sign it. I said: "No! I won't sign anything. Take it away!" He said: "You do not need to sign. I'll just leave it with you. We do no care if you throw it away." After that, he just left.

(from the First Written Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China)

Written on October 15, 2004