(Minghui.org) A 57-year-old woman was beaten by police after refusing to sign a fabricated interrogation record against her as they attempted to charge her with practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body practice being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Zhou Minglan has been held in the Qingdao City No. 2 Detention Center since her arrest on March 10, 2019 after being reported for distributing materials about Falun Gong in a village in Jiaozhou City, Shandong Province. Her husband is now very worried about her situation.
Beaten and Threatened
Ms. Zhou is a native of Sichuan Province. She moved to Jiaozhou City, Shandong Province in 2017 to avoid arrests for her faith, only to be in custody two years later for her continued efforts to raise awareness about the persecution.
One officer slapped her in the face when she urged them not to participate in the persecution while on the way to the local police station.
At the police station, officers attempted to force her to sign her name on a prepared interrogation record. When Ms. Zhou refused to comply, they wrapped her inside a window curtain and one of the officers slammed her head against the wall several times. This caused pain that persisted for more than four days. The police kept telling her, “If you still don't cooperate with us, we will just bury you alive.”
The police took Ms. Zhou to a room without surveillance cameras in the evening, and ordered her to kneel down. She refused and was shoved to the ground. Her left knee was severely injured.
Ms. Zhou argued that Falun Gong is legitimate in China, and it teaches people to be good. One officer slapped her face with his shoe. He and a few others forced her to press her fingerprints on the interrogation record they had prepared.
The police didn't provide her with any food or drink from the time of her arrest at 9:00 a.m. on March 10, to the time she was taken to the detention center on the evening of March 11. She was given only some water when she became unable to talk from excessive thirst while undergoing a physical examination prior to being admitted to the detention center.
Life Renewed after Practicing Falun Gong
Ms. Zhou was born in a poor family. She is the fourth child of seven siblings. Her parents couldn't afford to send her to school. She got married before age 20. Her husband had a very bad temper and often yelled at and beat her.
Her in-laws and extended family bullied and took advantage of her. Suffering a rather bitter life, she made several attempts to commit suicide, but was rescued each time.
She later divorced and raised her son by herself.
A series of unfortunate events in her life took a toll on her health. She developed stomach and liver problems, among many other health issues. She broke one of her legs at work in October 2008. She was hospitalized for seven months and spent all of her savings, but her conditions still didn't improve.
Ms. Zhou was introduced to Falun Gong in December 2009. After one month of doing the exercises, her health conditions completely disappeared.
She also found herself becoming more compassionate and considerate. She re-married her husband and took good care of her in-laws.
She began to find ways to share her story with people and clarify the demonizing propaganda against Falun Gong that many had heard from the communist regime. After the police found out, they broke into her home on August 2, 2017 and confiscated her computer, printer, and Falun Gong related materials. Her son was at home by himself. While the police failed to arrest Ms. Zhou, they arrested her son and held him at the police station for one day.
Several officers stayed outside of her home, waiting to arrest her when she returned. Ms. Zhou was forced to move to Shandong Province but was arrested in her adopted province two years later.
