The Testimony

 

about Wang, Ling, female, 49 years old,

 used to live at Room 102, Dorm of Art Institute, Shuqian City, Jiangsu Province,

by her daughter, Xu, Haiyan on September 12, 2001.

 

            On April 18^th, 2001 around noontime, while my mother and I were doing house chores, Miao Wu and a tall young police from Shuchen PSB burst into our home. They asked “Is this Ling Wang’s home?”  My mother replied “yes”.   They continued “We are from PSB!  You unlawfully believe God and preaching, so we are here to conduct a thorough search and arrest.”  My mother said, “I did not violate any law.  What’s the reason for the arrest?”  He said “You believed God and met secretly with others.  That is the violation of the law.”  Then they searched every corner of the house, bookshelves, closets, underneath the bed, and even all the shoes.  They turned the whole house upside down.  They collected a few copies of hymn books, Bibles and 200 Chinese dollars.  My mother and I said, “This is our money”.  Wu said “Stop being stubborn. Behave yourself! You are really interfering with our duties”, and he took the money back.  Finally, Wu said “You both come to the police station with us”. So they took both of us to the police stations and started interrogating us separately. 

 

            Miao Wu and Shijun Cai interrogated me.  They threatened me by asking “Tell me whom your mother contacted with?  Who are those that come to visit your mother? How many believe God with your mother?  Where did your mother go to preach?  If you don’t tell us the truth, we can blow this case out of proportion  to make it tough for you.  Why would a girl like you choose to believe God?  Tell us the truth quickly.  If you don’t, not only will your mother go to prison, you too! We can easily put you away for one or two years.”  They struck my head by fingers and threatened, “We can keep you until you lose job. And people will be ashamed to associate with you, so that you won’t be able to find a boy friend”  I did not give them anything, and was detained for 15 days.

 

            My mother was sent to the city jail.  They did not allow us to visit her.  I was told later that two policemen interrogated my mother.  In order to wear my mother out, they took turns to question my mother, so that she had no rest from continuous interrogation for a week. And she was even not given any food to eat that week.  My mother was severely beaten.  She had bruises all over her body with some parts bleeding or swelling.  Miao Wu, Zhijun Cai and Zhao beat her while interrogating.  They asked, “Who are the other believers that you have contacted with? Who is the leader? How many are there?  How much money do you all have?  Where did you get all these books?  Believing God is an open rebellion against the (communist) party.”  My mother never admitted anything. She would rather suffer the pains than betraying her fellow believers. She was severely tortured, everyday facing several times of interrogations. And she was forced to recite the rules of the jail every night. No food would be given if she could not recite.

 

            My mother was tortured for two months in the city jail, suffering from starvation and continuous beating.  On May 30^th, they brought her to the open market for trial in public.  She was brought out onto the stage with her hands cuffed in her back.  I saw my mother barely standing up on the stage, with uncombed messy hair, eyes showing fatigue and out of tear, the skinny and pale face showing the signs of severe torture.  At the end, they sentenced her to two years for “Belonging to the cult organization, illegal meeting, and disturbing social order.”

 

            On June 7^th, before my mother was sent to Nanjin Woman’s Labor Reform Camp, we were able to visit my mother after my father spent 500 Chinese dollars.  I could not believe that she was my mother when I saw her. There was no color on her pale face.  Her eyes were deeply set.  She looked much older…  She was handcuffed in the car and was taken away before we could say a few words. Later my father went to visit her in the prison. I was told that my mother could not see clearly because of the torture. I wish that all Christians who read this testimony would pray for peace for my mother.