Imprisoned and Tortured in China for 6 Years for Standing Up for #FalunGong #falundafa #communism #meditation #wisdom #TNR
In 2010, Charles Wei spread a banner in public in China that read: “Falun Dafa is Good”. For this he was imprisoned for six years––11 months in solitary confinement––and brutally tortured. After his release in 2016, he escaped from China and now lives in San Diego, California.
TRANSCRIPT:
Q: You were imprisoned for practicing Falun Dafa in China for six years.
A: Yes, yes! I displayed banners over the street to speak out for Falun Dafa because in China they defame us. They lie to the public, lie to the people; they say we are bad, we are evil. So we have to speak out. So we spread banners, and I put writing on the banners: Falun Dafa is good. That’s all, I just want to tell people we are good. So and then they caught me, put me into the prison. And originally they wanted to sentence me to 14 years. But because my family spent a lot of money so they changed from 14 to six. But even six, I think that six hours that is ridiculous, right?
Q: Six years.
A: Yes, six years, yeah.
Q: How old were you?
A: This was 2010, and I was 32.
Q: So you went to prison just because you spread banners that said Falun Dafa is good?
A: Yeah.
Q: And what was your experience in prison?
A: Wow! They tortured me because they wanted to force me to give up [my faith in Falun Dafa]. They knew if I did not give up, after I’d be released I would do it again. Right? Spread the truth, tell people what they have done to us, display banners or distribute flyers, things like that. They just wanted to make me compromise, change my mind, control my mind. But I refused. So they tortured me a lot.
Q: What did they do to you?
A: They have a torture device they call tiger rack, like a chair. They locked me on the chair, and I cannot move, and I cannot sleep, no eating, I refused to eat, six days.
Q: Six days?
A: No moving, no sleeping, no eating.
Q: No bathroom?
A: No bathroom, yeah. They want you… Nobody takes care of you in that cell there.
Q: In the past you said you were also in solitary confinement.
A: Yes. I think that [was] 11 months. Eleven months confinement cell. That’s very small like, less than 100 feet. Eleven months.
Q: Wow, that’s really human rights abuse.
A: Yeah, of course. They [the communist officials] don’t treat us as human. They don’t treat anyone in China as a human.
Q: So when you came out, did you then come to the United States right away, or how did you come here?
A: Yeah, I just traveled from China mainland to Hong Kong, and then fly from Hong Kong to U.S. because I thought if I went directly from the customs they will stop me. I’m sure I’m on some kind of black list.
Q: So now you can clarify the truth here and you collect signatures to end the persecution of Falun Gong.
A: Yes, I think that’s my responsibility. I survived, but I know there are still a lot of people like me that are still in the prisons. Right now they are facing death and torture every day, every minute. I need to do something for them because when I was there, I was hoping someone out there can help me. Now I am free I can do something for them.
Q: So in the United States there is a greater awareness now. We’re in 2025. I here there has been a resolution [bill] or law passed just recently.
A: To protect Falun Dafa.
Q: Yes.
A: Yes it [Falun Gong Protection Act] just passed in the Congress House, I think. That’s why we are here to collect signatures. It needs to pass by the Senators [the Senate] to become a law. It’s very important to let them know how people feel about this. The more signatures we have then we can have a better chance to pass this act. No matter what, this is a good thing and right thing to do, and someone up there will take care of the rest.
Q: Falun Dafa practices truthfulness, compassion, forbearance.
A: Yes, those are the three principles we need to follow during our daily behavior, which makes people become better and better. But in China they don’t care. I mean the government don’t care.
Q: It’s forbidden.
A: Yes, because they think there are too many people [practicing it], and anything in China that gets people together, they are watching and …. will stop you. And if you cannot be stopped, they will kill you.
Q: So they really feel threatened by too many people practicing truthfulness, compassion, forbearance. Is that it?
A: Yeah, yeah! Because that’s not a principle from them, you know. They [the CCP] don’t believe anything. They don’t believe in God, don’t believe in Buddha, they don’t believe in anything. They only believe in power, violence, lies, money, bad[ness]. Which means all they’re going against most of the principles from the religions, I think. That’s why they are against most religions. Even the religions that have still survived in China is because they are under their control. Most of the leaders of Christian or Buddha of Tao belong to the government, the leaders. I think this is a time for everyone to wake up, to find the real you inside yourself
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