sister Zhao Yan's testimony"He then kicked my cuffed hands. I rolled around on the floor; the cuffs were eating into my flesh"

China Aid Association
My name is Zhao Yan. I am female, Han Chinese, and 22 years old. I live in Taipingzhen, Zaoyang city, in Hubei province.
       On the 2nd of August I was preparing to have a meeting with other believers in Lutouzhen, Zaoyang city. At around 9am in the morning I was on the second floor of the building cleaning up when suddenly a man of around 30 years stormed in, crying, “Don’t move.” They took two teachers out from another room. Then several plain clothes police, without showing any identification or making any inquiries, grabbed the two teachers and took them downstairs. Pushing and shouting, “Walk, walk.” I with sister Gu Houqing asked them, “What are you doing? Without any questions do you just take people away? Are you not giving a bad impression of China?” They just continued to drag the teachers out. They were without shoes. When they asked to put on their shoes, they were not allowed. They took one teacher downstairs and used force to cuff the teacher’s hands behind his back. They then pushed him into a police car. They then arrested more of us. Some pestered the other teacher. They also carried him downstairs and put him into a police car. Then after about ten minutes they brought the teachers whom they had cuffed up to the second floor again. A middle-aged man took the cuffs off. At that time the teacher’s right wrist was bleeding. His left wrist was also showing a red imprint made by the cuff. I with sister Gu wanted to get the two teachers’ traveling bags. Two female officers were holding their bags and did not give them to us.
       About an hour later the head of Zaoyang Police Station, Wu Chuanhu, with some others, arrived. They also did not produce any identification. They asked the teachers where they were from and looked at their passports. Only at this time did the two female offers returned their bags. The teachers took out their identification and showed it to them. The police recorded all the information. Afterwards they took the two teachers and a sister away with them.
When the two teachers walked into the corridor to the door, all the students gathered around to say goodbye. “Walk! Why are you a standing around here?” I was pushed out the door by one of them. Outside the door several hundred people were watching. There was also a man taking a video. The man who pushed me continued to push me into a white van. The van was full of people. They took us to Lutouzhen police station to be registered. At the registration Huang Yanli demanded that they show subpoena papers. Then a man came up and kicked her a few times, shouting, “What subpoena papers? Cooperate with your master a bit.” After recording our names and addresses, a bus arrived in the courtyard. The bus took us to Zaoyang No 2 Detention Centre, where we were registered twice. The first time in the office, two females registered us and searched us. They took 72.6 yuan from me. The second time was at the entrance of the Detention Centre. They took away my comb, teacup, a new toothbrush box, and a bottle of shampoo. They then locked me up in a cell.   
They did not give us any lunch at midday. They interrogated us in the afternoon. One officer about 50 years old asked me about my name, age, and address. I answered all his questions. He also had my fingerprints taken. At around 5pm in the afternoon I had to sign a document entitled, “Register of Suspects under Questioning”. 
After breakfast on the 3rd of August, an officer called all of us in cell three outside. They ordered us to crouch down facing the wall. About five or six of them did not wear any police uniform. Some were holding cameras, others papers and black stamp ink. They forced us to have our pictures taken, make fingerprints and be registered. When they took each person’s photo she was forced to hold a black board with her name and the words, “evil religion” written on it. When the first sister in line saw the words, she refused to have her picture taken and said, “I believe in Christianity, not in an evil religion.” Then they removed the words “evil religion”. They then took our photos while we were holding our names. Sister Zhang Fang asked them for clarification before this all happened, “Why are you doing this? If you don’t give a clear answer I will not cooperate.” Lei Youxin then punched and cursed sister Zhang. He forced her to comply. He took a chair and thumped it down on the ground and said, “Let’s see who do not cooperate today. I will sort that person out.” After our photos were taken he forcibly took our fingerprints, first the right hand then the left hand, every finger. After this process was finished, the director of the police investigation’s unit, Qiu Yunfei, took us to the office for interrogation. After a few words he slapped me in the face and kicked me to the ground. He ordered me to kneel on the ground and cuffed my two thumbs. He then let me raise my arms and keep them level. He again slapped me across the ears. He also hit my with a leather belt on my mouth. He took the drinking glass on the table and smashed it on my arm. After he beat me he went out for a walk, when he returned he said, “You thought your master didn’t know, South China Church’s great powers Gong and Li Ying have already been sentenced. You still want to play games. Speak. Speak. To which group do you belong?” I did not answer. He then kicked my cuffed hands. I rolled around on the floor; the cuffs were eating into my flesh. When the cuff on my right thumb became loose he put it on my two forefingers，Again he wanted me to hold up my hands. Whenever I lower my arms he burned me with a cigarette butt. The head of the Security Bureau, Zhang Xujin, also entered the room. He scolded me and severely kicked my left leg. He also severely kicked my two hands around on the muddy floor. Afterwards he wanted me to raise my hands up. He grabbed the cuffs and dragged me forward and up. My fingers simply wanted to break. I was continually tortured like this. At noon when lunch arrived, I was returned to my cell.
On the morning of the 4th of August Lei Youxin interrogated me. He wanted me to sign a document entitled, “Register of Suspects under Questioning”. The time indicated was the 3rd of August 5pm to the 4th of August 5pm. Because no charge was indicated, I refused to sign. Then Lei took a pen and wrote, “Illegal meeting”. I said, “I did not attend an illegal meeting.” I still did not sign. Zhang Xujin grinded his teeth angrily and said, “You lazy glutton! I will beat you to death. If you remain stubborn I will lock you up with a cult to reform you.” Then he punched me on the head and back. Under pressure I wrote, “Zhao Yan did not do anything.” At midday they took me from my cell and after I signed my name on some letter paper, they released me.
Zhao Yan (in my own hand)                  
2 September 2005
Note: Xu Juxiang (Code name: Zhao Yan). Main name: Xu Roujing. She lives in Nanzhang county, Hubei province. She joined the ministry team of South China Church in 1993.