Zhao Guogang (male, 54) and his daughter, Zhao Jinghui (female, 23), the residents in Lushui County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, are both Christians of The Church of Almighty God.
At around 9 a.m. on May 15, 2014, five policemen violently broke into the house of Zhao Guogang to search his house like bandits without showing any credentials. After seizing some books on belief in God, the police station chief questioned him sternly about the source of the books. Because of dissatisfaction with Zhao Guogang’s reply, he dragged Zhao Guogang away from the stool, forced him to hold a semi-squat position, and then fiercely kicked him in the waist twice, which made him fall to the ground and get hurt in the back. (He recovered a month later after taking herbal medicine.) Meanwhile, Zhao Jinghui was also interrogated about believing in God and was forced to sign on the record.
At half past 8 a.m. on June 4, 2014, eight policemen and the local military assistant swarmed to take Zhao Guogang and his daughter to the local police station and detained Zhao Guogang for 14 days and Zhao Jinghui for 8 days on the charge of “believing in cult.” During the detention, the police repeatedly brainwashed Zhao Guogang and Zhao Jinghui with forged videos and pastors’ lecturing and threatened them saying, “Now it is the CCP that rules this country, and the CCP specially cracks down on you believers in Almighty God. You will be sentenced to reeducation through labor if you still believe.” And they took away RMB270 from Zhao Guogang.
At 8:30 p.m. on July 4, 2014, nine people, including Communist Party cadres and members in the village, rushed into the house of Zhao Guogang, and intimidated Zhao and his daughter to write “letters of guarantee” to give up their belief. As both of them refused, their Land Certificate, Yikatong (an all-purpose card for public transportation) and Household Register were all confiscated. The CCP cadres menacingly said to Zhao and his daughter, “You believe in God, then go away with your God! Do not stay in our village, nor go to Myanmar, as Myanmar is also the turf of Chinese! You’re not allowed to take any vehicle of the locals. Anyone who gives you a ride will be fined and their driver’s license will be confiscated. You are also forbidden to work in our county. Whoever provides you a job will be implicated and cannot escape punishment. Don’t go to your relatives, or they will be implicated and charged with harbouring fugitives. You cannot walk on the roads the CCP builds. Just fly away without your feet landing on the ground. Go pick up the trash, and eat the leftovers, you two will starve to death! Hurry up and leave in three days, or we will call the police.”
Faced with the ceaseless persecution from the CCP, Zhao Guogang and his daughter were driven into desperation, and Zhao Guogang was so anxious that his hair became grey. Finally, they were forced to leave their home with tears and started to wander around.
