Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in the Name of the Olympics

1. Authorities in Anping County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province Escalate the Persecution of Practitioners

As the Beijing Olympics approached and when the Olympic torch was about to reach Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei Province, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) escalated its persecution of practitioners in that area. Over the past week, officers from the Anping County Police Bureau, the 610 Office¹, and officials from a number of townships and village harassed, monitored and arrested practitioners, or put them under house arrest. As an excuse for arresting practitioners, they made up false accusations. They claimed that "Falun Gong plans to have a big event, or Falun Gong wants to create social disturbances." Five practitioners from Anping County were arrested, thirteen practitioners' homes were ransacked, two practitioners were forced to become homeless and at least thirty practitioners were harassed. Some were forced to write a Guarantee Statement promising "not to go to Beijing."

On July 16th, 2008, practitioners Ms. Lu (over 70 years old), Ms. Qiao (over 70 years old) and Ping Juan (over 60 years old) were reported and then arrested by Sun Yihe from the Political and Security Section of the local police station when exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. They are still being detained and tortured.

On July 18th and 19th, 2008, officials from the Anping Township Government, officers from the Township Police Station and the 610 Office, with cooperation from village officials, harassed nine practitioners from Zhangzhuang and Houzhangzhuang village. Their homes were ransacked in the process. Practitioner Ms. Li Anhui was arrested. Her husband Mr. Zhang Lanmai and Chen Qiaorang were forced to leave their homes and go from place to place to avoid arrest. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials climbed over the wall and forced their way into the homes to arrest the practitioners. They confiscated computers, printers, cassette recorders, mobile phones, satellite antennas, Falun Gong books, exercise cassettes and materials about the persecution of Falun Gong. Practitioner Mr. Li Anquan was detained for 24 hours. The police beat him with rubber batons and pulled his hair. The CCP officials closed Mr. Zhang Lanmai's business and drove out the employees. Officials from the Anping Township Government and Yantuan Village put practitioner Ruijing and daughter under house arrest and monitored them around the clock.

On July 19th, 2008, CCP officials arrested Mr. Zhao Jianmin. On July 15th, officials from the Nanwang Township government and police station harassed twelve practitioners. Two practitioners' homes were ransacked, and some practitioners were monitored around the clock.

Individuals responsible for the persecution:

Anping County 610 Office: 86-318-7532037

He Fenglin, head of the Anping County Police Department: 86-318-7561899, 86-133-33081619 (Mobile)

Sun Yihe, Head of the Political and Security Section, Anping County Police Department: 86-1381-3808999, 86-318- 7513802 (Home)

2. Officials from Shenzhou City, Hebei Province Arrest Mr. Jin Dianlong and His Wife

On July 18th, Wang Tao, the party secretary of the Wangjiajing Township Political and Judicial Committee in Shenzhou City, Dou Shuangcai, deputy head of Wangjiajing Police Station, Wang Hua, a village official, and several others arrested Mr. Jin Dianlong and his wife Ms. Jin Lianyu, both from Jinjia Village, at around noon. Ms. Jin Liangyu did not cooperate and shouted for help. However, by the time the neighbours had notified her nephew and others, the two had been arrested. They also ransacked the practitioners' home and confiscated Falun Gong books, DVD burners and other items.

Ms. Ren Jinsheng and Mr. Wang Ruihua from Renjia Village, Wangjiajing Township were also arrested.

These practitioners are now being held at the Shenzhou City Detention Centre in Hebei Province. One employee from the detention centre said that they were arrested because of a directive from the Hebei Provincial Government. The detention centre has set aside 7 rooms to detain practitioners. When the families brought bedding and a change of clothes for the detained practitioners, they saw that more practitioners were being brought in.

Zhang Tao, Party Secretary of the Wang Jiajing Township Political and Judicial Committee, Shenzhou City, Hebei Province: 86-139-32858928 (Mobile)

Dou Shuangcai, Deputy Head of Wangjiajing Township Police Station, Shenzhou City, Hebei Province: 86-133-83682931 (Mobile)

Jin Shirui, Party Secretary of Jinjia Village, Wangjiajing Township, Shenzhou City, Hebei Province: 86-318-3465241

3. Practitioners in Zaoqiang County, Hebei Province Robbed by CCP Officials

On July 21st, 2008, two office workers from the Zaoqiang Township Government forced their way into the home of practitioners Jiang Hongtu and Mu Lancui. One of the office workers was Li Dongzhuang. Some time ago, he took part when police from the Zaoqiang Township Police Station arrested Mr. Jiang Hongtu and gave chase. As a result, Mr. Jiang was forced to become homeless to avoid being arrested. The office workers wanted to confiscate the practitioners' identification cards, so they searched all the desk drawers and ended up taking away an expired ID card. In 2007, Li Dongzhuang and Jiang Zhiwang, Party Secretary of Jiangzhang Village, confiscated Mr. Jiang Hongtu's satellite antenna for a period of time.

4. CCP Officials in Rongcheng County, Baoding City Persecute Practitioners

Police from the Rongcheng County Police Bureau in Hebei Province, Chengguan Police Station and Township Police Station harassed several practitioners living in that county. They monitored them and threatened that they would hold the villagers responsible for each of the practitioners in that area. They claimed that this was done to safeguard the Olympics.

In the morning of July 10th, about fifteen to sixteen CCP officials came to Ms. Zhou Sujun's home in Lilang Village, Pingwang Township. They confiscated a dish antenna that had not been installed. When Ms. Zhou refused to give it to them, they threatened to arrest her and confiscated her identification card.

That same day, they went to Mr. Chen Aiping's home in Liutong Village, located in the same township, and dismantled his home satellite dish. At the time Mr. Chen was alone at home. They asked, "Do you still practise Falun Gong?" They demanded that he say bad things about the founder of Falun Gong. When Mr. Chen refused, they confiscated the antenna.

Then, these officials went to Mr. Wang Zhefa's home in Pingwang Village and dismantled a satellite dish. They did not take the dish away since it was broken in the process.

5. Two Practitioners in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou City Arrested

At around 3 p.m. on July 16th, Yan Xiaolin, the head of the Tunken Township Forest Centre, Luo Zhong, head of the Tunken Township Police Station, and 7 or 8 of his subordinates broke into Ms. Wu Zhanmei's home and ransacked it. Then they searched Ms. Cao Fengtao's home and arrested her. They confiscated a television, mobile phone, printer and some Falun Gong books. Immediately after, they went to Lu Aiming's home, where they found three Falun Gong books. They arrested Lu Aiming.

At 8 p.m. on the same day, Xiao Huawen, head of the Chengguan Police Station, and Luo Zhong, a traffic policeman, and 7 or 8 other people forced their way into Ms. Huo Zhenping's home. They ransacked the house and searched the computer, but failed to find anything.

Ms. Cao Fengtao and Lu Aiming were transferred to Shisanli Detention Centre in Zhangjiakou City the next day.

Luo Zhong: 86-138-3332494 (Mobile)

Yan Xiaolin: 86-139-32373242 (Mobile)

6. Four Practitioners from Zhaocun Township, Dingzhou City, Hebei Province Arrested and Their Homes Ransacked

Ms. He Yonglian, Ms. Wang Kunying, Ms. Geng Lijuan and Ms. Huansheng from Zhaocun Township, Dingzhou City, Hebei Province were arrested, and their homes were ransacked. The police took them away when they refused to sign "guarantee statements" renouncing Falun Gong.

On the morning of July 20th, 2008, Zang Kecong from the Kaiyuan Township Police Station and Xing Jianzhou, Party Secretary of the Neihua Village, broke into Ms. He Yonglan's home. They ransacked her home and arrested her. The whereabouts of this 30-year-old practitioner are unknown.

At the same time, Ms. Wang Kunying, about 50 years old, from Dasitou Village, was in Neihua Village. The officials who arrested Ms. He Yonglian also arrested Ms. Wang. Her whereabouts are unknown.

In the afternoon on July 20th, Guo Hongchang, Deputy Party Secretary and Head of Zhaocun Township, Wei Haitao, Political Instructor of Zhaocun Township Police Station, Aimin, Head of Dasitou Village and a dozen of their men forced their way into Ms. Wang Kunying's home and ransacked it. They confiscated Falun Gong books and tried to take away the satellite dish that was installed for their parents. They stopped after strong objections from the family.

Ms. Huansheng from Dasitou Village was arrested on July 20th as she was walking down the street with her baby in her arms. Another practitioner, Ms. Geng Lijuan, was arrested on the same day, and her home was ransacked.

Officials from Zhaocun Township and leaders of the various villages repeatedly harassed local practitioners and demanded that they sign "guarantee statements" giving up Falun Gong. When four practitioners refused, they were arrested on the spot.

Telephone numbers of those involved in the persecution:

Zhaocun Township Government:

Wang Jianli, Party Secretary: 86-312-2593111, 86-312-2396886, 86-135-82385658 (Mobile)
Zhao Hongliang, Head of the Township: 86-312-2593222, 86-312-2583957, 139-33221990(Mobile)
Kaiyuan Township Government:
Zhang Zhanjun, Party Secretary of the Township: 86-312-2737668 (Office), 86-312-2301388 (Home), 86-137-00329968 (Mobile)
Zhang Erwen, Head of the Township: 86-312-2737698 (Office), 86-312-2582268 (Home), 86-139-33226766 (Mobile)
Zang Kecong, Kaiyuan Township Police Station: 86-15931817781 (Mobile)
Tian Xiaohui, Head of Kaiyuan Township Police Station: 86-13603227979(Mobile)
Zhang Junqi, Head of Zhaoucun Township Police Station: 86-13903123127 (Mobile) 86-312-2393369 (Home)
Xing Jianzhou, Neihua Village Party Secretary: 86-15097720889 (Mobile)

7. Police in Lingshou County, Hebei Province Persecute Practitioners

Leading up to the Olympics, many practitioners have been harassed, fined, detained or even sentenced to prison terms, and their homes have been ransacked.

Practitioner Mr. Ma Pingfag was sentenced to a prison term for not renouncing his belief in Falun Gong. Police from the Qingtong Township Police Station, Lingshou County arrested Mr. Ma in July 2008. The practitioner was fined 1,000 yuan² and suffered administrative detention for 15 days.

Practitioner Mr. Ma Erxiao was sentenced for not renouncing his belief in Falun Gong. In June 2008, police from the Qingtong Township Police Station, Lingshuo County arrested and fined him 500 yuan.

Mr. Liu Xulai, over 50 years old , was from Liujia Village, Lingshou County. He began to practise Falun Gong in 2005. At the time he suffered leg pain and had blood in his stool. After practising Falun Gong, his mental and physical health improved greatly. Therefore, he talked to everyone about Falun Gong. In February 2008, when he was explaining the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong to a peddler at Sanshengyuan, he was reported and then arrested. Once the news of his arrest was exposed on the Internet, practitioners from inside China and overseas phoned the Lingshou County Police Bureau and the Sanshengyuan Police Station. The police transferred Mr. Liu Xulai to Shijiazhuang City, where he was sentenced to a 3-year prison term. Lei Zhenhong, the Head of the Sanshengyuan Police Station was transferred to the Ciyu Police Station.

Lei Zhenhong, Head of the Ciyu Police Station: 86-13785185305(Mobile)

8. Cao Fengzhi from the Kuancheng County 610 Office, Hebei Province Collaborates with Police to Arrest Practitioners and Ransack Their Homes

At 1 p.m. on June 17th, 2008, Cao Fengzhi from Kuancheng County, Hebei Province collaborated with Wang Jinggang and Bai Xiaojun from Dashizhuzi Township Political and Judicial Committee, as well as several policemen from Yangdaohe Police Station, to arrest practitioners. They broke into Mr. Liu Shuge's home in Xiliyuan Village. They confiscated a satellite dish and arrested Mr. Liu.

In the afternoon of the following day, Cao Fengzhi collaborated with police from the County National Security Division and the broadcasting bureau to arrest practitioners. Gaoshan and other policemen from the Tangdaohe Police Station went to Xiliyuancun Village, Dong Liyuan Village and Kongjiagou Village in four police cars. They confiscated TV sets and satellite antennas from the homes of practitioners Ms. Bai Cuihua, Ms. Shi Feng'e, Ms. Zhou Xiuyun, Ms. Kong Yuqin and Ms. Guo Yurong. They also ransacked non-practitioners' homes and arrested Ms. Bai Cuihua's husband.

On June 26th, policemen Gaoshan, Cao Fengzhi and Wang Jinggang went to Xiliyuan Village again and forced the practitioners' fingerprints onto a "guarantee statement." They forbade the practitioners to leave the village. Then they went to Liu Shu'e home and ransacked it.

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

2. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/7/24/182673.html