Skilled Chef Arrested for His Spiritual Belief

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Sun Zhengyun is a chef with a certificate of advanced training and skills issued by the government. On August 23rd, Mr. Sun was working as usual in his restaurant on the food street in the Zhongchang community, Jinzhou District, Dalian. Several plainclothes officers from the Domestic Security Division of the Xinqu community of Jinzhou and the Zhongchang Police Station came to the restaurant and arrested Mr. Sun without a warrant. The police also ransacked his home and confiscated his bank cards, 10,000 yuan¹ in cash, and other personal belongings.

The Huiyuan Noodles Restaurant, run by Mr. Sun, was popular among local people, due to Mr. Sun's honest business style and great cooking.

Although it is quite common for restaurant owners to put chemical additives into their dishes in order to achieve maximum profit and save money on quality ingredients, Mr. Sun never thought of doing so, and he made his own noodles to assure the quality. Many of his returning customers said that it was rare to see a restaurant like this nowadays, where one did not need to spend a fortune to enjoy an ample, delicious meal.

Mr. Sun often offered help to poor people. A elderly female panhandler came to the restaurant several times. She told Mr. Sun that her son suffered from liver cancer and lost his ability to work and her grandson was still in a high school. As their small income was barely enough for the family to survive, she had to go to the street to beg for food. Whenever the elderly woman came in, Mr. Sun not only served her good food, he sent her away with a big bag of groceries. She was very moved because owners and workers at other restaurants usually kicked her out or ignored her when she went in. Upon learning that Mr. Sun was a Falun Gong practitioner, she developed a positive attitude toward this spiritual movement despite the government's propaganda of defaming Falun Gong.

However, Mr. Sun had been frequently harassed by the Zhongchang Police in the Jinzhou District, because of his belief in Falun Gong. Since his arrest in August, his restaurant has been closed. His noodles are much missed by local people; so is Mr. Sun.

Note

1. "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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/9/18/246895.html