(Minghui.org) The Chinese government cited the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress as an excuse to compile a blacklist in preparation for a massive arrest of Falun Gong practitioners. The arrests happened between six and seven in the morning on February 25, 2012. Under the command of the Hebei Province 610 Office, Domestic Security Division officers collaborated in tapping the telephones of practitioners, following and spying on them. They conducted massive arrests of practitioners in Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Baoding, Cangzhou, Botou, Xuanhua, and others cities and counties in Hebei Province. The practitioners were arrested and their homes were ransacked. The authorities also wanted to detain these practitioners long term. Many families were affected.
Based on an incomplete head count, over 60 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested, over 30 in Tangshan alone. In Tangshan, a group of 10 to 30 police officers would break into practitioners' homes or follow them until their arrest and then confiscate their personal possessions. In some cases, the husband and wife were arrested together or entire families were arrested, including non-practicing family members. All the arrested practitioners had their homes ransacked and their belongings confiscated. The police used their cars and vans to cart away the confiscated goods from the homes of practitioners.
1. Aside from computers and Dafa books, the CCP agents were mainly searching for compact discs. At about 5:00 a.m. on February 25, ten or so officers from Nanbao Village Police Station in Handan, Hebei Province, broke into Mr. Han Tieqiang's home. They searched it without a warrant. They confiscated two computer monitors, Dafa books, and 72 boxes of discs.
2. At around 7:00 a.m., the home of an elderly couple, Mr. Liu Rongfa and Ms. Yin Yanxin, suddenly lost electricity. Ms. Yin went to check on the circuit breaker. When she opened their apartment door, six or seven plainclothes police officers were waiting outside. They forced their way in and ransacked the home without a warrant. The police confiscated a laptop, two cell phones, many Dafa books, about 100 yuan with truth clarifying phrases printed on them, an MP3, an e-book reader, about 20 Shen Yun CDs, and many CD cases.
3. Another incident occurred around 6:00 a.m. on February 25. About 20 or so officers from Botou Police Department in Hebei Province harassed Yi Jian, Wei Jingmin, Zhang Hua, Zhang Zhenlan, Zhang Jinshan, Zhang Xiaoxiang, and other practitioners in their homes. Zhang Jinshan's son, Zhang Shui, was arrested recently. Zhang Hua's home was ransacked, and several thousand CD cases were confiscated.
The confiscated CD cases are used in the making of Shen Yun CDs. The motive behind these massive arrests on the part of the CCP is to prevent the widespread distribution of Shen Yun's performance discs in mainland China. The CCP has tried in vain to interfere with Shen Yun performances overseas. They are now focusing their efforts in mainland China.
Background about Shen Yun
Through music, song, and dance Shen Yun displays the essence of Chinese culture. Its pure beauty has the power to move audience members to tears. Based in New York, the company has performed several thousand times around the world in over 200 cities. And the company is expanding. Praised in every city where they have performed on their 2012 World Tour, many shows have been sold out and the theatergoers were unable to get tickets. In Western countries, Shen Yun has been acclaimed as the best show in the world. When many overseas Chinese see the show, they are proud of their Chinese heritage and grateful to Shen Yun.
In recent years, Falun Gong practitioners have been using their own money to copy Shen Yun performances onto CDs to give to their friends and families for free. Thus Shen Yun is also widely known in mainland China. Many people wait to get a copy of Shen Yun's new production each year, and it has become a tradition in many families.
Shen Yun's CDs are very popular in China, and the shows are highly praised. One viewer from mainland China texted a practitioner after watching Shen Yun's 2011 production: “Elegant and top notch. I gasped in amazement as there is no comparison. A production that has shaken the world. A miracle in the human world, a perfection, a mesmerizing performance.”
Only the CCP is afraid of Shen Yun. Just like the audience members have commented, “Shen Yun has awakened the Chinese people's several thousand years of memories. Shen Yun has allowed the Chinese people to find their culture and roots and their spiritual beliefs, which the CCP has tried to destroy over the past several decades.”
During the Shen Yun tours, the CCP has often instructed its ambassadors and agents to call and/or write to the foreign government offices to slander the Shen Yun performances in order to prevent its potential audience from going to the show. Some even went to the theater to stir up trouble. However, the true nature of the CCP is well known internationally. In fact, many people were even more eager to see Shen Yun because of the CCP slander. In the capital cities of Australia (Canberra) and Canada (Ottawa) a great number of government representatives went to the Shen Yun performances. Some representatives joked about holding a legislative assembly before the show. Shen Yun performances have become a top show in countries outside of mainland China.
In mainland China, it is completely legal for practitioners to let more people know about and watch Shen Yun. They are promoting traditional Chinese culture, and they should be encouraged and protected. However, they are being arrested, detained and physically tortured.
As this year's Shen Yun performance makes its way to China, let's not miss it. That would be unfortunate and something we would regret. Perhaps after watching Shen Yun, we will stand straighter and hold our heads higher, and our hearts will become bigger.