(Minghui.org) Officials in Pingdu City, Shandong Province, have arrested many Falun Gong practitioners since the start of 2012 per the orders of Yu Naijiang, head of the Pingdu Political and Legal Affairs Committee. The Pingdu 610 Office and various local police stations have participated in the persecution. Nine practitioners were taken into custody from May 21 to June 13, 2012.

On May 21, Zhugou Police Station officer Jiao Hengyu illegally arrested Ms. Li Jihua from Zhuxi Village, Zhugou Town, when she spoke to people about Falun Gong in a local market. Ms. Li was first sent to Pingdu City and then transferred to the Dashan Detention Center in Qingdao City.

On June 10, officers from the Tianzhuang Police Station broke into Ms. Zhang Youqin’s home in Xingfuzhuang Village, Tian Village, and arrested her. They also ransacked her home and confiscated a computer, a printer and a cell phone. The police would not return the cell phone until they extorted 200 yuan from Ms. Zhang's husband. Ms. Zhang is currently incarcerated in the Dashan Detention Center.

On the morning of June 11, Tianzhuang Police Station officers arrested Ms. Guo Qirong from Guanzhuang Village, Mencun Town. They did not release her until they extorted 20,000 yuan from her family the same afternoon.

On the morning of June 13, practitioners Ms. Guo Huisheng, Ms. Sun Xiaohui and her husband Mr. Zhang Jingcheng, Mr. Luan and Mr. Zhang from Guanzhuang Village, Mencun Town, went to Pingdu City to visit Ms. Ren Aihua, who was in poor health due to the torture she had suffered previously in detention. Dai Yugang from the Pingdu 610 Office led Cao Bo and other police officers to Ms. Ren’s home and arrested the six practitioners. All practitioners except Ms. Sun were transferred to the Pingdu Police Department the next morning.

Ms. Sun and her husband refused to go with the police. They told the officers that Ms. Sun's mother was elderly, disabled and bedridden, so they needed to return home to take care of her. The police released Ms. Sun, but not her husband. They ransacked the couple's home before Ms. Sun got back and confiscated Falun Gong books and 200 yuan in cash. The police also attempted to take away Ms. Sun's house key. However, the Guanzhuang Village Party secretary intervened, saying, “If you take the key away, nobody will be able to enter the house and deliver food and water to the elderly woman. She will die of hunger.” Under his strong insistence, the police left the key.

Parties involved in the persecution:
Yu Naijiang, head of Pingdu Political and Legal Affairs Committee: +86-532-88315018
Wang Xinyu, head of Pingdu 610 Office: +86-13708973862, +86-532-87007791
Dai Yugang, deputy head of Pingdu 610 Office: +86-532-87309201
Jing Huiping, head of Pingdu Police Department: +86-13305320626

Please refer to the original Chinese article for additional parties involved in the persecution.