(Minghui.org) A farmer in Chaoyang City credits Falun Gong for turning him into a more considerate person, but he is now facing indictment for refusing to renounce his faith.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practice has been brutally persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
Mr. Li Zhenyang is known among locals as a person who doesn't contend for material interest. Back in 2002 when the local government assigned farmland to villagers, everyone else fought to get better lots with easier access to water sources, with him receiving a corner lot on barren land. He too wanted to have a better plot to grow crops, but he remembered that Falun Gong taught him to be considerate of others.
Mr. Li maintained that following Falun Gong's principles in daily life gave him peace of mind, but he was forced to pay a dear price for holding firm to his faith. He was one of the 31 Falun Gong practitioners targeted during a mass arrest that took place over the course of two days in August 2018.
Mr. Li was arrested along with Ms. Wen Li, Mr. Qi Min, Mr. Yuan Zhenda, and a family member of practitioner Ms. Han Aizhen, on August 22. The police ransacked both Mr. Li and Mr. Qi's homes.
Ms. Han's family member was released on the day of the arrest; Mr. Yuan was released after nine days of detention; and Ms. Wen and Mr. Qi were released in early September. Ms. Wen revealed that she was force-fed at the detention center after she went on a hunger strike in protest of the persecution.
The guards at Chaoyang City Detention Center blocked Mr. Li's lawyer from meeting with him on August 28. Mr. Li is now facing possible indictment after the Shuangta District Procuratorate approved his arrest.
Related report:31 Falun Gong Practitioners and Their Family Members in Liaoning Province Arrested in Two Days