(Minghui.org) Ms. Li Meizhen found herself under around-the-clock surveillance again on July 16, 2019, because she practices Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
This is the fourth time that the 74-year-old woman has been closely monitored by the police since she moved to the Songjiang District in Shanghai last year.
Ms. Li said Dongjing Police Station officers have been targeting her around sensitive dates and during major events. The officers park their cars outside her apartment building and take turns monitoring her. They also follow her wherever she goes, completely restricting her personal freedom.
Below is Ms. Li's personal account of the previous three episodes of surveillance, which each lasted from 16 to 23 days:
“The first time they put me under around-the-clock surveillance was during the Hongqiao International Trade Fair. The police and local residential committee members knocked on my door on October 20, 2018. When one of my family members opened the door, they shouted, 'Tell Li Meizhen not to go out and talk nonsense to people!'
“Shortly after that, they began to monitor me and my family between October 23 and November 12, for a total of 21 days. They followed us wherever we went, even grocery shopping. They also forbade us from leaving town. We had no personal freedom.
“The second time they monitored us was during the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, from March 2 to 17, 2019. They parked an unmarked police car outside of our apartment building and plainclothes officers sat in the car to monitor us.
“The third time was from April 20 to May 15, during the 20th anniversary of [Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful] April 25th Appeal and World Falun Dafa Day on May 13. This time, they parked outside and the officers were in uniform to monitor us, not even trying to hide their identities.
“On June 3, two officers knocked on my door. When I opened it, they took pictures of my home without saying a word and then left.”
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