Latest News from China - 01/11/2000

The authorities of Chengdu City are escalating persecutions against Falun Gong practitioners

January 11th

The police department and governmental offices of Chengdu City are escalating their persecutions against Falun Gong practitioners. All street offices and residential committees were informed by the police department that they should monitor Falun Gong practitioners 24 hours a day. Once they find any Falun Gong practitioners going to appeal or gathering together, they should call 110 (an emergency number like 911 in the US) immediately in order to have the practitioners arrested. No appealing is allowed to happen again; otherwise, the officials and responsible people will be heavily punished.

The local officials and police officers have become extremely annoyed under the pressure from the high authorities. Some police officers with poor moral quality even went to the homes of practitioners and threatened that, "If you dare to go to Beijing to appeal and make me lose my job, I will ..."

Some Falun Dafa practitioners in Chengdu City still think that they should continue to go to Beijing to appeal, in order to defend Falun Dafa and rectify the environment. Meanwhile, some practitioners think that they could also perfect Falun Dafa in local areas.

Falun Gong practitioner Ms Zhang Hui-fang lost her job and home; a 78 years old practitioner Ms. Wang Shu-zhen cannot go home

January 11th, 2000

Ms. Zhang Hui-fang, a staff member of the department of services in the Si-chuan army district, was dismissed from the party, and her post. Her apartment was also taken back by the authorities (in China, the apartments of workers are usually owned by the state). Later she was arranged to rent an apartment near the Lu-you village police station.

Since police station sent police officers to monitor and interrogate Ms. Zhang everyday and therefore brought disturbance to nearby residents, the landlord had to take the apartment back. Therefore, Ms. Zhang had to stay with her friends in turns.

Ms. Wang Shu-zhen, 78 years old, living in Dong-cheng-gen Street of Chengdu City, went to Beijing on December 26 of last year in order to tell the truth of Falun Gong to the central authorities. After she was escorted back to Chengdu City, she was under home arrest instead of being sent to detention center, because the police was concerned about her old age. The police told all her neighbors that they should immediately report to the police station anyone who went to visit her. In order not to bring trouble to fellow practitioners who might visit her, Ms. Wang had to stay with her children in turns.

Practitioners from Weng-jiang County went to appeal during the New Year's Day; local police officers ransacked practitioners' homes

January 11th, 2000

During the New Year's Day, about 40 practitioners from Weng-jiang County went to Beijing to appeal. Therefore, the local governmental officials were criticized by the authorities for not being able to prevent these practitioners from going to appeal. Recently, the local police officers have started to arrest Falun Gong practitioners and ransack practitioners' homes on a large scale. Many practitioners have already been arrested.

Chengdu authorities continue to throw "stubborn" practitioners into jails

January 11th, 2000

Chengdu authorities have thrown practitioners who refuse to give up their beliefs in Falun Dafa during the "transformation class" into jails. The practitioners have been sentenced to administrative detention or criminal detention.

Li Zhi, a teacher of the fourth middle school in Xin-dou, was forced to resign from her job and divorce her husband in order not to bring trouble to her supervisors and her family. She was sent to the "transformation class" and later to the detention center. She was able to keep her faith and her dignity.

Practitioner Jiang Yun-hong was transferred to the criminal detention center of Lian-hua Village after 15 days of detention in the administrative detention center of Jiu-ru Village of Chengdu City. He was threatened that he would be sent to a labor camp if he refused to give up Falun Gong. Practitioner Li Zhi-jie and other practitioners who are still serving their 15 days of dentition have also been informed that they would be sent to the criminal detention center if they refuse to give up Falun Gong.

The police in Da-qing City set up a "penalty for appealing"

January 12

Some practitioners in Da-qing City of Helongjiang Province were detained by the police department under the accusation of "association", because they went to visit those practitioners who are in labor camps.

In order to prevent practitioners from going to Beijing to appeal, the police department added a "punishment for appealing", which is 3 months of detention.