Latest News from China - 02/15/2000

[Beijing, Feb. 15] According to reliable sources, the Chinese government arrested more than 1,700 practitioners from February 4 to February 7.

[Chengdu, Feb. 15] Before the Lunar New Year, Chengdu police department sentenced many practitioners.

Practitioners Xiang Ying and her mother got arrested in their apartment in the Guang-rong district because an official from the residential committee heard their practice music. After being detained for 15 days, they were sent back to their hometown in Meizhou. They were threatened that they should never return to the Guang-rong district. They would be arrested as soon as they were found.

Before the Lunar New Year, Ding-hui Yan and the other two practitioners got arrested when they were practicing Falun Gong in the Xin-hua Park. They are now detained in Lian-hua Village detention center waiting for sentence.

[Changchun, Feb. 14] Some practitioners in Da-guang detention center are on the 11th day of hunger strike (starting from February 4, 2000).More practitioners are joining the hunger strike.

[Beijing, Feb. 14] On February 12, 4 police officers from the branch 14of Beijing police department and the Qsinghua University ransacked the home of Yu Jia, a faculty member of the Tsinghua University. The police officers seized Falun Dafa materials. Her brother was beaten up for protecting those materials.

[Dalian, Feb. 14] On the Lunar New Year's Day (Feb 5), many police officers appeared on the Xin-hai-wan Square. They questioned people whether they practiced Falun Gong or not. If they said yes, they would be taken away. About 70 people including all ages were taken away and were thrown into drug-stopping center of Judicial Bureau of Dalian City. The police demanded their family members to pay 2,000 Yuan but did not allow them to visit practitioners. These practitioners are still in police custody.

[Guangdong, Feb. 13] In the suburban of Pu-ling city, starting from February 8, many practitioners held a Falun Dafa experience sharing conference for several days. On the afternoon of February 10, about 100police officers came and arrested about 210 practitioners.

[Beijing, Feb. 13] On February 6, some practitioners were taken away from the their homes when they were doing meditation in the lotus position. On the morning of February 12, about 30 practitioners were arrested at the Tao-ran-ting Park in Beijing when practicing Falun Dafa exercises.

[Beijing, Feb. 13] Jian Li, a college student from the East China University, wrote a letter to the president of the university in last December to communicate his understandings about Falun Dafa. He was suspended on the second day. Later, he and his girlfriend went to the Political Consultative Appealing Office to appeal. The police received them and transferred them to the Xi-cheng police station for detention.

[Xin-jiang, Feb. 13] On February 11, 17 practitioners from Urmuqi gathered in a house to exchange experience with each other while people were still celebrating New Year.