(Clearwisdom.net) Although the number of Falun Gong practitioners sent to forced labor camps has declined in other places, police in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province are still sending large numbers of practitioners to these camps.
Since July 22, 1999, police stations, district police offices, and the counties in Qinhuangdao City have been arbitrarily arresting, brainwashing, and sending Falun Gong practitioners to labor camps. Several thousand Falun Gong practitioners were sent to brainwashing classes, where intense pressure was applied to them to give other practitioners' names and write pledge letters, or make speeches to denounce Falun Gong. Several hundred practitioners were sent to forced labor camps and several practitioners in Qinhuangdao City were sentenced and sent to prisons.
It is also a common practice for the police to search practitioners' homes and impose fines. In this way, the police officers have managed to extort large sums of money from Falun Gong practitioners. Wang Jingzhong, head of the police department in Funing County, Qinhuangdao City admitted that the total of the recorded fines from Falun Gong practitioners was 230,000 Yuan. This is only what has been recorded and does not include the unrecorded amounts. In Shanhaiguan, two policemen used money that was extorted to build themselves new houses and have lost their jobs as a result of their corruption.
The police used cruel torture instruments to persecute practitioners. Those involved include policemen Zhao Peng and Wang Jianfeng in Shanhaiguan; Mr. Liu Guansgheng, the vice director of the police department and head of "610 Office" of Shanhaiguan; Mr. Lu Shuli (86-13803380755 (cell) and 86-335-3034919 (office)), deputy director of the police department in Qinhuangdao City; Mr. Xu Yingbin, head of the "610 Office" in Qinhuangdao; Mr. Zhang Shujun, director of the national security brigade in Qinlong County, Qinhuangdao city; and Mr. Wang Jin, head of the Qinlong County detention center. Practitioners Ms. Zhao Huanzhen of Shanhaiguan and Ms. Yang Yuzhu of Qinhuangdao had to have limbs amputated due to this cruel torture. Many Falun Gong practitioners in Qinlong County have also lost their lives as a result of this torture. Among those who have died as a result of this persecution are Mr. Hu Hexiang and Mr. Song Youchun. Practitioners in Shanhaiguan that have lost their lives due to this persecution include Ms. Pi Jinghui of the Shanhaiguan Bulb Company and 45-year-old Ms. Hou Guimin of the Shanhaiguan dockyard.
There are also practitioners who were fired from their jobs and others who were forced to leave their families and go into hiding to avoid arrest. Many practitioners in this area live in poor conditions and have lost family members to this senseless persecution.
February 29, 2004
