Summary of Other Articles and News - April 20, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net)

Facts of the Persecution

-On January 20, 2004, Jincheng Village Party Secretary Guo Libing (male) from Xiadian Town, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province attacked 70-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner, Mr. Liu Shuwen, who is from the neighboring village (Yingzhuangkuang Village). Guo was helped by his cousin Guo Jianquan. They beat up Mr. Liu for more than half an hour and then took away his wallet, which contained 1,505 Yuan (1).

-Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Zhang Xiuzhi from Laishui County, Hebei Province is a senior citizen. On multiple occasions, she has been detained or abducted, had her money extorted, and been sent to a brainwashing class. She went on hunger strikes without water many times in the detention centers. Many times, police forced her to lie down on the snow-covered ground, then dragged her to an unheated house in the winter. She was released when her life was in danger. Her husband, children, and relatives have all been under huge pressure, and have suffered huge financial losses.

-On July 22, 1999, Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Xiao Jianrong from Xindu District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province went to the provincial government to appeal and was arrested. Police ransacked her home. On December 24, 2000, Ms. Xiao went to Beijing to validate the Fa. She was arrested in Beijing, and sent back to the Dafeng Town Police Substation. They put handcuffs and ankle shackles on her immediately. She was detained two days before the town was going to hold a big public gathering. Ms. Xiao and two other Falun Dafa practitioners were put on a stage to be criticized during the gathering, and then detained for 45 days in the Xindu Detention Center. Local police picked her up after the 45 days and tried to force her to write a "guarantee statement" (2). Ms. Xiao refused to write it. Police locked her up for two more days, and tried to extort several thousand Yuan from her family. Her family told police that they did not have the money. Police then took away their house deed, personal identification and Residential Registration Booklet. The police still have not returned the deed to their house.

-On October 21, 1999, Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Zhang Jianying from Anlu City, Hubei Province went to Beijing to appeal. She was arrested and taken back to Anlu City, and detained in the Sili Detention Center. She and more than 20 fellow practitioners went on hunger strike to protest the persecution, and were all brutally force-fed. Ms. Zhang was detained for six months, and her family had to pay more than 10,000 Yuan to get her out. In June 2003, the police abducted her again. Her eyes were severely damaged during the detention. The retina of her eyes were in extreme pain. She became very weak in the detention center.

-On March 8, 2004, Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Gong Xianghui was detained by Changsha City, Hunan Province police when visiting a friend. She was released on March 23, but was dismissed from her job. This happened just because she refused to give up her belief in Falun Dafa.

(1) Yuan: the Chinese currency; the average monthly pay of an urban worker is 500 Yuan.

(2) "guarantee statement": a statement to declare that he or she is remorseful for practicing Falun Gong and guarantees not to practice Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.