(Clearwisdom.net) The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games should have been a tremendous boon for the Chinese people, but the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) turned it into a nightmare, creating only fear and disaster for the populace. The masses lack even the basics for daily life. Since mid-July, people in Zhangjiakou City and its districts and counties have been extremely jittery, skittish, and nervous. It felt like a catastrophe in the making. The patrolling police, carrying guns, positioned themselves along the main roads. In some counties, hundreds of police officers roamed the streets, claiming they were ordered to "safeguard the Olympic and prevent the formation of mobs." What has been learned is that the CCP has intensified its persecution of certain people, especially Falun Gong practitioners, just for the sake of the Olympic Games.
I. Identification a Must When Outdoors
From the beginning of July, city administrative staff were ordered to monitor county residents, while county level staff were directed to monitor township residents. Besides their regular salary, these staffers have another income source--extorted funds. Check posts were set up at traffic intersections. People had to show their identification cards, no leeway given. In some counties, people could only visit if they carried an ID. At railway and bus stations, CCP officials searched passengers' bags and asked for an ID. No ID meant no boarding of the bus or train. There were people hired monitors on important roadways and entrances to townships and villages, all employed by the CCP. Anyone with a package or bag was searched. People who wore glasses had to take them off for inspection and those carrying a water bottle had to take a sip to ensure it was water.
Even friends or relatives of residents in the village were not allowed to enter without IDs, even if the village officers knew them. In some towns and townships, people who wanted to visit had to carry not only an ID, but also two governmental-level certificates, otherwise, the drivers would not let them board the bus or train. If anything was wrong with any of the legal documents, the driver was fined between 5,000 and 20,000 yuan and the vehicle confiscated. In Zhangjiakou City, those that prowled the streets and were hired by the CCP wore a red band around their arms. Someone had to be on duty around the clock.
Employees and everyone entering big malls, stores and residential communities had to show their IDs. Vendors were not allowed to go to Beijing to pick up merchandise. Laborers who worked in Beijing were forced to leave and had to return to wherever they came from. Drivers who filled their cars at gas stations had to register and present an ID. Despite these procedures, they had to wait for several hours before filling their gas tanks and it appears that gas has been rationed. Moreover, the price of gas has increased sharply. In some areas, vegetable vendors were not allowed to sell their wares on the street. Residents had to go quite some way to buy vegetables. Shop owners had to close their stores. Some were ordered to put a note on the door that said, "Closed for renovations." Many houses were torn down. People are still looking everywhere for housing. Moreover, people were forced to get temporary residential cards.
On July 10, city kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, and high schools were ordered to be closed, and students could not take their exams. It was rumored that on July 8, higher level officials notified school administrations to close up shop beginning July 10. We don't know yet if the order came from from the provincial or central governmental level.
People in Zhangjiakou City were under a lot of stress because of the CCP directives, which inconvenienced people greatly. Some people were arrested by plainclothes police who extorted money because these people had complained a little about the Olympics in public, mostly because of long waiting periods and inconveniences.
II. Arrests and Harassment of Falun Gong Practitioners
Beginning in June 2008, police officers in Zhangjiakou City, districts, and counties started to routinely harass and arrest practitioners. They also ordered management where practitioners worked and township and village officials to confiscate practitioners' IDs. They also arranged for many people to monitor practitioners. This is a serious violation of basic human rights.
Beginning in July 2008, officials from the Zhanjiakou Municipal and Country Committee, 610 Office, and Political and Judiciary Committee held many meetings, assigning various tasks to the city, districts, counties, townships, towns, and other unit officers. They decided to hold brainwashing sessions for practitioners, as they were afraid that practitioners would demonstrate during the Olympic Games. This gag order is in effect until October.
Practitioners that are full-time employees were monitored, and temporary employees were laid off. In some counties, practitioners who worked outside their homes or stayed at the homes of their relatives were taken back to their home base. Zhao Zhanhua, secretary of the County Committee, and Guo Wenkui, secretary of the Political and Judiciary Committee in Chicheng, Zhangjiakou City, announced on television "Beat Falun Gong practitioners fiercely. Arrest practitioners and sentence them to prison terms whenever necessary. Do not treat them leniently!"
Some officials involved in the persecution are classmates or relatives of the practitioners. It is farming season now. The CCP officials do not care whether practitioners need to tend to their farms. They detain them, no matter what. It is a great waste of time, manpower, and money. Informants claimed that practitioners would be detained until the closing of the Olympic Games. We fear that production from the farms this year will be reduced greatly.
Officials from the county CCP Committee of Sanfang Township and Huaxiaoying Town, police from the local police station, as well as officials from the Village Committee arrested seven practitioners from Huaxiaoying Town, Yangyuan County. They gained entry to the homes of practitioners through deceit or by breaking in the doors. They had no arrest warrants and didn't show any ID. They arrested practitioners and took them to Zhangjiakou Brainwashing Center. Most of the practitioners were not dressed properly for leaving the house. The practitioners could not be found when relatives wanted to see them in the police station.
In the evening on July 23 and the afternoon of July 24, many practitioners were arrested in Zhangjiakou and many of their homes were ransacked. The police did not care if they had to take care of the elderly, babies or children. They just took the little ones to one of the neighbors.
On July 25, officials from Wanquan County, Zhangjiakou, conducted another mass arrest of practitioners. Four practitioners from Kongjiazhuang Town, Wanquan County, have been arrested. In other townships and towns, officials broke into the homes of practitioners after midnight and ransacked their homes. They confiscated practitioners' belongings. It is rumored that on the evening of July 25, more than 20 practitioners (we will provide names later) were arrested in some townships and towns. At present, all practitioners who haven't been arrested are being monitored. It is still being investigated as to how many practitioners were arrested in Wanquan County on July 25.
On July 25, officials from the 610 Office and officers from Guyuan County, Zhangjiakou City, arrested many practitioners and sent them to brainwashing sessions at a location near Xiaohezi. Ms. Li Guiling, Ms. Zhang Fengli, Mr. Sun Runtao from Huanggainao, Xiao Zhanping from the Communication Bureau, an unknown elder practitioner from Sirenwa, Shan Dianhe, and Ms. Wang Yulian are imprisoned in Zhangjiakou Brainwashing Center. All practitioners from Guyuan County were forced to turn in their IDs. Those who refused were taken to a brainwashing center and it is rumored that they were transferred to detention centers in other counties. Over 30 practitioners are detained in the Guyuan Detention Center.