(Minghui.org) In a special operation targeting practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline persecuted by the communist regime in China, dozens of police officers in Taishan District, Tai’an City, Shandong Province arrested 11 local residents on November 24 and 25, 2020.
At the time of writing, eight practitioners remain detained. The police, after breaking into some practitioners’ homes, replaced the door locks and kept the keys so they could go back to ransack the homes and confiscate their belongings without the practitioners’ presence.
Arrests
Four police vehicles surrounded five practitioners on the morning of November 24 while the practitioners were distributing New Year’s calendars to the locals in Liangzhuang Town. They were escorted back to Tai’an City. The practitioners arrested are:
Ms. Xie Qingling, 64, retiree of the city’s chemical fertilizer plantMr. Gao Fangqiang, a business owner in his 40s, was transferred to Nanguan Police Station.Ms. Pei Fengqin, 63, a business owner, was transferred to Sanli Police Station. The officers ransacked her home that evening.Ms. Zhang Lixia, 56, a retiree, was transferred to Sanli Police Station.Ms. Jia Yuangui, 64, a retiree
Later on November 24, the police arrested three more practitioners. The police went to Ms. Xie’s home and broke her door before entering. They arrested her husband Mr. Li Cunguo (61, retired) and ransacked the place. The police took Mr. Li to Nanguan Police Station.
During the raid, Ms. Yang Huixia, 57, a retired teacher, stopped by to visit Ms. Xie. The police arrested her as well and ransacked her place the next day.
Ms. Mi Peixia also went to Ms. Xie’s place during the raid to look for her husband, Mr. Gao, only to be arrested herself. The police ransacked her place and held her in Yingsheng Police Station.
All eight practitioners above were tested for COVID-19 the next morning. In the afternoon, they received physical exams in a hospital. Ms. Mi was released on November 25 and Ms. Pei on November 26. The rest of the practitioners were taken to Tai’an City Detention Center but were denied admission due to the pandemic. The police took them to Xintai City. Their current whereabouts are unknown.
Police arrested three more practitioners in Taishan District on the morning of November 25. About a dozen officers were assigned to carry out each arrest. They broke down the practitioners’ doors and forced their way in.
These three practitioners are Ms. Zhou Min, 65; Mr. Zhao Shengwen, 73; and Ms. Xiao Aifeng, 68. All of them are retired. The police took Mr. Zhao to Shanggao Police Station and released Ms. Xiao the same evening. The police ransacked their homes after arresting them.
