Huaihua City, Hunan Province: Falun Gong Practitioners Uphold Their Faith During Recent Harassment

(Minghui.org) The 610 Office and Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC) of Xinwu County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province, instructed local businesses and government agencies to harass their retired employees who practice Falun Gong and pressure these practitioners to give up their faith. But all of the practitioners remained firm in their faith.

Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. Both the 610 Office and PLAC are extrajudicial agencies tasked with overseeing the persecution.

Three officials from Xinwu County Smelting Plant, including Party secretary and office director, visited the home of Mr. Zhang Shiliang, in his 70s, a retired employee of the plant, at around 8:00 a.m. on November 22. They threatened to stop his pension if he did not renounce Falun Gong. Mr. Zhang refused to comply.

Ms. Peng Tingji, 78, is a retired employee of Xinfeng County People’s Hospital. The hospital’s leadership summoned her to the hospital on the morning of October 25, and ordered her to give up Falun Gong practice. She did not cooperate with them but tried to clarify the facts about Falun Gong.

Staff members of the local residential committee harassed Ms. Luo Jufeng, a vegetable vendor in her 60s around October 22. They tried to force her to quit practicing Falun Gong. Ms. Luo replied, “I cannot lie. I live by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and strive to be a good person.” Then they left.

Ms. Yang Faxiu, 76, is a retired employee of Xinfeng County Department Store. A man surnamed Yang (given name unknown), the Party secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Xinfeng County, harassed her at home on October 13. He tried three times to enter a room where Ms. Yang kept her Falun Gong materials, but was pushed out by her. He threatened to send her to a brainwashing center. Upon seeing that Ms. Yang wasn’t deterred, he left.

Cao Huiping, of the Xinfeng County 610 Office, and another officer came to Ms. Yang’s home on October 22 again to harass her. She still refused to renounce Falun Gong and said that it was impossible for her to give it up.

Ms. Wu Yundi, 70, a retired employee of the former Xinfeng Tobacco Factory, was harassed as well. The staff from Xinwu County Civil Affairs Bureau knocked on her door on November 21. She intended to let them in and clarify the facts about Falun Gong. But when a man surnamed Yang from the local civil affairs bureau, claiming to be in charge of Falun Gong affairs, said that he wanted to take pictures after entering, Ms. Wu decided not to open the door. She also refused to renounce Falun Gong as they requested. They asked her son to make the promise on her behalf, but he did not cooperate with them.

Ms. Wu continued to tell them that practicing Falun Gong is legal and urged them not to do anything against their conscience. Before she finished speaking, they took pictures of her home and left.

Ms. Yang Fengmei, about 60, a retired employee of Xinfeng County Personnel Bureau, received a harassment call from her former employer on November 25. She was ordered to go in to talk to someone from the city government, but she refused.