(Minghui.org) A 77-year-old Leshan City, Sichuan Province resident was taken to the Sichuan Province Women’s Prison in Chengdu City in December 2023 to serve a three-year term for her faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Wang Xiulian was arrested some time in 2023 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. The local court accused her of being a repeat offender, due to her previous four arrests and a three-year sentence for practicing Falun Gong. Details about her indictment, trial and sentencing aren’t clear.
Ms. Wang took up Falun Gong in 1998 while in her early 50s. Prior to that, she struggled with various ailments from head to toe, including severe systemic edema, trigeminal neuralgia, Meniere’s syndrome, gastroenteritis, and rheumatoid arthritis in both knees. Being a farmer, she couldn’t afford medical treatment, but had to endure the pain.
Only one month after she learned Falun Gong, she was surprised to find herself no longer in pain. Her knees didn’t feel uncomfortable when it rained. The systemic edema went away and she was filled with energy.
Practicing Falun Gong didn’t only provide her with good health, but also changed her competitive temper. In the past, she couldn’t get over little losses and had frequent fights with her husband, sisters-in-law and other family members. But by disciplining herself with the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, she became kind, understanding, considerate and upbeat.
Only a year after Ms. Wang began to practice Falun Gong, the nationwide persecution began. She went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong on June 27, 2000, and was arrested and taken back to Leshan. She was detained for a month and forced to pay the police 2,200 yuan, including 200 yuan as living cost in the detention center.
The police arrested Ms. Wang again in early 2001 to prevent her from going back to Beijing to appeal. Several officers beat her, slapped her in the face, kicked her and ordered her to knee down. Her home was ransacked and she was detained for 13 days.
Ms. Wang was arrested for the third time on June 20, 2003, when the police accused her of providing financial support for other practitioners to print Falun Gong materials. Her home was ransacked. She was detained for 38 days and extorted 200 yuan.
Not long after she was released, she was arrested again after being reported by an elementary school student of distributing Falun Gong materials. Her home was ransacked as well. She was later sentenced to three years. The local police and 610 Office continued to harass her after she was released.