(Minghui.org) A 61-year-old resident of Cangxi County, Sichuan Province, has been detained for more than one month for his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Zeng Yuxian was seized on July 24, 2024, while practicing driving with a friend. The arresting officers from the Baili Police Station impounded his car and took him to the Guangyuan City Detention Center, where he remains. Guangyuan oversees Cangxi County.
The friend, Mr. Yang Shiyuan, is also a Falun Gong practitioner. He was arrested at the same time as Mr. Zeng, but was released on August 7, 2024 after 14 days of detention.
Prior to his latest arrest, Mr. Zeng was repeatedly targeted for upholding his faith. He spent a total of 16 years and 9 months behind bars, including one forced labor term of two years and three prison terms (2 years, 5 years, and 7 years, respectively). See related reports for details of his past persecution. Below is a quick rundown of his ordeals.
Mr. Zeng was first arrested on February 11, 2000 after he went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. He was fired from his chief accountant job at the Cangxi District Business Bureau one month later and fined 3,000 yuan. After another two months of detention at the local detention center, he was given one year of forced labor. He suffered brutal torture at the Xinhua Labor Camp in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. There are still injury marks on his arms today.
Mr. Zeng’s next arrest took place in March 2002, followed by a two-year prison sentence. He was forced to do hard labor for long hours and tortured while serving time at the Guangyuan City Prison.
After he was released from the prison in August 2004 (his term was extended by five months), Mr. Zeng learned that his pension had been suspended. He wrote a letter to the Cangxi County Party secretary requesting the reinstatement of his pension, only to be put on close surveillance. He was arrested at home in October 2004 and soon sentenced to five years. He again endured horrific torture at the Guangyuan City Prison. Once he sustained severe injuries from savage beatings and remained in a coma in the hospital for over two weeks.
Mr. Zeng was arrested in March 2010 and sentenced to seven years. He served time at the Deyang City Prison and suffered brutal torture.
In addition to his forced labor term and three prison terms, Mr. Zeng was also detained at various detention centers for a total of more than one year. His cumulative detention time over the years amounts to over 16 years.
Mr. Zeng Yuxian Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison (Photos)
An Accountant and a Doctor from Cangsi County, Sichuan Province, Arrested