Former Beijing Police Officer Mr. Zhang Shuhui Forced to Leave Home to Avoid Persecution

Mr. Zhang Shuhui, a practitioner from Beijing, left home more than a year ago to avoid persecution, and has not returned since. His mother-in-law was affected and died as a result.

Mr. Zhang Shuhui, 43, was formerly a police officer in the Shijingshand District Police Department, Beijing. He started practising Falun Gong in December 1998 and has since experienced tremendous physical and mental changes.

After the persecution of Falun Gong began on July 20th, 1999, Mr. Zhang went to the National Appeals Office to talk about Falun Gong. He was denied access and escorted out. His supervisors used high-pressure tactics in attempts to force him to give up his faith. To avoid causing trouble for his employer, Mr. Zhang resigned from his job. In October, during a major Chinese holiday, he was taken away by police officers from the Bajiao Police Station, Shikingshan District. He was jailed for thirty hours there. He was later arrested twice by the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) and Bajiao Police Station, and taken to a brainwashing centre. This caused great distress for his wife and young child.

Due to constant harassment by the local police station and the neighbourhood committee, Mr. Zhang left his town to find temporary work elsewhere. Around the time of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, police and neighbourhood authorities came to his home on numerous occasions to monitor his family, including their telephone conversations. His mother-in-law, already suffering from physical illness, was traumatised, which caused her condition to worsen. She died in June 2009.

In May 2008, staff from the 610 Office attempted to arrest Mr. Zhang at his place of employment, but were unsuccessful. Mr. Zhang was forced to leave again.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2009/12/5/213801.html