Meihekou City Police Deceitfully Plots Mass Arrest of Falun Gong Practitioners

In January 2001, Director Qi of the Political and Security Division in the Police Bureau of Meihekou City, Jilin Province spread deceiving statements to the public. He said that the Chinese New Year was coming, that nobody should go to Beijing to appeal, and that local officials could resolve any issue related to Falun Gong. He also announced that he would meet and talk to Falun Dafa practitioners in Meihekou City and the surrounding area personally on the morning of Jan 12. On that day, about one hundred kind-hearted Falun Dafa practitioners in Meihekou left home happily and went to the city police bureau. Dafa practitioners were very happy to see each other and were grateful for the chance to share their thoughts with the local governmental officials. They all waited in the hallway downstairs. They didn't do exercises, didn't protest, and didn't shout any slogans.

Director Qi was working on the third floor in his office. After 10 a.m., a police officer said that because there were too many people, they had to select a few representatives to see the officials. Thus, about 10 practitioners were selected to go upstairs to meet director Qi. Falun Gong practitioners put forth 5 suggestions. After hearing the suggestions, director Qi announced that this many people visiting the police bureau was an action of "attacking the city government." The representatives asked him, "Why did you ask us to come then?" Qi said, a few representatives might come, but when so many people come it is seen as an attack. After that, Qi ignored the practitioners' comments. He reported to Tonghui City Police Bureau over the phone and illegally arrested 9 practitioners. After video taping, these 9 practitioners were sent to Tiebei prison and were later sentenced to a labour camp unjustifiably.

Later, he notified other local police stations and police bureaus to come and take the rest of the practitioners back to their hometowns for punishment. The practitioners who were taken back were punished with fines that varied from 500 to 1000 Yuan [500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China]. Some were detained and not allowed to go home even during the Chinese New Year.

It is unbelievable that the local government could use such tactics to deceive kind people. This was just one of the large-scale persecutions of Dafa practitioners in Meihekou City since July 20, 1999.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/5/6/49760.html