Officials in Hebei Province Extort Over Five Hundred Thousand Yuan from Falun Gong Practitioners

From July 30, 1999 to November 30, 2003, officials in Baoding City, Hebei Province extorted a total of 501,900 Yuan from Falun Gong practitioners. Deputy Chairman of Political and Security Committee Li Yong, Jia Jianfeng, and "610 Office" head Qi Guiliang are the main individuals responsible.

Former County Party Committee deputy secretary Jia Jianfeng actively participated in the persecution of Falun Gong. He was in charge of the Political and Security Committee and often used his power to extort money and personal belongings from Falun Gong practitioners and their families. Former Political and Security Committee Secretary Yan Liming also extorted money and belongings from Falun Gong practitioners and their families. Former Discipline and Inspection Committee head Zhou Qiulai not only extorted money, furniture, clothing, mobile phones, necklaces, and other belongings from Falun Gong practitioners' families, he even ordered them to pay for the prostitute he hired for himself. "610 Office" head Qi Guiliang often ordered Falun Gong practitioners to give him money, food, and other items. In addition, these officials organized many campaigns to search practitioners' homes and send practitioners to brainwashing classes. When they arrested any practitioners, they first questioned the practitioners about their financial circumstances, then extorted money from the wealthier practitioners and sent the poorer practitioners to a labour camp or long-term imprisonment.

Former Political and Security Section head Ma Baozhong often forced practitioners to give him money, food, and holiday gifts. Most of the time Ma does not hand over a receipt when accepting "fines." He would frequently demand 1,000 Yuan more than the standard amount, threatening to imprison practitioners if the additional "fines" were not paid. The highest amount Ma extorted from a practitioner at one time was 14,000 Yuan. Any family members who wanted to visit imprisoned practitioners had to pay Ma 100 Yuan cash or spend 200 Yuan to buy him a meal; otherwise the visit would be denied. During the Chinese New Year, practitioners' families had to buy gifts for Ma; otherwise he would not allow the practitioners to go home.

Wang Sanhai and Qi Xiaomei often arrest practitioners at Chengxiang Elementary School when practitioners were dropping off or picking up their children at school.

County Political and Security Committee Head Li Yong, police department deputy chief Qu Xiangyu, National Security head Zhang Jinhui and "610 Office" head Qi Guiliang led the persecution of Falun Gong. They organized five large-scale searches and arrests during 2003. The sooner practitioners' families paid the money the sooner the practitioners were released. The practitioners who could not afford to pay the "fines" were either sent to a labor camp or illegally imprisoned for prolonged periods. Some practitioners were sentenced to a labour camp twice. One labour camp refused to accept a practitioner, yet he was imprisoned for nine months.

When searching practitioners' homes, the police never knocked on the door first; rather, they just broke in or climbed over the wall and went directly into the bedrooms, no matter how late at night it was.

Police instructed physician Li Xinkuan and detention centre guard Zhang Zhanhong to brutally force-feed practitioners who were on hunger strike. When practitioners were bleeding from the force-feeding, they claimed practitioners were just pretending. They sent practitioners on hunger strikes and in critical condition to Baoding City Forced Labour Camp. They also kicked a critically ill practitioner in the head, saying she was just pretending.

"610 Office" head Qi Guiliang also forced practitioners in brainwashing classes to do farm work for his personal benefit.

Former Discipline and Inspection Committee head Zhou Qiulai often beat practitioners, even slapping the faces of women in their sixties or seventies, and also verbally abused them. Additionally, Zhou instructed Li Kejiang and other police officers to tie practitioners with ropes. (The police tie up the practitioner with a thin rope, circle the rope around his neck, and tie his hands behind his back. Then the police would use all the force they could muster to pull the rope tight.) Zhou Qiulai and Ma Baozhong are the two who extorted the most money from practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/9/19/84522.html