The Arrest of Rape Victim Liu Jizhi and Her Daughter by Police from Beijing National Security and Hebei Public Security Bureau

Around 11:00 a.m. on March 7th, 2006, officers from the Beijing National Security Bureau and Hebei Public Security Bureau arrived in two police cars with over ten policemen to arrest practitioner Ms. Liu Jizhi, who was raped last year in police custody, and her 19-year-old daughter Wei Meiling. They were arrested at the gate of the Air Force Research Institute Logistics Department near Xisanqi, Haiding District, Beijing City.

After Ms. Liu Jizhi bravely exposed the rape that occurred on November 25th, 2005 in Zhuozhou City, Hebei Province, the Chinese Communist regime delayed the trial of policeman He Xuejian, who committed the rape, and tried to sweep the crime under the table. They offered a reward for the arrest of Liu Jizhi and put a tracer on Ms. Liu and others who stood by her side and exposed the persecution. On February 23rd, 2006, Baoding City held a meeting in Zhuozhou. They decided to arrest the victims Liu Jizhi and Han Yuzhi before the trial of policeman He Xuejian. He had threatened to "kill the witnesses," because "the dead can't give witness." This would have effectively ended the trial.

Ms. Liu Jizhi had to leave home to avoid further persecution and she became homeless. Due to severe mental and physical trauma as a result of the rape and the lack of justice afterwards, Liu Jizhi even displayed symptoms of mental collapse at one time. In order to take care of Liu Jizhi, her eldest daughter Wei Meiling who studied at Zhuozhou City Geology Bureau High School and was close to taking the college entrance examination, had to halt her studies one day before the beginning of the term. She became homeless with her mother, and they concealed their identities. Liu Jizhi's alias became "Shan Yuzhen."

Air Force Research Institute Laundromat -- Liu Jizhi and her daughter worked here. Two days after Liu Jizhi and her daughter were arrested, the Laundromat was closed, and the owner disappeared without a trace.

On February 16th, Liu Jizhi and her daughter came to work at the privately-owned Laundromat at the Air Force Research Institute near Xisanqi of Haiding District, Beijing City. Four people, including Ms. Liu and her daughter operated an ironing machine. Liu Jizhi carried the clothes to the next person and Wei Meiling folded the clothes. They worked eight to nine hours a day. They did not go out. They did not expect the authorities to look for them and find them within four months after the rape. Ms. Liu's daughter was not cautious in using her mobile phone, which resulted in their being found and arrested.

At 8:00 a.m. on March 7th, the two women finished work, washed themselves, and ate and slept as usual. At that time, two police cars quietly drove to the courtyard in front of the Air Force Institute. The vehicle license plates indicated that they were from the State National Security Bureau in Shijiazhuang. According to eyewitnesses, there were over ten people. Their facial expressions were very serious. It looked as if they were facing an enemy. People passing by felt a very intense and choking atmosphere, and thought that something big was going to happen. As expected, the area was searched thoroughly. They searched through the supermarkets, small stores, telephone booths, the Laundromat and all non-residential areas. Two military officers of the Air Force Institute security office were in charge of checking the Laundromat. The person who ran the Laundromat is surnamed Zhang, and is over 40 years old, from Beijing.

Around 10:00 a.m., three of the police officers came to the Laundromat. The person in charge woke up the women and said, "No big deal, we just need to register the two newcomers." Someone asked, "Didn't we register last time?" The boss said, "It is fine if you have already registered, it's just Xiao Wei (Meiling) and her mother." The boss found the bed of Wei Meiling, "Xiao Wei, do you have an ID?" Wei Meiling replied, "Yes." Then the boss asked Liu Jizhi whether she had ID, she answered, "I do not have one." The security officer questioned closely, "You do not have an ID, where are you from? What's your name?" Liu Jizhi said, "I am from Hebei, and my name is Shan Yuzhen." The security officer asked again, "Then where is your ID?" Liu Jizhi repeated, "I don't have an ID." Then he told them, "You two get up and get dressed, and go register." Then three of them took Liu Jizhi and her daughter to the gate of the Air Force Institute, and the mother and daughter never returned.

At around 11:00 a.m., at the doorway of the Air Force Institute, a witness saw this scene: A young girl stubbornly held an older woman. She would not let her be taken away by the police, and bleakly cried and begged a middle-aged man standing on the side, "Boss Zhang, do you just let them take away my mother?" That man was shocked by what he saw and felt helpless. At last, an official gave the order to forcibly take her away. Before they left, the police changed the license plates from Shijiazhuang to Beijing. The witness said, "There was a big pile of vehicle plates." (She gestured with her hands and it looked like a few dozens plates.) "They brought lots of people. This woman certainly must be an important criminal. It looks like a big case."

After half an hour, boss Zhang returned to the Laundromat. He was like a totally different person. He looked pale and fearful. Sweat ran down his face, and he had not yet recovered from a fright, "What's going on? What's going on?" At about 1:00 or 2:00 p.m., two officers from the security section came again, and said, "The two (Liu Jizhi and daughter) do not have an ID. They were evicted from the Institute." They also ordered the person in charge and other workers not to tell anyone that the mother and daughter had worked there. They also took away their luggage. Two days later, the Laundromat was closed and the people disappeared without trace. According to insiders at the Air Force Institute, two generals were punished because of this incident.

Air Force Institute postal address: PO Box 2861, No. 11 Anningzhuang Road, Haiding District, Beijing

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/3/28/123847.html