Police in Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province Extort Money and Valuables from Practitioners

Since August 2006, Lingyuan City Police Department deputy head Yang Minghui, National Security Division head Wang Guilin, deputy head Chen Zhi and others have committed over 20 arrests, seizures of personal property, and extortions from Falun Gong practitioners. More than 70 practitioners were personally affected. More than 40 practitioners suffered direct losses of totalling over 346,000 Yuan¹ in cash. Wang Guilin was the most unscrupulous. He demanded money from and coerced practitioners and their family members directly.

Family members of the arrested and harassed Falun Gong practitioners were squeezed for money for their efforts to rescue their loved ones. They were forced to deplete their savings, and some were forced to borrow money. The amount coerced from the family members ranged from several hundred to tens of thousands of Yuan. This resulted in huge mental and financial damages to the practitioners and their families. Some practitioners' direct loss was near 30 thousand Yuan. In this process, authorities in the Police Department and police stations at different levels demanded money for their own share. If their demands were not met, they would extend the detention period and threaten to send the practitioners to a forced labour camp. In order to get their loved ones home, the practitioners' family members decided to give the evildoers the money.

After paying the extortions, some practitioners' family members went to Wang Guilin and asked for the release of their loved ones. Wang Guilin complained about the amount not being enough. After some practitioners had already been sent to the forced labour camp, Wang Guilin still called their family members and told them the practitioners would be released only if they paid another 1,500 Yuan. Some practitioners were still sent to forced labour camps, even though their family members had already paid the money. Money was stolen from practitioners' homes during searches. Agents from the street police stations would afterwards say the money had been forwarded to the National Security Division, but people there would deny receiving it. Some of the arrested practitioners in their 70s and 80s were not released until their family members had paid the agents more than 10 thousand Yuan.

Following practitioners Mr. Han Ximin and his wife's arrest, Wang Guilin urged Xiyiao Street Police Station agents to search their home. The police entered the home without legal documentation, in the absence of the their family members. They confiscated computers and other personal belongings. They also took all the cash that was kept at home. Mr. Han Ximin and his wife were in detention at the time and had no idea about their home being plundered. Xiyiao Police Station head Wei Qinglin beat Han Ximin and deprived him of his right to eat and sleep in the detention centre. Wang Guilin also told Han Ximin that he could be released on bail for medical treatment only if Mr. Han would pay 30 to 50 thousand Yuan.

Practitioner Guo Fengxian was arrested, and her husband decided to leave home to avoid the arrest. National Security Division head Wang Guilin, deputy head Chen Zhi and others took the keys and entered Guo Fengxian's home five times and searched it, without any of Guo Fengxian's family members present. The vegetables growing in the yard were trampled; the sofa was broken, the cooking vessel was pulled off the stove; more than 10,000 Yuan in cash was stolen and anything else of cash value, including mobile phones, were taken. The home was in total disarray. The agents failed to provide legal papers. No family members were present, and personal belongings were simply carted off. Wang Guilin and his gang did not return the house key to Guo Fengxian's relatives until they had looted the home like this five times.

Dongcheng Police Station agents arrested practitioners Xu Guihua, Cheng Guanghui and Li Yongsheng. The police confiscated cell phones, VCD players and audiotape players and other items from Cheng Guanghui's home. They took about 15,000 Yuan from Cheng Guanghui's room, money that Xu Guihua had kept at his rented home. The practitioners' belongings were stolen without their knowledge. No one knows where any of them are now.

Two other practitioners were arrested, and their car was taken away. This happened more than two months ago, and the agents still refuse to return the vehicle.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/10/20/164881.html