Practitioners Arrested by 610 Office in "Preparations for the Olympics" in Tianjin City

On the evening of June 14th, 2008, the 610 Office¹ of Dagang District, Tianjin City and the Dagang District Sanitation Bureau leadership arrested many Falun Gong practitioners. This was done under the guise of holding an "emergency meeting" of the Falun Gong practitioners working at the Dagang District epidemic-prevention station, as well as the mother and child care centre.

Agents from the 610 Office of Tianjin City arrested practitioners in the name of preparing for the Olympic Games. There are 21 practitioners listed on the name register of Dagang District, among which 12 are from the Sanitation Bureau. Zhang Gaoli, chief of Chinese Communist Party in Tianjin City, secretly came to Dagang District to assume personal command, compelling work units, families and individuals to promise they would not go out to participate in group activities or appeal to the government or other things of this nature. The Political and Judiciary Committee of the Chinese Communist Party of Dagang District, Tianjin City, 610 Office, and the police participated in these arrests and the harassment of Falun Gong practitioners.

Altogether nine practitioners including Wang Qingrong (gender unknown) from the Construction Committee, Ms. Dou Guirong from the Young People's Activity Centre, as well as Aunt Wu from a petrochemical factory were simultaneously arrested and taken to a brainwashing centre.

They are being held at the Guangang Training Centre, which is a brainwashing facility. Officials swore that only after writing a "guarantee statement²" would they be allowed to return home. Only Mr. Zhang Daochang and Aunt Wu have returned home as of this writing.

Practitioners Ms. An Chunrong and Ms. Dou Guiqin from the epidemic-prevention station, and Ms. Guo Yonghong from the mother and child care centre cannot return to their homes.

Additionally, practitioners Mr. Wu Wanming, his wife Ms. Yang Yongjian, and Aunt Dou were also harassed by the 610 Office, police, and the street residents committee.

According to the people in charge of some of the work units, these arrests are the first ones where they intend to subject the prisoners to brutal brainwashing. Any practitioners whose names were registered in the past will be targeted for brainwashing in the near future.

Zhang Jihe, Dagang District party secretary: 86-22-25990896 (Office), internal number 86-22-63378500
Zhang Zhifang, assistant deputy secretary, District Magistrate: 86-22-63378676 (Office), internal number 86-22-63378699, 86-22-83818661 (Home), 86-13920387000 (Mobile)
Wang Jian, Political and Judiciary Committee secretary: 86-22-63378989 (Office), 86-22-63221980 (Home), 86-13302175155(Mobile)
Li Quanxin, 610 Office director: 86-22-63378579, 86-13820098160 (Mobile)

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

2. "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/6/20/180597.html