Eleven Falun Gong Practitioners from Tanghai County, Hebei Province Recently Arrested

As the Beijing Olympic Games drew closer, the Chinese police in Tanghai County, Hebei Province, with Zhang Shun, the deputy chief of the county's Public Security Bureau (PSB), in charge, and Li Fuguo, captain of the county's State Security Team, intensified the persecution of local Falun Gong practitioners. Between June 10th and July 31st, 2008, eleven practitioners from Tanghai County were arrested. Below are details of the ongoing persecution.

1. Around 11:00 a.m. on June 10th, 2008, a group of policemen, with Li Fuguo, captain at the PSB, broke into the home of Ms. Xu Na and arrested her. Ms. Xu was home alone. The police confiscated Falun Gong books, several VCDs and an old computer hard drive she had never used. That afternoon the police forced her family to sign a detention notice that charged her with "obstruction of justice." On the morning of July 23rd, her case was heard by the court in the southern district of Tangshan Road. The attempt to sentence Ms. Xu failed.

2. Around 5:00 p.m. on June 10th, 2008, about eight policemen, with Li Fugo in charge, broke into the home of Ms. Li Fengzhen. Four policemen carried Ms. Li to the police car. The rest of the policemen pried open all locked cabinets and ransacked her home without a search warrant. Her husband was on a business trip. The police left the door unlocked. On the morning of the third day, police forced her husband to sign a detention notice that charged her with "obstruction of justice." Since the arrest, Ms. Li Fengzhen has been in poor health and she no longer felt like eating. She was taken to Ankang Hospital in Tangshan, a hospital that is controlled by the Tangshan PSB.

3. On the morning of July 23rd, the cases of Li Fengzhen and Ms. Xu Na were heard by the court in the southern district on Tangshan Road. Ms. Li Fengzhen was extremely weak because of mistreatment in detention. She had difficulty walking and was unable to attend the trial. Therefore, the trial was canceled. Ms. Li Fengzhen's family repeatedly asked Li Fuguo for her release, which was denied. The police treated her family abusively and refused to meet with them at times, claiming to be in meetings. Ms. Li's family planned to call Li Fuguo at home. Li Fuguo threatened to break their legs if they dared. It has been more than 50 days since Ms. Li Fengzhen's arrest. She has problems eating, which is worrying her family. Her brother Mr. Li Anying was a practitioner who was tortured to death while detained. On the evening of July 27th, Ms. Li Fengzhen's family, frustrated by the repeated PSB brush-offs, decided to call Zhang Shun, the county PSB deputy chief, in charge of the suppression of Falun Gong. Zhang Shun remonstrated her family the minute he got on the phone.

4. On the evening of June 11th, 2008, four practitioners from Tanghai County, Ms. Liu Xiaoling, Ms. Yang Shuzhi, Mr. Zhao Yufang, Ms. Qin Pengzhen, as well as Mr. Zhen Jianjun, a driver and not a practitioner, went to Luannan County, Hebei Province to distribute Falun Gong materials that detailed the persecution of Falun Gong. Police arrested them that night. At around 3:00 a.m., Li Fuguo, police from Luannan County and the residence committee in Liu Xiaoling's area ransacked Ms. Liu's home without a warrant and confiscated Falun Gong books and personal belongings. Ms. Liu Xiaoling, Ms. Yang Shuzhi and Ms. Qin Pengzhen are currently imprisoned at Tangshan First Detention Centre. Mr. Zhao Yufang and Mr. Zhen Jianjun are imprisoned in the Luannan Detention Center. Ms. Liu Xiaoling's mother is in her 80s and Ms. Liu was her primary caregiver. Since Ms. Liu is imprisoned and their home was torn down, her mother has become homeless. She is now staying with her grandson and longing for the return of Ms. Liu.

5. On July 26th, 2008, three practitioners from Shilihai, Tanghai County, Ms. Chi Yanlan (in her 40s), Mr. Hou Yongxiu and his wife Ms. Su Qing (both in their 60s) went to the market. Yang Kezhi, a policeman from Shilihai, followed them. They were able to get away from him. But later that day, about ten policemen arrested them and ransacked their homes.

6. At around 7:00 p.m. on July 30th, 2008, Li Fuguo, Sun Jingsen, a policeman, Zhao Zhice and Gui Yinjie, both from the No. 10 Farm in Tanghai County, and Zhen Xiangjing, secretary of the No. 5 Team at the No. 10 Farm, ransacked the home of Mr. Zhen Chunshan and confiscated a notebook computer, a desktop computer, Falun Gong books, some Falun Gong materials that detailed the persecution, a printer and Mr. Zhen's repair shop inventory. The police arrested Mr. Zhen Chunshan and took him to the Tanghai PSB, and then transferred him to the Tanghai County Detention Centre on July 31st.

7. At around 7:00 a.m. on July 31st, 2008, local police arrested Mr. Zhao Haisong from the No. 10 Farm in Tanghai County when he was visiting the No. 8 Farm.

It is known that 15 practitioners from Tanghai County have been arrested, detained and sentenced to a forced labour camp recently. In addition to the eleven aforementioned practitioners, three practitioners from the No. 5 Farm were sentenced to a prison term in 2007. These practitioners are Ms. Zhang Jingping, Ms. Dong Ruifen and Mr. Wu Junshi, and Ms. Yang Xiuyun from the No. 9 Farm.

The Olympic torch relay was scheduled to arrive in Caofeidian Harbour in Tanghai County on July 31st. The Tanghai County police used this event as an excuse to arrest and detain practitioners.

Phone numbers of those involved in the persecution:

Li Kechum, secretary of the Political and Legal Committee in Tanghai County: 86-315-8718918 (Home)

Shi Guisheng, chief of the Public Security Bureau in Tanghai County: 86-315-8711758, 86-315-6612408, 86-138-32988578 (Mobile)

Li Fuguo, captain of the Tanghai County State Security Team: 86-13832986232 (Mobile)

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/8/3/183328.html