Weifang City Practitioner Cao Junping and Her Husband Detained

On July 9th, 2008, Weifang City Public Security Bureau Deputy Division Chief Xu Xinping led nine police officers from Kuiwen and Weicheng District Security Bureau and the 610 Office¹ Political Security Team to Ms. Cao Junping's home and forced their way in. They confiscated around 300 Falun Gong books, over 130 CDs, more than 100 tapes, 40-50 banners, a printer, three laptops, two desktops, and one digital camera, with a value totalling over 100,000 yuan². They then tried to force her husband to tell them of her whereabouts, but he refused to cooperate.

On July 29th, 2008, Ms. Cao Junping was arrested and sent to a detention centre.

Ms. Cao's husband, Pang Xiaoqian, is a kind and brave policeman. When the police tried to arrest his wife, he said, "I am a government worker paid by people's tax dollars. I speak on behalf of the tax payers." The police became unhappy with him. After Ms. Cao was arrested, they also detained him. Ms. Cao and her husband are currently detained at a detention centre and their family members have lost communication with them.

Ms. Cao Junping began practising Falun Gong in 1995. She experienced significant improvements in her temper and character, and her skin disease disappeared. Her friends and relatives were amazed at the positive changes in her.

On April 25th, 1999, she went with other practitioners to Beijing to appeal to the Chinese authorities, but they were arrested and detained by the police on their way there.

In June 1999, Ms. Cao took part in a peaceful protest in front of the Weifang city government building for the right to practise Falun Gong. As a result, they were attacked by the local Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and the police.

In January 2000, Ms. Cao and eight other practitioners were doing the Falun Gong exercises at the city square. For that, they were arrested by the police from Xingbu Police Station and detained in a 9-square-foot cell. There they were beaten by a group of thugs led by the Weifang City mayor. The thugs asked "Do you still want to practise Falun Gong?" Ms. Cao firmly answered, "Yes!" As a result, she was beaten with spiked wooden clubs, shocked with electric batons, and dragged on the floor by her hair. Ms. Cao's entire body was in pain. One of her front teeth also fell out. The authorities made her husband pay 2000 yuan before they released her.

On October 1st, 2000 , Ms. Cao went to Tiananmen Square to appeal. She was detained for a few days before being sent back to Weifang City. A police officer from the Weifang Liaison Office in Beijing responsible for taking her back stole all of her money, totalling 300 yuan.

During the Chinese New Year in 2004, Ms. Cao and her family went to visit her relatives in Chongqing. At that time, the home of a local practitioner in Chongqing was ransacked because she hung a truth-clarification banner in front of the city hall. The CCP used this as an excuse to try to arrest Ms. Cao and her family. However, they returned to Shandong Province without incident.

In October 2005, the CCP held Ms. Cao's daughter against her will in Qingdao and forced her to tell them about her mother.

In July 2008, the CCP officials in Weifang used the Olympics as an excuse to arrest practitioners. According to incomplete statistics, about 40 to 50 practitioners were arrested and their homes ransacked.

Prior to the Olympics, the CCP intensified its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and their families. The so-called "Safe Olympics" turned into a nightmare for many Chinese citizens who live in fear. Anyone could be a target for arrest and harassment. We hope all kind-hearted people are aware of the real situation of Falun Gong practitioners and their families during the Olympics. Let us stop this persecution.

Personnel involved in these persecution cases (Telephone code: 536):Zhang Xinqi, secretary of CCP Committee of Weifang City: 86-536-8789950, 86-13605360198 (mobile)
Wang Zhiliang, director of 610 Office in Weifang: 86-536-8789217, 86-13853610606 (mobile)
Huang Weilian, chief of Weifang City Public Security Bureau: 86-536-8783123

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. "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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/8/2/183266.html