The Suffering of Two Young Women and Their Families in Tangshan

The Persecution of the Chen Baihe Family in Shalingzi Village, Qianxi County, Tangshan

Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Chen Baihe and Mrs. Zhang Guilan, a couple that live in Shalingzi Village, Qianxi County, Tangshan, Hebei Province, have been repeatedly detained in detention centres and brainwashing centres. Mr. Chen was again arrested in May 2006 and was sentenced to four years of imprisonment. He remains in Jidong Prison to this day. Mrs. Zhang was again arrested by the National Security Team and the 610 Office¹ of the Public Security Bureau on March 14th, 2009, and is now detained at Qianxi County Detention Centre. For the last eight years, this family has repeatedly gone through harassment, raids and arrests.

On February 6th, 2001 in the early morning, the police charged into Zhang Guilan's home and took her away. Mrs. Zhang was then detained for eighteen months, during which time she suffered inhuman treatment and torment. When she was released, she was extremely thin and looked much older than before.

In May 2006, Mr. Chen and Mrs. Zhang were arrested by the Public Security Bureau at the same time. Their daughter Chen Qing and son were both studying in other cities. One month later, Mrs. Zhang began to drift in and out of consciousness and was not able to eat any food due to the abuse she suffered in detention. After eight days of not eating, the detention centre notified her family to take her home, as she was on the verge of death. After that, Mr. Chen was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. It was said that an eye disease that used to trouble him recurred. After he had been detained for eight months, Jidong Prison no longer allowed his family to visit him for fear that his health condition would be exposed.

Mr. Chen and Mrs. Zhang used to argue all the time before they practised Falun Gong. But since they started practising Falun Gong, gradually they no longer argued. Even if occasionally there were some minor conflicts between them, they could always calm down and look for their own faults instead of blaming each other. Falun Gong saved their family.

The day after Zhang Guilan was arrested, Chen Qing went to the State Security Team in Qianxi to ask after her mother. The police in the State Security Team said they would give her an answer in three days. Three days later, Ms. Chen again went to the State Security Team, but the police there directed her to the 610 Office. Ms. Chen spoke to Gao Zengcai, the 610 Office head. Gao set a trap to frame the girl, who was deep in sorrow, by secretly recording their conversations. Meanwhile, the police from the State Security Team went to Ms. Chen's work unit, the Qianxi County Longfeng Construction Engineering Company (i.e. Qianxi County No. 1 Construction Company), and applied pressure to her boss. Ms. Chen was eventually forced to leave the company.

In the face of her father's imprisonment, her mother's arrest and brother studying abroad, and after suffering the additional torment of being framed and attacked by the 610 Office and the State Security Team, Ms. Chen bravely wrote an open letter:

"I have no idea how to tell my 86-year-old grandmother the whereabouts of my mother, neither can I continue to borrow money to support my brother studying abroad. I have suffered far more than I should have suffered at my age, and have lost the happiness I should have at my age. I can no longer bear all this pressure. Our family has been broken since Mum was taken back to prison. I beg all kind hearted elders, brothers and sisters and those who uphold justice to help rescue my parents. Even if it's just moral support, I couldn't appreciate it enough. I would like to express my gratitude to you."

19-Year-Old Girl from Tangshan and Her Mother Are Still Detained

Ms. Liu Baoxia's daughter Bingbing (nickname) from Shengshuiyuan Village, Tiechang Town, Zunhua City, Tangshan was arrested in March 2009 by someone from the State Security Team in Zunhua.

Bingbing is 19 years old now. She suffered many diseases when she was very young. Her mother Liu Baoxia used to suffer from mood swings, and often argued with Bingbing's father. There were hardly any peaceful moments in the family. Since Bingbing and her mother began to learn Falun Gong, the diseases they suffered all miraculously disappeared. Their family has been harmonious ever since.

On the evening of February 24th, 2009, Lei Shizhong led about six police from the Zunhua Iron Factory Police Station and the State Security Team in Tangshan to break into Ms. Liu's home at Shengshuiyuan, Zunhua. It was said that there were about seven practitioners arrested, including Liu Baoxia and Yan Hongyan from Qihu Village, Dongjiuzhai Township, Zunhua City. About seven police tried to force Bingbing into making a confession. After they alternated between intimidation and bribery, Bingbing eventually signed her name on the search warrant. There were no other adults around. The police confiscated a computer and other personal belongings from her home.

At present, Bingbing has been detained for more than two months at Zunhua Detention Centre, a brainwashing centre under the command of the Zunhua 610 Office. Her mother Ms. Liu is detained at Zunhua Detention House. Because of the sudden change in the family situation, Bingbing's father is no longer able to work in other parts of the country.

Other Families Suffer Severe Persecution

There are many Falun Dafa practitioners who suffered persecution like those described above. For instance, Chuai Cuijun and Cai Junjia were also arrested with Mr. Chen Baihe in 2006; Yan Hongyan's husband Zhao Jingjun, who was arrested with Ms. Liu Baoxia, has also been detained at Zunhua Detention Centre for ten months. Liu Baoxia accompanied Yan Hongyan to see the human rights lawyer who was representing Zhao Jingjun. The same day, Zunhua State Security Team and Guarding Office searched the homes of seven practitioners. At present no one is able to see the lawyer. Under China's so-called "Harmonious Society", there are many practitioners' families that have been torn apart due to the persecution.

The State Security Team, local police stations and members of the 610 Office raided practitioners' homes. On July 18th, 2007, Zhu Zhengang, the team leader of the Qianxi State Security Team and Zhang Yinbo, the director of thhe Chengguan Police Station in Qianxi came with a dozen police in several police vans, arrested Cai Junxia, wife of Chuai Cuijun, and her mother-in-law and searched their home. The same evening, Zhang Yinbo went to Jingchanggu Mine with a group of police, arrested Chuai Cuijun's husband Chuai Zhiwu who was working at the pit. Their home was turned upside down and the only people left at home were an elderly grandfather and three children.

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.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/5/19/201148.html