Mass Arrests of Falun Gong Prior to Communist Anniversary

The Chinese communist regime not only tightened security before its 60th anniversary celebration, but also arrested Falun Gong practitioners around the country.

At least 70 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention were recorded by the mainland China section of Minghui.net, a Falun Gong website which receives extensive first-hand reports of persecution cases.

Public Security Bureaus in many areas searched the homes of many practitioners, taking personal belongings and detaining many in labour camps. In one case, a three-year-old girl was detained along with her mother. The wave of arrests reported occurred between Sept. 23rd and Sept. 28th.

Ms. Li, a Falun Gong practitioner in Hebei Province, told The Epoch Times, "With the National Day approaching, the local National Security Bureau offices warned practitioners not to leave their residences. Some of them were arrested and sent to brainwashing classes or labour camps.”

Falun Gong, a spiritual practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, has been persecuted by the Chinese regime since 1999. Prior to then-leader Jiang Zemin’s order to “eradicate” Falun Gong, many of the Party elite practised it, along with an estimated 100 million Chinese in the mainland.

“Many people have been arrested, tortured, and even killed since the persecution started in 1999,” said Ms. Li.

Thus far, 3,308 cases of practitioners persecuted to death in custody have been verified, yet rights groups estimate the number to be much higher as the regime does not release any figures, nor allow investigators into the country.

Theresa Chu, chief executive of the Human Rights Law Foundation Asia Branch, said, "The Communist Party is most afraid of Falun Gong practitioners.”

She said the regime is afraid of practitioners telling Chinese people about the persecution.

The Chinese Communist Party carries out systematic sweeps for petitioners, dissidents, and perceived trouble-makers preceding major holidays, political meetings, and other important events. Such a sweep also began seven months before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

This year marks the 10th year of persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese regime. Manfred Nowak, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, said in an interview with The Epoch Times on Aug. 5th, “The number of practitioners in China is huge. In spite of the persecution, [the practice] has not diminished, but increased.”

Falun Gong is now practised in more than 100 countries around the world.