Elderly Lady Is Repeatedly Arrested and Her Home Ransacked

Since April 25th, 1999, Ms. Zhang Guifang has been arrested four times and her home has been repeatedly ransacked. Her two sons, daughter-in-law and sister have also been victims of the persecution.

Ms. Zhang's daughter-in-law has been arrested several times. When she was nearly seven months pregnant, police officer Wan Jucai, a group of officers from the local police station and people from the neighbourhood residential committee broke into her home and took her to the Dongmen Family Planning Hospital, where she was forced to have an abortion.

Ms. Zhang's older son worked at the Parole Division of the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau. Because he practised Falun Gong, his salary was withheld and he was put on forced leave. He changed his job twice but was fired from both.

Ms. Zhang's younger son was also arrested. The police, the neighbourhood committee and the security section repeatedly harassed them. Ms. Zhang Guifang's husband could not withstand the huge pressure, and he passed away in 2006 at the age of 53.

Below is an account from Ms. Zhang.

Health and Moral Standards Improved after Cultivating in Falun Gong

I was an employee of Yinchuan Brewery and began to practise Falun Gong in 1996. Before that, I suffered from more than a dozen illnesses including Meniere's syndrome, nerve damage, vertebra hyperplasia, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, atrophic gastritis and cholecystitis. A spine proliferation pressed against my nerves and led to numbness in my hands. I suffered from cramps every day. Because of all these physical ailments, I was despondent.

My two sons started to practise Falun Gong earlier than I did. My sister was also a practitioner. One day in October, 1996, I was fortunate enough to encounter Falun Gong. I joined the group exercises every morning at a practice site. Unfortunately, I was illiterate and unable to study the Falun Gong teachings. At the beginning I listened to Falun Gong lectures daily. I cried because I could not read and write. Some practitioners later taught me to read and write, and a few months later I could read the Falun Gong book, Zhuan Falun and then write.

After studying Zhuan Falun, I understood that Falun Gong required practitioners to be good people. I was in poor health and always had a bad temper. After I became a practitioner, I gradually became tolerant and could deal with conflicts. Also, whenever I did something wrong, I admitted it and corrected it. My family life became very harmonious.

My health improved and I saved a lot on medical expenses. Therefore, I wanted to use the money I saved to help people. In 1997, I sent two donations with a total sum of 3,000 yuan¹ to Shuangqukou Welfare House in Ningchuan City. In 1998, I donated 3,000 yuan to Hope Primary School in Xinshi District, Yinchuan City.

Arrested and Forced to Pay the Police

In March 2000, I went to Beijing and wanted to tell the authorities about the changes that I experienced after practising Falun Gong. The appeals office had moved, and I could not find it, so I went to Tiananmen Square, where I ascended the Tiananmen Rostrum. I was arrested and taken to the Tiananmen Square Police Station. After a few days, I was transferred to Ningxia's Liaison Office in Beijing. The police forced me and another practitioner to pay them 900 yuan. Later, I was escorted back to Xincheng Police Sub-station in Yinchuan City and released at around midnight. Other practitioners were taken to detention centres and some were taken to forced labour camps.

After I returned, officials at my workplace forced me to pay 600 yuan. After that, police officers Wan Jucai, Li Dongguo, Dai Chunhua and Sun Laining, as well as Ma Libin from the neighbourhood committee and Su Xiaojun from Ningxia's Beijing Office repeatedly came to my home to harass me and ransack my home. Wang Jucan also often went to my husband's workplace to harass him and demanded that he watch me. During the Chinese New Year and other politically sensitive days, they asked my husband to monitor me closely and to not let me leave home.

Taken to Brainwashing Centres

In 2004, the Yichuan 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) established a brainwashing centre. Ma Libin, director of the Yinpiyuan Neighbourhood Committee, demanded that I check into that centre, but I refused. Wang Jucai went to my husband's work unit to demand that he open the door to our home so that they could arrest me. Police officers from the Tiedong Police Station, and officials from the Political and Security Division and from the neighbourhood committee were among that group. They ransacked my home and confiscated a copy of Hongyin II. They demanded that I come to the neighbourhood committee. When I realised that they wanted to take me to the brainwashing centre, I sat on the ground and shouted at the top of my voice, "Falun Gong is good!" Four of them picked me up, carried me to the car and took me to the brainwashing centre.

At the brainwashing centre, practitioners were monitored closely by an "aide." We had to listen to them read books that slandered Falun Gong and its founder daily. They also played films that praised the Communist Party and forced the practitioners to watch them.

In July 2007, my son and I were taken to the Dongjie Police Station in Xincheng District. We were detained for the entire evening and then transferred to the Jinfeng District Police Sub-department in Yinchuan City. During those days, our home was again ransacked. They confiscated Falun Gong materials, E-books, MP3 players and a photocopier. My family demanded our release, and my son was released on the following day. During my 10-day detention at the Yinchuan Detention Centre, the guards ordered inmates to verbally abuse me.

Monitored Again During the Beijing Olympics

Since the Olympic torch relay would reach Yinchuan City on July 1st, 2008, police officers from the local police station, people from the neighbourhood committee and some other government departments assigned several people to closely monitor me day-in and day-out, especially when I left the house.

In March 2009, I was arrested and taken to the Tiedong Police Station. My home was ransacked, and I was transferred to the Jinfeng District Police Sub-station. They handcuffed one of my hands to the radiator and assigned people to monitor me.

I'd like to take this opportunity to make a solemn statement: I declare null and void whatever my family and I have said or have done against Falun Gong.

Note

1. "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://minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/2/3/217496.html