Ms. Li Xiaoxia Sentenced to Forced Labour Twice, Her Family Torn Apart

Name: Li Xiaoxia
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Address: Pingyuan County, Shandong Province

Date of most recent arrest: April 25th, 2006
Most recent place of detention: Jinan (City) No.1 Women's Labour Camp
City: Jinan
Province: Shandong
Persecution suffered: Detention, extortion, forced labour reform, forced labour, insult, torture, interrogation, denial of toilet use, sleep deprivation

Ms. Li Xiaoxia has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) because she refuses to renounce her practice of Falun Gong. In October 2000, she was sentenced to three years of forced labour. In September 2006, she was again sentenced to two years in a forced labour camp.

Li Xiaoxia's personal account:

I started to practise Falun Gong in February 1999. After reading Zhuan Falun, I had some understanding of the theories that Falun Gong taught, such as about the relationships between people and that good behaviour will be rewarded. I followed Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance in my daily life, such that my family environment changed. My husband quit his drinking habit, and my children saw the goodness of Falun Gong.

On July 20th, 1999, the CCP started to persecute Falun Gong and the practitioners of Falun Gong all over China. On October 14th, 1999, a fellow practitioner and I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. On October 17th, I was forcibly sent back to my home town and jailed in a detention centre for 17 days. During that time, the police ordered my whole family to try to persuade me to sign a guarantee statement saying that I would not go to Beijing and would stop practising Falun Gong. They even threatened my family, saying that if I kept refusing to sign the letter, they would send me to a forced labour camp. I was under a lot of pressure and my whole family suffered at that time. Later, I was released after my family paid in 900 yuan¹ to a policeman, Wang Jie, from Chengguan Police Station, and 200 yuan for my living expense in the detention centre.

In the beginning of April 2000, Cai Lianwen and another colleague from Chengguan Police Station came to my home to harass me. I took the opportunity to clarify the truth to them. They reported me for telling the truth about Falun Gong when they went back to the police station. I was arrested and taken to a detention centre. All my Falun Gong books were taken away. I was persecuted in the detention centre for 54 days. After receiving a large amount of money, they released me.

In September 2000, I was forced to attend a brainwashing session in Chengguan Police Station. An employee named Zhai read aloud an article defaming Falun Gong. I could not bear it and said, “Falun Gong teaches people to be good. What's wrong with that?” He handcuffed me and told me that he would torture me. I was determined and wasn't moved at all. Then, I was sent to a detention centre. I started a hunger strike to reject the persecution. After 9 days in the detention centre, I was released since they received money from one of my relatives. After being at home for only 6 days, the head of the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), Xian Dehai, and Li Feng, arrested me at my home. I was sentenced to three years in Wangcun Forced Labour Camp.

In the camp, I was forced to perform laborious work and tortured mentally and physically. I was cursed at, mocked, not allowed to use the toilet, and forced to sit on a chair for a long time. After three years, I was released. After I returned home, my husband could no longer bear the pressure of the persecution and thought about getting a divorce. So for his safety, I left home and became homeless for a period of time.

On April 25th, 2006, Policemen Li Changzhong and Qin Yang from the county 610 Office came to my home to arrest me. They pulled me into a police car, took my Falun Gong books, materials, and MP3 player, and drove me to a detention centre. In the detention centre, I escaped in front of 6 or 7 people with strong righteous thoughts. After that, I became homeless for a while.

Since I missed my family, I came back home to visit them. As a result, I was arrested again by police officers Zhang Zhenyi, Li Changzhong, and Qin Yang. After being jailed in a detention for a while, I was sentenced to two years in Jinan No. 1 Women's Forced Labour Camp. In the camp, the guards, including Sun Xiufeng, Wang Xiaowei, Liu Fang, Li Xia, Zhang Shumei, and Feng Sai, often deprived me of sleep and did not allow me to use the toilet or talk. They ordered the criminal inmates to monitor me. They constantly berated and cursed at me, and I had to work without stopping. I was released from the camp after two years and one month.

In 2009, my husband's nephew wanted to get into the army. Police officers, including Zhang Meng, harassed us, saying that he could not get into the army with an aunt who practised Falun Gong. We spent a lot of money to treat them and finally they agreed not to bother him anymore. In less than 20 days, three other policemen found my husband again and told him that they would pull his nephew back home because I was a Falun Gong practitioner. In order not to affect him, my husband and I were forced to divorce. Our family was torn apart by the CCP police!

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.ca/mh/articles/2011/1/22/35187.html