Dozens of Falun Gong Practitioners from Tangshan City Arrested

In May of 2011, dozens of Falun Gong practitioners were arrested by officers from Tangshan City domestic security departments and local police stations working under the command of the Party Secretary for Tangshan Political and Judiciary Committee, Xu Demao; the Chief of Tangshan Police Department, Jia Wenya; and the Deputy Chief of Tangshan Police Department, Liu Xiaozhong. Some family members of practitioners were also arrested. Many other practitioners were harassed, followed, and monitored.

On the morning of May 18th, three practitioners were arrested at the East Bus Station by policemen from Wenbei Police Station in Lunan District, Tangshan. The practitioners include retired teacher Ms. Zhang Xiuying, Ms. Yang, and Ms. Gao Xuying. Ms. Zhang and Ms. Yang were later released, while Ms. Gao was detained for fifteen days.

On the morning of May 25th, Nanyan Hospital's chief physician Ms. Li Wene and her husband Mr. Wang Weidong were arrested by 610 Office agents (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) at Nanbao Development District Police Station, and officer Gao Xueguo from Nanyan Police Station. They ransacked their home, broke open a locked cabinet, and confiscated approximately two hundred thousand yuan¹, which included a retirement pension from Li Wene's parents, a down payment for purchasing a home, personal savings, and cash cards. In addition, they took away valuable goods, including computers, jewellery, a camera, and 6,000 yuan from Li Wene's purse. They also confiscated their car. Ms. Li has since been released, but does not have any money on which she can live. Mr. Wang is currently being imprisoned in Tangshan Detention Centre.

On May 28th, about eight policemen from Tangshan National Security Department and Diaoyutai Police Station broke into retired medical doctor Ms. Cao's home. Ms. Cao, her husband, Mr. Li Qiang, Li Wanlan, and a practitioner with the last name Di were all arrested.

In addition, policemen from Fengrun District arrested practitioners Zhang Xiujuan, Zhang Haiming, and Liu Hongyuan. Six relatives of Deng Xiuyan, who had been detained for five months, were also arrested while asking for Deng's release at Yangguanlin Police Station in Fengrun District. In Kaiping District, practitioners Fu Weijun, Dong heying, Gao Ruizhen, Li Jianguo, Mr. Li's wife, Zhao Yunlong and his son were arrested. In Zunhua District, all of the practitioners who were attending a small Falun Gong experience sharing conference were arrested. In Qianan District, He Jiapeng, an employee of Jiujiang Company, was arrested. Yonghongqiao Police Station arrested Xu Lanru, and Meng Linghui was arrested in Fengnan District.

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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/6/6/242043.html