Music Teacher Ms. Zhong Yanhong Subjected to Forced Labour for the Third Time

Name: Zhong Yanhong
Gender: Female
Age: 30s
Address: Unknown
Occupation: High school music teacher
Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 10th, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Chatou Women's Forced Labour Camp
City: Guangzhou
Province: Guangdong
Persecution Suffered: Home ransacking, forced labour, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, physical restraint, denial of toilet use

Ms. Zhong Yanhong was arrested on the morning of June 10th, 2011, on her way to work. Participating in the arrest were more than ten officers from the Guangzhou City 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), the Baiyun District Domestic Security Division, and the Jiahe Street Police Station. The police proceeded to ransack her residence and took many of her personal belongings. They also arrested Ms. Lian Xinqun, who was visiting Ms. Zhong.

It has been learned that Ms. Zhong was given a two-year forced labour term, which is her third term.

Ms. Zhong was originally from Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province. She graduated from Xi'an Conservatory of Music and was formerly a middle school music teacher. For remaining steadfast in her belief in Falun Gong, she has been persecuted numerous times. She was previously arrested and subjected to three years of forced labour in 2002, and one year in 2008.

We have learned that Ms. Zhong was transferred from the Baiyun Detention Centre to the Chatou Women's Forced Labour Camp in mid-August 2011. Her family hasn't received any information about her, and the forced labour camp officials have not allowed family visits.

Ms. Zhong was previously arrested on March 9th, 2008, by agents from the Nanhai District 610 Office in Foshan City and sent to Sanshui Forced Labour Camp for one year.

While she was in Sanshui Forced Labour Camp, she was denied toilet use, deprived of sleep, placed in a solitary cell, and had her term extended. She held long-term hunger strikes several times to protest the severe physical abuse and mistreatment. She became emaciated, and her family was shocked and saddened at her appearance every time they saw her during their visits to the camp.

Ms. Zhong's family hasn't heard about her for nearly four months since her recent arrest.

Xu Xiangan, Chatou Women's Forced Labour Camp head: +86-20-81730790 ext. 8888, +86-13802950304

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/9/30/247347.html