Bakery Owner, Known for Her Kindness, Persecuted for Practising Falun Gong

Name: Wang Shuzhen
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Address: Gongfu Village, Pingxin Town, Pingfang District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Bakery owner
Date of Most Recent Arrest: September 7th, 2011
Most recent place of detention: Harbin City Second Detention Centre
City: Harbin
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Detention, extortion, sexual assault, home ransacked, forced labour reform, long-term squatting, hung up, water deprivation, denial of restroom use, sleep deprivation, harassment

Ms. Wang Shuzhen was sentenced to a forced labour camp for three years because she practised Falun Gong. In 2011, she was arrested again by the Pingxin Town Police Station and sent to Harbin No. 2 Detention Centre. She did not pass the physical examination and was sent home, but she is still being harassed frequently.

Practising Falun Gong, Becoming Healthy and Happy

Ms. Wang had been weak since she was young and had suffered many ailments, especially headaches. Once she had such a bad headache that she could not even go to school.

After she got married, she suffered from rheumatism, her legs hurt, her hands and feet were numb, and she could not stand the cold. When it was raining or cloudy, she hurt all over. She tried many treatments, but none were effective. In her miserable state, she felt that living was worse than dying.

In the summer of 1998, she learned Falun Gong and began following the principles to be a better person. Her illnesses disappeared without her being aware of it, and her character improved, too. Falun Gong gave her good health and a happy family. She changed, as did her husband, who used to drink excessively, but now no longer drinks.

Arrest and Extortion

In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched the brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Slanderous propaganda was broadcast every day to denounce Falun Gong on TV. Ms. Wang believed that Falun Gong was righteous. She told everyone that Falun Gong was good.

In December 2000, she and other practitioners went to Beijing to testify to the goodness of Falun Gong. In the Harbin train station, she was arrested and taken to Heilongjiang Province Police Station. South Plant Police Station in Pingfang District, Harbin, brought her back and continued to mistreat her. A male practitioner that had appealed with her is still detained in the No. 2 Detention Centre in Yaziquan. During her detention, the superintendent, Li Zuokui, asked Ms. Wang’s husband for a 500-yuan¹ “deposit,” but he refused to turn in the money. Later on, she had 900 yuan extorted from her for her meals, before they released her. After she returned home, Li frequently came to harass her.

During the summer of 2001, police officer Liu Dongyue and about six colleagues broke into Ms. Wang’s home, ordering her to go with him. After Liu arrived, they insulted her and took her to the basement, where, Liu tried to harass her sexually, but Ms. Wang resisted. She was released in the evening. After she returned home, Liu continued to harass her frequently.

Forced Labour

On September 29th, 2002, Zhang Wanjie from Pingxin Town Government in the Pingfang District, Harbin, and several police officers seized Ms. Wang from her home and ransacked her home. Her clothes were thrown around. She tried to collect her clothes, but they stopped her and forced her into their car.

In the police station, she was accused of “disturbing social security” and was detained in the Harbin No. 2 Detention Centre for two months. Although no legal procedures were followed, she was “sentenced” to forced labour for three years. Her son was just 14 years old and in middle school. Her husband was working in a remote region.

In the forced labour camp, Ms. Wang was tortured a great deal. She was forced to squat down when she first got in. When she could not bear it, she was hung up. She was not allowed to drink water, go to the bathroom, or sleep. Yao Fuchang hung her and another practitioner from Tonghe on both ends of the bed, using a military belt the first time. The second time, Ms. Wang’s hands were strapped to two beds. The guards then used the largest baton to shock her face. Her fine hair was burned. When the electric charge was used up, then they replaced it with a new baton to continue. Afterwards, they found some criminals to pull the beds apart. She felt as if her heart and liver would break in two; it was extremely painful.

Ms. Wang’s ear was beaten until she went deaf, and her hands were numb for several months. The painful experiences in those three years cannot fully be explained. She was ordered to insult the founder of Falun Gong every day and sing evil Party songs. Whenever guard Zhao Yuqing had some new ideas, a group of Falun Gong practitioners would be subjected to torture. There were practitioners being tortured every day.

Bakery Owner: Praised by Her Customers, But Harassed Frequently by the Police

After Ms. Wang was released, her family became really poor. Her husband's health grew worse, and he could not do any heavy work. His legs hurt so much that he could not work. Her son did not have a job. The heavy work was all left on Ms. Wang's shoulders.

With the help of fellow practitioners, she opened a bakery. Her sister and husband became her assistants. She followed Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and never took advantage of customers, no matter what their ages. If she met with a beggar, she would treat them for free. In one instance when a mental patient was lost, Ms. Wang would give her money for food. Her customers all praised her good service and kind deeds. There was a driver that delivered bricks, who had meals at Ms. Wang’s place several times. Once he was in a hurry to send some cash to his friend, but did not have time. He left 3,000 yuan in cash with Ms. Wang and let his friend to come pick up. He said he trusted Ms. Wang, but not others. Ms. Wang’s customers are all return customers. In summer, people would often bring her watermelons, cantaloupes, or tomatoes. They said Ms. Wang had always helped them, and they wanted to show their appreciation.

At noon on September 7th, 2011, Fu Zilong, team leader of Domestic Security Division in the Pingfang District, Harbin; policeman Zhang of the Pingfang 610 Office; policeman Sun Wu of the Pingxin Town Police Station; and Kang You of Dongfu Village came with several police officers to surround Ms. Wang’s home. They then went to the bakery to arrest her. She was again taken to Pingxin Town Police Station and then to the No. 2 Detention Centre in Harbin. An examination showed that Ms. Wang’s health was not good, so she was sent home. The next day, Fu Zilong again brought a group of policemen to harass her. At night, they went to harass her son and tried to arrest him.

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/2011/11/6/248741.html