High School Student and Family Sent to Forced Labour for Expressing Discontent on the Internet

Mr. Liu Xiaolin is a high school student from Hualongqiao Village, Hualong Town, Shouguang City, Shandong Province. His scores were high on the 2011 National College Entrance Exam. However, the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) and local government officials barred him from entering college because he and his family practise Falun Gong. Mr. Liu was later taken to a forced labour camp for expressing his discontent with the persecution of Falun Gong on the Internet. Soon after that, his father Mr. Liu Zonggang and mother Ms. Sui Qiaohong were arrested and sent to forced labour camp.

On the morning of August 9th, Mr. Liu Xiaolin was home alone. A group of police officers, including Chen Guangming from the Hualong Town Police Station, broke into his home and arrested him. The officers later returned to the home and confiscated a computer, a printer, and other personal belongings. Mr. Liu's uncle, Mr. Liu Zonghui, happened to witness the break-in and asked the officers to stop. The uncle was beaten, forcibly carried into the police car, and detained for nearly a month.

Mr. Liu Xiaolin was held in the police station for three days and later transferred to a detention centre. On September 9th, he was taken to the Wangcun Forced Labour Camp to serve a one-year term.

Mr. Liu's parents left home immediately after hearing the news of his arrest. On the evening of September 21st, they returned home and were both arrested by police officers that had been monitoring their home. The couple was held in the Shouguang Detention Centre. The officers interrogated the couple and administered physical abuse. Mr. Liu Zonggang suffered force-feeding and had bamboo sticks poked into his fingertips.

Mr. Liu Zonggang was taken to the Zhangqiu Forced Labour Camp to serve an 18-month term. Ms. Sui was taken to the Zhoucun Forced Labour Camp in Zibo City to serve an 18-month term.

Past Persecution of the Family

Mr. Liu Xiaolin's parents were held three different times in detention centres in 2000 and 2001.

In October 2001, Mr. Liu Xiaolin's uncle Mr. Liu Zongshan went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practise Falun Gong and was arrested. He was severely beaten, flogged with a leather scourge, and shocked by electric batons. His left eye socket sustained a comminuted fracture (a fracture in which the bone has been crushed), and his eye was severely swollen. He was taken back to his hometown and held in the Shouguang Detention Centre.

On November 12th, 2001, Mr. Liu Xiaolin's parents and grandfather were arrested while studying Falun Gong books together. The police confiscated a recorder, cellphone, Falun Gong books, and other personal belongings. They were taken to the Shouguang Detention Centre the following day. Ms. Sui was taken to the Shouguang Brainwashing Centre after being detained for 20 days. She was handcuffed to the window and forced to stand for a long period of time. She was also deprived of sleep.

At the end of 2001, Mr. Liu Xiaolin's grandfather, father, and uncle were paraded through the streets alongside criminal inmates. The officers then held a public trial in Shouguang Stadium. Grandfather Mr. Liu Qingtian and father Mr. Liu Zonggang were sentenced to one year of forced labour. Uncle Liu Zongshan was sentenced to three years in prison.

Mr. Liu Zongshan's wife, Ms. Liu Shuhong, died on July 25th, 2005 after being repeatedly detained and persecuted. She was only 35 years old and was the mother of a ten-year-old child.

People involved in the persecution include: head of the Huahong Town Party Committee He Hongtao; deputy heads Zhang Xinkui and Liu Lanji; head of the Village Party Committee Wang Wenxin; police station director Wei Wubin; and Li Tongzhong of the Shouguang Brainwashing Centre.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/11/27/249880.html