Elderly Mr. Chen Ruixian from Sichuan Arrested and His Family Threatened

Name: Chen Ruixian
Gender: Male
Age: 75
Address: Langzhong City, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: March 16th, 2012
Most Recent Place of Detention: Xishan Brainwashing Centre in Nanchong City
City: Nanchong
Province: Sichuan
Persecution Suffered: Forced labour, home ransacked, extortion, pension suspended, detention

Mr. Chen Ruixian, in his 70s from Nanchong, was taken away from his home by police on March 16th, directly to the Xishan Brainwashing Centre in Nanchong. When his wife and granddaughter went to inquire about him, Lei Yi threatened them and said he would send them to a forced labour camp.

Mr. Chen started to practise Falun Gong in 1996. Because he did not give up practising, he was detained in a forced labour camp between December 1999 and May 2000. Afterwards his home was repeatedly ransacked, and he was fined, harassed and questioned. His pension was also suspended.

On the morning of March 16th, seven or eight people from the domestic security division, the police department, and the neighbourhood committee went to Mr. Chen's home and told him to come with them for questioning. Mr. Chen was directly sent to the Xishan Brainwashing Centre in Nanchong.

At 9 a.m. on March 22nd, Mr. Chen's wife and granddaughter went to the local Fenghuanglou Neighbourhood Committee to inquire about him. Lei Yi, the committee director suddenly shouted out many vile curses as soon as he heard Mr. Chen was a Falun Gong practitioner. Lei Yi and several male staff members shoved Mr. Chen's wife and granddaughter out of the office and cursed them in front of the office, which drew many onlookers.

While facing the public, Lei Yi shifted the responsibility and said Mr. Chen was taken away by the police. He said it was an order from higher authorities. And he took out a cellphone and threatened that he could make a phone call and send Mr. Chen's wife and granddaughter to a forced labour camp. He also said Mr. Chen's detention term would be changed from the original three months to six months, because his family members made trouble.

The neighbourhood committee is located at a junction of three roads. It was the time for morning market. More and more onlookers gathered, asked what was going on, and blocked the roads. With the public's help, Mr. Chen's wife and granddaughter finally left without incident. He Jiang from the neighbourhood committee followed them home and did not leave until they went into the house. This all happened in public and lasted about an hour before the crowd dispersed.

On the previous day at 8 a.m. on March 21st, Lei Yi went to Mr. Chen's home while only his wife was alone at home. He threatened Mr. Chen's wife and said he would make another round of arrests.

Mr. Chen and his wife only had one daughter who passed away last year. Their granddaughter is often out of town. Lei Yi directed people to harass them, using the excuse that their daughter had passed away. Lei Yi was in charge of contacting the Xishan Brainwashing Centre and told Mr. Chen's family to deliver clothes for him. The committee attended the whole course of events, from harassment to arrest. And the committee abetted the evildoers. Now they have shifted their responsibility by saying, “It was not related to us.”

Relevant personnel:
Lei Yi, Party secretary of Fenghuanglou Neighborhood Committee in Langzhong City: +86-18990881916(Mobile)
He Jiang, clerk
Wang Qiang, instructor of the Langzhong Domestic Security Division