Kindergarten Teacher Ms. Zuo Xiuyun in Critical Condition After Retaliation for Her Efforts to Seek Justice

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zuo Fusheng, a cadre of the Railway Sub-office, was arrested and detained by the police. His sister Ms. Zuo Xiuyun, along with his mother, sued Lin Feng and Yan Mingkun from the National Security Brigade, as well as Cao Yongkang and Liu Ying, section chiefs of the Cangshan Procuratorate, due to his extended detention. The Chinese Communist authorities not only didn't prosecute these corrupt officials from the public security organs who have violated the law, but instead arrested innocent people like Ms. Zuo Xiuyun. In February 2012, Mr. Zuo was tried in court. His sister, after being detained for more than three months, is now in critical condition. When their elderly mother heard the news, she stopped eating any food for three days and her face was covered with tears.

Both Mr. Zuo Fusheng and his sister Ms. Zuo Xiuyun, are Falun Gong practitioners who live by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They are role models in their workplaces. Mr. Zuo was the youngest cadre of the middle-level officials in the Railroad Construction Company of Hualin in Fuzhou City. His sister is an outstanding teacher of a kindergarten at the Railroad Bureau in Yongan City, Fujian Province. The Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong resulted in both of their divorces. Two happy and harmonious families were forcibly torn apart. Ms. Zuo lost her job. She was jailed in the Women's Prison of Fujian Province for three years in 2000 and six years in 2004. She was released in June 2010. On January 19th, 2011, Mr. Zuo was arrested by the Public Security Bureau of Fuzhou City and his home was ransacked. In order to claim justice for her brother, Ms. Zuo went around to different public security organs to tell people the truth about Falun Gong and request the unconditional release of her brother. Nevertheless, her efforts became futile and she was met with shouts and threats by Chen Yongkang of the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong). She was taken away by Yan Mingkun from the National Security Brigade in Cangshan District on December 16th, 2011, at about 2:00 p.m., and detained in the First Detention Centre of Fuzhou City.

According to reliable sources, Ms. Zuo began a hunger strike to protest her mistreatment. She was later sent to Jianxin Hospital (the Armed Police Hospital of Fuzhou) because her life was in danger. When her elderly mother heard the news, she and her granddaughter (Ms. Zuo's daughter) rushed to see her on March 20th, 2012, during a time of heavy rain. Hospital officials didn't allow her to see her daughter even up to the time the hospital closed. The elderly woman was devastated and collapsed.

1. Mr. Zuo Fusheng Arrested and Tried

Ms. Zuo Xiuyun's brother Mr. Zuo Fusheng, was a cadre of the Railway Sub-office. He was arrested by Lin Feng and Yan Mingkun on his way to work. The police took his key and went to ransack his house. They detained him at the First Detention Centre of Fuzhou City for fifteen months. During this period of time, Lin Feng and Yan Mingkun used Mr. Zuo's computer and other personal belongings to fabricate a list of so-called evidence. They didn't even spare his mother's CDs for the list. Such an illegal so-called “Public Security Prosecution Report” was shamelessly given to the Procurator of Cangshan.

Mr. Zuo's family has repeatedly asked for his release and hired a lawyer to defend him. Under the instigation of the 610 Office, Cai Wenjian, judge of the Cangshan Court, blocked the lawyer from seeing him while deceiving him by telling him that the lawyer didn't come. The 610 Office, through the Bureau of Justice, had exerted pressure on his lawyer by not allowing him to make his court appearance. Mr. Zuo's family and his lawyer went to the Letters and Visitor's Bureau of the National People's Congress of Cangshan to file a complaint. Wu Xiaochun, from the Letters and Visitor's Bureau, telephoned Lan Youqing, a court officer in Cangshan, and asked him how to deal with this incident. Lan told the clerk that Falun Gong-related cases are not allowed to file any complaints.

During the morning of February 24th, before the trial in Cangshan Court, many plainclothes police officers were standing in front of the court. The streets outside of the court were lined with more than 30 parked vehicles. Some cars were filled with armed police, fire fighters, Air Force hospital staff, community security, and street committee personnel. They watched the passersby outside the court. Some of them seized spectators suspected of being Falun Gong practitioners. Three or four police officers then encircled them and claimed they were exchanging views and trying to convince them to practise Buddhism. But in actuality, they were restricting their freedom. Some people were taking photos and video-recording the scene from all directions. Passerby found it very unusual, and asked about what had happened.

The law enforcement departments' breaking of the law while in charge in Fuzhou was reflected in many ways, including illegal arrests, ransacking, extended detention, and depriving family members' statutory rights. There was no written notice or telephone call before the trial to inform Mr. Zuo's family about the hearing. They even seized their personal letters and postcards. His sister, who called to claim justice for her brother, was also arrested. She has now been detained for over two months with no word as to when she will be released. The court also didn't allow Falun Gong practitioners to attend the trial. They even ordered practitioners' work units to arrest and detain practitioners.

During the trial the audience, except for her mother, were all arranged to be there by the court. Her mother was placed in the last row of the courtroom. There were three policewomen watching her, and she was not allowed to speak. Because she sat in the back, she couldn't hear anything. She could only guess that the lawyer was defending her son. She didn't even know what the final outcome was.

2. Ms. Zuo's Arrest

Ms. Zuo was jailed for nine years, and was just released six months ago. Her brother has now also been arrested. In order to rescue her brother, she went around trying to explain the facts of Falun Gong to the authorities, trying to explain to them that practising Falun Gong is not breaking the law, that extended detention is wrong, that citizens have the right to believe, and that her brother should be released unconditionally, etc.

Song Aiming, deputy director of the Procuratorate of Cangshan, clearly stated that Chen Rongkang from the Cangshan 610 Office, gave them the authority to extend the detention of Mr. Zuo for one month. When Ms. Zuo found Chen Yongkang and questioned him, Chen didn't admit to it and hypocritically said, “Why would I do such illegal things!”

Chen Yongkang is a former staff member from the Bureau of Letters and Visitors in Cangshan District, and was later transferred to the Political and Legal Committee to become head of the 610 Office in Cangshan District. He has since actively followed Jiang Zemin's, [former leader of China and instigator of the persecution] political gang in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Under his orders, Falun Gong practitioners, including Fan Kejuan, Wang Xiuqin, Ye Qiaoming, Li Deyue, Zhang Liyu, Zheng Meizhu, Wang Yongjin, Chen Xue, and Zuo Fusheng, were arrested and sentenced. Chen became directly involved in the persecution of Mr. Zuo after he was arrested.

Ms. Zuo has repeatedly told Chen Yongkang the truth about Falun Gong and requested the unconditional release of her brother. Chen refused to listen to the truth and threatened to arrest her.

On April 16th, 2011, at about 8:00 a.m., after leaving home, Ms. Zuo saw a woman in plain clothes following her. When she was about 100 metres from home, she saw a police car and many police officers waiting there. She realized that they had sent someone to follow her while arranging some people to be at her home to capture her. After she saw them, she escaped.

Ms. Zuo and another elderly practitioner went to see Chen Yongkang again on November 22nd, and tried to clarify the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong. Chen refused to listen and started shouting at them. When they talked about how Jiang Zemin was a corrupt official, he couldn't stand it and said, “Do you have any evidence?” When Ms. Zuo told him that the condemnations of Jiang are facts, he was speechless. His loud roar soon attracted Lan Wenzhong, who then started to curse Falun Gong. Chen even snatched a Falun Gong book that he had taken from Falun Gong practitioners and tore out pages from the book. He also tried to play a video that slandered Falun Gong, but the two practitioners put a firm stop to it.

Ms. Zuo rode her bike to the market the next morning at about 8:00 a.m. to buy some groceries. She saw Yan Mingkun standing next to a bakery shop. After he saw Ms. Zuo, he started to call someone. After paying her utility bill and finishing buying her food, she saw a tall police officer wearing a t-shirt talking to someone on the phone. She noticed that this man had followed her into the market. She immediately turned around and tried to speed away. The man grabbed her by the shoulder and said, “Sister.” She didn't look at him and continued riding forward. The bike lost control and tilted to one side. She shouted for help. The man loosened his hand. Ms. Zuo then escaped arrest again. This was the second time the police had tried to arrest her.

On December 16th, Ms. Zuo never came back home after she left at around 2:00 p.m. It was later learned that she was taken away by Lin Feng and Yan Mingkun and detained in Room 119 of the First Detention Centre of Fuzhou.

People who have been involved in the persecution:
Lin Anshan, director of the 610 Office in Fuzhou City, +86-591-87023001 (Office)
Chen Ruowang, deputy director of the 610 Office in Fuzhou, +86-591-83306556 (Office)
Chen Yongkang, director of the 610 Office in Cangshan District, +86-591-83460610 (Office), +86-591-83504277 (Home), +86-13506996858 (Mobile)
Yan Mingkun, officer from the National Security Brigade of Fuzhou
Lin Feng: +86-13506996659 (Mobile)