Sunday, 06-Jul-2003 3:50AM

Story from AFP

HONG KONG, July 6 (AFP) - Fears over the whereabouts of a Beijing-based member of the Falun Gong spiritual movement grew Sunday after she was reportedly arrested by mainland Chinese State security, a Falun Gong spokeswoman said.

Haiying Xiao, 31, was detained at Beijing airport on July 2 shortly after returning to the Chinese capital after a four-day trip to Hong Kong.

Haiying's sister, Sophie Xiao, a spokeswoman for Falun Gong in Hong Kong said shortly after Haiying was detained a warrant was issued to search her office and house.

[...]Staff from the Ministry of Security also said that another reason for her arrest was because Haiying had made contact with overseas Falun Gong members," Sophie Xiao told AFP.

Xiao's 64-year-old mother, Yue Thang-zhi, who started a Falun Gong practise in 1996, has previously been arrested seven times and has twice been sent to "brainwashing" classes, which aim to force practitioners to give up their belief and practise, she said.

"My mother was forced into hiding in October 2000 and I haven't seen her in three years," said Xiao.

Xiao said Chinese security officials had broken into Haiying's office three times in the past demanding she reveal the whereabouts of her mother.

She added officers had again repeated their demand this time round.

Xiao said she believed Haiying was being held at an undisclosed detention centre operated by the Ministry of State Security. Her friends and colleagues have been told that no visits will be allowed.

[...]

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