(Clearwisdom.net) In March 2003, Jia Aichen, head of the "610 Office" (1) in Songshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, led a dozen policemen to illegally arrest local Falun Gong practitioners in order to prevent them from going to Beijing to appeal during China's annual "two meetings" (2) of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The police officers included Liang Zhanting, who was the head of the Public Security Brigade in Songshan District; Xue Hongjun; Chi Guangmin; Officer He; Lu Yongchun, who was the head of First Police Station in Songshan District; and police officers Lin Tingzhi, Liu Sen, Gao Li and Wang Jinghe. The arrested practitioners included Ms. Su Xiangzhen, Ms. Su Xiangqin, Mr. Ma Wanjin, Mr. Wang Hai, Mr. Liu Wenzhong, Mr. Yang Xiaoguang, Ms. Zhao Yuqin and Mr. Cao Fengli. The police demanded that the practitioners guarantee that they would not go to Beijing to appeal, not practice Falun Gong and not associate with other practitioners. They demanded that the practitioners slander Falun Gong and Teacher and give up their belief in Falun Dafa. The practitioners refused to sign these so-called "Guarantee Statements"(3). The police then abducted them and took them to the detention center where they were mercilessly persecuted. The practitioners were beaten, taunted, and shocked with electric batons, enduring illegal persecution for more than 20 days. Finally their family members were notified to come and pay bail, or the practitioners would be sentenced to imprisonment. The practitioners' families were so worried that they paid from 3,000 to 8,000 yuan (4) to have them released on bail. The police released the practitioners after their bails were paid but refused to give any receipts (5).

Later, the police went repeatedly to the practitioners' homes to harass them. They tried to force the practitioners to write a so-called "guarantee statement" or a so-called "transformation statement" (3). They arrested and re-arrested, detained and re-detained those practitioners who persisted in their belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." They extorted money from them again and again and finally illegally sent them to labor camps to persecute them further. A partial list of the practitioners who were arrested by the First Police Station in Songshan District included Mr. Liu Wenzhong, Mr. Wang Hai, Mr. Ma Wanjin, Ms. Su Xiangzhen, Ms. Su Xiangqin, Mr. Cao Fengli, Mr. Yang Xiaoguang, Ms. Zhao Yuqin, Ms. Liu Fengrong, Ms. Dai Zhenyun, Ms. Zhou Zhihui, Mr. Zhou Zhijie, Ms. Du Zaili, Ms. Zheng Hua, Yin, Ms. Chen Huimin, Ms. Cao Fengyan, Ms. Su Xiangxin, and Liu Mengchun. The police extorted money from all of them in amounts ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 and even 8,000 yuan. They also took away the practitioners' Falun Gong books, tape recorders, VCD players and VCRs. The police sometimes refused to release practitioners even after they had paid several tens of thousands of yuan, because the police wanted still more money. If a practitioner's family didn't pay, the police threatened to sentence the practitioner to imprisonment in a labor camp.

1. Mr. Liu Wenzhong

Mr. Liu Wenzhong firmly believed in Falun Dafa. Around 7 or 8 p.m. on October 28, 2001, a group of police from the Songshan District Public Security Brigade and the First Police Station in Songshan District arrested him and his wife in their own store. The police ransacked everything in the store. They also arrested Ms. Chen Huimin and Ms. Zhou Zhihui, two other Falun Gong practitioners who were working in the store. They detained them in the First Police Station and brutally beat and interrogated them for an entire night. The next day they locked them in a small cell for a whole day. The next evening they sent the practitioners to the detention center on Yuanlin Road. The police extorted a few thousand yuan from Mr. LiuWenzhong's wife and then released her. The police tried to extort more from Mr. Liu Wenzhong, but he refused because he had already paid several tens of thousand yuan before. The police then illegally sentenced Mr. Liu to three years in a labor camp and sent him to Wuyuan Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia. Mr. Liu is still in the labor camp, but we don't have any further information about his circumstances. Mrs. Liu had to close their store. Millions of yuan in products were in the inventory and could not be sold and were therefore lost, and more than 20 people lost their jobs.

Ms. Zhou Zhihui had previously been sentenced to one year in a labor camp, because she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in 2000. This time she was sentenced to another three years and is currently imprisoned in the Female Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia. Ms. Chen Huimin was illegally sentenced to two years. Both Ms. Zhou and Ms. Chen suffered various forms of persecution and tortures in the labor camp.

2. Mr. Wang Hai

The police have arrested Mr. Wang Hai and confiscated items from his home many times since July 20, 1999. They confiscated his Falun Gong books, tape recorder, exercise music tape and a VCR. He was arrested in March 2000 during the "two meetings" (2) and illegally detained for nearly a month. Lu Yongchun, head of the First Police Station in Songshan District, tried to extort money from Mr. Wang's family, but they couldn't afford it. They had to sign over an "IOU" for more than 8,000 yuan that someone else owed to Mr. Wang, in order for the police to release him. On May 7, 2000, just one month after Mr. Wang was released, he went to a park with his family. He happened to run into a few other practitioners, so he spoke with them for a moment. Somebody reported him to the police, who came to Mr. Wang's home the next day, arrested him and took him to the police station. They claimed that Mr. Wang went to the park to meet with other practitioners. Mr. Wang denied it. The police illegally detained him in the detention center on Yuanlin Road to persecute him. During his detention, Liang Zhanting, head of the Public Security Brigade in Songshan District, demanded 10,000 yuan from Wang Hai's family to bail him out. Mr. Wang's family refused, and Mr. Wang was illegally detained for more than seven months. He was later illegally sentenced to three years in a labor camp and was transferred to Tumuji Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Mr. Wang tried to appeal for acquittal many times while he was in the labor camp. But the labor camp authorities withheld all his appeal materials. Mr. Wang had to go on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. He went on a hunger strike for 83 days but failed to receive any justice at all.

3. Ms. Zheng Hua

Ms. Zheng Hua persisted in her belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." She refused to cooperate with the police when they attempted to extort money from her, and they persecuted her over a long period of time. On October 27, 2001, police from the Hongshan District arrested her. They placed a metal bucket upside down on her head and struck it heavily. They used an electric baton to shock the bucket. They increased the electric charge until a hole appeared on Ms. Zheng's arm. Torture on an iron bench left her lower back injured. The police handcuffed her wrists so tightly that deep scars were left on her wrists. The police ripped out a handful of her hair. She was later illegally sentenced to two years in a labor camp.

4. Ms. Su Xiangzhen

Ms. Su Xiangzhen was illegally sentenced to two years in a labor camp because of her firm belief in Falun Dafa. She suffered all kinds of tortures in the Female Labor Camp in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

5. Ms. Su Xiangqin and her sister Ms. Su Xiangxin

The police arrested Ms. Su Xiangqin and Ms. Su Xiangxin when they went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. The police sent them back to Chifeng City. On their way back, the police extorted money from their families by lying to them, saying that they could bail the sisters out. After the women had been returned to Chifeng, the police wanted more money, so they refused to release the Su sisters without payment. They were both illegally sentenced to two years in a labor camp. Ms. Su Xiangqin was sent to the Female Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia. Ms. Su Xiangxin's family paid 30,000 yuan to free her from the labor camp.

6. Mr. Yang Xiaoguang and Ms. Cao Fengyan

The police tapped the telephones of Mr. Yang Xiaoguang and Ms. Cao Fengyan, arrested them, and tortured them in the police station. Yang Xiaoguang didn't obey the police's orders, so Liang Zhanting, head of the Public Security Brigade in Songshan District, slapped his face more than 20 times. Mr. Yang's face was swollen. Later Mr. Yang and Ms. Cao were illegally sentenced to one year in a labor camp.

7. Ms. Liu Fengrong

In mid-October, 2001, the "610 Office" and the Public Security Brigade in Songshan District arrested Ms. Liu Fengrong and sent her to a brainwashing class to forcibly transform her. Ms. Liu refused to give up her belief. Jia Aichen, secretary of the Political and Judiciary Committee in Songshan District, extravagantly spent the money he had extorted from Falun Gong practitioners' families and their work places on expensive meals. He intentionally got police officer Xue Hongjun drunk and then egged him on to brutally beat Ms. Liu. Xue grasped Ms. Liu's hair and turned her around. He ripped out a big bunch of her hair and beat her until she was black and blue all over her body. Then Xue used a mop to forcefully strike Ms. Liu's back. The handle of the mop broke into two pieces. One piece bounced and hit the roof, while the other piece was still in Xue's hand. Ms. Liu was no longer able to get up. Jia Aicheng then scolded her, "Wait and see how I am going to settle with you. I believe I will be able to settle with you." Then he steadily twisted Ms. Liu's arm. They didn't stop the beating until Ms. Liu's younger sister found out about it.

The police persecuted Ms. Liu in the brainwashing class for nearly a month. Later Ms. Liu was illegally sentenced to two years in a labor camp. During her imprisonment, the police attempted to extort money from Ms. Liu's husband and force him to divorce her. Ms. Liu told her husband not to pay. After Ms. Liu suffered two years of persecution in the labor camp and was released, the police continued to go to her home to harass her. Ms. Liu had to leave her home and move from place to place to avoid re-arrest. She couldn't raise her own child at home. The police who participated in the persecution included Jia Aicheng, Xue Hongjun, and Liang Zhanting, Chi Guangmin and Zhang Ying of the Public Security Brigade in Songshan District.

8. Mr. Yang Dong

Mr. Yang Dong lives in the Sixth Group in Yazihe in the Songshan District. He was illegally sentenced to one year in a labor camp because of his belief in Falun Gong and was imprisoned in Chifeng Labor Camp. After he was released, the police arrested him again for reading Falun Gong articles written by Teacher. He was illegally imprisoned for another two years and suffered inhumane persecution in Tumuji Labor Camp. In order to forcibly "transform" him, the guards brutally beat him; shackled him with metal handcuffs; confined him in a small, solitary compartment (6); and deprived him of sleep for 17 consecutive days and nights. He went on a hunger strike for several days to protest the persecution. After he was released in February 2003, the police continued to go to his home to harass him. To support his family, Mr. Yang Dong worked as a coal miner. The police went to the mine and forcibly took him to a brainwashing class.

Mr. Yang had opened a copy shop before he was sent to the labor camp the first time. Ms. Gao Yalu (Mr. Yang Dong's wife) was also a Falun Gong practitioner. In December 2001, the police claimed that Ms. Gao had copied some Falun Gong materials and illegally arrested her. Twice the police came to the shop and confiscated two copiers, two computers, a printer and a high-speed printer. They also fined her 3,000 yuan without giving a receipt. Mr. Yang's family had a hard time making a living afterwards.

9. Ms. Gao Haiying and Ms. Xia Xiuying

Ms. Gao Haiying and Ms. Xia Xiuying were sisters-in-law. They went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and were illegally arrested by the police from the Second Police Station in Mujiaying, Songshan District. In the Second Police Station, the police utilized all kinds of tactics to torture Ms. Gao and Ms. Xia. They brutally beat them, kicked them, verbally abused them, pulled their hair and banged their heads against the wall, and shocked them with electric batons. They extorted 5,000 yuan from each of their families. Then they sentenced Ms. Gao and Ms. Xia to two years in a labor camp and sent them to the Female Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia for persecution.

Ms. Gao Haiying had a mother-in-law at home who was in her 70's. Her child went to school, her husband had to work, and there was no one to take care of her mother-in-law. Her husband went to the labor camp to request her release. The labor camp continually extorted money from her family. The camp authorities finally agreed to release Ms. Gao after extorting more than 100,000 yuan from her family. But Jia Aicheng from the "610 Office" didn't approve of Ms. Gao's release, so the labor camp had her serve the final year of her sentence on the outside.

Here is a list of the Falun Gong practitioners who had money extorted from them, and the amount of money extorted by the Second Police Station in Mujiaying, Songshan District from 2000 to 2002:

Ms. Gao Haiying, 5,000 yuan

Ms. Xia Xiuying, 5,000 yuan

Ms. Xia Xiurong, 5,000 yuan

Ma Ruiyun, 4,000 yuan

Ms. Yang Jing, 5,000 yuan

Ms. Yang Sulan, 5,000 yuan

Li Fengxia, 5,000 yuan

Zhao Guilian, 3,000 yuan

Ms. Du Guiying, 3,000 yuan

Ms. Liu Yaqin, 3,000 yuan

Ms. Zhang Guifang, 5,000 yuan

Ms. Su Guizhen, 3,000 yuan

Mr. Yang Jingcheng, 5,000 yuan

Wang Fengyun, 5,000 yuan

Wang Guijun, 5,000 yuan

Wang Yuhuan, 5,000 yuan

Ms. Yang Xiuzhi, 5,000 yuan

Ms. Yang Xiuqin, 2,000 yuan

Ms. Gao Yalu, 2,000 yuan

Ms. Zhang Xiuying, 7,000 yuan

Ms. Du Guizhi, 9,000 yuan, was sentenced to two years in a labor camp. She was released before her term expired due to health problems.

Mrs. Wei, 3,000-5,000 yuan

Mr. Yang Dong, 1,000 yuan, plus two copiers, two computers, one printer, and one high-speed printer.

Ms. Gong Suqin, one TV set.

On August 7, 2002, at the instigation of the "610 Office" in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Public Security Brigade in the Songshan District and the Public Security Brigade in Chifeng City persecuted eight Dafa practitioners in Chifeng City by parading them through the streets. The eight practitioners included Ms. Zhou Caixia, former head of the Women Workers Department of the Headquarters of the Labor Union in Chifeng City; Xu Zhenqing; Yang Guiyun; Ms. Li Xue; Ms. Wu Shuhua; Yang Shuhua; Ms. Lang Shuqin; and Ms. Wu Shujun. The police handcuffed them, forced them to stand in the backs of three military vehicles, and then paraded them through the streets of the entire urban district as well as the nearby suburbs of Chifeng City for about an hour and a half. Several police cars and motorcycles led the way and several followed at the end. In between, a vehicle with sound equipment kept broadcasting propaganda slandering Falun Gong and practitioners. More than 20 vehicles of various kinds were involved. About a dozen practitioners were persecuted, five of whom were illegally sentenced, and four sent to labor camps. Several practitioners were illegally fined in various amounts:

Ms. Lang Shuqing was fined 9,000 yuan

Ms. Ma Yufen was fined 3,000 yuan

Ms. Wang Fengru was fined 3,000 yuan

Ms. Wu Shuhua was fined 4,000 yuan

Ms. Li Xue was fined at least 13,000 yuan

Ms. Wu Shujun was fined 6,000 yuan

Ms. Zhang Yuefang was fined 3,000 yuan

Ms. Jin Wenzhu was fined 6,000 yuan,

and Ms. Wu Shumei (a non-practitioner) was fined 3000 yuan

The policemen who extorted the money included Zhang Ying and Xu Guofeng of the Public Security Brigade in the Songshan District.

In July and August 2003, at the instigation of the local "610 Office," the Public Security Brigade in Songshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, confiscated many Falun Gong practitioners' homes. They arrested eight practitioners, including Ms. Pan Dezhi, Ms. Zhang Yuefang, Ms. Chen Guilan, Zhang Shouyi, Liu, Wang Yuhuan, Ms. Hong Suqin (in the Hongshan Disctrict) and Ms. Jin Xiuzhu (in the Hongshan District). Ms. Chen Guilan's older sister was also arrested and illegally detained for 15 days just for saying a few words to her sister on the street. The police used all kinds of tortures when they interrogated the practitioners. They verbally abused the practitioners whenever they talked and beat them whenever they raised their hands. They ripped out a handful of Ms. Jin Xiuzhu's hair. They shocked Ms. Chen Guilan with electric batons and threatened her, "If you don't confess, we will arrest your family members and then you'll feel sorry."

After more than a month of interrogation and detention, the police couldn't get any results, so they extorted money from the practitioner's families. They demanded 3,000 yuan to have each practitioner released on bail and refused to give any receipt when the bail money was paid (5). This amount was on top of the 3,000 to 5,000 yuan that had been extorted from most practitioners' families at the time of their arrests.

July 2, 2004

Notes:

(1) The "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

(2) China's annual "two meetings" are the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

(3) The so-called "guarantee statements" or "transformation statements" are declarations that the person is remorseful for practicing Falun Gong (which means he or she is transformed) and that he or she guarantees not to practice Falun Gong again, guarantees not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and guarantees to never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

(4) Yuan: Chinese currency. 500 yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.

(5) Bail is one way that police extort money from practitioners' families. Without any receipts, the money is frequently divided among the police.

(6) "Being confined in a solitary compartment" means locking up a single detainee in a solitary cell, which contains a basin and a pair of handcuffs. The basin is used both for washing and as a toilet. One end of the handcuffs is fastened to the wrist and the other attaches to the door railing. The handcuffs can be fastened onto the door railing at three different heights. In the highest position, the detainee has to extend his/her arm upward. The middle position is at waist level. In the lowest position, the detainee can sit on the ground.