(Minghui.org) Since the authorities in Guizhou Province rolled out a “Zero Out" campaign in March 2020 in an attempt to force all Falun Gong practitioners in the province to renounce their faith, at least 177 local practitioners have been targeted in the first half of the year, with over 30 practitioners from Guiyang City, the capital of the province.
It was reported that the Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC) in Guizhou issued an order to completely “transform” all practitioners between 2020 and 2023. Their order was based on a document (No. 101) released by the central PLAC in Beijing, titled “On the Issue of Reducing the Number of Falun Gong Practitioners.”
The Chinese Communist Party has been persecuting Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual and meditation discipline, since July 1999. The PLAC, an extra-judiciary agency that oversees state security, the procuratorate and court system, has played a central role in the persecution.
Given the order from the Guizhou PLAC, the police and staff members from residential committees have been visiting every practitioner on their list and threatening them in order to force them to sign statements renouncing their belief in Falun Gong.
Police officers and residential committee members either call or visit the practitioners in person. If the practitioners refuse to sign the prepared statements to renounce Falun Gong, the officials threaten to send them to brainwashing centers or say that they will prevent their children from finding jobs or going to college. The police have also been arresting Falun Gong practitioners on the streets.
It has been confirmed that practitioners in the cities of Guiyang, Liupanshui, Zunyi, Anshun, Tongren, and Kaili have been targeted.
Many practitioners in Guiyang City have been arrested for going to Qianlingshan Park. Below are details of several confirmed cases. Due to the strict censorship in China, the number of Falun Gong practitioners persecuted for their faith can’t always be reported in a timely manner, nor is all the information readily available.
Arrests In or Near Qianlingshan Park
Seven Arrested on March 7
On March 7, at least seven practitioners were arrested in four different areas outside of Qianlingshan Park. Their homes were also ransacked.
A passer-by reported a practitioner surnamed Sun to the police after receiving a card containing information about Falun Gong. When practitioner Sun gathered with three other practitioners, surnamed Yang, Yan, and Peng, respectively, the police arrested the four of them and immediately took them to the Beijing Road Police Station.
Ms. Rao Jiyu, 90, was arrested at the entrance of the park and taken to the Taiciqiao Police Station to have a blood sample drawn. Afterwards, her home was ransacked and her Falun Gong books and banknotes worth 8,000 yuan with information about Falun Gong printed on them were confiscated. Ms. Rao was released that evening after she was found to have a medical condition.
Mr. Zhang Chunyun, 75, was arrested near the park. The police ordered him to show his ID, and after verifying it, they arrested him. Mr. Zhang's home was later ransacked and his Falun Gong books and materials were confiscated. He was released the same day.
Another practitioner, surnamed Huang, was also arrested near the park and had his house ransacked.
Five Arrested on March 14
Ms. Qing Zhubin was arrested on March 9, and taken to the Yunyan District Police Department. She was released later that day. On March 11, officers from the Jinya Police Station, Sanqiao Police Station, and Yunyan Police Department ransacked her home, confiscating all her Falun Gong books and materials.
On March 14, Ms. Qing was arrested again by officers from the Yunyan Police Department. According to Minghui.org, the police had been monitoring and harassing Ms. Qing for quite some time prior to the March 14 arrest.
Mr. Tu Chengfu, in his 70s, had just arrived at Qianlingshan Park when police demanded to see his ID before arresting him. The police then went to his son's home, where Mr. Tu has been staying for the past few years, to ransack it. Afterwards, the police told Mr. Tu to return to his hometown as his household registration was not registered under his son's home address. Left with no choice, Mr. Tu was forced to pack his belongings and took a bus back to his hometown in Liupanshui.
Three other practitioners, surnamed Mu, Zhang, Wu were also arrested outside the park on March 14.
Two Arrested on March 16
Ms. Liu Ying had just arrived at Qianlingshan Park on March 16 when she was arrested. Her home was ransacked. She was released the same day.
Ms. Wang Guixin was arrested on March 16 and released the same day. The police returned to her home a few days later and attempted to take her picture, but her husband stopped them.
Two Arrested in April
In April, two female practitioners, surnamed Ding and Tan, both in their 70s, were arrested. The police ripped off practitioner Ding's facemask before arresting her. Her current whereabouts is unknown.
Practitioner Tan was arrested when walking on the road. Her home was ransacked.
Arrested at Home
Ms. Zhang Chunming, 69, was visited by several police officers on March 9. They questioned her as to her recent whereabouts and showed a photo of her wearing a mask at Qianlingshan Park. Afterwards, they ransacked her home and took her to the police station. The officers wanted Ms. Zhang to go for a physical exam but she refused. She was released around 11 p.m.
On March 10, an elderly couple, surnamed Chen and Luo, was visited by the police and residential committee staff members. The group of five warned the couple not to go to Qianlingshan Park or they would visit the couple again. Since April 4, the couple has been monitored and followed by six people.
Ms. Zhao Yue was arrested on March 12 after several police officers from the Beijinglu Police Station broke into her home and ransacked it. They confiscated Falun Dafa books and a computer. Ms. Zhao was taken to the Sanjiang Women's Detention Center and released on bail a month later. The police said they would continue to investigate her and gather criminal evidence. She was not allowed to leave home. On May 10, the police went to her home with an arrest warrant issued by the procuratorate. She was taken to the Sanjiang Women's Detention Center again.
Ms. Tang Jianhua and her sister were arrested from their home on March 19. During the interrogation, the police told them that they had been identified through surveillance cameras after going to Qianlingshan Park. The police ransacked their home and confiscated Falun Gong books and other materials, and a computer. The sisters were warned not to visit the park again and the police tried to force them to sign a statement guaranteeing this. When Ms. Tang refused, her sister signed the statement on her behalf. They were later released at midnight.
In mid-March, a practitioner surnamed Yi was at home when the police and residential committee staff members barged in and ransacked the home. Yi was warned not to go to Qianlingshan Park again and was also forced to sign several documents.
Practitioner Zhu, 70, was at home at the end of March when the police and residential committee staff members barged in and started ransacking her home. After confiscating her Falun Gong books, they planned to take Ms. Zhu to the detention center. However, when she went for a physical exam, her temperature was 37.5°C.
As it was during the coronavirus pandemic, the police and residential committee staff members became worried and started washing their hands with soap and water. They also stayed away from her and told her to return home by herself. Ms. Zhu reached her home after 1 a.m.
Harassed and Pressured to Sign Statements Renouncing Falun Gong
Threatened with Further “Education” at Brainwashing Centers
Ms. Wang Huaxiu was at home on May 23 when a residential committee staff member arrived and ordered her to sign some prepared statements. The staff member told Ms. Wang that she would be sent to the brainwashing center if she refused.
Ms. Wang told the staff member that it was because of Falun Gong that she gained a healthy body and could continue to take care of her son who has cerebral palsy after a car accident. The staff member left after hearing this.
Forced Out of Home
Ms. Gao, who is in her 70s, had been living at her children's home when several residential committee staff members visited her one day and told her to sign the statement renouncing Falun Gong. When she refused, the staff members told her to move out as she was not welcomed in the community.
Livelihood Affected
Ms. Xia Weixian and her husband, of Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, operated a car wash business to support their family, including their two children and her parents-in-law.
After the authorities in Guizhou launched the “Zero Out” campaign to target local practitioners, the police approached Ms. Xia around May 20 and attempted to force her to sign statements to renounce Falun Gong. When Ms. Xia refused, the police ordered her family to close the business, threatening to tear down their car wash facility.
Unable to bear the pressure from the persecution, Ms. Xia’s husband filed for divorce in late May. When Ms. Xia told the village secretary that she was willing to give up her house and move to her parents’ home after the divorce, the village secretary refused to approve their divorce, claiming that they wouldn’t be able to monitor her if she moved away.
Son Harassed and Home Ransacked
Officers from the Shifenglu Police Station visited Ms. Da Siqi, 71, on the afternoon of April 13 to ordered her to sign a statement to renounce her faith in Falun Gong. When she tried to tell them about Falun Gong, the officers called their higher-ups before issuing a search warrant. They called Ms. Da's son and started to ransack her house.
Ms. Da was arrested and told to sign the receipt of the search list. When she refused, the police threatened to increase their control on her. She was released at 11 p.m.
ID Card Application Rejected
Ms. Zhang Chaohui, in her 50s, had her ID card confiscated in 2019 after she was arrested on a bus and taken into custody for 10 days. Prior to the arrest, Ms. Zhang's son and daughter-in-law told her that they received a call from the residential committee staff members. The staff members wanted them to tell Ms. Zhang to sign a statement to give up her faith.
As Ms. Zhang needed her ID card to apply for her pension insurance, she went to the residential committee in May to ask how she could apply for a new ID card. The village party secretary told her to sign the renunciation statement and said that she would be free after signing it.
When Ms. Zhang refused, other staff members warned her that her six grandsons' futures may be affected. When Ms. Zhang still refused to sign, the village party secretary told her that her ID card application was rejected.
Related reports:Guizhou Province Launches New Campaign against Falun Gong PractitionersGuizhou Province: Massive Harassment of Falun Gong Practitioners in a “Zero Out” Campaign
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