(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhu Ruimin, an 81-year-old retired elementary school teacher, has had her pension suspended for nearly eight years for her faith in Falun Gong. As she was receiving 4,700 yuan every month before the suspension, the total loss is at least 451,800 yuan, not including the annual increase of her pension.
Ms. Zhu, of Yingkou City, Liaoning Province, was arrested on October 11, 2014 along with her husband Mr. Wu Ruiting, after being followed by the police while talking to people about Falun Gong on the street. Officers of Jinniushan Police Station, as well as Jiang Mingfu and Jiang Yuandong of the Xishi District Domestic Security Office, took part in their arrests.
The couple was soon released on medical bail after being rejected admission by the local detention center. They appeared in the Xishi District Court on April 8, 2015 and were both sentenced to four years on June 3, 2015. They appealed with the Yingkou City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold their sentences.
Ms. Zhu was taken to the Liaoning Province Women’s Prison on January 12, 2016 and held in the ward for elderly inmates. She was forced to make cotton swabs every day, despite her advanced age.
Upon hearing that the authorities would take him to the Dalian Prison, Mr. Wu, who had been out on bail, fled home on January 13, 2016 and went into hiding. Having been put on the police’s wanted list, he rarely left his temporary housing and struggled to cope with everyday life. He was overcome by his mental distress from the persecution and worrying about his wife.
Mr. Wu reunited with his wife after she was released on January 11, 2020. Ms. Zhu soon learned that her pension had been suspended during her four years of imprisonment (January 12, 2016 – January 11, 2020) and that the benefits were not reinstated even after she was released.
Ms. Zhu went to the Xishi District Education Bureau she retired from to seek the return of the suspended benefits, only to be told that she had been fired as soon as she was sentenced.
By law, an employer cannot fire a retired employee. The education bureau still “fired” her as a means to remove her from their retirees’ roster and disqualify her for pension benefits.
The officials also refused to provide any paperwork for firing her. “Only if you manage to have the court acquit you, can we reinstate your job. This is the order from above,” they said to her. She later confirmed that Dou Yumin, the director of education bureau, was involved in making the decision to fire her and suspend her pension.
In 2021, Mr. Wu’s pension was also suspended. In order to keep hiding from the police, the couple rented a small apartment. Due to their financial constraint, the apartment didn’t even have a shower.
The hardship from living a displaced life and mental pressure from the persecution took a toll on Mr. Wu’s health. He became incapacitated, with difficulty walking and taking care of himself. He passed away on August 29, 2021. He was 81.
Related reports:
80-year-old Retired Teacher Has Her Pension Suspended, Struggles to Support 101-year-old Mother
77-Year-Old Daughter Imprisoned, 98-Year-Old Mother Longs for Her Return
Elderly Couple Tried for Belief in Falun Gong, Prosecutor Unable to Refute Their Defense
81-Year-Old Man, Displaced for Years Due to Persecution, Passes Away
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