Falun Dafa Minghui.org www.minghui.org PRINT

Twenty Practitioners Arrested by the "610 Office" in Shiyan City in Hubei Province

Dec. 17, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net) In late August 2003, open letters revealing the facts of the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners by Jiang's regime were scattered in many areas of Shiyan City, and huge banners fluttered in the wind with the words "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice." The evil was shocked by this action. They established a 'Law Education Base' (brainwashing center) to be headed by the deputy secretary of the City Political and Judiciary Committee and the "610 Office"1 director, Lu Jinchang. They had the City Criminal Police Branch leader and the assistant director of the "610 Office," Zhu Bangyi, lead policemen to convert hotels and motels into bases for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. With the help of collaborators [former practitioners who turned against Dafa under brainwashing and torture], police arrested dozens of practitioners, sent them to a labor camp, detained, or forced them to go to a brainwashing center.

Practitioner Ms. Wei Yan, 32, a worker at Factory 401 in Dongqi, was arrested and illegally sentenced to a labor camp for two and an half years for hanging a "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice" banner in late August of 2003.

Practitioner Mr. Lou Qihua, 60, and his wife were arrested and forcibly brainwashed by the police at a brainwashing center at Xiajia Dian in Shiyan City. Mr. Lou was detained at the First Detention Center in Shiyan because he published a solemn declaration statement, taking back completely his words and deeds given against his will at the brainwashing center, and to continue the practice.

According to another source, two practitioners were illegally arrested and detained at the First Detention Center in early October. One practitioner's last name was Wang, who was a cadre of about 30 years old, at a branch of a Fire Department in Shiyan City. Since he practiced Dafa firmly after July 20, 1999, he was arrested and persecuted many times by the police, but every time he was able to escape with his righteous thoughts. He became destitute and homeless in order to avoid being arrested at home. In late October 2003, he was arrested again in Shiyan city, along with another female practitioner who was about 50 years old and destitute and homeless because of the persecution.

Practitioner Mr. Chen Xiangwu, a 60 year-old manager of Shiyan City Food Company, was arrested at home and sent to the Shiyan Meile Hotel (previously Shiyan City Second Boarding House) for forced brainwashing and physical abuse, which resulted in cerebral hemorraging. He was sent to a hospital for emergency treatment. Because of his critical condition, the police were afraid to take responsibility. They had to notify his family members to take him home.

Practitioner Mr. Qu Kezhen, 57, and his wife were abducted together in the middle of September 2003, and later he was sent to Shiyan City Meile Hotel for persecution, which resulted in his high blood pressure and heart disease. He was sent to the city hospital for rescue. After an hour, his left arm was numb and could not move. He was later taken to the hotel for further torture, but he was able to walk out with his righteous thoughts. Currently, no one knows where he is.

The manager of his workplace confirmed that in September 2003, about 20 policemen and accomplices surrounded Mr. Qu's house. He refused to open the door and denounced the police's actions. Under the practitioner's strong protest, the police and accomplices left around 4 A.M.

In the evening of September 14, dozens of policemen and accomplices surrounded Mr. Qu's house again and arrested the couple early the next morning after they tricked them to open the door. Later the prime culprit of persecuting Dafa practitioners, the City Criminal Police Branch leader and the assistant director of the "610 Office," Zhu Bangyi, took someone to Mr. Qu's home again and illegally took away over ten thousand yuan2 without leaving a receipt.

Over 20 practitioners were arrested and taken to the Shiyan Meilie Hotel, Xiajia Dian brainwashing class, and the fire department boarding house. The arrests were related to a collaborator who was called "Grandma Mao." After she turned against Dafa, she told the police everything she knew. We remind Shiyan city practitioners who had some contact with "Grandma Mao" to be highly alert, send righteous thoughts to eliminate interference and to avoid further losses.

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 yuan is the unit of Chinese currency. The monthly salary for an average Chinese urban worker is about 500 yuan.