(Clearwisdom.net) On May 11, 2011, under orders from the Kunming City 610 Office and the Kunming City Police Department, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police officers arrested at least eight Falun Gong practitioners. The practitioners were Ms. Chen Huanli, Ms. Zhang Xiaohua, Ms. Zhang Xiaoyun, Ms. Dong Biwei, Ms. Gu Liqing, Ms. Ding Guiying, Ms. Peng Zhenglan, and Ms. Guo. We have learned that the arrests were directly related to the secret visit of high-ranking CCP official Zhou Yongkang to Yunnan. Zhou has been heavily involved in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
1. Ms. Zhang Xiaoyun, in her 40s, is employed by the Jiujiu Color Printing Company of the Kunming Tobacco Factory.
On her way to work on the morning of May 11, 2011, more than ten plainclothes police officers threw Ms. Zhang to the ground with a flying tackle, and seized her purse. They proceeded to open the door to her home, and ransacked it. They took a computer, a printer, Falun Gong books and other personal belongings.
Participating in the arrest were more than 40 officers from the Kunming City Police Department, the Wuhua Police Department, and the Wuhua District Domestic Security Division. When questioned by Ms. Zhang's family, the perpetrators presented a search warrant that had expired a week before. They threatened her family to not expose their criminal deeds, saying that otherwise, they would intensify the persecution of Ms. Zhang.
Ms. Zhang's arrest was a heavy blow to her young son and elderly mother. They witnessed the police ransacking their home, and were traumatized. Ms. Zhang's son now has emotional problems, and her mother has difficulty walking.
Ms. Zhang is currently in the Wuhua District Detention Center.
2. Ms. Dong Biwei, 67, retired director of finance in an insurance company in Kunming.
At around 9:00 a.m. on May 11, 2011, as soon as Ms. Dong's non-practitioner husband walked out of the door, two plainclothes policemen asked him if Dong Biwei was home. He replied yes. The two officers immediately grabbed him and coerced him to go upstairs to open the door to his home. Dozens of police officers broke in and started ransacking the home, taking photos, and videotaping. The police attempted to arrest Ms. Dong, but she suddenly developed life-threatening symptoms of diabetes. They police called for an ambulance, but Ms. Dong refused to go to hospital. The police then took her computer, Falun Gong informational materials and 20,000 yuan cash and other personal belongings before hurriedly leaving her home. Ms. Dong is all right now.
Ms. Dong was previously arrested in October 2007 by officers from the Wuhua District Domestic Security Division, and had her home ransacked. She was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison. She was released on medical parole after she developed symptoms of several physical problems, such as diabetes.
Participating in the arrest were officers from the Kunming City 610 Office, the Kuming Police Department and the Wuhua District Domestic Security Division.
3. Ms. Gu Liqing, 57, retired employee at the Yuxi General Station.
Ms. Gu lives in her daughter's home in Kunming. Panlong District Domestic Security Division officers arrested her at home on the morning of May 12, 2011, ransacked her home and confiscated a computer and many other personal belongings. Ms. Gu is currently in the Panlong District Detention Center.
Ms. Gu was previously arrested in 2001 and taken to the Hongta District Party School Brainwashing Center in Yuxi City.
On April 8, 2006, Ms. Gu was arrested, together with Ms. Deng Cuiping and Ms. Hu Lanxian, as they distributed information about Falun Gong in Beicheng Town in the Hongta District. Hongta District State Security Division officer He Xiaopei and others made the arrest, and detained them separately. Ms. Deng was held in the Jiangchuan Detention Center, while Ms. Hua and Ms. Gu were held in the Hongta District Detention Center. The three practitioners' homes were ransacked, and they were detained for four months before they were tried and sentenced.
When the Eshan County Court held the hearing, the three practitioners refused to wear detainees' uniforms. A police officer violently hit Ms. Hua on her head which caused her to fall to the ground. The perpetrator pulled her up and struck her in the back. Ms. Gu was also hit in the back as she tried to stop the perpetrator. The three practitioners were sentenced to three years in prison and held in the Yunnan Province Second Women's Prison.
4-5: Ms. Chen Huanli, 61, accountant at the Kunming City Workers' Sanatorium; Ms. Zhang Xiaohua, in her 40s.
When Ms. Chen and Ms. Zhang returned home in a taxi on the evening of May 11, 2011, a group of plainclothes police officers arrested them, broke into their homes and ransacked the homes. They also took a lot of personal belongings.
Ms. Chen was once arrested in May 2002, as she spoke with people about Falun Gong. Her home was ransacked. She was sentenced to three years in prison and held in the Yunnan Province Second Women's Prison.
6-7: Ms. Peng Zhenglan, in her 60s, and Ms. Ding Guiying, in her 70s, both practitioners in Kunming.
Plainclothes police officers arrested them on May 11, 2011. The two practitioners are currently in the Guandu District Detention Center.
8. Ms. Guo, in her 60s, from Kunming.
When plainclothes police officers attempted to arrest Ms. Guo on May 11, 2011, she suddenly developed symptoms of high blood pressure, so the police didn't take her into custody. They ransacked her home, however.
