(Minghui.org) More than 700 villagers from Zhengding County, Hebei Province, jointly signed a petition to demand the release of Falun Gong practitioner, Mr. Li Lankui, who was illegally arrested on June 7, 2012. Ever since the existence of this documesnt was revealed, these villagers have been harassed and threatened by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents. Recently, several people, along with their family members from Zhengding County and Shijazhuang City, were arrested and detained. During the arrest of Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Yang Yinqia, Mr. Yang fell from a building and died.
One Person Died, Several People Arrested
On the evening of August 7, 2012, Hebei Province Domestic Security agents, working with the 610 Office and the local police, arrested Falun Gong practitioners Gao Suzhen from Xiaojiaying, and Yang Rongxia and Wang Yuexia from Yangma Village, Gaocheng City. Mr. Yang Yinqiao from Shijiazhuang was arrested that same evening. During the arrest, he fell from a building and died. The details are being investigated.
Regime authorities recently dispatched officials to Donganfeng Village. Instead of investigating complaints of the the police's harassment of villagers, they publicly threatened the local people in an attempt to find out who posted the petition with 700 signatures on the Internet. The CCP agents arrested Mr. Li Lankui's second daughter, and then arrested Mr. Li's daughter-in-law on August 2. Mr. Li was sentenced to 15 months of forced labor, and is being held in the Shijiazhuang City Forced Labor Camp.
The agents also arrested three other Falun Gong practitioners in Donganfeng Village, and threatened the local people, “Whoever signed their names will be in big trouble.”
Detailed information about Mr. Li's arrest and the 700-signature petition to demand Mr. Li's release can be found in this article: “Over 700 People Join in Effort to Rescue Mr. Li Lankui (Photos)” http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/8/5/134795.html The petition signed by 700 Chinese villagers demanding Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Li's release was presented before a US House Foreign Affairs Committee's hearing held on July 25, 2012.
CCP Regime Suppresses Public Opinion
The authorities' continued harassment and persecution of good people over the years has arroused a strong sense of dissatisfaction in the common people. Many people have spontaneously joined in the effort to rescue arrested Falun Gong practitioners, signing petitions to demand their release. The regime is terrified of people calling for justice, and is using coercive means to suppress them.
In May 2012, villagers from two farms in Tanghai County, Hebei Province signed a petition with their names and thumbprints to demand the release of Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zheng Xiangxing. The county police and Domestic Security Division officers forced villagers who signed the petition to write guarantee statements, and also arrested Mr. Zheng's wife, Ms. Sun Suyun, on June 30, because she was interviewed by NTD Television (an independent television station that reports widely on human rights issues). Following the arrest of Ms. Sun, Tangshan City 610 Office agents repeatedly tried to manipulate local the 610 Office to investigate the 562-signature petition.
Last year, about 2,300 people from Changli County, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province jointly signed a petition calling for the release of illegally-imprisoned Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhou Xiangyang. In retaliation, the local authorities arrested Mr. Zhou's wife, Ms. Li Shanshan, and sent her to a labor camp.
With increasing frequency, people in China are casting off their fear of the regime and standing up for those who have been oppressed and persecuted. Over the past 13 years, Falun Gong practitioners inside and outside of China have persistently raised awareness of the brutal persecution. Countless people have been moved by practitioners' sincerity, compassion and steadfast faith. The regime's attempts to suppress public opinion has only served to make people more aware of its murderous nature, and people are choosing to stand with the righteous.