(Minghui.org) In the past 20 years of persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party, police are known to have been given arrest quotas and face punishment if they fail to meet them. Those who meet or exceed quotas are given bonuses or other rewards.
Since July 2019, around the 20th anniversary of the persecution of the spiritual discipline, the authorities in Heilongjiang Province ramped up the persecution and gave quotas to several cities to arrest local Falun Gong practitioners.
In Jiamusi City, over 40 practitioners have been arrested and hundreds harassed for their faith since July 25. Mr. Yang Shengjun died nine days following his arrest on August 2, 2019. His family was threatened by the police and dared not discuss details regarding his death.
Three family members in Maoming City, Guangdong Province were sentenced to prison by Maonan District Court on August 13, 2019 for not renouncing their faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Lin Lizen and her son Mr. Wu Chaoqi each received five years with a 10,000 yuan fine. Her younger sister, Ms. Lin Yanmei, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison and fined 8,000 yuan.
While arresting the three family members in late August 2018, Chen Changxing (director of the 610 Office) and Lu Shanghui (director of the Domestic Security Division), said, “We've finally arrested you all. Now we can get a bonus for it.”
In Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, Mr. Liu Guoping and Ms. Wang Hong were arrested after being reported for distributing materials about the persecution of Falun Gong on July 7, 2019.
When their families went to request their release, the police told them that they had to keep them in custody in order to meet their quota.
After Ms. Li Yan, a resident of Changchun City, Jilin Province, was arrested in September 2018, one officer was elated and said: “We've reached the quota and can get the bonus now.”
Also in Jilin Province, the authorities in Yushu City allow the police to earn four times more points when they arrest a Falun Gong practitioner than when they catch a non-practitioner suspect. The points count towards their year-end performance review and bonus.