(Minghui.org) In the second half of 2020, the Chinese Communist regime launched a “zero-out campaign” aimed to make every Falun Gong practitioner on the government's blacklist renounce their faith.
The authorities in Fengnan District, Tangshan City, Hebei Province, launched an operation on the early morning of August 12, 2020 and mobilized nearly 100 police officers to terrorize, arrest, and torture more than 20 practitioners in an attempt to force them to give up their faith.
One practitioner died as a result of the tremendous pressure, and some of the remaining practitioners were transferred to Luannan County for upcoming court hearings. The names of the practitioners facing trial remain to be investigated.
A few practitioners in nearby Tianjin, a centrally-controlled municipality, were also arrested.
Three in Yinfeng Town Arrested, One of Them Passed Away
Six officers showed up at Mr. Dong Jianquan’s home in Dazhuangzi Village, Yinfeng Town, at 5 a.m. After a failed effort to pry the door open, the police broke the window and scaled the fence. They ransacked Mr. Dong’s home and confiscated cash and appliances before arresting him.
At Yinfeng Police Station, the police interrogated Mr. Dong and tried to force him to give information of other practitioners he had contact with. Wang Xiaodong, the police chief, did not provide him with food and water.
Traumatized by his previous experience of being tortured in prison and forced labor camp, Mr. Dong drank bleach in an attempt to end his life and avoid future persecution. He was rushed to Fengnan District Hospital on August 15 and diagnosed with stomach perforation, hypertension, and high blood sugar. He vomited blood and had blood in his stool. The police forced his family to pay 9,000 yuan for hospital expenses before releasing him.
Mr. Dong never recovered and died at home two months later on October 25, at the age of 62.
Mr. Dong previously had been arrested four times, sentenced twice, and incarcerated for a total of 5.5 years for not giving up his faith.
He was arrested in 2001 and later sentenced to 3.5 years in Hebei Province First Prison. The police arrested him for the second time on July 30, 2008, and put him in Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp for 2 years. He became numb from the waist down and could barely walk. He also had hypertension and diarrhea for months as a result of torture.
Officers from Domestic Security of Fengnan Police Department and Xugezhuang Police Station arrested him on August 6, 2014, and put him in Fengnan Detention Center for 15 days. On March 31, 2016, he was arrested along with 30 other practitioners and released the same day.
Other than Mr. Dong, two other practitioners from Dazhuangzi village were also arrested on August 12, 2020. Mr. Dong Jinbo was released 5 days later on August 17, and the other arrested practitioner was Ms. Dong Limei (both have no relation with Mr. Dong Jianquan).
Three Members of Same Family Arrested in Huanggezhuang Town
Two police vehicles arrived at the home of Mr. Zuo Desheng and his wife Ms. Wang Huilin in Honghuayuan Village, Huanggezhuang Town, before 7 a.m. The police arrested the couple and their daughter, who isn’t a practitioner, and confiscated their belongings.
Ms. Wang’s daughter signed a document at Huanggezhuang Police Station and was released that evening. Mr. Zuo was released and the police put him under surveillance.
Ms. Wang was transferred to Fengnan District Detention Center on August 15. Although she was released because of her hypertension, the town officials kept coming back to harass her and tried to coerce her into signing statements to renounce Falun Gong.
Zuo Xiucang, secretary of Honghuayuan Village, and Liu Ziyan from Huanggezhuang 610 Office, went to Ms. Wang’s home on September 9 and ordered her to sign the statements again. She refused and the officials threatened to take her daughter’s job away.
On September 25, 26 and 27, the officials forced Ms. Wang to have her blood pressure measured in the local hospital for three days in a row. They arrested her on September 28 despite her hypertension, 210/110 mmHg. The police put her in Tangshan City First Detention Center, where she still refused to sign the statements. She was released the same day.
Officers Dong Xuefeng and Feng Lei went to Ms. Wang’s home on October 20 and had her family sign an arrest warrant. Two people from the local procuratorate visited her a week later on October 28 and wanted her to sign a piece of paper with words that slandered Falun Gong. She refused to comply.
16 More Practitioners in Fengnan District Arrested
The village secretary of Daxinzhuang Town and the local police arrested Ms. Tong Xiulan, Ms. Li Haiying, and Zeng Xiangyue at 5 a.m and ransacked their homes.
Two police vehicles from Chahe Police Station arrived at Ms. Liu Jinying’s home in Chahe Town, Fengnan District, at 5 a.m. When Ms. Liu didn’t answer the door, the police broke in and arrested her. They confiscated her cash and valuables. She was later released.
Ms. Gao Baozhi from Sishenzhuang Village and Ms. Wang Ziying in Songzhuangzi Village in Chahe Town were also arrested on the same day. Ms. Gao was later released. Ms. Wang’s home was ransacked and she was put under house arrest for 15 days.
Also arrested that day were Ms. Wei Meijin and Ms. Qin Mofeng from Xinzhuangzi Village. Both of their homes were ransacked. The police took 10,000 yuan cash from Ms. Wei before releasing her.
Lei Zhaoyu, head of Zhengjiatuo Village, and officers from Xiaoji Twon Police Station arrested Mr. Zheng Baokui. He was later released.
Lv Lifa was arrested and is currently at home under surveillance and facing illegal trial.
The police arrested and ransacked the homes of Mr. Hou Jianguang, Mr. Hou Jiankuan, and Ms. Bi Guanqin. Mr. Hou Jianguang and Mr. Hou Jiankuan were locked in separate detention centers in Fengnan District.
The police also ransacked Shi Shaolan’s home and confiscated Shi’s Falun Gong books.
Mr. Wang Baozhu, in Wanglanzhuang Town, had his home ransacked at 5 a.m.
The police broke into Ms. Zhang Zhilan’s home in Nanqingtuo Village at 7 a.m. and took her away while she was still in her pajamas. They confiscated a lot of her belongings. She was locked in Kaiping Detention Center in Tangshan City.
Practitioners in Nearby Ninghe District in Tianjin Also Arrested That Day
It was reported that the authorities secretly put a monitoring device on a Falun Gong practitioner’s vehicle to track his locations and record his activities. On August 12, 2020, officers from Tangshan City Police Department and Ninghe District Police Station in Tianjin followed the location history and arrested this practitioner and a few others in Yuelong Town, Ninghe District. These practitioners' names remain to be investigated.
Three sisters were arrested and scheduled to be tried on January 6, 2021, at Ninghe District Court. They are Ms. Sun Yanping from Xiweidian Village; Ms. Sun Cuiping from Yuelong Village, and Ms. Sun Jianping from Yuchao Village.
Ms. Sun Cuiping is possibly detained in Ninghe District Detention Center. Ms. Sun Jianping was interrogated. She was released on bail and is awaiting trial after paying 5,000 yuan. Ms. Sun Yanping is possibly incarcerated in Wuqing Detention Center.
Ms. Liu Shujin and her son from Yuchao village were arrested. Her son was released the same day. Ms. Liu became ill and was released on a 5,000 yuan bail awaiting trial.
Practitioners in Fengnan District Harassed and/or Arrested Throughout 2020
Other than the group arrests on August 12, 2020, the authorities have harassed more practitioners throughout the year, trying to force them to give up their faith. Below are the details.
1. Three officials from Huanggezhuang Town broke into Ms. Dong Zhuying’s home on August 21. They wanted her to sign statements to renounce her faith and she refused. One day in October they knocked on Ms. Dong’s door from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Two officers took Ms. Dong to a brainwashing center on October 14. Five people took turns brainwashing her. She left the center two hours later.
2. Zheng Lianyong, secretary of Xige Town, and an agent from the 610 Office (an extralegal agency created to persecute Falun Gong) broke into Ms. Dong Guihuan’s home on August 26. Ms. Dong refused to sign the statements. The next day Zheng came back with a police chief and two others. Under tremendous pressure, Ms. Dong’s husband signed the statements for her. He grabbed her hand and forced her to put her fingerprints on the papers.
3. Officers from Huanggezhuang Town Police Station went to Ms. Zhang Ruilian’s home on July 2 with a video camera on. They asked if she still practiced Falun Gong and wanted her to sign the statements to renounce her faith. She refused.
Ma Xijing, a village secretary, visited Ms. Zhang at home on July 23 and urged her to go to the police station to sign the statements. Again Ma came back on August 21. After Ms. Zhang turned down her requests, Ma called her husband and children and demanded that they persuade Ms. Zhang to renounce her faith.
Ma visited Ms. Zhang on September 4 and threatened her. Ma called Ms. Zhang’s mother-in-law and had her talk to her grandson about pressuring his mother into giving up Falun Gong. Ms. Zhang still refused to comply. The same afternoon Ma had three officers come for the same purpose. They told her that she would never see them again unless she signed. Ms. Zhang refused.
Ma and another official came to Ms. Zhang’s home on September 9. After harassing her, they called her children. Her daughter then cried and begged her mother to quit the practice.
Dong Xiuguo, head of the town, called Ms. Zhang’s husband on September 24. Her husband then talked to her about quitting Falun Gong, and she refused.
4. Me Chenyan, a village head, went to Ms. Zhang Shuyin’s home in Huanggezhuang Town on July 26 to have her sign the statements. Me threatened to never let Ms. Zhang’s grandson join the military if she declined.
Ms. Zhang worked on her farm when Me found her on August 29. Me proposed to videotape her renouncing her faith and she refused.
Me came with two officers to Ms. Zhang’s home on the evening of September 2 wanting to record her signing the statements. After she refused, Me coerced her daughter-in-law to sign the statements for her.
5. Fei Weiguo, head of Hongyabo Village, harassed Ms. Xia Youhui at home on August 23, and told her not to practice Falun Gong because the CCP has banned it.
Related article in Chinese:唐山市法轮功学员董建全在迫害中离世
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