[Minghui Net]

Ge Xiuli, a resident of Liuji County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, was locked up by the County Administration in late October 1999, because she persisted in her cultivation of Falun Dafa. On November 1, she was transferred to the County's detention centre. In order to free her, Ge's family spent 600 Yuan RMB (more than one month's income of an average worker in China) on gifts, etc., paid a 2,000 Yuan fine to the police, and 240 Yuan for meals to the detention centre. Finally, after 20 days of illegal detention, she was released.

In early July 2000, the County Administration said that there was an order from "higher up" to arrest Falun Gong practitioners. After learning this, Ge Xuili went to Beijing to appeal, where she was arrested and detained illegally for 15 days. Two weeks later, Ms. Ge practiced the Falun Gong exercises at home in her own yard with her husband. She was subsequently accused of participating in a group gathering, was summoned by the security branch of the police department on August 31, and again illegally thrown into detention. Due to the order from "higher up," police could lose their jobs if the number of locals going to appeal in Beijing reached 3. So, "left without an alternative," the County authorities placed the following ad on TV: "Turn in a Falun Gong practitioner and earn a reward of 300 Yuan."

Ge Xiuli's was detained during the busiest season of the year. Her 77 year-old mother had to feed the cows and pigs in addition to looking after the children. The elderly woman was over-worked and died on September 4, 2000 from an illness triggered by fatigue. When her mother was critically ill, only after repeated requests and strong protests by her family was she allowed to visit her at home. The visit was in the presence of 5 or 6 "escorts," under strict monitoring. Two escorts kept watch even when she needed to go to the washroom, and the whole visit lasted only for half an hour. Her mother left this world feeling injustice and sadness; still the authorities would not even let Ge go home to attend to her mother's affairs. She asked others to help her to appeal, and was finally allowed to go home on the day of the funeral.

On December 30, the County authorities ordered people to keep watch on Ge Xiuli for two days, and then on January 2, 2001, two vehicles arrived from the County government and over 20 Dafa practitioners were taken away. Ge Xiuli refused to be taken, so she was kicked and beaten up, and finally taken away by force. At this time, since her husband was working out of town, there was no one to take care of the children, who needed to go school, and no one to take care of the family's cows and pigs. During the 8 day illegal detention by the County authorities, Ge Xiuli was viciously beaten: her face was purple with bruises, her head was swollen with big lumps, and she was forced to write a letter of "guarantee" (a promise not to practice Falun Dafa or appeal on behalf of Falun Dafa, by editor) before she was allowed to go home. (Another order had come from "higher up" to beat practitioners until a guarantee letter could be extracted; those beaten to death would be called suicides.)

On January 26, 2001, a person was sent by the County Administration to deceive her: "Just give us your signature, and you will be back in no time," but she has not returned home since. Later inquiry showed that she was sent to the County's detention centre, but the centre claims that they have no such person. No one knows where she is being detained.

It was said that before this Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the "higher ups" appointed a "610" Specialist Group in Jing County for the sole purpose of persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Since then, 26 Dafa practitioners have been sent illegally to reform through labor camps, but their current whereabouts are completely unknown, even to their families and relatives.

(Source: China Dafa Disciples)