By Liu Jinghang

(Falun Gong practitioner and a former employee of the Science Academy of China)

(Clearwisdom.net) One of the tactics carried out by Jiang Zemin's regime and the Chinese Communist Party in their persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is "ruin them financially." They cut off all financial support and take away people's right to survive (Editor's Note: In western countries, most citizens are guaranteed many basic human rights. In China, however, citizens are granted only the "right to survive."), and even retirees were not spared.

All my life, since graduation from university in 1965 until my retirement, I worked as a researcher at the Science Academy of China. As an associate professor, I won three awards for successful research. In accordance with the regulations of the Science Academy, I applied for retirement in May 1998. I was entitled to a full salaried pension.

Because I practice Falun Gong, I was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. On November 28, 2000, the Research Center for Remote Sensory Application at the Science Academy of China made the decision to cut me off. From December 2000 on, they stopped paying my pension and benefits. In the official document, they slandered my good name and smeared my reputation, all simply because I am a Falun Gong practitioner.

In February 2003, after I was released from prison, I contacted them to ask to have my pension reinstated. The Party committee deputy secretary surnamed Yu at the Remote Sensory Center said to me, "You had been cut off, so we cannot pay you your pension. Your personal profile has been transferred to the Street Administration Office. If you have difficulties, you can apply for social welfare." I said, "This is against the regulations governing retirement policies. The pension of an employee who is already enjoying pension benefits cannot be simply taken away. You may have stopped paying me my pension while I was in prison, but now that I am released, you still have to continue paying this pension. Besides, sentencing me to prison is an act of persecution. I should be compensated!" The Party office head Yang said, "Show us the document saying this!"

The Science Academy of China did not reinstate my pension and cut off my financial support, and the Party committee continued to monitor me. They frequently called me at home to track my whereabouts. I said, "You have cut me off, so I am no longer an employee of the Science Academy of China. You have no right to make me answer to you!" Thereafter I did not answer their phone calls. When they called, my husband would say that I was not in. They would ask where I had gone. He would answer, "That is none of your business!" A few days later, the people from the Science Academy of China's "Stability Bureau" came to look for me. I asked, "What is this 'Stability Bureau'?" They said that it was a new department, but actually, it was a branch of the 610 Office in disguise. I brought up the issue of the pension. I said, "You have barred me from my pension. That is cutting off my livelihood. I must report this." The chief of the "Stability Bureau" said, "The center will reconsider the pension issue." Through my insistence based on facts and reasoning, in order to monitor and control me, they finally agreed to reinstate my pension on May 2003.

In mid-June, I circumvented the monitoring of the Science Academy of China and went overseas to visit relatives. After I went to Australia, the Science Academy of China and people from the Residential Committee harassed my relatives and tried to ferret out my whereabouts. Since the Remote Sensory Research Center Party Committee did not manage to monitor me properly, the "610 Office" reprimanded the Party committee people and made them do a self-criticism report. The Science Academy of China sent orders that Falun Gong practitioners were not allowed to go overseas. Even travel to Macau and Hong Kong for vacation was not permitted.

After August 2003, they have stopped paying my pension again. This is one concrete example of how the evil Chinese Communist Party and Jiang's regime put into practice their persecution edict to "ruin a person financially."

May 10, 2005