Hebei Province: Financial Persecution in Laishui County

(Clearwisdom.net) Many Falun Gong practitioners in Laishui County have remained firm in their belief during the persecution. That is why the CCP and the police have persecuted them for years. They have been repeatedly fined, detained, and tortured. Even senior citizens are not spared. We will introduce some persecution incidents in the following account.

I am nearly 70 years old. During the April 2000 Qingming Festival, I went to the Laishui County government to appeal for Falun Gong. Laishui County 610 Office agents told the police to arrest me. After they locked me up in a detention center for six days, the police sent me to the Communist Party School to undergo more torture. Under the direction of Sun Guijie, members of the police, the Procuratorate, the courthouse and the Party committee used several physical tortures to torture us: They whipped us with wet hemp rope and hit us with a rubber stick, electrical wires, wooden rods and benches. Before they released me, I had to pay 3,300 yuan as a "fine." Several people participated in the abuse this time: Zhaogezhuang Township Party Committee head Jia Yongbao, Yang Xiuhua and Zhang Xiushan.

In July 2001 the police from Zhaogezhuang Township arrested me again. They kept me handcuffed in the township courtyard for a whole day and extorted 200 yuan from me. Police officer Ren took my money without giving me a receipt. Bancheng Village Party head Meng Zhaoxian and Meng Qingwei participated in the persecution this time. They also confiscated my copy of Zhuan Falun.

On August 31, 2006, I went to the Qizhongkou area to distribute truth clarification fliers with fellow practitioners. The police there followed and arrested me. The next day they transferred me to the Laishui County Police Department and later sent me to a detention center. I was determined that I had done nothing wrong and refused to cooperate. I refused to eat or drink water. On September 4, 2006, they told some officials in my village and my family to pick me up. Although I had not eaten anything, they still forced me to pay 150 yuan for food, 300 yuan for medicine, and 140 yuan for transportation.

The day after my arrest, persons from Zhaogezhuang Township and police officers ransacked my house. They confiscated two audio-cassettes, one exercise tape, a battery charger, all my Falun Gong books, a tape player, a big suitcase, and a rechargeable flashlight for a total loss of 700 yuan.

Between July 20, 1999, and September 2006, I have paid a total 4,190 yuan in "fines." I am nearly 70 now. This much money effectively bankrupted me. What they took from me were the most valuable items I owned

After July 20, 1999, several practitioners and I went to Beijing to reason with the government regarding Falun Gong. Before we got there, policemen stopped us and put us into a police car. They drove us back to a detention center in Laishui County. After three days they extorted 200 yuan from me and sent me to Mingyi Township, where they again extorted 200 yuan from me.

In 2000 we went to Beijing again but were arrested right after we got there. They police first detained us and later transferred us to the Baoding Liaison Office in Beijing. The police eventually took us back to the Laishui Detention Center. On our way back they physically and verbally assaulted us repeatedly. At the detention center they separated me from another practitioner, handcuffed me behind my back, and began beating me violently. Qu Shumin, a township official, routinely beat practitioners. After the gross physical abuse they charged me 2,000 yuan. Then the township official added another 2,000-yuan fine. After 20 more days a village official signed a guarantee and brought me home.

At home I found my home completely robbed. They took my tricycle, electric fan, TV, tape recorder, flashlight, water pump, water pipes, rope, wires, blankets, clothes, a lamb, a shovel, rice, eggs, peanut seeds and peanuts. They had even killed several baby pigs. The things they could not take they totally destroyed. From that time on, CCP agents have repeatedly harassed us.

In early April 2000, four of us appealed for Falun Gong at the Laishui County government. The 610 Office authorities called the emergency police to arrest us. They took us to the police department and handcuffed us to a concrete pillar for three hours, with our hands behind our backs. Later they held us at the county detention center for three days. On April 7, 2000, they transferred us to the Laishui Party School and continued to mistreat us for 13 days. Persons from the police, the Procuratorate, the courthouse, the Politics and Law Committee, and from the 610 Office hired some armed police and criminal thugs to torture us. They used wet hemp ropes to whip us violently; they also forced us to kneel on crushed concrete pieces. The Laishui County CCP Committee and township government personnel were also behind the persecution. Later on, persons from the County CCP Committee extorted from each of us 2,300 yuan, and agents from the Zhaogezhuang Township government extorted from each of us 1,000 yuan. The persons in the Laishui Party School forced us to write a "guarantee statement." Person from the Zhaogezhuang Township who participated in the persecution were Jia Yongbao, Yang Xiusheng and Zhang Xiushan.

On July 20, 2000, Zhaogezhuang Township party members came to arrest me without showing any ID. They detained me in the government building for three days. They also took my photo and forced me to provide my fingerprints, saying they would use them in on-line publications. Persons who participated in this action were Zhaogezhuan Party boss Jia Yongbao, Li Zhensheng, Zhen Zhanjiang, Zhao Wenzong, Zhang Xiushan, Yang Xiuhua and Liu Xingyue.

On February 8, 2002, between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m., a dozen people from the Zhaogezhuang Township government, headed by Li Zhensheng and Fang Youwu, climbed over the compound fence into my house. They searched my home without showing any legal papers. They took two Falun Gong books and an exercise tape. Four thugs pinned me to my bed and handcuffed me behind my back. They led me barefooted to a village office. Later they took me to a vehicle and drove to the township government. Using a metal chain, Li Zhensheng and Fang Youwu whipped me violently. They also burned my face with a cigarette and incense, causing blood blisters. After a whole night of torture, Li Guisheng, a village official, and some other township people forced my family to pay a 1,000 yuan and to sign a guarantee statement before releasing me.

On November 4, 2002, around 11:00 p.m., Li Zhensheng, Li Yin and Fang Youwu from the Zhaogezhuang Township came to my house, again climbing over the fence. Three to four persons guarded the entrance, while the other eight rushed into my room. After searching and messing up my home, they took me to Zhaogezhuang Police Station. Fellow practitioners Meng Xianbin and Liu Zhiping were also arrested. The next day at 7:00 a.m. they sent us to the Laishui County Detention Center. After 30 days of detention they demanded 660 yuan from my family. They also forced Li Zhijin to sign a guarantee statement on my behalf before releasing me.

On May 9, 2003, at 11:00 a.m., about eight persons in black and wearing masks came to my house. They handcuffed me and began to drag me outside. They took me to the Zhaogezhuang government building for detention. They also ordered my daughter to pay a 3,000-yuan ransom. They forced her to sign a guarantee statement. This time, Zhaogezhuang police head Zhao Wenzong, policeman Gou Xianshe, and village head Li Guisheng participated in the persecution.

On July 28, 2005, at 9:00 p.m., about eight police officers forced their way into my home. They searched and messed up my home, taking with them a tape recorder, exercise tapes, Master's portrait, and all my Falun Gong books. Village party boss Cao Jiqing and village official Li Shutie led the action. My total financial loss was 380 yuan.

On August 31, 2006, at 8:00 p.m., fellow practitioners Cao Qingmei and Meng Xiangchun and I went to the Qizhongkou area to distribute truth clarification fliers. Local police followed and arrested us. After one night at the local police station they sent us to the Laishui Detention Center. After eight days, two policemen picked me up and took me to the Baoding Forced Labor Camp. After I failed a physical there they took me back to the Laishui Detention Center. Fifteen days later my family took me home. During my detention, on September 1, 2006, about 2:00 p.m., police from Zhaogezhuang searched my home. They took a 21-inch TV, a VCD player, a 7-inch black/white TV, a mini VCD player, a tape recorder, 40 compasses, a mid-sized recorder, two sets of Master's lecture tapes, a set of Master's lecture CD, two sets of NTDTV Gala VCDs, several Falun Gong books, two loudspeakers, two earphones, a washing machine cover, Master's portrait, and two sets of "The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" VCDs. They also forced my family to pay 400 yuan to visit. The travel cost to pick me up was 200 yuan. Total financial loss was 2,805 yuan.

From July 1999 to 2006, I suffered a financial loss of 11,168 yuan in the form of illegal fines. This financial and physical persecution has caused me great hardship and severely damaged my physical and mental health. My family life was severely disrupted by the constant harassment.

April 9, 2007

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/4/10/152493.html

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