Three Falun Gong Practitioners from Inner Mongolia in Police Custody

October 14, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Liu Huiyun and Ms. Wang Guihua from Ningcheng County, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, were illegally arrested on July 25, 2013, while speaking to people about Falun Gong at a local market in Tianyi Township.

After a street vendor called the police and reported them, three officers from the Ningcheng County Domestic Security Division, led by deputy director Xing Zuoli, took them to the county detention center.

The police then ransacked their homes and confiscated Falun Gong books, cell phones, software, banners, and radios.

All of their equipment for broadcasting New Tang Dynasty Television, a nonprofit TV station headquartered in New York that broadcasts uncensored news into China, was confiscated three days later. The nature of their detention was then changed from “administrative” to “criminal,” so that both practitioners remain incarcerated.

The county police department submitted Ms. Liu’s and Ms. Wang’s cases to the city level, but the cases were rejected. Nevertheless, both practitioners are still in police custody.

Mr. Zhu Guozhi and His Son Also Arrested

Mr. Zhu Guozhi, a practitioner from Shantou Village, Wuhua Township, Ningcheng County, was reported to the police on March 15, 2013, while distributing materials about Falun Gong with his son. The father and son were arrested by officers from the Wuhua Police Station and Ningcheng County Police Department’s Domestic Security Division.

Mr. Zhu’s son has been released, but Mr. Zhu remains at the county detention center.

Parties involved in the persecution:

Liu Guolong, director of Ningcheng County Police Department: +86-476-4265866 Ext. 3768 (Office), +86-13500666002 (Cell)
Zhang Shuxin, deputy director of Ningcheng County Police Department: +86-476-4265877 Ext. 3578 (Office), +86-13604761816 (Cell), +86-476-4230877 (Home)
Liu Chunyuan, Ningcheng County Police Department: +86-476-4272582 Ext. 3716 (Office), +86-13804769488 (Cell), +86-476-4223806 (Home)

Zhai Xiangyang, Ningcheng County Police Department’s Domestic Security Division: +86-476-4272516 Ext. 3708 (Office), +86-13804769168 (Cell)
Wang Zhiqiang, Ningcheng County Police Department’s Domestic Security Division: +86-476-4272516 Ext. 3737 (Office), +86-15048689178 (Cell)
Xing Zuoli, Ningcheng County Police Department’s Domestic Security Division: +86-15947568586 (Cell)
Ningcheng County Detention Center: +86-476-4227230 (Office)

Chinese version available

Category: Accounts of Persecution

Ms. Hu Rongying Appeals Unlawful Verdict, Court Interrupts Defense

October 14, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent from Henan Province, China

(Minghui.org) Ms. Hu Rongying was illegally sentenced to four years in prison for her faith in Falun Gong in August 2013 by the Jiyuan City Court in Henan Province. She appealed to the Jiyuan City Intermediate Court soon afterward.

The Intermediate Court held a hearing at 3:30 p.m. on September 11, 2013. Ms. Hu’s lawyer from Beijing defended her and entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf.

The chief judge and prosecutor interrupted the lawyer’s defense many times during the trial. The lawyer had experienced the same interruptions during the first trial.

Ms. Hu’s lawyer stated during the trial: “It is appalling that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has upheld the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong for so many years. The juridical law is used to suppress and persecute those who have differing beliefs. This has, in fact, violated the law, violated justice and is against people’s hearts.

“Whatever the name officials use to detain the litigants and whoever is involved in the persecution, they are misusing their power, neglecting their duties, committing illegal imprisonment, and fabricating false evidence. This also constitutes a crime of bending the law for selfish reasons and persecuting freedom of religious belief. Therefore, they must receive severe punishment and be brought to justice.”

In the end, the lawyer said to the court: “This persecution is similar to the persecution that took place during the Cultural Revolution.” [Editor’s note: The Cultural Revolution is a sociopolitical movement initiated by the Chinese communist regime from 1966 to 1976, which resulted in millions of deaths.]

At the conclusion of the appeal trial, Ms. Hu’s lawyer and her family handed in a letter to Wang Tao, president of the Jiyuan City Intermediate Court, and Ma Xiudao, attorney general of the Jiyuan Procuratorate. The letter protested Ms. Hu’s unlawful verdict.

Background of the Case

Ms. Hu Rongying, in her 60s, previously suffered from cancer. When she started to practice Falun Gong, the cancer disappeared. She has thus felt compelled to tell people that Falun Gong is good, from her own experience.

In October 2012, Ms. Hu was arrested by the local police when she distributed informational materials about Falun Gong in Nanrui Village, Lilin Town, Jiyuan City. Officials from the Jiyuan 610 Office, Jiyuan Court and Procuratorate colluded to sentence her to prison soon after the arrest. They interfered with her lawyer and didn’t send him any notice of the trial date.

The lawyer found out the date after making inquiries to the judge. The trial was held on August 13, 2013. Six practitioners, including Ms. Hu, were tried by the Jiyuan City Court on this day.

Ms. Hu’s defense lawyer made an eloquent plea on her behalf in court and clarified that practicing Falun Gong is not a crime. He also noted that the crime Ms. Hu was being charged with was mentioned nowhere in the law and was thus invalid.

The judge interrupted the lawyer 16 times, but he was undaunted and insisted on completing his statement. In the end, the judge called for a recess.

Ms. Hu Rongying was sentenced to four years in prison. She appealed to the higher court immediately after the verdict was issued.

Chinese version available

Category: Accounts of Persecution

Practitioners Participate in Culture Day Events in Orangeville, Canada

(Minghui.org) The small town of Orangeville in Ontario, Canada celebrated Culture Day on Saturday, September 28, 2013. The event was held in a park behind the Town Hall at the same time as the local Farmers market.

Many local organizations and artists came together to celebrate a day filled with free activities, workshops, and demonstrations. Falun Dafa practitioners were also invited to participate.

Visitors stopped at the Falun Dafa booth to learn about this ancient cultivation practice, the five sets of exercises, and traditional Chinese arts. Children were invited to learn how to make paper lotus flowers as well.

Practitioners took the opportunity to clarify the truth about the ongoing persecution in China.

The people of Orangeville also had a unique opportunity to learn about and witness Chinese traditional arts through dance and pipa performances. The performances were presented by the Lian Hua Arts Group from Toronto. Since its founding in 2001, the Lian Hua Arts Group has been committed to celebrating the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance through traditional Chinese arts.

The pure and soft sounds from the pipa attracted the attention of people who wanted to listen and learn more about the Chinese four-stringed instrument. The colorful and graceful dance “Spring” performed by children brought joy to the audience. A culture dating back five millennia was brought forward to the modern day.

Julia Poletto, organizer for the event, said, “I’ve never heard anything like that before. The pipa performance gave me shivers and I felt truly blessed to witness this.”

The audience also learned that the 5,000-year-old traditional arts in China have been systematically destroyed by the Chinese communist regime since the days of the Cultural Revolution. However, the essence and spirit of these traditions have now been revived outside of China.

The group of practitioners took the stage at noon to demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises. The grey weather that persisted throughout the morning suddenly changed and the sun began to shine.

Jesse, a young local man, was trying to follow along with practitioners to learn the practice. He was invited to participate in group practice on Sunday following the event.

Members of a local Tai Chi group came to the booth to learn more about the practice.

Winnie, a local jewelry vendor who is originally from Hong Kong, previously had misconceptions about the reasons for the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. One of the practitioners took time to clarify the truth and dispel the propaganda of the Communist Party.

This year, when the same practitioner approached Winnie, her attitude and understanding was completely different. She knew about organ harvesting and how evil the communist regime is.

The event was small but memorable to visitors who had a wonderful opportunity to experience and learn about Falun Dafa and traditional Chinese arts.

Category: Other Community Events