747 Reported Cases of Abuse, Arrest in March, 2020

According to information collected by Minghui.org, 747 Falun Gong practitioners were targeted in March 2020, nearly twice the numbers reported in February (395) and four times the totals from January (194). 

The dramatic increase presumably correlates to quarantine rules being lifted throughout the country, but Minghui.org also reports that authorities in some locations are especially targeting practitioners as part of a broader effort to control the coronavirus narrative.

A 1,000 yuan reward has been advertised in Wuhan City and throughout Hubei Province for information related to Falun Gong practitioners talking about the persecution or the coronavirus. Elsewhere, CCP committee meetings were held in order to find Falun Gong practitioners who had leaked information about the pandemic to overseas media. Defamatory posters appeared on busses in Liaoning Province and new brainwashing sessions are underway in Shandong, Jiangxi, Hebei, Liaoning, Guizhou and Jilin provinces, all targeting Falun Gong for “undermining China’s image.”

Of the 747 reported cases, 384 practitioners were abducted (172 still in custody at the time of writing) and 363 harassed. 313 had homes ransacked, 30 had money extorted, totaling 172k yuan and 43 practitioners are over 65 years old. 

Below is a snapshot of some of the reported cases.

Elderly Practitioners Abducted

Police in Kunming City, Yunnan Province abducted 81-year-old Ms. Gao Qiongxian. Realizing that they had intended to abduct a different elderly practitioner, police still ransacked Ms. Gao’s home, extorted 1000 yuan from her family and transferred her to the Kunming City Detention Center. The Center refused her admittance on account of her age.

76-year-old Ms. Tong Suqing of Shenzhen City in Guangdong Province was abducted for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was released on account of high blood pressure but ordered to report to police if summoned.

Harassment in Name of Epidemic Control

Authorities in Gaoheidian City, Hebei Province abducted Ms. Sheng Xiuwen on March 14 for distributing information about the epidemic. They released her but harassed her almost daily afterwards, trying to force her to renounce Falun Gong. Police later ordered neighborhood monitors to record her whereabouts.

In Tianjin and Tianmen Cities authorities and neighborhood monitors harassed practitioners in the name of preventing the spread of the coronavirus. With the excuse of conducting medical exams, authorities ransacked homes, confiscated Falun Gong books and collected blood samples and fingerprints. 

Hebei Province Practitioners and their Families Harassed on Account of Camera Surveillance

Ansu Town authorities captured footage of Ms. He Lihong distributing Falun Gong literature and sought to arrest her. They found her brother, stole his cell phone and forced him to lead them to Ms He’s home. They ransacked her home and stole cellphones belonging to her father and his grandson. 

Learning that Ms. He had an additional residence in nearby Baoding City, police forced her brother to arrange a meeting there. When she arrived police abducted her and took biometric data including an iris scan and fingerprints.

Baoding City police ransacked another practitioner’s home, Ms. Liu Qiuzhen, also after allegedly obtaining surveillance camera footage of her distributing Falun Gong literature.

Authorities removed Falun Gong books, a computer, printer and other personal belonging from Ms. Liu’s home. They pressured her son and mother to persuade her to renounce Falun Gong. 

Survivor of 10 Years in Prison Abducted for Writing Letters

Ms. Song Yanqun nearly died from 10 years of mistreatment in prison for practicing Falun Gong. Still suffering physically, Ms. Song has written letters to CCP authorities including Premier Li Keqiang, demanding that the CCP stop it’s persecution of Falun Gong. 

Police from Jilin City are holding her in Jilin City Detention Center because of her letter writing. They shared with her father that “higher ups” were planning on sentencing her to another prison sentence. 

Targeted for talking about Falun Gong

Mr. Wang Huaiyu told people people in a public park about how practicing Falun Gong cured 7 years of near-paralyzation, a rare condition that doctors had not been able to heal. He was reported and authorities abducted him on March 29 and threaten to arrest his mother, who is nearly 70.

Police Break Down Gate, Door

Police from Liaocheng City, Shandong Province broke down a gate and a door to enter the home of Ms. Qin Guangju and her husband. They confiscated cellphones, which had video of police breaking in. 

Initially police tried to break in with a hammer and hacksaw but instead called for an electric saw. Neighbors, however, reportedly upset by the violent episode, turned off the power to Ms. Qin’s home, forcing police to use their hand tools. 

When Ms. Qin’s adult son came on the scene demanding answers, police hurriedly left.