Shanghai Police Force Eviction of Falun Gong Practitioner
The persecution of Falun Gong directly targets the livelihood and attacks the personal security of practitioners across China. Pictured: Officer Wu from Cailu Police Station taped Ms. Chen Wei's apartment door shut with a police seal and an arbitrary notice of eviction. (Chen Wei/Minghui.org)
On February 7, 2024, a Shanghai resident arrived home to her apartment, only to discover police seals taped diagonally across her front door. Pudong New Area, where Ms. Chen Wei resides, is famously known for the Shanghai Tower, World Financial Center, and the first free trade zone in China.
But under the glamorous exterior, lays a repression of Falun Gong practitioners like Ms. Chen.
Landlord Coerced into Complicity
“Please contact Officer Wu of the Cailu Police Station ASAP,” the paper note on her door read. The white seals marked her door as property of the Pudong Branch of Shanghai City Police Department. The Pudong Branch oversees Cailu Police, who report to them.
Ms. Chen immediately called her landlord. The landlord, who requested to stay anonymous, stated that Officer Wu Kanchen had visited the apartment building earlier that day to search for Ms. Chen. When he found out Ms. Chen was not in the building, Officer Wu called the landlord and ordered him to evict Ms. Chen on the grounds that she practices Falun Gong.
During the call, Officer Wu slandered Ms. Chen and her beliefs. He claimed she was a heretic, a false accusation used to justify the violent persecution of Falun Gong in China.
The officer also requested a key to Ms. Chen’s apartment, so he could trespass into her home while she was away. It is unclear if he had a warrant for this request. The landlord did not have a spare key, so Officer Wu was unable to enter Ms. Chen’s apartment in the end.
Before hanging up the call, Officer Wu commanded the landlord to terminate Ms. Chen’s lease and report back to him. Wu would personally come check the apartment to confirm Ms. Chen was evicted.
Background Check on Tenants
The landlord was reportedly told to check the backgrounds of his future tenants. According to Officer Wu, Falun Gong practitioners should not be allowed to live in the apartment.
The case of Ms. Chen Wei illustrates how the persecution of Falun Gong involves extralegal methods, with authorities enforcing repression without adherence to the rule of law. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials skirt the Chinese Constitution and Criminal Code, using the loose interpretation of Article 300 to silence and repress Falun Gong and other groups not officially recognized by the CCP.
In addition to the order by Officer Wu, the landlord was also pressured by the local Haitangcun Community Office to evict Ms. Chen. It is unknown whether he has formally terminated her lease at the time of this report.
Ms. Chen’s case is not unique in China. As the persecution nears the 25th anniversary this July, millions of Falun Gong practitioners potentially face similar situations, risking job loss, homelessness, pension loss, and other repressive tactics for upholding their beliefs.
