(Minghui.org) In October 2020, the Chinese Communist Party mobilized officials across various government offices in Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, to harass local Falun Gong practitioners. The officials went to their homes trying to force them to sign agreements to quit practicing Falun Gong, a meditation practice that has been persecuted in China since July 1999.
The local officials repeatedly went to the homes of about 30 Falun Gong practitioners, including five married couples, between October 28 and 30 in 2020. As they tried to coerce the practitioners into signing the statements to renounce their faith, they often threatened to take away the jobs or student status of the practitioners’ family members. Most of the practitioners refused to cooperate. Some of the practitioners asked to see the officials’ identifications and relevant legal documents and the officials failed to provide them.
Thirty of the practitioners’ names and their situation are summarized in the following.
1-2. Mr. Liu Zhenyu and Ms. Wang Jinxiang (husband and wife)
Duolun County deputy chief He Mingjian and a Dolon Nor town official Zhao Deming were in charge of pressing practitioners Mr. Liu Zhenyu and Ms. Wang Jiuxiang to renounce their faith.
The couple had been persecuted for their faith before. Ms. Wang was expelled by the authorities of the college she attended. Mr. Liu was once locked in a forced labor camp for not giving up his faith. The labor camp authorities shocked him with electric batons and tortured him by hanging him up by the wrists. Mr. Liu eventually had to quit his college study. His father passed away with extreme fear and constant worries for his safety.
Ms. Gao works in the National Tax Bureau in Duolun County. The bureau chief and deputy chief took turns trying to pressure Ms. Gao into signing the statements. They threatened to fire her if she did not do so before a certain date.
Local officials in Xiangyang Community harassed Ms. Kong at home. After Ms. Kong refused to comply, the officials pressured her daughter-in-law and asked her to push Ms. Kong into giving up her faith.
Gao Lei, secretary of Desheng Community, and Dong Haibo went to Ms. Wu’s home to harass her. Ms. Wu has had her pension suspended since 2016 because of the persecution.
6-7. Mr. Cao Wanxi and Ms. Xu Yongfang (husband and wife)
Gao Lei and Dong Haibo also harassed Mr. Cao and Ms. Xu, who live in Desheng Community.
Mr. Cao sued former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin in 2016 for starting the persecution and causing him endless sufferings. As a result, the authorities suspended his pension, leaving him and his family without financial resources.
Guo Libin, head of Dolon Nor Town, was in charge of making Ms. Yang give up her belief. Ms. Yang was put in a forced labor camp twice and had her pension suspended since 2016 because of her faith.
A secretary of Xiangyang Community (surnamed Bian) harassed Mr. Zhang and his mother, who does not practice Falun Gong. Mr. Zhang was once imprisoned for 3.5 years for his faith.
Besides being harassed recently, Ms. Xiao was put in a forced labor camp twice and had her pension suspended in 2016.
Mr. Ma was put in a forced labor camp before. In 2016 he was fired from his position as a public servant.
12-13. Mr. Yang Dianjun and Ms. Zhou Yanhua (husband and wife)
Duolun County deputy chief Liu Liping targeted Mr. Yang and Ms. Zhou. Liu threatened to cancel their child’s student status if they did not agree to give up Falun Gong.
Ms. Zhou once lost her business and suffered large debt because the authorities put her in a forced labor camp.
A secretary of Xiangyang Community (surnamed Bian) targeted Mr. Cao. Previously Mr. Cao lost his job opportunity after he graduated from college because of the persecution.
Mr. Zhang was once tortured in a forced labor camp.
16-17. Mr. Cao Guo and Ms. Kong Xiuping (husband and wife)
A staff member from Fusheng Community (last name is Du) harassed Mr. Cao and Ms. Kong. Both of them were once tortured in a forced labor camp.
Previously Mr. Cao was fired from his job as a public servant because of the persecution.
19-20. Mr. Bao Jianguo and Ms. Hao Shuling (husband and wife)
The community staff went to the home of Mr. Bao and Ms. Hao and threatened to take away their child’s job if they didn’t give up Falun Gong. Their child teaches in an elementary school.
Local court official Yao Wei threatened Ms. Chen, who said, “I would never give up my belief no matter what.”