(Minghui.org) The nationwide “zero-out” campaign is a coordinated effort by the authorities to force every Falun Gong practitioner on the government’s blacklist to renounce their faith. Here are some recent cases in seven provinces.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Group Arrest and Harassment in Inner Mongolia
The police and residential committee staff members in Yuanbaoshan District, Chifeng City arrested six Falun Gong practitioners and harassed ten practitioners on December 14, 2020.
Five practitioners–Wang Yanping, Wang Fenghua, Xue Xiangshan, Ning Yanmei, and Liu Yaru–were taken to brainwashing centers.
Bai Baohua was taken to the local detention center.
The following ten practitioners were harassed: Bai Shengzhen, Bai Yuru, Xiang Hua, Hu Xiuli, Si Qin, Jiang Haiyan, Meng Qingzhen, Chen Zhiru, Chang Lian, and Zhang Suqin.
Two more practitioners, Ren Suying and Cui Cuixia, had their pension suspended in the persecution.
In addition to the above cases, more practitioners were harassed on the same day. The details of those cases are being investigated.
Over 20 Practitioners Arrested in Henan Province
In Linzhou City, Henan Province, at least 20 practitioners have been arrested and had samples of their blood taken against their will since November 2020. The police often broke into the practitioners’ homes in the middle of the night and confiscated their personal belongings.
Except for some seniors who were released the evening after their blood was drawn, most others were detained for five to fifteen days. At least one practitioner was taken to Anyang Detention Center.
Group Arrest in Heilongjiang Province
Police in Hegang City, Heilongjiang Province conducted a mass arrest of over 80 practitioners throughout the city between December 11 and 13, 2020. The officers split into teams of three or four and claimed to be searching for illegal items when they broke into the practitioners’ homes.
The arrested practitioners were taken to the city hospital and tested for the coronavirus. Because all of them tested negative, they were detained, 30 of them in the Hegang City Lockup and the rest in the Hegang City Detention Center.
Jilin Province
Practitioners in Nong'an County, Jilin Province were harassed by local authorities in December 2020. Some officials claimed to be inspecting the practitioners’ household registrations or checking on their health in order to deceive them into opening their doors.
Some officials threatened to suspend the practitioners’ pensions or take them to brainwashing centers in attempts to force them to renounce Falun Gong. Some practitioners’ family members were also harassed when the authorities failed to find the practitioners.
Chongqing
Practitioners in the Kaizhou District in Chongqing have been harassed by government officials since September 2020. The authorities searched for the practitioners and, when they found them, attempted to force them to sign a statement to renounce their faith. When the practitioners refused to comply, the authorities harassed their family members instead and tried to force them to sign the statements on behalf of the practitioners.
Some practitioners had their homes ransacked and their Falun Gong informational materials confiscated. Some officers took pictures of the practitioners on the street in order to harass them.
Shandong Province
Practitioners in Kunlun Town, Zibo City, Shandong Province have been continuously harassed by government officials since late November 2020.
Over twenty practitioners were gathered at the township government office and ordered to sign statements to renounce their faith. The officials threatened that if they didn’t comply, they wouldn’t be allowed to board flights, or they would have their pension suspended or their family members’ jobs and education affected.
One of the harassed practitioners is Mr. Liu Lianxian. His pension was suspended for three months. The township government officials also forced his wife to pressure him by screaming and crying.
Jiangxi Province
In Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, policemen in Guangfeng District have actively carried out the “zero-out” campaign, trying all means to force the practitioners to sign renunciation statements since September 2020.
Ms. Zhou Juxian was harassed on December 8, 2020, and taken to the Guangfeng District Police Department. It’s not clear how long she has been kept there.