(Clearwisdom.net) On January 21, 2008, Ms. Xu Guilan from Fujia Town, Zhangdian District, Zibo City, Shandong Province, was arrested. She was soon locked up in the Zibo City Detention Center. Later, many other practitioners from Fujia Town and practitioner Di Mouchen from Zhenmazhuang Village, Nanding Town, Zhangdian District, were arrested and locked up in the same detention center. During this time, Dr. Mo Chaojian, a practitioner from the Third People's Hospital went missing. It was later confirmed that agents from the 610 Office and the Zhangdian District Domestic Security Brigade took him away.
Guards and prisoners (non-practitioners) in the Zibo Detention Center poured cold water on Xu and Di during the cold winter days. This is a common way of torturing practitioners. According to a practitioner who used to be locked up at the Zibo Detention Center, the guards used electric batons many times to shock Di and burned a large hole on his leg that took a long time to heal. Di's wife went to the Zhangdian District Domestic Security Brigade many times to ask the police to release him. The captain either threatened her or used the excuse that he may lose his job if he released Di.
Dr. Mo worked in Zibo City, and his family, who lived in southern China, didn't know that he had been arrested.
On February 18, 2008, the police arrested practitioner Ms. Liu Xun, a retired senior engineer from the research institute of the Xinhua Pharmaceutical Company in Shandong, and a senior practitioner. They were arrested for telling people about the persecution of Falun Gong. Ms. Liu is now locked up in the Zibo City 610 Office brainwashing center. The police released the senior practitioner after extorting money from that person.
After she started practicing Falun Gong, Ms. Liu took care of her son, who had schizophrenia after she divorced her husband. She had written to the mayor of Zibo City many times to clarify the facts about Falun Gong after the persecution started. She was put in a brainwashing center for three months. After she was released, the authorities continued to harass her. Liu's arrest this time forced her to leave her son behind, which is unfortunate, as he is unable to take care of himself and is alone at home.
The authorities often try to destroy Falun Gong practitioners financially. Several practitioners from Fujia Town were released after paying a large amount as a "fine." Their families had to pay the money or the practitioners would be taken to forced labor camps. Ms. Xu and her family refused to pay the fine and she is currently still detained.
The Beijing 2008 Olympics is a second chance given by international society to China's regime. A chance for the regime to improve its human rights record. Instead of doing that, the communist regime in Beijing has intensified its persecution of Falun Gong and other dissidents while trying to cover the crimes. In a very short time, in one district, nearly a dozen people were arrested. We hope that international society will pay close attention to the ongoing persecution against Falun Gong in China.
