Name: Tai Qiongxian (太琼仙)
Gender: Female
Age: 60
Address: Zhongshu Town, Luliang County, Yunnan Province
Occupation: Warehouse worker
Date of Most Recent Arrest: March 26, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Yunnan Second Women’s Prison (云南省第二女子监狱)
City: Kunming
Province: Yunnan
Persecution Suffered: Detention, home ransacked, illegal trial, sentencing, imprisonment, extortion
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Tai Qiongxian was illegally arrested at her home by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officers, who also ransacked her home. She was sentenced to four years imprisonment and is currently being detained at the No.2 Women's Prison in Yunnan Province.
Ms. Tai used to work in a warehouse in a pharmaceutical factory in Zhongshu Township, Luliang County. She had headaches, hemorrhoids and other physical ailments. She had difficulty falling asleep because her headaches were so severe. She had to take medication every day, which was unsuccessful in treating her illnesses. Because of her poor health, she had become quite impatient and agitated, resulting in ongoing family arguments.
Ms. Tai was fortunate enough to begin cultivating Falun Gong in 1998. Her illnesses were completely healed after she started practicing. For over ten years, she has remained in good health and her family has also became harmonious. Ms. Tai has been conducting herself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and has been a good person. She worked very diligently at her job and at home was a caring wife and mother.
Arrested at Home, Her Home Ransacked
On the morning of March 26, 2010, five or six police officers from the Domestic Security Department and Ximen Office arrested Ms. Tai. The officers confiscated portraits of Teacher, Dafa books, items that were embroidered with the Chinese characters for Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, a vase and a few amulets. They did not provide a receipt for the confiscated items.
On the same day that Ms. Tai was arrested, she was taken to the Luliang County Domestic Security Department. The next day, she was transferred to Zhanyi County Detention Center, where she was detained for one month. On April 30, 2010, officials from the Luliang County Police Bureau allowed her to be released on bail. Only one month later, however, she was again arrested by two male police officers and one female officer. This time, she was sent to Zhanyi County Detention Center, where she remained for six months before being released.
Sentenced to Four Years; 40,000 Yuan Extorted from Her Family for Her Release
During that period, four people from Qujing City Middle Court came to Luliang County to begin court proceedings. Beforehand, none of her family members were notified by the court. They found out about the trial date through their various contacts, so they went to court that day. In the courtroom, the judge did not allow Ms. Tai to speak. No verdict was issued by the end of the proceedings, but Ms. Tai was sentenced to prison anyway.
On December 14, 2010, Ms. Tai was taken to the No.2 Women's Prison at Yunnan Province. None of her family members, including her husband, were informed of her situation. They eventually learned of her imprisonment through asking their personal contacts. When her husband came to the prison to see her, she told him about her sentence. The police officers from the prison were surprised that he had come and asked him how he had found out where his wife was detained.
Ms. Tai's family members were very eager to get her out of prison. They knew someone by the name of Mei Zhixiang, who had retired early from Chenggong County Government for medical reasons. Mei told them that through his network he could get her out, but on the condition that he received 40,000 yuan from Ms. Tai's family. Her family was so worried about her and so eager to see her come home that they withdrew the money from the bank and paid him what he asked. Mei took their money and gave them a receipt, which stated that he would arrange to have Ms. Tai released within a month, and if he failed to meet the deadline, would provide a full refund to them.
After the month passed, there was no sign that Ms. Tai would be released. Her family has continued to try to reach Mei, but he has continued to ignore them. Almost a year has passed, and Ms. Tai is still detained at the prison.
