(Minghui.org) Authorities in Caofeidian District, Tangshan City started another round of harassment of local Falun Gong practitioners in July 2017. The targeted practitioners received unexpected visits by or phone calls from police, asking if they still practice and plan to appeal for Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
A police chief revealed in private that all local practitioners who started practicing Falun Gong before the persecution began in July 1999 were to be checked. Wang Qing’ai and Xu Zhanqiang, two local officials, were tasked with monitoring practitioners and confirming their whereabouts with police. Huo Biao, Ma Zeheng, and Zhang Jian were the three main officers charged with visiting or calling practitioners.
So far, seven practitioners are confirmed to have received the status check in July.
Ms. Chi Yanlan was working in her yard on July 10 when Wang Qingai, Huo Biao, Ma Zeheng, and another officer showed up to question if she still practiced Falun Gong. They videotaped her as well. She explained that she broke no law by holding firm to her faith and urged them to stop persecuting Falun Gong.
The four agents next visited Ms. Zhang Xilan’s home. She was not in, and they videotaped her home.
Huo Biao and Ma Zeheng showed up at Ms. Sun Yumin’s home on July 14 to interrogate and videotape her. Like Ms. Chi, Ms. Sun told the two men that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong, and she did nothing wrong. They said to her, “If you say Falun Gong is good, then just practice it at home.”
Xu Zhanqiang called Ms. Sun Cuiqing on July 14 to confirm her phone number. Ms. Sun was once imprisoned for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. Upon her release, she moved away to avoid further arrest and persecution. Officer Ma Zeheng’s call soon followed.
A few days later, Ms. Feng Yanqin received a call from her local police station, saying that a few officers were to visit her. Two people showed up and she urged them to stop persecuting Falun Gong.
Zhang Jian called Ms. Liu Jianrong’s husband on July 20, saying that he wanted to talk to Ms. Liu. When her husband declined, Zhang requested that Liu visit the police station to have her picture taken. The husband again rejected the request.
A seventh practitioner, whose name remains to be investigated, was also harassed.
Wang Qingai: +86-15133455255Ma Zeheng: +86-18003251770Zhang Jian: +86-15631596177
