Husband Dies While Wife Incarcerated for Their Shared Faith in Falun Gong

(Minghui.org)

Name: Meng XiangfuChinese Name: 孟祥富Gender: MaleAge: 70City: ShulanProvince: JilinOccupation: Employee of Shulan Mining BureauDate of Death: October 24, 2022Date of Most Recent Arrest: December 16, 2019Most Recent Place of Detention: N/A

A 70-year-old man in Shulan City, Jilin Province, passed away on October 24, 2022, two months after his wife was arrested for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been targeted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. His wife wasn’t allowed to attend his funeral. Their son, who currently resides in Japan, couldn’t come back due to the strict COVID-19 policy in China.

Mr. Meng Xiangfu’s passing capped his two decades of suffering for upholding his faith. He was sentenced to eight years in 2007 and had his pension suspended. In 2022 alone, the police harassed him and his wife four times before arresting his wife.

Two Decades of Suffering

Before Mr. Meng’s wife, Ms. Chen Qinglan, took up Falun Gong in the 1990s, she struggled with a brain injury from a fall. Her condition was aggravated further after she was later hit by a motorcycle. Thanks to the healing power of Falun Gong, she fully recovered. That prompted Mr. Meng to learn Falun Gong as well.

Since the onset of the persecution in 1999, the couple faced constant harassment for upholding their faith. Mr. Meng was arrested on November 19, 2007, for helping move equipment used to print Falun Gong informational materials for distribution. He was sentenced to eight years and released ahead of time in early 2013.

Ms. Chen served two labor camp terms and was once held in a brainwashing center.

Mr. Meng was arrested again on December 16, 2019. Some of his Falun Gong materials were confiscated. Due to a health issue, he was denied admission by the Nanshan Detention Center and released that evening.

While Mr. Meng was in prison, the Shulan Mining Bureau where he had worked suspended his pension. Although the authorities agreed to reinstate half of his pension after his family adamantly protested, they suspended it again in late 2020. They demanded that Mr. Meng return the 70,000 yuan he received during his imprisonment, claiming that retirees aren’t entitled to any benefits while serving time. Unable to pay back the funds, Mr. Meng never saw his pension reinstated.

The financial persecution took a toll on Mr. Meng’s health. He began to have trouble walking and talking.

On May 12, 2022, seven officers broke into the couple’s home and spent three hours raiding the place in front of Ms. Chen’s mother, who was almost 90. Their Falun Gong books and materials were confiscated.

The police returned the next day and ordered Ms. Chen to sign a statement to renounce Falun Gong. She refused to comply.

The police came again on July 26, raided their home, and arrested Ms. Chen. She was released later that afternoon.

The police came a fourth time at 7 a.m. on August 23. Ms. Chen’s mother opened the door for them. Ms. Chen was not home at the time as she had gone out to buy breakfast. The police were ransacking her home when she came back. The police searched everywhere, even under the beds. Two of her Falun Gong books and several paper currency bills with short messages about Falun Gong printed on them (as a way to raise awareness about the persecution given the strict censorship in China) were confiscated. Ms. Chen’s mother was terrified by the police violence. She moved out and stayed with other relatives after Ms. Chen was arrested.

Ms. Chen was first held in the Shulan Detention Center. When Mr. Meng went to visit her, he was told that she had been transferred to the Jilin Detention Center. He tried to hire a lawyer for her, but the police warned him that no lawyers would be allowed to visit or represent Falun Gong practitioners in Jilin. The police also threatened to sentence Ms. Chen.

Ms. Chen’s arrest and detention dealt Mr. Meng a heavy blow. His health quickly declined and he passed away on October 24.