(Minghui.org) Eight Kunming City, Yunnan Province, residents, were arrested on June 6, 2024, while they studied the Falun Gong teachings at a private residence.

More than 30 police officers broke into 72-year-old Ms. Liu Cuixian’s home and arrested her and her seven guests, including Ms. Yin Qiongying, 87, Ms. Gui Mingzhen, 77, Ms. Li Zhuxiu, 73, Ms. Wang Yulan, 73, Ms. Liu Xiaoping, 67, Ms. Huang Yunjun, in her 60s, and Ms. Zhu (first name unknown).

The police searched all eight Falun Gong practitioners and photographed them. The practitioners were then taken to their respective police stations and interrogated. Some officers stayed and raided Ms. Liu’s home. A large number of her personal items, mostly Falun Gong-related materials, were confiscated.

Ms. Gui, who has leg problems and has to use crutches, was released by the Hongshan Police Station around 10 p.m. that day. The other seven practitioners’ situations aren’t clear at the time of this report.

Past Persecution

Prior to their latest arrests, all eight practitioners were arrested and detained for practicing Falun Gong since the Chinese Communist Party began persecuting the spiritual discipline in July 1999.

Ms. Yin was given an unknown term at the Yunnan Province Women’s Forced Labor Camp in 2001.

Ms. Gui used to work for the Yalong Metallurgical Company. She credits Falun Gong for curing her long term insomnia, her heart, liver and lung conditions, as well as severe rheumatoid arthritis. She was arrested in July 2000 and detained for a month for going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. She was arrested again in December 2000 and held in a brainwashing center for a week. Following another arrest on October 16, 2007, she was given two years of forced labor. Her pension was suspended while she was serving time. In addition to her own ordeal, her son, Mr. Li Chao, was given two years of forced labor in 2000. Her husband, Mr. Li Linshu, was taken to a brainwashing center in 2000 and 2003, and sentenced to three years in 2008.

Ms. Li was given 1.5 years at the Yunnan Province Women’s Forced Labor Camp in August 2002. She was sentenced to 3 years in 2012 and another 3.5 years in 2019. Her pension was suspended after she was released from prison.

Ms. Wang was given two labor camp terms, in 2002 and 2004. While in custody, she was brutally tortured. Her eyes were bloodshot; her front teeth were knocked out; and her lower spine was fractured.

Ms. Liu Cuixian was arrested on December 20, 2012 together with her daughter-in-law Ms. Peng Xueping, for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. They were each sentenced to eight years. Ms. Liu’s mother passed away during her imprisonment and she wasn’t allowed to see her one last time. The physical torture and mental distress took a toll on Ms. Peng’s health. She passed away on July 11, 2023, at the age of 46. In addition to the prison sentence, Ms. Liu was twice given forced labor terms (two years in 2003 and one year in 2005).

Ms. Liu Xiaoping was also arrested on December 20, 2012 together with Ms. Liu Cuixian and Ms. Peng, for distributing Falun Gong materials. She was sentenced to ten years and her pension was suspended for 7.5 years during her term.

Ms. Huang was arrested in December 2000 while attending a gathering of over 50 practitioners. She was later given a labor camp term.

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