Thousands of Falun Gong Arrested, Harassed, Sentenced, or Killed in First Half of 2016
Falun Gong website Minghui.org reports that in the first half of this year, 4,892 people were arrested and 1,939 harassed for their faith in the spiritual discipline based on the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The report goes into detail for some of the cases with documentation, including that of a woman in her 70s who died within hours of being taken into custody. Some of the cases include photos taken by family members, showing clear signs of abuse.
Five of the targeted Falun Gong practitioners died within hours or weeks of their arrest or harassment by authorities.
While 1,882 (38.5% of the 4,892 arrested practitioners) have been released, the remaining practitioners are held in various detention facilities or brainwashing centers. Some have been formally arrested and indicted.
Those who were harassed were often asked to sign statements renouncing Falun Gong or had their biometric information forcibly taken. Many were also placed under constant police surveillance. Some practitioners were demoted or suspended from work for refusing to comply with the authorities. A few even went into hiding to avoid arrest.
Family members of the practitioners were also subjected to constant threats and intimidation from authorities. While some were brave enough to support the practitioners in their families, others gave in under pressure and did everything possible to try to stop the practitioners from practicing Falun Gong. Some families were broken up as a result, with couples divorcing or children cutting ties with their parents.
Except for a few arrested in 2016, most of the 1,311 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested in years prior. A total of 510 practitioners have been sentenced to prison for their faith. It is unclear how many of them have filed appeals.
The cited cause for many of the arrests and cases of harassment was because the practitioner had filed legal complaints against former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin for initiating the persecution. The movement to bring Jiang to justice has been spreading in China and abroad, both among Falun Gong practitioners and their supporters. Other causes for arrest including passing out pamphlets about the practice and the persecution, or talking to others in public about Falun Gong.
The most dangerous places for practitioners in China remain the Northeast provinces.
