HONG KONG, July 6 (AFP) – Fears over the whereabouts of a Beijing-based
member of the Falungong spiritual movement grew Sunday after she was
reportedly arrested by mainland Chinese State security, a Falungong
spokeswoman said.
Haiying Xiao, 31, was detained at Beijing airport on July 2 shortly after
returning to the Chinese capital after a four-day trip to Hong Kong.
Haiying’s sister, Sophie Xiao, a spokeswoman for Falungong in Hong Kong said
shortly after Haiying was detained a warrant was issued to search her office
and house.
“According to the search warrant, Haiying was charged with utilising a cult
to sabotage social order. Staff from the Ministry of Security also said that
another reason for her arrest was because Haiying had made contact with
overseas Falungong members,” Sophie Xiao told AFP.
Xiao’s 64-year-old mother, Yue Thang-zhi, who started a Falungong practise
in 1996, has previously been arrested seven times and has twice been sent to
“brainwashing” classes, which aim to force practitioners to give up their
belief and practise, she said.
“My mother was forced into hiding in October 2000 and I haven’t seen her in
three years,” said Xiao.
Xiao said Chinese security officials had broken into Haiying’s office three
times in the past demanding she reveal the whereabouts of her mother.
She added officers had again repeated their demand this time round.
Xiao said she believed Haiying was being held at an undisclosed detention
centre operated by the Ministry of State Security. Her friends and
colleagues have been told that no visits will be allowed.
Falungong, which combines meditation with Buddhist-inspired teachings, was
banned by mainland China in July 1999 but is legal in Hong Kong, which was
granted a degree of autonomy from the mainland when Britain returned it to
China in 1997.
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cg/Qhongkong-sect.RC8y_Dl6.html
Posting date: 7/July/2003
Original article date: 6/July/2003
Category: Media Report
