The Chinese Communist Party has been carrying out massive secret arrests across
the country, spanning several provinces and many cities, according to numerous
sources in China. The arrests are targeting anyone believed to have an affiliation
with Falun Gong, and witnesses say that some cities are being controlled under
martial law conditions.
These mass arrests constitute the largest campaign
since July 1999 when the Chinese authorities rounded up tens of thousands of Falun
Gong practitioners in makeshift detention centers and stadiums. Many were taken
from their homes in the middle of the night.
Wave of Withdrawals – One
Million Renounce the Communist Party
Reports from China say this wave
of arrests is in direct response to the growing popularity of the "Nine Commentaries
on the Chinese Communist Party" (text | about), a series of essays published
by The Epoch Times providing a stark view of the CCP’s pattern of suppression
and killing over the last 60 years in China.
The publication of the Commentaries
has triggered a growing movement in China where Party members are publicly withdrawing
at a rate of 20,000 (on average) per day. To date, more than 1 million have posted
their withdrawal from the Party on a website established for that purpose. (www.tuidang.org)
Secret Orders from the Top
Believing Falun Gong practitioners
participated in the publication and distribution of the Nine Commentaries, CCP
authorities in Beijing have declared Falun Gong to be a "reactionary political
organization" and attempted to create an atmosphere and justification for
widespread suppression.
In March, authorities issued internal documents
ordering the ransacking of Falun Gong practitioners’ homes throughout the country.
A policeman in Wuhan sympathetic to Falun Gong who saw one of the documents says
it states "anyone found with a copy of the Nine Commentaries would be sentenced
to a four-year jail term."
Last night, Shandong Province began enforcing
martial law conditions and arresting Falun Gong practitioners en masse. In Jinan
City, Shandong’s capital, emergency police vehicles were stationed at intersections
and inspecting all vehicles passing by. According to one eye-witness, it was clear
that authorities were targeting Falun Gong practitioners because they did not
check the vehicle’s inspection or the driver’s license. Instead, they stopped
vehicles and checked if the driver "looked kind." Knowing the practice
embraces traditional values and ethical living, over the past several years Chinese
police have refined techniques for identifying individuals who practice Falun
Gong by asking detainees to curse, or exhibit cruel behavior.
On April
6 and 7, Yifeng County, Jiangxi Province carried out a large-scale suppression
across the whole county, kidnapping anyone believed to be "firm in practicing
Falun Gong."
On April 10, the police department in Guangan, Sichuan
Province convened a secret meeting for five consecutive days to make plans for
implementing the suppression orders in their region.
Police departments
in Urumqi (Inner Mongolia) recently began posting rewards on bulletin boards for
information leading to the capture of local Falun Gong practitioners. One observer
noted, however, that authorities did not put any official seal on the postings,
fearing to leave evidence of the persecutory tactic.
BACKGROUND:
At least 1,804 Falun Gong practitioners are confirmed to have died in police custody
as part of a global campaign by the Chinese communist state to eradicate the practice.
The actual numbers are estimated to be far greater. Falun Gong is based on the
principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, and includes five simple meditative
exercises. It has been practised around Australia since 1994.
Posting date:
24/Apr/2005
Original article date: 23/Apr/2005
Category: Media Report
