(Minghui.org) After 13 months of detention, a 78-year-old woman was sentenced to two years for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Peng Shuhua, of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, was talking to people about Falun Gong on the street on August 13, 2019, when a police car stopped next to her. A group of officers snatched and searched her bag without her consent. Upon finding Falun Gong related materials in it, they arrested Ms. Peng and ransacked her home. She has been detained at the Shuangliu District Detention Center since.
The Xinjin District Court held three hearings, on June 5, July 23, and August 13, respectively, before sentencing Ms. Peng to two years on September 10 for “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used by the Chinese court system to frame and imprison Falun Gong practitioners.
Eight Previous Arrests
Ms. Peng used to suffer many ailments, including neurosis, cerebrovascular sclerosis, pyelonephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastroptosis. She also had severe frozen shoulder and was unable to lift her right arm. She saw many doctors, but her symptoms persisted. In 1997, she was introduced to Falun Gong. After a short period of practicing, Ms. Peng regained her health and felt mentally and physically uplifted.
Because of holding firm to her faith, after the persecution began, Ms. Peng has been arrested eight times prior to the latest arrest that eventually led to her sentencing.
Five Arrests in 2000
Ms. Peng was first arrested in March 2000 when she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. The police ransacked her home after she was sent back to Chengdu. She was fined 10,000 yuan and detained 45 days.
Ms. Peng was arrested again in May 2000 and forced to attend a 7-day brainwashing session.
Her next arrest was on June 29, 2000 when she did the Falun Gong exercises in a public plaza. She was detained for 50 days. The guards once handcuffed her and forced her to stand under the scorching sun for an entire day, without giving her food and water or allowing her to use the restroom. The skin on her face and arms peeled. She was also force-fed.
The police arrested Ms. Peng again on September 30, 2000. During her 26 days of detention, the local government officials intimidated her husband, terrifying him and leaving him traumatized.
Ms. Peng returned to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in December 2000 and was arrested again. She was detained for eight months and fined 10,000 yuan. When the police went to her home to collect the fine, her family couldn’t afford to pay it. The police took away the high-end tea her family was selling, which was worth 10,000 yuan.
At the Xinjin Detention Center, Ms. Peng held a hunger strike to protest the persecution. The police pried open her mouth with tools and force-fed her. Her mouth was injured and the corners of her mouth were torn. Many of her teeth were broken. Her face was badly swollen. There were also injuries on her body that bled profusely.
Because of the damage to her teeth, Ms. Peng had to have dentures after being released and could only eat soft food.
Three More Arrests
Ms. Peng was arrested two more times for talking to people about Falun Gong in 2009. She was detained for one day and her bike was impounded after the first arrest (date unknown). She was detained for two days after her second arrest on December 30, 2009.
Only three months prior to her latest arrest, Ms. Peng was arrested on May 14, 2019 for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was released the same day.
Related reports:
78-year-old Woman Tried for Talking to People about Her Faith
77-Year-Old Faces Indictment for Her Faith
Facts of the Persecution of Ms. Peng Shuhua from Xinjin County in Sichuan Province
