(Minghui.org) It was recently confirmed by Minghui.org that a 73-year-old woman was listed as a wanted terrorist and arrested prior to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017 for her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Deng Cuilan, of Urumqi, Xinjiang, moved back to her hometown in Xiangcheng City, Henan Province, in 2004, after a series of tragedies struck her family. Her younger brother and his wife, who lived with her parents, had their house demolished and were fined by the government for having a second child. Her sister-in-law suffered a mental breakdown as a result and was killed by a thug while going out in a delirious state. Ms. Deng’s mother passed away from an ailment and her grief-stricken father also fell ill and became bedridden.
Ms. Deng cooked for her father and kept him clean. She frequently helped him change positions to prevent him from developing pressure ulcers. She told stories to him to cheer him up. She took very good care of him until he passed away. Many of her relatives commented, “Nowadays in China, only Falun Gong practitioners who follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are able to do this.”
Because Ms. Deng’s widowed brother went out-of-town for work, she also took on the responsibility of caring for his son and daughter. Both of the kids began to call her “Mom” after living with her for a while.
During her free time, Ms. Deng stood outside her home that faced the street and chatted with passersby about Falun Gong and shared with them how the practice cured her kidney condition and helped her to stay healthy. While most people were glad to speak with her, some reported her to the police.
In 2011, police officers suddenly broke into her home and attempted to arrest her. She escaped and was forced to live away from home.
Prior to the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017, the authorities in Urumqi intensified the persecution of Falun Gong, claiming it was necessary “to maintain stability.”
Agents from the 610 Office, an extralegal agency created to persecute Falun Gong, called Ms. Deng’s daughter and demanded that her mother return to Xinjiang immediately to sign a statement to renounce Falun Gong. Ms. Deng refused to comply and was listed online as a wanted terrorist by the Urumqi police.
The Urumqi police later traveled about 2,000 miles to Xiangcheng and attempted to arrest Ms. Deng and her sister, Ms. Deng Li, who was also being sought by the police for her faith in Falun Gong.
For about two weeks, the police from Urumqi and Xiangcheng waited outside Ms. Deng Cuilan’s and her relatives’ homes, monitoring her family members’ daily movements and their phone calls. Some local Falun Gong practitioners were also harassed and intimidated by the police, who suspected them of being in contact with the Deng sisters.
After discovering that the sisters once stayed with a relative in the countryside, the police dispatched more than ten police cars, surrounded the village, and searched every household. Jin Hai, the director of the Xiangcheng Domestic Security Office, threatened, “Even if we have to dig up three feet of earth, we will find her!”
To avoid police harassment, Ms. Deng moved to Shandong Province to stay with her son, only to be discovered by the police and arrested days later. She was brought back to Urumqi shortly after. It’s not clear what happened to her afterwards.
Prior to her latest ordeal, Ms. Deng was given one year of forced labor in late 2000 after she was arrested for going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.
