(Minghui.org)

Name: Chen XiaobinChinese Name: 陈晓彬Gender: FemaleAge: 48City: Jieyang Province: GuangdongOccupation: N/ADate of Death: May 1, 2023Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 22, 2017Most Recent Place of Detention: Jieyang City Detention Center

A 48-year-old woman in Jieyang City, Guangdong Province was sentenced to prison along with her son in 2017 for their shared faith in Falun Gong. She struggled with poor health after being released in November 2019 and died three and a half years later, while her son is still serving time. 

Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Gong, a traditional spiritual and meditation discipline, in 1999, Ms. Chen Xiaobin, her husband Mr. Wu Meiping, and their oldest son, Mr. Wu Xuqin, were repeatedly targeted for upholding their shared faith. 

The elder Mr. Wu went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong in 1999 and became disabled from a savage police beating. He recovered by doing the Falun Gong exercises in the local detention center. He was later transferred to the Sanshui Forced Labor Camp to serve an unknown term. 

After the CCP’s 12th National Congress in November 2002, both Ms. Chen and her husband were arrested and taken to a local brainwashing center. Their three children, the oldest only seven at the time, were left unattended. 

The couple were arrested again in 2003 and held at a local lockup.

Their son Mr. Wu Xuqin was arrested on May 22, 2017, after the police suspected him, his employer (a practitioner-run company), and several colleagues of spreading information about Falun Gong on WeChat, the largest social media platform in China, which is strictly monitored by the Chinese government.

The police took Mr. Wu to his home, ransacked his residence and sealed the door. They also arrested his mother. His father escaped arrest as he wasn’t home during the raid, but was then put on the wanted list at the local 610 Office. The elder Mr. Wu was arrested on March 15, 2019 when he went to apply for permission to attend the hearing of the cases against his son and wife and was detained for 29 days. 

The police also interrogated the younger Mr. Wu’s colleagues and questioned them as to who referred them to the company and also tried to get information about their family members. The police subsequently arrested several of the professional references, including former employees of the company.

The company owner, Mr. Wu Chunxiong (no relation to the Wu Meiping family), was forced to shut down his business, and many of his personal belongings were confiscated.

Five practitioners, including Mr. Wu Chunxiong, Mr. Wu Xuqin, Ms. Chen Xiaobin, Ms. Tang Jianqun, and Ms. Cai Linhua, were indicted by the Rongcheng District Procuratorate on January 29, 2019 and tried by the Rongcheng District Court on March 19, 2019.

The judge sentenced them to prison in mid-May 2019. Mr. Wu Chunxiong was given 8.5 years. Ms. Tang was sentenced to 8 years. Mr. Wu Xuqin received 7.5 years. Ms. Chen and Ms. Cai each got 2.5 years. Mr. Wu Xuqin and Ms. Chen were also fined 40,000 and 10,000 yuan, respectively.

All five practitioners appealed with the Jieyang City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold their original verdicts. Mr. Wu Chunxiong and Mr. Wu Xuqin were taken to the Sihui Prison in late October 2019. Ms. Tang was transferred to the Guangdong Province Women’s Prison. Ms. Chen and Ms. Cai served time at the Jieyang City Detention Center and were released on November 21, 2019. 

Ms. Chen’s father passed away during her detention, but she wasn’t allowed to attend his funeral. In the detention center, she was forced to work for long hours without pay, which took a toll on her health. She suffered a menstrual disorder, numbness in her hands and feet, and extreme emaciation. 

To make a living after she was released, Ms. Chen and her husband started a small business that was tiring to manage. The mental pressure from the persecution continued to have an impact on her, especially given that her son was still serving time in prison. She eventually succumbed to poor health and passed away on May 1, 2023. 

According to available data collected by Minghui.org, over 100 Falun Dafa practitioners in Jieyang City have been arrested and given labor camp terms since the onset of the persecution. Dozens were sentenced to prison. At least 28 practitioners died as a result of the persecution, including Huang Yongzhong, Chen Hanbo, Lin Shaona, Wu Jingfang, Huang Sujun (also known as Huang Weijun), Deng Yunlan, Huang Donghua, Wu Chanjiao, Chen Huijuan, Lin Youhui, Huang Liena, Hong Lijuan, Lin Lifen, Fu Manyu, Xu Qiaoluan, Lin Liutian, Huang Erjun, Xu Yingrou, Zhang Xian, Chen Guojing, Wu Jie, Huang Hanlin, Wu Wubiao, Wu Yiyun, Pei Hua, Wu Zaiyue, Wu Yongming, and Zhang Bihong.

Related report:

Five Guangdong Residents Sentenced to Prison for Raising Awareness about the Persecution of Their Faith