(Minghui.org) In February and April of 2026, the police in Chongqing broke into and raided a 77-year-old woman’s home because she practices Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Chen Hua, chief of the Chenjiaqiao Police Station; Yu Qiao, a community police officer; two police officers whose identities are unknown; Xie Shaoqing, director of the community office; and Wang Cui and Yi Ping with the community office banged on Ms. Xu Mingjin’s door at noon on February 28, 2026. They shouted her name and ordered her to open up.
Ms. Xu asked what they wanted and refused to let them in. The police accused her of being involved in a scam and claimed to have a subpoena.
When Ms. Xu demanded to see the paperwork, they showed her a piece of paper with a seal but no signature. By law, such paperwork isn’t valid without the police chief’s signature. She told them that she wasn’t aware of any scam and that she wouldn’t let them in.
After the police called in a locksmith to pry open the door, the officers barged in. Two of them dragged Ms. Xu out, while the others searched her home for over an hour. They confiscated all of her Falun Gong books, a photo of the founder of Falun Gong, and other personal items.
After the raid, the police took Ms. Xu to the Shapingba District Police Department. When they questioned her about her recent visit to Zouma Town, where the Chongqing Women’s Prison is located, she refused to answer. They then asked her how she benefited from practicing Falun Gong. She replied that Falun Gong teaches Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and that she lives by these principles to be a better person.
She demanded to know the names of the officers who had interrogated her, but they refused to tell her. She was released after 10 p.m.
When Ms. Xu returned home, she found it in shambles. Her clothes and personal items were scattered on the floor. Her front door was broken and impossible to close completely. She had to hire someone to fix it the next day.
Nine days later, on March 9, 2026, community police officers Yu Qiao and Zhu Gang harassed Ms. Xu again.
On April 1, 2026, police chief Chen Hua and his subordinate Li Xiaogang showed up at Ms. Xu’s home. They ordered her to go with them to the police station to pick up her belongings. She refused to comply and said they should send the items back to her. They again hired a locksmith, broke in, arrested Ms. Xu, and took her to the police station.
While Ms. Xu tried to explain to the police that the persecution is illegal, they fabricated her interrogation records and ordered her to sign it. Instead, she wrote that they had violated legal procedure by trespassing on her private property. They took the pen away and left the room.
Officer Li returned and said that Ms. Xu was given administrative detention, but due to her advanced age, it wouldn’t be enforced. He gave her another piece of paper to sign, which she refused to do.
Against her will, the police took photos of Ms. Xu, collected her fingerprints, and took a sample of her blood before releasing her after 5 p.m.
Taking Up Falun Gong
Ms. Xu, who was retired from the Huxi Electric Motor Factory in Chenjiaqiao Town, began practicing Falun Gong in May 1999. She used to have issues with her neck, stomach, and liver, as well as lumbar bone spurs and chronic headaches. She was also extremely sensitive to cold. Starting in her 20s, she tried all kinds of medications and exercises to improve her health, but nothing helped. Shortly after she started practicing Falun Gong, however, she recovered. She felt light and full of energy. By studying the teachings of Falun Gong, she got over her bad temper, and her relationships with her family and neighbors improved.
Past Persecution
Prior to this most recent incident, Ms. Xu had already served a one-year term in a forced labor camp, been held at a brainwashing center, and been detained and harassed several more times. Her husband was under such tremendous mental distress that his heart condition and high blood pressure worsened, and he passed away in September 2013.
One-Year Labor Camp Term
Ms. Xu was arrested in May 2009 for talking to people about Falun Gong and was given a one-year labor camp term.
For three months, she was forced to wake up at 6 a.m. and was not allowed to go to bed until 3:30 a.m. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., she was held in a dark room and forced to squat. An inmate was assigned to watch her and prevent her from standing or sitting. When she could no longer squat, she would collapse, and the inmate would beat and verbally abuse her. The squatting caused her feet to swell considerably, and she had to wear much bigger shoes. After returning to her cell after dinner, she was forced to squat until bedtime. Two inmates watched her while she slept. They would wake her up if she bent her legs because she was ordered to keep them straight while sleeping. After sleeping for less than three hours, she was forced to get up and endure the same torture.
Because Ms. Xu refused to renounce Falun Gong, the labor camp repeatedly denied her family’s requests to visit her. Her husband went to the labor camp many times when the temperature was over 40°C (104°F) and was finally allowed to see her once. However, when her other family members requested a visit, the guards said they would only approve the request if they could persuade Ms. Xu to turn against Falun Gong.
In addition to the squatting torture, Ms. Xu was forced to do slave labor, including packaging candy. In the summer, she was sometimes forced to stand out under the scorching sun and was only given one basin of water to bathe and do her laundry. In the winter, the guards made her sit in front of an open window and left her to freeze. Her pension was also suspended for one year.
In a Brainwashing Center for a Month
In 2011, the authorities in Chongqing issued a quota for the arrests of a certain number of Falun Gong practitioners. The police seized Ms. Xu on her way home from the grocery store and took her to the Qianzhugou Brainwashing Center for a month.
In the brainwashing center, two employees monitored Ms. Xu around the clock. They forced her to watch and read materials slandering Falun Gong. They also forced her son and husband to stay with her, threatening to sentence her to prison if they failed to persuade her to renounce Falun Gong.
The employees also added unknown drugs to Ms. Xu’s food. Her blood pressure fluctuated wildly, and she had nightmares every night with excessive sweating. She was constantly fearful and stressed.
More Harassment and Detention
Ms. Xu was arrested again on August 19, 2012, while visiting another practitioner. The next day, the police hired a locksmith to break into her home. They raided it and confiscated a noodle maker.
Ms. Xu was held in the Zhongliangshan Police Station for two days and then put under residential surveillance for one year. The police monitored her daily activities and cell phone usage, often following her when she went out. They also harassed her husband and son by calling them repeatedly.
The mental stress took a toll on her husband’s health. His heart condition and high blood pressure worsened, and he died a year later in September 2013.
Ms. Xu was arrested again on June 14, 2016, and held in the Shapingba District Detention Center for 11 months. She was released on May 13, 2017.
On August 15, 2018, while she was doing paperwork for her pension, Ms. Xu was arrested by officers from the Chenjiaqiao Police Station after being reported by Chen Yueqin and Yi Bing, the street committee director and deputy director, respectively. The police took a photo of her and threatened to take her to a brainwashing center. She firmly resisted. Chen threatened to “check on” her once a month going forward.
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