(Aksu, Xinjiang – April 12, 2011) Local police in far western China illegally entered and searched a Christian’s home, seized Christian books on the pretext that they were after Falungong materials and are still holding a car that they won’t return unless a fine is paid, ChinaAid has learned.
The incident occurred on April 8 in the city of Aksu, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. At 5 p.m., police from the Hongqipo police station first used the pretext of needing to correct some errors in her household registration to lure Christian Guo Chunfang to the police station.
From there, they took her to Domestic Security Department where she was interrogated about a shipment that the Domestic Security officers knew she had received. The shipment was of published materials related to the Christian faith, including books and Bibles, but these Domestic Security officers insisted the materials were about Falungong.
Guo was threatened by Domestic Security officer Zou Shengwen, who demanded that Guo reveal where the books had been shipped from, where they were being stored and where they were going to be distributed, and he tricked her into cooperating by saying that they would stop the investigation if the materials turned out not to be about Falungong.
Because it was the first time Guo had ever been questioned or threatened, she was scared and didn’t know what to do, so she revealed everything. The officers immediately took Guo to the location she had told them: the home of Qin Yuzhen, who is a member of the same church as Guo, at Apartment. 301, Door 5, Building 18, Yijing Garden.
The books were locked in the basement. The officers took Guo to Qin’s home, but only a child was home. While demanding that the child produce the key, the officers called in reinforcements who searched and photographed every room of the apartment. Since the child did not have the key, they ordered the basement door to be forced open.
Seeing this, Guo demanded that Qin be contacted by phone to find out what to do. Qin said she was unable to return that evening, and if the police were going to enter the premises, she hoped they had a search warrant and proper identification. The Domestic Security officers ignored her request. They had no search warrant or legal paperwork of any kind and simply insisted that they had orders from higher up to take care of the matter that day.
At 9 p.m. that night, police and Domestic Security officers, with the cooperation of the Religious Affairs Bureau, illegally and brutishly broke down the basement door. They took many photographs, inventoried all the books, and confiscated everything, including Bibles, hymnals, “Canaan Hymns” songbooks and other Christian materials.
They also took Guo to the Xincheng police station where they recorded her making an oral confession. She was not released until 2 a.m. the next morning, but authorities were still holding her car for payment of a 2000 yuan fine.
Zhou Shengwen, head of Domestic Security Department – Tel.: 13031276398
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
