Australia Archives - Falun Dafa Information Center

Case Summary Tan Zezhen - Gender: Female, Age: 76 Current Status: Detained since December 19, 2020 (length of sentence unknown) Past Detentions: Ms. Tan along with her daughter and son-in-law have all been arrested countless times for their faith. Last Known Location: Beihai City No. 1 Detention Center Family Residence: Australia Personal Background On December 19, 2020, Chinese Communist Party authorities detained two elderly women named Tan Zezhen and Xu Shanping in Guangxi for distributing information about Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that combines meditation and moral teachings to cultivate the mind and body. Since then, Ms. Tan’s daughter Chen Xiao, who is a citizen of Australia has been awaiting news of her 76 year old mother Tan Zezhen behind bars in China. While it has been reported by Minghui in 2021 that Tan is held at Beihai City No. 1 Detention Center, her daughter, Ms. Chen has not received news of Tan Zezhen from any prison authorities. Tan's family has not received any legal documentation or been informed of her whereabouts since her 2020 arrest. It is also not known whether or not Ms. Tan has been sentenced. Now a citizen of Australia, Chen Xiao is able to freely practice Falun Gong. However, while back in China, Chen Xiao was arrested multiple times and sent to forced labor camps and brainwashing centers. Ms. Chen and her husband have both been subject to persecution by the CCP, and as a result have had a difficult family life, and their child often grew up separated from his parents. While Chen Xiao was still in detention, her mother was taken to a forced labor camp for a one-year term. For refusing to give up her belief after one year, her term was extended another year. During her two years of detention, Ms. Tan endured both verbal and physical abuse, but she never gave up her faith in Falun Dafa. In the last seven months of detention, she engaged in protest of the illegal detention while in prison, and she was released. Ever since the practice has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999, Tan’s life has been turned upside down. Chen explained that in the past 25 years of persecution, her mother’s house has been ransacked more than 20 times, during which she had personal belongings confiscated. The torture inflicted on the elderly woman has gone on intermittently for a long time. Ms. Chen told The Epoch Times that her mother had “served two labor camp terms for a total of three years and nine months. She was also repeatedly held in brainwashing centers, suffering all kinds of physical torture and mental pressure.” Ms. Chen’s father, now 80 years old, is struggling without his wife and remains deeply worried about her safety. When asked about the impact that Falun Gong had on her mother, Chen explained that since practicing Falun Gong, her mother’s health improved dramatically and she was “vibrant and full of life.” She also expressed the sentiment that her whole family has benefitted from applying the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance into their everyday lives. Ms. Chen is deeply worried about the status of her mother and is fearful that Ms. Tan may be met with similar fate as the other woman she was imprisoned with. Ms. Xu Shanping, who was arrested together with Ms. Tan, passed away on July 6, 2024, just two days after she was released from prison. She had been severely emaciated by torture and mistreatment in prison and developed a serious medical condition while serving her time. Timeline December 19th, 2020 - Most Recent DetainmentCCP authorities detained Ms. Tan and Ms. Xu for distributing information about Falun Dafa. Ms. Xu passed away two days after being released by the prison due to her developing a severe medical condition, while there is no official information released on Ms. Tan’s status. September 11th, 2005 - First documented instance of harassment by authoritiesMs. Tan along with three other women boarded a van to visit their loved ones in prison who were sentenced for practicing Falun Gong, and were halted by police officers who detained them who had been waiting hours to detain them. The police proceeding to interrogate the women for hours and ordered them to report to the police wherever they went. News & Action Ms. Chen Xiao sends a letter to Australia Foreign Minister Penny WongMs. Chen has been a vocal voice advocating for Falun Gong while in Australia. She has called on the Australian government to use diplomatic channels to aid in her case. In a letter addressed to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, she noted that international pressure could make a crucial difference in securing her mother’s release, as well as drawing attention to the plight of other detainees persecuted in China.In the letter, she highlights her point that “without urgent intervention, I fear my mother may not survive her current ordeal. Your attention to this matter could make a profound difference in reuniting our family.” Take Action Share Ms. Chen's Story on Social Media

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