Personal Accounts Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Falun Dafa Information Center

Pictured: Steven Wang (second to the right) and Lydia Wang (center right) with their mother (center) in China, 1996. Mrs. Aihua Liu, a mother of four—including two U.S. citizens—was most recently arrested in July 2022. On March 10, 2023, Mrs. Liu was sentenced to four years by a court in Changsha without proper due process or family visitation rights. She is actively involved in civil disobedience, and family in China suspect she was detained for this reason.Liu's family also suspect she could be harassed due to her son Steven's career with Shen Yun Performing Arts in America. The Chinese Communist Party has attempted to sabotage this performing arts troupe since 2006 to control the international community’s narrative on Falun Dafa and the persecution. Previously, because of Steven's role in Shen Yun, Aihua's daughter Lydia was placed in detention in 2011. Shortly after she was released, Lydia was able to immigrate to America and become a U.S. citizen. Case Details Aihua Liu / 刘爱华: Gender: Female, Born: November 12, 1954 Current status: Sentenced to 4 years, filed for appeal Reason for Detention: Possession of Falun Gong books; distributing pamphlets and paper bills to raise awareness about the persecution. Article 300. Past Detentions: 10 prior detentions in prisons and labor camps, most recently release in 2021. Current Location: The No. 4 Detention Center of Changsha City, Hunan Province Family Residence: Her daughter Lydia Wang and youngest son Steven Wang are U.S. citizens living in New York, while her two oldest daughters still live in China. Personal Background Mrs. Aihua Liu was a middle school and high school teacher in Changsha City, Hunan Province. She lost her job shortly after the birth of her third child, Lydia, because the one-child policy was still in effect. Mr. Guanghui Wang (husband) was also a teacher, who specialized in high school chemistry. Later, after Steven was born, Mr. Wang and Mrs. Liu opened their own family business. In 2009, Mr. Wang died after prolonged effects of torture took his life. (Pictured: Steven (center left) and Lydia (far right) with their two older sisters in China, 1996.) Lydia Wang (daughter) was harassed and arrested in 2011, after local police and Ministry of State Security authorities confirmed Steven was involved in Shen Yun Performing Arts. She moved to New York soon after she was released. Lydia has two children, 12 and 10, who have never met their maternal grandmother. Steven Wang (son) went to boarding school at Chongqing Dance School and Chongqing University in China from 1999-2008. During that time, his parents were arrested, imprisoned, which led to him being unable to see them. Steven moved to New York in 2008 where he studied Chinese classical dance at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and began his career at Shen Yun Performing Arts. In 2009, Steven was unable to return to China for his father's funeral proceedings due to the Chinese Communist Party’s blacklist of Falun Gong practitioners like him. In 2017, he invited his mother to his wedding but she was arrested and barred from leaving China. Pictured: Steven's wedding in 2017. His sister Lydia (second to the right) was the maid of honor and Lydia's daughter (far right) was the flower girl. Persecution Timeline March 2023: Sentenced to Four YearsMs. Liu was sentenced on March 10, 2023 after a secret trial. Although her family initially hired a lawyer to represent her, Liu was assigned a lawyer appointed by the court and it is suspected the family lawyer was pressured to not take her case. In late March, her family members belatedly heard the news of her sentence, and were not given visitation rights. Mrs. Aihua Liu Verdict 3.10.23Download July 2022: 11th ArrestCurrently, Ms. Liu lives in Shaoyang city. On July 7, 2022, while she was outside, she was taken by the Xingang local police from Kaifu District (Changsha city, about 3 hours away from Shaoyang) around 4pm. The police brought her to Changsha to the apartment she shared with her granddaughter Tanyi.Tanyi’s other grandparents were at home when the police brought Ms Liu. The police asked if they had any printer and Dafa materials at home which the grandparents denied. Before the police left with her, she gave her bank card to Tanyi’s grandparents. Liu was detained at the Changsha No. 4 (Women’s) Detention Center. Front gate of the detention facilities in Changsha City. The smaller picture on the right shows a zoomed-in view of the four signs to the right of the gate. The signs read: Changsha No. 1 Detention Center, Changsha No. 2 Detention Center, Changsha No. 3 Detention Center, and Changsha No. 4 (Women's) Detention Center. August 29, 2017: 10th Arrest, Sentenced to Three YearsAihua Liu was kidnapped by a Xingang local police from Kaifu District in the Shuang Qing District when she was grocery shopping, and she was detained at the Yang Jia Long detention center. On February 23, 2018, she was sentenced to three years in prison for maintaining her faith in Falun Gong. November 2012: 9th ArrestMs. Liu was arrested on November 10, 2012, in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. She was sentenced to 4 years in prison and admitted to Guangdong Province Women's Prison in August 2014. She was released in November 2016. August 2011: 8th ArrestMs. Liu was caring for her younger daughter Lydia, who had just had a c-section, at home on August 20, 2011, when the police arrested her. Her newborn grandchild was still in the NICU and her daughter hadn't yet awoken from the anesthesia at the time.Her older daughter went to look for her three days later, but the young woman was held overnight after she refused to sign a document saying her mother had been given forced labor. The police had also changed the date of Ms. Liu's arrest. Ms. Liu was sent to Baimalong Forced Labor Camp two months later, but she again failed the medical exam and was later released on bail. September 2009: Steven's Father Passes AwayHis father was arrested four times, starting in October 2000. Each time, he was beaten and tortured severely. He was released from his last imprisonment in February in 2003 because the police was afraid to take any responsibility in case of his death. My father’s health state deteriorated seriously after all these tortures during his detentions. He passed away in September 2009 from kidney failure. April 2009: 7th ArrestMs. Liu was arrested on April 18, 2009. The police again attempted to send her to Baimalong Forced Labor Camp, but due to her high blood pressure, they released her on bail after 65 days of detention. May 2008: 6th ArrestMs. Liu was arrested on May 18, 2008, in Guizhou Province and taken back to Shaoyang City. Her family wasn't allowed to visit her. The police attempted to give her forced labor again after two months of detention, but they had to release her after she failed the required medical exam. 5th ArrestMs. Liu was sent to a local brainwashing center. November 2002: 4th ArrestMs. Liu was given forced labor on November 4, 2002, shortly after her fourth arrest. Regime authorities didn't give her a trial and kept her detained until she was released from Baimalong Forced Labor Camp the next year on August 9, 2003. April 2002: 3rd ArrestMs. Liu was arrested on April 27, 2002, and taken to Shaoyang City Second Detention Center March 2002: 2nd ArrestOfficer Chen Weimin seized Ms. Liu on March 31, 2002, and detained her for 24 days. Her husband and oldest daughter were arrested at the same time, although they were released several hours later June 2001: 1st ArrestMs. Liu was arrested in June 2001 and held in custody for 48 hours. News & Action Steven Wang being interviewed in 2021, recalling his experiences with persecution and his father's death by the CCP. 2018: Steven Sent Letters to New York Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten GillibrandSteven Wang wrote, "My mother has been unjustly imprisoned in China only because she practices Falun Gong and I appeal to you for your whole support to free my mother from this detention and unite her with my family." He requested for the senators to call the detention center to request his mother's immediate release from illegitimate captivity and resolve the issue of his mother's passport so that she could reunite with the family in the United States. At the end of the letter, Steven also included the names and contact information of the Chinese regime officials who were responsible for his mother's detainment and torture (Full PDF).October 29, 2021: Steven Made a Video About His Mother's Case on Shen Yun Creations November 2021: Interview with The Epoch Times“There were mass arrests and persecution,” Steven Wang recalled from when the persecution began in 1999. His family suffered, too. “Communist policemen broke into our home, threw a frenzy of punches and kicks. Then they abducted my parents and made a huge mess in our home, and took away all our books of Falun Dafa teachings.”His parents were both detained, in separate prisons. “Every time we went to visit them, they looked like they’d been starved. They never told me what it was like in there. They only told me they were doing fine. But you can probably imagine—you could tell from their withered faces that they’d been tortured,” he said.From that point, Wang never again experienced a stable family life. If his father was released, his mother would get arrested. “This persecution never ceased,” he said. He remembers spending New Year’s with his three older sisters and no parents at home.Eventually, Wang came to the United States to continue his dance career. While Wang was overseas, his father was tortured in prison and then released because the guards thought he might die while detained. In 2009, his father died from health complications, and Wang only learned of it a month later.“Cultivation is not a crime,” Wang said. “I could not go back to China, so all I could do was continue using art to expose this persecution.” Wang, like other members of Shen Yun, is unable to go to China. As individuals, they could face persecution, and as a group, the Chinese Communist Party won’t allow the company to enter China, for fear of its influence in spreading traditional culture.April 2023: Interview with The Epoch TimesRecently, the CCP sentenced the mother of one of Shen Yun’s principal dancers to four years in prison for her religious beliefs.The family hasn’t seen Liu since her arrest last July and knows little about how she’s faring. For months, authorities turned away their request for visits, citing Beijing’s strict COVID protocols.The criminal verdict dated March 1 cited Liu’s distribution of Falun Gong informational materials and discussion about the practice with locals as evidence of wrongdoing. She was also slapped with a 10,000 yuan ($1,500) fine, a hefty sum for someone living on her savings.“What would you want to arrest a 70-year-old for?” asked Wang. “It makes no sense.”Liu is now detained in Changsha No. 4 Detention Center. She is appealing her sentence, and Wang has initiated a petition hoping to garner more attention to her plight. Shen Yun principal dancer Steven Wang’s mother was sentenced to four years in prison by the Chinese regime for her religious beliefs last month. Wang has been unable to travel to China himself because of security concerns. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Take Action 1. Sign Steven and Lydia's Petition for Their Mother Petition: Change.org Their petition has already received over 1,000 signatures within 24 hours. Please take a minute to share the link and add your signature to support Mrs. Aihua Liu's family. 2. Send a Letter to Congress You can email or print this prewritten letter to urgently call upon members of Congress to press for the release of Mrs. Aihua Liu. Send Letter to Lydia and Steven's Senator (Schumer)Download 3. Mail an encouraging letter directly to Mrs. Aihua Liu People who have survived Chinese prisons and escaped to the U.S. attest to the enormous difference it can make to hear from the outside world directly. It lifts the spirits of those wrongfully detained, and shocks local officials, making them wary of participating further in persecution. An international letter requires two postal stamps. You can send cards directly to Mrs. Aihua Liu to the following address: 长沙市第四看守所The No. 4 Detention Center of Changsha City湖南省长沙市长沙县泉塘镇远大二路1736号, 邮政编码410131No. 1736, Yuanda 2nd RoadQuantang Town, Hunan Province, 410131China

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