(Minghui.org) A teacher in Feitai City, Beijing was arrested at home on an early Saturday morning in mid-May for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Three hours later, Ms. Zuo Yan’s pupils came for English tutoring. The youngsters and their parents became worried when no one answered the door. It was out of character for their teacher, as she always notified them of any schedule changes.
The parents almost called police but soon found out Ms. Zuo had been arrested for practicing Falun Gong. They wrote letters to police, asking them to release Ms. Zuo.
Ms. Zuo’s family brought copies of the letters to Feitai Detention Center, where she remains held. The guards not only denied their visits with Ms. Zuo but also refused to pass the letters on to her.
Illegal Arrest
The arrest was shrouded in secrecy. Police officers disguised as property personnel forced their way in to Ms. Zuo’s residence in the early morning on May 13, 2017 when she answered the door. Without showing identification or giving a reason for their actions, officers immediately handcuffed her and ransacked her home. They confiscated two computers, one printer, one cell phone, Falun Gong books, and other personal belongings.
They did not allow her father to look for her eyeglasses.
Ms. Zuo and her father were illegally taken to Fengtai Law Enforcement Center for interrogation. Her father was released in the afternoon.
Ms. Zuo's parents and brother went to the police station to seek her release on May 16. They were told that Ms. Zuo had been sent to Fengtai Detention Center. The family then went to the detention center, but they were not allowed to see Ms. Zuo.
The family came to the detention center to see Ms. Zuo on May 24, but all visitation rights were denied, citing her pre-trial status, which did not allow visitations. The detention center also refused to accept the pleading letters written by her students and their parents.
Parents Express Gratitude in Letters Seeking Ms. Zuo's Release
Ms. Zuo taught at an elementary school after she graduated from college. She has received many honor awards. She also runs an English tutoring center at her home for more than 20 students.
One parent wrote in their letter to police, “Ms. Zuo is considerate, kind, and peaceful. She tells students to be kind to others and not to lie. She teaches them thoroughly, meticulously, and patiently. She wants her students to be good kids in school and useful members of society. She charges a very low fee for her make-up classes. She indicated that she does not do this for money but to have students improve their moral character in the future.”
“Ms. Zuo offers free English classes to her students during students’ summer and winter vacations. As a result, every student has greatly improved in English. Some students earned perfect scores in five consecutive in English exams,” said another parent.
Parents' letters to Chengshousi Police Station
Overwhelming Support from Students
In their own letters to police, the students wrote that Ms. Zuo was their best teacher and that they treated her as their own mothers. They asked the police to release her sooner so that they could have class.
One student wrote, “I do not know why our beloved teacher was arrested. I thought police officers only detained bad people. Why do you detain a good person like my teacher? In my heart, my teacher not only tutors us in English, but she also teaches us to have good morality. I beg you, officers, to let my beloved teacher go quickly.”
“I do not know why such a good person like my teacher was arrested,” wrote another student. “She teaches us English. She also teaches us the virtues of life.... To enable us to continue our class, please release our teacher.”
Students' letters to Chengshousi Police Station
Responsible parties:
The police chief at Chengshousi Police Station is Li Jun (李军). The station phone number is +086-010-8716-1508.
The police chief at Fengtai Branch Police Station is Fan Hengxiao (衡晓帆). The station phone number is +086-010-63811993.
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