China’s Falun Gong persecution denies pension to elder, death toll exceeds 5,300

In Jinzhou, Liaoning province, 81‑year‑old Falun Gong practitioner Wu Xiulan has been denied her monthly pension of 3,153 yuan since 2016 after local human‑resources officials cited her religious practice. Despite a career of 34 years in public institutions, she has faced repeated refusals to file her administrative lawsuit, obstacles in appellate review, and demands to omit any reference to Falun Gong from her petitions.

Human‑rights monitors report that the persecution of Falun Gong in China has claimed at least 5,359 lives as of June 2026. Cases include kidnappings, fabricated criminal charges, lengthy imprisonments and deaths in custody, linked to the state‑run “610” Office that coordinates systemic oppression. The campaign, spanning 27 years, continues to involve arrests, forced labour, “brain‑washing” centers and punitive measures against practitioners and their families.