53 Falun Gong Deaths Reported in Three Weeks

NEW YORK (FDI) -- As the persecution of Falun Gong continues, the methods Jiang Zemin's regime uses to attempt to eliminate the peaceful practice have become increasingly brutal and have claimed more and more lives.

Since March 1st, the deaths of 53 Falun Gong practitioners from torture and mistreatment in the hands of Chinese authorities have been reported. This is the largest number of confirmed deaths to be reported in a three-week time period since the persecution began in July 1999.

Reports of the following 6 Falun Gong practitioners have just been confirmed:

• Zhao Xianzhong, a 50 year old woman from Qinghai province, the third Falun Gong practitioner to die in the Qinghai Province Women's Forced Labor Camp
• Zhao Kaisheng, a 61 year-old male resident of Dong'gang City, Liaoning Province, who died from long-term torture and psychological abuse
• Shen Shuhua, a 47 year-old female citizen of Changyi District, Jilin City, who fell to her death in a forced labor camp
• Liu Mingke, a resident of Jilin City
• Guo Shufen, a 49 year-old female resident of Jilin City, who died from denial of food and water in a local police substation
• Wang Ziguang, a 54 year-old Communist Party member in Jilin City

Mrs. Zhao Xianzhong Becomes Third Death at Qinghai Women's Forced Labor Camp

Mrs. Zhao Xianzhong, a 50 year-old resident of Qinghai Province, was originally illiterate, but amazingly, she learned how to read the book Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Gong, within a matter of months. Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, Zhao Xianzhong has been detained on four separate occasions in the Qinghai Women's Forced Labor Camp, where two fellow practitioners, Ms. Fan Lihong and Ms. Tan Yingchun were earlier tortured to death.

The first time, Ms. Zhao was sentenced to one year of forced labor because she appealed for Falun Gong in Beijing. Later on, she was arrested because she tried to tell others the truth about Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong, and was sentenced to 3 more years of forced labor. She was tortured very brutally during this time, and was released after 3 months due to her declining health. Around the Chinese New Year of 2002, she was again arrested and held in solitary confinement for fifteen days, and again released because of her declining physical condition.

The fourth instance occurred in November 2002, when police surrounded Zhao and her husband He Wanji's home. Two girls, 2 and 12 years old, were visiting the household. The police illegally detained all four of them and even held the innocent girls for 12 hours before releasing them. Mrs. Zhao was once again placed in solitary confinement. Due to suffering even more torture, even though Zhao Xianzhong was released, she could no longer walk on her own. Her health kept declining until she finally died on February 22nd, 2003.

Police Extort more than 10,000 Yuan from Practitioner Before Torturing him to Death

Zhao Kaisheng, a 61 year-old man from the Northeast of China, Dong'gang City in Liaoning Province, was detained on September 10th, 1999, only months after the beginning of the persecution, on counts of "disturbing social order". His family was forced to pay 2000 Yuan to secure his release, but could not secure his safety, as Zhao was detained in June 2000 and then again on December 13th, 2000. The incident in December occurred when police arrested Zhao on his way to Beijing. He was taken to a local detention center, where police extorted approximately 10,600 Yuan from him and held him for 70 days.

On February 21st, 2001, Zhao was sent to the Dandong Labor Camp for 2 years of "labor re-education" (a euphemism of Party doublespeak meaning intense brainwashing, torture, forced labor, humiliation, possibly sexual abuse and even, in this and many other cases, death). Due to the brutal tortures he received in the labor camp, Zhao Kaisheng was released in officials' attempts to shirk responsibility for their criminal behavior. Police continued to harass him even at home, however, and on April 23rd, 2002, Zhao Kaisheng died from labor camp abuses.

Jilin City Resident Falls to Death from Tall Building

Ms. Shen Shuhua, a 47 year-old practitioner from Changyi District, Jilin City, was detained in September 1999 in the Xindihao Police Substation. She was forced to labor against her will cleaning windows of tall buildings. In June 2000, she was told to retrieve a bucket that she had left outside, and unexpectedly fell to her death.

Female Resident of Jilin City Dies from Torture in Police Custody

Liu Mingke, a female Falun Gong practitioner from Jilin City, was persecuted to death on June 15th, 2002. Due to the Chinese government's information blockade regarding Falun Gong practitioners' deaths, no more information is yet available in Ms. Liu's case.

Female Villager Dies Within One Week of Illegal Detention

Guo Shufen, a 49 year-old female resident of Erdao Village in the Fengman District of Jilin City, traveled to Beijing in October 1999 to appeal for Falun Gong. Police returned her to her village, where she was detained in a local police substation and denied food, water, and visitors. Guo Shufen died within one week of receiving such treatment.

Communist Party Member Arrested and Killed For Practicing Falun Gong

Wang Ziguang, a 54 year-old male and also a resident of Jilin City, was a Communist Party member and the teaching director for the No. 25 Jilin City Middle School. Local police arrested Wang in his home because he was a Falun Gong practitioner. He was initially detained in local government offices, then transferred to the city labor camp. In the fall of 2000, Wang was released when he was on the verge of death due to torture in the labor camp. He died 4 to 5 days after his release.

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NEWS -- Mar. 23, 2003

Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.

The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 636 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER -- Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, or Feng Yuan 917-941-1097. Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/

Posting date: 3/24/2003
Original article date: 3/24/2003
Category: Eye Witness Accounts

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