NEW YORK (FDI) -- Four Falun Gong practitioners in China have died from torture or other mistreatment received in Chinese prisons, and a fifth died while trying to escape police who were attempting to detain him because of his Falun Gong practice.

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Mr. Yu Yongquan, (45) was an employee of Daqing City No.2 Rice Plant. Just over a year ago, on March 11th, 2002, he was kidnapped by Daqing police and taken to Rangqu District Detention Center.

The police searched Yu's home and prevented his wife from going to work. On September 22, 2002, the Rangqu District Court in Daqing City sentenced Yu to 10 years in prison. His family wasn't notified of the prison sentence and they had no idea where Yu was being held. They later found out that he had been transferred to Daqing City Red Satellite Prison. However, even after Yu's family found out where he was, the prison staff wouldn't allow them to visit.

On March 8th, 2003, Yu's wife received a notice to come to the prison. When she arrived, her husband was dead. The prison staff told her that her healthy husband had died of a cerebral hemorrhage, however, when his wife took a closer look at Yu's body, she discovered that his skull was soft.

Ms. Zhang Zhenqui, (43) a worker in the Changchun Tire Factory, was turned in to the police on February 20, 2003 for preparing materials explaining the true situation of Falun Gong's persecution for public distribution. She was tortured so severely in the police station and the Kuancheng District Public Security Bureau that she had to be sent to the Armed Police Hospital for emergency treatment. Ms. Zhang died in the hospital and the police cremated her on February 25th before her family could see the body. The police then ordered her family to pay the cremation fees.

Mr. Sun Fanzhe, (34) was a worker in the Harbin City Cement Factory. Police trapped Mr. Sun inside a rented room on February 20 and 21, 2003. When Mr. Sun tried to escape from the room, he fell from a window to his death. Two of his fellow workers, Liu Qi and Liu Hongtao, were arrested at the same time.

Mr. Wang Wenxue, (63) from Pingfang District, Harbin City, was a retired worker from Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Company. On June 1st, 2000, Mr. Wang was detained at Pingfang Police Substation and held for 15 days. The guards stripped him naked, forced him to lie on the cement floor and then ordered other inmates to beat him up. Fearing that he would die in their custody, the police released Mr. Wang Wenxue, and he died less than a month afterward.

Ms. Yin Ling, a resident of Shuangyashan City No.579 Farm, Heilongjiang Province, was imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong. She died on December 11, 2002. Further details of her case are under investigation.

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NEWS - Mar. 28, 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 640 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
Contacts: Gail Rachlin (+1 917-501-4441), Levi Browde (+1 914-720-0963), Erping Zhang (+1 646-533-6147), or Feng Yuan (+1 917-941-1097).
Fax: 646-792-3916 Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com,
Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/
Mailbox of FalunInfo editor@faluninfo.net

Posting date: 3/29/2003
Original article date: 3/28/2003
Category: News & Media Reports

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