NEW YORK (FDI) -- After more than 3 years of torture and abuse, 65 year-old Mr. Quanfu Zhang was beaten to death in a Chinese forced-labor camp. His son, Qifa Zhang, died 16 days later from sustained torture in the same labor camp.

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Mr. Zhang and his son were both employees of the Jiangyuan County Forestry Bureau in Baishan City. In December 1999 they traveled together to Beijing to peacefully appeal to authorities to end the persecution of Falun Gong. They were subsequently held for approximately a month in a local detention center.

Mr. Zhang and his son returned to Beijing two months later in February 2000 and were arrested again. The son was taken to Baishan City Labor Camp for 2 years of forced labor. Mr. Zhang was sentenced to 18 months of forced labor.

After continuous harassment from local police following their return home in 2002, the father and son were abducted from their home on the evening of March 6th, and sent to the Chaoyanggou Labor Camp for another year of forced labor.

In the Chaoyanggou Labor Camp, eyewitnesses say the elder Mr. Zhang was physically dragged to meals because he had lost the ability to walk after prolonged torture and abuse. Mr. Zhang defecated pus and blood, his body was covered with scabies, and he became dangerously thin, these eyewitnesses say.

On January 2nd, 2003 Mr. Zhang was beaten to death.

At the time of his father's death, Qifa was also in critical condition. The skin all over his body was discolored and covered with scars, boils and bruises. His legs were so badly injured he could not walk. He also had difficulty breathing.

Fearing responsibility for his death, the labor camp released Qifa on January 18, 2003. He died the next day from his injuries. He was 38 years old.

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NEWS - May. 19, 2003
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

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Posting date: 5/22/2003
Original article date: 5/21/2003
Category: News & Media Reports

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