(Clearwisdom.net, June 7^th News) Yang Jitang is 53 years old. He lives in the Haila'er District, Hulunbei'er City, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In April of 1998, his friends introduced Falun Dafa to him, which he has practiced since then. Within one year he regained his health after being extremely weak for a long time. Under his influence, his son, Yang Bo, started practicing Falun Dafa in October of 1998. He also greatly benefited from practicing Falun Dafa.

In July of 2000, Yang Jitang went to Beijing to appeal. Instead of having his appeal heard, Beijing Police officials kidnapped him on August 3, 2000. Enforcers from his local police department escorted him back to his hometown on August 7, 2000. That same day, the police located his son, Yang Bo, and questioned him whether he also practices Falun Gong, and if anybody else in the family practices Falun Gong. When they found out that Yang Bo also practices Falun Gong, they abducted him right away and imprisoned him with the father. They forced Yang Bo to write a "Guarantee Letter"* against his will after 15 days of detention before letting him go home. They held Yang Jitang until 50 days later.

On March 15, 2001, the local street police abducted Yang Jitang and his son again and sent them to a brainwashing "class" conducted by the local Political and Judiciary Committee and the local Judicial Bureau. During the brainwash sessions, the police forced them to read literature that slandered Dafa and forced them to practice another type of Qigong. They also compelled them to follow the orders "from above" to slander Falun Gong, and put them under duress to get the practitioners to write the "Guarantee Letter," "Letter of Regret," saying that they will give up practicing Falun Gong. Since the two men refused to co-operate with the evil, they, together with several other practitioners, were sent to a detention center and imprisoned with common criminal offenders. Yang Jitang and his son were imprisoned in the detention center on April 9th, 2001 and were held there until July 4th, 2001. Other practitioners were illegally sent to forced labor camps.

In 2002, the local Political and Judiciary Committee and enforcers from the "610 Office"** held another brainwashing session. On July 29th, Yang Jitang and his son were again abducted by persons from the local street police, and taken to the brainwashing center. Since they refused to co-operate with the evil and resisted the persecution, Yang Jitang and his son, together with several other fellow practitioners, were once more sent to a detention center. With the help of fellow practitioners outside who kept sending forth righteous thoughts, and with pressure from various sources, the local Political and Judiciary Committee authorities and the enforcers from the "610 Office" had to release Yang Jitang and his son on March 28, 2002. Other practitioners were sentenced to forced labor for two-three years and were sent to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Anmeng Tumuji Labor Camp. We have not heard any information about them since that date.

Shengli Street Police Station, Haila'er District: 86-470-823-4444

Police Official Sun Liangdong: 86-470-8346610 (Home)

*The so-called "Guarantee Statement" is a statement to declare that he or she is remorseful for practicing Falun Gong and guarantees not to practice Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

**"610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

Posting date: 6/21/2003
Original article date: 6/20/2003
Category: Eye Witness Accounts
Translated on 6/15/2003
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/6/7/51792.html

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