After March 5th, 2002 Changchun TV Broadcasts Exposing Human Rights Violations against Falun Gong Practitioners, Jiang's Regime Escalated the Brutal Persecution to Unprecedented Heights
(Clearwisdom.net) On March 5, 2002, Falun Gong practitioners in
China's northeastern city of Changchun broadcasted programs over China's
state-run airwaves, exposing the systematic atrocities against Falun Gong
practitioners and Jiang Zemin's attempts to cover them up. This exposure of the
truth produced fear in the highest levels of the regime. Enraged, Jiang Zemin
ordered to "kill without pardon" those responsible for the broadcast.
Over the next few days, more than 5,000 people believed to be practitioners of
Falun Gong were detained during an all-out and unprecedented police sweep in
Changchun, and the city was under near-martial law. Dozens were killed as a
result of police brutality during the round up. A total media blackout severely
hampered many attempts to contact locals and confirm individual reports. At
least six death cases were later confirmed. At least fifteen Falun Gong
practitioners were later sentenced to 4 to 20 years in prison. [On April 1, reports received from Changchun indicate that all leaders
in Jilin Province and Changchun city will be removed from office if another
cable TV broadcast takes place, and police officers who fail to meet their
"arrest quota" will be fired along with their supervisors. These
reports help explain the scope and severity of the police action. Such threats
are a common way for Jiang to demand results from state employees and clearly
show that the victims of Jiang's persecution campaign extend well beyond the
ranks of those who practice Falun Gong. ("A
Crisis Unfolds in Changchun" from Falun Dafa Information
Center)] In September 2002, at least fifteen practitioners involved in the broadcast
were sentenced to 4 to 19 years prison terms. Mr. Liu Chengjun, one of the main
participants of the broadcast, was sentenced to 19 years in prison and sent to
the Jilin Provincial Forced Labor Camp. On December 26, 2003, after 21 months of
torture and abuse, Mr. Liu Chengjun died Friday morning while in police custody.
On August 21, 2002, Mr. Hou Minkai, also involved in the broadcasting, was
abducted by police and tortured to death within two days. At least eight other
Falun Gong practitioners directly participating in the March 5 TV broadcast have
been tortured to death. Since mid-October of 2003, hundreds of Falun Gong
practitioners who were illegally imprisoned in Jilin Prison have been on a group
hunger strike to protest the persecution. Their current situation is not known. Six Practitioners Killed as a Result of Police Brutality During the Round-Up Around 8:00 PM on March 5, 2002, eight Changchun cable TV stations showed
programs with information about Falun Gong. The broadcast lasted about 50
minutes, after practitioners had tapped into the signal with off-the-shelf
equipment (they did not "take over the station" as some reports
suggest; no force or violence was used). One of the programs aired was the Self-Immolation
or Staged Act, a slow-motion analysis of the same film that officials had
broadcasted incessantly, following a January 2001 self-immolation incident at
Tiananmen Square. This incident was used to bend public opinion against Falun
Gong. The film, aired on March 5, cast serious doubt on the government's version
of the incident and provided evidence that, in fact, the incident was staged by
Jiang's regime. The other program was Falun Dafa Worldwide, which showed
people of more than 60 countries practicing Falun Gong, contradicting the
government's claim that Falun Gong is banned worldwide. Changchun cable TV
stations had about 300,000 household subscribers, totaling an audience of over
one million. 1. During March 2002, the police arrested Ms. Li Rong, a Falun Gong
practitioner from Changchun City, justifying it with the accusation that she had
assisted in the March 5 video broadcast. Ms. Li died of torture between March
and April of 2002 while in police custody. 2. On March 6, 2002, the police arrested 34-year-old Falun Gong practitioner
Ms. Shen Jianli, Professor of Mathematics at Jilin University's Department of
Applied Mathematics. At the end of April 2002, Professor Shen died of torture
while in police custody. Professor Shen's husband is also a Falun Gong
practitioner and currently under unlawful police detention. Their 4-year-old
daughter is currently under the care of a friend. 3. On the night of March 11, 2002, the police arrested 34-year-old Falun Gong
practitioner Mr. Liu Haibo at her home. Mr. Liu Haibo was a radiologist at
Chuncheng Hospital in Luuyuan Precinct, Changchun City. After making the arrest,
the police kept torturing Dr. Liu until after 1:00 A.M. the next day, when they
realized that his heart had already stopped beating. The police sent Dr. Liu to
the emergency room for resuscitation, but it was too late. 4. On March 16, 2002, a male Falun Gong practitioner believed to be in his
30's and an employee of the Industry and Commerce Bank was beaten to death by
police at the Public Security Bureau's branch in Jincheng Precinct in Changchun.
According to a witness, the man bore several visible wounds and showed signs of
internal bleeding from the beatings. Additionally, his body had become extremely
"contorted" from the abuse, this source reported. The man's exact
identity remains unknown as police are blocking all information related to this
case. 5. On March 18, 2002, 34-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Liu Yi from
Qingnian Road, Luuyuan area, Changchun was beaten to death by police officers
from the Public Security Bureau's Luuyuan Precinct Branch in Changchun,
according to sources in China. As of March 20th, Mr. Liu Yi's remains were held
at the People's Liberation Army 208 Hospital. The police monitored Mr. Liu Yi's
family members 24 hours a day and took measures that information of Mr. Liu's
death would not be revealed to the media. 6. On March 20, 2002, 54-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Li Shuqin was
abducted by policemen from Changjiu Road Police Station, and then tortured to
death at the 3rd Detention Center in Changchun City. 7. On March 15, 2002, Amnesty International headquarters in London issued an
Urgent Action statement (ASA 17/011/2002 UA 81/02) for Falun Gong practitioners
in Changchun. "Dozens of suspected members of the Falun Gong spiritual
movement have reportedly been detained during a security crackdown in Changchun
City, Jilin Province," the Urgent Action stated. "Amnesty
International believes they are at serious risk of torture or
ill-treatment." On April 11, 2002, Amnesty International issued another
Urgent Action Notice for practitioners in Changchun. Unfortunately, their Urgent
Action statements failed to deter Jiang Zemin and his evil cohorts' brutal
crimes. Heroes of the March 5 Video Broadcast Punished with Prison Terms of
Unprecedented Lengths According to a report on September 20, 2002 by Taiwan's Central News
Agency, Changchun City Intermediary People's Court sentenced fifteen
participants of March 5 TV broadcast to unusually long prison terms. Ms. Zhou
Runjun and Mr. Liu Weimin were each sentenced to 20 years in prison; Mr. Liang
Zhenxing and Mr. Liu Chengjun, 19 years each; Mr. Zhang Wen, 18 years; Mr. Lei
Min, 17 years; Mr. Sun Changjun, Mr. Li Dehai, and Ms. Zhao Jian, 15 years each;
Mr. Yun Qingbin and Mr. Liu Dong, 14 years each; Mr. Wei Xiushan, 12 years; Mr.
Zhuang Xiankun and Ms. Chen Yanmei, 11 years each; and Ms. Li Xiaojie, 4 years. In mid-September of 2002, during the trial, the bailiffs repeatedly dragged
the aforementioned Falun Gong practitioners to a room in the court building,
where the bailiffs brutally beat and shocked them with cattle prods. Ms. Chen
Yanmei and Mr. Liu Chengjun, besides enduring incapacitating gunshot wounds to
the legs, were subjected to savage and extended beatings by the police. Thus,
Ms. Chen Yanmei, Mr. Liu Chengjun and Mr. Liang Zhenxing lost the ability to
walk and had to be carried to their cells. In response to the brutalities that
occurred in the court, a staff member from Jilin City Prison stated,
"Whatever happened in court is none of our business. It's all done by the
Changchun City Public Security Bureau." Mr. Hou Minkai: The "610 Office" put a 50,000 Yuan Bounty on his
Head and Tortured him to Death Within two Days of his Arrest 35-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Hou Minkai from Changchun City also
participated in the March 5 video broadcast. The "610 Office" put a
50,000 yuan bounty on his head, plus a reward of two levels up in promotion. Mr.
Hou was arrested on August 21, 2002 and tortured to death by prison inmates
within two days. The police cremated his body secretly on August 23, 2002. Mr. Liu Chengjun Dies after 21 Months of Torture and Abuse After 21 months of appalling torture and abuse in police custody, one of the
men who broadcasted programs over China's state-run airwaves exposing the
systematic cover-up of atrocities against Falun Gong practitioners died on
Friday morning of December 26, 2003 in China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin
University in Changchun City, Jilin Province. On March 24, 2002, Liu Chengjun was arrested for his involvement in the
broadcasts. After making the arrest, one police officer drew his gun and shot
Mr. Liu twice in the legs and burned his hand with fire. In early May of 2002,
he was transferred to the Tiebei Detention Center, where he continued to suffer
from the police brutality. The police tortured him on the "Tiger
Bench" for 52 consecutive days. [Tiger Bench: A victim is
tied on a narrow wooden or iron bench by the thighs and knees, with hands tied
behind the back. Increasing number of boards or bricks inserted under his feet
creates excruciating pain. The police often use this device to immobilize Falun
Gong practitioners to force-feed them. (Illustration)]
Mr. Liu lost his ability to walk because of this brutal torture, and was carried
to the court for the trial. This is unlawful under the Chinese Constitution. In
September 2002, Mr. Liu was sentenced to 19 years in prison, and sent to the
Jilin Prison. Sources indicate that Mr. Liu was subjected to severe torture and abuse
throughout his imprisonment. According to eyewitnesses who saw Mr. Liu in
October 2003, he was incapacitated and "hard to recognize" from the
torture. His captors continued to torture him, even to the point that his body
and face became contorted. Thus he was barely able to speak. This continued even
while being held at the Jilin City Central Hospital. Despite an October 24
diagnosis of "acute kidney failure, cardiac arrhythmia, critical
condition" and repeated attempts by his family to arrange for medical
parole, Chinese authorities denied the request. After the police transferred Mr.
Liu to Jilin Provincial Public Security Officers' Hospital, where he was again
declared to be on the brink of death, Jilin Prison finally agreed on November 4
to grant medical parole. However, the documentation for medical parole was never
completed because Debiao Police Precinct in Nong'an County, Mr. Liu's legal
residence county, refused to put a signature stamp on the document to grant the
medical parole, for fear of potential legal consequences if Liu should die.
Instead, they transferred the application for medical parole to Nong'an County
Public Security Bureau. The Bureau's "610 Office" refused to put a
signature stamp on the document, so Jilin Prison officials later destroyed the
application. At 4:00 A.M. on December 26, 2003, Liu Chengjun died from his injuries in
China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University in Changchun City, Jilin Province
after 21 months of torture and abuse. Mr. Liu's body was cremated seven hours
after his death. No autopsy was performed and the family had not consented to
the cremation. According to eyewitnesses, there was blood in Mr. Liu's nose,
ears, on his thighs and other parts of his body. Relevant Contacts Jilin Prison Jilin City Central Hospital Changchun City Central Hospital China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University Address: 126 Xiantai Blvd., Changchun, Jilin Province 130033 Mr. Liang Zhenxing: Interrogated through Tortures in a Secret Torture Chamber According to sources from China, Mr. Liang Zhenxing, another main participant
of the March 5 video broadcast, was arrested and sent to Tiebei Detention Center
in Changchun City. Prior to his illegal trial in September 2002, the policemen
would take him out of the detention center every two to three days for
interrogation through torture. Each time Mr. Liang was covered with a blindfold
before he was taken out of Tiebei Detention Center, and returned with injuries
all over his body. Because he is a local resident in Changchun City, he was able
to guess that the so-called "interrogation" took place near Jingyue
Lake in Changchun. The police keep a secret torture chamber near Jingyue Lake,
where they subjected Mr. Liang to all kinds of brutal tortures. Video Broadcasts Show the Factual Information about Falun Gong Since the successful March 5's video broadcast in Changchun City, video
programs with factual information about Falun Gong continued to be broadcasted
all over China. The lies Jiang Zemin had publicized to justify the persecution
against Falun Gong were exposed one by one. On October 26, 2003, Falun Gong practitioners tapped into a cable TV network
from a node in the north of the water tower belonging to Nahe City Train Station
in Nahe City, Heilongjiang Province, and between 6:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M
successfully broadcasted more than 20 minutes of video programs with factual
information about Falun Gong. Approximately 600 households watched the video
program. In August 2003, Falun Gong practitioners developed a high-power transmitter
and successfully aired video programs with factual information about Falun Gong
in Southern China, where almost everyone owns a TV set. Hundreds of thousands of
viewers watched nearly an hour of truth clarification programs. Because they
made thorough arrangements beforehand and used a timer to automatically start
the transmission, all of the practitioners safely withdrew from the transmitting
location. At the same time, they used effective methods to prevent their
facilities from being detected, so the police never found the transmitter. On January 23, 2003, the second anniversary of the deceptive Self-Immolation
incident in Tiananmen Square, Falun Gong practitioners from a city in Northeast
China successfully broadcasted a program revealing the truth of the staged
Tiananmen Square Self-Immolation on cable TV in a residential area. The program
lasted more than 30 minutes and could be viewed on all the cable TV channels. Around 8:00 P.M. on October 19, 2002, a cable TV channel in a Southwestern
city broadcasted a video program with information about Falun Gong for about two
hours. Some of the audience members were able to watch programs entitled Witness,
Self-immolation or Staged Act, 36 Western Practitioners Appeal in
Beijing and Falun Dafa Around the World. According to a Radio Free Asia media report on September 6, 2002,
around 7:15 P.M. on September 6, 2002, Falun Gong truth clarification programs
were successfully broadcasted on cable TV programs belonging to the Baiyin
Company in Baiyin City, Gansu Province. This cable system covers an area of
approximately 3 kilometers (or 1.86 miles) in diameter and provides TV broadcast
services to 100,000 Baiyin company employees and their families. The program
lasted about 15 minutes and exposed Jiang's brutal persecution of Falun Gong. More Than 100 Falun Gong Practitioners in Mortal Danger in Jilin Prison According to Minghui.org's Chinese report on October 26, 2003, more than 100
Falun Gong practitioners who are illegally imprisoned in Jilin Prison began a
group hunger strike to protest the brutal persecution against them and other
Falun Gong practitioners. Their lives are in mortal danger. It has been
confirmed that Mr. Liu Chengjun was at the brink of death on October 26. Now
that Liu Chengjun has been tortured to death, they have become the immediate
targets. Their current situation warrants grave and immediate concern! Jilin Prison Intercepting TV Programs with Video Programming Showing Factual Information
about Falun Gong Protects the Audience's Right to Know the Truth Driven by an illogical jealousy over Falun Gong's overwhelming popularity in
China, Jiang Zemin has been frantically persecuting Falun Gong practitioners,
and during the process has murdered countless practitioners. Meanwhile, in order
to sustain the persecution by instigating people's hatred toward Falun Gong,
Jiang Zemin has abused his power and used the nation's TV stations and other
media as his personal propaganda tools to spread fabricated stories and
fictitious acts to slander Falun Gong. Jiang and his group of depraved cohorts
have never adhered to China's law in dealing with Falun Gong practitioners. The
entire world was once misguided by the Jiang regime's poisonous deceit, and
could not easily see that a Chinese Communist leader in today's modern world has
started another persecution against people of belief. Today's Falun Gong practitioners who conduct themselves by the principles of
Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance are standing up against Jiang Zemin's
genocide of Falun Gong practitioners using a non-violent approach. Falun Gong
practitioners in China have been traveling far and wide to distribute to the
Chinese people materials containing the truth about Falun Gong and to post
messages on the streets and alleys throughout China. They have been risking
their precious lives to broadcast video programs. The have been diligent in
exposing the lies Jiang Zemin uses to justify the persecution. They show factual
information about the magnificence of Falun Gong. They have been doing these
noble and courageous deeds to free the Chinese people from Jiang Zemin's
poisonous lies, to bring out the conscience in Chinese people, to ally
themselves with supportive people throughout the world to condemn Jiang Zemin's
campaign of suppression, and to prevent more people from becoming victims of his
lies. Minghui.org has heard from Chinese readers who wrote and expressed their
admiration for those courageous Falun Gong practitioners who stood up and spoke
the truth about Falun Gong. Some of the most common feedback includes: "Not
everyone has the courage to be a hero. Please forgive my lack of courage to step
out and speak the truth. Yet I still have some good conscience left in me to
know that what you have been doing is right. You have helped increasing numbers
of people to wake up and recognize Jiang Zemin's lies. I sincerely hope that you
will continue your efforts." "This iron cage (metaphor for China under
the information blockade) needs more sunlight!" "It is my opinion
that, if everyone conducted himself in ways similar to Falun Gong practitioners,
the skyrocketing crime rate would definitely drop substantially. How wonderful
it would be if everyone could learn to discipline himself and adhere to moral
values and become compassionate like Falun Gong practitioners!" To free people from Jiang Zemin's lies, Falun Gong practitioners persevere in
clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution with rationality, and
endure the physical and spiritual torments inflicted upon them. Many
practitioners have lost their lives during the process. But their efforts shall
not be in vain. The concepts of honoring kindness and turning away from
wickedness have been running in the veins of the Chinese people for more than
5,000 years, and shall never be washed away by Jiang Zemin's reign of terror. In
the course of history this is but an instant. Increasing numbers of people
continue to step forward to support Falun Gong's voice of justice and
righteousness. Falun Gong practitioners shall continue their efforts until the
world is enveloped with Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.
Address: 100 Junmin Road, Jilin City, Jilin Province 132000
Operator: 86-432-4881551
Department of Education: 86-432-4881511 x3040
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Fax: 86-432-4881559
Address: 4 Nanjing Street, Jilin City, Jilin Province 132011
Operator: 86-432-2456181
Office: 86-432-2452391
Fax: 86-432-2452391
Address: No.1810 People's Street, Changchun City, Jilin Province
130051
Telephone:
86-431-8916232
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86-431-8916234
Email: zxyy@public.jl.cn
Telephone:
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Email: nic@mail.5413.com.cn
Address: 100 Junmin Road, Jilin City, Jilin Province 132000
Operator: 86-432-4881551
Department of Education: 86-432-4881511 x3040
Department of Prison Politics: 86-432-2409418
Prison Procuratorate: 86-432-4881515
Fax: 86-432-4881559
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/12/31/63681.html
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