Falun Gong Human Rights Newsletter Issue 5
Falun Gong Human Rights Newsletter
June 2004
Dear Reader:
This issue of our Newsletter focuses on the Chinese
government's severe persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and their families. The Chinese government's genocide against Falun Gong
has continued for nearly five years. Throughout this time the range of targeted
victims has gone beyond the hundreds of thousands of murdered, detained and
tortured Falun Gong practitioners to include their family, friends and
co-workers.
The Chinese authorities regularly expel the children of
Falun Gong practitioners from school, deny family members the right to visit
their loved ones in detention, extort money from families, pressure spouses to
divorce practitioners, and detain family members until they turn in a
practitioner the authorities cannot hunt down. Countless husbands and wives have
been arbitrarily detained and illegally sentenced to labor camps, leaving their
children to fend for themselves. In many cases, after seeing the mangled and
tortured body of their once-healthy son or daughter, the elderly parents of
practitioners become depressed and pass away from grief. Since July 1999,
hundreds of thousands of previously happy families in China have been torn
apart, devastated, and decimated.
The cases in this newsletter, many of which have been
submitted to the United Nations, highlight this persecution of entire families,
though they represent only a very small fraction of the reports we receive.
Those who send this information from inside China do so
at great personal risk. We ask only that you review this information, convey the
urgency of the situation to your colleagues, and help end this senseless
onslaught.
Thank you for your kind attention.
The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group
Table of Contents:
in an Attempt to Arrest Her Husband Ms. Wang Shuimei, female, is a resident
of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province.
Since China's government started persecuting
Falun Gong in 1999, Ms. Wang's husband, Mr. Dong Junming, has
been arbitrarily detained many times for practicing Falun Gong. In the
summer of 2002, Mr. Dong had no choice but to leave his home, to avoid
further persecution. In an attempt to arrest Mr. Dong, on September 30,
2002, the city's "610 Office" and the head of the First Division of the
City Police Station, Wang Xianzeng, broke into Ms. Wang's home. Ms. Wang
was holding her three-year-old daughter, so Wang Xianzeng snatched the
frightened child away from her. While the child watched, the police
grabbed hold of Ms. Wang's hair, verbally abused her, and handcuffed her
from behind. They dragged her to the living room and stuffed a towel in
her mouth to silence her. She spit the towel out. Then Wang Xianzeng
stuffed it into her mouth again, using a stainless steel soup ladle.
They ripped out a lot of her hair, and blood dripped onto her clothes.
Ms. Wang was then sent to the Changli brainwashing center in Qinhuangdao
City, where she was held hostage because the police could not find her
husband. She was not released until August 29, 2003, eleven months
later.
During her detention, she went on hunger
strikes to protest the detention, and was force-fed as a result. Because
of the rough insertion of the force-feeding tubes through her nose, her
nose bled profusely.
During her mother's detention, Ms. Wang's
three-year-old daughter had to live with her grandparents. Since she
witnessed her mother's violent arrest, she has suffered severe emotional
trauma. She often screams in her sleep and awakens from nightmares.
In June 2003, Ms. Wang's husband was found,
arrested again, and sent to the Hehuakeng Labor Camp in Tangshan City,
Hebei Province. For Her Belief in Falun Gong Before the persecution After release from the Brainwashing Center Ms. Zhu Xia, 32, is a resident of
Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Address: Apt. 1, Unit 3, Building 4, 5
Jinrong Road, Guangrong District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Tel:
+86-28-7643584.
Since July 1999, Ms. Zhu has repeatedly been
arbitrarily detained for practicing Falun Gong, including during her
pregnancy and while she was nursing. In January 2001, when Ms. Zhu went
to Tiananmen Square to appeal to the government, a policeman beat her
and hit her eight-month-old baby with a baton. The next day, a Chengdu
government official whipped the baby with a leather belt. On August 15,
2001, the police sentenced Ms. Zhu to forced labor and sent her to the
Nanmusi Women's Labor Camp, where she was detained for 14 months. The
labor camp authorities tortured her in every conceivable way. Guard
Zhang Xiaofang instructed the inmates to stuff her mouth with a dirty
cloth. Then they dragged her over ground that was covered with rough
rocks. As a result, the skin on her back, hips, and thighs was torn and
covered with rocks and blood. Then Zhang and some inmates tortured Ms.
Zhu on a "Tiger Bench."[1]
They put several bricks on her thighs and one inmate then sat on the
bricks, and moved around a lot in order to intensify the pain. Later,
Zhang and the inmates took turns grabbing her hair and hitting her head
against the wall. Zhang told her, "I will hit your head until you have a
cerebral concussion and become a lunatic." In addition to the physical
torture, Ms. Zhu's was often not allowed to use the restroom, bathe, or
change her clothes. Inmates were ordered to curse her. During the
summer, she was forced to remain exposed to the sun, and during the
winter she was forced to stand outside wearing hardly any clothing. She
was deprived of sleep for long periods of time and was often forced to
stand or sit for a long time without blinking.
On October 27, 2002, Ms. Zhu's term ended, but
the chief of the Chengdu City "610 Office," He Yuanfu, transferred her
to the Pengzhou City brainwashing center, the Pi County brainwashing
center, and the Xinlu County brainwashing center in succession to
further persecute her. Because of the continued sleep deprivation and
physical and mental torture in the brainwashing centers, Ms. Zhu had a
mental breakdown. She often hallucinated or was delirious. Even after
her mental breakdown, the authorities refused to release her. As a
result, her mental condition worsened, becoming very severe. She often
cried or laughed at any time of day or night, knocked on doors and
windows, and excreted everywhere. Ms Zhu was finally released on April
2, 2004.
Ms. Zhu's husband, Mr. Wang Shilin, who
is also a Falun Gong practitioner, is still detained at the Xinhua Labor
Camp in Mianyang City.
--------------------------- [1]
In the "Tiger Bench" torture, the
victim's knees and thighs are tied to a narrow wooden or iron bench,
with the hands tied behind the back. Increasing the 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.
Ms. Fang Jing (left rear) Mr. Yang Zhu (right rear) The following is an open letter from two young
sisters in Chengdu City, written on December 11, 2003, calling for the
rescue of their parents.
How are you? My name is Yang Xinyu. I am
11-years-old and in the 5th grade. My little sister is Fang Nanjie. She
is nine years old and in the 3rd grade. We go to Longzhoulu Grade
School. We live in the Longzhou Subdivision, Section #4, Building #3,
Unit 2, Apartment #1, Longzhounanxiang Road, Jingjiang District, Chengdu
City, Sichuan Province.
We once had a happy family of five -
grandfather, father, mother, sister, and me. My parents were both
laid-off. To support our family, they took to peddling vegetables. They
worked very hard and endured a lot of pressure. My mom was always sick
with something. In 1995, my mother started to practice Falun Gong, and
pretty soon she wasn't getting sick any more. Then our whole family
began to practice Falun Gong. Dad, Mom and Grandpa paid close attention
to my sister's and my schoolwork even though they were very busy. They
patiently taught us to draw, paint, write, and do calligraphy. I loved
our happy family of five. I love my dad and mom.
Since July 20, 1999, however, just like
thousands of other Falun Gong practitioners, the officials tried to
persuade my mom to stop practicing. My mom wouldn't quit, so they put
her in jail for 15 days. After mom got out, she spent all her savings on
an airplane ticket and flew to Beijing to appeal for the right to
practice Falun Gong. My grandpa and dad stayed home because I was just
starting first grade. Soon after mom came back, police broke into our
home and arrested her for going to Tiananmen Square. My family was so
sad and depressed. One month later, we received a notice that my mom
would be sentenced to one and a half years of forced labor. My sister
and I started sobbing when we saw the notice. On the day she was
arrested, my mom did not want to go with the police, but four policemen
put handcuffs on her, and carried her away. Every time I recall that
scene, I always regret that I did not grab Mom's hands and stop the
police.
Mom left us. So my grandma came from the
village to take care of my sister and me. My mom was held in the Nanmusi
Women's Labor Camp in Zizhong, Sichuan Province. The living conditions
in the labor camp were miserable. In trying to force the practitioners
to give up practicing, the labor camp forced my mom and other
practitioners to sit straight, with both legs pushed tightly together.
If anybody moved even a little, the guards and criminals would beat,
kick, and taunt them. They were not allowed to take showers and only had
5 minutes in the morning and at night for brushing their teeth and
washing. But my mom never gave up her belief.
In July 2001, after mom got out, my whole
family took the train to Beijing to appeal again. A short while after we
arrived at Tiananmen Square, a group of policemen came to us. They
forcibly pushed my dad into the police car. Then they wound the yellow
banner twice around my mother's neck and pulled it tight. Mom almost
couldn't breathe. After a while, they released her. My sister and I
again witnessed the police's wild behavior, this time at the special
location of Tiananmen Square in the light of day. We couldn't hold back
our tears. Later we left Beijing with our mom.
After dad came home, in a very few months, my
parents were put back in jail again for telling other people about the
persecution of Falun Gong. Our grandma had to come from her village to
take care of us again. During these four years, our family experienced
separations like this many times. Soon we received the notice of my
parents' sentences: Mom was sentenced to three years in a labor camp,
and Dad was sentenced to two years of forced labor. My grandpa's health
deteriorated day by day, both from grief and his old age. He passed away
in February 2003. If my parents heard this tragic news, they would be so
sad. We were all deeply shocked and sad. Grandpa loved us dearly when he
was alive. When we were in trouble, he used his small income to support
the family. Before his death, he still had a lot that he wanted to tell
my parents.
I hope the government and the authorities stop
the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and allow all children to
grow up in warm sunshine with the love of their fathers, mothers, and
families.
Mom and Dad please don't worry about us. We are
all doing fine. Please take care of yourselves. To the policemen in the
prison, please treat my parents nicely. To those kind people who know
about this case, help us so that together we can rescue our parents and
they can come home soon.
Your loving daughters: Yang Xinyu (writer) Fang Nanjie
Note: Father: Mr. Yang Zhu, detained in Xinhua Labor Camp in Mianyang City,
Sichuan Province Mother: Ms. Fang Jing, detained in Dabao Village Women's Labor Camp
Section #42, Dabao Village, Luodaiwen'an Town, Longquanyi District,
Chengdu City, Sichuan Province One is on the Verge of Death Three sisters, from Shijiazhuang City, Hebei
Province, practice Falun Gong. Ms. Li Huimin is the eldest sister
in the family. Ms. Li Huixin is the second-born sister, a former
employee of the passenger department of the Shijiazhuang Branch of the
Railroad Bureau. Ms. Li Huiqi is the youngest sister, a former
employee of the Shijiazhuang Paint Factory. As a result of the torture,
the youngest sister has been paralyzed for almost two years, and the
second-born sister's arms are disabled. Their entire family has suffered
endless grief due to the persecution of Falun Gong. The details of their
story follow:
On May 8, 2003, the police arrested Ms. Li
Huimin and sent her to the Shijiazhuang Railroad Police Station's hotel
for interrogation.
As of 2003, Ms. Li Huixin had been forced to
stay away from her home for over two years, to avoid being persecuted
for practicing Falun Gong. Authorities from the local "610 Office" as
well as Shijiazhuang Railroad police had been pursuing her. On May 8,
2003, policemen Huang He, Wang Liyan and others from the Shijiazhuang
Railroad Police Bureau arrested her on the street. They covered her head
with a black plastic hood, and secretly detained her in the Eastern
Guesthouse. They hung her up by her arms and beat her for over 24 hours.
As a result, both her arms were disabled, and she had wounds all over
her body. Then they sent her to the Hebei Provincial Anti-Falun Gong
Brainwashing Center where she suffered physical and psychological
torture.
Ms. Li Huixin's son, Mao Mao was in elementary
school. During his mother's detention, the Railroad Police Bureau police
frequently followed and threatened him. They even forced Mao Mao's
school to expel him. The child had to transfer to two different schools
to continue his education. Later, Mao Mao was forced to live with his
aunt, Ms. Li Huijie. The police then went to her home to keep him under
observation.
On December 2, 2001, officials from the Weiming
Street Police Station in Shijiazhuang City arrested Ms. Li Huiqui
because she publicly revealed the facts about the persecution of Falun
Gong to the local people. She was imprisoned at the Shijiazhuang City
No. 1 Detention Center for two months. On February 2, 2002, Ms. Li Huiqi
was sentenced to one year of forced labor and was sent to the Second
Squad of the Fourth Brigade of the Shijiazhuang Labor Camp, where guards
tortured her because she refused to give up Falun Gong. She was
repeatedly tortured until she was on the verge of death. Her family was
concerned. Several times they requested to visit her. They also asked
that she be given medical treatment. However, the authorities rejected
the family's requests.
By April 8, 2002, Ms. Li Huiqi's could barely
breathe, so the labor camp sent her to the Peoples' Hospital of Hebei
Province to obtain urgent care. When her family members arrived, they
could not recognize her, because she was so severely emaciated. Despite
her critical condition, the doctors performed surgery on her, cutting
open her abdomen, and stitching up the wound after finding nothing
wrong. The operation weakened her, causing her to develop a high fever
and fall into a coma. To examine her further, the doctors inserted an
instrument into her spine, causing her extreme pain. In addition,
because she had difficulty breathing, the doctors performed a
tracheotomy, cutting open her windpipe and inserting a breathing tube.
After the operation she developed a severe infection in her lungs.
On May 30, 2002, Ms. Li Huiqi was transferred
to the Third Hospital of Hebei Province for treatment. Once, the
breathing tube accidentally blocked her windpipe, suffocated her, and,
for a time, put her in a deep coma. Moreover, she developed bedsores.
The biggest one was 3 cm by 4 cm, and was so deep that it reached the
bone. Despite her critical situation, the police continued to harass
her. Five uniformed and three plain-clothes policemen monitored her 24
hours a day, and attempted to arrest any Falun Gong practitioners who
came to see her. Due to the intensity of the persecution, and the poor
and insufficient treatment, she became paralyzed. She suffered from lung
and urinary system infections, and often lost consciousness. Her whole
body twitched constantly, and she could breathe only with the aid of a
machine.
On December 3, 2002, the Director of the
Shijiazhuang Labor Camp, Zhao Jinlong, ordered policeman Zhou Yilin to
stop Ms. Li's hospital care. He told the hospital not to rescue her if
her condition became critical again. Under the pretext that her term of
incarceration was over, the Shijiazhuang Labor Camp stopped paying for
her medical expenses. Despite the fact that Ms. Li Huiqi still relies on
a tube for breathing and feeding, she has been sent home. The local "610
Office" still sends people to monitor her and her family members.
Because of the persecution, the Li family lives
in poverty. Although she was already suffering financially, Ms. Li
Huimin covers Ms. Li Huiqi's medical expenses. Moreover, on many
occasions the "610 Office" has attempted to shut down the family's small
shop, their only source of income.
After Ms. Li Huiqi's story was publicized on
the Internet overseas, the local "610 Office" repeatedly threatened and
put pressure on Ms. Li Huixin's husband, who is not a Falun Gong
practitioner, to divorce her. He could not handle the pressure and filed
the demanded divorce papers. Husband Arrested, Child Becomes Homeless Ms. Xing Yuzhen was a 42-year-old senior
teacher at the Daqing City Sixth Middle School, Daqing City,
Heilongjiang Province. Her husband, Mr. Jiang Nianxiang, was a mining
engineer. They had a 14-year-old child; Ms. Xing's mother-in-law also
lived with them. Their health benefited in many ways from practicing
Falun Gong. They were a happy family. However, after the central
government started persecuting Falun Gong, that happiness was shattered.
During the period from June to December 2000,
Ms. Xing went to Beijing three times to appeal to the government to stop
the persecution of Falun Gong. Each time, she was arrested and detained.
Once, she was detained for 75 days in Daqing City and forcibly
brainwashed for 18 days. During her detention, she went on a hunger
strike. As a result, she was tortured and force-fed.
After her release, Ms.Xing was forced to become
homeless to avoid further persecution. On May 11, 2001, she was arrested
again and sent to the Daqing City Detention Center, where she went on a
hunger strike for 40 days and was force-fed. Later, she was sentenced to
one year of forced labor in the Harbin Drug Rehabilitation Center.
There, she went on hunger strike for 39 days. The police force-fed her
and claimed that it cost more than a thousand Yuan. They ordered her
family to pay this cost. She was released on May 11, 2002.
Since she continued to practice Falun Gong, in
the early morning on September 6, 2002, police from the Rangu District
Police Station arrested her at her home, and detained her at the Daqing
City Detention Center, where she went on a hunger strike for more than
one month. Every day the police ordered inmates to force-feed her. Then
she was transferred to the Saqu District Detention Center, where she
continued the hunger strike. On December 3, 2002, she was transferred to
the Harbin Drug Rehabilitation Center, and was later sentenced to three
years of forced labor. Because the authorities have blocked all
information about her, her current condition in the labor camp is
unknown.
Her husband was dismissed from his job because
he practices Falun Gong. In the early morning on September 6, 2002,
police from the Rangu District Police Station arrested him at home.
Ms. Xing's ailing mother-in-law passed away in
October 2003 because she was unable to endure the shock and worry after
the couple's arrest.
In only three years, their child not only lost
his grandmother and his loving parents, but also witnessed his mom and
dad being arbitrarily detained and tortured. He was also expelled from
school and forced to become homeless because his parents practice Falun
Gong. It is said that a relative has adopted the child. and Tortured to Death in a Mental Hospital Ms. Xiao Guiying, was a resident of
Yueyang City, Hunan Province. Before she began to practice Falun Gong in
1996, she suffered for years from osteophytosis and other diseases. Soon
after she took up the practice of Falun Gong, all of her illnesses went
away.
Ms. Xiao's husband, Yan Youhua, was the former
Treasurer of Yueyang City. Because Ms. Xiao refused to accept bribes
after beginning to practice Falun Gong, Yan Youhua was very hostile
towards Falun Gong and wrote some articles to slander it. Pressured by
her husband, Ms. Xiao reluctantly gave up practicing Falun Gong. Her
illnesses soon returned, and she became paralyzed. After the persecution
of Falun Gong started in July 1999, Ms. Xiao made up her mind to start
practicing Falun Gong again. Soon after, she was able to walk around
with ease.
Yan Youhua, who had several mistresses,
attempted to divorce Ms. Xiao, but she refused. After the persecution of
Falun Gong began, in order to avoid being implicated, he intensified his
abuse toward her. In early 2002, Ms. Xiao was forced to leave home.
Later, Yan Youhua and his son colluded with the
police and kidnapped Ms. Xiao in Changsha City, her hometown. After they
brought her back home, they kept her tied to a tree. Later, Yan Youhua
sent her to the Yueyang City Rongjiawan Detention Center, where she was
held for over half a year. Afterwards, Yan Youhua and his son wanted to
have her sent to a forced labor camp, but she failed to pass the camp's
medical examination. Ms. Xiao managed to escape on the way back from the
labor camp, but was later arrested again. After her release, Yan Youhua
placed her, against her will, in the Yueyang City Mental Hospital, where
she suffered so much torture that she passed away in March 2003. Ms. Cheng Ling's family lives in the town of
Goumenzi in Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province. Everyone in her family,
except her youngest brother, practices Falun Gong. In 1999, when the
persecution of Falun Gong began, their lives were irrevocably changed.
On July 22, 1999, the police ransacked their home, and confiscated all
of their Falun Gong books, videos, audiocassettes, and other materials.
Since then Ms. Cheng's family has suffered repeated extortion, torture,
brainwashing, forced labor, and heartbreak for no other reason than
their refusal to give up their practice of Falun Gong.
Ms. Cheng Ling, 20 years old, the second
youngest child
Ms. Cheng Ling was only 17 in March of 2001
when the police in her hometown arrested her for hand copying a Falun
Gong book. For this innocent act, she was detained for four months. Soon
after, in September 2001, the police detained her again for 15 days. Yet
again in October and November, the police detained her and attempted to
brainwash her into giving up her beliefs. The Lingyuan City Public
Security Bureau then sentenced this 17-year-old to two years in the
notorious Masanjia Labor Camp in Liaoning Province where they tortured
her and forced her into hard, long hours of forced labor and continual
brainwashing sessions. Despite the hardships she was forced to endure,
after her release Ms. Cheng remained true to her belief and continued to
let others know about the suffering of Falun Gong practitioners. For
this, in July 2003, the Shuangta police in Chaoyang City arrested her
and put her in the Chaoyang City Prison. She protested by going on a
hunger strike for 25 days. The police responded by force-feeding her.
The Chaoyang City Court then sentenced her to seven years in prison.
Ms. Cheng Yun, 21 years old, the oldest
child
On September 27, 2000, the local police
arrested Ms. Cheng Yun, Ms. Cheng Ling's older sister, detained her in
the Lingyuan No. 2 Prison for one month, and extorted 500 Yuan from her.
She was 17 years old at the time. Then on December 27, 2000, the
Lingyuan City Public Security Bureau sentenced her to two years in the
Masanjia Forced Labor Camp where she was continuously tortured in an
attempt to force her to give up her practice.
Mrs. Zheng Lihua, 50 years old, the
mother
Over past four years, the local police have
arrested Ms. Cheng's mother, Ms. Zheng Lihua, seven times. The have
attempted to brainwash her, extort money from her, and have thrown her
into a forced labor camp. On July 22, 1999, they arrested her for the
first time and forced her to pay 200 Yuan. The second time, on September
27, they threw her into the Lingyuan No. 2 Prison for one month and
fined her 500 Yuan. Ms. Zheng remained steadfast in her efforts to
reveal the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, so
in December 2000, they imprisoned her for two months and forced her to
pay a fine of 350 Yuan. In March 2001, they held her for 15 days, in
August 2002, they subjected her to 25 days of brainwashing, and on April
25, 2003, the local police imprisoned her for 50 days. Later, she was
sentenced to three years of forced labor in the Masanjia Forced Labor
Camp in Liaoning Province.
Mr. Cheng Guanghui, 48 years old, the
father
In order to force Ms. Cheng's father, Mr. Cheng
Guanghui to give up his belief in Falun Gong, the authorities have
attempted to brainwash him nine times. The first two times they took him
to the Lingyuan No. 2 Prison for forced brainwashing sessions. Then on
December 12, 2000, when he went to Beijing to appeal to the central
government, the police arrested him and sent him to the Beijing Fangsan
City Police Station. There, they interrogated him, punched him, kicked
him, forced him to remain in a squatting position, and shocked him with
electric batons on his palms, back, neck, and other areas of his body
for more than 20 hours. Afterwards they threw him into the No. 2 Prison
in Lingyuan for three and a half months. The Lingyuan Public Security
Bureau sentenced him to three years detention. During the detention, the
guards consistently interrogated him at the Lingyuan Public Security
System. One time, a policeman beat him on his back, shoulders, and waist
for over two hours using a plastic tube more than one meter long. On
December 19, 2000, the police interrogated him again, using the same
method, for almost two hours. In March 2001, the police detained him for
15 days for hand copying Falun Gong materials. In September 2001,
October 2001 and August 2002, the local police detained him in the No. 2
Prison and attempted to brainwash him for over 33 days. On April 25,
2003, Chiefs Guo Yaohua and Zhang Yunbin of the local police station,
along with other officers, broke into their home searching for Falun
Gong materials. They sent Ms. Cheng to be brainwashed and forced him to
do hard labor for two and a half months at the Chaoyang City Forced
Labor Camp. On September 8, 2003, the Goumenzi "610 Office" Director
Pang Yujun, along with other policemen, climbed over the walls of the
Cheng family's home and forced Mr. Cheng toattend another brainwashing
session in Chaoyang City for 12 days. Despite every incident of arrest
and attempted brainwashing he was subject to, he did not give up his
belief."
The youngest son, 18 years old
Ms. Cheng Ling's brother, who was only 13 years
old in 1999, witnessed the arrests and continuous persecution of all of
his family members. He was left alone to take care of himself and to
deal with these terrifying events. Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group Please contact us at: 10299 Scripps Trails # 226 San Diego, California, 92131 United States Phone: 858-699-6248 Fax: 619-280-4931 E-mail: info@falunhr.org For more information on the current situation of Falun Gong, please visit
Yang Family Photo: Fang
Nanjie(left front), Yang Xinyu(right front),
Ms. Li Huiqi was paralyzed
after being tortured at Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp.
For more information on the human rights
violations against Falun Gong practitioners, please visit
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