(Clearwidsom.net)

Ding Ziyun, 12, is the son of practitioners Ding Lihong and Ge Yanwen from Shijazhuang City, Hebei Province. He is a sixth grade student at the Jianming Elementary School in Shijazhuang City.

Ding Lihong, Ding Ziyun's 36-year-old father, was persecuted to death in December 2002. He was a railroad engineer in the mechanical division of the Shijazhuang Railroad. Since beginning the practice of Falun Gong in May 1996, he always led his life according to the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." He became very healthy and responsible, and got along well with his colleagues. After July 20, 1999, he traveled to Beijing four times to appeal and to validate Dafa. He was illegally imprisoned, fined and his family's property was confiscated many times.

In the end of August 2001, Ding Lihong was illegally arrested by police from the Huaizhong Road Police Squad in Shijiazhuang City. After a 28-day hunger strike, he walked out of detention with dignity, but was then forced into homelessness. During the Chinese New Year period of 2002, the Shijazhuang Public Security Bureau coerced the mechanical division of the Shijazhuang railroad to forcibly send Ding Lihong to a brainwashing center, the "Hebei Provincial Law and Education Training Center." Once again he walked out of the brainwashing center in a dignified manner with the help of his righteous thoughts, his righteous belief in Master, and the wisdom bestowed by Dafa. Ding Lihong was again forced to leave his home and move from place to place. He finally moved to Shanxi Province, where he helped the local practitioners do truth-clarifying work. In the beginning of November 2002, he was imprisoned by the public security bureau in Yuci County, Shanxi Province.

Even when Ding Lihong was on the verge of death after being brutally tortured, the Shanxi police never disclosed anything to Ding Lihong's family members. One month later, Ding's parents were ordered to come to Shanxi to identify Ding's corpse. The police cremated Ding's remains without his parents' consent. Ding's parents brought his ashes home to Shijazhuang in December.

After Ding's death, the police began threatening Ding's parents, exerting huge pressure on them to remain silent. The fear the police created in them lingers to this day. They didn't dare hold a funeral for their son and even sometimes could not say anything but that Ding Lihong had died "of natural causes."

Ding Ziyun's mother, Ge Yanwen, also 36, was employed by a Shijazhuang chemical factory. She was laid off because of her determination to practice Falun Dafa. Since July 20, 1999, Ge has been arrested, detained and had her personal property confiscated many times. In October 2001, she was compelled to leave her home and move from place to place, just like her husband. On October 22, 2003 she was illegally arrested in her mother's house by officers from the Tangu police station and was sent to the Hebei provincial brainwashing center for more torture.

The shock of losing his father was a terrible blow to young Ding Ziyun. His academic performance fell off sharply after his father's death. Ding Lihong's parents are old and sick, and they have only a meager pension with which to try to support themselves and now, their grandson.

The address of Ding Lihong's parents is as follows:

12-1-303 Jianming District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, zip code 050031

Tel: 86-311-5063140