Government Agencies Try to Dodge Responsibility After Beating and Severely Injuring a 73-Year-Old Dafa Practitioner in Panjin City, Liaoning Province

By a Falun Dafa practitioner in Panjin City, Liaoning Province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) Ningbo is a 73-year-old Dafa practitioner in Xian Township, Dawa County, Panjin City, Liaoning Province. After abducting Ningbo on May 19, Zhang Mingjiang and Gao Xianbao (the police chief and political instructor, respectively) brutally beat him while on their way to the county detention center more than 20 kilometers away. By June 9, 2004, this elderly practitioner had lost his hearing and the ability to move his right arm. He also suffered severe injuries to his back and could no longer walk on his own. After his family tried to track down the responsible parties, the government agencies tried to dodge responsibility for their actions. Furthermore, the detention center did not allow Ningbo's family members to visit him so as to keep people from learning his status.

On the afternoon of May 19, 2004, local police chief Zhang Mingjiang took 7 or 8 officers and surrounded Ningbo while he was planting rice seedlings in the field. Zhang Mingjiang lied to Ningbo, saying that someone would like to see him at the police station.

Ningbo said that he was busy planting and did not have time. Zhang Mingjiang, however, insisted that Ningbo come with them.

In spite of Ningbo's protests, Zhang Mingjiang and Gao Xianbao grabbed Ningbo and dragged him to the car. Ningbo struggled and told the police to let him go. Zhang then became infuriated and shouted to his group of police, "I will take full responsibility even if your guys have to twist and break his arm!"

Officers Wang Jun and Cao Hui forcefully grabbed and twisted Ningbo's arm. Then Gao Xianbao, Zhang Mingjiang and the rest of them forcefully shoved Ningbo into the police van and drove off.

After they abducted Ningbo, Zhang Mingjiang savagely beat him and sent him to the Dawa County Detention Center. Afraid that this would be discovered by the public, Zhang told the detention center that no family members could be allowed to see Ningbo. Two other Dafa practitioners, Xiao Zhijun and Yie Ximing, had also been abused by Zhang Mingjiang and other deputies in a similar way. Later, they were sent to the Jinzhou Prison, where they received jail terms of more than 4 years. The abuse they suffered was never made public because their family members were not allowed to visit them.

Under the strong demand of Ningbo's family, however, the detention center allowed them to talk to Ningbo through a window for 10 minutes.

According to statements from Ningbo, Zhang Mingjiang ordered deputies to choke Ningbo with seatbelts so he wouldn't scream, using the excuse that Ningbo did not cooperate with the deputies during his abduction. They also twisted his arm and held his head down. Then Zhang Mingjiang and Gao Xianbao punched and kicked him in the head and all over the body. They did not stop the savage beating until they arrived at the Dawa County Detention Center more than 20 kilometers away.

On the morning of June 9, 2004, Ningbo's right ear was swollen and he couldn't hear anything. He also lost control of his right arm, and his back was in severe pain. Ningbo could not even walk by himself. That afternoon, the police allowed his family to see him as an exception. During the meeting, Ningbo could not even walk and had to be carried out of the room. Ningbo said that after Zhang beat him, he suffered from headaches and dizziness. He lost consciousness on June 7 for more than one hour.

A detention center chief told Ningbo's family to resolve their concerns with the procurator's office. When his family talked with Xiang Lidong, the chief of the procurator office, he said, "You told me that your relative was injured, but do you have any eye witnesses?" His family told him to ask the detention center.

Chief Xiang called the detention center, but they told him, "Ningbo felt sick and is taking medication."

His family insisted, "Ningbo is not sick! He was severely injured from being beaten. We should go to the detention center right now to check on his injuries."

Chief Xiang refused their request and stated, "What happened inside the detention center is none of my business. You should go to the Local People's Congress. They are the highest authority for all legal issues."

Ningbo's family went to the Local People's Congress and met with the director, Liang Baowen. Liang told them to visit Judge Pang Xueyuan of the Local People's Court.

After Ningbo's family found Pang and told him about the incident, they asked him to order an injury examination. Pang replied, "We cannot order such an examination for a while."

His family then asked to see Zhang Mingjiang in court. Pang said, "You should go ask Zhang, who ordered Ningbo's arrest. What was it regarding?"

Each and every government branch that Ningbo's family contacted tried to evade responsibility for his situation. On June 12, 2004, Ningbo's family went to the Xian Township Police Station and asked to see Zhang Mingjiang. However, Zhang had apparently disappeared for three days.

Later they learned that the detention center received orders to prohibit relatives from visiting Ningbo so they could keep Ningbo's situation from being made known to the public.

Ever since the persecution of Falun Gong was launched on June 20, 1999, the Xian police has been harassing Ningbo. Deputies often barged in and disturbed the neighborhood.

At around 7 am on August 8, 2001, Zhang Mingjiang (the political instructor of the police station at the time) suddenly broke into Ningbo's home with deputy Ye Litie. They seized Ningbo's Falun Gong exercise tape while he was doing the exercises.

Zhang also called the police station for more officers. They pried open a cabinet with a pair of scissors and seized all of Ningbo's Dafa materials. They also carried him to a police van. For some reason, however, they could not start the vehicle so deputies pushed the police van onto the road. They ended up holding Ningbo at the Dawa County Detention Center.

Ningbo was detained for 15 days before he was released. After that, Zhang Mingjiang often went to Ningbo's home to harass him.

After Ningbo started to practice Falun Dafa, he often read Dafa books and played lecture videotapes for his wife Liu Fengzhen, whose health gradually became better. Her diabetes was gone, and she became more and more energetic. However, she still suffered the after-effects of cerebral thrombosis, so Ningbo had to take care of her. After Ningbo was abducted from home, it was Liu Fengzhen who suffered the most. Harassment from Zhang Mingjiang and police, who also sometimes confiscated property, became a huge strain for Liu Fengzhen. As a result, her health deteriorated, and she died on September 23, 2003.

June 19, 2004

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/6/20/77511.html

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