By Hong Mei and Wu Cenxi

Epoch Times Staff

Nov 06, 2005

The picture shows the east sidewalk at the south end of Nanchang Street where no trace of burning have taken place. There are also workers doing construction at the scene. Photo was taken on November 4, 2005. (The Epoch Times)

BEIJING - Epoch Times reporters interviewed police from Fuyou Street Police Station, West Changan Street Police Station and Public Security Bureau Tiananmen Square branch to collect information reported by Beijing Daily News about the self-immolation of a female Falun Gong practitioner in Beijing, as well as a follow-up report on November 5th from Singtao Daily highlighting a witness of the incident. None of the police said they were aware of the incident.

According to the Singtao Daily report, the witness said that the self-immolation happened on the south end of Nanchang Street, which is between Zhongnanhai and Tiananmen Square. The witness also described, "After wandering around for a while, the lady suddenly sat down with her legs crossed, took out two drinking bottles, and poured the liquid on her body and set fire on herself. Because there were no police around, people reached the venue with extinguishers and fire fighting blanket several minutes later, but it was too late."

Epoch Times reporters interviewed police from local police stations, but none of them said they were aware of the incident as reported by Beijing Daily News and Singtao Daily.

On November 5th, an Epoch Times reporter first contacted police at the Fuyou Street Police Station located on Nanchang Street. Police said they never heard of the incident and told the reporter that Nanchang Street is within the jurisdiction of the West Changan Street Police Station.

Police from local police stations near Nanchang Street and Public Security Bureau Tiananmen Square branch said they never heard of such a self-immolation incident. (The Epoch Times)

The reporter then spoke with police at the West Changan Street Police Station. The police there said, "No such thing happened." The police also carefully checked the reported location and searched for the officer who was on duty at 9 a.m. on November 2nd. After checking, the result was that none of the police officers at the station heard of the incident. The police stated that if it occurred on the east sidewalk of the south end of Nanchang Street, the Public Security Bureau Tiananmen Square Branch oversees that section.

A New Tang Dynasty TV reporter phoned Beijing Daily News about this incident. The staff replied, "As a major news outlet and also a newspaper affiliated with the Beijing Communist Party, we wouldn't publish this kind of news. Never heard of it."

At the time of this report, Epoch Times reporters were still trying to reach Singtao Daily to verify the November 5th article, in which it stated "a witness told Singtao" and "Beijing police told Singtao" about this tragedy.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-11-6/34275.html

Posting date: 11/8/2005
Original article date: 11/8/2005
Category: News & Media Reports