Name: Nian Shaotang (年少堂)
Gender: Male
Age: 81
Address: Binzhou Town, Bin County, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Retired Taikang Elementary School Principal
Date of Death: July 1, 2005
Date of Most Recent Arrest: November 7, 2000
Most Recent Place of Detention: Bin County Second Detention Center (宾县第二看守所)
City: Bin County
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Forced labor, extortion, home ransacked, interrogation, detention

(Clearwisdom.net) (By a correspondent from Heilongjiang Province) Mr. Nian Shaotang was assigned to work in the countryside in 1950, participated in establishing many schools, and was the principal of Taikang Elementary School. He retired in 1979, and was well-respected for his kindness and work ethic. In the anti-right wing movement in 1957, Mr. Nian was wronged by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His family moved to Acheng City in 1987. He obtained Falun Dafa in 1995 and his health improved dramatically. He was able to conduct a small business by pushing a tricycle until 2000, when he turned 76. After the persecution began on July 20, 1999, he went to the provincial government to appeal, and was arrested and detained by the police.

On March 6, 2000, Mr. Nian went to appeal for justice and the right to practice Falun Gong at the 610 Office in Acheng City, Heilongjiang Province. He was arrested by the 610 Office and police from the Minzhu Police Station. Mr. Nian was detained at the No. 2 Detention Center in Acheng City for two weeks, and then transferred to the No. 1 Detention Center for another two weeks. The severe conditions in the detention centers damaged Mr. Nian's health. Officer Yan Xianjie from the Minzhu Police Station tried to extort 5000 yuan from his family. The police finally forced his family to write a statement that they still owed police 4800 yuan, and then released him. In order to avoid further harassment and extortion, Mr. Nian's family moved back to Binzhou Town in Bin County.

On the morning of November 7, 2000, many officers from the Bin County Department and the Fendou Station stormed into Mr. Nian's home and said the Acheng City Police Department ordered them to closely monitor Mr. Nian. They found some papers with the words, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" on them. Mr. Nian and his son Nian Jingsheng were arrested and detained in the Bin County Second Detention Center. Mr. Nian was detained at the No. 2 Detention Center for 56 days, which resulted in his becoming almost paralyzed and developing prostatitis, a decline in the function of his kidneys, urine incontinence, and other serious physical problems. His son was soon sent to the Changlinzi Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City.

The Bin County Second Detention Center has extremely harsh conditions, and Mr. Nian never recovered from that brutal mistreatment. He passed away on July 1, 2005. At that time, his son Nian Jingsheng was detained in the Sanshui Forced Labor Camp in Guangdong Province. His wife had no income to survive on, and died miserably ten months later.

Related article: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/4/11/71840.html

Written on December 4, 2009