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Summary:
Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in China in July of 1999, over 300 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death in police custody. Of the reported cases, more than 31 are from Shandong Province, China. The police and officials in different cities throughout Shandong province employ all sorts of torture methods in an effort to force the practitioners into renouncing their belief in Falun Gong. Practitioners are beaten, shocked with electric batons, deprived of food, force-fed, injected with nerve damaging drugs, cursed at, fined exorbitant amounts of money and abused in countless other ways. Practitioners are detained and tortured in police stations, police bureaus, labor camps, mental hospitals and even schools. The families of deceased practitioners are threatened, fined, and even arrested for no other reason other than their relation to a Falun Gong practitioner. Police often cremate the remains of deceased practitioners before the family is notified of the death and before an autopsy can be performed. To cover up their crimes, police have been known to throw the bodies of practitioners out of windows and claim they committed suicide. The following are the reported cases of practitioners dying as a result of the persecution in Shandong Province.
1. Li Mei Tortured to Death in an anti-Falun Gong Brainwashing Class
Victim:
Li Mei, female, 33, a resident of Longwangzhuang Town, Laiyang City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
1. The anti-Falun Gong brainwashing class at Communist Party School in Laiyang City, Shandong Province.
2. Laiyang Central Hospital, Laiyang City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Chief Zhao of the Longwangzhuang Town Government, Laiyang City, Shandong Province
2. The people in charge of the brainwashing class at the Communist Party School in Laiyang City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On April 9, 2001, Li Mei was taken from her Xizhu Village home to the Town Government office by Chief Zhao of the Longwangzhuang Town government, Laiyang City, Shandong Province. Because Li Mei did not renounce her belief in Falun Gong, she was sent to an anti-Falun Gong brainwashing class at the Communist Party School in Laiyang City. In the brainwashing class, Li Mei did not want to give up the
right of practicing Falun Gong. She was severely tortured. Li Mei's spinal cord was injured, causing her legs to become paralyzed. Later on, Li Mei was sent to the township hospital then to the Laiyang Central Hospital's Urgent Care Unit, Building 13. But
the town government refused to pay for the cost of her hospitalization.
On May 28, 2001, Li Mei died in Laiyang Central Hospital due to the serious injury.
In order to cover up their crimes, the Town Government gave Li Mei's family 30,000 Yuan RMB (about US$3,000) and forced the family to sign papers saying that the
Town Government was not responsible for Li Mei's death. Li Mei's husband refused to sign, and tried to hire a lawyer to investigate his wife's death. But no lawyer dared to take Falun Gong's case.
News Reports:
1. “Six Falun Gong Practitioners Died in Police Custody”, AFP, September 19, 2000
2. “Another Six Falun Gong Practitioners Died in Police Custody”, Radio Free Asia, September 19, 2000
3. “Falun Gong Claims Six Falun Gong Practitioners Died During Detention”, Radio Australia, September 19, 2000
2. Mr. Liu Yufeng Was Tortured to Death By Police in Wendeng Detention Center
Victim:
Liu Yufeng, male, 64, a retired worker from the Xiaozetou Village of Songcun Town, Wendeng City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Wendeng Detention Center, Wendeng City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
Director of Wendeng Detention Center, Wendeng City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On the morning of July 18, 2000, Liu Yufeng was arrested and detained in the Wendeng Detention Center because he took part in the group practice on Huilong Mountain. On July 19, the detention center called Liu's daughter telling her to bring 200-300 Yuan for her father's medical treatment. On July 22, the Wendeng Detention Center called his daughter again, and told her to take Liu home. When Liu was carried out by his son-in-law, he could neither move nor speak. He was in a coma. Around 10:00 am on July 22, Liu was taken home and died at 7:00 am on July 23.
Autopsy by the coroner showed that extravagated blood was discovered in his right eye-rim. There were cuts and bruises on his face, black and blue marks left by electric shocks on his throat, chest, and legs. The skin had begun to separate from the body, and the soft tissue below the skin was damaged. It was discovered that the second, third, and forth ribs on both the right and left sides were fractured. The upper one-third of the sternum was broken. His whole body was covered with bruises and injuries. He obviously died from torture.
After Liu's death, his children were furious and decided to keep the body from cremation as evidence to file a lawsuit and claim justice. The police detained his wife and put close surveillance on his family members in order to avoid leaking the news. His children hired an attorney to file a lawsuit. But the attorney was forced by the police to drop the case.
News Reports:
1. 3 Falun Gong Members Died, AP, Sept. 6, 2000
BEIJING, September 6, 2000 (AP) -- Two members of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement died from mistreatment in jail and a third plunged to his death while being interrogated by police, a rights group said Wednesday.
The deaths bring to 30 the number of Falun Gong members who have died in custody or following police mistreatment since China banned the group in July 1999, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.
One of the three reported to have died, 64-year-old Liu Yufeng, was detained July 18 while practicing Falun Gong meditation exercises near his home in eastern China' s Shandong province, the Hong Kong-based center reported.
When Liu' s family saw him in prison four days later, his body was covered in wounds and burn marks from an electric baton and three of his ribs were broken, the center said. He died a few hours after returning home.
Another [group] follower, Li Faming, 52, was picked up Aug. 10 on suspicion of distributing Falun Gong pamphlets in western Gansu province, the center said. Witnesses reported seeing him fall from his apartment window while three policemen searched his home, the center said.
Police ruled that Li " committed suicide for fear of punishment, " the report said.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tieyan, 29, died from respiratory problems caused by her imprisonment in a hot, airless cell with more than a dozen other people. Zhang had been arrested in April for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, the center said.
Falun Gong has attracted millions of followers with its philosophy of exercise, meditation and beliefs drawn from Buddhism, Taoism and the [unusual] ideas of its founder Li Hongzhi, a former government clerk. While followers say Falun Gong promotes health and morality, China' s officially atheistic government banned it as a cult and blamed it for leading 1, 600 adherents to their deaths.
Despite the crackdown, followers have continued to publicly protest the ban. In a letter to Chinese President printed in Wednesday' s New York Times, U.S. Falun Gong members protested against what they called the illegal arrest, imprisonment and torture of the group' s practitioners and asked for a meeting with [Chinese President].
[Chinese President] is attending the U.N. Millennium Summit, being held through Friday in New York. While the government has mostly refused comment on individual cases, it denies abusing Falun Gong members.
2. Three More Chinese Falun Gong Members Die in Police Custody
BEIJING, Sep 6, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) A retiree and two factory workers belonging to the spiritual movement Falun Gong died mysteriously after being arrested by police, a human rights group said Wednesday.
The deaths bring the total number of Falun Gong members who died under police custody to 50 since the group was banned as an "evil cult" last July, according to the group's website, minghui.org.
In the latest cases, Liu Yufeng, a 64-year-old retiree from northern Shandong province, died hours after police released him from jail July 22 after holding him for two days for practicing Falun Gong meditations in public, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.
Liu was covered with scars from being beaten with an electric baton and three of his ribs were broken, the center said, citing information from Liu's family.
However, police contacted by AFP Wednesday said they were not responsible for his death.
"He died from a burst blood vessel in his head according to a forensic report," a police official said. "As to the wounds on his body, his cellmates beat him because he annoyed them by constantly saying how good Falun Gong was. Nobody liked him."
In the second case, Zhang Tieyan, a 29-year-old worker from a chemical factory in northern Heilongjiang province, died on August 11 due to poor conditions in jail, the center said.
Zhang was arrested in April for refusing to sign a statement renouncing her faith in Falungong. She was crammed into a sweltering cell with more than 10 people and had fainted several times, according to other Falun Gong members locked up with her.
On August 11 she died after cellmates saw her struggling to breathe, with her legs shaking, the center said.
A day earlier, Li Faming, a 52-year-old worker at an aluminum factory in northern Gansu province, died under suspicious circumstances after police arrested him, accusing him of passing out Falun Gong leaflets on the streets.
That day, police took Li back to his home to search for evidence and shortly after they entered the house, police beat him, the center said.
Several of Li's colleagues then saw him falling from a window of his fourth floor apartment in the company's residential building, according to the rights center.
A spokesman at the state-owned factory said Wednesday it appeared Li jumped from the window.
Police said Li committed suicide, but Sophie Xiao, a Falun Gong spokeswoman based in Hong Kong, said it is against the group's teachings to commit suicide.
"There's been an escalation of persecution against us. The number of deaths in the past month has doubled. No one committed suicide," Xiao said.
The report of the deaths come on the heels of a U.S. State Department report released Tuesday which said religious repression in China had significantly worsened in the past year.
The report cited as evidence the crackdown on Falun Gong, which shocked the government when 10,000 members conducted a silent protest outside the government compound last April.
China has sentenced 450 members to prison, sent 600 to mental hospitals, placed 10,000 in labor camps and locked up another 20,000 in temporary detention, the center said. ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)
3. Reuters: Falun followers die in China detention
HONG KONG, Sep 6 2000 (Reuters) - Three members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement have died after ill treatment during detention in China where the movement is banned, a Hong Kong-based human rights group said Wednesday.
At least 30 Falun Gong followers had died of ill treatment in custody since July last year, the Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy said in a statement.
One of the latest victims was Liu Yufeng, a 64-year-old retiree in the eastern Shandong province, the group said.
He was detained when taking part in a mass Falun Gong exercise. The detention center notified his family to take him back four days later, when Liu was already unconscious with three broken ribs and other injuries. Liu died on July 23.
In northwestern Gansu province, police detained 52-year-old worker Li Faming on Aug. 10 when Li was suspected of distributing Falun Gong propaganda leaflets.
Police then took Li back to his home for a search, during which they beat up Li who was then seen falling from a window of his apartment, the group said. Li died shortly after being taken to a hospital.
Police declared that Li committed suicide to escape punishment for his crimes, the human rights group said.
In northeastern Heilongjiang province, 29-year-old Zhang Tieyan was detained on April 21.
She was kept in a cramped, poorly ventilated and hot detention center, where she fainted many times. She died after fainting on Aug. 11, the Hong Kong group said.
3. Qi Fengqin Died From a Punctured Lung, Received During a Force-Feeding by Liaocheng Police
Victim:
Qi Fengqin, female, 43, an accountant at Liaocheng Agricultural Department, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Liaocheng Police Station
Perpetrators:
1. Forestry Bureau, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province
2. Police Department, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Since July 1999, Qi Fengqin was arrested many times for going to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. In early September 2000, Ms. Qi was arrested again by local police and detained in the local police station for passing out Falun Gong flyers. During the detention, Ms. Qi was severely beaten for refusing to write a pledge to give up the practice of Falun Gong.
The authorities refused to release her after she finished her term at the detention center. Instead, they continued to hold her at the local police station. She went on a six-day hunger strike to protest. Everyday, several policemen would try to force-feed her, roughly plugging the feeding tube into her stomach. One day the feeding tube punctured her lung and she lost consciousness. After the continual requests of other detained practitioners, the police sent Ms. Qi to Liaocheng City Hospital and notified her family. On the morning of October 9, 2000, she died in the hospital.
After her death, the authorities froze Ms. Qi’s body without permission from her family. The authorities also tried to prevent the news of her death from getting out. Practitioners who knew what happened were all thrown in jail within days following her death. In addition, her husband has been missing. The authorities have also extended the prison term of a fellow practitioner with the surname of Li, who was locked up in the same jail cell with Qi Fengqin.
4. Xia Shucai Was Tortured to Death by Police in Laiyang City
Victim:
Xia Shucai, male, 63, resident of Dongdagezhuang Village, Zhongjing Town, Laiyang City, Shandong Province, China
Location of Torture and Death:
1. Zhongjing Town government, Laiyang City, Shandong Province, China
2. Zhongjing Town Police Station, Laiyang City, Shandong Province, China
Perpetrators:
1. Li Min, female, 38, chief of the Zhongjing Town Communist Party Branch. Directly responsible for Mr. Xia’s death. Phone: 0535-7560012
2. Dai Fengzhang, chief of Zhongjing Town Political Department. Phone: 0535-7560079
3. Xu Xijun, director of Zhongjing Town Police Station. Phone: 0535-7560025, 7560369
4. Liu Jingcai, a policeman of Zhongjing Town Police Station.
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On December 9, 2000, Xia Shucai was captured by police at Laixi Rail Station while en route to Beijing to appeal for the freedom and right to practice Falun Gong. He was taken back to Zhongjing Town government. The Zhongjing Town government forced his family to pay a fine of 2,000 yuan (roughly 4 months' income of an average worker in China) and asked him to write a statement renouncing his faith in Falun Gong. Mr. Xia went on a hunger strike to protest the detention. He was tortured many times during the hunger strike and passed away on the night of December 22, 2000.
At the time of his death, Xia Shucai was skinny; his eyes were still open; the cuts and wounds on his face had turned into scars; the flesh and skin on his right hand were torn apart; there were bloodstains on his abdomen and thighs; and bruises could be seen on his collar bone. The bloodstains were wiped off before his family members came to take a look at his body.
News Reports:
1. BBC: Falun Gong members "die after beating", Jan. 2, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1097000/1097729.stm
2. The Washington Post: “Reuters: China Torture, Persecution Kill 4 Falun Gong Members”
Tuesday, January 2, 2001; 9:19 AM
HONG KONG--Torture and persecution by Chinese authorities have caused the deaths of four more followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, a Hong Kong human rights group said Tuesday.
The incidents brought to at least 92 the number of Falun Gong adherents who have died of ill treatment by Chinese authorities while in custody or during arrest since July 1999, the Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy said.
Last December, the movement's Hong Kong practitioners said China had tortured to death 95 mainland followers since Beijing began cracking down on Falun Gong in July 1999.
In a statement, the Hong Kong-based information center said the latest victims included 33-year-old Xu Bing and 34-year-old Lou Aiqing from China's eastern Shandong province.
Police arrested the pair Dec. 20 when they were posting Falun Gong slogans on walls in Shandong's Qingdao city and beat them in detention, it said.
On Dec. 24, police informed the families of Xu and Lou that they had died of heart disease. Spotting many wounds on the bodies, the families took pictures of the corpses, only to have the films seized by police, the human rights group said.
In the same province, 63-year-old Xia Shucai was arrested Oct. 1 when he was about to leave for Beijing for a rally at Tiananmen square, the statement said.
When he refused to pay a fine of 2,000 Chinese yuan ($242), Xia was beaten repeatedly which caused his death on Dec. 22. Members of his family saw wounds and bruises on his body.
In the central Sichuan province, 32-year-old Su Qinghua died in a botched police attempt to arrest her on Dec. 20. She fell to her death from her sixth-floor apartment as she grappled with a policeman attempting to abseil into her apartment.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, combines meditation and exercise with a doctrine loosely rooted in Buddhist and Taoist teachings. It first shocked Beijing with a 10,000-strong protest in April in 1999 and was banned in China later that year.
3. Radio Free Asia, Jan. 2, 2001
5. Zhang Zhenzhong Died From Force-Feeding at the Tangyin Public Security Bureau
Victim:
Zhang Zhenzhong, male, 22, an undergraduate student at the Business Administration School of the Shandong Industrial University, Jinan City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
1. Tangyin City Public Security Bureau, Tangyin City, Henan Province
2. Chenggang Village Police Station, Tangyin City, Henan Province
3. Beijing Police Station, Beijing
Perpetrators:
1. Head and staff of Shandong Industrial University, Jinan City, Shandong Province
2. The director of Tangyin City Public Security Bureau, Tangyin City, Henan Province
3. The head of Chenggang Village Police Station, Tangyin City, Henan Province
4. The director of Beijing Police Station, Beijing
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In 1999 Zhang Zhenzhong’s school, Shandong Industrial University, detained him for going to Beijing to appeal to the central government against the persecution of Falun Gong, and eventually he was expelled.
On January 1, 2001, Zhang Zhenzhong was arrested in Beijing and detained in Beijing Police Station for unfurling a Falun Gong banner in Tiananmen Square. In the police station, the police tortured Zhang Zhenzhong continuously. They hit him with eight electric batons simultaneously and burned him with cigarette butts. This went on for almost twelve hours. In a span of four days, Zhang Zhenzhong was transferred to four different police stations. In each police station, he was tortured and sustained extensive injuries all over his body.
On May 17, 2001, Zhang Zhenzhong and three other practitioners were arrested in Chenggang Village, Tangyin City, Henan Province for passing out Falun Gong flyers, and were sent to the local police station. In the police station, the policemen conducted body searches, confiscated all of their money, and beat them. The police then transferred Zhang and other practitioners to Tangyin City Public Security Bureau.
Once they arrived at Tangyin City Public Security Bureau, the policemen used their fists and electric batons to hit sensitive areas on the four practitioners’ bodies and kicked them repeatedly. More than an hour later, the practitioners were beaten so badly that they began to vomit blood and their noses were bloody. The policemen tied the practitioners up with ropes and sent them to separate jail cells. All four practitioners began hunger strikes to protest their detention. On the sixth day, the policemen ordered the inmates to force-feed the practitioners. Zhang Zhenzhong was dragged out for the force-feeding session. At that point, Zhang Zhenzhong had been tortured so badly that other people could hardly recognize him. Zhang Zhenzhong was extremely fragile and weak, yet the policemen still handcuffed him to a chair and repeatedly tried to insert the feeding tube into his nose. On the fifth try, Zhang Zhenzhong lost consciousness and later died from the force-feeding.
News Reports:
“Five Falun Gong members die in China”, Reuters, September 23, 2001.
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=83121
6. Liu Chun Died While in Police Custody in Qingdao City
Victim:
Liu Chun, male, about 25 years old, Qingdao City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
En route from Beijing to Qingdao City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Policemen who escorted Liu Chun back to Qingdao City
2. Qingdao City Police, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In July 1999, Liu Chun went to Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. He was taken back to his hometown by the police and later driven out of his home.
In November 2000, Mr. Liu Chun was detained for more than half a month for posting Falun Gong flyers.
On January 1, 2001, he went to Beijing again to appeal for Falun Gong and was again arrested. He died in police custody on the way back to Qingdao City, Shandong Province.
7. Ren Tingling Died While in Forced Attendance at an Anti-Falun Gong Brainwashing Class
Victim:
Ren Tingling, female, 50, a resident of Haiyang County, Yantai City, Shandong Province. She was an employee of Haiyang supply and marketing cooperative.
Location of Torture and Death:
1. The Political and Legislative Office in Haiyang County, Shandong Province
2. The Public Security Bureau in Haiyang County, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Wang Jie, police officer who is directly responsible for the victim’s death
2. The secretary of the Political and Legislative Office in Haiyang County, Shandong Province
3. The head of The Public Security Bureau in Haiyang County, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Ren Tingling was detained and later sent to an anti-Falun Gong brainwashing class on March 28, 2001. The brainwashing class was organized by the Political and Legislative Office and Public Security Bureau in Haiyang City. Two days later, Ren Tingling had some unusual symptoms and several practitioners requested that she be sent to a hospital. Their requests were denied. Ren died shortly after she was eventually sent to the hospital.
8. Zhang Fuzhen Died in Police Custody in Pingdu City
Victim:
Zhang Fuzhen, female, 38, employee of Xianhe Park, Pingdu City, Shandong Province.
Location of Torture and Death:
The Public Security Bureau, Pingdu City, Shandong Province.
Perpetrators:
Head and police officers of Pingdu City Public Security Bureau, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In November 2000, Zhang Fuzhen went to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. She was escorted back to Pingdu City by the police of Pingdu City Pulic Security Bureau. When she tried to do the Falun Gong exercises, the Public Security policemen pushed her down and tied her to the bed. After several days she suddenly died in police custody. The Public Security Office threatened her family members not to disclose any information about Zhang Fuzhen’s death to anyone.
9. Xu Zengliang, a Young Doctor, was Tortured to Death by Laixi City Police
Victim:
Xu Zengliang, male, 29, with a Bachelor's degree from Shandong Chinese Medicine University, a doctor of Pingdu City Traditional Chinese Medicinal Hospital, originally from Shuipo Village, Haiqing Town, Jiaonan City, Shandong Province.
Location of Torture and Death:
1. The security division of Pingdu City Traditional Chinese Medicinal Hospital, Shandong Province
2. Pingdu City Police Department, Pingdu City, Shandong Province
3. Laixi Police Department, Laixi City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Director and staff of the security division, Pingdu City Traditional Chinese Medicinal Hospital
2. Head and police officers of Pingdu City Police Department
3. Head and police officers of Laixi City Police Department
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In October 1999, Xu Zengliang went to Beijing to appeal to the central government for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. Beijing police arrested him and took all the money he had on him (3000 yuan). During the detention period in Beijing, he was not allowed to use the toilet.
After he was escorted back to his workplace, the director and other staff of the security division beat him and verbally abused him. He was no longer allowed to work as a doctor. Instead he had to do heavy labor and live on a salary of 250 yuan per month.
In July 2000, he was arrested for visiting the family member of another Falun Gong practitioner. The police beat him and forced him to renounce his practice of Falun Gong. They threatened to send him to a labor camp. Even after he resigned from his work, the police and his employer kept harassing and threatening him. In September 2000, he was forced to become homeless, leaving his parents and friends.
On April 14, 2001, he was arrested in Laixi City of Shandong Province while distributing Falun Gong materials with two other practitioners. The police beat him and forced him to reveal the source of the printed materials.
On April 17, 2001, he died from the severe beatings and torture. His upper body was unclothed. The inner sides of his thighs were covered with dark red bruises about 3 centimeters in diameter. There was a 14-centimeter-long gash in his head. His ears were torn.
10. Zhang Qingmei Died From a Prolonged Period of Physical and Mental Torture by Police in Shandong Province
Victim:
Zhang Qingmei, female, 35, lived in Xinjie Village, Huafeng Town, Ningyang County, Shandong Province. Her registered residence was in the Agricultural Machinery Factory of Huafeng Coal Mine in Ningyang County.
Location of Torture and Death:
1. Police Division of Huafeng Coal Mine, Ningyang County, Shangdong Povince
2. The liaison office of Taian City of Shandong Province in Beijing
3. Ningyang County Police Station, Ningyang County, Shangdong Province
4. The police substation in Lingshan Village, Huafeng Town
Perpetrators:
1. Wang Jizhong, Director of the police division in Huafeng Coal Mine, cell phone number: 13953869159
2. Cui Yuhe, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party of the police division in Huafeng Coal Mine, cell phone number: 13953869192
3. Zhang Tongzhen, deputy director of the police division of Huafeng Coal Mine
4. Chen Feng, policeman of the police division in Huafeng Coal Mine
5. Zhang Shengfeng, deputy director of the police substation in Lingshan Village, Huafeng Town
6. Shao Wei, head of Huafeng Police Substation, Ningyang County
7. Head of Ningyang County Police Station
8. Xu Hongqin, chief of the Department of Politics and Security at the Ningyang County police station
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On July 23, 1999, Zhang Qingmei and her husband, Liu Huadong, went to Beijing to appeal to the central government for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. When they returned home on July 30, Huafeng Coal Mine policemen ransacked their home. The policemen confiscated Falun Gong materials, their address books, and many other personal belongings. The policemen of Huafeng Police Substation took Zhang Qingmei to the Huafeng Coal Mine’s police division and interrogated her many time with continuous verbal and physical abuses. They tortured her until midnight and did not let her sleep. Zhang’s husband was also detained and interrogated in the same police division.
After 5-days of detention without any legal procedure, the couple was forced into an anti- Falun Gong brainwashing class. The police released Zhang and her husband only after they extracted some 10,000 Yuan RMB from the couple's family. After the couple went back home, the police demanded them to report to the police office daily; if they failed to report, policemen would go to their home to harass and threaten them.
On December 10, 1999, the couple went to Beijing again to appeal for an end to the persecution. They were detained by the liaison office of Taian City of Shandong Province in Beijing. On December 12, they were escorted back by the Chinese Communist Party branch secretary, Cui Yuhe and deputy division director Zhang Tongzhen from the Huafeng Coal Mine police division in Xinfen Mineral Group, Ningyang County. During the detention Cui and Zhang tortured the couple both physically and mentally. During the interrogation they were not allowed to go to the bathroom, sleep, eat, drink, or meet their family members.
On the afternoon of December 12, 1999, policeman Chen Feng from the police division and deputy director Zhang Shengfeng from Lingshan Village, Huafeng Town interrogated Zhang Qingmei. They forced her to squat a very long time in pas de cheval (with thighs parallel to the ground) and swore at her with filthy language. She eventually fainted from the prolonged torture. The policemen tried to drag her upright again by her hair. Not able to pull her up, they used the handle of floor sweepers to prop her arms and legs up. Then they kept beating her with a thick wooden stick until they became tired. They then handcuffed her in a small room for the night, making her unable to move at all. They also forced Zhang Qingmei and several other female practitioners to relieve themselves in the open, instead of in the restroom.
On the afternoon of the December 18, 1999, the Ningyang County Police Station set Zhang Qingmei's term of detention to 15 days. They also sentenced her husband, Liu Huadong to criminal detention. Her ill elderly father-in-law waited for them to come home, too worried to eat or sleep. When he came to know the truth of what was happening to his son and daughter-in-law, detained, tortured and insulted, he was extremely depressed. He passed away shortly after.
After December 1999, Zhang Qingmei and her husband were harassed daily by the police. Their phone was monitored. They often received threatening phone calls from the police. Sometimes policemen pounded on their door at one o'clock in the morning and scared all the neighbors. The police also used their relatives and friends to apply pressure and extort fines from the couple. The Huafeng Coal Mine first fined them 2,300 Yuan and then 3,000 Yuan for appealing. The police station in Ningyang County fined them 3,000 Yuan; and the Huafeng Town police substation fined them 500 Yuan. None of these fines were legal, none followed any procedure, and no receipts were given. The policemen prevented her husband from going to work and forced him to write a statement renouncing his belief in Falun Gong.
On March 3, 2001, the police forced Zhang Qingmei to either sign a repentance statement or be sentenced to a labor camp. Zhang chose to keep up her belief. Then in the early morning of March 4, the police division of Huafeng Coal Mine took Zhang from her home and forced her to give up her belief in Falun Gong. Later, Zhang Qingmei was tortured to death in the police division of Huafeng Coal Mine.
11. Mr. Su Gang Died from Forced Injections at Changle Mental Hospital, Shandong Province
Victim:
Su Gang, male, 32, a computer software engineer of Qilu Petrochemical Company, Zibo City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Changle Mental Hospital, Changle City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. The head of the security department of Qilu Petro-Chemical Company
2. The director of Changle Mental Hospital, Changle City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of The Incident:
In year 2000 alone, Su Gang had been arrested three times by the security department of his workplace for refusing to give up the practice of Falun Gong, and had been detained for a total of 130 days. Once he was detained for more than three months.
On April 25, 2000, Mr. Su went to Beijing to report to higher authorities the injustice against him. As a result, he was arrested and escorted back, and detained for one month.
On May 23, Mr. Su's workplace threw him into the Changle Mental Hospital without notifying his family members. He was tortured in the hospital and given injections with nerve damaging drugs.
At 6:00 pm on May 31, Mr. Su was released from the hospital after his uncle, Su Lianxi, who was also in police custody for practicing Falun Gong, staged a hunger strike. Su Gang did not recover from the severe mental and physical torture he received in the hospital, including daily over-dose injections with nerve damaging drugs. His face was expressionless and pale. His reflexes were slowed and his limbs were stiff.
He died on the morning of June 10, 2000 as a result of the torture in the mental hospital.
News Reports:
1. “A Tale of Heroism, Sacrifice and Pain”, Brighton-Pittsford Post, July 19, 2000.
2. "Two Falun Gong Practitioners Died In Police Custody", Radio Free Asia, June 16, 2000
3. AFP: PLA Officer Drugged in Mental Hospital for Falungong Beliefs (Excerpt) 06/28/2000, Agence France-Presse
BEIJING, June 28 (AFP) - A People's Liberation Army (PLA) lieutenant general who refused to renounce his beliefs in the outlawed Falungong spiritual movement is being forced to take drugs every day at a mental hospital, a human rights group said Wednesday.
Zhao Xinli is one of more than 400 sane Falungong adherents who have been thrown into psychiatric hospitals in the government's continuing crack down on the group, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.
Zhao, who worked in a military supplies and equipment unit of the PLA, was arrested last month after joining a New Year's Eve protest on Tiananmen Square.
He was placed in a PLA mental hospital in Beijing and injected daily with a drug which harmed his nervous system, leaving him physically weak and muddled, the center said.
An official in the PLA department where Zhao worked confirmed he had been put there because of his affiliation with the Buddhist- based group.
Before the official could answer more questions, his colleague grabbed the phone and said: "We don't have any information to provide."
Five other PLA members and Falungong believers are also incarcerated at the hospital, the center quoted sources saying.
On Sunday, the rights group and a family member of another Falungong adherent reported the man died after being forced to take medication in an eastern Chinese mental hospital, becoming the 22nd known Falungong -related death due to maltreatment by police.
Su Gang, a computer engineer and college graduate, died on June 10 after receiving twice daily injections for seven days at the Changle Mental Hospital in Changle city, Shandong province, his father, Su Dean, had told by phone.
In the past year, practitioners and human rights groups have reported several cases of practitioners being locked in mental hospitals.
In the biggest case, more than 50 practitioners living in the countryside just outside Beijing were put in a hospital for about a month to keep them from protesting during the return of Macau to Chinese sovereignty on December 20.
The 400 practitioners placed in mental institutions nationwide include mid-ranking PLA officers, judges and police officers, the center said.
Frank Lu, director of the center, believes locking normal Falungong people into mental hospitals is a policy of the central government. The government has considered the movement the biggest threat to social and political stability since the 1989 Tiananmen Square student-led demonstrations.
4. "Washington Post Editorial: Bad Medicine in China", Washington Post, June 22, 2000. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45724-2000Jun22.html
5. “China is Condemned for the Death of Falun Gong Practitioners”, BBC June18, 2000
12. Yu Lianchun Tortured to Death at Women’s Second Labor Camp
Victim:
Yu Lianchun, female, 49, retiree of Huaneng Electricity Works, Dezhou City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Women’s Second Labor Camp of Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Guo Liang, manager of Huaneng Electricity Works and the works’ community party chief
2. Gao Zhenzhi, associate chief of Huaneng Electricity Works
3. Head of Women’s Second Labor Camp of Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In October 1999, Yu Lianchun and her daughter went to Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. On October 26, they were arrested and escorted back to Shandong Province. Yu Lianchun and her daughter were detained at Yu Lianchun's factory, Huaneng Electricity Works, for almost a month. Later she was held under house arrest for 3 months. During this period, the director of Electricity Works, Guo Liang and the associate chief, Gao Zhenzhi, repeatedly tried to send Yu Lianchun to a labor camp.
Right before February 2000, Yu Lianchun was sent to the labor camp in Jinan City. She was sentenced to stay there for 3 years. Her daughter was left alone at home, and forbidden to visit her mother until her relatives made strong requests to the labor camp. Yu Lianchun was only allowed to see her daughter twice for the whole year of 2000.
At the beginning of November 2000, Yu Lianchun's daughter visited her and witnessed first hand the changes in her mother as a result of the torture she had received at the labor camp. Yu Lianchun had become so skinny that she looked emaciated; her speech was not clear and she could not fully extend her fingers. She could barely lift her arms and was limping; it took her great effort to walk.
Yu Lianchun died on December 18, 2000. On December 22, 2000, the labor camp notified Yu Lianchun's family of her death.
13. Wang Jinlong Was Tortured to Death For Exposing Chinese Government’s Human Rights Violation
Victim:
Wang Jinlong, male, 34, a resident of Junan County, Linyi City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Yanggu County Public Security Bureau, Linyi City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
Guo Zhongxi, the supervisor of the Yanggu County Public Security Bureau’s security team, Linyi City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In August of 2001, Wang Jinlong was arrested for exposing the government's brutal treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in Yanggu County. He was detained in the Yanggu County Public Security Bureau. Wang went on a hunger strike to protest his captivity and was force-fed and tortured severely. He died half a month later from the torture. Wang's body was immediately sent to the crematorium by authorities to hide any evidence of abuse. Authorities later went so far as to extort money from Wang's family when they went to claim his remains.
Following the deaths of Wang Jinlong, the authorities responsible were not brought to justice but promptly reassigned to other positions. Chief among them was Guo Zhongxi, Supervisor of the Yanggu County Public Security Bureau's security team. Guo was reassigned to work in the Xihu Village Police Station of the same county.
News Reports:
“Five Falun Gong Members Die in China”, Reuters, September 23, 2001.
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=83121
14. Wang Xinglei Died While in Yanggu County Police Custody
Victim:
Wang Xinglei, male, 35, resident of Taohuayu No. 3 village, Tuanlin Township, Junan County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. He worked in the local phosphate fertilizer factory.
Location of Torture and Death:
Yanggu County Police Station, Yanggu County, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Chief of Yanggu County Police Station, Yanggu County, Shandong Province
2. Police of Junan County Police Station
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In April 2001, Wang Xinglei was forced to flee his home to escape persecution because he refused to give up his practice of Falun Gong.
In August 2001, he was arrested by police while in Taiquan County of Henan Province meeting with other Falun Gong practitioners. He was soon transferred to Shandong Province and detained in Yanggu County.
On September 10, 2001, the Yanggu County Police notified Wang's family of his death. his family members discovered severe contusions on his head. The police did not allow anyone in Wang's family to carefully examine his body, and quickly had it cremated.
15. Wang Yongdong Beaten and Thrown out of a 4th floor Window by Yishui County Police
Victim:
Wang Yongdong, male, 38, self-employed, resident of Yangxi Street of Yishui County, one of the main Falun Gong assistants of Yishui County, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Victim’s home at Yangxi Street, Yishui County
Perpetrators:
1. Six Yishui County policemen including Zhang Jueyuan, Zhang Zhitian and Wang Jingwen
2. Head of the Yishui County government
3. Head of the Yishui County Court
A Brief Report of the Incident:
At round 8:00 am on September 21, 2001, Wang Yongdong was arrested by the county police in the east market of Yishui County. Police beat Wang in the market. Then the six policemen including Zhang Jueyuan, Zhang Zhitian and Wang Jingwen took Wang Yongdong to his home and ransacked it. Wang tried to reason with the police and questioned whether they had any legal grounds for their action. Police beat Wang severely. Around 10:00 am, after beating him the police pushed Wang Yongdong out of the 4th floor window of his home. Wang struggled and tried not to be pushed out but failed. He died from the impact.
Wang’s family sued the police at the Yishui County Court. A joint autopsy was carried out by the High Court of Shandong Province, the Intermediate Court of Linyi City and the Elementary Court of Yishui County. The autopsy showed that Wang’s body was covered with dark blue bruises. His neck had finger marks showing he had been choked. His Adam’s apple was sticking out abnormally and the collar-bones on both sides were broken. Three left ribs and two right ribs were broken. His lower leg bone was fractured and had an obvious dent in it; his upper leg bones were fractured also.
Wang’s family and fellow villagers were not satisfied and appealed to the county government. The county government gave Wang’s family 40000 yuan RMB as compensation but did not bring the perpetrators to justice. Wang’s family did not get any formal documents from the court.
16. A female Falun Gong Practitioner Beaten to Death by Inmates, Under Police Supervision
Victim:
A female Falun Gong practitioner, in her 40’s, detailed information has been blocked by the No. 1 Female Labor Camp of Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
No. 1 Female Labor Camp, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Captain of the first league of the No. 1 Female Labor Camp, Shandong Province
2. Head officials of the No. 1 Female Labor Camp, Shandong Province
3. The five labor camp inmates, Su Lili, Chen Lili, Ying Xia, Ma Tengcheng, and one with the first name of Xia
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On November 2000, the captain of the first league of the No. 1 Female Labor Camp of Shandong Province instigated five inmates: Su Lili, Chen Lili, Ying Xia, Ma Shengchun, and one with the first name of Xia, to beat Falun Gong practitioners who refused to give up their practice of Falun Gong. One female practitioner was beaten and tortured to death by the five inmates.
After the death of this practitioner, the head officials of the labor camp immediately sent the above five inmates to the Liuchangshan detention center and hid any evidence about the death. The labor camp strictly blocked all information about the death.
17. Dong Buyun Died During Detention at Xiyanchi Elementary School
Victim:
Dong Buyun, female, 36, a teacher at the Xiyanchi Elementary School in Linyi City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Xiyanchi Elementary School in Linyi City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. President of Xiyanchi Elementary School in Linyi City, Shandong Province
2. Director of the police of Lanshan District, Linyi City, Shangdong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On July 20,1999, Dong Buyun went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. On September 10, she was arrested in Beijing and escorted back by the police of Lanshan District. She was then under the custody of the Xiyanchi Elementary School. She was detained in an office on the second floor. The guard watched her day and night.
Ms. Dong was brainwashed and forced to write a pledge stating she would give up the practice of Falun Gong. At midnight of September 11, 1999, she died at the school as a result of the torture and maltreatment by the school authorities. Her body was cremated in a hurry before the noon.
18. Mr. Liu Xuguo Died from Forced-Feeding Administered at Jining City Labor Camp
Victim:
Liu Xuguo, male, 29, technician of Zoucheng City Fertilizer Factory, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
1. Zoucheng Detention Center, Zoucheng City, Shandong Province
2. Jining City Labor Camp (also is a criminal detention center)
Perpetrators:
1. Head of Zoucheng detention center, Jining City detention center
2. Head of the Jining City Labor Camp
3. Wang, Head of Department of Justice in Jining City
4. Wu Guanzheng, Secretary of Chinese Communist Party of Shandong Province
5. Xie, doctor of Jining City Labor Camp
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In October 1999, Liu Xuguo went to Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. He was fired from his post after he came back from Beijing. Later Liu was arrested at home and detained in the Zoucheng Detention Center. There he was tortured and detained beyond the legal time limit.
On January 29, 2000, he was sentenced to 3 years of forced labor and transferred to Jining City Labor Camp. On January 30, Mr. Liu Xuguo and other practitioners embarked on a hunger strike to protest their detention and brutal treatment. The head of Department of Justice in Jining City told Liu that it was Wu Guanzheng’s (Secretary of Chinese Communist Party of Shandong Province) order that he be sentenced to a labor camp.
During the hunger strike, the head of the Jining City Labor Camp and the head of the Department of Justice in Jining City still ordered them to do hard labor such as carrying sand bags. On February 4, 2000, Mr. Liu was force-fed by doctor Xie, and the force-feeding resulted in a respiratory tract injury that severely infected his lung. Liu was then sent to a hospital affiliated with the Jining Medical School. Meanwhile, the message from the highest court in Bejing said that no government unit should be held responsible for any possible death of Falun Gong practitioners.
At 11:00 am of February 10, 2000, Liu Xuguo died in the hospital. In September 2001, Liu’s wife, Man Li, was sentenced to 3 years of forced labor. Liu’s father and mother, both seriously ill with stroke and cancer, and Liu’s 3 and a half-year-old son were left unattended.
News Reports:
AP (Associated Press) and AFP (Agence France Presse) reported Mr. Liu’s death on Feb. 22, 2000
19. Tian Xiangcui Was Tortured to Death By Government Officials in Fengyi Town
Victim:
Tian Xiangcui, female, 61, resident of Qujiagou, Fengyi Town, Longkou City, Shandong Province.
Location of Torture and Death:
1. The Fengyi town government facilities in Longkou City, Shandong Province
2. Zhangjiagou Detention Center, Fengyi Town, Longkou City, Shangdong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Cao Chengxu, Zhao Jintian and Liu Yanbo, Fengyi town government, Longkou City, Shangdong Province
2. The Director of Zhangjiagou Detention Center, Fengyi Town, Longkou City, Shangdong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On July 12, 2000, Tian Xiangcui went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. On July 13, she was arrested and sent back to Fengyi Town, where she was detained until July 17.
During the detention, every morning and evening, four officers would surround Ms. Tian and beat her with fists, feet and batons. She was forced to stand outside in the baking sun and was not allowed any water. At night, she was only allowed to sleep for a few hours outside on the ground. The guards also beat and verbally abused her. After several days, Tian’s body was covered with cuts and bruises. On July 13, practitioners were not provided with food the whole day. Starting from July 14, Mrs. Tian and other detained practitioners were given only half a flour bun for lunch and dinner. They were not provided with any utensils and had to eat with their hands. Fengyi Town Secretary, Cao Chengxu told Ms. Tian’s family that she had to pay 12,000 Yuan (The average monthly salary in urban area is 500 Yuan) for her release.
Around 10:00 AM on the 16th, Cao Chengxu, Zhao Jintian (another secretary) and Liu Yanbo began beating her, and then forced her to stand out in the hot sun. Tian Xiangcui finally fainted and fell to the ground. After this incident Tian often felt dizzy and sick. She threw up a lot, and she could not eat.
On July 17 she was sent to Zhangjiagou Detention Center. She still could not eat, and her health deteriorated day by day. On the afternoon of July 21, the staff of the detention center became worried about her deteriorating health and notified Mrs. Tian's family. Her family took her back and sent her to emergency room of Beihai Hospital. Cuts and bruises covered her entire body, her face was pale, and she could not speak. The doctors could do little to help her. At 8:00 AM on July 23, 2000, Tian Xiangcui died from her injuries. Her family members requested her case history from the hospital, but their request was denied.
20. Senior Resident Died From Constant Police Harassment in Qingdao City
Victim:
Wang Suqin, female, senior resident of Qingdao City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Wang Suqin’s Home, Qingdao City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
Policemen from local Police Station, Qingdao City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
1. At the end of March 2001, Qingdao police suddenly broken into Wang Suqin’s house without warrant while she was doing Falun Gong exercises. They told her that they were going to take her away and force her to attend an anti-Falun Gong brainwashing class (also called “transformation class”). Their unexpected entrance startled the old lady so much that she began to shake uncontrollably. Seeing how ill she looked, the policemen decided not to take her away, but they still put her under tight surveillance 24 hours a day. She was not allowed to go out at all. The police would not even let her go out to buy groceries. They kept calling her and threatening to take her away to attend the brainwashing class. They would not allow her to practice the exercises. Also, the police went to her home numerous times trying to force her to write a pledge promising to give up her belief in Falun Gong. Due to the continuous harassment and threats, Wang Suqin’s health deteriorated. She died several days later.
21. Shang Qingling Died After a Force-Feeding at Laiwu City Detention Center
Victim:
Shang Qingling, female, 38, resident of Lixin Township, Laiwu City, Shandong Province, China
Location of Torture and Death:
Laiwu City Detention Center, Laiwu City, Shandong Province, China
Perpetrators:
1. Wang Ning, Director of the Legal System Division, Mianning County Police Station
2. Head and police of the Laiwu City Detention Center, Laiwu City, Shandong Province, China
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On December 28, 2000, Shang Qingling was arrested by Mianning County Police and charged with seeking to "overthrow the national regime" because she distributed Falun Gong flyers in Mianning County. She refused to give up practicing Falun Gong and to reveal the source of the materials.
Later, she was sent to Laiwu City Detention Center in Laiwu City, Shandong Province. The police tried to force her to write statements denouncing Falun Gong. She refused to do so and instead started a hunger strike to protest. On the 9th day of her hunger strike, the police placed long handcuffs and heavy shackles on her, and forced-fed her with flour soup. The force-feeding caused severe infections of her lungs and trachea. Consequently, she died on January 31, 2001.
22. Ms. Shi was Tortured to Death by Duo Town, Mengyin County Police While in Custody
Victim:
Ms. Shi, female, 21, resident of Duo Town, Mengyin County, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Local police station in Duo Town, Mengyin County, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
Local police station in Duo Town, Mengyin County, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On February 6, 2000, Ms. Shi was arrested and sent back to her hometown when she went to Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Upon her return, while she was in the middle of her menstrual period, the local police beat her. She lost consciousness several times during the beating, and each time the police threw cold water on her to wake her up and continue the beating. She passed away on February 19, 2000.
The county government beat Ms. Shi’s father, Shi Zengshan continuously for three nights to force him to announce that the county government was not responsible for his daughter’s death. He was also forced to attend two anti-Falun Gong brainwashing classes held by the county government.
23. Mr. Zou Songtao Died From Torture Received at Labor Camp
Victim:
Zou Songtao, male, 28, resident of Qingdao City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City, Shandong Province
2. Qingdao Labor Camp, Qingdao City, Shandong Province
3. Qingdao local police station, Qingdao City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Since July 22, 1999, Zou Songtao was detained for more than ten days because he refused to give up his practice of Falun Gong. In early November 1999 he was detained again by the local police station for about a month.
On May 30, 2000, he was arrested by the local police station. He refused to sign the statement denouncing Falun Gong or to cooperate with any persecution. He was tortured in an iron chair with both hands handcuffed to the chair. He was severely beaten by the police. His head and face were swollen so badly that people could hardly recognize him. When he was sent to the detention center, they refused to accept him due to the severe injuries he was suffering. After being taken back to the local police station and locked there for two days, he was detained for another month in the detention center. There were bruises behind his ears even after he was released in early July.
On July 18, Zou was arrested at home and sentenced to 3 years in a labor camp for not giving up his belief in Falun Gong. He was detained in the Qingdao Labor Camp from July 18 to September 26, and only family members who didn't practice Falun Gong could visit him. On September 26, he was transferred to Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City of Shandong Province without his family’s knowledge, and none of his family members were allowed to visit him. He was told that as long as he did not give up his belief in Falun Gong, his family would not be permitted to visit him, send him food or money. He was forced to watch videos that slandered Falun Gong and to write a reporting statement periodically as part of the "transformation education."
On November 3, 2000 at 1:10 p.m., Zou Songtao died suddenly in Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City, Shandong Province. He had injured his chest and punctured a lung. His body was cremated on November 4, 2000 at Zhangdian in Zibo City.
His family received no written legal documents about his death.
An eye-witness report:
On November 3, 2000, around noon, Mr. Zou came out of the 3rd sub-team activity center in the camp. He had to pass a circular stairway outside the office building. Because of the structure of the stairs he slowed down his pace. At that moment, an official used an electric baton to beat him while scolding him for being slow. Mr. Zou fell down backward from the strong electric shock. He hit the back of his head squarely on the stairway and immediately lost consciousness. He suffered a serious head injury. There was blood everywhere. By the time the officials sent Mr. Zou to the hospital, the doctor pronounced Mr. Zou dead.
News Reports:
1. AFP: Another Falun Gong Member Dies in Chinese Prison
HONG KONG, Nov 8, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) Another member of the Falun Gong spiritual group has died in prison in China, bringing the number of members reported to have died in police custody to 68, a Hong Kong-based rights group said Wednesday.
Zou Songtao, 28, a biology professor at Qingdao Maritime University in eastern Shandong province, died Saturday in the Number Three Shandong Reform Through Education Camp in Zibo city, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.
Officials at the detention center told the family that Zou had committed suicide, but they refused to allow Zou's wife to see the body, the center said.
His cremated remains were returned to the family on Sunday.
Camp officials refused to comment when questioned by AFP over the incident.
Zou, who graduated from Nanjing University in 1995, was arrested on July 18 and sentenced to three years detention for protesting the ban on the spiritual group in Beijing and attempting to petition the central government's crackdown at a Complaints Bureau in the capital.
The rights group said Zou's family doubted he would have committed suicide especially since he had given birth to a daughter 10 months ago.
The Falun Gong was banned in China in July 1999 and accused of [...].
The government has called the group the biggest threat to its political rule since the 1989 Tianamen democracy protests were brutally crushed by the Chinese military.
Members of the spiritual group follow the Buddhist-inspired teachings of their exiled guru Li Hongzhi, who advocates clean living and group morning exercises that involve traditional Chinese breathing routines.
Some 450 members have received prison sentences of up to 18 years and more than 600 have been sent to mental hospitals, the rights group said. Around 10,000 others have been placed in labor camps and another 20,000 locked up in temporary detention centers, it added.
2. "China: Torture and Deaths Continue," Amnesty International Dublin Central Group News, ACTIVE, December 2000
24. Retired Worker Wang Huaiying Died While Hung to a Window at Yongan Road Detention Center in Nanyang City, Henan Province
Victim:
Wang Huaiying, male, age 58, a retired worker of Heze Instruments Factory, resident of Wangtang Village, Mudan District, Heze City, Shandong Province
Location of Detention and Death:
The Yongan Road Detention Center in Nanyang City, Henan Province
Perpetrators:
1. Zhang Tiangui, prisoner at Yongan Road Detention Center
2. Zhang Changyu, police in charge of Falun Gong issue at Yongan Road Detention Center
3. Wang Taicheng, the captain of Nanyang City Security Group
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On January 26, 2001, Wang Huaiying went to Bejing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. He was arrested by Nanyang City police and detained in the Yongan Road Detention Center in Nanyang City, Henan Province.
At the detention center officer Zhang Changyu instigated prisoners to beat Wang Huaiying. On February 1, 2001, around 8:00 am, prisoner Zhang Tiangui hung Wang Huaiying on the door and reinforcing bars of a window with handcuffs and a belt. They hung one of his hands high in the air and only let his feet slightly touch the ground. The other hand was pulled to the other side and hung up. Wang Huaiying was left hanging until he died around 1:00 pm. The police secretly sent the body to be cremated.
The police forced Wang’s family to pay 4,000 yuan for the cremation and autopsy. According to the autopsy pictures, Wang’s body was covered with bruises.
25. Jiang Liying Tortured to Death in Labor Camp
Victim:
Jiang Liying, female, a resident of Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Jiang Liying was persecuted to death in February 2001. Detailed information has been blocked by the government of Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province.
26. Cong Yue Tortured to Death in the Gaoling Town Police Station
Victim:
Cong Yue, female, 53, a resident of Shuangshantun, Gaoling Town, Mouping District, Yantai City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Gaoling Town police station, Mouping District, Yantai City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
The head of Gaoling Town police station, Mouping District, Yantai City, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In October 2000 Cong Yue was arrested and escorted back to Gaoling Town police station for going to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. In the police station, she was not allowed to eat or drink, and finally was tortured and beaten to death.
27. Guards of Yinhe Company Security Department Broke Chen Guibin’s Neck and Beat Him to Death
Victim:
Chen Guibin, male, age 35, employee of the Yinhe Company in Wucheng County, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Security Department of the Yinhe Company, Wucheng County, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
Head and guards of the Security Department of the Yinhe Company, Wucheng County, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Since July 1999, Chen Guibin had been detained many times and fined more than 2,500 Yuan RMB, because he refused to give up his practice of Falun Gong.
On January 8, 2001, four guards from the Yinhe Company Security Department took Chen to the security office. They put handcuffs on him and started beating him. Two bones in his neck were broken. Chen was paralyzed. They kept beating Chen and finally threw him outside into the snow, where he lay for more than an hour. When they saw that he wasn't able to move, they carried him back to the detention room. The four guards tossed his quilt on the floor, leaving nothing to cover his body. Then they opened the window to expose Chen to the freezingly cold weather.
Chen's wife was also being detained at that time for being a Falun Gong practitioner. His mother and brother requested to see him many times, but were denied.
Due to the torture, Chen had problem breathing and could not urinate. He became dehydrated. On January 9, he suffered extreme pain and died from the injuries.
28. Han Shengli Kidnapped, Detained, and Tortured to Death in the Xintai Detention Center, Shandong Province
Victim:
Han Shengli, male, 58, resident of Xintai City, Shangdong Province. He was a retired employee of Liangzhuang Mine, Shandong Xinwen Ore Corporation.
Location of Torture and Death:
1. Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City, Shandong Province
2. Xintai Detention Center, Shandong Province, China
Perpetrators:
1. Li Fuqing, head of Liangzhuang Ore Company, Xinwen City, Shandong Province
2. Guards of Liangzhuang Ore Company, Xinwen City, Shandong Province
3. Lang Qingtian, president and communist party secretary, Shandong Xinwen Ore Corporation
4. Head of Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City, Shandong Province
5. Head of Xintai Detention Center
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Since July 1999, Han Shengli had been closely watched by the security guards of Liangzhuang Mine (part of the Xinwen Ore Corporation) because he practiced Falun Gong. In late May 2001, guards from the Liangzhuang Mine kidnapped Han Shengli when he visited his hometown of Changqing. Afterwards, he was sent to the Wangcun Labor Camp in Zibo City for 10 days of anti-Falun Gong brainwashing sessions.
Ten days after being released, Mr. Han went to Tiananmen Square in Beijing to make a public appeal for Falun Gong. He was detained and sent to Xintai Detention Center. There he was beaten and mentally tortured. Mr. Han was then transferred to Wangcun Labor Camp. For health reasons, the Wangcun Labor Camp refused to accept him. So he was sent back to Xintai Detention Center, where he died from continuous torture in early August 2001.
29. A Falun Gong Practitioner was Tortured to Death and then Dissected in the Yanggu County, Shandong Province
Victim:
A Falun Gong practitioner, male, late 30's, resident of Laiwu area, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Yanggu County, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. The head of the "610 Office", Shandong Province
2. The head of the Public Security Bureau, Shandong Province
3. The head of Yanggu County, Shandong Province
A Brief Report of the Incident:
In mid-August 2001, a Falun Gong practitioner was beaten to death. The doctor who examined the body at the county hospital reported that the body had been dissected.
30. Zhang Lin Died from Persecution, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province
Victim:
Zhang Lin, female, 53, resident of No. 42 building in Wenhua District, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong province
Location of death:
Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
1. The guards of Wangcun Labor Camp, Zibo City
2. Police of Zhaoyuan City
A Brief Report of the Incident:
Around July 2001, Zhang Lin was arrested by the Zhaoyuan City police and sent to an anti-Falun Gong brainwashing class in Linglong Town, Zhaoyuan City. She endured forty to fifty days of brainwashing and refused to give up the practice of Falun Gong.
In the beginning of September, she was sent to Wangcun Labor Camp by officials from Zhaoyuan City to serve a 2-year labor camp term. Since then, there had been no communication between Zhang and her family.
On September 28, 2001, the labor camp suddenly asked Zhang's family members to take her home. On September 30, 2001, Zhang died from the severe injuries received in the labor camp. Zhang Lin's body was hastily cremated on October 1 by the police.
31. Ms. Zhao Jinhua Tortured to Death by Zhangxing Town Police (This is case has been included in the UN last year’s annual report)
Victim:
Zhao Jinhua, female, 42, Zhaojia Village, Zhangxing Town, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province
Location of Torture and Death:
Zhangxing Town Police Station, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province
Perpetrators:
Assistant Chief of Police Sun Shixun and his deputies.
A Brief Report of the Incident:
On September 29, 1999, Zhao Jinhua was arrested while she was working in the fields because the police had found out that she was a Falun Gong practitioner. The police officers detained and tortured her and four other Falun Gong practitioners that afternoon.
On October 1, 1999, a group of policemen led by Sun Shixun burst into their cell and began beating them with their fists, feet and rubber clubs and shocking them with electric wires. She lost consciousness three times, but they revived her and continued to beat her. Finally, she collapsed. She was taken to the hospital, given some injections, and was then returned to the detention center.
Zhao Jinhua had blood in her urine and her whole body was in constant pain. Her body was covered in bruises from the neck down. She had difficulty breathing and could not eat. The whole right side of her body lost feeling and she could not walk. On October 7, she collapsed again and died shortly after she was sent to the emergency room.
An autopsy carried out on October 8 by medical experts from Zhaoyuan City and Yantai City found that Zhao Jinhua had wounds and bruises on many parts of her body. The autopsy report indicated that her death had been caused by beatings with blunt instruments. The police had her body cremated before her family members could retrieve the body from the detention center.
News Reports:
1. AP: China Ignoring Jail Torture
Today: May 03, 2000 at 9:41:20 PDT
BEIJING (AP) -- Beatings, forced labor, bad food and poor medical treatment are common in Chinese prisons, indicating the government has failed to honor commitments to curb torture, a human rights group said today.
Human Rights in China's critical assessment came in advance of a U.N. panel meeting in Geneva on Thursday to determine if the Chinese government has implemented the U.N. Convention Against Torture. Two years ago, Beijing reported that it was making progress.
While top Chinese officials have expressed opposition to the use of torture, such policies are often not enforced at the local level. Cases of torture leading to death and disability have continued despite Beijing's commitment to comply with the treaty, New York-based Human Rights in China said.
The narrow legal definition of torture, a lack of penalties and other faults in China's patchy legal system encourage police and prison officials to rely on ill treatment, the group said.
Among 27 cases it listed was that of Zhang Lin, a labor rights advocate serving a three-year sentence in Guangdong province's No. 1 Labor Camp. Zhang, who moved to the United States in 1997, was sentenced without trial in 1998 for allegedly entering China illegally and hiring prostitutes. He has suffered beatings every few days, leaving his body covered with wounds and causing him to attempt suicide twice and stage a hunger strike.
Chinese officials were not available for comment due to a weeklong May Day holiday.
The report cited incomplete statistics showing an increase in reports of torture since 1979. The top prosecutor's office recorded about 500 cases in 1996, with the number rising as police carried out a nationwide anti-crime campaign.
China's top police officer acknowledged that law enforcement officials routinely use torture to obtain confessions, the report said. "By committing forced confessions, they have turned someone who has committed no crime into a criminal, or turned someone who committed a minor violation into a serious criminal violator, and harmed the masses terribly," it quoted Public Security Minister Jia Chunwang as saying.
The government has allowed the media to report some torture cases, though officials withhold information about cases involving political prisoners and people linked to the banned Falun Gong meditation movement.
People who have publicized sensitive torture cases have themselves been imprisoned.
Falun Gong members who reported the death in police custody of follower Zhao Jinhua were charged with violating the State Secrets Law. Zhao was arrested Sept. 27 and questioned about her links with Falun Gong. She was hospitalized in October after losing consciousness during interrogation, detained after her release for more questioning and later found beaten to death.
2. AFP: Three more Falungong followers die in police custody
Thursday, April 20 6:25 PM SGT
BEIJING, April 20 (AFP) - Three members of the outlawed Falungong spiritual group have died in police custody in the past month, bringing the number of such deaths to at least 15, a Hong Kong rights group said Thursday.
The Information Center on Human Rights and Democracy said Li Yanhua, 46, Guang Zhaosheng and Zhang Zhenggang, were jailed for refusing to renounce their belief in the group and died in police custody during the last month.
Only the deaths of Li, in Nanchang, southern Jiangxi province, and Guan from Guangjiazui, Hunan province could be independently confirmed.
Li's husband, who identified himself as Yang, told AFP that his wife was sentenced without trial to two years reform through education in January and died on April 14 of heart failure after partcipating in an 11-day hunger strike.
The family requested medical parole in February, but was refused, Yang said. He said that the hunger strike continued after his wife's death.
A governmental office in charge of quelling the Falungong group in Hunan province confirmed to AFP that Guan Zhaosheng died while he was in detention in Beijing this month, but said his death was due to his refusal to take medicine.
The information center said it was told by other detained Falungong followers that Guan was beaten to death by Beijing police and his family was compensated 10,000 yuan (1,200 US dollars) for his death. The government office spokesman denied paying any compensation.
In the third death, the center said Zhang Zhenggang fell into a coma after he was beaten by police in Huaian, Jiangsu province and was hospitalized for five-days before 60 police surrounded the hospital and cremated Zhang before he was officially pronounced dead.
Since July at least 15 Falungong practioners have died in police custody, including Zhao Jinhua, 42, who was allegedly beaten to death by police in Zhangxing, Shandong province and quickly cremated to destroy the evidence.
The Falungong group was banned last July, after the Chinese government labelled the group the biggest threat to one-party communist rule since the 1989 military crackdown on the peaceful Tiananmen democracy protests.
The group, which has also been labelled an "evil cult," advocates clean living and traditional Chinese meditation and breathing exercises.
3. Authority NGO organization reports covering Ms. Zhao case: “On the Issues of Torture and Detention, Freedom of Expression, and Religious Intolerance in P. R. of China” presented at U.N.’s NGO (Non-Government Organizations) hearing on China issues on April 6th, 2000
4. Alex Neve Secretary General, Amnesty International of Canada, Amnesty International's Speech at Ottawa Press Conference (July 20th, 2000)
5. “People's Republic of China reports of torture and ill treatment of followers of Falun Gong”, Amnesty International, Public document, AI Index: ASA 17/54/99,October 22nd, 1999
6. “Violence against Women in China's Crackdown on Falun Gong Practitioners”, presented by Freedom House in 56th Session of the U.N. Commission on Human Right
type=Case, Death; location=Shandong |
