Reports from China: 18 More Falun Gong Deaths from Police Brutality, Torture

NEW YORK (FDI) — Utterly exhausted from 12 days without sleep, Lihong Ding’s captors forced him to pace his cell to keep him awake. Many times the 36-year-old collapsed while walking, banging his head on the walls and floors.

Each time, his captors beat him to keep him awake, and forced him to keep walking.

Throughout what would be a 15-day period of no sleep, Lihong’s captors used a variety of brainwashing techniques to force him to renounce his beliefs and make him promise not to practice Falun Gong.

The sleep deprivation torture — much like the violent force feedings he endured a month before — proved ineffective.

“I want to reveal the truth of the persecution to the world’s people,” Lihong would later say.

But for many, the torture was all too effective: “Many can’t bear it. They lose their minds and then start torturing others,” recalled Lihong.

On April 27, 2002, Lihong, a train conductor with the Shijiazhuang Railway Section who lived in the Jianming Area, was released from the Brainwashing Center of Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province.

In November, Shanxi police in Yuci County kidnapped Lihong again. A month later his parents received a call telling them to pick up the corpse of their son. His body was cremated immediately.

Lihong is one of 18 recently reported cases of wrongful deaths from abuse by authorities in China. Like the others, Lihong’s only “crime” was upholding his right to practice the peaceful spiritual beliefs of Falun Gong (about). What follows are as much detail as the Falun Dafa Information Center could compile about the circumstances of these wrongful deaths. (See related Press Statement from FDI)

Dec. 22, 2002: Woman Dead After Severe Abuse in Custody, Denied Medical Care

Xiuyun Wang, female, 47, a Falun Gong practitioner from Huadian City, Jilin Province, had gone to Beijing to appeal on numerous occasions. After being arrested and unlawfully detained a number of times, she was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution.

On June 3, 2002, Xiuyun and seven other practitioners were kidnapped and incarcerated at the Political Security Division of the Huadian City Police Department. Led by Wang Guangxue, the party secretary of the Huadian City Police Department, police beat the eight practitioners severely. The practitioners were hung up with ropes, shocked with electric batons, had plastic bags pulled over their heads while their captors blew smoke into the bags, etc. Afterwards, they were sent to the Huadian City Detention Center. On October 9, 2002, without notifying their families, the Huadian City Court secretly put the practitioners on trial. On November 5, 2002, the court held a second trial. Xiuyun was “sentenced” to 12 years in prison, and other practitioners to 3 to 12 years.

While in detention, Xiuyun went on a hunger strike for 49 days. The prolonged torture combined with the hunger strike began to take its toll: Xiuyun developed pulmonary edema and pleural effusion. For three months, she had to sit upright all day and night because of the orthopnea. When the police saw that Xiuyun was fighting for her breath, and fearful of the liability, they sent her to a hospital at the end of November 2002.

During her stay in hospital, the Huadian City Police Department attempted to extort 10,000 Yuan from her family as “medical expenses.” In the past 3 years, the police department had extorted over 30,000 Yuan from Xiuyun’s family. They did not have any money left to pay for the medical expenses.

Since her family members did not oblige the police, they were not allowed any visitation. After three days in the hospital, her condition remained critical. Yet, the police forcibly took her back to the detention center despite the doctor’s warning. On December 7, 2002, Xiuyun’s condition worsened, and she was returned to the hospital. At that time, it was clear she was dying. To shirk liability, the police department sent her to the Heizuizi Prison in Changchun City, Jilin Province on December 12, and without notifying her family. Ten days later, at about 9pm on December 22, Xiuyun passed away.

People who are responsible for Wang Xiuyun’s death include: Wu Changzhi (Mayor of Huadian City), Zhou Jian (“610 Office” Director), Wang Guangxue (Party Secretary of the Huadian City Police Department), Yu Jinji and Jin XX (Directors of Political Security Division), Meng, Yang Feng (Captain of Patrol Squad), and Liu Bo (Director of the detention center).

Dec. 18, 2002: Woman Dies from Force Feeding Injuries

Shufang Wang, female, 49 years old, from Acheng City, Heilongjiang Province died on December 18, 2002, due to torture suffered in the Wanjia Labor Camp. She was an employee in the Beiyan Factory in Acheng City.

In April of 2001, Shufang went to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to peacefully appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. She was arrested and illegally incarcerated for 49 days, during which time she staged a hunger strike to protest. While in Beijing, she was violently force-fed, which caused severe bleeding in the stomach and esophagus. Fearing she would die, authorities released her.

In June 2001, people from Acheng City’s “610 Office” held her in the city detention center for six months and then sentenced her to one year of forced labor because she remained determined to practice Falun Gong. She was sent to the Harbin City Wanjia Labor Camp.

After going on hunger strike at the labor camp, Shufang was again subjected to force-feeding, which again caused bleeding in her stomach and esophagus. Her abdominal cavity was swollen and accumulated a lot of fluids. When the labor camp authorities noticed that she was dying, they notified the Acheng “610 Office” personnel to take her back. The “610 Office” in turn ordered Shufang’s family members to remove her from the labor camp.

However, the street administration office and her factory refused to agree to her release. In her steadily deteriorating condition, Shufang suffered a great deal. She endured the pain with the help of fellow practitioners who were detained in the same labor camp until June 2002, when she was finally taken home. By that time she was suffering from severe edema and fluid accumulation in her abdomen, and vomited blood and had blood in her stool. At the time of her release, Shufang was not coherent and unable to use her legs.

Shufang was never able to recover from the long-term torture that she endured, and she passed way on December 18, 2002. People from Acheng City “610 Office” have followed Jiang’s regime in persecuting Dafa practitioners for over three years. In their hands, Dafa practitioners Jiu Yajun, Bai Xiuhua and others have been tortured to death. Many Dafa practitioners are being illegally detained in Acheng City Detention Center.

Dec. 16, 2002: Woman Tortured to Death in the Wanjia Forced-Labor Camp

Jianhua Liang, female, 59 years old, and a former employee of the Harbin Colliery Machinery Institute, lived at Liushun Street, Xiangfang District. Before she began practicing Falun Gong, she suffered from gynecological disease and sciatica. After she started the practice, she became completely healthy, say those close to her. After July 20, 1999, when the persecution of Falun Gong started, she went to Beijing three times in 2000 to appeal for Falun Gong.

On June 10, 2002, on her way to Shenzhen, police officers from the Harbin Railway Bureau searched Jianhua. She was illegally arrested when they found her ID card number. Later, Jianhua was sentenced to one year in the Wanjia Forced-Labor Camp. On December 16, 2002, Jianhua was tortured to death inside the camp.

More than 700 Falun Gong practitioners are detained in the Baimalong Female Forced-labor Camp in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province. To force practitioners to renounce their beliefs, the labor camp organized a special team to torture the steadfast practitioners both physically and mentally. Many Falun Gong practitioners went on a hunger strike to oppose the torture. Some were tortured so badly that they lost consciousness on several occasions.

Dec. 2, 2002: Man Dies from Force Feeding Injuries

Xingguo Song (male, 29 years old) was from Zhulikou Village, Tengzhuang Town, Huanghua City, Hebei Provicne died on December 2, 2002 in Handan City Labor Camp in Hebei Province from injuries sustained during forced feeding.

In November 2001, Xingguo was sentenced to 2 years at the Shijiazhuang Labor Camp. While in prison, he started a hunger strike. When Xingguo was on the verge of death in November 2002, he was sent to the Handan Labor Camp. While he was dying untrained police continued to brutally force feed him with a stomach tube. Eleven days later he passed away.

Nov. 29, 2002: High School Teacher Dies in Labor Camp

Youfang Hou (female, 48 years old) was a physics teacher at Xipocun High School in Jinchang City, from Jinchang City in Gansu Province. She had received awards and recognition as an outstanding teacher for many years, however she was expelled from her school after going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. In August 2001, she was illegally sent to Ping-an-tai Labor Camp in Lanzhou City and died in custody on November 29, 2002.

Nov. 6, 2002: Woman Dies from Beating in Custody

Gang Long, female, 33, was an employee at the Anju Town Food Supply Station in Tongliang County, Chongqing City. She twice went to appeal for Falun Gong. Later she was illegally sentenced to two years of forced labor education and was jailed at the Maojiashan Female Labor Camp in Chongqing City.

To protest the illegal persecution, she went on a hunger strike. As a result, the police force-fed her, leading to the perforation of her lungs. In order to shirk responsibility, the labor camp claimed that she contracted tuberculosis and asked her family members to take her home. After she returned home, she gradually recovered. However, the Tongliang County Police Department then ordered some thugs to kidnap her and sent her to a detention center where she was tortured for 4 months. After returning home, she never recovered and died on November 6, 2002.

November 2002: Woman Tortured to Death in Police Custody

Lin Guan, female, translation director of an African language program at China Radio International, lived in the Yongle Residential Area of Shijingshan District in Beijing. In 2001, she was forced to leave her home in order to avoid being forced to attend brainwashing classes. In mid November 2002, she was arrested while holding a banner in Tiananmen Square. Preliminary reports indicate she died within days from severe torture in police custody.

Oct. 18, 2002: Man Tortured to Death

Liguo Jiang, male, 52 years old, began practicing Falun Gong in 1997. He was tortured to death in the No. 2 Detention Center in Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province on October 18, 2002.

In 2000, Liguo went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. He was arrested by police at the Harbin Train Station and then sent to the Xinxing Nursing Home where he was tortured until he could not walk on his own. Later, the police released him because his son was injured in a car accident and had no one to take care of him.

On the evening of December 12, 2000, Liguo was again detained in the Xinxing Nursing Home where a forced brainwashing class was held. Liguo was stripped naked and made to stand in front of an open window exposed to sub-zero winds. Later, Liguo was released because he urinated blood.

In November 2001, township government officials kidnapped Liguo. While being held, Liguo was beaten with plastic tubes filled with sand until he could not walk on his own. He was then sent to the No. 2 Detention Center in Shuangcheng City because he would not renounce Falun Gong.

In the detention center, Liguo was force-fed, severely injuring his lung in the process. He threw up blood. Liguo was then sentenced to two years of forced labor at the Wanjia Forced Labor Camp, but the camp refused to take him due to his medical condition. Liguo was tortured at the detention center for another three months before being released. He never recovered and died on October 18, 2002.

Oct. 16, 2002: Man Dead of Injected with Unknown Substance

On Oct 16, 2002, three people from Lanzhou City Anling district police station national security squad, claiming to be colleagues broke into Ou Yangwei’s, home. They claimed they wanted to take Ou somewhere to have a short talk. At noon, along with Wei Yingqi, the director of the safety department of the Gansu province civil and housing building company sent Ou back home. After arriving home, his family members were told that he would be going away to study for several days and needed to bring several sets of clothing. On October 17, Ou’s family inquired about his situation at the police station and were told by national security squad staff officer Wei Qiying that, “He has been sent to Gansu province first labor camp (Pinantai) to serve a one year sentence. Pinantai Hospital checked his health status and everything is normal. Don’t worry. Labor camp will not accept someone who does not have a good health status. You can see him in a month.” At 6:30 pm Oct 24, Wei brought Ou home and told his family members that “Ou is just not healthy, but he doesn’t have any diseases. He can stay at home to recover and then we will send him back to Pinantai.” During the next two days, Ou described how Pinantai police had coerced criminals to beat him in the head, and according an eyewitness report, there were needle marks on both of his wrists where he had been injected with an unknown drug. On 6:30 am Oct 26, Ou stopped breathing. When Ou’s family members inquired to Wei about the cause of Ou’s death, they were threatened.

June 18, 2002: Man Tortured to Death During Interrogation

On June 18th, Wang Honggang (male, exact age unknown) was tortured to death during interrogation at Second division, 7th department, Haerbing City Detention Center. Due to the information blockade, his family members were not notified of his death until recently.

June 2002: Man Tortured to Death in Brainwashing Class

Liu Deyi (male, 45 years old), a resident in Dongtianzhuang Town, Fengnan City, was tortured to death for refusing to write a guarantee statement to quit practicing Falun Gong while detained in a brainwashing class in Fengan City. The class is responsible for persecuting over 20 Falun Gong at the Fengnan City Detention Center in Hebei Province. In 2001, from May till June, they were forced to run, squat or stand straight under the baking sun or rain everyday, even those with injuries. The policemen swore at and beat them in an attempt to force them to give up Falun Gong. After Liu’s death, the brainwashing class tried to information about his case and threatened his family not to appeal for him.

Dec., 2001: Woman Beaten to Death

Xiucai Sun (female, 50 years old) was a resident of Songbei Village, Songlin Town, Linqing City, Shangdong province. On evening in December 2001, Xiucai was arrested at a friend’s home. Sources say that local policeman Jiangmin Li beat her ruthlessly with a rubber stick and sent her to a detention center. Xiucai, however, never regained consciousness from the beating and died shortly thereafter. The telephone to the local police station is 0635- 614017.

Dec., 2001: Man Dies from Force Feeding Injuries

Xiuzhong Yan (male, over 50 years old) was from Qitaihe City, Boli County, Helongjiang Province. In October 2001. Xiuzhong was kidnapped and taken to the Suihua labor camp. On October 16, he began a hunger strike to protest the illegal treatment, and was force-fed over the next four days. When the police realized he was dying, they notified his family to take him to the hospital. Xiuzhong was finally released, but died at home in December.

July 2001: Man Persecuted to Near Death, then Sent Home to Die

Zhao Zhichu, male, born in 1951, was kidnapped by police to Wuxue City First Detention center for practicing Falun Gong. He was persecuted until he was extremely skinny, and was sent home in July 2001 only after police saw him spitting up blood. After returning home he never recovered and passed away.

Man Expelled from Hospital Care, Sent Home to Die

Fenghui Zhao (male, exact age unknown) was from Hegang City. He was kidnapped and taken to the Hegang Labor Camp and his wife was forced to divorce him. Fenghui showed severe symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage after an 11-day hunger strike and was sent to the hospital for emergency recovery. He was bailed out to be sent to the hospital because the police thought he could not recover after if released, and would have symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage. His family was forced to pay large medical fees.

The perpetrator was Fengnan City Detention Center warden, Zhang Rong-en Brainwash class secretary, surname Sun.

Woman Tortured to Death

According to a reliable source, 60-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Xueqin Yang, a retired cadre of the Department of Transportation in Guangdong Province has been tortured to death. She was kidnapped by the police last August. The details of her death have yet to be investigated.

Woman Dies from Beating in Custody

A female Falun Gong practitioner named Caiyun Liu was on a hunger strike for eight months straight. Her face became so swollen that her eyes looked like slits in her face. She was released after a physical examination indicated that she was dying. She died shortly after she was taken home.