Note from Editor: Mr. Su Gang, 32, was an employee of Instrument and Meter Unit of the Alkene Plant of Qi-Lu Petro-Chemical Company. He held a Bachelor degree in computer science from Shan-dong University. Because he was a practitioner of Falun Gong, he was persecuted to death on June 10, 2000, after nine days of brutal "treatment" in the Chang-le Mental Hospital.

The Open Letter to the Authority of the Qi-Lu Oil Chemical Company regarding the Illegal Detention and Abuse of Mr. Su Gang in the Mental Hospital by the Security Department of the Alkene Plant:

Company Leaders:

As family members of Mr. Su Gang, we are writing to you after repeated failure to appeal to the authority of the Alkene Plant. We would like to communicate our thoughts regarding the fact that the security department of the Alkene Plant detained and abused Mr. Su Gang, a mentally normal person with noble moral characters, in the mental hospital without notifying family members.

Su Gang is regarded as a good person by many around him. The head of his work unit said that Su Gang was a good employee, always ready to take on hard work without any complaints. The leader of the Alkene Plant said that Su Gang got a salary raise because of his good work, although he was a practitioner of Falun Gong, which was banned in last July. The Party secretary, Wu Yun, said that around April 23, Su Gang was still doing important work on computer system, and he looked fine. On May 20, Su Gang's father met him under the surveillance of the security members of his workplace. At that time, Su Gang still looked normal and healthy although he did not have much personal freedom.

Many people assured us that Su Gang would not be sent to mental hospital. Su Gang's uncle, Su Lian-xi, talked to the authority of the Alkene Plant upon learning the possibility of Su Gang's detention in mental hospital. The deputy Party secretary, Li Jin-zhong, said that it is a serious matter to send one to mental hospital, for there should be research on family history, the formal consent of the family members, the diagnosis of the medical doctors, and the careful decision by officials after group discussion. The Party secretary, Wu Yun, also told Su Lian-xi: "Don't worry about it, brother. Su Gang will never be sent to mental hospital."

But what was the fact? As described by "The Truth behind the Death of Mr. Su Gang":

"In this year alone, Mr. Su had been arrested three times by the security department of his workplace, and had been detained for 130 days in total. Once he was detained for more than three months. On April 25, Mr. Su went to Beijing alone to report to higher authorities the injustice against him. As a result, he was arrested and escorted back, and detained for one month afterwards. On May 23, Mr. Su's workplace threw him into the Chang-le Mental hospital without notifying his family members, and detained him there until May 31. On May 31, Mr. Su Gang's uncle, Mr. Su Lian-xi, learned the news of Su Gang's detention in the Chang-le Mental Hospital. Mr. Su Lian-xi then started a hunger strike to protest the illegal detention. The head of the Qi-du Public Security Department, Ge Yun-wei, came and said that he knew nothing about that case. Ge then discussed the issue with Mr. Su's workplace, and asked his workplace to free Mr. Su from the mental hospital. At 6pm of May 31, the security members of Mr. Su's workplace sent him back to his father, Mr. Su De-an. After nine days of brutal "treatment", which included daily over-dose injection with damaging effects on neural system, Mr. Su looked miserable. With a dull look in his eyes, he did not have any expression on his pale face. He was very slow in reacting, and his limbs looked stiff. Although receiving good care from family members at home, Mr. Su Gang was not able to recover from the severe mental and physical damages he had suffered in the mental hospital. After a period of painful struggle, he left this world on the morning of June 10, 2000."

Su Gang is a kindhearted person. We feel that it was wrong to throw such a good person into mental hospital. We also want to learn your thoughts on this tragedy.

Sincerely,

Su Yuan & Su Lian-xi
June 13, 2000