Ms. Yin's family is subsequently intimidated when they try to seek an investigation of and compensation for her death.

Ms. Yin Fengqin Dies During Arrest at Home (Photo)

Name: Yin Fengqin 
Gender: Female
Age: 63
Address: Chaoyang Street, Yanji City, Jilin Province
Occupation: Retired
Date of Death: January 29, 2010
Date of Most Recent Arrest: January 29, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp, Jilin Province 
City: Yanji
Province: Jilin
Persecution Suffered: Forced labor, brainwashing, illegal sentencing, imprisonment, beatings and other torture, detention
Key Persecutors: Chang Zheng (phonetic; specific name in Chinese characters is unknown), member of the Jilin Province 610 Office; Piao Guinan, Li Chengzhe, both from Yanji City Domestic Security Team; Mu, collaborator from Yanji City; Ma, collaborator from Jilin City

Prior to Chinese New Year's Day (February 14, 2010), Ms. Yin Fenqin's body was hastily cremated. Her family said that they were under pressure from Yanji City Police Department to cremate Ms. Yin, who died on January 29 when the police tried to arrest her at her home.

Ms. Yin Dies after Plunging from the Balcony of Her Home on the Fifth Floor

Ms. Yin Fengqin

On the morning of January 29, 2010, Chang Zheng, an agent of the Jilin Province 610 Office led Piao Guinan and Li Chengzhe from Yanji City Domestic Security Team and other police officers to Ms. Yin Fengqin's home to arrest her. After the officers forced their way into her home, Ms. Yin suddenly plunged from the fifth floor balcony, shattering her skull, fracturing her arms and legs, and forcing her ribs through her skin. Although she was taken to Yanbian Hospital, she had already died.

A dozen people were in her home at the time of the incident, including two collaborators, Mu from Yanji City and Ma from Jilin City, two women, and community and neighborhood officials.

Years of Persecution Devastates Entire Family

Ms. Yin's entire family has endured extremely brutal persecution throughout the years. Her husband, Yang Fujin, is bedridden. Her daughter, Yang Lijuan, who has two young children, suffered a mental collapse as a result of poisonous injections she was given in the Heilongjiang Women's Forced Labor Camp. Her son-in-law, Ms Yang's husband Li Guangshi, has been unlawfully sentenced to prison and is being held at the Jilin Prison. Ms. Yin has had to take care of the entire family.

And yet, the police still did not spare her. Even the collaborator from Yanji City with the last name Mu said to the police, "Look, this is her family's situation. If you take her away [today], how can the rest of the family make it?" The officers fell silent. Then suddenly Chang Zheng objected. He insisted that Ms. Yin be taken away.

Ms. Yin said she would not cooperate with their unlawful arrest. The officers yelled that there were more than enough tall, strong officers to forcefully take her. They were determined to take her to the brainwashing center even if they had to wrap her in a blanket and carry her there.

They told her to go to the room adjoining the balcony to put on some more clothes. When she went there, policemen Li Chengzhe and Piao Guinan followed her in. It was unclear what took place in the room that led to her fatal fall. By the time her son rushed to the hospital, she had already passed away.

Prior to this arrest attempt, community and neighborhood officers had already led local residential police officials and Yanji City domestic security officers to harass her at her home. On January 16, 2010, community and neighborhood officials and the domestic officers arrested a Falun Gong practitioner who was visiting Ms. Yin. No information about the arrested practitioner has been available.

Pretending to Be Considerate While Waiting for Instructions

Both the police and local community and neighborhood officials appeared to be nervous about being held responsible. Not a single one of them dared to face Ms. Yin's family and they all quickly fled the scene. Ms. Yin's family was outraged. They went to Yanji City Police Department demanding justice.

In order to avoid responsibility for Ms. Yin's death, officers at Yanji City Police Department tried hard to placate Ms. Yin's family, promising to meet their demands, but the officers were only trying to buy time while they waited for instructions from higher up. At the same time, quite a few suspicious people started following Ms. Yin's family. Wherever the family went, a large contingent appeared to be following them.

Under intense mental pressure and given their devastated financial condition, the Yin family agreed to forgo any legal action against those who caused Ms. Yin's death. However, they demanded comparable financial compensation and demanded the release of her son-in-law, Mr. Li Guangshi, from Jilin Prison so he could take care of the family. The police officers in charge promised to do their best to meet these demands.

The officers then wrote the family a letter setting up an appointment on February 3, 2010 for negotiations at the police department.

Police About-Face

Early in the morning on Wednesday February 3, 2010, a dozen family and relatives of Ms. Yin arrived at Yanji City Police Department. As soon as they arrived at the gate, a group of police officers were ready to threaten them. The officers selected a few family members to scold. They held camcorders and took footage of each and everyone of the family and relatives in an attempt to intimidate them psychologically.

This time, the police officers' attitude had taken a 180 degree turn. They denied the fact that two officers were in the room adjoining the balcony when the tragedy happened. Then, they began chastising the Yin family for their poor attitude. They went on to tell the family that if they wanted to get any sympathy, they needed to change their tone to one of begging. Otherwise, the family was going to get nothing.

Du Yunqi (phonetic), a deputy police chief, threatened the family. He even yelled and attempted to unlawfully detain one of the family members who dared to straighten out the facts. Du yelled at Ms. Yin's daughter-in-law, "What is your business here! Your last name is Dong...." Ms. Dong rebutted him, "The day I married into this family, I became a part of it!" Du was short of words. He then threatened Ms. Yin's son Yang Guang, "You want to implicate all of your family! You want to follow your brother-in-law [who is in the Jilin Prison]?"

Of all the family and relatives, only three were allowed to go home. The rest were aggressively forced into police vehicles. They were taken to local police stations for unlawful interrogation. They were given orders not to speak out about Ms. Yin's death.

Ms. Yin's bedridden husband was worried about the safety of his family and relatives in police custody. His son and daughter-in-law physically supported him as they, his mentally ill daughter, and his two grandchildren went to out to appeal. The six of them went to the prefecture government, the city government, and the political and judiciary committee to file complaints. Officials shrugged off their responsibility and made up excuses in order to send them off. Not only did their requests fall on deaf ears, they were followed by a group of people wherever they went.

Only after night fell were all the other family members and relatives released by the police.

The officers must have received orders from their superiors to treat the Yin family so rudely, unreasonably, and unlawfully. Their feigned softness bought them a week while they waited for a decision from a higher office.

Family Agrees to Cremation under Police Pressure

Prior to Chinese New Year's Day, Ms. Yin Fenqin's body was hastily cremated. Her family said that they were under the pressure from Yanji City Police Department to cremate her body against their will.