Her family was not allowed close to her body but still observed extensive bruises indicating torture.
Ms. Tang Haihua Dies in Custody, Body Immediately Cremated
Name: Tang Haihua
Gender: Female
Age: 53
Address: Xinhui Town, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Occupation: Medical PhD Student at Jilin University
Date of
Death: Before October 9, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Aohan Detention
Center
City: Chifeng
Province: Inner Mongolia
Persecution Suffered: Illegal Sentencing,
Imprisonment, Torture, Home Ransacked, Detention
On July 6, 2007, the police arrested Ms. Tang and other Falun Gong practitioners, detained them in Aohan Detention Center, and did not allow their families to visit.
At the beginning of January 2008, Ms. Tang and three other practitioners were each sentenced to three years in prison. They were taken to the Hohhot City Women's Prison in March 2008. There is no information on when or why Ms. Tang was taken back to the detention center or if she was ever accepted by the prison.
At 8:00 p.m. on October 9, 2009, her family received a notice saying that she was dying. They rushed to Aohan Detention Center. Upon entering the women's ward, they saw Ms. Tang's body, which was frozen hard in the freezer.
The detention center guards did not allow her family to inquire about the cause of her death, and they even threatened them, "No discussion. Her body must be cremated!"
Her family was not allowed to go near her body. The center called for transport from the crematory to take her body away and told her family that they had to pay for it.
Ms. Tang's family had to stand 1 meter (about 3 feet) away as the detention center personnel put clothes on her. Although they could not examine her closely, they still saw that her head, back, and chest were covered with purple bruises. Her wrist seemed to be fractured, and she had no shoes on.