Chen Yongzhe

When I heard that my fellow practitioner, Chen Yongzhe, had died, my heart trembled. He was a respectful practitioner, but Jiang's evil regime had taken his life.

I met Chen Yongzhe for the first time in Shulan City Detention Center in Jilin Province. On January 12, 2001, I was put into cell no.9 of the detention center. Chen Yongzhe was very quiet and always compassionate and kind.

On January 23, 2001, before the Chinese New Year, the detention center sent groups of practitioners to labor camps once every three to four days. Chen Yongzhe was among the last batch they sent before the Chinese New Year.

In March 2001, eight practitioners, including me, were sent to Jilin Province Huanxiling Labor Camp. Again, I was assigned to the same cell as Chen Yongzhe. As soon as we entered the cell, the guard took the blankets from the beds, leaving empty wooden boards for us to sleep on. Five practitioners had to sit crammed against each other on a 160cm-wide bed. The guards forced the practitioners to sit for hours starting right after breakfast until 9 pm. On April 27, 2001 they elevated the degree of torture. Captain Xu Xuequan and guards Wang, Cui and Pan started to torture each practitioner. The guards started to play music to cover up the painful moans emanating from the torture room. They called in Chen Yongzhe during the evening and severely tortured him.

The next morning, Yongzhe's face was totally altered. Some areas had turned black and blue and the skin had peeled off. His chin and mouth were swollen. He was not able to wash his face. I asked him how long they had beaten him. He said peacefully, "Two and a half hours." I looked at his emaciated appearance. I could feel his incredible will power and firmness in Dafa. A few days later, Chen Yongzhe went to the torture room on his own initiative and asked the guards to stop what they were doing. In response, they tied him to the bed. Five guards used electric batons to torture him for three hours. His body was burned in various locations. His neck was covered in blisters. His responses became dull and slow.

On June 12 2001, the guards took him for a physical examination. He was diagnosed with serious pulmonary tuberculosis. Soon afterwards, camp officials, trying to avoid responsibility for the torture, let him be bailed out for medical treatment. He died at home on May 14th 2002. He was only 34-years old.