Ma Yanfang

Ma Yanfang was born in 1967 in the village of Xingshigou in the Darenhe Region of Zhucheng, Weifang, Shandong Province. She was an employee of Zhucheng Ceramics Factory.

Ma started practicing Falun Gong in 1998. She first went to appeal in Beijing in October of 1999. She was stopped half way and was sent to the detention house in Zhucheng. There she was detained for 30 days and fined 3,000 Yuan (The average salary of a city worker in China is 500 Yuan.). She was then sent back to her factory to work under supervision. She received 120 Yuan every month from the factory, which barely covered food. In addition, the factory gave her another punishment: she was to be allowed to work there for only two more years.

Ma went to Beijing again in May of 2000. She had not a cent on her. She was forced to beg on her way. She traveled on foot for 17 days to reach Beijing. On her way, in order to raise some money she even cut off and sold her long hair. She was arrested in Beijing and was sent back to her workplace to be detained. Ma went on a hunger strike to protest. She was sent by the factory to a mental hospital in Zhucheng.

In the mental hospital, she was treated like a patient with mental illness. The staff forcibly injected her with chemicals and also forced her to take other medications. After two months in the mental hospital (in August of Chinese Lunar Year), Ma died from this mistreatment.