In Lixia region of Jinan City, Shandong province, Liu Xiping, Li Guozhong, Li Qinghua, and Zhang Guisheng played major roles in the persecution of Falun Gong. As the vice-Secretary of the area, Liu Xiping organized an "Education Class"--a disguised form of detention center, where he forcibly detained many Falun Gong practitioners. He and Secretary Li Guozhong came to the 'Class' many times to air their hatred of Falun Gong. They let local security and police departments take over control of the 'Class' and encouraged them to torture practitioners during interrogations.

The Area Communist Party Committee and local government made clear their attitudes to those departments: "whoever is disclosed as the murderer or assailant via the Internet would win an Outstanding Service Award." Zhang Guisheng, a policeman working in the Science Institute Road Police Station of Lixia, has been given this award as a result of his brutal beating of Dafa practitioners and having his name included in a list of vicious police on the Internet. Zhang has used an electric baton to shock practitioners. He even forcibly stripped female practitioners and shocked their breasts and private parts. Police instructor Wang from the same station violently struck practitioners in this 'Class' on many occasions. According to an incomplete investigation, over ten practitioners have been brutally beaten by him. Li, another police instructor, was also involved in torturing practitioners. The Area Criminal Police Team and Anti-violence Team were mainly in charge of extorting confessions by torture. Xu Ming, who is working for the area procurator's office, has sent lots of practitioners who refused to change their beliefs to mental hospitals.

The 'Education Class' subjected practitioners to the following brutal punishments:

1. Financial punishment: Each person was forced to pay 10,000 Yuan (about two year's salary for an average urban worker in China) as 'Class' entrance fee; otherwise even though he/she agreed to give up his/her beliefs in Falun Gong, he/she would not be allowed to go home.

2. Mental torture: Practitioners were prohibited to speak with their relatives by phone or to contact people outside the 'Class'. They were not allowed to close the door when sleeping; the police on night patrol had the right to enter the room to make the so-called 'check' at any time during the night. Practitioners were faced with the possibility of interrogation, torture or punishment at any time, 24 hours a day. They were not allowed to walk outside or to practice Falun Gong. They were forced to listen to speakers broadcasting slander of Falun Gong. Practitioners were forced to step on pictures of Mr. Li, and forced pictures of Mr. Li down practitioners' pants.

3. Physical torture: The punishments included: being hung up by handcuffs, burnt with cigarettes, shocked by electric baton, being hung upside down, being forced to squat under a desk, having hair and ears pulled. Practitioners were also prohibited from using the restroom, denied food, drink, and sleep, and were forced to stand barefoot in the snow.

4. Tight control of practitioners' actions. During the first two weeks of the 'Class', Guards allowed practitioners to walk outside under close supervision. After a half-month, practitioners were prohibited from leaving their rooms or visiting other rooms. They even put relatives' visits under close surveillance. Practitioners who suffered brutal torture were detained separately and were warned not to tell the truth to people.

The 'Falun Gong Practitioners Education Class' held by the Lixia Area government and the Area Communist Party Committee totally disregarded the Chinese Constitution and law and severely trampled on human rights. All the staff members assigned to take charge of this 'Class' were ordered to learn how to prevent Falun Gong's 'poisonous' influence as well as how to use punishment methods during interrogation.

We hereby strongly appeal to all the kind-hearted people to stop those brutal actions against Falun Gong and put an end to these vicious 'Education Classes'!

January 19, 2001