It has been three months since Mr. Yin Sirong went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution.

Mr. Yin Sirong in Critical Condition--Xishanping Forced Labor Camp Authorities Skirt Responsibility

Name: Yin Sirong (尹思荣)
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Address: Wanzhou District, Chongqing
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: July 31, 2009
Most recent place of detention: Xishanping Forced Labor Camp (西山坪劳教所)
City: Chongqing
Persecution Suffered: Beatings, imprisonment, torture, forced-feedings, detention
Key Persecutors: Chongqing Labor Reeducation Committee, Xishanping Forced Labor Camp
Defense Attorney: Names unknown

Falun Gong practitioner Yin Sirong was arrested on July 31, 2009 in Wanzhou District, Chongqing City. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities secretively sent him to Xishanping Forced Labor Camp. In order to protest the persecution, fifty-year-old Yin Sirong started a hunger strike. It has been three months, he is now in critical condition. His two attorneys are not able to contact him due to the difficulties raised by the authorities.

Mr. Yin Sirong

Mr. Yin Sirong Requested Dismissal of Illegal Sentence to a Forced Labor Camp

On July 31, 2009, Mr. Yin Sirong was arrested at a fellow Falun Gong practitioner's home in Wanzhou District, Chongqing City. The district police attempted to send him to a labor camp. With the pretext that his ID was unconfirmed, the police provided no documents to his family. Therefore, no lawyers could get involved.

On September 3, 2009, the police finally gave the family a "detention notification" which was necessary for lawyers to meet him. But in the meantime, his family received a notice of "labor through re-education," stating that Yin Sirong had been sentenced to one year and nine months of forced labor. He was hurriedly sent to Xishanping Forced Labor Camp. The authorities interfered with the attorney's efforts so he could not contact Mr. Yin Sirong. His family was unable to visit him until mid-September. However, his wife was not allowed to see him, because she also practices Falun Gong.

With the help of his attorney, Yin Sirong appealed for his rights. In the appeal letter, he pointed out the so-called evidence did not prove he committed any crime of disturbing society, and that the verdict should be dismissed immediately. But CCP authorities did not respond to his letter.

Yin Sirong in Critical Condition--Labor Camp Attempts to Evade Their Responsibility

On October 15, 2009, Yin Sirong's family received a phone call from the labor camp, stating that Yin Sirong was still on a hunger strike. His wife and daughter went to the 7th Ward of Xishanping Forced Labor Camp as soon as they could, and waited over two hours at the camp. The guard told them that Yin Sirong was having nose bleeds, stomach bleeding, severe atrophy of his stomach, arteriosclerosis, and he threatened that if Mr. Yin continued his hunger strike, he and his family would have to take responsibility.

The labor camp then made an exception to the normal rules and let the family visit Mr. Yin Sirong. The purpose was to persuade him to stop the hunger strike.

After the visit, the labor camp authorities attempted to force the family to sign a paper stating that they would take the responsibility, and that they would guarantee he would stop the hunger strike. The paper also described his current health condition.

Yin Sirong said that he cherishes his life, but he would not cooperate with the authority's criminal acts and their persecution against kind people. He has been deprived his basic human rights, and he was left no alternative but to go on a hunger strike. He hopes that his actions will call attention to the persecution and awaken the kind nature of people.

Since he started practicing Falun Gong in 1996 and has benefited enormously. After the persecution began on July 1999, he was forced to leave his home and became homeless in March 2000. He was arrested on a bus in December 2000, and sentenced to three years of forced labor. He has suffered all kinds of torture and abuse in Xinhua Forced Labor Camp. After being released for only few months, he was almost arrested again in April 2004. When over ten police officers from Chengdu City State Security Bureau and Fuqinglu Police Station stormed his workplace, He escaped. On July 31 2009, he was arrested again.

The 7th Ward of Xishanping Forced Labor Camp

7th Ward of Xishanping Forced Labor Camp: 023-89090037