Mr. Zhang Zheng-gang Was Murdered by Chinese Police

My husband, Zhang Zheng-gang, was a former contact person of Falun Gong Assistance Center in Huai-an City. He was detained in the Detention Center of Huai-an City from March 2 to March 25 of 2000. Police tortured him brutally on March 25 and then murdered him on March 30 while he was receiving treatment in hospital.

My husband was born on August 6 of 1964 in Huai-an City. He had a college degree. He died when he was only 36 years old. He was a former employee of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of Huai-an City. He started to practice Falun Gong a long time ago, and he became a contact person of Falun Gong assistance center in Huai-an City in 1998.

On March 2 of 2000, the police of Huai-an City took him away for interrogation. He got detained afterwards in the detention center of Huai-an City. On March 25, the police tortured him cruelly. His head was seriously injured from the brutal beatings, and he lost his consciousness. Afterwards, he was sent to the First Hospital of Huai-an City for emergency treatment. The doctor gave him an operation and took out the extravagated blood from his head. After the operation, he received oxygen therapy and infusion. He still had palpitation and blood pressure. However, he was in a state of coma. His mother and I went to the hospital to look after him. The police refused to give us any detailed information about his condition and the medical treatments. The police also monitored the ward. At around 6:30pm of March 30, the doctor checked his electrocardiogram. His palpitation was very weak. He was still breathing, although he was in a state of coma.

After a while, suddenly, about 40 to 50 police officers came to the hospital and imposed a curfew on the ward as well as the corridor of the hospital. My mother in law, other visiting relatives, and I were forced to another room to wait for the announcement of his death. Then several police officers forced the doctor to stop my husband's oxygen and infusion and to give him an injection. Afterwards, some police officers seized his "corpse" and sent it to the city crematorium.

On the next day, March 31, my daughter, my mother in law, other relatives and I attempted to go to the crematorium to say goodbye to my husband. The police stopped us on our way to the crematorium. Many people witnessed and condemned police's acts. Under the public pressure, the police allowed us to go to the crematorium, but they controlled the whole process of cremation. The police also made some unreasonable rules such as our relatives were not allowed to grieve over his death, or to send in floral wreath, or to appeal to higher authorities. The police also monitored local practitioners and prohibited them from grieving over my husband's death or send floral wreath.

In addition, in November of 1999, my husband wrote to President Jiang and the Party Secretary of Huai-an City, Zhao Xue-feng, to report them some facts of Falun Gong. As a result, he was interrogated by the police department on November 24 of 1999. During the interrogation, he also suffered torture.

My husband was tortured and then murdered. But the murders have not been brought to justice.

Zhang Zhao-yun, the heart-broken wife of Mr. Zhang Zheng-gang

April 17, 2000

[Translated on April 19, 2000]