The Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K. Pass Resolution to Investigate Psychiatric Abuse in China

The Royal College of Psychiatrists held its annual meeting in London from 9^th to 13^th July 2001. This event was also combined with the World Psychiatric Association's (WPA) European Regional Meeting.

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The Royal College's members passed a resolution on 11^th July 2001 without opposition to investigate psychiatric abuse in China.

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The WPA Ethical Committee's Chair spoke of the Association's concern about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Many eminent psychiatrists spoke strongly about the widespread political abuse of psychiatry against all citizens including Falun Gong practitioners. One well-known psychiatrist said that if they did not make a stand, it would be as if they were collaborating with such behaviour. Another spoke with great compassion urging the members to vote in favour of the motion.

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After the resolution was passed, the following statement was issued by the Conference's press office.

"Resolution passed to investigate political abuse in China"

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"Abuse of psychiatry in China today is worse than that in the former Soviet Union during its darkest days, when dissidents were sent away for political re-education, Western researchers monitoring the situation claim.

At its Annual General Meeting, the Royal College of Psychiatrists overwhelmingly passed a resolution to investigate evidence of political abuse of psychiatry in China by sending in a fact-finding team led by the World Psychiatric Association.

If evidence of abuse is found, the WPA will reconsider the continuing membership of the Chinese Society of Psychiatrists.

If that happens, Chinese psychiatrists could still be individual members. The move would be targeted at the political masters and not at individual doctors who are working under very difficult conditions.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has pledged to work in support of the majority of psychiatrists in China who are working to high ethical standards

Psychiatric abuse is claimed to be mainly used on members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. At least three have died, and 57 hospitals across China are incarcerating members for "treatment" with large doses of psychiatric drugs. Monitors of the situation say that psychiatric abuse is a nationwide and systematic attempt to stop the practice of Falun Gong.

Until recently, very little news got through to the West about abuse in China. But now, most of the information is coming from medical sources, which makes it particularly compelling, said researcher Robin Monro, who carried out long-term monitoring from Hong Kong.

In the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, no fewer than 70% of people in institutions for the criminally insane were there for political reasons. The political "patients" outnumbered rapists and murderers an "extraordinary figure light years beyond what happened in the former Soviet Union," said Dr Robin Monro, who is now a senior researcher at the University of London.

There was evidence that abuse had been rife in the past, but the most widespread abuse of all took off two years ago, with the rise of the Falun Gong, the world's fastest growing spiritual movement. Since then, "tens of thousands of people have been arrested and imprisoned without trial or sent to psychiatric hospitals," said Dr Monro, who has also worked for Amnesty International investigating abuses in China.

Dr Sunny Lu, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati, US, said: "As a psychiatrist, I am very concerned about the recent escalation of these incidents, particularly of those cases perpetrated against Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong is a form of traditional Chinese self-cultivation practice designed to improve personal health and spiritual awareness. It is not political. They follow the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance."

á "The police take the practitioners into the hospitals by force, and do not always notify the family members of these incarcerations. The length of detentions has ranged from a few days to a year and a half." said Dr Lu.

"The brutal torture has severely disabled many practitioners both physically and mentally. They have been tortured and force-fed medication."

At least three Falun Gong members are known to have died, she said. Yang Weidong, 54, a medical inspector died 5-6 days after his release, following torture. Su Gang, 32, a computer engineer, died after twice daily injections with an unknown substance. Shi Bei, 49, had large quantities of sedatives forced on her, was deprived of food to stop her from talking and starved to death.

If Falun Gong members continue to perform their yoga-like exercises in the hospital, and refuse to renounce their beliefs, staffs keep increasing their drug dosage until they are unable to move or think.

Medications used include unknown substances as well as perphenazine, chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, fluorohydroxypiperidine, haloperidol decanoate, and sulpiride.

"Many suffered from toxic effects such as memory loss, severe headache, fainting, extreme weakness, muscle stiffness and rigidity, protrusion of the tongue and other dystonic reactions," said Dr Lu. This was in addition to uncontrollable tremors, nausea, vomiting, seizures and loss of consciousness."