Facts of the Persecution Against Falun Dafa Practitioners in Yakeshi City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

(Clearwisdom.net)

The "Legal Education Center" in Yakeshi City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (AR) is in fact a vicious brainwashing center.

On November 4, 2002, right before the 16^th Chinese Party (CCP) Congress, the police in Yakeshi City mass arrested many Falun Dafa practitioners for having firm beliefs in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." The personnel in charge of the planning and implementation of the arrests are Luu Tiezhi, deputy party secretary of the municipal committee, Xie Wenzhong, secretary of the Political and Judiciary Committee, Yuan Shaogang, head of the "610 Office,"(1) Zhang Qinglin, deputy head of the "610 Office," Dong Quan from the "610 Office," in the Education Department, and Li Qun, Li Yuezhong, and Zhang Shiliang, from the National Security Division of the Police Department.

The secret arrests started at 7:00 p.m. They sent the arrested Falun Dafa practitioners to a brainwashing center which was officially known as the "Legal Education Class" at the Dianli Hotel.

Among the arrested practitioners are Ge Rile, a teacher from the First Middle School, Pei Xinmin, from the Physical Education Reform Office of the Municipal CCP Committee, Zhou Shuhua, from the Department Store, Liu Mingying, from the Environmental and Health Bureau, retired employee Liu Guirong, from the Vegetable Company, Zhang Lixiang and Wang Xiujie, who live in the area under the 1st neighborhood committee, Zhang Limei, who lives in the area under the 2^nd neighborhood committee, Jin Fengyun, who lives in the area under the 5^th neighborhood committee, and Li Yanling, from Tulihe.

Participating personnel exerted pressure on the workplaces of the arrested Falun Dafa practitioners, and forced their workplaces to collude with authorities, send their employees to the brainwashing center, and pay 5,000 Yuan (2) room and board for the arrested practitioner(s) and "helpers" from the workplace.

Three people were assigned to each room in the brainwashing center - a practitioner, a police officer and a "helper" from the practitioner's workplace. The police and the "helper" monitored the practitioner's every move, including eating, sleeping, and using the bathroom. They followed the practitioners everywhere, and prevented practitioners from talking to each other. Practitioners had no freedom whatsoever. They also forced practitioners to watch videos slandering Falun Dafa. Additionally, Li Baocheng, from the municipal CCP propaganda department, held seminars to slander Falun Dafa, and Dong Quan, from the "610 Office" vigorously slandered Falun Dafa, forcibly brainwashed practitioners, ordered them to write "guarantee statements,"(3) and told lies to deceive practitioners in many respects.

These "610 Office" personnel and police officers used violence and torture on practitioners, and threatened them with forced labor and imprisonment using mean and shameless methods. They forced the workplaces to pay expenses and send another employee to accompany the practitioner during brainwashing. The brainwashing center is a detention center in disguise in that it illegally deprives citizens of their freedom in the name of offering so-called "legal education classes." These officials' behavior already constitutes a crime by unlawfully detaining innocent people without due process. These lawless personnel kept Falun Dafa practitioners detained here and prevented them from going home, but conversely, during interrogations and brainwashing, accused the practitioners of no longer caring about their families and children and other such nonsense.

In order to achieve the brainwashing goal of forcing Falun Dafa practitioners to sign statements renouncing their belief, these law-violating personnel made all kinds of threats to the workplace leaders, the assigned "helpers," and security personnel at the practitioners' workplaces, and stirred up their hatred towards Falun Gong and practitioners. In addition, the persecutors slapped political labels on Falun Dafa practitioners such as "anti-Party," "anti-society," and "anti-CCP" which was in order to justify their persecution.

As a matter of fact, the brainwashing center is a completely illegal detention place where innocent people who believe in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" are persecuted and forced to give up their beliefs. It blatantly tramples citizens' personal freedoms which are protected by the Chinese Constitution.

Account of Ms. Liu Yunhua's Persecution by Authorities at the "Legal Education Center" in Yakeshi City, Inter Mongolia AR

Ms. Liu Yunhua, an employee of Yakeshi City Forestry Planning Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region previously had many illnesses, and could not find any relief, even though she had spent a lot of money. After she started practicing Falun Gong in April 1998, her illnesses disappeared and she became very healthy.

Ms. Liu Yunhua followed the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and improved herself by practicing Falun Dafa. Her family thus became harmonious, and the conflicts with her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law were all resolved.

Ms. Liu Yunhua worked diligently, and was willing to bear the burden of her office. She also got along very well with her neighbors. People in the all throughout the institute said she was a good person.

For example, her workplace permitted its employees who were not hospitalized to be compensated with 300 Yuan for medical expenses every year. Her husband tried to get compensated for the previous two years of claimed medical expenses without her knowledge. After she found out about it, she found the person in charge, asked for her claim form, and tore it up, because she had not seen a doctor or taken any medicine since she started practicing Falun Gong. She said she wanted to be an honest person.

On July 20, 1999, Jiang's regime suddenly forbade the people to practice Falun Gong. Ms. Liu Yunhua decided to go to Beijing to say some sincere words for Falun Gong.

Along with others, the police arrested and handcuffed her, confiscated all her money and sent her back to her hometown where she was detained for a month.

One day in April 2002, she went to see a Falun Gong practitioner friend. In less than five minutes, officers from Jianshe Police Station arrived and arrested her. They took her to the police department and did not release her until 24 hours later.

In the afternoon of March 1, 2004, after Ms. Liu Yunhua returned from work, Guo Xiaozhong, the party secretary of the institute, deceived her into going to the "Legal Education Center" where two people monitored her, even when she was using the bathroom. She was forced to watch video programs slandering Falun Gong, and the authorities attempted to force her to write the so-called "Three statements."(4) Her workplace was extorted of 4,000 Yuan, and they decided to deduct the amount from her paychecks.

These evil persons used dishonest tactics to trick her into going to the brainwashing center, and then detained her there, forbidding her to go home. In turn, they accused her of being too selfish and neglecting her child and family. She was illegally detained for 18 days in the brainwashing center, and she felt as if she were detained in hell. Under the evil pressure, she wrote the "Three statements" against her will. Although she was released after that, her physical and mental state has not been well ever since.

The "610 Office" personnel in Yakeshi City deprive Falun Gong practitioners of means to make a living

Mr. Li Yongquan from Yakeshi City has been illegally detained several times for practicing Falun Gong. His workplace fired him. On his second job he was constantly harassed. He then moved nearer to his younger brother and found a temporary job in Anqing City, Anhui Province. The "610 Office" in Yakeshi City notified the Anqing City Police Department and had him arrested and detained. Mr. Li Yongqun could neither work in his own city nor in other cities. He has no way to make a living.

On December 3, 1999, Mr. Li Yongquan went to Beijing and appealed for Falun Gong, but local police arrested him and took him back to his hometown. He was then detained and illegally sentenced to three years of imprisonment, with a suspended sentence. The main culprits are municipal leaders Li Baochang and Wang Guocai, Ye Xianjin from the Political and Judiciary Committee, Police Department chiefs Chen Weiji and Xin Shuhe, Yang Chengwen from the prosecutor's office, Wu Wenzhi and Qu Nianzhong from the court, among others.

He wasn't released until five months after his term expired. Because Mr. Li Yongquan was detained for almost a year and a half for practicing Falun Gong, his workplace, Dayan Hospital, did not allow him to return to work. In late September 2001, he again went to his younger brother's in Anqing City, Anhui Province and found a temporary job there. As soon as he arrived there however, Zhang Qinglin, the person in charge of the Yakeshi City "610 Office," as well as persons in charge of the police department and Xingong Police Station, notified the police department of Anqing City to arrest Mr. Li Yongquan, and the reason given was that the National Day, October 1 was a sensitive day. After Mr. Li Yongquan was arrested, personnel from the Yakeshi City Xingong Police Station sent someone to take him back, and then detained him at the detention center for one month.

After his release, Mr. Li Yongquan worked at the outpatient dental service at Zhongmeng Hospital located on West Eleventh Street. Officers from Xingong Police Station often harassed him at his workplace and wouldn't leave him alone. Mr. Li Yongquan requested the Police Department to allow him to make a living in Anqing City, Anhui Province. The request was granted. But right before he left for Anqing, the police again arrested him and sent him to a detention center, fearing that he would appeal in Beijing.

During the detention, the deputy head of the detention center, Li Yilong, injured Mr. Li Yongquan using violence. Mr. Li Yongquan's physical condition was extremely weak, and he started to spit blood afterwards. His family members had not obtained any information about him for a long time, so his older brother came to Yakeshi City from hundreds of miles away to look for him, and in the end found that he had been illegally detained for six months. His older brother questioned the police department about the reason for his detention and requested of them to release him, the police department referred him to the "610 Office." When he went to the "610 Office," they referred him back to the police department, saying that they were responsible for the arrest. It was not until many rounds of being given "the run-around," back and forth like this, that Mr. Li Yongquan was finally released.

From then on, Mr. Li Yongqun could no longer work at Yakeshi City and he couldn't go to Anqing City either. He was forced to become homeless.

Persecution cases in Yitulihe Town, Yakeshi City, Inner Mongolia AR

1. Mr. Chang Zhaohua, 53, lives in Yitulihe Town, Yakeshi City, and works at the Security Section of the Yitulihe Office in Yitu, Hailaer Railway Branch.

The Security Department of Hailaer Railway Branch arrested him on November 2, 2000 and detained him for two months because he practiced Falun Gong. During his first month of incarceration in the Nantun Detention Center he suffered inhuman torture. Inmates beat him so severely that his ribs fractured. He couldn't lie down for a long period of time, and had difficulties breathing. When he was released, he had to pay a so-called "guarantee fee" of 5,000 Yuan.

On February 21, 2001, Mr. Zhang Zhaohua was again arrested while he was distributing Falun Gong materials to fellow practitioners. He was first detained for two months, and then sentenced to two years of forced labor. The officials deprived him of the right to appeal and sent him to Fuyu Forced Labor Camp in Heilongjiang Province, to endure further torment and mistreatment.

He suffered unimaginably cruel tortures in that labor camp, such as being locked in a metal cage. Because he reported the true situation of the labor camp to the higher authorities, on October 21, 2001, several police officers in the camp savagely tortured him with many kinds of torture tools. Mr. Zhang's legs were beaten so badly that he couldn't walk. There was a big cut near his eye and it was so badly swollen that he was unable to see anything for a long time.

He was then sent to the Fuyu Detention Center where he was held for nearly five months, and subjected to further barbaric torture. On February 25, 2002 and March 8, 2002, he was put on trial and sentenced to seven years in jail. During this time his family was extorted of 4,000 Yuan by the court for various fabricated charges.

The persecutors sent Zhang Zhaohua to the Beian Prison in May 2002. There he frequently suffered maltreatment, such as being confined to a solitary compartment and being forced to wear a thick, insulated coat during the hot summer. The police did not permit his wife to visit him. Mr. Zhang has been confined to a solitary compartment in the No.1 Sub-division of No. 4 Division in the Beian Prison since February 18, 2004 and is presently still there.

Zhang Zhaohua began experiencing financial difficulties from the persecution beginning in 2000, when he was still working. His work unit did not pay him his full salary. The total amount of illegal deductions from his salary by his work unit to this day has reached tens of thousand of Yuan.

Throughout all these years, his home has been ransacked many times, and his parents and child were seriously traumatized, both mentally and physically.

The Labor Camp Police: Li Zhi
No.1 Sub-division of No. 4 Division of the Beian Prison
Tel: [phone]

2. Mr. Liu Huichun, 64, retired, lives at Yitulihe Town, Yakeshi City

On December 8, 2000, because he practiced Falun Gong, people from the Security Department of Hailaer Railway Branch unlawfully detained Mr. Liu for one month. When he was released he was forced to pay a so-called "guarantee fee" of 5,000 Yuan.

On February 21, 2001, Liu Huichun was again arrested and detained for more than two months for exchanging Falun Gong materials with other practitioners. After the illegal detention he was sentenced to three years of forced labor. He was deprived of the right to appeal and was sent to Fuyu Forced Labor Camp for further abuse and mistreatment.

While in the labor camp, Liu Huichun suffered inhuman treatment. All of his upper teeth were knocked out, and he had difficulty eating, and therefore developed severe gastritis. His coronary heart disease recurred and he suffered several heart attacks. The labor camp was afraid of taking the responsibility, so they asked the family members to bail him out for "medical treatment." Presently, Li Huichun is still under surveillance.

3. Ms. Zheng Baozhen, 52, lives in Yitulihe Town, Yakeshi City. She is a head nurse in the surgery department of Yitulihe Railway Hospital, Hailaer Railway Branch.

Because she practiced Falun Gong, persons from the Public Security Department of Hailaer Railway Branch arrested her on November 30, 2000 and illegally detained her for one month. When she was released she was forced to pay a so-called "guarantee fee" of 5,000 Yuan.

After her release, Zheng Baozhen returned to work on January 2, 2001. The hospital refused to assign her any work, and told her to wait at home for one month, and did not pay her in full for that month. On February 1, she was dismissed from her position as a head nurse, and lost her job. She was forced to work in a laundry, and is still being persecution. She is being monitored and has no personal freedom. Over the three-year period when she worked in the laundry, she lost income in the amount of 10,000 Yuan.

4. Ms. Liu Renmin, 47, retired, lives in Yitulihe, Yakeshi City.

On November 30, 2000, the Public Security Department of Hailaer Railway Branch arrested and unlawfully detained Ms. Li Renmin for one month for practicing Falun Gong. She was held at the Nantun Detention Center in Hailaer City for two weeks. During this period she and her family suffered much mental and physical agony. When she was released she was forced to pay a so-called "guarantee fee" of 5,000 Yuan.

5. Ms. Li Junzhi, 50, lives in Yitulihe Town, Yakeshi City, and works at the Yitulihe Material Factory of Hailaer Railway Branch.

Because of practicing Falun Gong she was illegally arrested by the Public Security Department of Hailaer Railway Branch and was illegally detained for one month.

In January 2001, she went back to work but was still subjected to persecution. Her paycheck was reduced, and for over a year she was only paid enough to cover basic living expenses. She was monitored and couldn't go anywhere freely. She has suffered enormous mental and physical torment.

6. Ms. Wu Guichuan, 53, housewife, lives in Yitulihe Town of Yakeshi City.

In April 2000, while having dinner with fellow practitioners, Wu Guichuan was arrested and sentenced to 15 days of detention. Because she went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution, she was soon released.

On January 26, 2001, while visiting a fellow practitioner, she was arrested again and detained in Genhe City for four months. She was later sentenced to one year of forced labor in Genhe, during which time she suffered savage abuse, torment, and mistreatment.

On February 4, police tortured Wu Guichuan for more than five hours. She was forced to do a half-squat, and was handcuffed to two ends of a heating pipe, thus her arms were forced to be completely stretched out. When she went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution, she endured savage force-feeding twice, which precipitated a severe heart attack. Wu Guichuan was then sent to Tumuji Forced Labor Camp, but the camp refused to accept her because of her poor health. Instead, they permitted her to go home after being bailed-out for medical treatment. Because she practiced Falun Gong, her husband was implicated and forced to leave his job, leaving only a little income each month for basic living expenses. Police forced her husband to monitor her and forbid her to go out or contact any others. Her freedom was curtailed.

Wu Guichuan was arrested the third time when she was distributing truth-clarification information. She was detained in Yakushi for four months.

(1) "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

(2) Yuan is the Chinese currency. The average monthly salary of an urban worker in China is 500 Yuan.

(3) "Guarantee Statement" - A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practicing Falun Gong and guarantees not to practice Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

(4) "Three Statements" - Practitioners are coerced under brainwashing and torture to write these as proof that they have given up their belief. Created by the "610 Office," the three statements consist of a letter of repentance, a guarantee to never again practice Falun Gong, and a list of names and addresses of all family members, friends and acquaintances who are practitioners.

April 26, 2004