The Persecution of Practitioners in Wuqiang County, Hebei Province

(Clearwisdom.net) Since the start of the persecution against Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, the legal system and local government of the townships and villages of Wuqiang County have been persecuting Falun Gong practitioners under the direction and instigation of the "610 Office". We would like to take this opportunity to detail the extent of the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners living in Wuqiang County.

The persecution suffered by a four-member family in Beidulin village

One example concerns a family from Beidulin Village, Wuqiang County that used to enjoy a peaceful and harmonious life. The family, consisting of the father Gao Hongbin, mother Zhang Xiangye, son Gao Dongxu, and daughter Gao Gongpei were all targeted. We hope to expose the crimes committed against them and bring public attention to their plight.

Gao Hongbin (50) was detained twice because he practiced Falun Gong. Police illegally searched his home and took away many Falun Gong books and audio and video materials.

On November 29, 2000, police and county and village officials claimed that they wanted to talk to Gao and took him to the Political and Security Department of the Public Security Bureau where policeman Wu Cheng and others denied him his legal rights and interrogated him.

On January 2, 2001, Gao was arrested and detained at the county detention center. On April 26, 2001, he was secretly sentenced to four years in prison without legal representation or his family being notified. He was detained at Motou Prison in Hengshui City, Hebei Province to serve his sentence.

While in prison, he refused to give up his belief in Falun Gong and was therefore transferred after about one month to the No. 4 prison in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. The authorities refused to allow Gao's family to visit him until he had served over one year.

In June 2003, Gao Hongbin's mother passed away after being in grief for a long time and missing her son. The police didn't even allow Gao to pay his final respects to his mother when she was on her deathbed.

At present, information concerning the whereabouts of Gao Hongbin or his physical condition are unknown.

The mother, Zhang Xiangye, 50, was reported to police in March 2001 when she was explaining the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong to others. Several people from Beidai village and some policemen followed her home. They searched her home, confiscated Falun Gong materials and reported her to the county "610 Office" which ensured she would be persecuted further. The authorities forced her to go to the county's Public Security Bureau for further interrogation. The same night, she was sent to the Fucheng County Detention Center where she was beaten, shackled, doused with water and forced to do heavy labor. On August 1, she was illegally sentenced to two years of forced labor and sent to the Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp. \

In the labor camp, she suffered inhumane torture, including beatings, being handcuffed, tied with ropes, being stripped naked, and having her blankets and sheets taken apart for inspection. She was handcuffed and suspended in painful positions for long periods of time. She was not allowed to sleep for three days and was interrogated in turn by many people. At last, three people bit her and forced her tightly clenched fists open in order to press her fingerprints on a "letter of transformation" against her will, spilling her blood all over the document in the process.

Zhang Xiangye became emaciated due to the prolonged maltreatment. Her torment continued until one day in June 2002, she suddenly lost consciousness in the restroom. Officials in the labor camp became afraid that they would be held responsible should she die, so they sent her home on June 8 in the pouring rain. Although she has recovered a little now, she still cannot take care of herself. The Shijiazhuang labor camp has continued to send people to her home to harass her.

The son Gao Dongxu (26) was not only suffering due to his parent's arrest, but was also detained and interrogated himself. In August 2000, Policemen Wu Guobiao and another officer with the nickname "Funny Man" from Beidai Village came to his home to harass him. They found a copy of "Zhuan Falun" [the main teachings of Falun Gong] and other Falun Gong materials. The authorities took Gao Dongxu to the police station and interrogated him, wanting to force him to tell where he got the books. Although they didn't get an answer, they forced his family to pay a "deposit" of 2,000 yuan [500 Yuan is the average monthly salary of an urban worker in China] to obtain his release. On January 1, 2001, a fat policeman and Wu Guobiao invented an excuse to turn that deposit into a permanent "fine" so it could not be refunded.

The daughter, Gao Dongpei, 22, was sent to a brainwashing session held by the Party School of Wuqiang County on April 2001, where she was forced to read propaganda materials and watch videotapes defaming Falun Gong. When she refused to cooperate, the authorities punished her by making her stand upright or kneel down under the hot sun for extended periods of time, or to be displayed in the street to be publicly humiliated. One day, Mr. Wu Tiecheng, head of the political and security department of the county Public Security Bureau, on orders of Mr. Gao Zhengzong, the principal of the county Party School, forced Gao Dongpei and other practitioners to kneel in the alley in front of their building until midnight. The next day, Gao and the others were again forced to kneel there from morning to midnight. They were not allowed to leave, even when it started to rain.

All the members of the family were detained because they practice Falun Gong and strive to become good persons according to the principle of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. In the summer of 1999, when the Gao family members were finally released after being detained for many days, they found grass overgrowing their yard. The family was nearly ruined financially.

Since then, thugs led by Mr. Ma Guangkun, head of the judicial department of the village have frequently harassed the Gaos. In March 2004, Ma Guangkun threatened that they would send Gao Dongpei and her mother Zhang Xiangye to the Hengshui brainwashing class. We hope that kind-hearted people around the world pay attention to their dire situation.

Practitioners Persecuted in Lifengzhuang village, Zhouwo Township

Ms. Gao Sufen (42) went to Beijing on July 20, 1999, to demand justice for Falun Gong. After she returned home, officials in Zhouwo Township often harassed her. She was required to report to the township office twice a day. On New Year's Day 2000, she was taken to the township office, not allowed to sleep and forced to remain sitting upright for two days and nights. In April 2001, she was sent to a brainwashing class in Wuqiang County. Her 10-year-old son protested having his mom taken from him. An official deceived the child, telling him that they would release his mom the next day. Regardless, they detained his mom for two and a half months.

During the brainwashing, they didn't allow Gao Sufen to sleep, and punished her by forcing her to kneel on the brick floor until midnight. They also forced her to be publicly displayed in the street, under the hot sun for passersby to see her in order to incite hatred against her for practicing Falun Gong and also make the public afraid to support Falun Gong. In addition, Gao Sufen was fined 3,000 yuan. Her husband worked out of town to sustain the family. They were poor and could not afford the fine so they needed to borrow money from friends and relatives.

People involved in her persecution included Song Genghuai, Jia Yinghua, and Gao Zhengzong.

Mr. Li Qizhen (55) was arrested at the end of December 2000, and sent back to the Public Security Bureau of his home county after having gone to Beijing to demand justice for Falun Gong. Mr. Wu Tiecheng, head of the county's political and security department compiled materials that sent Li Qizhen to the Detention Center of Wuqiang County. Li was detained there beyond his original term until April 2001. Later, Li was sent to a brainwashing program for further persecution. As part of the brainwashing program, the principal of the Party School and others forced Li to stand or kneel for prolonged periods and devised other forms of torture to try to force him to give up practicing Falun Gong. One day, Mr. Liang Yinghua and Mr. Han Jianping who helped to run the brainwashing session called Li out and asked him several questions. Li Qizhen answered, but Han Jianping slapped Li across the face with a flyswatter causing Li's face and mouth to bleed. One day after the dinner, Liang Yinghua asked Li Qizhen and another Dafa practitioner, Xiu Ge, into his office and asked them to write statements renouncing Falun Gong. Li and Xiu declined. Liang then forced Li to kneel on a stool and handcuffed him to Xiu, fastening both to a heating pipe.

Ms. Li Guozhen, 50, went to Beijing on July 20, 1999, to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. Later she was detained by her village office for half a month and fined as a punishment. Ever since, she and her family members can no longer live a peaceful life. Officials come to her place to harass them from time to time at any time during the day or night.

On November 25, 2001, when Li stayed at home to help her daughter who had just had a Caesarian-section, police in the village came at midnight and took her in for questioning. On Chinese New Year's day, village-square loudspeakers broadcast the names of Li Guozhen and other local practitioners to incite hatred against them and ruin their family holiday. On April 13, 2001, officials from the village along with some police officers took more than ten people to arrest Li and take her to the Wuqiaqng County brainwashing program. There she wasn't allowed to sleep, she was forced to stand upright for prolonged periods of time and given food that had gone bad. She was also "fined" 3,000 yuan.

People involved in persecuting Li Guozhen include Jia Ruihuai, head of the county Public Security Bureau; Gao Zhenzong, principal of the Party School; Song Genhuai, head of the county "610 Office", and Liang Yinghua of the county Department of Education.

Ms. Gao Hongye, 43, used to have a serious heart disease. After she started practicing Falun Gong in 1998, she got rid of her troublesome diseases. On New Year's Day of 2000, local officials arrested her and sent her to the village office because they were afraid that she would go again to Beijing to appeal for the rights of Falun Gong as she had done before. In 2001, Gao was taken to the Wuqiang County brainwashing class where she was not allowed to sleep and was forced to stand upright for prolonged periods of time, facing the wall to reflect on her actions. She was not released until she was tortured to the brink of death, when officials asked her family members to take her to a hospital.

Ms. Wang Shuqin, 51, started practicing Falun Gong in 1998, and recovered from many diseases. On July 20, 1999, she went to Beijing to demand justice for Falun Gong but was arrested by police and sent to Baoding City, Hebei Province. Later she was sent home. In 2001, the village office sent people to Wang's place to take her to a brainwashing class held by the county. In the class, Gao Zhenzong, principal of the Party School, and Jia Ruihuai, head of the county Public Security Bureau, tried to force her to give up her faith. She said, "Falun Gong is so good. Why do I need to be 'transformed?!'" Boiling with rage, Jia Ruihuai kicked Wang to the ground, forced her to kneel down and didn't allow her to stand up.

Ms. Liu Fengluan, 41, lives in the same village as Wang Shuqin. On July 20, 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong] but was detained at Zhuowo village and not released until she paid a fine. When Liu Fengluan refused to write a defamation of Falun Gong in April 2001, in the village office, Mr. Liu Juncheng and over ten other persons brought her to the Xiafan Party School to brainwash her. There, she was forced to stand upright for a long time, was exposed to the baking sun, and was not allowed to sleep. These methods are frequently used to torture Falun Gong practitioners. She was later fined 3,000 yuan.

On March 2, 2004, Zhang Jian, head of the Political and Security Department of Wuqiang County, and Li Chengseng, the general secretary of the party in Lifeng village, visited the homes of practitioners in Lifeng village. They forced practitioners to sign the "Four Guarantees" defaming Teacher and Falun Dafa. Li Chengseng also asked practitioners whether they would continue practicing Falun Gong. Anyone who replied positively would be sent to the Hengshui brainwashing program until they agreed to sign statements renouncing their belief in Falun Gong.

Practitioners Persecuted in Doucun Township

Mr. Han Guofeng, 35, lives in Lima village, Doucun Township. On July 22, 1999, he went to Beijing to tell the truth about Falun Gong but was arrested and sent back to the country. He was detained at the No. 2 hostel [a facility used to temporarily hold Falun Gong practitioners] of his home county. From there, he was taken to the police station at Doucun Township, and after he got back to his home, police often harassed him. When they learned that he worked in Beijing, they sent a police escort with him and wouldn't allow him to leave his home county. They illegally detained Han several times and forced him to write a "Guarantee Statement" [renouncing Falun Gong]. Liang Yanhong is directly responsible for Han's mistreatment.

On March 29, 2000, Han again went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong]. He was arrested and sent to the Wuqiang County Detention Center. Initially, he was detained for 15 days, but because he would not give up practicing Falun Gong, he was sentenced to 7 more months of detention by the county police department. Since he practiced the Falun Gong exercises even in the detention center, he was shackled to a stone stool for 6 days and 6 nights by the deputy head of the police department, which caused him great pain and discomfort. Yang Baoda is the person directly responsible for the persecution against Han.

In April 2001, Liang Yanhong, the General Secretary of the Political and Security Department of the village, forced Han Guofeng into the county brainwashing program where thugs asked him to slander Teacher and Dafa and tried unsuccessfully to force him to sign the "Four Statements" [denouncing Falun Gong]. On the evening of April 15, 2001, he was sent to the county detention center and was detained there for 15 days. However, he would not give up his faith and continued to expose the crimes of Jiang Zemin, and was therefore detained for 7 months. At the end of his 7-month long detention, he was sentenced two years of forced labor. In the detention center, Han insisted on practicing the Falun Gong exercises and was handcuffed and put in shackles by policeman Yang Zhenning.

On December 12, 2001, Han Guofen was sent to brigade 303 of the Shijiazhang Labor Camp. The guards there didn't allow Han to sleep using three of the criminal prisoners to watch him. They didn't even allow him to close his eyes for a moment threatening him and trying to force him to write the "Four Guarantees" for four consecutive days. Later, police shackled his hand to a heating pipe. On June 5, 2002, he was transferred to brigade 202, where they used lies and false kindness in an attempt to coerce him to sign the "Four Statements". Han was persecuted in this manner in the labor camp for 30 months. Bian Sjuqiang (head of the brigade), Zhang Li (deputy head), and Dong Xinguo were directly involved in persecuting him:

Ms. Deng Qiuying (48) lives in Dayang Village of the Doucun Township. On July 20, 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong] but was brought back home by police from her county and detained at county hostel no. 2. She was then taken to the police station at Doucun Township and illegally detained there for 5 days and forced to write the "Three Guarantee Statements" [renouncing Falun Gong]. On October 27, 2000, the political and security department of the township instituted a brainwashing program. Deng was forced to attend the class and persecuted there for one month. On April 13, 2001, Deng was sent to a brainwashing program organized by the county where she was not allowed to sleep, was beaten, and forced to watch fabricated graphic videotapes defaming Falun Gong. She was detained there for three months. Liang Yanhong, Du Bingchang, Gao Zhensong, Jia Ruihuai, Song Genghuai, Yang Baoda, Wu Tiecheng, and Liang Yinghua are among those who directly persecuted her.

Ms. Sun Shuang (34) lives in Lima Village of Doucun Township. On July 20, 1999, officials from Doucun Township sent people to search her home who confiscated her Dafa books, scriptures, and audiotapes for practicing the Falun Gong exercises. On July 21, 1999, Sun went to Beijing to appeal [for the rights of Falun Gong], but was taken back home by the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County and detained at hostel no. 2. After she was forced to write a letter guaranteeing that she would not go to Beijing to appeal again, she was taken to Doucun Township and detained in an office. Liang Yanhong was directly involved in her persecution.

During 1999 and 2001, officials from the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County and the political and Security Department of the Doucun Township went to Sun Shuang's home many times to harass her, disturbing her life and generating instability in her family. Jia Ruihuai and Liang Zhenjiang, are among those directly responsible for her persecution.

We have taken this opportunity to detail at least part of the persecution of practitioners in Wuqiang County. We will continue to reveal the methods unconscionable officials in Wuqiang County use to persecute Falun Gong practitioners until we have covered all the facts.

A list of persons in Wuqiang County who participated in persecuting Falun Gong follows.

Yang Baoda, General Secretary of the Wuqiang County CCP, and former General Secretary of the Political and Security Department.

Gao Zhenzong, principal of the Wuqiang County CCP Party School, formerly of Dulin Village, Beidai Township and now living in the county capital. Phone: [phone] (office), 86-318-3826420 (home);

Song Genghuai, head of the county's "610 Office," previously of Songguhe Village, currently residing in the county capital. Phone: [phone] (home), 86-13932896267 (cell);

Phone number of the "610 Office": 86-318-3823311;

Jia Ruihuan, head of the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County, formerly of Songguhe Village, and now residing in the county capital. Phone: [phone] (home), 86-318-3825218 (office), 86-13503188336 (cell);

Wu Tiecheng, head of the Political and Security Department of the Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County. He lives at Beisun village. Phone: [phone] (home), 86-318-3822573 ext. 3804 (office);

Liang Yinghua, education department of the county, lives at Lide Village. Phone: [phone] (home), 86-318-3503181234 (cell);

Han Jianping, head of the Zhuowo Village police station, formerly of Mei Village, and now living in the county capital. Phone: [phone] (home), 86-13903187448 (cell);

Liu Juncheng, former General Secretary of the Political and Security Department of Zhuowo Village.

Wen Wantong, Dongxin Village, an official of the Zhuowo village.

Song Jigeng, Songjia Village, an official of the Zhuowo village.

Liang Yanjiang, former General Secretary of the Political and Security Department of Duoxiang Village, but now transferred to another place.

Phone of the Beidai Township government: 86-318-3836052;

Public Security Bureau of Wuqiang County: 86-318-3822573;

Wu Guobiao, policeman at the Beidai Township, resident of Xidai Village, Beidai Township, 86-318-3768862 (home);

"Silly man" (nickname available only), policeman at the Beidai police station, a resident of Beidai Village, Beidai Township.

April 19, 2004