News and Events from Around the World
The People Awaken to the Truth
News and Events from Around the World
United Nations' Rapporteur on Torture Highlights China, Falun Gong Ahead of Planned Visit
With a visit to China planned at the end of June, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture's latest report highlights the torturing of Falun Gong practitioners there.
Of the 115 countries covered, China received by far the most ink in the 420-page report. Of over 130 cases of reported torture and abuse in China, approximately 100 of them were perpetrated against Falun Gong practitioners.
The report was published on March 23, 2004 and submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. It is a summary of communications between the rapporteur and various governments concerning suspected torture cases and urgent appeals during 2003.
According to the report, Rapporteur Theo van Boven, 70, wrote to the Chinese government at least six times in 2003.
In a letter dated June 4 he informed the Chinese government he was aware that a Mr. Xiao "was reportedly subjected to the so-called "water dungeon"... locking a naked person into a small iron cage with spikes on all sides. The cage is then lowered into filthy water up to the victim's chest or neck in a completely dark room. The victim may be locked in the cage for days or even weeks, and urine and feces are excreted into the water."
The report is not comprehensive and many cases of torture may not be included in it, said a representative at the rapporteur's office. The rapporteur compiles it after processing information submitted to his office by various NGOs.
One such NGO is the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group. According to working group representative Mr. Chen Shizhong, the NGO has received tens of thousands of reports on torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China over the past few years and submitted several thousand to the rapporteur.
These cases include severe beatings, whippings with poisonous hemp, hanging by the wrists, deprivation of food and sleep, dousing with extremely cold or hot water, shocking sensitive body parts with high-voltage electric batons, and sodomizing with sticks.
The Chinese government's response acknowledges the sudden death of multiple individuals in custody, though repeatedly states that "allegations of torture and ill-treatment are unfounded."
Examining these allegations is the main purpose of the rapporteur's trip. If carried out, this will be the Special Rapporteur's first UN mission to China after several attempts that fell through due to the Chinese government's last minute modification of the visit's conditions.
Even if the Chinese government makes no last-minute maneuvers this time, Falun Gong practitioner and past torture victim Mr. Zhao Ming is concerned about whether the rapporteur will be allowed to truly inspect detention facilities without interference. He says that the Chinese government has in the past effectively reduced visits to little more than show tours by hiding abused prisoners and other evidence of wrongdoing for the duration of the tours.
Other victims of torture in China referred to in the report include Tibetans, HIV/AIDS activists, and those arrested for openly expressing their views on a variety of issues.
Increased Persecution of Charles Lee in Nanjing Prison, China Received Attention
U.S. citizen Dr. Charles Lee has been imprisoned for 16 months in China by Jiang's followers. During this period, he has been subjected to various tortures, including physical torment, brainwashing and force-feeding. U.S. government officials have expressed great concern over Mr. Lee's situation and they have protested many times to the Nanjing Prison where he is being detained.
VOA reported on May 26 that State Department spokesman Mr. Richard Boucher stated that U.S. diplomats met with Charles Lee last week and also spoke with him on the phone on Monday, May 24. Mr. Boucher said the U.S. State Department will continue to monitor Charles Lee's situation. Lee was sentenced to 3 years in prison on charges of attempting to override the Chinese radio/TV system to broadcast documentary programs about Falun Gong. Mr. Boucher mentioned that Mr. Lee went on a one-day hunger strike on May 18 to protest the poor working conditions in the workshop where he was forced to make shoes.
RFA and AFP also reported on the U.S. State Department's concern over Charles Lee.
Epoch Times reported that U.S. State Department spokesman Mr. Stuart Patt said that U.S. embassy officials went to Nanjing to visit Charles Lee on April 22 and he looked very tired. Charles told U.S. officials that he was not in a very good situation, as prison authorities were demanding that he admit to crimes for which he is innocent.
At present, Falun Gong practitioners all over the world are holding various activities protesting the Chinese government's arrest of Charles Lee and calling for his unconditional release.
In-Court Arguments for the Jiang Lawsuit End; Plaintiffs Say Diplomatic Considerations Should Not Override Legal Justice
On the morning of Thursday, May 27, 2004, the first oral arguments in the appeal of Falun Gong practitioners' class-action lawsuit against former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin were heard in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Dr. Terri Marsh, the plaintiffs' attorney, stated that there were mistakes with the original court's dismissal of the lawsuit based on head-of-state immunity. She requested that the appellate court overturn the federal court decision.
Plaintiffs' lawyer: defendant cannot be forgiven for crimes committed during his tenure of office
During the 40-minutes of oral arguments, Dr. Marsh explained that the original court decision to dismiss the lawsuit because Jiang enjoyed head-of-state immunity was wrong. She stated that immunity is not the same as impunity. A head of state cannot be exempt from prosecution for individual and non-governmental acts.
The suggestion by the U.S. Department of Justice that Jiang is a head of state and therefore enjoys immunity is ineffective, because Jiang is no longer a head of state, having left office as the president of China, and he therefore no longer enjoys immunity.
Plaintiffs' lawyer emphasize importance of rule-by-law
Another point of discussion in this case is that due to political pressure from the Chinese government, the U.S. administration is worried this lawsuit will set a precedent for allowing private lawsuits to be served against U.S. presidents while they travel abroad.
In response, during her closing remarks Dr. Marsh quoted former President Bush who, when signing the Torture Victim Protection Act into law, addressed the arguments put forth by letter: "The dangers that U.S. Courts may become embroiled in difficult and sensitive disputes in foreign countries is real, ... But these potential dangers, however, do not concern the fundamental goals that this legislation seeks to advance. In this new era, in which countries throughout the world are turning to democratic institutions and the rule of law, we must maintain and strengthen our commitment to ensuring that human rights are respected everywhere." Dr. Marsh said that especially since the U.S. has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in helping Asian countries build a democratic legal mechanism, protecting human rights through strict legal processes is critically important.
A representative from the Department of Justice admitted China's human rights persecution against Falun Gong, but emphasized diplomatic and political considerations instead
Department of Justice attorney Douglas N. Letter began his arguments by emphasizing the United States' condemnation of the persecution of Falun Gong. However, he said the U.S. government has also to take into account various diplomatic and political considerations.
China expert, policy advisor (and Falun Gong spokesperson) Mr. Erping Zhang said, "First we welcome the Department of Justice re-emphasizing the U.S. government's condemnation of the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners' human rights and also acknowledging the severity and scope of the persecution. However, diplomatic and political elements cannot transcend principles of the Constitution. In a democratic society, the constitution is higher than political, administrative and diplomatic concerns. If the State Department allows any state head to come to the U.S., would they allow Hitler to come if he was still alive?"
Another Falun Gong practitioner said, "According to previous cases, immunity does not equal impunity. The late Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos was served with a lawsuit in Hawaii, and exiled Chilean president Pinochet was sued in Europe. People are equal before the law and they should meet with justice if they violated the law. It would be sad if diplomatic concerns are allowed to replace justice."
Plaintiffs' advisor: other than legal concerns, the Jiang lawsuit is also upholding basic moral standards
Mr. Erping Zhang continued, "The law grants the administrative department certain powers, but these powers are limited to certain areas and they obey the Constitution, which by definition is rule-by-law. Otherwise, it would be rule-by-man as it is in Mainland China, where the constitution becomes the administration's political tool. This lawsuit against Jiang stands its ground in the U.S. Constitution, Chinese Constitution, international law and universal justice. Even the constitution of China states that people have freedom of belief and freedom of expression. In a U.S. court, our lawyer provided legal evidence, material evidence and witnesses that strictly and fully conform to the U.S. law. This lawsuit against Jiang is not only important in terms of upholding rule-by-law, but also guarding the basic moral standard."
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals yet to reach conclusion
After the oral arguments ended, the judges said they would make a decision based on discussion of the lawyers' statements (case number 03-3989).
Jiang's regime continues to assert pressure
People have noticed that in the past few days, the number of spies around the court and where Falun Gong practitioners clarify the truth to people have increased significantly.
Falun Gong practitioner Yang Sen said Falun Gong practitioners around the world will continue to clarify the truth about the persecution in a deeper and more thorough manner, and they will treat the Jiang lawsuit with a benevolent and calm mindset as well as strong righteous thoughts.
According to sources inside Mainland China, Jiang was extremely nervous about today's court arguments, and Jiang's regime even threatened to attack Taiwan in an effort to interfere with the court proceedings. On the other hand, lawsuits against Jiang around the world have attracted increasing attention and discussion, as have reports of corruption surrounding the activities of Jiang's son.
Amnesty International's Annual Report Exposes Persecution of Falun Gong in China
Amnesty International released its annual report on human rights status across the world on May 26, 2004.
Concerning China, the report says, "Despite a few positive steps, no attempt was made to introduce the fundamental legal and institutional reforms necessary to bring an end to serious human rights violations. Tens of thousands of people continued to be detained or imprisoned in violation of their rights to freedom of expression and association and were at serious risk of torture or ill-treatment."
The report says that freedom of expression and religion continued to be severely restricted and China continued to use the international "war against terrorism" as a pretext for persecuting peaceful dissenters.
Regarding the repression of spiritual and religious groups, the report summarized, "Members of unofficial spiritual or religious groups, including some Qi Gong groups and unregistered Christian groups, continued to be arbitrarily detained, tortured and ill-treated."
The report continued: "Rhetoric intensified in the official media against the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which was banned as a 'heretical organization' in July 1999, apparently exacerbating the climate of violence and intolerance against the Falun Gong. Detained Falun Gong practitioners, including large numbers of women, were at risk of torture, including sexual abuse, particularly if they refused to renounce their beliefs. According to overseas Falun Gong sources, more than 8001 people detained in connection with the Falun Gong had died since 1999, mostly as a result of torture or ill-treatment."
The report also provides a death case of a Falun Gong practitioner. It says, "Deng Shiying reportedly died on 19 July, the day after her release from Jilin Women's Prison in Changchun City, Jilin Province, where she was serving a seven-year prison sentence in connection with producing and distributing information describing human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners in China. According to Falun Gong sources, she was beaten by other inmates, apparently prompted by prison officials, shortly before her release."
US Commission on International Religious Freedom Urges China to Stop Persecuting Religious and Spiritual Groups
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its annual report on the status of religious freedom worldwide, stated that the Chinese government continues to engage in particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The report released on May 12, 2004, said that the Chinese government bans Falun Gong and other groups and justifies its ongoing brutal crackdown by labeling these groups as "cults". The commission recommended that the U.S. government should urge the Chinese government to end its current crackdown on religious and spiritual groups throughout China.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent federal government agency created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to monitor religious freedom in other countries and advise the President, Secretary of State, and Congress on how best to promote it.
According to the report, the Chinese government continues to engage in particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The State Department has stated publicly that conditions of human rights, including religious freedom, deteriorated in 2003. Moreover, the Chinese government has not fulfilled commitments it made during the December 2002 U.S.-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue. Chinese government officials control, monitor, and restrain religious practice, purportedly to protect national security or stability and public safety or health. However, the government's actions to restrict religious belief and practice reportedly go far beyond legitimate protection of security interests and exceed what is permissible under international law. According to the report, for the last four years, USCIRF has recommended that China be designated as a "country of particular concern," or CPC. The State Department has followed the Commission's recommendations and named China a CPC.
The report also highlighted the Chinese government's crackdown on Falun Gong. It said, "Since 1999, the Chinese government has labeled the Falun Gong and similar groups as 'cults,' effectively banning them and 'justifying' its ongoing brutal crackdown. There are allegations that hundreds [over a hundred thousand] of Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to labor camps without trial or been sent to mental health institutions for re-education. Falun Gong practitioners claim that 430 [975 verified so far] practitioners have been killed as a result of police brutality. According to the Falun Gong, the Chinese government has continued to pressure foreign businesses in China to discriminate against its followers. Many local officials in foreign countries have also stated that they have received warnings from Chinese diplomatic personnel to stop their advocacy on behalf of Falun Gong and its practitioners."
According to the report, the Commission has recommended that the U.S. government should ensure that efforts to promote religious freedom in China are integrated into the mechanisms of dialogue and cooperation with the Chinese government at all levels, across all departments of the U.S. government, and on all issues, including security and counter-terrorism.
It suggests the U.S. government to urge the Chinese government to end its current crackdown on religious and spiritual groups throughout China, including harassment, surveillance, arrest, and detention of persons on account of their manifestation of religion or belief; the detention, torture, and ill-treatment of persons in prisons, labor camps, psychiatric facilities, and other places of confinement; and the coercion of individuals to renounce or condemn any religion or belief.
In addition, the Commission also requests the U.S. government to prohibit U.S. companies doing business in China from engaging in practices that would constitute or facilitate violations of religious freedom or discrimination on the basis of religion or belief.
Statement of U.S. Congressman Joseph Hoeffel in Honor of the 12th Anniversary of Falun Dafa
I am honored to submit this statement in commemoration of World Falun Dafa Day and the 12th anniversary of the public introduction of Falun Gong. I am sorry I cannot be with you today in celebration of this peaceful international cultivation practice. I know, however, that while you are celebrating here in the United States, many of your thoughts are with the thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who are being persecuted in China.
The Chinese Government continues to arrest Falun Gong adherents at an alarming rate: over one hundred of these innocent prisoners have died in detention since 1999. My colleges in the US Congress and I agree that this disturbing practice must be thwarted immediately. I have cosponsored resolutions expressing disapproval of China's oppression and coercion of Falun Gong practitioners. And I am happy to report that this March the House of representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution reaffirming our insistence that the People's Republic of China begin to recognize fundamental human rights.
As a member of the House Committee on International Relations, I have learned that while there is no single ideal for democracy, respect for human right is universal. The People's Republic of China has continuously demonstrated in their actions against Falun Gong practitioners and others their failure to recognize the rights of freedom of thought, conscience, and peaceful assembly.
Many Falun Gong practitioners from Pennsylvania contact me every year to describe the atrocities committed in China against their families and friends that choose to practice this self-improvement exercises. I commend the millions of Falun Gong practitioners worldwide and those present today for your commitment to the promotion of democracy and respect for human rights, and I join you in praise of your peaceful form of personal belief and practice.
US Senator Concerned with the Persecution by Chinese Officials on Falun Gong Practitioners
On March 10, 2004, US Senator Thomas Carper wrote to Falun Gong practitioners, expressing his concern over the human rights situation, especially the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by Chinese officials.
Senator Carper said he was concerned with the human rights situation in China, especially in light of recent crackdowns by Chinese officials on Falun Gong practitioners or others who simply want to practice their spiritual beliefs. The PRC government outlawed the practice and began a systematic campaign of intimidation and repression against the movement's practitioners. This crackdown has led to the arrest and detention of many Falun Gong practitioners, causing concern among many in both China and the international community about the Chinese government's commitment to human rights and religious freedom.
Senator Carper pointed out that according to the latest State Department Report on Human Rights, China's human rights record had actually worsened over the previous year, with the government maintaining strict controls over religious organizations, political discourse, and publications. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Chinese authorities have suppressed Falun Gong and other ethnic minorities under the guise of fighting international terrorism.
US Congressman Robert E. Andrews: Awareness of This Persecution Is Being Increased in America and Around the World
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-3001
May 13, 2004
Dear Friends:
I am proud to be an outspoken supporter of the Falun Gong and their efforts to achieve freedom from the persecution they face at the hands of the Chinese government. Unfortunately, very little progress has been made in effort to influence the Chinese government to end its irrational persecution of Falun Gong practitioners throughout the world. However, due in large part to the tenacious work of Falun Gong practitioners such as yourselves, awareness of this persecution is being increased in America and around the world. By highlighting the detainment and inhumane treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, you are forcing governments around the world to take notice, and I remain hopeful that this awareness will result in collaborative effects to cease the imprisonment, torture, and murder of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners.
As the member of detained Falun Gong continues to escalate, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Chinese government has no intentions of curbing its irrational harassment of those benevolent people, it is only through international pressure that the PRC will be forced to respect the rights of all Chinese citizens. With this in mind, I have consistently called upon members of this administration to address the issue of Falun Gong persecution with the Chinese government, and I will continue to do so until a positive change is affected. Over a year ago, I along with several of my colleagues in the House of Representatives, called upon the Secretary of State Powell to urge the release of Falun Gong practitioners with relatives in the United States. Earlier this year, we were pleased to learn that one of the practitioners named in our appeal to Secretary Powell was released by the PRC. Despite this victory, we still have much work to do. The inhumane persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is an affront to human rights, and as such it can not be tolerated. The Chinese government continues to imprison, torture, and murder these peaceful individuals due to their fear and misunderstanding of the Falun Gong movement.
I look forward to the day when the Chinese government accepts the Falun Gong as a peaceful, enlightened aspect of their nation's culture, but until then I encourage such of you to remain outspoken in your efforts to free Falun Gong practitioners from persecution. Rest assured that I will continue to support all such efforts until each citizen of the People's Republic of China is afforded the rights they so justly deserve.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Andrews
Member of Congress
US Senator Christopher Bond Congratulates the Midwest-US Experience Sharing Conference in Chicago
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-2503
May 21, 2004
Dear Falun Dafa Practitioners:
Please accept my sincerest wishes for a successful and spiritual conference experience as you gather in Chicago. Your commitments to those who face persecution for their faith in Falun Gong and your dedication to this practice of self-improvement do not go un-noticed. Your strong principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance are evident in the people who you've touched worldwide.
The preservation of basic human rights is an important issue that nations all over the world face. Despite Falun Gong's peaceful principles and teachings, violations of human rights have occurred in China against Falun Gong practitioners. Human rights is an important goal as recognized by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which sets forth certain basic rights such as the right to life, to liberty, and to the freedom of expression.
The United States Senate has ratified a series of international treaties such as International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (1976), and the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987). The Senate's approval of these and other treaties highlights the process make toward human rights. Leaders all over our nation and the world have come to your defense in the condemnation of the violations of basic human rights that many of your fellow practitioners have faced. The Falun Dafa community is raising the visibility of the issue of human rights and I commend you for doing so.
The three principles of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance lie at the core of Falun Gong. Those who practice Falun Gong do so to become better healthier people through living by these principles and all should be allowed to practice these principles freely and without persecution.
Again, best of luck for a successful and spiritual conference in the pursuit of becoming better, healthier people, through the guidance of your strong principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
Sincerely,
Christopher S. Bond
Missouri State Senator Carl Vogel Congratulates World Falun Dafa Day and Commends Falun Dafa Practitioners
Missouri Senate
Jefferson City
May 13, 2004
Dear Falun Dafa Practitioners,
On this, the 12th anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the public, it is my honor to congratulate Falun Dafa practitioners' celebration of World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2004.
On this day, over 100 million people in over 60 countries are celebrating dramatically improved health and peaceful minds through practicing Falun Dafa's meditative exercises and living according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.
I commend Falun Dafa practitioners for their continuous peaceful appeals calling for an end to the persecution that has claimed the lives of at least 955 practitioners in China, and I look forward to the day when the people of China enjoy the same fundamental freedoms that we in America cherish.
Congratulations to Missouri Falun Dafa practitioners and practitioners the world over on this special day!
Sincerely,
CARL M.VOGEL
State Senator, District 6
China: City Mayor Frames Falun Gong Practitioners When Unemployed Workers Strike
The Tieshu Group textile factory, an enterprise once employing a few thousand workers in Suizhou City is going bankrupt due to corrupt dealings between the factory leaders and the local government officials.
In order to be able to support themselves, many jobless workers appealed to higher authorities on several occasions with no result. Finally, the unemployed workers protested by blocking the local railways. One such incident in 2003 alarmed the Central Government. The unemployed workers were seeking a compensation amount that the government refused to pay.
Information circulating among the workers said that Mayor Wu Chao was falsely telling the higher authorities that the railway blockings were caused by Falun Gong practitioners. On February 8, 2004, these workers decided to block the railways again, and in order to prevent the local authorities from framing Falun Gong practitioners, when marching to the railway, the workers who walked in front of the crowd shouted, "Falun Gong practitioners, please don't go to the protest!"
The protest lasted a long time, with a lot of people being arrested. Twenty of them were falsely arrested for allegedly practicing Falun Gong and taken to the Hubei Province Denglin Farm (a jail), where the police did not allow visits from their family members.
China: Falun Gong Practitioner Suffers Severe Mental Trauma from Persecution in Tianshui City
Yang Keqiang, male, 59 years old, is a worker at Tianshui Motor Transportation Corporation. He began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998. In a short period of time all his illnesses and pain disappeared as he continuously practiced the cultivation. For the first time in his life, he truly felt the wonderfulness of having no diseases. His spirit glowed and his mind was happy and peaceful.
On July 20, 1999, Jiang became jealous of Falun Gong's rising popularity and started a nationwide propaganda campaign against Falun Gong. He utilized the public news media to propagate rumors and defame Falun Gong, thus instigating hatred against Falun Gong and poisoning the minds of people who did not know the truth. Yang Keqiang wished to clarify the truth to the public and to expose Jiang's lies. He took a banner that read "Falun Dafa is good" and hung it in front of the city government on May 8, 2002. Police from the Qincheng District Police Department arrested him.
On the same day, the police sent plainclothes officers to follow Yang Keqiang's wife and then they broke into the courtyard of their house. As soon as they entered the house, they started searching everywhere and made a big mess. When Yang Keqiang's wife tried to stop them, she was pushed away by a policeman named Yang. They both fell down to the ground because the police used too much force. Then another policeman came up and grabbed the wife's arms and bent them behind her back. He pressed her hard. In the mean time, the policeman Yang got up and started to beat and kick her. When she tried to defend herself, he hit her even harder. Yang's wife felt terrible pain in her arms, chest and all over her body, and even breathing caused her enormous pain. When the police left, they took her with them as well. At the police station, Yang's wife spat and coughed, and there were traces of blood in the phlegm that she spat out. She was detained for 10 days and charged with "interfering with public duty" for protecting her household against the unlawful search. The first night in the police station, she could not lie down due to the pain all over her body and she had to sit up all night.
Yang Keqiang was arrested and after being shackled for two days in handcuffs, he was sent to the Luuergou Forced Labor Camp. Thirty-three days later, they forced his family to pay 3,000 yuan as a "guarantee fee" (the cash was personally received by group leader Pei Guilin). Only after receiving the money did the authorities agree to release him.
However, no one knows what kind of brutal torture Yang Keqiang was subjected to while in the forced labor camp, because after his release he began to act very irrationally, hitting and disturbing those around him. He was running in and out and would not settle down. Whenever he saw knives, sticks or ropes he would grab them in his hands. He tried to beat and curse his wife when he saw her for no apparent reason. His family members were living in constant fear and anxiety, not knowing what terrible things might happen next.
Yang Keqiang was formerly a very healthy person and had a nice family until he was subjected to the persecution inside the forced labor camp. After his release, his entire family lost their source of income. This made the already difficult family situation even worse. Now although Yang Keqiang is able to go to work, his mind is still disoriented as a result of the trauma he received. Even his co-workers and people who know him say Yang is now like a completely different person.
Death of Ms. Xu Jinzhi at Mudanjiang Prison, Heilongjiang Province
Falun Gong practitioner, Ms. Xu Jinzhi, lived in Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province.
In 2002, Ms. Xu Jinzhi was arrested while making truth clarification materials and the police found Falun Gong flyers in her home. The authorities sentenced her to three years in prison and sent her to the Mudanjiang Prison.
On May 25, 2004, Xu Jinzhi's family received a notice stating that Xu Jinzhi was in critical condition. When her family arrived at the hospital, they saw Xu Jinzhi's emaciated body. They were told she died from a brain hemorrhage. The police didn't allow Xu Jinzhi's family to examine her body and had it cremated two days later, on May 27, 2004.
Xu Jinzhi was healthy before her arrest. The police blocked any examination of her body in an effort to cover up their crime.
Abuse in Mental Hospital: The Experience of Ms. Liu Hongzhen from Jiangsu Province, China
My name is Liu Hongzhen and I am 52 years old. I live in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province. I began practicing Falun Gong in May 1997 and have benefited both physically and mentally.
In July 1999, Jiang started to persecute Falun Gong. With his policy, "Defame them, bankrupt them financially and destroy them physically," and "All murders [of practitioners] are to be counted as suicides," Falun Gong practitioners around the nation have suffered brutal persecution. I was incarcerated at the Zhenjiang City Detention Center seven times. During the detention, the guards handcuffed and shackled me and bound me to a board for three days and three nights. They knocked out two of my teeth and they sent me to a mental hospital where I was tortured for two months.
In January 2001, five days before the Chinese New Year, a group of police officers broke into my home and dragged me by my heels with my head on the ground, down six flights of stairs. They sent me to a brainwashing class set up in a police cadet school. When I walked out of the classroom, Shao Xiangrong, head of Jingkou District's "610 Office," struck me to the ground, tearing my clothes and beat me until my body turned black and blue. I could not raise my left arm for many days after the beating. He stopped beating me only when other Falun Gong practitioners strongly protested. The authorities then locked me in another classroom. In the evening, to intimidate the other practitioners, they announced that I would be sent to a detention center. I was held at the detention center for three months.
One evening, the police took me from the detention center to the police department, where my family was present. Ma Yugen, head of another "610 Office," said I would be immediately released if I said, "I give up Falun Gong practice." He also said this evening was my last chance, and if I would not relent I would be sent to a forced labor camp. Right away I told him, "I am a Falun Gong practitioner and I will persist until the end!" Seeing that their threats yielded no results, they sent me back to the detention center.
On April 4, several police officers came to the detention center and drove me to a mental hospital, with me wearing the detention center uniform. Zhao Fumin, the head of the police station, Cheng Tianming, a local police officer, and Zhu Xianguang, the driver, were in the car with me. Upon arrival at the hospital I saw Shao Xiangrong from the Jingkou District National Security Bureau and several others waiting there. I asked my husband about this later. I found out that they had called my husband and my two sisters and asked them to appear at the police station the day before, where Zhang Zhiqiang from the "610 Office" was also present. They lied to my family and said they would release me after confirming the status of my mental health at a hospital. They also threatened my family, saying if they didn't agree to the plan, they would send me to forced labor. My family asked who was going to take me to the hospital, and they responded, "Pay us 2,000 Yuan and keep your mouth shut." My husband refused to pay, but my sister thought the "mental exam" was going to be just a formality, and if she complied I would be spared forced labor; therefore my sister paid them 2,000 Yuan.
The doors and windows of the hospital were shut and the place looked terrifying. The first night, a sharp pain awoke me. When I looked, I saw a nurse giving me an injection. I confronted her, and she said she was giving me sedatives. I wondered why they gave sedatives to a sleeping person. Around 8:00 a.m. the next day, I was called to the nurse's office where there were many people inside. They started to give me large doses of injections and pills and threatened that if I didn't cooperate they would tie me up and shock me with electric batons. A doctor surnamed Fang said I had "illnesses resulting from Falun Gong practice" and I would be "cured" if I stopped practicing Falun Gong.
My husband went to the mental hospital and pointed out assertively that I didn't have any mental illness and as my family member, he had the right to refuse treatment for me. The hospital staff, though, said that the police had ordered everything and they had no control over it. My husband then went to the Jingkou District Police Department to reason with the police, and was told, "She is being cared for by the hospital, and therefore the doctors are in charge of deciding her medication and dosage. We know nothing about medicine and we don't intervene in these issues." My husband then realized that the police department and the hospital were conspiring to persecute me. A hospital worker told me the police department was strictly monitoring me, to see whether other Falun Gong practitioners came to visit me.
Within one week after I received forced injections I started to have nosebleeds, swollen legs, irritable moods, depression, drowsiness and other abnormal conditions. Nevertheless, the doctors continued to use drugs on me and wrote, "Liu Hongzhen is in serious condition and must be treated with medications" on a blackboard in the doctor's office. My husband was extremely anxious. He kept asking, "Who caused all this? What kind of world is this?"
After two months of detention at the mental hospital, my condition worsened drastically. My husband and two sisters paid numerous visits to the police department. Under their pressure, the police allowed me to leave the hospital. When I left, my husband asked for my diagnosis, treatment summary and medical records. The hospital was unable to produce any of these documents! Instead of sending me home, however, the perpetrators locked me in a dark room at my work unit and watched me. I kept getting weaker. Two months later, the police sent me to a forced labor camp, supposedly for the next two years. The labor camp refused to accept me due to my shaky condition and I was sent back to the detention center. In order to protest the persecution, I started a hunger strike. Eight perpetrators, five of whom were inmates, pinned me to the floor and force-fed me. They knocked out another two of my teeth in the process. I was at the brink of death.
My husband learned of my experience and soon fell ill from anguish. My once happy family was falling apart because of the persecution.
China: The Brutal Persecution of Practitioners in the Harbin Drug Addiction Rehab Center
In the past 4 years, Harbin Drug Addiction Rehab Center has closely followed Jiang's regime's orders, brutally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.
Guards and drug addicts confined in the center have tortured practitioners under the orders of the head of the rehab center and Zhao Wei, Chief Officer of the center's First Section.
Newly detained practitioners were forced to submit to the guards' will. If practitioners refused to do so, they would force them to stay in a half-squatting position and cuff them to radiators, unable to sit or stand. After, they would confine these practitioners in a separate cell, tying up them in iron chairs with both hands tightly tied to the backs of the chairs, not allowing them to sleep or eat. They would even shock them with electric batons and strike them on their faces. The police have encouraged drug addicts and those who have gone astray in their cultivation practice to beat and curse those practitioners who have been determined to stick to their belief in Falun Dafa. They have also tried many methods to force practitioners to say slanderous words against Dafa.
On November 12, 2002, a chilly winter day, the rehab center intensified its brutal persecutions and torture of Falun Gong practitioners. They had forcibly taken all of those who had never yielded to their persecution, about 100 practitioners in all, to the basement. There, they tied both their hands and feet to iron rings and plugged their mouths with dirty cloths so the practitioners would have difficulty breathing. They then blindfolded their eyes with yellow tape and cut their hair messily so that their appearances were distorted beyond recognition. Then, they stripped off practitioners' outer clothing, leaving only underclothes, and opened all windows and doors. They poured cold water onto practitioners' heads and bodies and then shocked them with electric batons for about 8 or 9 hours. The police continued such barbarous acts with three shifts in turn. They kept punching and kicking them. Some practitioners' teeth were broken.
They continued these atrocities for 72 hours nonstop. During this period of time, three practitioners were tortured to death. One of them was Jiang Rongzhen. The other two practitioners' names are unknown. Dozens of the practitioners' legs and feet, even entire bodies, became numb and some even lost the ability to take care of themselves in their daily lives.
Whoever has said "Falun Dafa is good" would be forced to sustain a squatting position for an extended period of time. Female practitioner Sun Chuirong has been forced to squat for 7 to 8 months. She has gone on a hunger strike against such brutal tortures. They finally sent Sun Chuirong home when her life was in danger.
The above facts are only a few examples of the persecution.
Omaha, Nebraska: KPTM TV Broadcasts Report of the Brutal Persecution Happening in China
At 9 am on May 19, Channel 42 KPTM TV in Omaha, Nebraska broadcast anchor Lisa Bertin's report on California Falun Gong practitioners' van tour to support the lawsuit against Jiang.
Ms. Bertin introduced how Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance is the tenet of Falun Gong, a spiritual cultivation and that people in China have practiced Falun Gong for more than 10 years. She explained that people who practice it in China are subject to persecution. How severe is the persecution? Ms. Bertin said, "Please watch the scene but we would like to warn the audience that you might feel uncomfortable when watching it."
At this moment, pictures from the journal "Witness" appeared on the screen. Ms. Bertin explained that the man on the picture was injured by police officers who used a red hot iron bar to burn him. A lady was stripped of clothes and thrown into a men's cell where she was gang-raped. An eight-month old boy was hung upside down until he died. These are what Falun Gong practitioners have experienced in China.
Then the report quoted Mr. Bian, a member of the van tour who said, "They did not allow me to go to bed. Instead, they forced me to stand without changing posture for several days in a row."
The reporter introduced that Mr. Bian Xuzhuang understood too well the torture subject to the adherents of Falun Gong. In 2001, he was abducted by police officers and was tortured. The police attempted to brainwash him and had him give up his belief.
Steve, another member of the van tour said during the interview that since July 1999 when the persecution began, it has been five years. The former President of China Jiang is facing a lawsuit on counts of genocide in the U.S.
The reporter said practitioners hoped more people would learn about what has been going on in China. He wished that people would pay attention to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. court against Jiang Zemin. Jiang is sued because he issued the order to persecute and torture Falun Gong practitioners. The practitioner Steve explained that the American people could help stop the persecution in China. They could write to congressmen and let more people know about the persecution in China because people in China are still suffering what Mr. Bian had suffered. It's time to stop the persecution.
Another member of the van tour, Kelley, said, "We hope all kind-hearted people throughout the world would support us and bring Jiang to justice. We urge the Chinese government to immediately stop the persecution."
In the end, the reporter expressed that Jiang is no longer the President of China, but is still the head of the Chinese army. She explained that he is being sued in several countries on counts for genocide and torture, and directed the audience to visit the website of Falun Dafa information Center http://faluninfo.net for more information.
Central News Agency: California Falun Gong Practitioners Support Suing Jiang with Action
Central News Agency Report on May 14, 2004: In celebrating the 5th anniversary of World Falun Dafa Day, Falun Gong followers from Southern California teamed up with visiting practitioners from Northern California for the "All America Van Tour." They gathered today at Human Rights Square in front of Los Angles City Hall to support the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, as well as to demonstrate and display methods used by Jiang's group to torture Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Los Angles Falun Gong spokesperson, Mr. Michael Ye, indicated that in January of this year the case against Jiang Zemin was appealed to the US 7th Circuit Court, and according to the plaintiff lawyer Ms. Terri Marsh, the acceptance of this case itself shows that Jiang can not escape the punishment for his crime of genocide using his (political) title as a defense. Mr. Ye also pointed out that outside the US, international human rights lawyers in Germany, Belgium, and Australia have represented their local Falun Gong followers, and have already submitted criminal law suits against Jiang Zemin. Each country's court will have a hearing soon.
To support the appeal hearing for the US area lawsuit against Jiang on May 27, 2004 at the Chicago Circuit Court, the US west coast Falun Gong followers continued their second year of the "All America Van Tour." About twenty Falun Gong practitioners from San Francisco arrived in Los Angles on May 11, 2004. Tomorrow (May 15, 2004) they will be joined by the Southern California practitioners, and will continue the van tour through 20 US cities.
Mr. Ye said that on their van tour routes more and more Falun Gong practitioners will join in, and they expect to arrive in Chicago on May 27, 2004, just in time to support the federal court's hearing regarding the suit against Jiang Zemin for his cruel persecution and crimes against Falun Gong practitioners' human rights.
RFA: Falun Gong Practitioners in Europe Support the Lawsuit against Jiang Zemin
Falun Gong practitioners, human rights organizations, members of the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice from Germany and other countries in Europe held a variety of activities to support Chicago's court hearing on the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin.
Below is a transcript of the report from Radio Free Asia.
On May 27, 2004, an oral argument was held in Chicago on Falun Gong practitioners' lawsuit against Jiang Zemin in the US. Beginning Wednesday, Falun Gong practitioners, human rights organizations and members of the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice in Germany and other European countries held a variety of activities in front of respective Chinese Embassies and Consulates to support the court hearing in Chicago. Regarding activities in Germany, the correspondent interviewed Ms. Zheng Zhihong, a legal scholar from China's Zhejiang University.
Regarding the lawsuits against Jiang and other Chinese officials in Europe, Ms. Zheng introduced that since October 18, 2002, US human rights attorney Doctor Terri Marsh represented six persecuted Falun Gong practitioners to file a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin in the US District Federal Court in Illinois, lawsuits against Jiang have been lodged in different places around the world, especially in Europe. Europe has a rather good foundation of law. Civil lawsuits against Jiang Zemin and other Chinese officials who directly participate in the persecution of Falun Gong have been conducted in European countries such as Germany, Belgium, Iceland, the UK, Armenia and Finland.
Regarding the current situation of lawsuits against Jiang and others in Germany, Ms. Zheng introduced that in Germany, last November, German human rights attorney Mr. Wolfgang Kaleck represented four Falun Gong practitioners to file a criminal lawsuit in German Federal Supreme Court against Jiang Zemin and 15 other Chinese officials. The lawsuit is being under scrutiny of German Federal Procurator's Office.
In addition, other than Germany's capital Berlin, since Wednesday, Falun Gong practitioners in northern and southern Germany gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in Hamburger and Munich to hold three-day sits-in and other activities.
Reporters Without Borders Reports on Harassment of NTDTV by Chinese Regime
NTDTV signed a contract with satellite operator New Skies Satellites (NSS) for Asia transmission but NSS recently stopped the contract after prolonged financial and political pressure from Beijing. NTDTV has now resumed broadcasting to China and Asia via Eutelsat's W-5 satellite covering Asia.
The report states, "China has showed itself ready to use the most reprehensible methods to protect its monopoly, including threats, political and financial pressure and blackmail. Regrettably some Western telecommunication companies cave in to Chinese pressure and suspend broadcasts of channels that challenge the Chinese communist party monopoly of the airwaves. Reporters Without Borders fears that Beijing will keep up the pressure, particularly against Eutelsat, the French broadcast regulatory agency (CSA) and the French government, following resumption of NTDTV broadcasts to China and the recent inauguration of the channel on the Hotbird satellite to Europe and the Middle East."
Netherlands-based satellite operator NSS started broadcasting NTDTV channel on open signal to Asia on July 1, 2003. But just three days later, NSS encrypted the signal preventing Chinese satellite dish owners from seeing the channel because NSS representatives in Beijing received threats of financial reprisals against the company. In January 2004, the pressure from Beijing was intensified to ensure that NTDTV was completely excluded from NSS-6 Asia satellite transmission.
NTDTV many times requested NSS to restore the open signal broadcast to Asia but this request was refused, and on May 1, 2004 the NTDTV transmission to Asia was stopped.
NTDTV offers a range of programs, in particular news programs that provide a sharp contrast with the propaganda on China's state television CCTV.
NTDTV told Reporters Without Borders that other companies, such as Philippines satellite operator Mabuhay and PanAmSat had refused to broadcast or host the channel on their satellites for fear of Chinese reprisals.
Through CCTV, Beijing broadcasts on 30 different satellite platforms worldwide, while six is enough to ensure coverage of 99% of the world's population. Through the massive presence, the regime blackmails operators. In 2002, CCTV left the operator Taipei International because it decided to accept NTDTV. CCTV signed a new contract after the operator cancelled NTDTV. In February 2003, the US operator Atlanta ADTH went back on an agreement in principle to carry NTDTV, for fear of losing contracts with CCTV channels.
Since May 1, 2004, NTDTV is once again accessible to satellite dish owners in China thanks to transmission on the W-5 satellite by the Paris-based Eutelsat.
NTDTV is now freely accessible to more than 200 million satellite viewers worldwide. The channel was approved in April by the French Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA). Reporters without borders fears that the CSA and the French government are coming under official pressure from China for this licensing decision.
Moreover, Eutelsat is legally obliged to comply with the principle of equality of access, pluralism and non-discrimination set out under Article 3 of the Convention that regulates this company under French law.
In addition to leaning on telecommunication operators, the Chinese authorities have unlawfully several times prevented NTDTV journalists from working. Its reporters have been refused access to public events and press conferences in United States and Europe under pressure from Chinese officials.
The People Awaken to the Truth
A Junior Security Guard at a Brainwashing Center Sees the Truth and Becomes a Falun Gong Practitioner
To make a living, a junior security guard who just graduated from school took a job as a security guard at a brainwashing center, where those who persecuted Falun Gong practitioners continuously indoctrinated her with lies. Everyday, she was forced to watch a CD or videotapes which defamed Falun Gong.
During this process, she found that the behavior of Falun Gong practitioners who were detained in the brainwashing center was not like what the media had described; that is, they were not murderous pyromaniacs who refused to have anything to do with all friends and family. What she did see was that those who were wearing the police uniforms, the so-called high-ranking officers of the law, commanded the security guards to burn the Falun Gong practitioners who refused to write the so-called "guarantee statement" with cigarettes and lighters. When she saw those people persecute the practitioners with various kinds of despicable methods for the sake of money, her conscience made her resign from this good-paying job because she knew clearly that she should not take the dirty money.
After that, she watched a truth-clarifying CD and decided to practice Falun Gong. In addition, she joined the fellow practitioners to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to the people.
More and More People are Coming to Know the Truth
We Also Know Falun Dafa is Good!
One day I told my fifth grade students about the truth of Falun Dafa, from the suspicious points surrounding the so-called Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident to the wide dissemination of Dafa in foreign countries. When I told them that a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner traveled thousands of miles to Tiananmen Square only to tell people, "The United States knows, Europe knows, all the world knows: Falun Dafa is good!" Just after I said that, a student said, "We also know Falun Dafa is good!"
To be Honest, the Government Shouldn't Spend So Much Money Persecuting Falun Gong
One day, one of the leaders in my school called me from far away after he saw me. He said to me, "Hey! Your old classmate is here. Why not come to greet him?" After I went over to him and my old classmate, I immediately opened a conversation about Falun Gong. I told both of them the facts about Falun Dafa and the persecution. The leader said from his heart, "To be honest, the government shouldn't spend so much money in persecuting a group of good people."
No Matter How It Is Criticized, I Am Still the Beneficiary of Falun Gong
One student told me that their school had played many films criticizing Falun Gong. When the films played, he told his classmates: "No matter how Falun Gong is criticized, I am still the beneficiary of Falun Gong." I asked him why and he said: "When I studied in high school, I lost my tuition, about 700 Yuan (1), and it was found and returned to me by my classmate who bunked in the bed underneath me. I wanted to thank him with some gifts but he refused. He said he was a Falun Gong practitioner and if I wanted to give thanks, then I should thank Falun Gong."
Falun Gong is Really Good!
A fellow practitioner went to the village government to clarify the truth, and picked up some money in the amount of 470 Yuan that he found along the way. When he arrived at the village government, all the government leaders were there. The fellow practitioner returned the money to them. The leaders all felt surprised and thought the money might be counterfeit. After the money was validated to be authentic, the leaders all praised him, "Falun Gong is really good!" Then the leaders were very warm and offered him a bench, "Falun Gong, please have a seat!"