Summary of Other News and Articles -- July 18, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net)

Summary of News From Outside China

The Central News Agency reported on July 17: This coming July 20 marks the 5th anniversary of the suppression of Falun Gong practitioners worldwide, as ordered by the former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin. The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association held anti-persecution and rescuing activities this afternoon at the plaza of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Meanwhile, the association has also announced the creation of the "Taiwan Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners Association."

During today's event, the Taiwan practitioners also held a drawing and photo exhibition to expose the truth about Falun Gong. Practitioners also participated in an anti-torture exhibition, where real-life models recreated 11 horrifying torture methods used by the mainland authority, including digging bamboo sticks under the fingernails, the "tiger bench," being hung up and beaten, being injected with unknown drugs, being tightly tied up and squeezed, and being hand-cuffed for a prolonged amount of time. The descriptions of the tortures were terrifying and the crude scenes were terrible to see.

Examples of Persecution Facts

(1.) At the No. 4 Brigade of the Tianshui 3^rd Jail in Gansu Province, under the lead of Discipline Instructor Zhang Jianhua, the group (including Brigade Leader Liu Jiangtao and Squadron Leaders Wen Yanming, Zhang Yanming, and Wang Tao) brutally persecuted Dafa practitioner Mr. Shang Junbin, who was being unlawfully detained there. They tried to force him to write the "Three statements" (1). As Mr. Shang refused to yield, Zhang and his associates took turns to tire him out by denying him of sleep and applying physical punishments such as being forced to stand still for a long time, and shouted personal insults at him, slandering, and mental torture to cruelly let him suffer. So far the physical and mental tortures have lasted for more than 20 days and have caused the swelling of Mr. Shang's legs.

(2.) At around 9 a.m. on May 6, 2004, six practitioners were illegally arrested and sent to the local police station as they were gathering together for a Falun Dafa experience sharing conference at Shandong Province in Zhangqiu City's' Shengjing County, Wuxin Village. On the next day the Dafa materials site in Zhangqiu City's Mingshui County was ransacked by the police. Meanwhile, five practitioners including Ms. Zhao Fengying and others were unlawfully sent to a detention center in Jinan city for one month. Another practitioner, Mr. Liu Yiyuan, was sent to a 3-year term at the forced labor camp after 50 days of illegal detention. Later, because his physical checkup found him to have many illnesses, Mr. Liu was released home on June 26. However, he is still under house arrest.

(3.) On April 29, 2004, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Xiangxing and his son Zhang Yuguo of Xujiahu, Yishui County, Linyi City, Shandong Province were forcefully taken to the local police station. The junior Mr. Zhang was brutally beaten by the police. That night both the father and the son were detained in Yishui County Jail. The police savagely beat Mr. Zhang Yuguo with a rubber baton to knock him down to the ground. They cuffed both his hands and legs and confined him in an isolation chamber. One month later, Mr. Zhang Xiangxing was sent home but Mr. Zhang Yuguo was transferred to a 2-year term at the Zibo Wangcun Forced Labor Camp.

(4.) The house of practitioner Ms. Ye Qiaolin, who is a worker at the Chengdu Textile College in Sichuan Province, was illegally searched and her personal property was confiscated. She was taken to Sanwayao Police Station and then detained at Chengdu Detention Center. Ms. Ye has just began a hunger strike to protest her persecution. Chengdu City's Erxianqiao Police Station also kidnapped four other practitioners between May and June. Two practitioners were workers at the local Coal Mine Bureau and the other two are a couple from out of town who were renting the engine plant.

(5.) My name is Wang Enhui, I am a female Dafa practitioner from Yushigou Village, Fuyu County, Songyuan City, Jilin Province. Since the persecution of Falun Gong began, because of my adherence to cultivation practice, I have been harassed many times by the Yushigou Police Station, local governmental officials, and even village officers. Three times I have gone to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and every time I have been unlawfully detained. On April 2, 2001 I was sent to the Jiutai forced labor camp for one year. Due to the several previous times when I had been persecuted, I was already skinny and feeble. Still they still sent me to the most tiring work group in the camp, the paddy field team. On March 16, 2002, they extended my detention, and one week later they planned to continue to keep me at the labor camp for three more years. On April 20, I started on a hunger strike and the guards damaged my esophagus during a forced feeding. One day in June, they sent me to a tuberculosis hospital for physical checkup. The result showed that I had tuberculosis with a pleura inflammation. On September 20, 2002, after six days of no food or water and near death, the labor camp ordered my family to take me home.

Note:

(1) Three statements: statements to declare that he or she 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.