(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings, Officers:
I am Zhang Jianbo's mother. At present Jianbo is being illegally detained in the Shiliping Forced Labor Camp in Longyou County, Zhejiang Province. He has been on a hunger strike for over four months (over 120 days) and is in critical condition. I would hope that you would be interested in the truth and would support our family's effort to take him to a hospital for treatment. Please, help us save a life in dire peril.
Zhang Jianbo graduated from Hubei University in 1994 and was working in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Unfortunately he was infected with hepatitis B. He tried all kinds of medical treatments but his condition did not improve. Hepatitis B is an infectious disease that neither traditional Chinese medicine nor Western medicine can effectively cure. Therefore the patient and his family have to bear tremendous psychological pressure. Seeking an effective treatment, Jianbo tried traditional healing methods, one of which was qigong, but it did not have any effect. In 1996, Jianbo decided to register for the entrance exams to the Master's degree program at the university in order to find a job suited to his health condition. In 1997 he was admitted to Zhejiang University of Technology to study for a Master's degree in computer science. At the university, his poor health affected his studies. To make things worse, in June of 1998, Jianbo was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The doctor suggested that the tumor should be removed as soon as possible. Due to the hot weather, recovery from surgery would have been difficult and therefore the surgery was delayed until September. As his mother, having to witness Jianbo's suffering, I also felt a great deal of pain.
My own health was also quite poor at this point. I suffered from serious anemia and rheumatoid arthritis and had to wear a sweater or even a padded cotton jacket at home, even when the weather was hot. I had poor resistance to diseases because of the anemia. I often had to go to the hospital, which put a financial and mental burden on my family. In addition, I also suffered from a stubborn neurosis and pleurisy and had problems with my female organs and other ailments. Since I was in pain and tired all the time, I was psychologically unbalanced and often flew into a rage for no reason. There was no peace for me inside or outside of my home. Fortunately, in the beginning of 1997, I learned about Falun Dafa. I was convinced by its concise but profound principles. All my diseases were gone after one month, as soon as I started to cultivate with determination. I ate well and slept well and my relations with my neighbors and relatives became friendly.
In the summer of 1998, I persuaded Jianbo to try practicing Falun Gong because of my own positive experiences. Jianbo accepted my advice and began to read Zhuan Falun. While he was reading Chapter 4, he told me that he thought it was an outstanding book that allowed him to truly understand the meaning of life. After one month, all his diseases disappeared. In September 1998, when he returned to school, Jianbo went to the hospital for a check up and was told that the brain tumor was gone. After suffering from diseases for so many years and having tried various qigong and medical treatments, it was hard for him to believe it was true. Through practicing Falun Dafa, Jianbo understood the true value and meaning of life, and he started to cherish and love life.
In ancient times cultivators always said, "It's hard to obtain a human body; it is hard to be born in the land of China; it is hard to obtain the true Fa; whoever obtains these three things has accumulated a huge amount of virtue!" Ancient people also said, "Hearing the Tao in the morning, one can die in the evening." After Jianbo read Zhuan Falun, he remained steadfast on his cultivation path because: "When a wise person hears the Tao, this person will practice it diligently" (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun).
During the Spring Festival of 1999, for the first time in the past twenty years, our family spent peaceful and cheerful holidays without quarrels or ailments.
From then on, our family was completely illuminated by the light of the Fa. But the good times didn't last long. Since July 20, 1999, individual leaders and political opportunists have directed the government to persecute Falun Gong with no legal basis. This was done, regardless of the fact that Falun Gong practitioners cultivated their hearts with compassion, were indifferent to politics and were good for society in every respect. They used all available propaganda outlets to slander and frame Falun Gong and fabricated many monstrous lies to deceive the people in China. Overnight, our happy family was pushed into a hostile environment.
Since our family benefited greatly from Falun Gong, Jianbo decided to appeal for Falun Gong and ask the government to stop the persecution, although the pressure was overwhelming. On July 22, 1999, Jianbo went to Beijing. Before he even found his way to the State Appeals Bureau, he was taken to the Hangzhou City Detention Center in Zhejiang Province by the public security officials. After he had been detained there for over a month, he was allowed to return to Zhejiang University of Technology after posting bail. During his detention, Jinabo suffered unimaginable mental tortures. The Hangzhou City "610" officers threatened to dismiss him from school in order to force him to give up his belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Due his attachment to fear, Jianbo wrote a "Guarantee Statement" against his will, declaring that he would give up his cultivation and also agreed to slander Falun Gong and deceive people on TV.
Later, Jianbo was allowed to go back to Zhejiang University of Technology on probation. Using the pretense that Hepatitis B is highly infectious, and that it was necessary to guarantee the other students' health, Zhejiang University Technology put Jianbo under quarantine in the hospital. After he had colluded with the government to spread anti-Falun Gong propaganda, Jianbo's hair turned gray and fell out in large clumps, and his hepatitis B returned. His mind and body were collapsing. All the while Jianbo knew that his slandering Falun Gong and deceiving people caused all of his misfortunes. He also knew that, if it wasn't for Falun Gong, he might no longer be alive, and that giving up his cultivation was tantamount to giving up his life. Therefore, Jianbo began to practice Falun Gong again in the school hospital, and after one month he again recovered. One day in October 1999, Jianbo found a chance to leave the school hospital, and once again he went to the Beijing Appeals Bureau. Again he was sent to the Hangzhou Detention center in Zhejiang Province. A "610" officer warned him again, "If you give up Falun Gong, you can continue your studies; otherwise you will be removed from school and put into prison." This time Jianbo didn't give in. After having been detained for about one year, in September 2000 Jianbo was sentenced to four years of imprisonment by the Xiacheng District Court in Hangzhou City. He was accused of "organizing and utilizing the X sect to disrupt the application of state law" and was held in the No. 2 Zhejiang Prison in Linping Township, Hangzhou City. In the prison, Jianbo was often forced to attend brainwashing sessions. In 2002 Jianbo gave up his cultivation because he couldn't stand the prolonged torture, and he was released on February 28, 2003. As soon as he was back home, he got sick. After a check up at the Mid-South Hospital at Wuhan University (one of the best hospitals in Wubei Province), he was diagnosed with hepatitis B. The doctor said that if he hadn't been admitted for treatment in time, he would have had only a few months left. Due to the financial demands on Falun Gong practitioners, we had lost all our family fortune and we could not afford the cost of his expensive treatments. We were not even certain that he could be cured. There was no alternative, and Jianbo began to practice Falun Dafa again. After about two months, Falun Dafa had saved Jianbo from certain death yet again. It was truly miraculous!
In September 2003, after Jianbo had recovered, he went back to Zhejiang to work and started to tell the local people about his miraculous experience. In March 2004, he gave two copies of a Falun Dafa CD to some other people. The contents of the CD only explained the facts about Falun Gong, and nothing was mentioned that could be interpreted as going against the Party or society. Nevertheless, he was tracked down and arrested by officials from the Shaoxing County Police Station, sentenced to two years of 'reeducation through labor' by the Shaoxing City Forced Labor Reeducation Committee, and taken to the Shiliping Labor Camp in Zhejiang Province. He went on a hunger strike to protest his illegal detention and is now on the verge of death.
After Jianbo was detained, we learned that: (1) The "re-education through labor" system itself conflicts with the constitution and violates human rights. Among all the countries in the world, only China has this 're-education through labor' system. (2) Zhang Jianbo was convicted on completely fabricated charges. Officers, please careful consideration to whether or not Zhang Jianbo should really be re-educated through forced labor. In addition, the written judgment passed against Zhang Jianbo stipulated that we could appeal to the relevant courts in Zhejiang Province. In fact, our appeal documents were submitted to the Shaoxing Court in Zhejiang Province within the appropriate time period, but we were informed that no courts would accept this case. We met many lawyers, who all said that they dared not to accept any cases related to Falun Gong, although they could win. This means that our so-called 'right to appeal' amounts to exactly nothing.
Jianbo has an advanced degree and is a cultured individual. After undergoing many sufferings in jail and because of his ailments, his very life depends on his rational choice in favor of Falun Dafa. Indeed, Zhang Jianbo's experiences have proven that Falun Dafa is the true science that can stand up to all tests.
Since 1992 when Falun Dafa was introduced, over one hundred million people in more than 60 countries around the world have started to practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners can practice freely in Hong Kong and Macao. In Taiwan there are also over 300 thousand people practicing Falun Gong. Why are Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted only in Mainland China? Falun Dafa and Falun Dafa practitioners have been persecuted for five years. Why haven't the true practitioners given up their belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" even in the face of this brutal persecution? If it were harmful, wouldn't people reject it naturally, without having to be forced to do so? Falun Dafa practitioners are true models of "great compassion and great forbearance." For so many years they have been not been striking back when beaten and not been swearing back when cursed. While they were suffering, they didn't stop trying to save their own tormentors, telling them the truth to try and arouse their conscience and sense of justice.
As our legal system improves, more and more people will make use of their legal rights, and individuals or organizations who have been doing damage to human rights will eventually be punished. In fact, Chinese officials who have persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, such as Zhao Zhifwei, LiuQi, Xia Deren and others, have already been judged guilty by courts abroad. We believe that as time passes, justice will arrive for Falun Gong. We hope that the leaders who have intentionally or accidentally participated in such wrongdoings will consider their futures.
"The state respects and safeguards human rights" is written into our constitution. Our family will make use of the law to gain Jianbo's freedom of belief and personal freedom that are his rights. China is a signatory of the U.N. "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" which should be enjoyed by Chinese citizens and safeguarded by the government. As the leaders of the state and of different departments, you have undertaken the sacred duty to protect the constitution and to protect the people's rights. We need people to uphold justice. In a hostile environment, we need extraordinary conscience and courage. If you use your authority to uphold justice for the people, your influence on and benefit for society will be great.
Ever since the persecution of Falun Gong started, our family has lived in terror. Usually people think that going to jail and losing your freedom is miserable but for Jianbo, this wasn't all. He was repeatedly required to reform his ideology, and give up his belief. We know that Falun Dafa saved Jianbo's life and continues to guarantee his life and health, but he was required to give up his belief. How cruel the requirement is! For him, it means to be deprived of his right to exist! His hunger strike is a weak person's defense of his belief in personal freedom and right to exist, not resistance.
Jianbo went to Beijing to legally appeal for Falun Gong and told people the truth by handing out CDs. He didn't violate any laws or regulations, but he was re-educated through forced labor. In this social environment lacking a perfect legal system, we just forget this injustice. Given Jianbo's critical condition, we earnestly request your kind attention to this matter and that you agree to release him on bail in order to save his life.
Thank you!
Liang Zhuan, Mother of Zhang Jianbo
Phone: 86-728-2594760
(August 2004)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chronology of Zhang Jianbo's personal experiences
Mr. Zhang Jianbo, 30, studied in the Master's degree program at Zhejiang University of Technology. He resides in Group 2 in Xiliuhe Shuguang Village, Xiantao City, Hubei Province.
Becoming a Falun Dafa practitioner:
He began his cultivation in August 1998, while he was home for summer vacation. He had been preparing to have brain surgery because of brain tumor, when his mother gave him the book Zhuan Falun to read. While he was reading Chapter 4, he could feel the rotation of Falun and his brain tumor was cured.
Appeals for justice:
On April 28, 1999, he went to the State Appeals Bureau to talk about his experiences with cultivation: He talked about how Falun Dafa cured his brain tumor, schistosomiasis, and hepatitis B as well as improving his temper .
On July 20,1999, he went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong the second time.
On August 10, 1999, he went a third time and on October 15, 1999, for the fourth time.
Persecution:
In May 1999 he was isolated and taken from Beijing back to school.
In July 1999 he was taken from Beijing back to school, while six people took turns watching him.
In August 1999 he was again taken from Beijing back to school, with six people taking turns watching him.
On September 15, 2000, he was sentenced to four years in prison and released in February 2003.
In March 2004, he was arrested by Shaoxing Police Station and detained in Shaixing Detention Center for explaining the truth about Falun Gong and distributing CDs.
On April 19, 2004, he was sent to be re-educated through labor by the Shaoxing Labor Reeducation Committee. At present he is still held being held in the Shaoxing county labor camp.
Present situation:
Since March 19, 2000, when he was illegally arrested, Zhang Jianbo has been on a hunger strike to protest his illegal detention. He said in a letter that he has to resist being force-fed.
