(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Wang Hongliang, a Falun Gong practitioner from Jincheng Town, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province, is being detained at Jilin City No. 2 Prison. Another practitioner from the area, Ms. Zhang Xiutian, died on January 13, 2007.
Persecution and Death of Ms. Zhang Xiutian
Ms. Zhang Xiutian, 62 years old at the time of her death, started practicing Falun Gong in 1993. Ms. Zhang previously had diabetes, for which medication was no help. After practicing Falun Gong she quickly recovered from the illness. Having seen her health improve from Falun Gong, her entire family supported her practicing, and some even became practitioners.
After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the nationwide persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, Ms. Zhang went to Beijing to appeal. Police officers and CCP officials were stationed all around Beijing waiting to arrest practitioners. Ms. Zhang was arrested and detained for 39 days before being released.
Ms. Zhang was arrested again in the spring of 2002. While she was being taken to a detention center, someone helped her escape. She subsequently decided not to return to her home, to avoid further persecution. Over the next few years, CCP officials attempted several times to arrest her but failed. Away from home, Ms. Zhang was unable to persist in calmly studying the teachings and practicing the Falun Gong exercises. Her previous illnesses returned, and she died as a result.
Persecution of Mr. Wang Hongliang
Mr. Wang Hongliang is 41 years old. Mr. Wang and other practitioners went to Beijing to appeal in November 1999, about four months after the persecution began. CCP officials arrested him and held him in a detention center for about six months.
Following his release, he began distributing materials clarifying the facts about Falun Gong to people. On one occasion, someone reported him to police. Mr. Wang was able to avoid arrest and decided to stay away from home for his safety.
He was arrested in March 2002 in Songyuan City, Jilin Province. After being incarcerated in the Jiutai Labor Camp, Mr. Wang was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment and locked up in the Jilin City No. 2 Prison, where he is still being held.
