(Minghui.org) Twenty-four years after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong in 1999, practitioners from 44 countries submitted a new list of perpetrators to their respective governments in advance of Human Rights Day, December 10, 2023, urging them to hold these individuals accountable for the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The practitioners asked their governments to bar the perpetrators and their family members from entry and to freeze their overseas assets.

Among the perpetrators listed was Zhang Gaoli, former member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council.

Perpetrator Information

Full Name of Perpetrator: Zhang (last name) Gaoli (first name) (张高丽)Gender: MaleCountry: ChinaDate/year of Birth: November 1946Place of Birth: Jinjiang City, Fujian Province

Zhang Gaoli

Title or Position

2013 – 2018: vice premier of China’s State Council2012 – 2017: member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee2007 – 2012: secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee2002 – 2007: secretary of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee2001 – 2003: governor of Shandong Province1998 – 2001: deputy secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee

Since persecution of Falun Gong started in July 1999, Zhang Gaoli has closely followed former CCP chairman Jiang Zemin’s genocidal persecution policy of “ruin their reputations, destroy them physically, and bankrupt them financially.” During Zhang’s tenure across various positions in Guangdong, Shenzhen, Shandong, Tianjin, and other places, he actively participated in the persecution, resulting in many practitioners being arrested and sentenced. Some became disabled or died from the torture.

Main Crimes

1. Zhang’s Involvement in the Persecution in Shenzhen

From 1998 to 2001, Zhang served as deputy secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee, and first secretary of the Shenzhen Police District Party Committee. During that time, he actively promoted the CCP’s persecution policy. In March 2001, Zhang directed and launched a 90-day “strike hard” operation in Shenzhen, emphasizing the need to target and “resolutely crack down on Falun Gong.”

According to available data, from the start of the persecution on July 20, 1999, to the end of 2000, at least 152 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested in Shenzhen. In 2001, at least 60 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested. 

Under Zhang’s directive, the police, courts, and procuratorates in Shenzhen City worked hand in glove to put Falun Gong practitioners in jail. In March 2000, Mr. Li Jianhui was sentenced to four years by the Futian District Court, becoming the first Falun Gong practitioner to be sentenced in Guangdong Province. His wife, Ms. Dai Ying, was sentenced to three years in prison. In October 2000, Mr. Zhou Lei, Mr. Zhuang Wenshu, Mr. Li Zhenmin, Mr. Chao Hao, and Mr. Li Fulin were sentenced to 7 to 12 years for distributing Falun Gong leaflets on Shennan Avenue, Huaqiang Road, and other main roads in Shenzhen.

In addition, a large number of practitioners were held in the “Shenzhen Legal Education School” and subjected to brainwashing. Many others were given forced labor camp terms. Male practitioners were generally detained in Shenzhen City Second Forced Labor Camp, while female practitioners were detained in the Guangdong Province Women’s Labor Camp. Even practitioners from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas were targeted by the authorities in Shenzhen.

2. Zhang’s Involvement in the Persecution in Shandong Province

From 2001 to 2007, Zhang served as governor of Shandong Province and deputy secretary and secretary of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee. He repeatedly advocated for the persecution of Falun Gong in public and internal speeches. Shandong Province became one of the provinces with the most severe persecution.

On March 21, 2002, Zhang delivered a government work report as the Shandong governor at the fifth session of the Ninth People’s Congress of Shandong Province. He called for a further crackdown on Falun Gong to solidify the CCP’s political power in the name of social stability. 

On December 8, 2002, Zhang visited the Shandong Provincial Public Security Department, the Provincial Appeals Bureau (which handles petitions and grievances), and other departments. He emphasized, “We must resolutely crack down on Falun Gong, maintain a high-pressure position, and never relax or be soft-hearted.” 

On January 8, 2003, Zhang attended the Shandong Provincial CCP Political and Legal Affairs Conference, which highlighted the need to “deepen the fight against Falun Gong” and maintain a severe crackdown. 

On June 4, 2003, Zhang spoke at the Shandong Provincial CCP Committee Working Conference and made “resolutely cracking down on Falun Gong” the focus of his work to “create a stable and harmonious social environment.” 

In January 2004, the Shandong Provincial CCP Committee and Provincial Government issued the “Decision on Building a ‘Safe Shandong,’” and listed Falun Gong as a target of severe crackdown. In 2004, Zhang gave instructions on “Safe Shandong” 45 times as Shandong Governor.

As of 2004, Shandong Province ranked third in the country in the number of Falun Gong practitioners who had been persecuted to death. Take Weifang City, a prefecture-level city, as an example. During Zhang’s tenure in Shandong (2001-2007), 59 had died as a direct result of persecution. Another 67 practitioners were sentenced in Weifang City (17 in 2002, 19 in 2003, 16 in 2004, 3 in 2005, 3 in 2006, and 9 in 2007) and 355 people were sent to forced labor camps (74 in 2002, 28 in 2003, 44 in 2004, 64 in 2005, 44 in 2006 and 101 in 2007). 

Another example is Shengli Oilfield and Dongying City in Shandong. As of March 2003, one practitioner in Shengli Oilfield had been persecuted to death, and three were sentenced to prison. Fifty-seven were sent to forced labor camps, 142 were detained, five were held in psychiatric hospitals, 67 had their homes ransacked, 77 were forced to live away from home to avoid the persecution, and 383 people were arrested and placed under surveillance. 

According to follow-up reports, between March 2003 and November 2009, two practitioners from Shengli Oilfield and Dongying City died as a result of persecution, 71 were sentenced to prison or given forced labor camp terms, and 198 people were detained and subjected to brainwashing.

The above is only partial persecution cases. Due to strict information censorship, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher.

3. Zhang’s Involvement of the Persecution in Tianjin

From 2007 to 2012, Zhang continued to persecute Falun Gong after he moved to Tianjin to serve as the Municipal Party Committee Secretary. Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he called for “increasing the intensity of the crackdown on Falun Gong” and “eradicating Falun Gong.” He ordered police stations in all districts, counties, and towns to conduct house-to-house raids on Falun Gong practitioners on the police’s list. 

Zhang also went to Dagang District to personally direct the police to harass and arrest the practitioners, forcing them to promise not to appeal for Falun Gong during the Olympics. The practitioners’ workplaces and families were ordered to watch them. Many practitioners were arrested in Tianjin during this period of time.

Here are some cases from Wuqing District, Tianjin. Between 2007 and 2012, when Zhang was in power in Tianjin, at least 9 practitioners were persecuted to death, 18 were sentenced, and 5 were sent to forced labor camps.

As of July 2009, in Dagang District, Tianjin, more than 400 practitioners were detained, more than 200 were sent to forced labor camps, 20 were fired from their jobs, and more than 10 families were separated. At least 588 practitioners in Dagang District were harassed by the police, neighborhood committee, or Party members in the workplaces. Another 236 were arrested and 67 had their homes ransacked. Many of their personal items such as computers, televisions, printers, and Falun Gong books were confiscated.

Zhang’s persecution “legacy” continues even after he left Tianjin. As of August 2017, in Wuqing District, 27 practitioners were persecuted to death, 66 were sentenced, 93 were sent to forced labor camps, 818 were arrested, 97 were held in brainwashing classes, 104 were harassed, and 11 were terminated from their jobs, and one practitioner went missing. 

In addition, Zhang also supported live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. During his tenure in Shandong and Tianjin, multiple organ transplant institutions in Shandong Province, such as Qianfoshan Hospital Liver Transplant Center and Tianjin First Central Hospital Organ Transplantation Center, have reportedly conducted large-scale live organ transplants. In July 2010, Zhang inspected the Organ Transplant Center of Tianjin First Central Hospital and encouraged the center to “continue to leverage its advantages in organ transplantation.” That year, the center’s total liver transplants accounted for one-third of China’s total liver transplants.