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Artist’s Sketch Mr. Hong Haoyuan’s death was one of 10 recently reported from China. Labour camp guards dragged him through fields in their attempts to force him to renounce his spiritual beliefs. |
SYDNEY (FDI) – As the Falun Gong death count continues its rapid
ascent, ten more innocent practitioners have been confirmed dead
in provinces all over China, largely due to physical and psychological
torture inflicted in detention centres and labour camps. The current
total of confirmed deaths now stands at 644:
- Ms. Jiang Xiuying, a Hebei Province
resident who died at the age of 52 - Mr. Zhao Xiuqi, a Hebei Province
resident who was detained and tortured numerous times before
his death - Mr. Liang Huabing, from Guangdong
Province, who died in his early twenties - Mr. Hong Haoyang, a resident of Chaozhou,
Guangdong Province - Ms. Li Decong, a 50 year-old resident
of Sichuan Province, dies after losing her home in the persecution - Mr. Zou Benhui, resident of Changchun,
Jilin Province - Mr. Liu Haibao, resident of Changchun,
Jilin Province - Ms. Li Hua, resident of Jilin Province,
detained multiple
times before her death - Mr. Wang Shuxian, resident of Nong’an,
Jilin Province - Mr. Tao Shangen, 65 year-old resident
of Hebei Province
Ms. Jiang Xiuying Dies from Malnutrition and Sun Exposure
Ten Minutes After Leaving Detention Centre
Under orders from the Xingwangzhai Township Government, Shirengou
Police arrested 4 male and 13 female Falun Gong practitioners
during the intense heat of summer. The average temperature at
the time was 39 degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
Each practitioner was forced to stand outside in the sun during
the day and given only meager bowls of rice soup for nutrition.
Ms. Jiang Xiuying was forced to stand in the rain for an entire
day after not being fed for 3 days, having a dramatic negative
impact on her health. She was subsequently sent home as the police
sought to escape responsibility for her rapidly declining physical
state. Ten minutes after Ms. Jiang Xiuying returned home, she
passed away.
Senior Citizen Beaten and Tortured Numerous Times Before his
Death
Mr. Zhao Xiuqi was harassed, detained, and tortured numerous
times by police and officials in his area. Starting on July 10th
2000, Mr. Zhao was detained by his work unit for 41 days. Police
there “fined” him 2000 Yuan (500 Yuan is the average monthly salary
for an urban worker in China), and then detained him for 11 months.
Before being released on August 18th 2001 Mr. Zhao was beaten
several times. Police harassed his family members as well.
On October 17th 2002, Policemen Li Heping and Li Yaoting kidnapped
Zhao Xiuqi and ransacked his home. On October 24th he was sent
to Tangshan City Second Detention Centre where he died only 40
days later.
Healthy Practitioner Detained in Mental Hospital; Later Dies
from Oedema
During the summer of 2000 Liang Huabing went to Beijing to appeal
for Falun Gong. On his way to the capitol, police at the Guangzhou
Railway Station arrested him and despite his perfect physical
and mental health sent him to a mental hospital at Guangzhou City,
Guangdong Province. Later on Mr. Liang’s family was called in
to bail him out. When his family arrived to pick him up they found
that he was extremely weak and was afflicted with edema all over
his body. Liang Huabing died shortly after returning home.
Hong Haoyuan Tortured to Death for Not Writing a “Repentance
Statement”
Mr. Hong Haoyuan went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and
was later detained and sentenced to two years of forced labour
at the Sanshui Labour Camp. Mr. Hong recorded the cases of torture
that he endured, which involved being dragged on the ground through
fields as the labour camp guards attempted to force him to write
a “repentance statement” to stop practicing Falun Gong. If he
did not cooperate with their tortures he was shocked with electric
batons in sensitive areas such as the armpits and nipples.
Hong Haoyuan was at one point young and strong. However when
he was released his relatives and friends were unable to recognize
him because he was so emaciated and fragile. He passed away on
Febuary 5th 2003 at 2:00 AM as a result of the damage done to
his body in the labour camp.
Guangdong Resident Dies While Homeless, Escaping Brutal Police
Fifty-year-old Ms. Li Decong was kidnapped while working in a
teashop on Mashi Street in Guanghan City. Ms. Li was sent to the
Hexing Town brainwashing centre, where 6 agents from the local
“610 Office” (an agency specifically created to persecute Falun
Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in
the Party and all other political and judiciary systems) lifted
her into the air and slammed her to the ground six times, causing
severe internal injuries and hemorrhages to her body. In order
to escape responsibility for this, the agents sent Li Decong to
the Guanghan City No. 2 People’s Hospital. Ms. Decong escaped
from police while in the hospital, however she was now forced
to live on the run, moving from place to place without a home.
Fifty days after the ordeal began, Ms. Decong passed away.
Zou Benhui Dies From Liver Disease Caused by Torture in Detention
Centres
Mr. Zou Benhui, age 50, was detained and tortured several times
by police, and even had his home ransacked a number of times as
well. Due to the resulting stress Mr. Zou developed severe liver
disease. Mr. Zou Benhui passed away in his home in early 2003.
Changchun Police Try to Cover Up Thirty Year-Old Falun Gong
Practitioner’s Death
Mr. Liu Haibao also had his home ransacked, was illegally detained,
and was tortured brutally by police on several occasions. Liu
Haibao was tortured to death in March 2002 at the Kuancheng Branch
of the Changchun Police Department. To cover up their crimes,
officials tightly sealed the news of Mr. Liu’s death.
Thirty Year-Old Practitioner Dies After Repeated Detentions
and Harassment
Ms. Li Hua is a practitioner who was harassed at her home more
than ten times, illegally detained three times, and had her home
ransacked by police twice. Ms. Li became very physically weak
after having been illegally arrested. Even after they released
her, police continued to arrest Ms. Li. Due to the resulting physical
and mental stress that she endured, Li Hua died in November of
2002 in her home.
Ms. Wang Shuxian, Age 45, Dies on Way to Hospital From Torture
Wounds
Wang Shuxian was repeatedly tortured both physically and psychologically
at the Nong’an County Second Detention Centre. Even when Ms. Wang’s
health was rapidly deteriorating, the detention centre guards
were still ruthless with her. Only when her family members saw
her on the verge of death and demanded she be sent to a hospital
was Ms. Wang given medical attention. However, she died on her
way to the hospital.
Police Ransack Home of 65 Year-Old Man, Detain and Torture
Him to Death
Tao Shangen was first detained in 2001 after going to Beijing
to appeal for Falun Gong. Mr. Tao’s family members had 6000 Yuan
(500 Yuan is the average monthly salary for an urban worker) extorted
from them in exchange for his release. At midnight, October 24th
2002, police searched Tao Shangen’s home and confiscated some
Falun Gong books and a mimeograph machine. Mr. Tao was immediately
arrested and sent to the Ningjing County Detention Centre. In
February 2003 Tao Shangen began a hunger strike to protest his
detention. Guards ordered inmates to beat Mr. Tao until he was
almost dead, and when his death was nearing, Ningjing County Detention
Centre tried to transfer him to Handan City Labour Camp to escape
responsibility for his death. However, because the labour camp
would not accept Mr. Tao, Ninjing police were forced to ask Mr.
Tao’s family take him home. Tao Shangen died 3 days after returning
to his home.
Posting date: 7/Apr/2003
Original article date: 6/Apr/2003
Category: News from China
