Falun Gong Practitioner Suffers Severe Mental Trauma from Persecution in Tianshui City

Mr Yang Keqiang, is 59 years old and a worker at the passenger transportation branch of Tianshui Motor Transportation Corporation. He began to practise Falun Dafa in 1998.

Before practicing, Yang Keqiang suffered many diseases such as stomach distention, bronchiectasis and so on. Sometimes, when his bronchial tubes enlarged, he would spit out blood and had to be frequently hospitalized because of this. He spent a lot of money, yet his diseases were not cured. He could not live without medicine. His health went from bad to worse due to his suffering. He felt weak all over, and the pain and anxiety bothered him so much that he felt upset and depressed all the time.

After he started to practise Falun Dafa, in a short period of time all his illnesses and pain disappeared as he continuously studied the Falun Dafa teachings and practised the exercises. For the first time in his life, he truly felt the wonderfulness of having no diseases. His spirit glowed and his mind was happy and peaceful. He required himself to follow the principles of "Zhen, Shan, Ren" (Truth-Compassion-Tolerance) in daily life. No matter at home, in the community or at work, he tried hard to elevate his moral character and be a good person. At his workplace, he came in early and left late. He was not picky about his job, got along in peace and harmony with his co-workers, and he was always kind to others. He often received praise from his supervisor and co-workers over the past few years.

But, on July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin became jealous of Falun Gong's rising popularity and started a nationwide propaganda campaign against Falun Gong. He utilized the public news media to propagate rumours and defame Falun Gong, thus instigating hatred against Falun Gong and poisoning the minds of people who did not know the truth. Yang Keqiang wished to clarify the truth to the public and to expose Jiang's lies. He took a banner that read "Falun Dafa is good" and hung it in front of the city government on May 8, 2002. Police from the Qincheng District Police Department arrested him.

On the same day (May 8), Qincheng police sent plainclothes officers to follow Yang Keqiang's wife and then they broke into the courtyard of their house. As soon as they entered the house, they started searching everywhere and made a big mess. When Yang Keqiang's wife tried to stop them, she was pushed away by a policeman named Yang. They both fell down to the ground because the police used too much force. Then another policeman came up and grabbed the wife's arms and bent them behind her back. He pressed her hard. In the mean time, the policeman Yang got up and started to beat and kick her. When she tried to defend herself, he hit her even harder. Yang's wife felt terrible pain in her arms, chest and all over her body, and even breathing caused her enormous pain. When the police left, they took her with them as well. At the police station, Yang's wife spat and coughed, and there were traces of blood in the phlegm that she spat out. She was detained for 10 days and charged with "interfering with public duty" for protecting her household against the unlawful search. The first night in the police station, she could not lie down due to the pain all over her body and she had to sit up all night.

Yang Keqiang was arrested and after being shackled for two days in handcuffs, he was sent to the Luuergou Forced Labour Camp. Thirty-three days later, they forced his family to pay 3,000 yuan as a "guarantee fee" (the cash was personally received by group leader Pei Guilin). Only after receiving the money did the authorities agree to release him.

However, no one knows what kind of brutal torture Yang Keqiang was subjected to while in the forced labour camp, because after his release he began to act very irrationally, hitting and disturbing those around him. He was running in and out and would not settle down. Whenever he saw knives, sticks or ropes he would grab them in his hands. He tried to beat and curse his wife when he saw her for no apparent reason. His family members were living in constant fear and anxiety, not knowing what terrible things might happen next.

Yang Keqiang was formerly a very healthy person and had a nice family until he was subjected to the persecution inside the forced labour camp. After his release, his entire family lost their source of income. This made the already difficult family situation even worse. Now although Yang Keqiang is able to go to work, his mind is still disoriented as a result of the trauma he received. Even his co-workers and people who know him say Yang is now like a completely different person.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/5/11/74344.html