Several Practitioners Die from Persecution in Hebei Province

Langfang City Falun Gong practitioners Zou Xiangqian, Zhao Chunhai, Hou Jiming, Sun Guangjuan and Ma Zhenting all died from persecution by Jiang's regime. The following are brief summaries of their cases:

Ms. Zou Xiangqian, 61, was a retired government employee from Changchun City, Jilin Province. On December 2, 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. She displayed a banner in Tiananmen Square that said, "Falun Dafa is Great!" Police arrested her and sentenced her to two years in prison. After she was released, she again travelled to Beijing three times to appeal for Falun Gong. She was detained three times in a Detention Centre. Her husband was deceived by the government-spread lies. He repeatedly destroyed Falun Gong books and abused Ms. Zou, severely harming her health. On July 1, 2004, Ms. Zou passed away in her home in Langfang City. The cause of death is not clear.

Mr. Zhao Chun Hai was an electrician at the Qianfeng Machinery Works in Langfang City. He became a practitioner in 1996. In September 1999 he went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was arrested and sent back to his company. His employer sent him to a Detention Centre, where he was severely tortured during his 30-day stay. On December 17, 1999 he died as a result of the persecution at the age of 46.

Mr. Hou Jiming, 49, was a resident of Langfang City. He began to practise Falun Gong in 1997. After the persecution began, he refused to stop practising. As a result, the village administrative staff and the local police harassed him frequently. He went into exile and moved from place to place. On November 5, 2002, police arrested Mr. Hou in his hometown in Shandong Province and brought him back to Langfang. The police restrained him in handcuffs and shackles. They also beat and verbally abused him. The heavy steel-wire handcuffs were so tight that they cut into his flesh and caused bleeding and deep scars.

During his two-week stay in the detention centre, he suffered the most inhumane abuse at the hands of the police and others. On November 8, 2002, the police took him to a brainwashing class for further mental torment. Wu Guangdong from the District Party committee told collaborator Huang Junling and a few others to deprive Mr. Hou of sleep. A guard hit Mr. Hou's head with a heavy object. After that, Mr. Hou often experienced headaches and a high fever. His health declined rapidly until he could bear it no more and wrote a "guarantee letter," signifying that he would stop Falun Gong practice. After he returned home, his health changed from bad to worse. He often coughed, vomited after eating, and had chest pains. He most likely suffered from internal injuries. He passed away at 11:50 a.m. on January 17, 2004.

Ms. Sun Guangjuan, 42, was a resident of Langfang City. One day in October 2001, police came with 20 other people to arrest Ms. Sun. They sent her to Langfang City brainwashing class, against her will, for persecution. Under the personal supervision of the 610 Office, several collaborators took turns attacking her, depriving her of sleep, and otherwise physically and mentally abusing her. Under these very severe tortures and psychological abuses, she finally gave in and "reformed." Later she was forced to write the so-called "four statements" to defame Falun Gong's founder. After that, she was mentally traumatized. Her mental balance was destroyed by the brutal persecution. In July 2002, she jumped into a river and died.

Mr. Ma Zhenting, 50, lived in Langfang City. Because he refused to give up Falun Gong, police repeatedly detained him six times . They also searched his home several times. At the end of 2001, the local "610 Office" police sent him to a brainwashing class. After the brainwashing torture, he was extremely depressed. He continued to lose weight day after day. Because his wife and child also practised Falun Gong, his wife was sentenced to three years in a forced labour camp. The police, the detention centres, and his own employer took all of his family's savings. On July 10, 2003, Mr. Ma died at home in despair.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/11/19/89582.html