Sixty-nine Additional Persecution-Related Deaths Confirmed in December 2004

Information published on Clearwisdom.net has confirmed that another 69 Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of the persecution in China. As of January 5, 2005, the confirmed death toll of practitioners has reached 1,238 during the more than five years since July 20, 1999, when Jiang Zemin's political faction began its blatant persecution of Falun Gong.

These 69 persecution-related deaths come from 18 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities: 17 cases in Liaoning Province; 12 cases in Hebei Province; 8 in Jilin Province; 6 in Hubei Province; 3 in Heilongjiang Province; 3 in Shandong Province; 3 cases in Gansu Province; 2 in Xinjiang Autonomous Region; 2 in Guangdong Province, 2 in Fujian Province; 2 in Shaanxi Province; and 2 in Tianjin. One death happened in each of the following locations: Hunan Province, Beijing, Henan Province, Yunan Province and Shanghai.

Among them, the youngest person to die was 26, while the oldest was 75. Thirty-two people over 50 years old account for 46% of the total; four people were in their 70's; they are, Mr. Zeng Chuanyong, a 70-year-old farmer from Hunan Province; Mr. Tian Zhongxin, a 71-year-old schoolteacher from Huludao City, Liaoning Province; Ms. Sui Ruolan, 73, who lived in Dalian City, Liaoning Province and Mr. Feng Min, a 75-year-old bureau-level officer in Tianjin City.

Of these 69 deadly persecution cases, 37 women accounted for 54% of the total. Thirty-eight deaths took place in 2004, with four of those occurring in December 2004.

The victims came from all walks of life. They were workers, farmers, schoolteachers, officials and TV reporters. They all practiced Falun Gong and had benefited from it. Since Jiang's political faction within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) violated the Chinese Constitution and suppressed Falun Gong, all of these practitioners were illegally arrested and detained because they spoke the truth about Falun Gong, citing their own experiences and affirming that they wouldn't give up the practice. While in detention, they were subjected to brainwashing and unbelievably cruel tortures that resulted in their deaths.

Practitioners Li Guoshun and Zhu Xizhen Died as a Result of Abuse in Detention

During their illegal detention, many Falun Dafa practitioners refused to "reform" [renounce Falun Dafa] and were tortured to the brink of death. The labour camp or prison authorities, however, neither sent them for medical treatment nor released them. They didn't even inform their family members until the practitioners had died or were tortured to the brink of death. After some of the practitioners were taken home, they couldn't speak or write, and many died within just a few days.

Mr. Li Guoshun was 27 years old and a resident of Baisha Town, Xinluo District, Longyan City, Fujian Province. He graduated from the Longyan City Industrial Vocational School in 1998. On August 23, 2004, while distributing Falun Dafa truth clarifying materials, he was illegally arrested and incarcerated in the Longyan Detention Centre. In order to resist the persecution and awaken the world's people, he went on a hunger strike in protest. After fifteen days, the detention center sent him to the Minxi Prison Hospital, where he continued his hunger strike for another twenty-five days. He was then sent to the Longyan City Second Hospital for emergency treatment on October 3, 2004, but died ten days later, on October 14. On two occasions, while Mr. Li was on a hunger strike, his family requested to post bail for medical parole, but the police rejected their request both times.

Mr. Zhu Xizhen, 55 years old, was a farmer from Huangma Township, Nanchang County, Jiangxi Province. On September 23, 2004, while he was visiting friends and relatives, the police arrested him, ransacked his home and detained him in the Nanchang Labour Camp, where he was subjected to barbaric tortures, including force-feeding. His body and mind were severely traumatized. According to eyewitnesses, police officers sent Mr. Zhu back home with two vehicles escorting him. The policemen told his family members, "He is all right." Two days later, Mr. Zhu became very confused and he lost consciousness. He died on December 7, 2004. It is suspected that the policemen may have either put harmful drugs in Mr. Zhu's food or injected him with unknown drugs while in police custody. Further investigation is underway.

Practitioner Li Guang, a TV Reporter in Laizhou, Shandong Province, Was Beaten to Death by Weibei Prison Policeman Xu Haiming

Mr. Li Guang was a resident of Laizhou, Shandong Province. Li Guang was an honours graduate from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Prior to his arrest, he was a reporter and presenter at the Laizhou TV Station. He was unlawfully arrested at the Qingdao Aviation Sanatorium for his belief in Falun Dafa and was then imprisoned in Weibei Prison in Weifang.

In March 2004, Li Guang requested the prison authorities to release unlawfully detained Falun Gong practitioners as soon as possible, and for this he was cruelly persecuted. To protest the prison guards' vicious behavior, Li Guang launched a hunger strike which lasted for seven months. In order to make him renounce his belief, the prison guards used up to seven electric batons to shock him simultaneously, which made his neck swell to the same size as his head. During the hunger strike, he suffered various kinds of torture; there were 40 incidents of electric shocking alone, lasting between three and four hours each time.

During the unlawful imprisonment, Li Guang refused to cooperate with the forced brainwashing known as "political studies." He also refused to participate in forced labour or to watch slanderous propaganda on TV.

Li Guang was initially in the No. 5 Ward in Weibei Prison. The prison guards there exhausted all their methods, but failed to shake his belief and determination.

At the end of November 2004, Li Guang was transferred from the No. 5 Ward to the Educational Section. Section Head Xu Haiming, a principal perpetrator in that prison, had attended nationwide training [for the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners].

Within five days, under Xu Haiming's persecution, Li Guang was beaten to death on December 3, at the Weibei Prison Factory Headquarters.

Mr. Feng Min, a 75-year-old Bureau-level Officer, Died as a Result of Constant Harassment from the Local Police

Mr. Feng Min, 75 years old, was a bureau-level officer in Tianjin. He had previously undergone heart bypass surgery prior to practising Falun Gong and was in poor health at that time. In 1994, after he began practising Falun Gong, his health greatly improved. Shortly afterwards, through Falun Gong practice, he eliminated all of his illnesses and saved his workplace hundreds of thousands of yuan worth of medical expenses.

After the persecution of Falun Gong began on July 20 1999, Chang Jianguo, a police officer harassed Mr. Feng numerous times. Mr. Feng could not endure the threats and persecution and was forced to move to another place. Later, the police once again showed up at his door to harass him. After one such police visit, Mr. Feng fell to the ground that same afternoon. He never got up and died the next day.

Mr. Tian Zhongxin, a 71-year-old Schoolteacher, Died of Vicious Torture, Including Shocking with Electric Batons, Brutal Beatings and Burning

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Tian Zhongxin was 71 years old and a schoolteacher at Gangxi Central Elementary School in Gangnan Village, Gangtun Town, Lianshan District, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. After he started practising Falun Dafa in 1996, he was cured of the hepatitis from which he had suffered for over 20 years. His friends, family and neighbours all witnessed the wonders of the practice. Mr. Tian went to Tiananmen Square to appeal for justice for Falun Dafa in 1999. He was cruelly tortured and his salary was suspended. His life became very difficult without a source of income.

In November 1999, in violation of the Chinese Constitution, lawless officials from Gangtun Town sent 19 Falun Gong practitioners, including Tian Zhongxin, to Laoyemiao Village, Gangtun Town for further persecution. In the daytime, the perpetrators forced the practitioners to do heavy slave labour, and at night the perpetrators, tortured and interrogated the practitioners. They asked, "Do you still practise Falun Gong?" If the practitioners said, "Yes!" the perpetrators would beat and kick them, slap their face, hit them with police batons and shock them with electric batons. When they were exhausted from beating practitioners, they forced them to take off their clothes except for their underwear and to stand in the snow without moving.

Once, they forced over a dozen practitioners to stand in the snow, and called Tian Zhongxin to the office. Meng Qingjun scorched Tian Zhongxin's hand with a red-hot iron stove hook and said sarcastically, "I'm burning off your karma."

On November 25, it was freezing outside. Ma Enyou, Gangtun Town Police Station head, forced ten practitioners, including Tian Zhongxin to stand outside in their underwear. Then the perpetrators slapped their faces and hit them with police batons.

Later, Mr. Tian Zhongxin was illegally sentenced to three years of forced labour. He was viciously tortured during his incarceration and was only released when he was diagnosed with late-stage hepatitis. After he returned home, Tian Zhongxin persisted in clarifying the truth about Falun Dafa and distributing flyers to offer people salvation. But because his body was severely damaged during the long-term torture while in custody, he passed away on November 18, 2004.

Falun Gong Practitioner Ms. Huang Bing from Dalian City Died at the Age of 26 as a Result of the Persecution

Ms. Huang Bing, 26, was the youngest Falun Gong practitioner among the 69 deaths confirmed in December 2004. She was from Dalian City, Liaoning Province. She used to suffer from leukemia, but after she took up the practice of Falun Gong, she completely recovered. Around July 20, 2001, Ms. Huang went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, but was arrested by police who later sent her to a Detention Centre and incarcerated her for eight months. As a result of torture suffered during detention, she was in a very bad state of health. The police paid no attention to her weak condition and insisted on transferring her to the Masanjia Forced Labour Camp, to be further persecuted. However, Ms. Huang failed the medical examination for entry into the labour camp. Fearing that she might die during detention, the police sent her back home.

One night around April 25, 2002, the local police station director Sheng Jijun and deputy director Shuo Yantao led a group of officers and broke into Ms. Huang's home. They took her away again, saying that Dafa materials had been found in her home. She was again thrown into the Detention Centre. During the more-than-one-month detention, Ms. Huang was severely tortured and as a result her nose kept bleeding. The detention centre didn't want to take any responsibility and released her. However, even after she returned home, the local police still kept coming to her home to harass her. Village group head Yin Qingyou and village security head Chen Liang closely monitored Huang Bing. Under such tremendous pressure, Ms. Huang passed away around 9:00 p.m. on February 4, 2004.

After her death, the police still didn't let up their persecution. Without her family's consent, Yin Qingyou sold all the corn (about 1,650 lbs.) her family owned. He only gave Ms. Huang's family 100 yuan, keeping the rest of the proceeds for himself, excusing his action by saying, "This is for fines."

Several Falun Gong Families Tragically Lose Almost All of their Members in the Ruthless Persecution

1. Mr. Bi Wenming and his parents-in-law Huang Zhiyi and He Chunmei from Longxi County, Gansu Province died from the persecution

Mr. Bi Wenming was 34 years old and had lived in the western suburban area of Gansu Province. He started practising Falun Gong in 1998. His parents-in-law, Huang Zhiyi and He Chunmei, began practising Falun Dafa around 1998. Ms. He Chunmei was 60 years old, illiterate and in poor health before she practised Falun Dafa. Several months after she started practising, she not only became completely healthy, but was also able to read the book Zhuan Falun".[the main text of Falun Dafa] In the 15 days, during which Mr. Huang Zhiyi helped his wife to read "Zhuan Falun", his six-year-old post-operative wound completely healed on its own. He was quite surprised by this miracle.

After the brutal persecution of Falun Gong began, Mr. Bi Wenming went to Beijing to appeal for the practice in February 2000. When he returned, he was incarcerated at the Longxi County Detention Centre and was held there for one month. In December 2000, He Chunmei and Huang Zhiyi, along with Bi Wenming and his wife, went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. He Chunmei and Huang Zhiyi were sent back to Gansu Province and held at a local prison for six months. Bi Wenming was held in Beijing for one month. After his release, he went into exile to avoid further persecution.

In an attempt to arrest Bi Wenming and his wife, the local police monitored their residence, which they shared with their parents. The officials constantly harassed and asserted pressure on He Chunmei and Huang Zhiyi, threatening to arrest them if they didn't turn in their daughter and son-in-law to the police. Due to extreme mental stress, Huang Zhiyi suffered a relapse of his old illness and passed away on January 19, 2002.

In February 2002, Bi Wenming was arrested in Lanzhou City by officers from the Qilihe Police Department. He was held at the Detention Centre in Lanzhou City and was then sent to the Longxi County Detention Cenrer. In 2003, he was sentenced to three years in prison and was held at Lanzhou Prison. In 2004, he was transferred to the Dingxi Prison.

In the Dingxi Prison, instructors Li and Zhang Jianying tortured Bi Wenming savagely, including using electric batons. At noontime on September 3, 2004, the guards ordered inmates to beat Bi Wenming; then they shocked him with electric batons until he died on the spot. His body was full of bruises and wounds.

He Chunmei suffered tremendously from worry and grief. After she learned that her son-in-law Bi Wenming was tortured to death on September 3, her condition worsened drastically and she passed away on September 30, 2004.

2. Three Members from Three Generations of Wang Hong's Family Die from Persecution

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Hong, 54 years old, lived in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. She formerly suffered from neurasthenia, arthritis and other illnesses. She started practising Falun Gong in 1994 and her health was quickly restored. She became energetic again. Ms. Wang was taken into custody for going to Beijing to peacefully appeal for Falun Dafa after July 20, 1999 and was later released.

Wang Shuhua, Wang Hong's 71-year-old mother, was a Falun Gong practitioner. Her other daughter Wan Yan, also a practitioner, was held in custody at the Dalian Drug Rehabilitation Centre, for going to Beijing to appeal. On her way back after visiting Wan Yan, she became mentally disoriented and was run over by a train on November 24, 1999.

Ms. Wang Hong was arrested by Wu Yingnan and other local police officers around the Spring Festival in 2001. She was tortured and sent to the Dalian Forced Labour Camp for two years. While she was in the labour camp, she was further tortured. For example, she was forced to bend over with her head down and buttocks up high, she was slapped in the face, and deprived of sleep. The labour camp meals were so poor that she lost over 30 pounds in less than three months.

Ms. Wang was taken to the Dalian Central Hospital for an examination due to prolonged coughing. She was diagnosed of terminal lung cancer. The doctor reproved the police officers, "How come you brought her in so late? Her lungs are full of holes."

The labour camp authorities sent Wang Hong home within four hours in order to avoid any responsibility for her imminent death. Under such circumstances, the police still demanded cash from her family, but her family severely denounced their actions. Ms. Wang Hong passed away on September 1, 2002.

Xie Yuzhen, Ms. Wang Hong's 26-year-old daughter, had been living with her mother, and they had been supporting one another. Foreseeing her mother's impending death and the loneliness ahead of her, in addition to the harassment and intimidation from the lawless officials, she was finally driven to desperation. She committed suicide seven days before her mother passed away.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/1/5/92860.html