Mr. Li Yequan Has Been on a Hunger Strike for Fifty-six Days and Is Near Death (Photo)

Mr. Li Yequan, a 38-year-old practitioner from Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, has had his wages suspended for the last six years because of his belief in Falun Gong. He has been arrested numerous times and forced to move from one place to another to avoid persecution. Mr. Li is now being brutally abused at the Daqing Detention Centre. He has been on a hunger strike for 56 days to protest the illegal treatment. Every day, for 24 hours, he is handcuffed, shackled, and force-fed. A guard named Wang Yingzhou, along with inmates, forced a litre of hard liquor down his throat and spat on him. They also poured cold water on Li Yequan. Due to being force-fed three times a day, Mr. Li's oesophagus has been badly injured. He shows symptoms of pneumonia and mental disorientation and his body temperature has dropped. He is extremely weak, with his white cell count as high as 20,000. Mr. Li has slipped into a coma many times and is now dying.

Mr. Li Yequan enjoying happy days with his family prior to being persecuted

On November 16th, 2005, Li Yequan's family went to visit him and also to talk to the authorities at the detention centre. The associate director of the centre, Wang Yongxiang, made excuses and refused to see them. One of Mr. Li's family members presented Wang an open letter addressed to the labour camp. On November 17th, Mr. Li's father, who had suffered a stroke, his brother, and sisters travelled a long distance to see Li Yequan. In Wang Yongxiang's office, all of his family members were asked if they practised Falun Gong. Mr. Li's wife asked, for verification, if Mr. Li had been force-fed hard liquor and spat on. The actions were denied. When his wife said she would ask Mr. Yi himself, the prison authorities got very angry and yelled, "From now on, you are not allowed to see him any more!"

Mr. Li's father asked, "Li Yequan is a good man. What law did he break? Why did you arrest him so many times?" They replied, "The government does not allow him to practise Falun Gong." "So which law did he break?" They said, "That's the business of the Public Security Bureau. Why don't you go ask them?"

Mr. Li's family went to the No. 1 Brigade, where his wife was refused entry. His brother confirmed from talking to Mr. Li that liquor was indeed forced down his throat and that he was spat upon. The head of the brigade, Lai Zhonghui, Wang Yingzhou, and other inmates stormed over and dragged Mr. Li's brother out of the room. His brother was forced to stay outside in freezing temperature for over two hours, which exacerbated his stomach problem.

When Mr. Li's father demanded his son's release, they passed the buck to the Public Security Bureau. Disappointed, Mr. Li's family had to leave.

Mr. Li Yequan worked for the Daqing City Bullet Factory. He started practising Falun Gong in July 1996 and followed the teachings of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance in his daily life and was recognised as a good worker. His research project was so outstanding that he was going to be promoted from associate head of the workshop to the factory head responsible for technology. Since the persecution of Falun Gong first started in July 1999, the local police station and the staff in his company tried to coerce him to write a guarantee statement¹. He refused and remained true to his beliefs. The party secretary, Yao Dexi, worried that he might go to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Giong, arrested him and took him to the Chuangye Police Station, where he was detained for two months before being sent back to his company.

On July 14th, 2000, Mr. Li went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong but he was escorted back to the Honggang Detention Centre, where he was detained for one month and then another 15 days. After he was sent back to his company, Mr. Li was placed under house arrest. On September 25th, Party Secretary Yao Dexi extorted 3,600 yuan² from him before they released him. In addition, they took his two-month wages, one month's bonus for May, and other allowances totalling 100 yuan. They also took the 329 yuan in cash that he had on him. After they extorted the funds from Mr. Li, they told him that he could resume work after the National Day holidays. Unfortunately, as soon as Mr Li returned to work, he was sent to Bei'an, Daqing's 610 Office³ brainwashing centre, for one month. From the brainwashing centre, the local 610 Office sent Mr Li to one year in the Daqing Forced Labour Camp for removing slogans slandering Falun Gong from the wall. He was released on October 28, 2001.

After returning to work, Mr. Li was demoted to the janitorial staff. He had his pay cut by 300 yuan. From an administrative position he was relegated to a support position. Li Yechuan had barely worked for a year before he was again sent to the brainwashing centre at the Hong Weixing Centre between June and July, 2003 simply because they found a piece of paper in his pocket with information on a website operated outside of China. That same night, Mr. Li was sent to the Chuangye Police Station. The police station was going to send him to the forced labour camp. Handcuffed and brutally beaten, Mr. Li was sent to Honggang Detention Centre three days later. As a result of the beatings and the long-term hunger strike, Mr. Li became quite weak. Only then did the detention centre release him. However, he was still subject to harassment. Li Yequan was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution.

On December 13th, 2004, in the Yinlang neighbourhood, Mr. Li and other three practitioners were arrested by officers from the Ranghu Road Police Substation. Mr. Li shouted, "Falun Dafa is good," even as he was being gagged and blindfolded by the police and dragged into a vehicle. He continued to shout, "Falun Dafa is good" on the way to the station, and clarified the truth to the public.

Mr. Li also shouted, "Falun Dafa is good" day and night at the detention centre. They punished him by making him sit on an iron chair and he was tortured in order to try to make him reveal information about Falun Gong activities and other practitioners. At some point, they sent him to the company's hospital for emergency treatment and later to a hospital at the No. 4 Refinery of Daqing Oilfield. Later on, Mr. Li was forced to become homeless.

At 5 a.m. on September 23rd, 2005, Li Yequan was again arrested by police from Daqing City. On the night of September 27th, the Daqing Public Security Bureau, 610 Office, Judiciary Bureau, and Daqing Forced Labour Camp had a meeting and sent Mr. Li to the Daqing Forced Labour Camp. When Mr. Li's white blood cell count was found to be as high as 20,000, the labour camp refused to admit him. However, Daqing Public Security Bureau Chief Cao called them to say that Ruan Dianlong, the associate party secretary for the municipal government and the legal and political commission, had approved the admission, so they had to admit Mr. Li. As a result, Li Yechuan was sentenced to forced labour for two years without any legal procedures. He is being held in the No. 1 Brigade at Daqing Forced Labour Camp.

Mr. Li has been on hunger strike to protest the persecution, and demands to be released. Ordered by Director of the No.1 Brigade Lai Zhonghui and policeman Wang Yingzhou, several inmates shackled Mr. Li's hands and ankles. He is force-fed three times a day, sometimes for more than four hours. Mr. Li's oesophagus has sustained severe injuries and he has slipped into coma many times. The guards or inmates even put the portrait of Master Li on the chair and force him to sit on it and put the book, Zhuan Falun on the seat. Wang Yingzhou, who calls himself a policeman reincarnated from a devil in hell, along with several inmates, forced more than a litre of hard liquor down Mr. Li's throat. They even spat into his throat.

Mr. Li has has had his wages suspended since July 2003. His wife is struggling to support their seven-year-old son with her meagre income from her cleaning job. Their life is very miserable. Their son often stares at his father's picture and weeps in private so his mother does not see him crying.

We urgently appeal to all kind-hearted people: Please help Mr. Li Yequan and stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

Attachment: Open letter to Daqing Detention Centre from Mr. Li's Extended Family

Dear Officials of Daqing Detention Centre,

We are Mr. Li Yequan's relatives. Mr. Li, a Falun Gong practitioner, has been jailed at your centre. We would like to bring Mr. Li's urgent situation to your attention.

When he started practising Falun Gong, he became a very healthy person. He followed the teachings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in all aspects of his life. Everybody thinks he is a nice person. He continued the practice, even after the persecution started in 1999, and told the facts of Falun Dafa to people . Because of this, for the past few years, his wages have been suspended and he was forced to leave home. Without him, his wife and son are struggling under great difficulties.

Mr. Li Yequan went on a hunger strike to protest the detention. He has not eaten or drunk for over 50 days. He was force-fed hard liquor and had cold water poured on him. His oesophagus has sustained severe injuries and he displays symptoms of pneumonia and mental disorientation. Because of this abuse, he is now dying. The persecution of Falun Gong in the past few years is unconstitutional. The constitution stipulates, "Citizens have the freedom of belief. No organisation or individual has the right to interfere with citizens' faith or lack of faith." According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, people have the right to think, follow their conscience, and have religious freedom. What Mr. Li has endured at the forced labour camp will suffice to convict the perpetrators.

In fact, you are all quite aware of Falun Gong practitioners' good characters. Since they are not bad people, why are you forcing them to "transform⁴"? What kind of people do you want them to "transform" into?

The following are our requests based on the urgency of the situation:

1. Stop force-feeding Mr. Li. After so many days of force-feeding, his oesophagus has been severely injured.

2. Release him immediately. Mr. Li has been on hunger strike for 54 days, which is over the limit from a medical point of view. He could die at any time. It is more important that he stays alive.

3. During his detention, the authorities at the detention centre have been responsible for his life and personal safety. As he is in your custody, you have to ensure that he is not tortured and abused. As his relatives, we will hold those responsible accountable.

4. If Mr. Li dies as a result of your failure to abide by the requests above, please let us know who is responsible. Let us assure you that we will take legal action against those responsible.

Relevant Contact Information

(Note: for home or office phone numbers, dial country code + area code before all numbers. For mobile phone numbers, dial country code before the numbers. Country code: 86, area code: 459).
Ruan Dianlong, associate party secretary of Daqing Municipal Commission, directly involved in the persecution: 6186776, 6371988 (Home)

Daqing City Public Security Bureau
Cao Liwei, Bureau Chief: 6371699
Cao Zhenhe, Chief of Staff (directly involved in persecution): 6373066, 6280888 (Home), 13329500002 (Mobile)

Daqing Forced Labour Camp
Ying Chengli, Director: 4326808, 6369698 (Home), 13329390528 (Mobile)
Song Huidong, Chief of Staff: 4326800, 6378169 (Home), 13329390559 (Mobile)
Policeman Wang Yingzhou, who force-fed Mr. Li hard liquor and spit into his throat: 5328555 (Mobile)

Daqing City Detention Centre
Du Zhenjiang, Director: 4616098, 4667179 (Home), 13936726888 (Mobile))

Note

1. "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

2. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

3. "The 610 office" is 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.

4. "Reform or Transform" Implementation of brainwashing and torture in order to force a practitioner to renounce Falun Gong. (Variations: "reform", "transform", "reformed", "reforming", "transformed", "transforming", and "transformation")

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/11/21/114955.html