Ms. Zhang Weihua Dies as Result of Persecution in Sichuan Province

Name: Zhang Weihua
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Address: Liulichang Village, Jinjiang District, Chengdu City
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Death: January 29th, 2010
Date of Most Recent Arrest: November 20th, 2007
Most Recent Place of Detention: Jinniu Brainwashing Centre in Chengdu City
City: Chengdu
Province: Sichuan
Persecution Suffered: Forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, solitary confinement, torture, force-feedings, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogation, detention, denial of toilet use

Ms. Zhang Weihua used to suffer from asthma, but her health greatly improved after she began practising Falun Gong in 1996. She went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong after the persecution began in July 1999. She was arrested multiple times, detained, and sent to a forced labour camp and brainwashing centre, which damaged her health. She died on January 29th, 2010, at the young age of 32.

Ms. Zhang's family had to move to her parent's house in 2001 to avoid police harassment. Her mother, He Jianqing is also a practitioner. Her father, Zhang Changwen did not practise. He was a factory director.

On the morning of May 13th, 2005, about 20 officers from the Yangliu Village Police Station, a branch office of the Jinjiang District Police Department in Chengdu City, broke into the home of Ms. Zhang and her husband, Zhou Jingdong, located in Liulichang Village. The police searched their home for more than half a day. At dusk, they blocked the areas around the home and took the couple to the Pi County Detention Centre in Chengdu City. Ms. He Jianqing, Ms. Zhang's mother, was forced into a brainwashing session held at the intersection near Chengren Street in Chengdu City, while her father, Mr. Zhang Changwen, was under huge pressure, and her younger brother was forced to leave home to avoid arrest.

Upon entering the detention centre, Ms. Zhang was forced to strip off all of her clothes and be searched. All of her buttons and zippers were cut off, and her 102 yuan¹ in cash was stolen. She tried to clarify the truth to the police, but they did not listen. She started a hunger-strike to resist the persecution. The police attempted to force her to eat by beating her and cursing, but it was no use. They then sent several criminal inmates to try to persuade her to eat. When she did not heed them, they force-fed her. Prisoner Ma Xiaoqiang sat on her, holding her arms down, and another male prisoner inserted a three-foot-long tube into her nose and force-fed her three boxes of milk. She was miserable, vomiting non-stop, getting her face, head, and clothes all dirty.

When the force-feeding did not work, they gave her an intravenous injection. She still would not cooperate so they tied her to a metal bed. Afterward, the criminal inmates tortured her in every way imaginable. They even took urine from the restroom and used it to "wash" her face and brush her teeth.

On the afternoon of May 27th, 2005, guards took Ms. Zhang to Qingyang District People's Hospital. There was a special patient ward guarded by armed police, monitoring cameras, and locked gates. This was specially used for sick prisoners and Falun Gong practitioners on hunger strike. Some practitioners have been tortured to death here. Guards restrained Ms. Zhang in bed 45 and handcuffed and shackled her ankles. During the day, her cuffs were sometimes taken off, but during the night, she would be both handcuffed and shackled. There was a bucket for her to use as toilet. She was locked like this for up to three and half days at a time. 20 days into her hunger strike, Ms. Zhang Weihua was in critical condition. Only then did they release her.

After she was taken home she was supervised in her home by three officers from the Yangliu Village Police Station. One of them was Yang Hongqiang. The next day (June 7th, 2005), an officer from the Yangliu Village Police Station and other policemen took Ms. Zhang to the Jinjiang Police Department Brainwashing Centre, where she was detained with her mother. Her husband, Zhou Jingdong, was still in the Pi County Detention Centre.

After his wife, his daughter, and his son-in-law were all arrested and taken away, Ms. Zhang's father, Zhang Changwen, had a hard time maintaining the empty home. There were also three policemen at his home waiting to arrest other practitioners, should they visit. Around June 7th, Mr. Zhang told others that the police might start torturing him. There were signs afterward showing that from June 7th to June 9th, officers from the Yangliu Village Police station or Department I of the Jinjiang District Police Department locked him up, threatened him, and carried out a brutal and violent interrogation. On the night of June 9th, Mr. Zhang's family was notified that he had died of a sudden stroke.

The same day, despite Ms. Zhang just learning of her father's death, she was take to the Air Force Hospital. She kept on her hunger strike and was finally released after one more week in custody. Local police assigned officers to watch her 24 hours a day at her home. In order to avoid further mistreatment, Ms. Zhang escaped home by climbing out of her window. Police arrested her mother, taking her to the Jinjiang District Brainwashing Centre again. Her younger brother, Zahng Weiguo, and all her friends were under 24-hour surveillance.

On the afternoon of November 20th, 2007, Domestic Security agents from the Xindu District Police Department of Chengdu City stormed Wuli Village, ransacked the place, and arrested Ms. Zhang and two other practitioners. The police were afraid their violent methods would be made public, so they covered their heads with bags and forced the practitioners into the police vehicle. Around December 11th, 2007, officers from Guangrong Community Police Station picked up Ms. Zhang from the Xindu District Police Department and took her to the Jinniu Brainwashing Centre.

After she finally returned home, six community security guards were assigned to watch Ms. Zhang by living in her home. The long-term surveillance, detention and tortures severely damaged Ms. Zhang's health. She died at the untimely age of 32.

Earlier report:
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/6/28/62328.html

Note

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

Chinese version available at target=blank>http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/3/20/220098.html