Mr. Zhang Bin Held in the Yichun Brainwashing Centre for Over Two Months

Name: Zhang Bin
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown, formerly employed at the Daqing Petrochemical Company
Date of Most Recent Arrest: August 27th, 2012
Most Recent Place of Detention: Yichun Brainwashing Centre
City: Daqing
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, hung up, torture, force-feedings, fired from job, physical restraint, detention
Key Persecutors: Yan Deqiang

On the afternoon of August 27th, 2012, when Mr. Zhang Bin left work after he answered a phone call, he did not return. He did not come to work the next day, and his co-workers could not reach him by phone. Three days later, his family found out that he had been abducted and taken to the Yichun Brainwashing Centre by officials from the local 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) and personnel from his previous place of employment.

Mr. Zhang has been brutally persecuted during the past 10 years for not giving up Falun Gong and for following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When he was forced to leave home to avoid persecution, his son, Zhang Jiarui, only 5 years old at the time, had to follow him around. When he was detained, Jiarui sometimes went to kindergarten, sometimes to Mr. Zhang's sister's home, and sometimes to his friend's place. Jiarui had to start school late. Mr. Zhang's father paid 200 yuan¹ each month to support him. Jiarui is now 17 years old and very slim. He quit school and is working to make a living.

Currently Mr. Zhang is in the Yichun Brainwashing Centre. Yan Deqiang, the Party secretary where he used to work, and the officials from the local 610 Office tried to force his family members to come to the brainwashing centre to help persuade him to renounce Falun Gong. They deceived his family, saying that Mr. Zhang would be released after the 18th People's Congress. His family members are kind people. They witnessed how he improved after he practised Falun Gong. From being spoiled and selfish, he became considerate. His family understood that he refused to give up Falun Gong because he knows it is good.

Mr. Zhang was employed at the Daqing Petrochemical Company. He used to smoke and drink and had bad health. In November 1997, his wife divorced him. He had custody of his son, Zhang Jiarui, who was only a year and a half old at the time. In 1998, he began to practise Falun Gong. Shortly afterward, he got rid of all his bad habits, and his mental and physical health completely improved. He became a responsible father and worked diligently to bring up his son.

However, after the persecution of Falun Gong started in July 1999, Mr. Zhang was repeatedly persecuted because he refused to renounce Falun Gong. Shortly after the persecution began, he went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. He was arrested and detained in the Longfeng Detention Centre in Daqing for three months, then the Daqing Forced Labour Camp for a year. At the end of 2000, while Mr. Zhang was still in detention, his company forced his family to withdraw his labour contract with a minimum pension. He would be fired without any compensation if his family refused to cooperate.

After Mr. Zhang was released in 2001, the local police frequently went to his home to harass him. He was unable to live a peaceful life. Once, he refused to open the door so they broke it down. To avoid further persecution, he left home with his son, who was only five years old at the time.

In December 2004, while Mr. Zhang was visiting another practitioner, officers from the Ranghu Road Police Station and the Yinlang Police Station who were monitoring practitioners arrested him. He was taken to the Saqu Detention Centre. Mr. Zhang once held a hunger strike for 56 days to protest the persecution at the detention centre. He was brutally force fed and beaten and forced to sit on the iron chair for 56 days. He was sent to Daqing Forced Labour Camp while on the verge of death. The labour camp refused to accept him because he failed to pass the physical exam. However, the officials from the Daqing City 610 Office coerced the labour camp to accept him. He was unable to walk and was carried piggyback into the labour camp. On March 15th, 2005, he was handcuffed behind his back with a spiked handcuff and transferred to Suihua Forced Labour Camp, where he was persecuted for three years.

By the end of 2007, Mr. Zhang went to his company to get his pension. Company officials required him to report to them every day to monitor him. When he stopped reporting, his minimum pension was cut off.

In May 2008, before the Beijing Olympics, his previous workplace deceived him and sent him to the Longfeng Detention Centre to be held for three months. While there he was sent to the Daqing No. 5 Hospital for IVs due to his weak condition.

Later, Mr. Zhang found a job in a private company. He worked diligently and followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He was praised by his customers and colleagues and helped the company make a profit.

Parties involved in the persecution:

Yan Deqiang, the Party secretary of Daqing Petrochemical Company: 86-13845957789 (Mobile), 86-4596751021(Office)

Note

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