Older Mr. Wu Mingshan Dies after Repeated Detention and Imprisonment

Name: Wu Mingshan
Gender: Male
Age: 63
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Mechanic at the Automobile Transportation Company of Panzhihua Steel Group
Date of Death: November 26th, 2012
Date of Most Recent Arrest: March 19th, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Wumaping Prison
City: Panzhihua
Province: Sichuan
Persecution Suffered: Electric shock, sleep deprivation, brainwashing, beatings, hung up, imprisonment, solitary confinement, torture, home ransacked, interrogation, detention, denial of toilet use

Mr. Wu Mingshan was arrested on March 19th, 2009 while distributing Falun Gong informational materials in Xinhua County, Hunan Province. He was later sentenced to four years in prison and was incarcerated and severely abused at the Wumaping Prison. Mr. Wu was released on medical parole in May 2010 when he was on the verge of death. He could not recover his health and died on November 26th, 2012.

Mr. Wu was a mechanic at the Automobile Transportation Company of Panzhihua Steel Group. He started practising Falun Gong in 1995. After the persecution began, he was arrested and detained several times, and imprisoned twice.

In early November 1999, Mr. Wu traveled to Beijing to appeal for the right to practise Falun Gong. At the Jinjiang Railway Station, a police officer ordered him to curse the founder of Falun Gong before he could get on the train. Mr. Wu refused and was taken to the police station. He was later taken to the Xiqu Detention Centre and was held for 10 days. When he got back to work, his superior sent him to a brainwashing centre.

On November 22nd, 1999, Mr. Wu went to Beijing again. However, he was arrested by plainclothes officers shortly after he stepped out of the Beijing Railway Station. He was taken to the Tiananmen Square Police Station and was severely beaten. The next day, personnel from the Sichuan Government Beijing Office took Mr. Wu back to Panzhihua City. He was held at the Panzhihua Detention Centre for 40 days.

In March 2000, officers from the Security Division and the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) of the Panzhihua Steel Group arrested Mr. Wu to prevent him from appealing to the higher authorities. He was taken to the Wanyaoshu Detention Centre and was held for 42 days. He was monitored even after he was released.

On February 20th, 2001, Mr. Wu was arrested by officers from the Panzhihua Police Department. He was hung up by handcuffs to the office window in the police department the whole night. The police ransacked his home the next day. Mr. Wu was taken to the Yanbian County Detention Centre that afternoon. He was hung up by handcuffs to the window for 17 days. Several officers took turns interrogating him and torturing him. They put a headphone on him, turned the volume to the maximum, and forced him to listen to programs that slandered Falun Gong. Mr. Wu was deprived of sleep and not allowed to shut his eyes. During this time, the officers poured cold water on him, shocked him with electric batons, and kicked him. He was deprived of food, water, and toilet use for four days. His weight dropped from 165 lbs to 121 lbs.

In May 2002, Mr. Wu was sentenced to three years in prison and transferred to Deyang Prison. He was beaten and verbally abused by the guards and inmates. He was locked in solitary confinement, physically abused, and strictly monitored. He was forced to stand outside in the rain or in scorching sun. He was forced to run on the field from morning to night. He was deprived of family visits. Once, inmate Zhou Jun kicked Mr. Wu in the chest causing him to faint immediately.

In February 2004, Mr. Wu was released. After his release, he was often monitored and harassed by the Security Division of the Panzhihua Steel Group.

On April 12th, 2007, Mr. Wu's son-in-law was arrested for distributing Falun Gong materials exposing the persecution. Mr. Wu had to leave home in order to avoid being arrested again.

On March 19th, 2009, Mr. Wu was reported and arrested for distributing Falun Gong materials in Youxi Town, Xinhua County, Hunan Province. He was taken to the Youxi Town Police Department and was beaten. Seven days later, officers from the Panzhihua Domestic Security Team took Mr. Wu to the Wanyaoshu Detention Centre in Panzhihua. A physical exam found his blood pressure to be 240 mmHg. He was sent to the Dukou Hospital and was handcuffed and shackled to the bed. He was given little food and remained shackled for two days and one night.

In December 2009, Mr. Wu was tried at the Dongqu Court in Panzhihua. He was not allowed to hire a lawyer. Less than 20 minutes after the trial started, he was sentenced to four years in prison. The Panzhihua Intermediate Court upheld the original sentence.

On January 27th, 2010, Mr. Wu was taken to the Wumaping Prison in Leshan City. He developed late stage diabetes in early April 2010. His eyesight was poor and his blood pressure was 180 mmHg. He was sent to the Sichuan Province Police Hospital on April 8th, 2010. His family requested his release. On May 22nd, 2010, Mr. Wu was taken home from the hospital. Years of torture had taken their toll and Mr. Wu could not recover his health. On November 26th, 2012, Mr. Wu Mingshan died in his hometown in Hunan Province.