Persecution of Elderly Former Senior Engineer from Handan Iron and Steel Group Results in Disability

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Qin Zhongke, in his seventies, previously worked as a senior engineer at the Handan Iron and Steel Group. For the past 13 years, Mr. Qin has been persecuted for his belief and detained in Handan Forced Labour Camp, Dalian Forced Labour Camp, Wujiabao Forced Labour Camp in Fushun City, and Weiningying Forced Labour Camp in Benxi City. Although he was severely tortured in the forced labour camps, Mr. Qin never wavered in his belief in Falun Gong. On July 15th, 2008, Mr. Qin was arrested again and tortured until he lost the ability to take care of himself.

Mr. Qin lives in Luoyi Family Dormitory in Handan. After he began practising Falun Gong in August 1997, he strictly followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He became healthier and his family environment became harmonious. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong, Mr. Qin, who was in his sixties at the time, was detained in four different forced labour camps and subjected to unimaginable tortures. The following recounts the persecution he experienced.

Guard Shouts, “You Have Three Choices: Transform [forcibly renounce Falun Gong], Die, or We Will Drive You Insane!”

The CCP launched the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. On October 1st, 1999, Mr. Qin went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong and for an end to the brutal persecution. As a result, he was arrested and sent to Handan City Detention Centre, then later transferred to Handan Forced Labour Camp after authorities failed to force him to give up practising Falun Gong.

Guards at the Handan Forced Labour Camp again tried to force Mr. Qin to give up practising Falun Gong, but to no avail. Then in early August 2000, they sent him to Dalian Forced Labour Camp for further persecution.

For the first month at Dalian Forced Labour Camp, in August-September 2000, the guards tried to “transform” Mr. Qin by taking turns having a so-called “good-hearted conversation” with him under the so-called “Healthy Influence Education” policy, and make him write a repentance statement, promising to quit practising Falun Gong. Mr. Qin saw through their trickery and lies however, and didn't cooperate. The guards then showed their true nature and began using various torture methods, attempting to “transform” him. They often deprived him of sleep and physically assaulted him. Guard Jing Dianke once called Mr. Qin into the office and forcibly grabbed his neck and threatened him with an electric baton. After having multiple “conversations” with Mr. Qin, and failing to “transform” him, Jing shouted, “You have three choices: Transform, die, or we will drive you insane!”

In early October 2000, Mr. Qin was forced to do manual labour in the brickyard (the heaviest work in the forced labour camp). The guards continued using a variety of deceitful tricks and torture methods, but failed to shake his firm determination in Falun Gong. He was thus transferred for the fourth time to the notorious Wujiabao Forced Labour Camp in Fushun City. According to the guards at Dalian Forced Labour Camp, the cruel "transformation" means used by guards at Wujiabao Forced Labour Camp are “more advanced” than theirs.

The guards at Wujiabao Forced Labour Camp used more brutal means to torture Mr. Qin. He was once beaten by a guard until his face was covered with blood and he lay still on the concrete floor. Despite this, Captain Wu Wei, Jiang Yongfeng, and two other guards continued hitting him with clubs attempting to force Mr. Qin to renounce his belief in Falun Gong. One guard who witnessed the beating said, “I saw this when I went to the male cell. My first thought was, 'He is done for, he's going to die!'”

While the guards brutally tortured Mr. Qin in the male cell on the west side, in a meeting room on the east side of the building, the forced labour camp authorities were reporting to officials from the Fushun City Politics and Law Committee and the Bureau of Justice about their so-called “Healthy Influence Education and Probation” method used on practitioners.

Since Mr. Qin refused to renounce Falun Gong, he was transferred to Weiningying Forced Labour Camp set up by the Benxi 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) in Benxi City suburb, where the torture of Mr. Qin continued.

“You Must Write a Repentance Statement Before You'll Be Allowed to Sleep!”

After serving his term at the forced labour camps, Mr. Qin returned home to find that his wife had been arrested and put in a forced labour camp, and his elderly father of over 80 years old was at home alone. Unexpectedly, Mr. Qin was arrested again in 2002, leaving his father alone at home unattended.

Mr. Qin was sent to Handan Forced Labour Camp, where the guards used cruel torture methods attempting to force practitioners to write repentance statements, so they could reap personal benefits from it. Mr. Qin was deprived of sleep for 21 continuous days, from July 2nd-23rd, 2002. He was also forced to either stand for long periods of time facing the wall or under the hot sun, or lift things for a long time. After several days and nights of continuous standing, Mr. Qin's legs became swollen, he couldn't stand steadily, and he became very weak. Some of the capillaries in his legs also burst. Besides physical torture, the guards also continuously threatened and intimated Mr. Qin.

Mr. Qin then went on a hunger strike to protest the inhumane treatment in the forced labour camp. As a result, he was brutally forced-fed and forced to pay medical expenses. Eventually, the guards became afraid of being held responsible for Mr. Qin's condition and allowed him to finally sit down. They didn't want what happened to Mr. Yang Baochun, a Handan City practitioner who had to get an amputation as a result of torture, to happen to Mr. Qin. During this time, one guard said, “Even if you pretend to be 'transformed,' you must write a repentance statement before you'll be allowed to sleep.” No matter what cruel torture methods the guards used on Mr. Qin, they couldn't shake his indestructible faith in Falun Gong. On July 24th, 2002, Mr. Qin was transferred to the infamous Gaoyang Forced Labour Camp for further persecution.

While Mr. Qin was detained in the forced labour camps, his father suffered a mental collapse. Mr. Qin's father had no one to take care of him and he cried every day because he missed his son and daughter-in-law. When Mr. Qin returned home after his release, he found that his once healthy father could no longer take care of himself. Mr. Qin diligently took care of his father. He carried his father up and down four floors, so he could go outside every day to enjoy the weather. All the neighbours praised Mr. Qin's filial piety.

Arrested Again, Loses the Ability to Take Care of Himself

At his elderly age, Mr. Qin, who had worked hard all his life, should be enjoying his retirement. However, under the tyranny of the CCP, this kind and respected man has been arrested and tortured simply because of his belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The party still refused to spare him after he had been detained twice and been held in more than five different forced labour camps.

Twenty people from Luochengtou Police Station and the Neighborhood Committee in Handan City broke into Mr .Qin's home at around 11:00 a.m. on July 14th, 2008. They arrested him and his wife, ransacked the home, and confiscated a TV, a DVD unit, a computer, a printer, and 80 yuan in cash.

Due to the information blockade, it is still unknown what happened to Mr. Qin after his arrest. It is only known that Mr. Qin's health severely deteriorated after he was persecuted in the detention centre and forced labour camp. He lost the ability to care for himself and he now has to use a wheelchair. He also sometimes goes into shock. We don't know what inhumane tortures were used on him. We would like to appeal to people who know the details of Mr. Qin's persecution, to expose the CCP's crimes and help stop the persecution.

Epilogue

The persecution of Mr. Qin is only one of many persecution cases of practitioners in Handan City. At the Handan Iron and Steel Group alone, many practitioners who work there have been persecuted. Mr. Liu Yong is mentally and physically healthy, but has been persecuted in a mental hospital for eleven years. He is still detained at Baoding Mental Hospital. Senior engineer Jing Zhanyi, and staff members Chen Zhiqiang, Zhang Runsheng, and Li Yuxin, have each been cruelly persecuted by the CCP.

The CCP has used a variety of evil means to persecute practitioners. Thirteen years have passed and the persecution continues. This is the most tragic persecution in human history. Over the past 13 years, many Handan practitioners have been peacefully, rationally, and persistently telling people the beauty of the practice and exposing the truth covered up by the CCP. This has awakened many Chinese people. The vicious CCP is bound to be disintegrated for persecuting Falun Gong as this is Heaven's will.

We have gone through the most difficult period in history. Falun Gong has been firmly rooted in Handan. Let us remember this part of history and choose goodness, our conscience, and justice to have a better future!