Dangerous Conditions for 30 Practitioners Seized and Persecuted from Mengyin County

Female practitioners Liu Shufeng and Zhang Dezheng were tortured to death by authorities from the "610 Office" [a bureau specifically created by the Chinese government to persecute Falun Gong. It has absolute power over each level of administration in the Party, as well as over the political and judiciary branches] and the Mengyin County, Shangdong Province Police Station while they were in detention. Right now the 30-40 practitioners detained in the county are in great danger. We appeal to citizens of the world, Human Rights Organisations, and the World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong to pay attention to their safety and to prevent more cruel killings. The following is a brief overview of the conditions of some of the detained practitioners.

Practitioner Teng Derong, a 50 year old lady, and a middle school graduate, worked for the Construction Committee of Menying County. On July 20, 1999, she was confined by her work place for a month. In February 2000, exercising her legal rights as a citizen, she went to Beijing to appeal peacefully. Police from Menying County took her back and illegally detained her for a month. In the same month, the local police detained her husband, Yang Zhen, for a month because he also appealed in Beijing. In March 2000, her husband was sentenced to 2 years in a labour camp. During that period, her daughter, Yang Junhui (a teacher at the Jiuzhai Middle School), was illegally detained for 3 months by the Jiuzhai Town authorities. During her detention, she was beaten so severely that her face was unrecognisable, her left eye was swollen for two weeks, and she couldn't use the toilet by herself for several days. Later on, she was fired from her job at the school and forced to work outside to make a living.

On May 2000, Teng Derong was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution, and her young daughter had to be taken care of by Teng's 70-something mother. Around September 20, 2000, in Daigu town, Teng Derong, Zhang Dezhen, and Gong Shuhua were arrested by staff of the local "610 Office" and the police. The police operative team subjected them to corporal punishment, beatings, and inquisition by torture. They were tied to iron chairs (made of widely-spaced steel bars) and not allowed to move for 4 days and 4 nights, which was extremely painful to endure.

In October 2002, Teng was delivered to a brainwashing centre in Linqi City by force. She wasn't allowed to sleep for 6 days and nights. Then she was sent to the Linqi Detention Centre where she remains in custody. Her body and mind were tortured inhumanely, and her health is very bad. It was said that her case has been sent to Linqi Procuratorate.

Her brother Teng Defang, 48, previously the vice-bureau cadre of the Senior Cadre Bureau was dismissed and degraded, and expelled from the Communist Party without any salary just because he practises Falun Gong. After July 20, 1999, his employer placed him under house arrest for a month. In November 1999, he was arrested and detained for a month by the Menying Police Station.

On October 23, 2000, police went to his work place to arrest him but failed. After that he left home to avoid further persecution. That night, police went to his home to arrest him. When he wasn't there, they arrested his wife Lie Yanlin and sent her to jail. Police interrogated her for 8 days, and then forced her to attend brainwashing classes for over 20 days. In the evening of September 28, 2001, police ransacked Teng Defang's home using the excuse of looking for him. His wife Lie Yanlin was taken away again and sent to brainwashing centres where she was persecuted for over 70 days. On October 29, 2002, Teng Defang was arrested in Linqi. He was delivered to Mengyin County Operative Team and interrogated. He is currently detained in the Linqi Detention Centre. Meanwhile, he was beaten by police, tyrannised in jail, and was severely harmed. His health is very poor. It is said that his case has been sent to Linqi Procuratorate. His children are in school, his wife was laid off, and the whole family is living a very harsh and sad life.

Ms Gong Shuhua, a 25 year old practitioner, middle school educated, is a citizen of Tanfu Town, Mengyin County. Because she appealed in Beijing, all four members of her family (her mother, brother, and sister) were detained and persecuted by the government of Tanfu Town. Mother Hui Zenghua and brother Gong Pibing were put into labour camps because they wouldn't give up Falun Gong, they had appealed in Beijing, and they had let homeless practitioners stay with them. Sister Gong Shuqin was denied entry to university after taking the entrance exams just because she had appealed in Beijing. No one knows her current whereabouts.

Gong Shuhua's Father doesn't practise Falun Gong. To support the family he conducts a small business overseas and cannot return home often. The police stole everything of value in the home. During the Spring Festival of 2001, her family had over 10,000 Yuan [Chinese currency, the monthly salary for an average Chinese urban worker is about 500 Yuan.] extorted from them in the form of all types of administrative fees.

Gong Shuhua had to leave home after the Spring Festival of 2001. On September 20, 2002 she was arrested along with other practitioners in Daigu town. They were interrogated, tortured, and beaten. They went on a hunger strike to protest and were brutally force-fed. It was said that Gong Shuhua was severely persecuted because she wouldn't disclose a computer password. Later on, she was detained in Linqi Detention Centre; where she is still being held. There is no one at home to take care of her mother and brother. They are in a miserable state in detention. It is known that her case has been sent to Linqi Procuratorate.

Mr Shi Zenglie, over 40, was an employee of the Agriculture Machine Company of Mengyin County. Because he appealed in Beijing, he was detained 4 times and beaten. In January 2001, he went to Beijing to appeal and was held in a detention centre for a month. After being released, he was closely monitored by his work place. Incited by the leader of his work place, Li Yinqi (who later died in a traffic accident) and others beat him up. The perpetrators even hit him with a chair. He received terrifying shocks from an electric baton for 20 minutes, which left him unable to breath deeply for over a month. In September 2002, Shi Zenglie and practitioners Liu Shufen, Zhao Chuanwen, and Wu Zengjian were arrested by the Mengyin County "610 Office" and police from Qinan County. They were beaten until they were covered in bruises. Shi was delivered to a brainwashing centre in Mengyin, where he was beaten, burned with a cigarette, and bound with steel wire. When he went on a hunger strike, he was brutally force-fed at the Mengyin Herbalist Hospital and injected with unknown medication. Shi Zenglie is still illegally detained in the Mengyin County Detention Centre.

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/3/19/33487.html