Additional Information Related to the Torture and Death of Luo Zhixiang, a Three Months Pregnant Falun Dafa Practitioner

Ms. Luo Zhixiang, who died at age 29, was a Falun Dafa practitioner in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. On November 22, 2002, Luo Zhixiang was arrested by the Tianhe District's "610 Office" authorities [an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems] and sent to a brainwashing class located at the Huangpu Drug Rehabilitation Centre. After going on a hunger strike, she was sent to the Tianhe Traditional Medicine Hospital. Under suspicious circumstances, she fell from the 3rd floor on November 31st, which caused a fatal head injury. She died December 4th, while 3 months pregnant.

Ms. Luo started cultivating Falun Dafa in 1996. After July 20, 1999, she went with fellow practitioner Mr. Huang Guohua to Beijing to appeal. Huang Guohua was sent to the local detention centre by the Shandong Provincial Liaison Office in Beijing, and detained for 1 month. His home was illegally searched. He had to pay 3000 Yuan [6 months average pay for an urban worker] for staying in the Police Substation 3 days. He was put under surveillance when he returned home. Ms. Luo was sent back to the Tianhe Detention Centre in Guangzhou City, where she was dismissed from her job. Several days later, Mr. Huang Guohua came back to Guangzhou. They both become homeless in order to avoid being illegally arrested from their homes. They were married on April 5, 2000.

On May 20, 2000, Huang Guohua's mother and her fellow practitioners were arrested on their way to Beijing to appeal, and were sent back to the local police substation (in Shandong Province). The next day, police arrested his father, and locked his parents onto the Iron Chair over night. [The Iron Chair is made of iron pipes. Victims' arms and legs are restrained on the iron chairs for a long period of time]. Police sent them to the County Detention Centre, leaving their farm work and livestock unattended, which caused them a huge financial loss. Their local police took them back after 15 days, cruely beat them by tying them onto the Iron Chair again, and hitting their heads with hardcovered books, which caused many blood blisters to form and rupture. Police locked them up separately during the day, and then tortured them at night, with such tortures as sitting on the Iron Chair, or Tiger Bench [Practitioners are forced to sit on a small iron bench that is approximately 20 cm (6 inches) tall with their knees tied together. With their hands tied behind their backs or sometimes placed on their knees, they are forced to sit straight up and look straight ahead. They are not allowed to turn their heads, close their eyes, talk to anyone or move at all. Several inmates are assigned to watch over the practitioners and force them to remain motionless while sitting on the bench. Usually some hard objects are inserted underneath the practitioners' lower legs or ankles to make it harder for them to tolerate this abuse]. The Secretary of CPC Political and Judiciary Committee, Wang, lead more than 10 people to beat up Huang Guohua's mother with shoes and police batons until wounds covered her body. Even now there are unhealed bruises. On June 10th, the police tried to publicly humiliate them in the Cultural Revolution style method, by forcing them to march through the streets with insulting signs hanging from their necks. This old couple did not give in, although police cursed and insulted them the entire way. The police did not release them until both of them could no longer physically take the torture. Then, three days later, police came to their home to collect 6000 Yuan. After seeing that this old couple truly had no money, they took the last 200 Yuan the couple had.

In October 2000, Huang Guohua was detained for 135 days in Baiyun District Detention Centre after he was arrested for passing out truth clarifying materials with Luo Zhixiang. Ms. Luo gave birth to their daughter in May of 2001. Mr Huang's mother took the couple's daughter back to her home in Shandong. Afterward, her husband, Mr. Huang's father, was arrested and imprisoned again until September. From May to September, they had no one to take care of their fields. Mr. Huang's mother and his daughter had a difficult time.

Between July 20th and September 20th, 2001, three times the police from the Tianhe District station went to Shandong Province looking for Luo Zhixiang. They confiscated the couple's wedding photos and their baby's pictures. They went to Luo's sister's home many times to try to arrest her, and even posted 30,000 Yuan reward to capture her. Police found Luo and her husband on November 22, 2001, and arrested both of them, detaining them in a substation in Haizhu District. Two months after Huang Guohua was sent to the Detention Centre, he was sent to a labour camp, where he remains today (in the Huadu Labor Camp in Guangzhou City). Luo Zhixiang was detained in the Haizhu Detention Center, where she went on a hunger strike for 7 days. The detention centre's doctor discovered that she was 3 months pregnant; hence, she was bailed out by the Tianhe District Government, but was put under illegal lock-up by the Tianhe District's "610 Office" authorities and the Nationhood Administration. While in jail, she was forced into brainwashing classes.

On December 5, 2001, upon hearing that Luo was dying, Huang's mother arrived in Guangzhou with Luo's young daughter. Once there, she found that Luo had died the previous day from the persecution she received. They had arranged to stay in a motel for 7 days. On the morning of the 8th day, people from Xinghua Neighbourhood Administration quickly told Mr. Huang's mother about the funeral arrangements. They said, "We can only allow you to stay 7 days, and we will only pay 7 days body maintenance fee here." On the morning of December 23, Secretary Chen of the CPC Political and Judiciary Committee led 6 people and forced Mr. Huang's mother and his daughter out of the motel and into the cold. Mr. Huang's mother went to the Xinghua Neighborhood Administration, simply asking for a place to stay until Luo's funeral arrangements were settled. More than 10 people pushed them out, so this old woman and her young granddaughter had to stay on the streets for 4 months. They went to the Neighborhood Administration and the "610 Office" many times, but no one showed any compassion. They lied to her, saying that "Luo committed suicide," so that the government would not have to be responsible. Twice, the "610 Office" administrators tried to force Mr. Huang's mother to sign a form that said Luo committed suicide. Mrs. Huang absolutely refused. Based on the facts, Luo was closely watched by 3 people each shift, and they said, "Luo went on hunger strike for 7 days." Luo could not even stand up; who would believe she committed suicide? Mr. Huang's mother questioned the evil gang loudly, "She was bailed out, so why was she not allowed to go home?"

The "610 Office" Chair, Liu, shouted, "Fine! If she refuses to sign her name, we will cremate the body anyway." Later, people from the "610 Office" went to the Huadu Labour Camp, forced Mr. Huang Guohua to sign his name, and cremated Luo's body.

Currently Luo's husband, Huang Guohua, is still detained and being tortured in the Huadu Labor Camp in Guangzhou City, and their young daughter is under her grandparents care.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/8/11/55456.html