Reduced to a Skeleton, Dafa Practitioner Dies form Torture at Mianyang Xinhua Forced Labour Camp

Mr. Zhang Xiaohong (also called Zhang Zhaohong), was a resident of Nanbu County in Sichuan Province, and was only 29 years old when he died. Because he clarified the truth of Dafa to people, he was illegally detained at the Mianyang Xinhua Forced Labour Camp and suffered endless torture. Because of the torture, his weight dropped from over 60 kg to approximately 32 kg. When it was obvious that he was extremely weak, he was released and his family was called to the camp on May 13 2003 to take him home. He died at 7:00 p.m. on August 4.

Before being detained

After being detained at the forced labour camp

Zhang Xiaohong was a resident of Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. He was detained three times for explaining the facts about the persecution of Dafa to people; two of the detentions were in the Mianyang Xinhua Forced Labour Camp. The second time Zhang was in the Miangyang Xinhua Camp, he was forced to watch videos and read books that slandered Dafa. All determined Dafa practitioners were tortured by being punched, kicked, shocked with electric clubs, bound up extremely tightly with ropes, forced to sleep on iron beds, deprived of sleep, forced to stand up for long periods of time, etc. On the hottest summer days, Dafa practitioners were forced to run for two hours under a baking-hot sun but were not allowed to drink any water. Anyone that refused to run was then dragged and pushed by the guards.

One time, when Zhang refused to cooperate with the irrational requirements of the police, he was bound and hung up for a whole night in a sports field. On another occasion, he erased some words on a blackboard that defamed the founder of Dafa. Police officers beat him until nearly every part of his body was bleeding. While being tightly bound with "police" ropes, he passed out. Police officers shocked him on his mouth, neck, shoulders, body, and navel, all at the same time, which severely burned his skin. Also, four people monitored him 24 hours a day. Subjected to such brutal torture, his health quickly deteriorated. Although he was unable to drink or eat, police still tried to coerce him into writing the "three guarantees." His response was, "I would rather die than act against my will." When the camp staff realized that he was extremely weak, to avoid taking responsibility for his death, they phoned the Nanbu County Public Security Bureau to say that Zhang Xiaohong had just had an accident and that his family should immediately go to the labour camp to pick him up. The police tricked Zhang's family into signing a form stating that they were taking Zhang for medical treatment.

On May 13 2003, when Zhang was taken home, his weight was so low that he looked skeletal. He was almost unable to walk or even talk. He had previously weighed over 60 kg but the tortures had reduced his weight to about 32 kg. The careful care of his family could not save him however, and he died at 7:00 p.m. on August 4 2003.

Zhang Xiaohong was a wood carver. After he started practising Dafa in 1996, he became healthy and was very kind to people. All people around him knew he was a very good person. After Jiang Zemin's regime started the persecution, he was among the millions of Falun Gong practitioners who went to Beijing to appeal.

In October 1999, Zhang was arrested at the Chinese Central Appealing Office (which in reality has become a site for arresting practitioners). After being escorted back home by some local police officers, he was held for 36 days, and fined 4,000 Yuan (about two years income for an average Chinese farmer).

Late one night in January 2000, a group of police officers broke into his home and arrested him. Several police officers knocked him to the floor, punched and kicked him, and then sent him to the county detention centre. For practising Falun Gong in the detention centre, he was hit 30 times with a heavy club, which caused his gluteus muscles to become extremely bruised and swollen. He was also shackled. Later he was sentenced to one year in Mianyang Xinhua Forced Labour camp.

In the forced labour camp, Zhang protested by going on a hunger strike and refusing to work. Police officers force-fed him, and dragged him to work, which caused the wounds on his legs and feet to become badly infected. Eventually he gave in under the heavy pressure, and he was released on November 2000. With the help of fellow practitioners and through studying Teacher's articles, he started Dafa practice again, published a declaration on the Minghui website, stating to the forced labour camp and local police stations that his "promise to give up the practice" under pressure was null and void and that he would continue to practise Dafa. He walked from village to village, and on street after street to explain the facts about Dafa and expose the evil persecution.

In September 2001, Zhang was riding the train from Guangzhou to Chongqing while on a business trip. A service person saw him delivering truth materials about the Tiananmen Square Self-Immolation incident, and so he was sent to the Chongqing Railway Station Police Station. He refused to expose his identity. But police found his name on a card with a Nanbu County address. He was escorted back to Nanbu by police officers. His 680 Yuan, a carving knife set, and a beeper were confiscated and never returned. Zhang went on a hunger strike for 9 days, but was illegally sentenced to two years in a forced labour camp. He was sent to the Mianyang Xinhua Camp. After being tortured for an extended period of time, he became emaciated and eventually died.

In seeking justice, Zhang' s family carried his body to the local police station. When they saw what was happening, the police officers became enraged, shouted, and beat and arrested people. His family asked for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but police took Zhang's body and had it cremated. Zhang's family was charged with disturbing the stability of society and was held for varying periods of time from 10 to 15 days. We hope all kind righteous people will help us bring those evil people to justice.

Relevant Units:

Mianyang Xinhua Forced Labour Camp, Sichuan Province,

86-816-2280410, 86-816-2830117

Management Office of the Xinhua Forced Labour Camp: 86-816-2274441

Address of the Mianyang City Public Security Bureau: Jiefang Street, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. Phone: 86-816-2498033

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/9/10/57121.html