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Torture techniques usually include severe beatings, electrocution, force-feeding torture, and forced drug injections. Among the deceased was an elderly lady over 70 years old and a young mother.
23 of the deaths occurred in various labour camps, detention centres and police stations, where Falun Gong practitioners are routinely tortured, as officials attempt to force them to disassociate themselves from Falun Gong and make them sign documents denouncing the meditation practice.
In 13 of the cases, the victims died of their injuries shortly after being released from custody. Falun Gong practitioners are often released after particularly severe beatings by Chinese authorities hoping to avoid responsibility for subsequent deaths. In many cases, the victims die within hours of their release.
The majority of the sources reported police stating that they have standing orders to report all deaths of Falun Gong practitioners as “suicides” and cremate the bodies immediately – often without notifying the family.
Killed for Their Beliefs
The following are a few of the cases verified in September and October.
Ms. Tang Jinmei, female, 71 years old, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Zhangshu City, Jiangxi Province. She was sent to a brainwashing centre by the local “6-10 Office” and police bureau, and suffered from mental torture. She was also forced to endure “military training”. According to one source, at one point during the torture she vomited a large amount of blood. Ms. Tang died in February 2002.
Ms. Li Shuhua, female, 32 years old, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Yushu City, Jilin Province. She was kidnapped by local police and beaten to death 13 days later. According to an eyewitness, one side of her face was blackened and the other side had been crushed in. Her mother and husband were also thrown into jails for practicing Falun Gong. Now only her father and her two little children remained at home.
Ms. Duan Shiqing, female, 32 years old, was a Falun Gong practitioner and a conductor with the Chongqing Railroad Bureau. On September 16, 2003, she died while being subjected to force-feeding torture in Chengdu City Detention Centre.
Ms. Yang Guijun, female, a Falun Gong practitioner from Baiquan Town, Dongliao County, Jilin Province, died in June, 2003, in Jilin Female Prison. Her sister died 7 months before her in the same prison. They were subjected to “Tiger Bench” torture, high beaten with high-voltage electric batons, were hung by hand-cuffs, burned with cigarettes and subjected to a suffocation torture.
Ms. Yuan Hezhen, female, 42 years old, was a practitioner from Hua-nan County, Heilongjiang Province. According to one eyewitness, Ms. Yuan was tortured in a detention centre in Beijing until she vomited blood, and had bloody stools. After she got out the detention centre, her health was extremely weak. She never recovered and died in July 2003. Her Husband Sun Jihong, was kidnapped by police from the Fengtai Police Bureau a year before when he was on Yuquanying Bridge, Fengtai, Beijing. Four days later, he was tortured to death. Both the husband and wife were tortured to death within one year, leaving behind a daughter of 4 or 5 years old.
Ms. Li Xiufen, female, more than 60 years old, was a retired teacher from Nahe County, Heilongjiang Province. Her family had been persecuted by local police for a long time. Her daughter-in-law was a teacher in a police school, but was tortured to death on December 30, 1999, for practicing Falun Gong. Her son Xu Xiangdong was illegally sentenced to 12 years in jail and tortured severely in Harbin prison. She died on September 9, 2003.
Mr. Tang Xiaocheng, male, 40 years old, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Longfeng Town, Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province. He was sent to Pengzhong Mental Hospital by local police where he suffered severe persecution. He died one month after his release.
The full list of victims’ names are: Zhao Yong, Meng Jinchen, Sun Shouqi, Li Rong, Wu Rao, Yang Guijun, Zhu Zhongping, Jiang Genjin, Tang Jinmei, Yu Jixing, Long Zhaohui, Li Qingzhou, He Xuehua, Wang Yi, Zhang Xiaohong, Hou Guimin, Li Weihong, Sui Guangxi, Tang Xiaocheng, Han Qingcai, Xu Jiling, Jiao Fenglan, Lu Xingguo, Lu Xiuying, Dong Huayan, Zheng Libo, Yang Jingyun, Liu Yan, Deng Guojun, Guo Songmei, Yu Wenyou, Tian Baobin, Zhou Jingsen, Duan Shiqiong, Li Dianzhong, Li Shuhua, Li Chuanping, Xu Yufeng, Yuan Hezhen, Wang Hongbin，Liu Tongling, Lu Qiongfang, Li Xiufen, Hua Haiyu.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, Chinas then-Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiangs regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. To that end, Jiang established the 6-10 Office, a Gestapo-like agency spanning from the Central Government to the local governments. The United States Congress has described the 6-10 Office as an agency charged with overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through organized brainwashing, torture, and murder.
The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 816 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE EUROPEAN FALUN GONG INFORMATION CENTRE
Peter Jauhal 44 (0) 7717 508 268 Nicolas Schols 32 (0) 479875734
More contacts: http://www.falungonginfo.net/europe.htm
Email: [email protected]
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