Police Torture and Murder Dafa Practitioners in Hengshui City, Hebei Province

I. Without Kindness

After the second half of 1999, the Hengshui City government detention center became a place for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners, especially during 1999 and 2000. Everyone detained there was a Falun Gong practitioner. The Director of the detention center, Gen Zhanwu, received an "Award" from higher officials in 1999, because of his persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. He used all kinds of ways to get money and property from them. For example, everyday the charge for food was 20 yuan, while in fact the food was worth less than 2 yuan. In addition, there was a fee for heat, water and electricity. Some Dafa practitioners were forced to pay several thousand yuan. Gen Zhanwu and other policemen did the dirty work for Jiang Zemin and carried out the inhumane persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

II. Evil Deeds in the Winter

During the night of December 4, 1999, Dafa practitioner Zhen Baowei was practicing the exercises in the cell. Prison guard Sen Zhongshan saw this and used a cigarette to burn Zhen Baowei's hands. He then forced him out of bed and tied him to the iron door. Another practitioner, Hou Guorui, stood up and said: "I practiced too." Sen Zhongshan said: "You come out!" Hou Guorui walked out of the door. Sen Zhongshan slapped his face and made his nose bled and then tied him to the outside of the door. Sen yelled at him while cleaning the blood from his fingers. Some female practitioners strongly protested the beating. They were also tied to the door. Other Dafa practitioners discovered the tied up practitioners and demanded to know the reason for the torture. Policeman, Guo Yangyen, yelled: "It was ordered by Jiang. You go find Jiang and ask him."

On the morning of December 5th, Gen Zhanwu ordered someone to bring in the Tiger bench. He threatened: "Whoever dares to continue practicing, I will help him with this." Zhen Baowei stood up righteously and said: "I will still practice." Gen Zhanwu took him to his office. Soon the sounds of the beating with a police baton and the painful moaning of Zhen Baowei could be heard. Every so often, Gen Zhanwu yelled: "Get up. Still practice or not?" Zhen Baowei answered: "Practice!" Then Gen Zhanwu yelled: "Get down!" and he started hitting him again. Gen Zhanwu started yelling: "I will let you practice! I will let you practice!" After half an hour, Gen Zhanwu took a chained Zhen Baowei back to his cell.

On the 5th and 6th of December, Gen Zhanwu directed Guo Yanyin, Li Jinliang and another policeman with Gao (his surname) to severely beat twenty five Falun Gong practitioners. One practitioner was hit one hundred times with a police baton and was then tied onto the Tiger bench for the entire morning, with only one layer of fall clothing. Another was forced to the ground and severely beaten by Gen Zhanwu and Guo Yangyin until his buttock area was purple and black. As a result, he could only sleep on his stomach. Another was beaten and sustained severe chest and waist injuries, fainting twice. Another elderly lady was beaten until she vomited, and was handcuffed behind her back. She urinated and defecated in her trousers. Many female practitioners, that were cruelly beaten were dragged back into the cell. One was beaten so severely that her buttocks became severely infected.

On the night of December 5th, Gen Zhanwu came into the prison cell and asked Zhen Baowei whether he would still practice. Zhen Baowei said: "Practice!" Gen Zhanwu then locked Zhen Baowei onto the tiger bench in the yard. That was the season when dripping water could turn into ice. Zhen Baowei only was wearing a sweater and sweat pants. He was locked there from nine at night until nine in the morning. In the morning of the 9th, Gen Zhanwu had Dafa practitioners stand in a line and asked Zhen Baowei, in front of everyone: "Still practice or not?" Zhen Baowei said: "Practice!". Gen Zhanwu slapped and kicked Zhen Baowei's face. Liu Shujun was not able to stand still due to her severe injuries and fell onto the ground. Gen Zhanwu used his leather shoes to step on grind her hands, which were stretched on the ground, and yelled: "Get up!" Liu Shujun shakily stood up, but almost fell again. Feng Caili and Zhang Yongli helped her to remain standing. Only after Gen Zhanwu finished scolding her, was Liu Shujun carried by other practitioners back to her cell. She could not take care of herself for a long time.

During this cruel persecution, in some cases, a mother and son or a mother and daughter were tortured at the same time. Hou Guorui was slapped in the face, then tied to the door or to the tiger bench in the yard. His elderly mother had to watch her son being tortured. When the mother was sent for a severe beating, the son was tied on the tiger bench, motionless, only able to grieve as he watched his mother being tortured.

When Zhang Yongli's mother was severely beaten and dragged back to the cell, Yongli cried out loudly with a mournful heart: "Mother!"

During this time of illegal beatings, Gen Zhanwu still attempted to extort money from family members of Dafa disciples. He stated that as long as they pay several thousand yuan, the practitioners would not be beaten. One relative immediately paid several thousand yuan in order to prevent his family member from being beaten. He then stopped beating this practitioner.

Those who were severely beaten during this period were: Sun Liangshen, Hou Guorui and their mothers, Cai Yongcun, Liu Hongjing, Yang Qixin, Wu Lijuan, Wang Jinlin, Liu Xiuyin, Cui Sufan, Zhen Baowei, Zhang Yongli and her mother, Liu Shujun and Qiu Xiuliang, among others.

III. Relentless Evil Persecution

In May 2000, over ten Dafa disciples in Hengshui City were put into the detention center, either because of going to Beijing to appeal or practicing the exercises outside. Among them, Shujun Liu and Yongli Zhang were detained over half a year longer than their original sentence. As soon as they entered the detention center, Gen Zhanwu demanded that Dafa practitioners write guarantee letters to stop the practice. If they refused to write, they were put in handcuffs. Just because they refused to write the guarantee letter, An Xiukun and Wu Xinmei were handcuffed behind their backs. Li Jin was handcuffed for over eleven days.

In late May 2000, the detained Dafa practitioners went on hunger strike. An Xiukun's family sent in healthy food and hoped that An Xiukun could eat. Gen Zhanwu refused to deliver it. The family warned Gen Zhanwu: "You will be responsible for the consequences." Gen did not take it seriously. An Xiukun went on hunger strike for six days; then Gun Zhanwu directed policemen to force-feed An Xiukun. The food entered his bronchial tubes and endangered his life. An Xiukun began coughing blood, and went into a coma. Even so, Gen Zhanwu still blocked this news from his family and forbade them visitation. Finally, An Xiukun was tortured to death.

After the hunger strike, Gen Zhanwu sent Liu Shujun, Zhang Yongli, Qiu Xiulian, Qi Zhengui, Yuna, Yuan Qin and others to the Hengshui Police Substation. Later many were sent to labour camps.

In the summer of 2001, Hengshui City, Lu Bei Detention Center housed four Dafa cultivators: Li Shufang, Yi Chunmei, Li Jing, and Xu Jie. Among them, Li Shufang was detained ten months beyond the original sentence. Yi Chunmei and Li Jin were detained several additional months. One day, Gen Zhanwu read newspapers in front of everyone that defamed Falun Dafa. Yi Chunmei said that everything in the newspaper was lies. Gen Zhanwu shouted: "This is the Party's newspaper. You are against the Party. During this period of time we are in charge. You have no right to speak." She was handcuffed behind her back, then in the front, for over one month. Gen Zhanwu once said: "I am devoted to Jiang Zemin!" The prison guard Shen Zhongshan said: "Jiang was too easy on you. If I were Jiang, I would shoot you all."

In August, in order to protest the extended detention and demand their unconditional release, the four Dafa disciples went on a hunger strike. On the fourth day, in the afternoon, the policemen led by Gen Zhanwu ordered other prisoners to carry Yi Chunmei out for forced-feeding. Yi Chunmei was forced onto the chair with both legs held by two prisoners and arms bent behind the chair. One used force to push her head back, while Instructor Zhao pressed Yi's nose. Gen Zhanwu used a mouth retainer to force open Yi's mouth and started the force-feeding. Because her head was pushed back and her nose was closed, she could not breath. The food came out of her nose and mouth.

After being forced-fed one batch, Gen Zhanwu said to Yi: "Isn't this very uncomfortable? If you drink yourself, I will not force-feed you." He placed the rest of the food next to Yi's mouth. At that time, they just released Yi's head a little bit. Yi could then take in a breath. Gen Zhanwu saw that Yi was not drinking and again started force-feeding her. Afterwards, Yi had difficulty breathing and little strength left. She was carried back to her room, where she coughed blood and sputum mixed with food. She had severe chest pains, difficulty breathing, a high fever and her vital signs were at dangerous levels. Only after a fervent plea from her family, was she released. Li Jin was also tortured until she could barely breathe and was released upon her insistent request.

Now, Lubei Detention Centre still is detaining Dafa practitioners and Gen Zhanwu is still doing his evil deeds.

2003-12-31

Chinese version available at: http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/12/31/63743.html