Dafa Practitioner Mr. Wang Hongtian Dies from Three Years of Relentless Persecution

The Initially Blessed Family is now Separated by Death

Wang Hongtian was from Dehui city, Jilin province. In August 1998 he started to practice Falun Gong. Prior to his practice, he had severe rheumatism and he almost lost his ability to work. As a result Wang Hongtian had a short temper and his relationship with family and friends was very poor. After practicing Falun Gong, the severe rheumatism that he once suffered from was mended directly at the root. At the same time, Wang Hongtian set himself to act in accordance with the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." He gave up his old habits and his broken family became blessed once again.

Since July 20, 1999, Wang Hongtian suffered inhumane persecution because he persisted in his belief of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance" and he was detained and sent to a labour camp. On the 14th of August 2001, two days after Wang Hongtian was sent back home from the labour camp, he passed away. He was only 41 years old. His parents, over 70 years old, were devastated when they got the news of their lost son.

Wang Hongtian's wife also suffered from intense persecution because she was also persistent in practicing Falun Dafa. The administrator from the Heizuizi Labour Camp in Changchun would not let her see her husband for the last time before his death because she would not give up her belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." It was one month later that she was informed of her husband's death. At present, she has no source of income. In order to avoid further persecution, she became homeless. Wang Hongtian's daughter had to discontinue her study at school and stay at home due to her father's death and not knowing where her mother is. An initially blessed family is now broken and separated by death.

100 Days' Detention during Mid-Autumn Festival

During the Mid-Autumn festival in 1999, Wang Hongtian was staying in another practitioner's house when he was arrested by Tiantai police, and he was detained for over 100 days. The police forced Wang Hongtian's family out of their home without a warrant and conducted a thorough search. When Wang Hongtian was released, he could not even walk properly due to long period of torture. After practicing the exercises of Falun Dafa diligently, he gradually recovered.

One and a Half Years of Labour Camp and "Re-education"

On March 1, 2000, Wang Hongtian was arrested again by the police along with a few other practitioners when they were studying in Yangshuxiang of Dehui City. After his second arrest, Wang Hongtian was sent to Yinmahe Labour Camp and suffered inhumane torture. When his so called sentence was up, the police extended it for another 6 months because he was persistent in his practice. During this period, his wife was also persecuted, and she was detained and then forced to become homeless.

In the Yinmahe Labour Camp, the police unjustly persecuted Falun Gong practitioners by forcing them to perform strenuous work beyond the legal limit. Wang Hongtian was 165cm tall, 50 kg, and he was forced to carry over 100 kg of clay numerous times a day. If Wang took a little rest, the police would order the prisoners to beat and kick him. Due to the non-stop labour every day, Wang could not even straighten his back up. Under orders of the police, the prisoners would step on his crooked back every time he did not follow orders, just to make him suffer.

In April 2001, the Yinmahe Labour Camp formed a so-called "Falun Gong Strict Education Class," and began a new round of mental persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners were forced to watch anti-Falun Gong propaganda on the TV, where they are not allowed to lower their heads or close their eyes. Even during lunch hours, other prisoners were allowed to rest, but Falun Gong practitioners were not allowed to.

In November 2001, Wang Hongtian was incarcerated in the Yinmahe Labour Camp again for telling people the truth about Falun Gong. During the detention, he suffered inhumane persecution, but he was still persistent in his belief. Wang's health deteriorated daily under the severe persecution. Even so, the labour camp refused to discharge him for medical treatment. When Wang Hongtian had lost the ability to look after himself, he was forced to sit on a wooden bed every day. On the 12th of August 2002, the labour camp was scared that Wang would die in there and they wanted to avoid responsibility, so they sent him back home. The next day, the family took Wang Hongtian to the hospital. The doctor said: "He has only one working lung left." On the 14th of August 2002, which is the 2nd day after Wang was sent home from the labour camp, he passed away. Wang could not even see his wife one last time before he died.

Chinese version available at: http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/1/7/64199.html