Mr. Li Wenjun Illegally Sent to a Forced Labour Camp and Tortured, All Appeals Denied (Re-Enactment Photos)

Mr. Li Wenjun is a 38 year old Falun Dafa practitioner from Jilin City. On March 16, 2004, police officers from Jilin City arrested and tortured him. On April 16, 2004, police framed Mr. Li with fabricated evidence and sentenced him to three years in the Jiutai Yinmahe Forced Labour Camp. In the labour camp, Mr. Li suffered from inhuman torture in the "Intensively Monitored Group." Below are facts of Li's suffering and how the officials from different governmental offices rebuffed his family's appeals. The pictures are reenactments of what Mr. Li actually suffered.

1. Illegal Arrest and Interrogation with Torture

In the afternoon on March 16, 2004, five to six plain-clothes police officers from the Jinlin City National Security Brigade arrested Mr. Li Wenjun and two female Falun Dafa practitioners at the Jilin City Bus Station, accusing them of sitting in the wrong seats. The bus was on the way to Harbin. Police officers first searched them at the bus station office, and then took them to the Weichang Police Station. They covered their heads (Fig.1).

Fig. 1

After 5 p.m. that day, police interrogated Mr. Li without any legal justification. As Li had not committed any crime, he refused to cooperate during the interrogation. Therefore, he was beaten until his face was covered with bruises. Officers knocked him to the ground, stepped on his head (Fig.2), and kicked him brutally (Fig.3).

Fig. 2	Fig. 3

Police officers covered his head with multiple plastic bags, almost suffocating him. Li almost lost his life (Fig.4). Then they bounced Mr. Li's head hard against the wall (Fig.5). After 7 p.m., police officers locked him in a steel cage in the Changyi Police Branch. On March 17, he was sent to the 3rd Detention Centre of Jilin City.

Fig. 4	Fig. 5

After being brutally tortured, Mr. Li became very weak. He was frequently dizzy and lacked energy. He felt abnormal pains in his lungs and kidneys. He threatened the police with a lawsuit under existing laws and went on a hunger strike to protest the torture. Police officers from the Weichang Police Station fabricated false "evidence" and sentenced him to three years in the Jiutai Forced Labour Camp.

.2. Brutal Forced-feeding and Torture

Mr. Li Wenjun was sent to the "Intensively Monitored Group" at the Camp. Those practitioners that are "intensively monitored" are cruelly tortured using many torture methods to make them renounce Falun Dafa. The torture includes beatings, sleep deprivation, standing for extended times, cuffing the hands and hanging up at the same time, pinching private parts, digging into the eyes, pricking with needles etc., all of which are illegal.

When Mr. Li went on a hunger strike, Zheng Hailing, the head of the management section, was totally unconcerned about these illegal activities. Instead of forwarding Mr. Li's appeal to higher levels or legal organizations, he tied Mr. Li to a special steel chair and force-fed him heavily-salted corn porridge through his nose. The feeding tube was inserted into Li's stomach, which caused heavy bleeding of his nose and stomach (Fg.6).

Fig. 6

The twice per day force-feeding caused Mr. Li to vomit frequently. The torture lasted over 80 days. At the same time, the guards ordered criminal inmates to torture him.

Mr. Li suffered greatly from the torture. His health deteriorated until he was in critical condition. The forced labour camp refused to give him medical attention and prohibited family visits. Guards took him to an isolated area for further torture and withdrew 500 yuan (1) from his bank account. They falsely claimed that they bought nutritious food for him. They also hid or destroyed all medical diagnosis and test records.

3. Mr. Li's Mother Could Not See Him, and All Appeals Were Rebuffed

The news that Li was tortured to the verge of death caused his parents much worry. They approached many governmental offices for help. For more than a year, Mr. Li's mother, who is almost 70 years old, appealed to all related government bureaus. She travelled hundreds of kilometers in more than twenty trips to the forced labour camp to see her son, but was rebuffed every time. Zheng Hailing told her, "Appeal anywhere you like! We don't care!

On March 22, 2004, Mr. Li's parents arrived at the Camp and asked again to see their son, but were again rebuffed.

On April 19, Mr. Li' mother talked to police brigade head Du Xinze of the Changyi Police Branch. Du said he knew nothing about the issue and suggested that Mr. Li's mother talk to the Weichang Police Station. At the Weichang Police Station, Mr. Li's mother talked with police officer Yang Zaidi, who was in charge of the case, but Yang just tricked Mr. Li's mother into signing the "Notice of Forced Labour Camp Detention."

On April 20, Mr. Li's mother went to the Jiutai Forced Labour Camp. She was told, "Falun Gong practitioners are under intensive monitoring and family visits are not allowed, especially if the family members are also practitioners. All visitors are forced to denounce Falun Gong before a visit is allowed."

On April 23, Mr. Li's parents feared that their son would be tortured to death, so they appealed to Wang Yunkun, the Communist Party Secretary of Jilin Province. Wang did not show up. Instead, Li Xinhui, deputy head of the provincial "610 Office"(2) and clerk Huang showed up with over ten police officers. The officers held electric batons and wireless speakers in their hands and threatened to arrest Mr. Li's parents. The police officers left only after Li's parents resisted with righteous words.

On May 11, Mr. Li's mother and brother-in-law went to the camp for a visit, but only his brother-in-law was allowed to see him. Mr. Li was pallid, emaciated, and very weak. He said he suffered frequent lung and liver pains, and asked for a physical check up.

On May 21, Mr. Li's mother and a lawyer went to the Camp, but only the lawyer was allowed to meet with him. Mr. Li wanted to sue for the following causes:

1. Police officers tortured him during interrogation
2. The "evidence" mentioned in the "forced labour camp detention sentence" was fabricated.

On May 26, Mr. Li's mother and the lawyer went to the forced labour camp and requested a physical check up of Mr. Li. The Camp acquiesced and said that a test could be done the following day at the Police Department Hospital.

On May 27, when Mr. Li's mother and the lawyer arrived at the Camp, the Camp officers said a physical check needed an approval from the resident procurator at the Camp. The procurator was not at the camp that day, so the officers asked the mother and lawyer to come the following week.

On June 3, 2004, Mr. Li's mother and the lawyer went to the Camp to ask about his physical. Three brigade heads were at the meeting. Head Gao and another brigade head took the lawyer aside for a talk and head Zhao talked with Li's mother. Zhao told her to stop her appeals; otherwise Mr. Li's term might be extended for 1/3 of the current term. The lawyer told Mr. Li's mother that officers threatened him, asked why he took this case and asked how he thought he could win. The lawyer said it's a lawyers' duty and that Mr. Li Wenjun was in the right.

Once the camp leaders realized that their tactics did not work, they asked for a 1,000 yuan deposit, and said that the issue would be discussed later.

On June 14, the lawyer called head Gao to ask about the physical check up. Gao replied that since Mr. Li had been sent to the intensively monitored group, he was no longer his responsibility.

On June 15, Li's mother and the lawyer went to the Camp, but were told that Mr. Li was under intensive monitoring, and no visits were allowed.

In the afternoon on June 15, Mr. Li's mother appealed to the Jiutai Court. Court officers told her that they did not accept cases related to Falun Gong and Mr. Li's mother should appeal locally.

On July 6, Mr. Li' parents went to the Camp and asked to see their son, but were rebuffed. After repeated requests, Mr. Li's parents were told that he was being force-fed three times a day, was given injections, and that he might die at any time.

On July 8, Mr. Li's parents went to the head of the Camp to ask for a meeting with their son. After repeated urging and arguments, the parents met Mr. Li. It was found that he was extremely weak. He told his parents that he was force-fed twice a day. His parents asked that their son be granted emergency medical release, but Zheng Hailing, the head of the management section, told them: "He went on a hunger strike for no reason. Therefore we won't grant the medical emergency release."

On July 19, Mr. Li's parents asked the Camp to release him, but Zheng Hailing said "No."

On July 26, Mr. Li's parents appealed at the Jilin City Procurator. The administrative office asked them to talk to the police department first.

On July 29, Mr. Li's parents wrote a letter to the Appeals Office of Jilin Province but received no response.

On August 4, Mr. Li's parents appealed at the Appeals Office of the Jilin City Police Department, and were told to wait for a phone call within one week.

On August 10, Mr. Li's parents checked with the Appeals Office, and were told that the case number had not come up yet.

On August 13, Mr. Li's parents called the Appeal Office of the police department, and were told to talk with the Changyi Police Branch.

On August 17, Mr. Li's parents went to the Changyi Police Branch, but were told to go to the Forced Labour Camp Department of the City Legal Bureau.

On August 25, Mr. Li's parents went to the forced labour camp, but were refused visiting rights. They went the same day to the head of the City Legal Bureau, but were met by section head Bai and clerk Li, who told Li's parents to go home and wait for a phone call.

On September 13, Mr. Li's mother went to the Camp, but was told Li was in isolation and no visiting was allowed.

In the afternoon on September 13, Mr. Li's mother went to the Legal Bureau and met with section head Bai Liang. When she asked why they had not heard anything. Bai told them that he had called Zheng Hailing of the Forced Labor Camp on August 25, and Zhang said that Mr. Li was no longer on a hunger strike. Mr. Li's mother said he was on hunger strike on September 4 and asked why the officers lied.

On September 17, clerk Li from the Forced Labor Camp department called and said he talked in person with Mr. Li for half an hour at the camp on September 16. Clerk Li said Mr. Li Wenjun was in the recovery stage, and said the details should be discussed with the camp.

On September 21, Mr. Li's parents went to the camp. Zhang Hailing did not allow them to see their son, and did not even give them a copy of the medical diagnosis record.

On October 10, Mr. Li's parents went to the Weichang Police Station to ask for their son's release, but the police head said he was being detained at the forced labour camp, and that it was out of his hands. The police head arranged for Mr. Li's parents to talk to the 610 Office. The 610 Office officers said that they just made policy and did not arrest people. They suggested that Mr. Li's parents go to the police department. When Mr. Li's parents arrived at the Legal Bureau, officers said that the valid appeal date had passed, and asked them to talk with the police department. At the Review Office of the City Police Department, officers told them the acceptance date had passed, and asked the parents to appeal at the Appeals Office of the police department.

On October 18, Mr. Li's parents went to the Camp to request a meeting with their son. Zheng Hailing refused.

On October 24, Mr. Li's parents went to the Appeals Office of the Jinlin People's Congress. Officers accepted a letter and asked them to go home and wait.

On October 26, Mr. Li's parents called section head Bai at the forced labour camp and asked for an explanation of why they could not visit their son. Bai said he would check and get back to them.

On November 11, the parents checked at the Appeals Office of the People's Congress. Clerk Liu said the case has been transferred to the Forced Labour Camp Management Committee in the Legal Bureau. Therefore, the parents hurried there. Clerk Yu met them and said he had read the case, did think it was unfair, but that it was out of their area. Yu arranged for Li's parents to talk with head Wang of the Legal Execution Supervision Department of the City Government.

On November 12, Mr. Li's parents met with Wang. Wang said that the review period had passed and asked Li's parents to talk with the City Court. The City Court said since the review period had passed, and it was out of the law's domain. They no longer had any responsibility.

On November 15, Mr. Li's parents went to the camp and asked to see their son. Zheng Hailing did not give permission. Zheng also refused to give the parents the physical test report.

On November 23, Mr. Li's mother went to the Jilin City Police Department to check on whether her son's case was under review and was told that it was out of their domain. Therefore, she went to the Forced Labour Camp Management Committee at the Legal Bureau of Jilin City, where she talked with provincial Police Bureau staff.

On November 25, 2004, she went to the Review Section of the provincial Police Bureau, and was told that the due date had passed and the case would no longer be under consideration. The same day, Mr. Li's mother appealed to the head of the Forced Labour Camp Bureau. The head told her that Falun Gong practitioners are not allowed to visit a camp detainee. The rule came from the Bureau. Anyone who did not agree with this rule should appeal to the Procurator and the False Case Correction Office of the People's Congress.

On November 26, Mr. Li's mother sent appeal materials to the Appeals Office of the Jilin Province Procurator, but the office refused to accept the materials.

On December 10, when Mr. Li's mother called the responsible Jilin Province Bureau, the staff refused to accept the case. Mr. Li' mother then went to the police department, the Legal Bureau and the Jilin City Procurator Office. None of the officials accepted responsibility. The Jilin City Procurator said that the police department had created the problem, and that the procurator did not take care of Falun Gong related issues.

On December 15, Mr. Li's mother visited the Case Monitoring Office at the Jilin City Court, but officers said they did not accept Falun Gong related cases, and that she should appeal to the province or to Beijing Central government.

On December 24 and 27, she went to the Camp to ask to meet her son, but was rebuffed. Zheng Hailing simply refused her request.

In October 2004, Mr. Li's father called the Mayor's Office. The officers on the phone said the city government does not take care of Falun Gong related issue.

Mr. Li's parents got the run around wherever they went.

4. An Open Letter Written by Mr. Li Wenjun to the Resident Procurator at the Forced Labour Camp

The following are some paragraphs from the letter.

"My name is Li Wenjun. I have been detained at the Jiutai Yinmahe Forced Labour Camp since April 16, 2004. I suffered serious mental and physical injuries because of the unlawful detention. If it were not for the persecution, I would live a normal life, and contribute to the prosperity of society with my hard work. In this vicious persecution, millions of Falun Gong practitioners who believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance have been defamed and mistreated. The Falun Gong exercises are prohibited. Yet, Falun Gong was responsible for millions of people attaining good health through the practice."

"Since I am persistent in my belief in Falun Dafa, and want to let people know what Falun Dafa really is, I appealed to the government and clarified the truth to people. But I was arrested and detained. Kindness will always be kindness. Even though I suffered a lot, I will still tell people that Falun Dafa is good. The true hope of humankind is to wake up to the true kind nature of a human being."

"The reasons why I do not agree with my sentence are as follows:

1. My moral level is higher than those who arrested and sentenced me. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, they have no right to determine my fate.
2. Police officers illegally arrested me and tortured me during the interrogation. As law enforcers, they broke the law and violated my human rights.
3. The forced labour camp sentencing is not based on any legal precedent.
4. Although suffering torture, I appealed under existing law and went on peaceful hunger strike to resist the persecution. The forced labour camp did not report my case to upper management or submit my appeal to the respective officials. On the contrary, they sent me into the intensively monitored group for more serious persecution. They brutally force-fed me twice a day for over 80 days, which affected my health. Officers in the camp also coerced criminal detainees to torture me.
5. As I was brutally beaten and tortured over a long time, I suffer from frequent dizziness, as well as liver and lung pain. My family requested a physical to be done, but the camp officers delayed it, and did not turn over copies of the diagnosis record to my family.
6. During the period when I was force-fed, the management section in the Camp withdrew 500 yuan from my account without my permission. This kind of unlawful behaviour should be stopped and investigated.

Relevant phone numbers:

(Note: for home or office phone numbers, dial country code + area code before all numbers. For mobile phone numbers, dial country code before the numbers. Country code of China: 86, area code: 432)

The Weichang Police Station, Changyi Police Branch, Jilin City (zip code: 132001): 86-432-2409514

Head, Li Jifeng, Jiang Hongbin, Police officers, Bai Gang, Li Jiping, Yang Zaidi

The Jilin City Political and Judicial Committee: #86, Beijing Road, Jilin 132084, Tel. 86-432-2010465(office), 2010458(secretary), "610 Office", 86-432-2010610, 2010612

The Jiutai Forced Labor Camp, Director's Office, 2511058; Resident procurator's office,2511261; Discipline Section, 2511834

(1) Yuan: 500 yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.

(2) “610 Office” : 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.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/1/20/93866.html