Two Practitioners from Hubei Province Died in 2002 After Being Forced to Give Up Falun Gong

Mr. Liu Hongfa, born in 1957, was a Falun Gong practitioner from the Salt Mine in Yingcheng City, Hubei Province. He started to practise Falun Gong in 1996. Before practising Falun Gong, Liu Hongfa suffered from multiple diseases, including high blood pressure. He was irritable by nature and often cursed and beat his wife. After practising Falun Gong, Liu Hongfa benefited in body and mind - he changed his bad temper and his body became strong and healthy. No matter where he was, Liu Hongfa was strict with himself in following the principles of Falun Dafa. His family became harmonious thereafter.

After Jiang Zemin's regime launched the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, Liu Hongfa's family succumbed to the fierce pressure exerted on them by the authorities, and started to interfere with his practice. In April 2001 Liu Hongfa's workplace forced him to attend a three-month brainwashing class and forced him to write the "Three Statements" (1) denouncing the practice. After he returned from the brainwashing class, the pressure on his family increased, so they heightened their interference with his practice. They didn't allow Mr. Liu to do the exercises or contact other practitioners. When he came home from work, day or night, his family would not allow him a moment's peace, so he could not study the teachings or exercise for a long time. This caused a relapse in his high blood pressure. On October 3, 2002, his family sent him to the hospital for treatment, but he passed away on October 10, 2002.

Ms. Hao Fengru, a resident of Sanhe City, Hebei Province, passed away at age 55 due to the persecution. Hao Fengru suffered a severe heart attack in 1994. From that point on she was continuously on medication until she began to practise Falun Gong in 1996. Then her body became strong and healthy, her character was open and clear, and she could even do housework once again. In May 2000, Hao Fengru went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Dafa for the second time. The police arrested her and held her in the detention centre for over 20 days. During her detention, the prison police shocked her sensitive areas and beat her face, and did not permit family visits. Hao Fengru and other Falun practitioners went on a collective hunger strike in protest of the persecution. In July 2000, Hao Fengru again went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa. After she was arrested and sent back, the police refused to allow her family to visit her until they paid a bail fee and signed a "Guarantee Statement" (2) that she would stop practicing.

In the following years, because Hao Fengru's family was afraid of being implicated and persecuted by the authorities, they would not let other practitioners or friends visit her. Anyone who came to her home was verbally abused and driven away by her family members. They also interfered with her practice. When physical symptoms of illness surfaced, Hao Fengru's family quickly sent her to the hospital. She was supervised day and night, completely isolated from the outside world, and unable to study the Falun Dafa teachings, exercise, or contact other practitioners. Without a normal cultivation environment, she suffered tremendous mental pressure and fell ill for one year. Ms. Hao Fengru passed away in July 2002.

Note:

(1) "Three Statements": Practitioners are coerced under brainwashing and torture to write "Repentance Statement," "Guarantee Statement" or 'Dissociation Statement" as proof that they have given up their belief. In the statement, the practitioner is forced to admit remorse for practising Falun Gong, promise to give up Falun Gong, and never again associate with other practitioners or go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.

(2) "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/2/6/94940.html