Appeal Letter to the Heilongjiang Province Superior Court

To the Chief Justice of the Heilongjiang Province Superior Court:

My name is Yao Yuming. I am a 54-year-old woman. My hometown is in Hanjia Gold Mining District of Huma County. Because I practise Falun Gong, I have been sentenced by the Huma County Court, and I am currently imprisoned in the Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison.

I was sent by coercion to the Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison on September 12th, 2003. During the prison health inspection, I was found to have a high cardiac pressure of 260 and a low of 140. The prison declined to accept me initially, but the chief inspector of the police station who brought me to the prison managed to persuade the prison officials. Several criminals forcefully injected me with drugs at the medical centre. One of them told me that the inspector had said to them, "Give her a 'free' injection." Even today, I have been unable to find out what the drug is that was injected into my body.

After being sent to one of the groups at the concentration camp, I laid unconscious for three days before regaining consciousness. Three days later, other persecuted practitioners and I were forced to run in the backyard under the scorching sun with guards constantly attacking us with electric batons. The guards also instigated criminals in the camp to beat us. We were then forced to squat several hours on the floor and kicked brutally if we did not comply. I was kicked so hard by guard Wang Liang that I fell unconscious.

I was then sent to a monitored area. Thirty-five practitioners, myself included, were monitored, beaten, verbally attacked and even tied up with rope. Guard Sun Jian shouted at us angrily when we recited books written by our Teacher. On March 9th, 2004, squad leader Cui Hongmei, Xia Fengying, guard Zhou Ying and Deng Yu led twenty criminals, dragging us into the watershed, washrooms and prison cells, where we were tied with our backs to the sides of the beds. Sixteen practitioners who refused to wear prison uniforms as they hadn't broken any law, were tied up and hung with both hands, one hand up and one hand down, tied behind the back and hung up, their feet hovering above the ground. This continued until the practitioners agreed to give in to their commands.

Twelve other practitioners were tied up and hung in a similar fashion for a total of twenty-eight hours on March 18th, 2004. On May 15th, as I refused to squat down and call out my name, I was beaten by some criminals. Shao Hongling stomped on me heavily, causing several injuries on my leg. When the prison inspector came to our cell on May 16th, instead of listening to our appeals, he left after spouting a mouthful of vulgarities. After that, he instigated the squad and guards to hang up fifteen more practitioners until they lost consciousness before being drugged with unknown substances, and hung them up again in the afternoon. We were then forced to pay for the cost of the unknown drug.

On Dec 21st, 2004, guards tied up practitioners Zhang Xiaobo, Guan Shuling, Zhang Lianwen and Zhang Liping and hung them up until they passed out. They were then force-fed and injected with drugs. Their wrists were torn open, and their hands were badly swollen.

Between March and August 2004, we were not allowed to write letters or have visitors, and since March 2nd, 2004, thirty practitioners have been imprisoned in the cell. They were forced to sit on a small bench motionless and be watched by criminals for fourteen to fifteen hours a day. Our human rights have been taken away from us and our physical condition is deteriorating under such brutal treatment. Such actions are totally inconsistent with the rule of law and the Chinese judiciary system. It cannot be allowed to carry on any further. We solemnly ask the Superior Court to uphold justice and punish the guilty individuals.

What crime did Falun Gong cultivators commit by following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance? The genocidal persecution of practitioners cannot be allowed to continue any longer.

Defendants:

Prison Inspector Liu Zhiqiang

Prison Squad Inspectors Cui Hongmei, Xia Fengying

Guards Zhou Ying, Deng Yu, Lu Cuijun, Wang Liang, Sun Jian

Criminals Han Jianying, Liu Chao, Sun Xiuyun, Bai Xiaoli, Man Yuyue, Liu Ying, Shao Hongling

Plaintiffs:

Liu Xuewei, Guan Shuling, Zhang Liping, Chen Weijun, Gen Yafen, Zhang Jing, Zhang Xiaobo, Zhang Lianwen, Yao Yuming

Appellant: Yao Yuming