Mr. Tang Deliang and His Wife Wang Hongmei Sentenced to Six and a Half Years in Prison

Mr. Tang Deliang and Ms. Wang Hongmei are farmers from Huiguang Village,Tongnan County, Chongqing City. The couple has been repeatedly arrested, detained, and sent to forced labour camps because they practise Falun Dafa. In August 2003, Mr. Tang and his wife were arrested at a Falun Gong centre producing leaflets exposing the persecution. They were sentenced to six and a half years in prison. The following is a summary of the persecution they have suffered, with some supplementary information. (Their stories have been published on Clearwisdom between 2003 and 2004.)

Mr. Tang Deliang was born on October 19, 1966. He had a short temper and often quarrelled with his wife. After he started practising Falun Gong in February 1999, he no longer had a bad temper and his relationship with his wife became harmonious.

Ms. Wang Hongmei was born on April 24, 1970. She worked in Guangzhou before 1999. She used to suffer from chronic headaches and sought medical treatments with no results. When someone first introduced Falun Gong to Ms. Wang, she did not believe in the health benefits of the practice. Later, however, she witnessed the changes in her husband, and also started to practise Falun Gong herself. Soon, her illness went away.

First Arrest

In April 2000, Mr. Tang and Ms. Wang were abducted from their home because their home was a location for practitioners to get together and study the Falun Dafa teachings. Both husband and wife were sent to the Tongnan County Police Department. Police sent them to a detention centre. Ms. Wang was released seven days after being detained, and her husband was released after 15 days. At the time, their son was in school.

Second Round of Arrest

In August 2000, Mr. Tang was abducted and taken to the county detention centre. On August 25, he was sentenced to one year in a forced laboer camp and was sent to the Xishanping Laboer Camp in Beipei, Chongqing. After serving one year, his term was illegally extended for another 10 months. During his incarceration, the guards and criminal inmates tortured Mr. Tang. He was viciously beaten by guard Gao Ding and others. After several months of torment, he could not bear the pain anymore. On February 23, 2001, he wrote a repentance statement to give up Falun Gong against his will. He was released in April of 2002. Mr. Tang deeply regretted his mistake and later published a solemn declaration on the internet to void the repentance statement he wrote.

On January 14, 2001, Falun Gong posters were found in their town. The police suspected that Ms. Wang was involved, arrested her and took her to the police station. Yang Zhi, deputy director at the police station, viciously beat and kicked Ms. Wang. They tortured her in an attempt to have her reveal the names of other practitioners who were involved. Ms. Wang did not cooperate with them. On January 15, she was sent to the police station. Zhang Liang, Head of Section 1, did not give her food or let her sleep for two straight days. But Ms. Wang still did not give in. She was later transferred to the Tongnan Detention Centre. On September 10, 2001, she was sent to the Maojiashan Women's Labour Camp to serve a two-year-sentence. Ms. Wang was released in August 2002. Under intense physical and mental pressure, she was forced to write a guarantee statement to give up practising.. Later, she published a declaration to void the statement. Ms. Wang was forced into homelessness because the police continued to harass her at home.

Third Round of Arrest

After Mr. Tang was released from the labour camp in April 2002, he was immediately arrested again and taken back to the Tongnan County Detention Centre for two months. His mother gave the police 800 yuan (1)(which she borrowed) as a "guarantee fee" in order to gain his release. Later, Mr. Tang also had to leave home to avoid further persecution. There were over 10 practitioners arrested at the same time that he was.

In August 2003, both husband and wife were arrested at a Falun Gong materials production site in Suining City, Sichuan Province. It was said that the police had maintained surveillance of the place for a month. On August 11, Mr. Tang and another practitioner, Ms. Zhang Zhenghua were arrested at Chuanzhong Vegetable Market. Both Mr. Tang and Ms. Zhang were handcuffed. Later, the police went back to the site and arrested Ms. Wang Hongmei. Six police vehicles arrived at the materials production site. They confiscated one computer, one printer, one television set, two copy machines and some leaflets exposing the persecution. The couple was detained at the Linquansi Detention Centre where they were brutally tortured.

In September 2004, both husband and wife were sentenced to six and a half years in prison. Currently, Ms. Wang is detained at Yangmahe Women's Prison in Jianyang City, Sichuan Province. Mr. Tang was sent to Guangyuan Prison. Their elderly parents are farmers. In addition to financial hardship and being separated from their loved ones, they are also under intense pressure from the authorities. They have not yet visited Mr. Tang or Ms. Wang in prison, so the couple's current situation is unknown.

Ms. Zhang Zhenghua was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. She was sent to prison in November 2004. Her current situation is unknown.

Current Situation of the Couple's Young Son

Tang Deling and Wang Hongmei have a son, Tang Lie, who is 11 years old. He was born on July 17, 1994. He is currently living with his grandparents in a rural area. Their living conditions are poor.

Related Articles

List of Falun Gong Practitioners Illegally Sentenced in Suining City, Sichuan Province

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/11/11/54427.html

The Atrocities Committed at the Xishanping Forced Labor Camp in Chongqing

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/6/18/49308.html

Facts of the Persecution of Practitioners in Suining City, Sichuan Province During the Past Two Years

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/3/23/58714.html

Dafa Practitioners Resist Persecution with their Righteous Thoughts in Guangyuan Prison, Sichuan Province

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/3/13/58408.html

Note:

(1) "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/4/10/99280.html