The Truth Behind the Murder Case Reported in the Tianjin Daily

On the 15th of July, 2005, the Tianjin Daily in China newspaper published the story of the murder of a woman by her husband Li Yanzhong. The newspaper falsely claimed that Li Yanzhong is a Falun Gong practitioner. We spoke with Li Yanzhong's colleagues, his mother's friend and his neighbours. Our independent investigation uncovered the following facts:

Li Yanzhong lives at the Jingxia Company residential compound at the Dagang Oil Field. He didn't get along with his wife, who had an affair. Li Yanzhong met his wife's lover and was beside himself with fury. On the night of the murder, his wife again didn't return home. Li Yanzhong phoned her and asked her to come home, but she refused. When Li Yanzhong met her he then killed her.

It was learnt that Li Yanzhong drank alcohol that night. Li Yanzhong's colleagues said he often acted strangely. His father was a mental patient and passed away a long time ago. Prior to when the persecution against Falun Gong started on July 20th, 1999, Li Yanzhong's mother read Falun Gong books but did not pay much attention to the practise. Although she wasn't practising Falun Gong she still kept her Falun Gong books at home, which explains the 610 Office* claim in the Tianjin Daily, "Falun Gong books were found at murderer Li Yanzhong's home." *The 610 office is 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

A taxi driver who spoke on condition of anonymity said the murder had to do with Li Yanzhong being traumatised over his wife's affair, and that the only reason Li claimed to be a Falun Gong practitioner was because the government promised to exempt him from the death penalty if he did.

Dagang Oil Field TV also reported the murder. It cited a domestic conflict and didn't mention Falun Gong.

People at the Jingxia Company who used to practise Falun Gong said they've never heard about Li Yanzhong practising Falun Gong and had never seen him at the Falun Dafa exercise classes, yet, the Tianjin Daily claimed he had been practising Falun Gong for nine years.

Li Yanzhong not only suffered from a mental illness but he also has a family history of mental illness. The teachings of Falun Gong discourage those who are mentally ill from practising Falun Gong. Furthermore, genuine Falun Gong practitioners do not drink alcohol, and Falun Gong books clearly state that practitioners are forbidden from killing. If Li Yanzhong has been practising Falun Gong for nine years, why would he drink alcohol and kill someone?

The report in Tianjin Daily also stated, "Li Yanzhong said himself, 'At the time, my mind was filled with the thought to kill; my thoughts were controlled by evil beings and I felt I no longer had control over them; they controlled my head and told me to do things such as kill others and kill myself."

People with some medical knowledge can tell this is a typical scenario of a mental patient having an episode of psychosis. Regardless of whether or not Li Yanzhong has been diagnosed with a mental illness, his narration clearly proves himself to be a mentally ill person.

Many people at the Dagang Oil Field were angry after reading this slanderous report. They said, "Falun Gong is very good; this has nothing to do with Falun Gong. Why do they blame everything on Falun Gong?" It's obvious that the Chinese Communist Party's lies can no longer fool people and the farce only exposes its baseness.

Falun Gong practitioners' persistent efforts to let people know the truth about the practise has helped many people learn that Falun Gong teaches people to be good.