Family Still Seeking Justice One Year After Falun Dafa Practitioner Jiang Yong's Torture Death

Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Jiang Yong, 46 years old, lived in Guangming Village, Xingfu Township, Changchun City, Jilin Province. He was tortured to death in July 2004. The perpetrators were from the Changchun City Police Department Security Division and from the Tiebei Detention Centre. Jiang Yong's body was covered with injuries. A scar around his neck indicates where a rope had been. Many black and blue patches of skin were found on his body. His eyes were open, his eyelids dark blue, and a big patch of skin of his chest was bleached to cover up congealed blood and as a result appeared strangely white. Blood and foam were found in the corner of his mouth.

Perpetrators from the Tiebei Detention Centre presented his family with a fake death certificate that reads, "Sudden illness, rescue efforts failed." Jiang Yong's family angrily pointed out the discrepancies in the document and refused to let the police cremate Jiang Yong's body. The police forbade Jiang Yong's family from photographing the body and hit them. Jiang Yong's family demanded an investigation into the true cause of death and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Jiang Yong's body is still stored at the Changchun City Postmortem Examination Centre. His family is not allowed access to his body.

More details of Jiang Yong's story follow:

Illegal past-term detention at the Fenjin Forced Labour Camp in Changchun City; righteous thoughts and righteous actions, despite incarceration

After Jiang Yong started practising Falun Dafa in 1998, he conducted himself according to "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." He was sincere and kind, and took his reputation and interests lightly. He underwent great changes for the better.

With firm belief in Dafa, Jiang Yong went to Beijing four times to appeal for Falun Dafa, and each time after his return, he shared his experience with fellow practitioners and encouraged them to step forward. Inspired by his righteous belief, many practitioners went to Beijing Tiananmen Square to appeal.

On July 20th 2000, Mr. Jiang Yong went to Beijing to appeal. He was arrested and sent to the Tiebei Detention Centre, where the guards savagely beat him. He refused to write the guarantee statement (1) and refused to watch Dafa-slandering TV programmes. Later, he was sentenced to one year of forced labour, eventually extended by nine months. He was sent to the Fenjin Forced Labour Camp in Changchun City.

At the labour camp, Jiang Yong, Liu Chengjun (who was later tortured to death) and Liang Zhenxing (who was given a heavy prison sentence and is now being held at the No. 2 Prison in Jilin City) were ruthlessly tortured for persisting in their belief. The guards tortured them with "Sitting the Board" for long periods of time. (2) Furthermore, the guards beat and kicked them, shocked them with electric batons and brainwashed them. Once, when the perpetrators held a so-called "reform meeting," Jiang Yong stood up and shouted, "Falun Dafa is good!" The guards beat him without mercy and detained him in solitary confinement. Jiang Yong developed scabies during detention, which caused unbearable itching and pain. The labour camp authorities refused to release him when his term expired and demanded money from his family. Jiang Yong told his family to absolutely not comply with the extortion attempt.

Around August 2001, Jiang Yong was unconditionally released after enduring over one year of persecution. During his detention, his non-practitioner wife even left home to tell the truth in support of Dafa. She was arrested and sent to a labour camp. Their child was left home alone, uncared for.

Jiang Yong again went to Beijing later on to appeal again. He was then sent to a Beijing Detention Centre. Because he refused to give his name and address, the guards beat him and shocked him with electric batons. They poured hydrogen peroxide on his genitals and force-fed him. Jiang Yong could not move and laid on the bare concrete floor. He broke free of his captors after holding an 18-day hunger strike.

Second arrest while in exile; force-feeding and torture imposed

After Jiang Yong returned from the labour camp, perpetrators form the local police department often harassed him at his home. Jiang Yong chose to leave home to avoid further persecution.

On October 26th 2002, Jiang Yong was arrested in Dehui City by perpetrators from the Luyuan Police Department in Changchun City. At Luyuan Police Department, the officers tortured him with the "Big Hang Up" as the guards handcuffed him with his hands behind his back, hung him up by his hands and swung him violently. A few minutes of this torture results in excruciating pain and profuse sweating. They also tortured him with the Tiger Bench (3). They also subjected him to electric shock and force-feeding with a saline solution.

Jiang Yong was eventually sent to the Tiebei Detention Centre in Changchun City for unlawful incarceration, along with practitioners Sun Qian, Zhang Wenfeng and others. He held a hunger strike there and the guards ordered inmates to brutally force-feed him. The inmates hit his stomach and force-fed him with large amount of salt and a little food. After 22 days of such savage torture, Jiang Yong's condition deteriorated drastically and he vomited large amounts of blood. The detention centre authorities were afraid of taking responsibility and sent him to a hospital. He was in critical condition. The detention centre authorities told his family through the local police department to take him home.

After recovering at home for a while, Jiang Yong was again compelled to go into exile.

One evening in early December 2003, Fan Yongshun, an officer from the Xingfu County Police Department in Nanguan District, led a few police officers and went to Jiang's home. They broke into Jiang Yong's home and ransacked it. Of course, no legal process was followed. Jiang Yong was not home at the time, so they could not arrest him.

Changchun City Police Department Security Division perpetrators follow Jiang Yong and subject him to inhumane torture

On April 13th 2004, Wang Liwen, head of the Changchun City Police Department Security Division, led the division to follow and arrest Jiang Yong. They tortured him with the Tiger Bench, the Big Hang-up, and extended electric shock abuse. They hammered bamboo sticks into Jiang Yong's fingers, force-fed him hot-pepper water, and wrapped his head in a plastic bag to suffocate him. Jiang Yong lost consciousness many times during the torture. Seven other practitioners arrested along with Jiang Yong were also tortured. Practitioner Guo Wenshuai sustained a broken spine from the beatings.

After eight days of nonstop torture, Jiang Yong was at the brink of death, yet the perpetrators refused to release him. On April 21st they took him to Jilin Province Labour Reeducation Hospital and held him there for over a month. On May 26th Jiang Yong was transferred to the Tiebei Detention Centre in Changchun City.

Abuse and torture led to death; Jiang Yong's eyes were open at death; his body was covered with injuries

Jiang Yong was further tortured at the Tiebei Detention Centre. The guards encouraged the inmates to abuse Jiang Yong physically and mentally, in an effort to cause as much anguish as possible. Jiang Yong constantly faced the threat of death. He firmly resisted the persecution and held a hunger strike. His condition worsened drastically. His family went to the detention centre many times and asked to see him, but their request was flatly denied.

At 8:00 p.m. on July 4th 2004, Tiebei Detention Centre authorities told Jiang Yong's family, "Jiang Yong had a sudden bout of illness and passed away after rescue efforts failed." They made up a death certificate. When Jiang Yong's family saw his body, they saw a purple scar around his neck where a rope may have been, numerous black and blue patches of skin on his chest and back, his eyes wide open, blood leaking from his mouth when his body was turned over, and his anus padded with tissue paper. Jiang Yong, a once brawny and healthy man, was skin and bones after hunger strikes, force-feeding and savage torture. More than 40 police officers present stopped his family from photographing the body. They snatched a camera from Jiang Yong's family and beat the family members.

Jiang Yong's family pointed out, "Medical common sense tells us that blood leaking from the mouth indicates internal damage, and black and blue colouration on the body undoubtedly indicates physical trauma. His anus was padded with tissue paper and the police doesn't allow any photographs to be taken. The detention centre claims 'death from sudden illness;' if this is true, what is wrong with taking a few pictures?"

The next day, when Jiang Yong's family saw his body for the second time, they found that blood had been wiped from the mouth and a large patch of skin of the chest had been bleached to cover up congealed blood, so that it appeared purplish-white. The eyes were closed, and the eyelids were dark blue. Rubbing alcohol, surgical cotton and other medical items were found in the morgue. The previous evidence on the scene had been destroyed, which reveals the attempt to destroy evidence and evade justice on the part of the Security Division and the Tiebei Detention Centre.

The Tiebei Detention Centre authorities wanted to cremate the body, but Jiang Yong's family firmly refused and urged an investigation into the true cause of death. They also demanded to have the perpetrators brought to justice. The Tiebei Detention Centre authorities saw that Jiang Yong's family was very much determined, so they claimed, "Jiang Yong was at the brink of death when he was brought here; we didn't know about it then." The Security Division said, "We are not responsible for his death! It's the Tiebei Detention Centre." They passed the ball back and forth and refused to take responsibility.

Because Jiang Yong's family staunchly opposed cremation, Jiang Yong's body remained at the Changchun City Postmortem Examination Centre for over a year.

Meanwhile, the perpetrators sent a thug to Jiang Yong's family, who said, "We'll pay you 100,000 yuan (4) to shut up and forget about this." His family refused. Recently, his family demanded to see their loved one's body, but Zhao, head of the Tiebei Detention Centre and Wu, the head secretary, made up excuses and refused. They also told his family, "An autopsy must be performed in order to find out the cause of death." We can only assume they plan to destroy evidence of a crime through an "autopsy."

Calling for justice and conscience; punish the real culprits

Jiang Yong's family was devastated by his death. His sister Jiang Shufang went between the detention centre, the police department and a private lawyer many times. She was emotionally and physically drained and passed away on March 2nd 2005 from a sudden heart attack. They left behind their mother, who is blind in both eyes and in her 80s. The mother does not know to this day that her son has died.

Jiang Yong's tragedy is only one of many cases in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. The great majority of the truth about the persecution is concealed and kept from the public. Torture and murder are taking place all the time inside labour camps, prisons, detention centres, brainwashing classes and mental hospitals in China. Words fail to describe the suffering inflicted on Falun Gong practitioners and their families during this catastrophe.

We sincerely ask individuals and organisations to please pay attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Extend a helping hand in ending the torture and murder; bring the real culprits to the courts and restore justice.

Changchun City Police Department
Address: No. 2627 Renminda Street, Zip code: 130051
Main switchboard: 86-431-8986842, 86-431-8986830, 86-431-8908000

Tiebei Detention Centre in Changchun City
Zhao Hongmin: head of detention centre, 86-431-2681954 (Office), 86-431-5910467 (Home)

Fenjin Forced Labour Camp in Changchun City
Address: Caijia Village, Fenjin County, Kuancheng District, Changchun City
Main switchboard: 86-431-2618116, 86-431-2618115, 86-431-2618114, 86-431-2618111, 86-431-2623386, 86-431-2631816, 86-431-2631817

Changchun City Judicial Bureau
Address: No. 55 Minkang Road, Zip code: 130000
Main switchboard: 86-431-8692412, 86-431-8692171
Office: 86-431-8692151, 86-431-8692414

Changchun City Justice Appraisal Centre
Address: No. 87 Minkang Road, Zip code: 130000
Phone: 86-431-8677788

Changchun City Judicial and Legal Committee
Address: No. 78 Renminda Street, Zip code: 130000
Office: 86-431-8951465, 86-431-8991227, 86-431-8991018, 86-431-8991023

Note:

(1) "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.

(2) Every day, practitioners put their hands on top of their laps, with backs straight and sitting on benches 18 hours per day. This continued for over fifty days. The authorities even limited practitioners' toilet use. Because of the long time spent sitting on hard benches, practitioners' buttocks grew big sores that hurt badly. Practitioners could not even urinate normally because of the pain. Because the labour camp was very damp, the police would not allow practitioners to have ventilation or the chance to get some sunlight, and practitioners were locked up for so long, countless red scabies grew on the entire body of the practitioner; they were terribly itchy and painful.

(3) "Tiger Bench": Prisoners are forced to sit on a small iron bench that is approximately 20 cm (6 inches) tall with their knees tied together. With their hands tied behind their backs or sometimes placed on their knees, they are forced to sit straight up and look straight ahead without movement for long periods of time.

(4) "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.ca/mh/articles/2005/8/26/109196.html