Ten-year-old Boy Facing Crisis - Mother Pleads for Release of Boy's Father

Life for ten-year-old Zhang Jiarui in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province is very difficult as his father is unjustly held in a labour camp.

His father Zhang Bin was an employee at the No. 3 Petroleum Chemical Plant of the General Petroleum Chemical Plant in Daqing. He used to indulge in smoking and drinking and as a result was in poor health. His wife Cheng Qinglan, the boy's mother, divorced him in November 1997. Zhang Bin, whose son lived with him, started practising Falun Gong in early 1998, and he quit those unhealthy habits and started taking his responsibility toward his son Zhang Jiarui seriously. He persisted in practising Falun Gong and for the past six years has been persecuted. The General Petroleum Chemical Plant in Daqing illegally cancelled his work contract. Zhang Bin was forced to move out of his home with his son who was five years old at the time. The father was abducted for the second time in December 2004 and is currently being persecuted at the Suihua Forced Labour Camp.

Zhang Jiarui is currently in primary school. His mother Cheng Qinglan said, "He has been living without his father for a long time, and he was discriminated against by his classmates and teachers. He has low self-esteem and is depressed. He has poor grades because of lack of love and attention." Cheng Qinglan asked for the unconditional release of Zhang Bin, Zhang Jiarui's legal guardian, so the boy can have a stable environment. She also demanded that related work units compensate Zhang Bin and her, according to Article 26 and Article 27 of the Compensation Law of the People's Republic of China, for financial loss and emotional distress caused by the persecution during the past few years.

Below is Cheng Qinglan's public letter to the Suihua Forced Labour Camp, an appeal and an application for compensation.

Public Letter to the Suihua Forced Labour Camp

To all authorities and guards at Suihua Forced Labour Camp:

Greetings! I am the ex-wife of Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Bin who is being held at your labour camp. We divorced in 1997 because Zhang Bin used to drink and smoke and was very decadent. Zhang Bin won custody of our son.

Zhang Bin quit the bad habits of drinking and smoking in early 1998. He became positive and healthy, kind and considerate of others. Since 1999 Zhang Bin has been arrested twice. He decided to leave home twice with our son after his release. His work unit illegally cancelled his contract. I had to take over the custody of our son, although I was suffering from numerous illnesses and had no income. The hardships we were forced to endure are hard to describe in words.

In the past few years my son lived without the love of his father. He has lived in fear, prejudice and depression. He missed his father and now earns poor grades as a result. His physical and mental health is severely affected by his father's absence. I have heart disease, kidney stones, dizziness, hypoglycemia and other illnesses. The high expenses associated with my son's schooling have gradually depleted my savings. I have reached my limits, physically, financially and emotionally. I am no longer capable of taking care of my son.

My son and I are having a difficult time sustaining our livelihood. I plead with the Suihua Forced Labour Camp authorities to release Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Bin for humanitarian reasons to help alleviate our situation, so that Zhang Bin can carry out his responsibility as our son's legal guardian.

I have several requests for the labour camp authorities:

Immediately release Zhang Bin, our son's legal guardian.

Ensure Zhang Bin's legal rights of personal safety and rights of life during the time he is detained at Suihua Forced Labour Camp.

If Zhang Bin will not be released in the near future, I ask that the Suihua Forced Labour Camp take over the custody of Zhang Bin's son Zhang Jiarui before Zhang Bin regains freedom.

Zhang Jiarui's mother: Cheng Qinglan

September 1, 2005

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/9/3/109701.html