Four Falun Dafa Practitioners in Hubei Province Die as a Result of Persecution

Mr. Guo Jitang was born on October 28th, 1952. He learned Falun Dafa in 1998. He lived in Zhengyuan Village, near Wuhan City in Hubei Province. While he was explaining the true situation of Falun Gong to the local residents in April 2005, people deceived by the propaganda reported him and Mr. Guo was therefore severely beaten by the police. In great agony, Guo Jitang succumbed to his injuries on the night of April 25th, 2005. According to Mr. Guo's family, his body was badly beaten and was fully covered with bruises and blood. His clothes were torn apart.

Mr. Li Zhijia, 49, was a Falun Dafa practitioner in Hanchuan City, Hubei Province. He started practising Falun Dafa in 1997. In October 1999, he went to appeal for justice for Falun Gong in Beijing. He was detained for more than four months and had over 2,000 yuan¹ extorted from him. In June 2000, Li Zhijia once again went to Beijing to appealand was again arrested and detained for several months. In August 2001, Mr. Li was distributing materials exposing the persecution and was arrested and sentenced to the Shayang Forced Labour Camp for a year after he was reported to the police. During his forced labour term, he was severely persecuted. He developed stomach disease, which steadily worsened. After he was released, Li Zhijia was forcibly taken by agents from the local 610 Office² to a brainwashing centre. The guards in the centre continuously harassed him which caused his stomach disease to deteriorate further. Mr. Li passed away on March 3rd, 2006.

Mr. Zhou Wenchao, 36, was a Falun Dafa practitioner in Hanchuan City of Hubei Province. He had various illnesses including Hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis before he started the practice. His illnesses were cured after his regular practice of Falun Dafa in 1996. He felt he had gained many benefits through practising Falun Dafa. He therefore wanted to appeal when Falun Dafa was violently persecuted in 1999. He went to Beijing to appeal for justice in April 2000, and was arrested by the local police and detained for more than forty days. Mr. Zhou was extorted out of more than 2,000 yuan. The police continued to harass him until he became mentally unstable. He was in that state for a long time. Eventually, his liver illness recurred. Zhou Wenchao passed away on August 6th, 2005.

Another Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Yang Cuixian, who lived in Liuge Town, Hanchuan City of Hubei Province, also had various illnesses before she practised Falun Dafa. She regained her health after she started the practice. When the persecution began in 1999, the Liuge Police Station attempted to send Ms. Yang to a brainwashing class but failed. Since then, Yang Cuixian was constantly harassed. Her son-in-law was sent to a forced labour camp. Many other members of her daughter's family were also detained and persecuted by the brutal Party for a long time. Ms. Yang's body and mind were traumatised by the ongoing persecution against her and her family, and she passed away in early 2006.

Note

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

2. "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.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/4/17/125415.html