73-Year-Old Ms. Gao Yumei from Shandong Province Dies as a Result of Persecution

Ms. Gao Yumei was a 73-year-old Dafa practitioner from Qishui Town, Qishui County, Shandong Province. In order to avoid long-term harassment, having her home ransacked, and arrest, she was forced to become homeless. She passed away on February 20th, 2006.

Gao Yumei used to have very severe diabetes and could not take care of herself. After she began the practice of Falun Gong in 1996, her diabetes disappeared and she became a healthy person. She often went to rural areas to promote Dafa using her own experience.

After the persecution began on July 20th, 1999, Gao Yumei explained the true situation of Falun Dafa to people. She went to Beijing several times to appeal for Dafa. As a result, her home was ransacked, and she was arrested and fined many times. She was forced to leave home several times. In February 2000, along with two dozen fellow practitioners, she was arrested and sent to Qishui Town police station. The chief persecutors there were Li Hongwei, Qishui Town Comprehensive Administration Office Director, and He Fajiang, Qishui Town Political and Legal Committee Secretary.

In October 2000, 23 practitioners, including Gao Yumei were detained in Gezhuang Middle School and forced to undergo brainwashing. Gao Yumei was brutally beaten by Li Hongwei and could not eat anything afterwards. She became extremely weak. Li Hongwei and his accomplices did not want to take any responsibility so they released her. However, about 10 days later she was sent back to the brainwashing class to be tortured some more. The thugs each held a tree branch in their hands and whipped practitioners hard with them. No one knows how many tree branches were broken during the beatings. The thugs also forced practitioners to run laps or do other types of strenuous exercises every day. Each time they would beat the last two practitioners who fell behind with tree branches. Practitioners Liu Minghai and Tian Fukui intentionally fell behind every time to protect other practitioners. The two of them were beaten numerous times by Ruan Bo and Song Dewang.

Later, Gao Yumei's house was demolished by the authorities and the local street committee did not give her any shelter. She had to live with her son. However, they still frequently went to her son's home to harass the whole family. She then moved to her cousin's home but her cousin's family was harassed as well. Even their neighbours were harassed.

In order not to bring trouble to her family, Gao Yumei began her long-term homeless life in 2002. She often did not have enough to eat or a good place to live. Her body was severely damaged. Pus and blood came out of her body. In the end she could not even walk or take in anything. On February 20th, 2006, she passed away. She never wavered in her belief in Dafa.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/5/18/128126.html