Four Falun Gong Practitioners Pass Away as a Result of Persecution

Ms. Yu Dingzhu, 64, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Wuhan City, Hubei Province. She was an associate professor at Hubei University. She went to Beijing in 2000 to appeal for justice for Falun Gong and was intercepted on her way there. She was thrown into a cage and tortured. In November 2004, her university sent her to a brainwashing centre. She wasn't released until her husband was hospitalised and on the verge of death, and her blood pressure reached 220. After returning home, she was still constantly monitored and harassed by the university security personnel. Her telephone was also tapped. Under the long term persecution, her mind and body were severely damaged. On April 8th, 2006, on her way out, she fell while in an unstable mental state and was badly injured from the fall. She passed away on April 12th.

Ms. Zhao Xiuyun, 68, was a Falun Gong practitioner in Jinan City, Shandong Province. After learning Falun Dafa in 1995, all of her illnesses went away. After the persecution began in 1999, she went to the provincial government to appeal on July 21st of that year. She was then sent to Qixianzhuang to be persecuted. In August 2004, a former practitioner told the police about her, and her home was ransacked. She was taken to a brainwashing centre, where she was detained for over 70 days and fined over 3,000 yuan¹. Due to the constant persecution, her health went downhill. She passed away on February 16th, 2006.

Ms. Zhu Zhi was a Falun Gong practitioner in the Jinan City Switch Factory in Shandong Province. After the persecution began on July 20th, 1999, she went to Beijing three times to appeal. Each time she was arrested and detained. In October 2000, she was arrested at the rail station in Beijing. She was first taken to a detention centre, and then transferred to a labour camp. However, the labour camp refused to accept her due to her poor health. In 2001, she was sent to a brainwashing centre, where she was tortured for five months and became extremely weak. Within one month after her release, she passed away, in July 2001, at the age of 58.

Mr. Gao Jiyuan was from Shagouyu Village, Fei County, Linqi City, Shandong Province. He suffered from chronic illnesses, but he became healthy again after taking up the practise of Falun Gong. When the persecution began, the local 610 Office² members and police station chief Zhang Dayong often led people to harass Gao at his home. They also took him to a brainwashing centre to be persecuted. The forced brainwashing and torture severely damaged both his mind and body. Under the pressure, he relapsed into his old illnesses. He passed away on February 28th, 2004, at the age of 40.

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/2006/5/25/128742.html