Falun Gong Practitioner Liu Lanxiang Tortured to Death in 2001, Family Appeals for Justice (Photo)

In April 2001, Ms. Liu Lanxiang from Wuwei City, Gansu Province was tortured to death at the Xiguoyuan Detention Centre in Lanzhou City. Her family is calling on all kind-hearted people to help them seek justice and bring the perpetrators to trial.

Dafa practitioner Liu Lanxiang, Liu Lanxiang's husband recounts the death of his wife, as the result of being ruthlessly tortured during her detention.

Liu Lanxiang was born in March 1964. She was from Minqin County, Gansu Province and was a pharmacist at a traditional Chinese Medicine hospital. She began to practise Falun Dafa in 1998, and became a steadfast practitioner who taught others enthusiastically.

After the persecution began on July 20th, 1999, my wife and other practitioners from her area went to Beijing several times to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. As a result, she was detained by both the Wuwei Public Security Bureau and the Minqin Public Security Bureau. Each time, she refused to cooperate with the police and refused to renounce Falun Gong or betray her fellow practitioners.

Once, when the police searched our home and found a Falun Dafa book, she told them: "You cannot take this book with you. It is more valuable than my life!" She then rushed over to grab the book from them.

Another time, when Liu Lanxiang was imprisoned at the Wuwei Detention Centre, the guards tried to force her to "renounce" Falun Gong. They incited drug addicts to savagely beat her. Throughout the entire beating and even after several of her ribs were broken, she did not scream once. As soon as Liu Lanxiang was able to sit up, she insisted on doing the Falun Gong exercises. Her unyielding spirit touched many people in the detention centre. In the end, the detention centre couldn't accomplish their goal of "transforming¹" her and had to unconditionally release her.

At home, the local police continuously harassed my wife because she refused to give up practising Falun Gong. As a result, she could not lead a normal life and was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution.

On the evening of April 30th, 2001, Liu Lanxiang was arrested when she and other Falun Gong practitioners were distributing leaflets exposing the persecution. In order to obtain information from her about the source of the Dafa materials in Lanzhou and the surrounding areas, the police viciously tortured my wife. Still, she did give in to them or say anything. Frustrated and enraged, the police then hung her up and beat her until she died.

On April 20th, our family received a notice to go to the Qilihe Public Security Branch Bureau in Lanzhou City. We were told: "Liu Lanxiang and others were arrested on the evening of April 3rd for distributing Falun Gong pamphlets, and detained at the Xiguoyuan Detention Centre. Liu Lanxiang went on a hunger strike, fell into a coma and died. We have the record of the emergency diagnosis." The police then told us in a threatening tone to cooperate with them in handling the funeral arrangements quickly. When we saw Liu Lanxiang's body, we were heartbroken to see her in such a horrible state.

Both of her wrists were seriously injured. Her legs all the way to the tips of her toes were very stiff and straight. It was obvious that she was hung and beaten to death. Even after she died, she remained hanging. This evidence was clearly visible; yet how can they try to conceal it with lies and with a so-called proof from the hospital?" As Ms. Liu's husband I said: "Falun Gong practitioners are all good people. They are not against the government. The purpose of their distributing pamphlets is to expose those who have the ulterior motive to fabricate lies to cheat people. You arrested a good person, and in just a few days you ruthlessly tortured her to death. This is an unlawful act. I demand to preserve her remains and appeal."

However, everywhere I went I was followed. With the help of friends and relatives, I looked for places to appeal. For more than ten days I searched and couldn't find a place to appeal in such a large city as Lanzhou. Is this a country ruled by law? Heavens! Where is the law? I asked Falun Gong practitioners and kind people to help find the murderers at the Xiguoyuan Detention Centre. I can't let these ruthless murderers break the law and get off free!

For several days I couldn't stay tranquil. I feel ashamed that I couldn't do anything for those murdered Dafa practitioners! I have written this to express the thoughts of practitioners' families and to appeal to all kind people to help stop this evil persecution of good, innocent Falun Gong practitioners.

Note

1. "Reform or Transform" Implementation of brainwashing and torture in order to force a practitioner to renounce Falun Gong. (Variations: "reform", "transform", "reformed", "reforming", "transformed", "transforming", and "transformation")

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/8/21/136040.html