Update on the Plight of Falun Dafa Practitioner Mr. Zhao Yongcai from Shulan City, Jilin Province

Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Zhao Yongcai from Shulan City, Jilin Province is still being detained in the Nanshan Detention Centre, and his prison term has been extended by nine months. We have learned that Zhao Yongcai has launched a hunger strike to protest this persecution and that his life is in danger.

On May 11th, 2006, the Police Department of Shulan City and police officers from the National Security Division broke into Mr. Zhao Yongcai's home and took him to the office of the National Security Division. They then proceeded to punch and kick him. They also wrapped several layers of plastic bags around Mr. Zhao Yongcai's head, causing him to lose consciousness and almost suffocating him. They poured mustard oil into his nose, causing severe headaches, damage to his lungs and swelling of his nose. He was taken to a forced labour camp, which refused to accept him because he was too seriously injured. However, the officers still refused to release him because they were planning to extort bribes from him. Mr. Zhao Yongcai was taken to the forced labour camp again on January 12th, 2007. He was rejected again when a medical examination showed that he had heart disease.

Ever since Mr. Zhao Yongcai was taken away, his elderly mother has become dependent on medication. Our latest information is that Mr. Zhao Yongcai was protesting his treatment by going on hunger strike and that his life is in danger. His mother and wife went to the Police Department to ask for information on January 19th, 2007. However, the director of the Law and Order Section lied to them and said that he would resolve the issue on the following Monday. On January 22nd, his mother and wife went to see Xin He (male), the Chief of the Police Department, to ask for information again. Xin He immediately asked, "Are you Falun Gong practitioners?" He ordered two policemen to search them and get their names and addresses, and then they took them to the local police station. The policemen ransacked their home, looking for evidence to further harass the family, but the search produced nothing. Mr. Zhao Yongcai's wife has now fallen ill as a result of everything that has happened.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/2/1/148060.html