Liu Liang's Death Raises Questions, 610 Office Obstructs Investigation

Earlier story: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200706/40056.html

On December 26th, 2006, several agents from the local 610 Office¹ and the police station broke into Mr. Liu Liang's home. They confiscated his computer and Falun Gong books, and arrested Liu Liang and his mother. Because his mother also practises Falun Gong, she was detained for 15 days before her release. The authorities attempted to sentence Liu Liang to prison, however due to lack of evidence, Liu Liang was released after a 20-day detention.

On May 30th, 2007, the Qingdao City Police Department ordered Jiaozhou City's Police Department, Procuratorate and Court to collect evidence for Liu Liang's case.

At around 10:00 a.m. on June 5th, Jiaozhou City Police Department Chief Wang Wenlong, the Zhangying Town Police Station Chief named Yan, along with four officials went to the factory owned by Liu Liang's father to arrest Liu Liang. One of them went to the office and asked Liu's father where Liu Liang was, while the other five officials went to the workshop and Liu's home to videotape without any warrant or notification. After videotaping, they left saying, "If Liu Liang comes back ask him to come to the Zhangying Town Police Station."

At the time Liu Liang was at his youngest aunt Liu Jinmei's home. Liu Liang's father, Liu Jinxing, telephoned and informed Liu Jinmei and his son about what happened. After receiving the call, Liu Liang wanted to go back home to see his grandparents, and planned to go out of town to work afterwards. He left his aunt's home around 8 o'clock in the evening. He encountered plainclothes police on the village entrance path. Liu Liang had one of his eyes injured when he was three-years-old and lost vision in that eye. There was a well on the road that was about 7 metres in diameter and the well opening was the same height as the road surface, which made the well hard to see. Liu Liang was frightened by the policemen and fell down the well together with his motorcycle. His body did not have bruises or injuries but his stomach was filled with water and it seems that he died from water inside his lungs.

Around noon on June 7th, someone found the body of a young man in the well. The person dialled "999" and three police cars arrived. Liu Liang's family confirmed the body was Liu Liang and reported to the village committee, who in turn reported to the local police department.

On June 7th, during the first meeting between Liu's family and the authorities, the Zhangying Town Communist Party Committee secretary, regarding Liu Liang being persecuted to death, said to Liu's family, "Do not make the incident a big deal. If you make it widely known to others, it won't bring any benefit to either you or us." Liu Liang's uncle said, "As the head of a certain level of government authority, does what you just said come out of a human being? Our child is dead now, what kind of benefit do we care for?" Another official said, "You can get a certain amount of pension." Wang Hairong, head of the local "610 Office" said, "We will first establish the case, then have the autopsy and follow all legal procedures." Liu Liang's aunt said, "Since when did you follow legal procedures? You came to our homes and factory to videotape without a warrant, is that legal procedure?" Wang Hairong replied, "If what you said is true, it is just someone's delinquency and we will investigate it."

On the morning of June 8th, Liu Liang's parents and family went to the local town police station again to appeal for a legal investigation of the case. There were no high level officials present. At around 11 o'clock, Wang Hairong arrived and asked Liu Liang's parent what requests they had. Liu's father and other family members made four requests: "(1) the videotaping at our home and factory without any warrant was illegal and all responsible persons should be prosecuted; (2) we have the right to view the videos made by officials and determine whether there is evidence of any criminal conduct so as to establish our innocence; (3) it should be investigated how Liu Liang fell into the well and the responsible person should be prosecuted; (4) no matter what, the 610 Office is responsible for Liu Liang's death. If the 610 Office had not gone to his home trying to arrest him, the tragedy would not have happened. So the 610 Office should pay for the loss of our child." Wang Hairong refused to promise anything and said they would reply to the requests on June 13th at the Zhangying Town Police Station.

In the afternoon, Wang Hairong together with an official from the Zhongyun Office went to Liu Liang's uncle and asked him to mediate between the family and the authorities. They also wanted to see exactly how much money would silence the family. Liu Liang's uncle turned down the request.

Four days afterwards, Wang Hairong and other officials received an order from the higher level Communist Party officials. On June 13th, they became totally different persons and brazen.

On June 13th, when Liu Liang's parents, aunt and uncle went to the Zhangying Town government, Wang Hairong and another deputy bureau chief named Wang were there with many policemen, who hid in other office rooms. Just because Liu Liang's youngest aunt said something, over twenty policemen rushed into the room and acted as though they was going to use force. The family members did not have the right to decide who could participate in the negotiation and who could not. The government officials did not say anything about how Liu Liang fell into the well, nor the cause of his death. Instead, they declared that Liu Liang committed crimes such as possessing the booklets Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party ¹, "Dissemble the Communist Party Culture," other Falun Gong materials and Internet technology. They tried to connect Liu Liang to the so-called "overseas anti-party, anti-socialist" movement. And they denied any responsibility for Liu Liang's death.

The following are several questionable points about the case:

1. On the morning of June 8th, when Liu Liang's family went to the Zhangying Town Police Station, a plainclothes policeman said, "Liu Liang was such a big guy. It was me who carried the body out and it was pretty heavy." Liu Liang's youngest aunt said, "When you pushed him into the well, why didn't you rescue him. And now two days later, what is the use of a rescue?" The policemen present did not rebut a word and did no explaining at all. What does it imply?

2. After someone reports a body to the authorities, normally the police criminal division would establish a case and carry out an investigation. However, no officers from the criminal division or police from the "999" department went to the scene. The only authorities present there were officials from the local 610 Office. Does the 610 Office have the authority to investigate a criminal case?

3. Who reported the case? Is there any record?

4. At around 10 o'clock in the morning of June 7th, an official named Zhao from Zhangying Town's Armed Forces Department and another big man went again to the Daheliu Village. They first went to the village office and intended to take Liu Liang and his mother to the brainwashing centre. The big man then went to Liu Liang's home and left very quickly. Who sent these two persons? When asked this question, the Zhangying Town Police Station chief replied, "I do not know." Why did these two persons go to the Daheliu Village on the morning of June 7th? Who sent them? Did they already know that Liu Liang had been pushed into the well?

5. Falun Gong practitioners do not commit suicide, which is clearly stated in the teachings of Falun Gong. Besides, the motorcycle fell into the well too. What kind of suicidal person would do this? Also, Liu Liang told his youngest aunt that he planned to travel out of town to work and displayed no signs of suicidal intentions.

6. On June 7th, Liu Liang's father found that Liu Liang's motorcycle was gone and informed Wang Hairong, who did not respond. On June 8th, Liu Liang's uncle had someone pull his body out of the well. Since Wang Hairong and others came to investigate the case, why did not they not respond to the information provided by the victim's family?

Note

1. "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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/6/19/157195.html