Mr. Li Yuzhang of Yishui County, Shandong Province Arrested, Family Suffers Persecution

At around 11 p.m. on May 14th, 2007, police officers from the National Security Unit of Yishui County Public Security Bureau, assistant secretary Yang Zhenlong from the Shandong Province Zhuge Town Committee, and Liu Tao and Shen from the local police station broke into the Beimenlou Village home of practitioner Mr. Li Yuzhang, 59, his father-in-law Jiang Zhaorong, his daughter Li Jinling, and Li Huazhang, 69. Without showing any identification, they ransacked the place and took into custody Mr. Li Yuzhang, Li Huazhang and Li Jincai, the second son of Li Huazhang, who had just come to visit from Jiaozhou. On the following day, Mr. Li Jincai was taken back by the village secretary, while Mr. Li Yuzhang and Li Huazhang were detained at the Yishui County Detention Centre.

Before learning Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Yuzhang was not healthy. He suffered from arthritis, backaches and other diseases. His temperament was even worse and he would frequently drink excessively and cause trouble. He often cursed at and beat up family members. However, after he learned Falun Gong in 1998, he completely changed. His body became healthy, his temper was good, and he no longer got drunk or made trouble. The whole family was happy for him. He quietly repaired the road in front of his house and whenever other villagers needed help, he was eager to do so.

After the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, Mr. Li Yuzhang went to Beijing to appeal. He was taken back by staff of Zhuge Town as soon as he arrived at Zhangdian, Zibo City, Shandong Province. Wang Qingguo led a group to torture him at the Town Hall. They kicked Mr. Li in the head with heavy shoes, pulled off his cotton-padded clothes, and forced him to sit on the concrete floor with both arms stretched out while they put bricks on his arms. They also burned him with cigarettes. After seven or eight days of torture at the Town Hall, Wang Qingguo ordered Li's family to pay a 6,000 yuan¹ deposit for his release. However, by the time Mr. Li's family had scraped together the money, he had already been sent to the detention centre. At that time, Mr. Li's father was already 96 years old. He could not withstand the pressure of the persecution and passed away.

In 2001, Mr. Li Yuzhang was deceived by Duan Baoxin into going to the Gu Village Brainwashing Centre, where he was held for a month. During that period, he was tortured by guards led by Ruan Bo. They beat him with wooden clubs and leather belts. Yang Xiubin mercilessly beat him with rubber batons. For meals, they only gave Mr. Li pancakes and pickles every day, but he had to pay 1,200 yuan in living expenses plus a 3,000 yuan deposit.

Others who participated in the persecution included Wei Qingliang of Weijiagou, Zhuge Town, Sun Mingyong, who lived in the detention centre, Song Yuwang of Sijiagou, and Huang Baohui, who now works for Zhuge Town Integrated Management Office. They forced Ms. Li Jinling to borrow money to pay them, and took Mr. Li Yuzhang's son-in-law Jiang Xiusheng to the brigade, where they beat him. Because Ms. Li Jinling had just got married and did not have any savings, the town authorities forced Mr. Li Yuzhang to borrow the money. Their relatives, friends and neighbours all suffered different levels of persecution.

Several years of torture and persecution caused Mr. Li Yuzhang to have a debt of nearly 10,000 yuan, and his family could hardly meet their daily living expenses. These miserable living conditions caused Mr. Li's second son to leave his one-year-old child to work away from home. Since Mr. Li is now detained, nobody takes care of the seven to eight mu (1 mu = 0.16 acre) of land at his home. This load is all carried by his daughter Ms. Li Jinling. Ms. Li Jinling has a son to look after, and now also needs to take care of her one-year-old niece. She not only needs to manage the farmland, but also endures the pain of her father being arrested.

Ms. Li Jinling, holding her niece and bringing along her son, has been to the Enquiry Branch, the Supervisory Branch, the National Protection Brigade of the Public Security Bureau and the 610 Office² many times asking for the release of her father. At the National Protection Brigade, deputy head Xie Fugui treated Ms. Li Jinling rudely and pushed her out of the office. At the Supervisory Branch, when Mr. Li Yuzhang's 70-year-old father-in-law questioned why his home was searched without reason, Li Yuyou of the National Protection Brigade yelled at him and said they would search wherever they wanted. No matter which department Mr. Li Yuzhang's family went to asking for his release, the answer was the same: "The Public Security Bureau won't arrest people without reason. It is because you believe in Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. Falun Gong has been banned."

Ms. Li Jinling was also summoned by the Law Execution Department for the crime of "interfering in official business." Moreover, staff of the police department, the village and the town colluded to deceive her into going there. They claimed they would "resolve Li Yuzhang's issue." Li Yuyou and another officer threatened Ms. Li Jinling: "The Public Security Bureau is the violent assistant of the Communist Party, with guns and other weapons. Do you think you can come and go at your will?" They threatened to lock up Ms. Li Jinling and the children in the detention centre. Ms. Li had to sign a statement under the intimidation. Yang Zhenlong, the deputy secretary of Zhuge Town, threatened: "If there were no police department, I would take away your cattle, boat, chickens and TV." Li Yuyou also threatened her not to go anywhere. He told her to stay at home quietly and ask for permission to leave if there was anything to take care of.

The local authorities' unreasonable threats did not frighten Ms. Li Jinling. She knew she had not committed any crime, so she put down her own work and took it upon herself to continually ask for justice for her father. On the morning of June 2nd, Ms. Li Jinling took her 7-year-old son to the detention centre dormitory with a sign hanging around her neck to call for her father's release. Li Yuyou ordered officers to push her and the child into a car. Ms. Li Jinling had many scratches on her body, and the child cried loudly from being scared. His little hands had purple lumps from being squeezed.

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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/6/21/157289.html