Ms. Zhao Qunlan and Her Family Members Subjected to Continuous Persecution for Years

During the past eight years, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhao Qunlan from Yueyang City, Hunan Province has suffered cruel persecution repeatedly. Her family members, including those who do not practise Falun Gong, were all forced to leave home to avoid further abuse. Zhao Qunlan was in critical condition several times due to the persecution she suffered.

In February of 2000, when Zhao Qunlan practised the exercises with fellow practitioners, she was arrested by police officer Peng Changhua from Qianlianghu Police Station. She was imprisoned for more than 40 days. In May of the same year, Ms. Zhao went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong; she was sent back and imprisoned for a month.

In November of 2000, Ms. Zhao was arrested for distributing leaflets exposing the persecution by the Qianlianghu Police Station director, Jiang Renwu. She was brutally tortured by Junshan District National Security police officers Yu Zhihe, Zhao Wenhua, and Li Qiliang. The police hung her up with her feet off the ground, and they beat her until her whole body was swollen with bruises and her hands lost all feeling. The torture caused Ms. Zhao to lose the ability to take care of herself. This time Ms. Zhao was imprisoned for more than 40 days. The police released her after they extorted 3,000 yuan¹ from her family members.

During the times when Ms. Zhao was imprisoned, her husband tried to rescue her by networking with others. Altogether, he was cheated out of or forced to pay more than 20,000 yuan for Ms. Zhao's living expenses in the detention centre.

Shortly after Ms. Zhao Qunlan was released from the detention centre, the former Junshan District National Security department director, Yu Zhihe, and two other police officers took her from her home again in January of 2001. She was sent to Baimalong Labour Camp for forced labour without any legal procedure.

At the labour camp, Ms. Zhao suffered all kinds of inhumane torture, such as being forced to stand outside on freezing winter nights, not allowed to sleep for long durations, forced to sit on a bench without moving for long durations, and force-fed when she was on a hunger strike. She was closely monitored by assigned inmates when eating, sleeping, taking a shower, and using the toilet. She was also injected with a drug that was destructive to her central nervous system.

The practitioners detained in the Strictly Controlled Division suffered brutal torture every day. To protest against the torture, more than 100 practitioners went on hunger strikes in March of 2001. They all suffered brutal force feedings and were shocked with electric batons. Practitioner Zuo Shuchun from Changsha City died during the force feeding.

In August of 2002, all the practitioners in the Strictly Controlled Division went on hunger strikes again to protest the persecution and to request release without charge. They were all injected with a drug that damaged their central nervous systems. The drug caused them to become foggy headed and want to sleep all the time.

Later, Ms. Zhao Qunlan was sent to the "Division of Attacking the Steadfast" twice. The division director, Zheng Xia, instructed prisoner Liu Xiaoyu to torture Ms. Zhao. She was cuffed to an iron bunk bed in a twisted position such that she could not stand straight for a long time. They did not allow her to sleep in that position; they put drops containing menthol into her eyes and nose as soon as she closed her eyes. She was often beaten, kicked, or pinched. Ms. Zhao lost consciousness many times under such torture, and each time they would wake her up by putting menthol in her eyes. Her hands were very swollen with the handcuffs cutting deeply into them.

Practitioner Chen Ouxiang from the Pingjiang area of Yueyang City was tortured to death in the same room by the same group of people. During this period, 20 to 30 practitioners were sent to the Severe Treatment Division to be tortured. Practitioner Cao Xianghui was sent there three times and suffered inhumane torture until she was released. The Severe Treatment Division has 4 rooms; three prisoners (drug abusers) are assigned to each room to torture the practitioner(s) in the room.

During this time, practitioners held in the Strictly Controlled Division were subjected to forceful brainwashing in a dark room that never allowed practitioners to see sunshine. Their bedding went mouldy, and they all acquired scabies. The scabies caused unbearable itching and bad smells that also made it difficult for them to sleep. Some practitioners' scabies did not heal for years, and the skin festered. Ms. Zhao Qunlan's scabies did not heal for two years after being released.

Ms. Zhao Qunlan was released in March of 2003, which was two years and two months after being arrested. Because of the drug that damaged her central nervous system, Ms. Zhao could not even remember her family members' names. She could not speak clearly or see clearly, and it took her a long time to recover and remember some of the torture she suffered.

During the time when Ms. Zhao was in the labour camp, her husband suffered tremendous pressure. He lost his job and could not find a job to support their 13-year-old son. He was pressured to divorce Ms. Zhao. Judge Zhao in Qianlianghu Court oversaw the divorce case and broke up a happy family. Because of the financial crisis her husband suffered, their son stopped going to school in the 10th grade. The father and son left their hometown to work.

Ms. Zhao Qunlan lived with her parents after being released. Since then, Junshan District National Security Department police officers Li Qiliang and Zhao Wenhua and other police from the local police station and 610 Office have often harassed the family. Police officer Li Juemin, who was assigned to follow and monitor practitioners, led several police and broke into Ms. Zhao's parents' home to search for Falun Gong books and materials. They also wanted to take her away her, and she was forced to leave home to avoid persecution.

Though Ms. Zhao left home, the police did not stop harassing her family members. Soon after, her sister-in-law was reported when explaining the facts about Falun Dafa to her old classmate, and she was also forced to leave home to avoid persecution. Her father was also reported. The Qianlianghu District Political and Judiciary Committee vice chairman, Chen Ailiang, and "610 Office²" director, Deng Hongqiu, led the police to search their home many times. Her father was also forced to leave home under such circumstances. Ms. Zhao's two other brothers were also forced to leave their hometown to work in order to avoid further persecution.

In January of 2006, Ms. Zhao Qunlan's brother Zhao Qunshan and another practitioner, Fu Weijia, were arrested when distributing Falun Gong materials by motorcycle. Mr. Zhao was brutally tortured. He was hung up with his feet off the ground and beaten with iron batons until his head bled badly. He lost consciousness because of losing too much blood, and he was in critical condition when sent to Yueyang Detention centre. Soon after, Junshan District National Security police sent Mr. Zhao to Xinkaipu Labour Camp for one year of forced labour. His motorcycle was also confiscated.

In May of 2006, a Falun Gong materials centre where Zhao Qunlan worked was destroyed by Junshan District National Security police Li Qiliang, Jiang Renwu and others. They took cash and other personal property worth about 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. Ms. Zhao suffered a mental breakdown under the persecution. Her family members requested her release many times. Finally, Ms. Zhao's younger brother, who is not a practitioner, signed a guarantee and she was released. Later, other practitioners who were arrested with Ms. Zhao were sentenced. Peng Xiaohui was sentenced to seven years, and Leng Xuefei was sentenced to four years.

Then police went to Ms. Zhao's younger brother's home to harass him. His cell phone was monitored, and he often received threatening phone calls. Yang Dingus from the Chao yang Residential Committee often brought people to their home and harassed them. Ms. Chao's younger brother once argued with them and was threatened, "We will arrest you if you dare to say one more word."

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.