The Persecution of Ms. Cui Shengyun from Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province

Ms. Cui Shengyun, a Falun Dafa practitioner from Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province was arrested by officials from the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau and the National Security Bureau on May 19th, 2007. Due to physical and mental torture, she suffers from serious heart disease and has had frequent episodes in the detention centre. She is extremely weak, and at times she is unable to walk steadily. On direct orders from Jiamusi City Political and Judiciary Committee Secretary Qu Zhenyuan, 610 Office¹ Chief Liu Yan, and Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau Commissar Li Shuqing, the Xiangyang District Court tried Cui Shengyun and sentenced her to a five-year prison term. She disagreed with the sentence and appealed within the deadline. Cui Shengyun has been detained in the Jiamusi City Detention Centre. She is now emaciated and unable to care for herself, and although her family members have tried to visited her many times, they have been consistently denied. The excuse used by the prison authorities is that provincial officials have ordered that no visits are allowed.

Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Cui Shengyun, 44, a former teacher from Jiamusi City Farm Machinery Staff Specialised School, began to practise Falun Gong at the end of 1995. As a result of practising Falun Gong, her physical and mental health improved greatly. Cui Shengyun strictly follows the tenets of Falun Dafa and lives according to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance", and treats others with tolerance. She has received high praise and is regarded as a moral and noble person.

However, after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Jiang Zemin's, [former leader of China and instigator of the persecution] regime began to persecute Falun Gong, Cui Shengyun suffered persecution. Her family members, close friends, neighbours, and even workplace cadres and colleagues have also been implicated.

On October 15th, 1999, Cui Shengyun went to Beijing appeal for justice for Falun Gong, but she was arrested by police in Yanjiao, Beijing, and then sent to the Jiamusi Liaison Office in Beijing. In a small room with only two beds, they crammed 12 Falun Gong practitioners including men, women, old and young. The male practitioners had to sit on the floor at night. Ms. Cui was kept there for two nights and forced to pay a 240-yuan² "lodging fee."

Afterwards, the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau sent people to bring Cui Shengyun and others back, and detained them at the Jiamusi City Detention Centre. Because she refused to write a guarantee statement³, Ms. Cui was locked up for nearly six months. Later, because she went on a hunger strike to protest, when her life was in danger, she was released on April 11th, 2000. She was sent home by case officer Shi Xiuwen from the Political Protection Section of the Yonghong Public Security Sub-bureau. Cui Shengyun's weight had dropped from 65 kg to 35 kg (143 lb to 77 lb). She had completely lost her former appearance and her wrists were swollen, broken and bleeding and there were many scars on her body.

During that period of time, Ms. Cui's family endured huge mental suffering. In order to visit her, they went through private channels and spent over ten thousand yuan, which was all borrowed. City Party Committee Secretary Sun Qiwen issued an order, and the city 610 Office and the City Party Committee carried it out, dismissing Cui Shengyun from public service. They also took away her husband Cong Guoyou's party membership and fired him from his post as education research office chief. The Public Security Bureau tried to charge practitioners, including Cui Shengyun, for expenses incurred while driving them around when they were in police custody. In the end, her former workplace paid for it; 1,000 yuan was deducted from her husband's wage and 2,200 yuan was deducted from Cui Shengyun's common reserve fund, totaling 3,200 yuan.

On December 19th, 2002, Cui Shengyun was arrested by officials from the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau and the Qianjin Public Security Sub-bureau, and then taken to the Qianjin Public Security Sub-bureau. Wang Huamin, head of the National Security Section in the Qianjin Public Security Sub-bureau, along with several other officers, tortured Ms. Cui from 3:00 p.m. until well past 1:00 a.m. At that time, Cui Shengyun was still breast-feeding her baby daughter, but the police officers ignored her condition and handcuffed her very tightly to a chair. Not long after, the area below her wrists swelled up, turned purple and blue, and she suffered unbearable pain. Cui Shengyun's whole body began to tremble, white foam came from her mouth, and she fainted several times. The police splashed her with water to wake her up. After 1:00 a.m., Chen Wanyou, Instructor of the National Security Section in the City Public Security Bureau, and some others dragged the unconscious Ms. Cui downstairs into a waiting car. The inside of the car was filthy. The floor and the whole inside were covered in mud. Cui Shengyun's threadbare clothing was pulled off, and she was thrown into the mud. The car drove to a detention centre, and the police forced the detention centre to take Ms. Cui in.

In the detention centre, Cui Shengyun's health deteriorated even more; she was given very little food or water and she was often unconscious. Cui Shengyun had been breast-feeding her youngest daughter, who now cried for her mother every day. Her family took the baby girl to the Qianjin Public Security Sub-bureau and asked for Ms. Cui's release. On December 24th, when Cui Shengyun's life was in grave danger, the Public Security Bureau finally released her, saying that it was so that she could breast-feed her baby. Cui Shengyun's family gave Wang Huamin 2,000 yuan.

In 2003, an arrest warrant was issued for Cui Shengyun. Officials from the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau paid people at the National Security Bureau to look for her. In order to avoid persecution, Cui Shengyun's whole family had to rent a new place. Because their eldest daughter was in school, she had to stay at a relative's home. All of Ms. Cui's relatives' phones were tapped by officers from the National Security Bureau and their residences were monitored. The authorities even followed Cui Shengyun's relatives, repeatedly harassed her colleagues at her former workplace, and harassed Cui Shengyun's eldest daughter at her school.

For several years, Cui Shengyun and her family and friends endured huge pressure, and suffered mental anguish and financial losses. After 2:00 p.m. on May 19th, 2007, shortly after Cui Shengyun came out of her younger sister's home in Changan Community, Jiamusi City, she was again arrested by police officers who had traced her from the Jiamusi City National Security Bureau and the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau. Then, Cui Yongzhi, Chen Wanyou and six or seven other officers drove to Cui Shengyun's residence in the Zhixing Community of Jiamusi City. They waited at the entrance gate of their building and arrested her husband, who was taking their youngest daughter out. They found the keys to their home, searched it and took away Falun Gong books, a computer and other property.

Cui Shengyun and her husband were handcuffed, their heads were covered with black hoods and they were taken to a secret place within the Jiamusi City National Security Bureau complex. In a cold, dark and tiny room, Cui Shengyun suffered verbal abuse, beatings and sleep deprivation. A female agent for the National Security Bureau verbally abused Cui Shengyun and kicked her legs. Ms. Cui's legs were badly bruised for over 20 days as a result. The agent also grabbed Cui Shengyun by the hair and hit her head. Ms. Cui fainted several times. During her ordeal, Cui Shengyun questioned Commissar Li Shuqing: "I asked who are you but you would not say; I asked where am I but you would not say; I asked why have you arrested me and still you said nothing. If you kill me, my family will look for you for payback." Li Shuqing said with such venom, "I ordered the arrest, and I'll take responsibility for your death; isn't it as simple as throwing you into a crematory?"

Cui Shengyun could not eat and was in a coma from the abuse. On May 24th, she was handed over to the National Security Section of the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau and the Jiaoqu Public Security Sub-bureau. Then she was sent to the Jiamusi City Detention Centre. Staff at the detention centre refused to take her in after seeing that she was critically ill. Officials at the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau forced the staff at the Jiamusi City Detention Centre to accept her. When Cui Shengyun was carried into a cell, her trousers were wet with urine and menstrual blood. Inmates made a great effort to wash and clean her. That same night, the detention centre staff saw that her situation was very critical, so they sent her to the central hospital emergency service.

The next morning, personnel from the Jiamusi City Politics and Judiciary Committee, the 610 Office, the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau, and the National Security Bureau arrived at the hospital. Cui Shengyun's blood pressure was almost zero. In this extremely dangerous situation, they tried to force the detention centre to take her back. The detention centre firmly refused, but Wang Fujin from the City 610 Office forced the detention centre to take her in. The 610 Office agent even said, "Release her? No way, even if she dies. I tell you, we won't release her regardless of how much danger her life is in."

Although Cui Shengyun's life was saved after emergency treatment, she was unable to take care of herself for over 20 days straight and had to rely on other's help. Ms. Cui developed serious heart disease and was emaciated. The detention centre reported this to the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau and to the 610 Office more than once, but these agencies totally ignored it.

On May 28th, people from the National Security Section of the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau and the Jiaoqu Public Security Sub-bureau came to the detention detention centre. They carried Cui Shengyun, who was unconscious and menstruating, outside, and put her on the cold ground. Cui Shengyun's family also came, but because of her condition, they were not allowed to see her.

At the end of July, when Cui Shengyun again could not eat for eight days, staff at the Jiamusi City Public Security Bureau and the 610 Office came to her cell. They examined Ms. Cui and ordered the detention centre to force-feed her, and gave a hint to the detention centre that they wouldn't take responsibility if she were to die during the forced feeding. They still refused to release her. During a force-feeding session, Cui Shengyun's left arm was broken by a criminal inmate, and it has not yet healed. She almost suffocated to death because another criminal inmate pinched her nose shut trying to force-feed her.

With help from her family members and other good-hearted people, Cui Shengyun's husband returned to a relative's home on May 31st. He has not completely recovered yet from the physical and mental harm he suffered in detention, and can't yet look after his two daughters by himself, so they have to stay at the relative's home for now. Cui Shengyun's family members have been to the Jiamusi City National Security Bureau and the Public Security Bureau many times, requesting to visit Cui Shengyun, but all requests have been refused. Her family went to the Jiamusi City Administration Centre, but the guard would not let them in, so they called the 610 Office. Chief Liu Yan said, "Don't allow the visit. Even if Cui Shengyun dies, she can't be released. Tell them they can sue whoever they want!"

On May 19th, 2007, Cui Shengyun was again arrested and held from May 19th to May 24th, but there is no written record of the arrest or detention at the National Security Bureau. From May 24th to August 15th, there were two interrogation sessions at the detention centre and at the Jiaoqu Sub-bureau, but no record of either. On August 15th, officer Fu from the Xiangyang District Procuratorate went to the detention centre and asked a few questions. Then Tang Haoyang and Fu ordered Cui Shengyun to sign a document, but she refused. The interrogation by Fu is invalid according to legal procedures, as it was one person doing the interrogating and there was no witness or record. On August 16th, the Xiangyang District Procuratorate issued an indictment. Cui Shengyun considered this act a breach of legal procedure, so she refused to accept the indictment. Within two weeks, on August 28th, the Xiangyang District Court held a rushed hearing, without an interrogation record. Before the trial, City Politics and Judiciary Committee member Qu Zhenyuan and others held a meeting with Zhao Yubin, who had participated in the trial.

The trial began around 5:00 p.m. They did not notify any of Cui Shengyun's relatives or other relevant personnel. They took Ms. Cui by herself to the Xiangyang District Court. Already emaciated, Cui Shengyun was put in handcuffs and foot shackles; it was too difficult for her to take a step. When Ms. Cui repeatedly requested her family to come to the court, Presiding Judge Zhao Yubin intentionally made things difficult and vigorously prevented Cui Shengyun from defending herself. Just as Cui Shengyun had only said a few words, he arbitrarily stopped her and announced a break. On September 13th, 2007, the Xiangyang District Court sentenced Cui Shengyun to five years in prison, on the fabricated charge of the "crime of using a [slanderous term omitted] to disrupt the execution of the law." On September 17th, the first trial judgement was delivered to Cui Shengyun, but she refused to accept the verdict and has already appealed within the deadline.

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.

2. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

3. "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/11/1/165626.html