Main Perpetrator in Persecuting Falun Gong in China's Yunnan Province Dies

Editors' note: In both Western and Chinese cultures, the principle of karmic retribution, that is, being held ultimately accountable for one's own actions, is widely accepted. The fundamental teaching of Falun Gong is the characteristic of the universe, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." The universe will reward acts that are in harmony with this principle, while doing things such as beating, torturing and murdering people will incur karmic retribution. Stated another way, good deeds will be rewarded with good, while evildoings will meet due retribution. Articles such as this one are meant as a compassionate reminder of this principle to those who would commit wrongdoing. While many of those who persecute Falun Gong are merely "following orders," the universal law requires that they, too, be held responsible for their actions, and that only by reversing their course of wrongdoing may they escape retribution.

Yang Xingyuan, was the former director of the educational section in the Forced Labour Camp Bureau of the Justice Office in China's Yunnan Province, a principal figure in the 'gestapo' like 610 Office, and the head of persecuting Falun Gong in Yunnan Province. He died at the end of 2007 at the age of 55.

From 1999 to 2007, Yang Xingyuan was the director of the educational section in the Forced Labour Camp Bureau in the Justice Office in Yunnan Province, and the main perpetrator in the 610 Office in Yunnan Province.

In 2000, Yang Xingyuan participated in the 610 Office headed by Wang Tianxi, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Yunnan Province and became a principal member. In May 2000, he participated in organising "Experts Re-education Group" in Yunnan Province, and implemented plans to brainwash Dafa disciples detained in Yunnan No. 2 Forced Labour Camp and Yunnan Women's Forced Labour Camp which are the main places where Falun Gong in Yunnan Province are persecuted. However, his plans did not work and the practitioners refused to renounce Falun Gong.

In July 2000, he went to a national conference for 610 Offices and Justice systems in the country, during which he met leaders in the Prison Administration Bureau in Liaoning Province. After he came back to Kunming, he reported the situation of persecuting Falun Gong all over the country. He suggested that they invite the "Masanjia Re-education Group" to Yunnan, paying all their expenses, so as to breakthrough the situation that they could not successfully brainwash Falun Gong practitioners. Approved by the Provincial Committee of the CCP of Yunnan Province, they received 300,000 yuan to invite the "Masanjia Re-education Group" from Liaoning Province.

In September 2000, the "Masanjia Re-education Group" went to Yunnan Women's Forced Labour Camp and Yunnan No. 2 Forced Labour Camp and brainwashed most of the Falun Gong practitioners detained there. At the end of November, at Yang's suggestion, the 610 Office in Yunnan Province invited the "Masanjia Re-education Group" again and tried to brainwash the rest of the practitioners. At that time, about 95% of the Falun Gong practitioners had given into the brainwashing and renounced Falun Gong.

In January 2001, the 610 Office in Yunnan Province planned to persecute Wang Lan, a former volunteer coordinator of the Falun Gong Assistance Centre, and another two Falun Gong practitioners. Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the CCP, Wang Tianxi participated in person, and Yang Xingyuan was in charge of persecuting the three Falun Gong practitioners. They spent 400,000 yuan on a satellite tracking and a global positioning system, and illegally arrested Wang Lan and the other two Falun Gong practitioners in Tengchong, Yunnan Province. They assembled dozens of people from the National Security Team and the Public Security System, and secretly detained Wang Lan and the other two Falun Gong practitioners in a mountain villa. Yang Xingyuan assembled the "Re-education Group" to torture Wang Lan and the other two for as long as one week both physically and mentally, and forced them to give up Falun Gong.

Under the arrangement of the 610 Office in Yunnan Province, Yang Xingyuan participated in organising the filming of a three series political commentary movie, Compete, which defamed Falun Gong. The movie incited hatred toward Falun Gong from people who were unaware of the facts.

At the same time, Yang Xingyuan assisted journalists Sun Cuifang and Li Shaoming of Yunnan Daily to write an article, Take the Last Fort, to persecute Falun Gong and brainwash practitioners.

Since he actively participated in persecuting Falun Gong and brainwashing Falun Gong practitioners and considered these great achievements, Yang Xingyuan obtained the country's model worker medal and bonus in 2001, which is the highest prize obtained by officers in Yunnan Province who persecuted Falun Gong. He was also praised in the Province many times, and became a principal figure in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners in the Prison Administration Bureau in Yunnan Province.

From 2001 to 2006, Yang Xingyuan organised a "Provincial Re-education Group", consisting partly of the brainwashed Falun Gong practitioners in forced labour camps, and brainwashed Falun Gong practitioners in Yunnan. It became the main force of brainwashing Falun Gong practitioners in Yunnan Province, and was also sent to other provinces.

Yang Xingyuan took advantage of some brainwashed Falun Gong practitioners in Yunnan Province, Su Shengqian, a former professor in Marxism and Leninism Research Group, and Cai Chaodong, head of the Speech Association in Yunnan Province, to establish a "tour lecture group." They cheated many people who did not know the truth, stirring up hatred toward Falun Gong.

Under his control, the forced labour camp system in Yunnan Province became the main places to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. In the forced labour camps, Falun Gong practitioners were severely abused. Since 1999, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally sent to forced labour camps in Yunnan Province. Falun Gong practitioners who refused to be brainwashed were persecuted with violence and all kinds of torture, leaving many Falun Gong practitioners disabled or even resulting in death.

In 2007, Yang Xingyuan applied for early retirement; the reason was that he felt unwell. He was 54 years old at the time. Within a year, Yang Xingyuan died. The 610 Office and Prison Administration Bureau in Yunnan Province have tightly blocked the information and cause of his death.