I Missed Celebrating the Moon Festival with Ms. Sun Zhifen, a Member of My Family

Looking up at the full moon during the Moon Festival, I thought of Chinese families around the world enjoying this traditional holiday. It made me sad, because there is someone I would have dearly loved to celebrate the Moon Festival with. It is a woman who has been imprisoned and tortured for persevering in her faith. All she was trying to do was be a better person. Now she has become seriously ill. This woman, Ms. Sun Zhifen, is a member of my family.

Ms. Sun Zhifen is 49 years old and has three children. She comes from Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. Her family are small business vendors, and they have difficulties making ends meet. In 1998, Ms. Sun's husband passed away due to illness. She was overcome with grief and thought of ending her life. It was then that she learned about Falun Gong. It was because of Falun Gong's teachings that she prevailed over her grief and renewed her hope for life. She always used to say, "It was Falun Gong that saved me!"

The good times didn't last long. On July 20th, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned Falun Gong. Ms. Sun went to Beijing to exercise her constitutional right to appeal for the right to practise Falun Gong. She was arrested and sentenced to an 11-year prison term. She was imprisoned in Shuangcheng No.2 Detention Centre, Wanjia Forced Labour Camp, and Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison, where she suffered cruel beatings and force-feeding. Due to being force-fed, she lost all her upper teeth except for one. She became emaciated and frail. Now she has been diagnosed with Type II diabetes, hypertension, and diabetes retina lesions. Her vision has become blurry. Her family asked that she be granted medical parole, but the prison staff is dragging their feet and giving her family a hard time. They do everything to slow down the application process. Her family is deeply worried and at a loss as to what to do.

I am writing this article to urge people in Shuangcheng to help Ms. Sun in her hour of need. Please come forward and help this innocent good person regain her freedom!

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/9/28/186727.html