Police Repeatedly Arrest 60-Year-Old Mr. Zhang Shixiang from Jianyang City, Sichuan Province

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Shixiang from Jianyang City, Sichuan Province is more than 60 years old. Over the past few years, he has been jailed many times and forced to become homeless in order to avoid further persecution. On November 4th, 2008, more than ten policemen from the National Security Group of Jianyang City arrested him. He is currently detained in the Jianyang City Detention Centre.

The morning of June 4th, 2007, Mr. Zhang was distributing leaflets exposing the persecution and telling people the facts about Falun Gong in Tianqiangguan Market of Qianxi Department Store. He was arrested by five policemen from the Chengzhong Police Station. The policemen did not show any identification. A plain clothes officer told him that they had monitored him for a long time. The policemen searched him, did not give him water or food, recorded the interrogation, and forced him to sign the transcript. Mr. Zhang signed the words, "Falun Gong is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are good."

At 2:30 p.m., the policemen took away Mr. Zhang's home key and ransacked his home. They took away Falun Gong books, leaflets exposing the persecution of Falun Gong, an MP3 player, a DVD player, 1050 yuan¹ in cash, and Mr. Zhang's pensioner's card. The perpetrators include policemen Liu Wensong, Chen Ke, and Yan Yichuan, the security guard from the department store Xu Hongzhi, along with several people from the neighbourhood association.

Mr. Zhang Shixiang was forced to become homeless in order to avoid further persecution.

Around 4:30 pm on November 4th, 2008, more than ten policemen from the National Security Group of Jianyang City, including group leader Yan Yichuan, Chen Ke, Luo Jiao, and Lu Hui, and officers from Chengzhong Police Station - all out of uniform - broke into Mr. Zhang's temporary residence, the home of Long Huaming in Jiancheng Township. They arrested Mr. Zhang and pushed him into a police car. At the time, the owner of the house was not present. The officers still ransacked the home, leaving the entire place in disarray.

After arriving at the Jianyang City Detention Centre, Mr. Zhang was tortured by the policemen there. His hands were cuffed behind his back.

Since 1999, Mr. Zhang has been detained several times. He was beaten and cursed at by the guards and inmates of the detention centre. On the morning of March 11th, 2000, while practising Falun Gong in the People's Park of Jianyang City, he was arrested and jailed in a detention centre for 20 days. He was forced to perform physical labour and tortured by other inmates. The captors made him stand by a wall for a long time. Twenty-two inmates took turns punching and kicking him, and asked him whether he would still practise Falun Gong or not. They forced him to thank them even after beating him. Mr. Zhang was beaten to the point where he could no longer stand up.

During the detention period, it was very cold. Twice a week, the inmates poured cold water on Mr. Zhang's body. In order to sustain his mental and physical well-being, Mr. Zhang would wake up in the middle of the night to practise Falun Gong. Whenever the inmates found him practising, they would severely beat him. Due to the beatings, he urinated blood.

After his release, Mr. Zhang Shixiang kept practising the exercises, and he quickly recovered. In order to gain his release, Mr. Zhang's family had to pay 3,000 yuan to the police.

In the evening of January 23rd, 2001, while Mr. Zhang Shixiang was doing business in the market, the security guard from the market and two policemen arrested him and detained him for 22 days. The arrest corresponded with the staged self-immolations in Tiananmen Square. More than 100 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested from the surrounding townships. After all of the arrested practitioners started hunger strikes, they were released.

Deputy Chief of Jianyang City Police Department, Wang Jianyong: 86-13982935111(Mobile), 86-832-7214480(Office)
National Security Group, Yan Yichuan and Luo Jiao: 86-832-7226655
Chengzhong Police Station, Qu Xincheng: 86-832-7796668, 86-832-7222957
Director of 610 Office, Yang Zongkai: 86-832-7210610, 86-13982923297(Mobile),

Note

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

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/12/28/192443.html