Additional Information Surrounding the Death of Older Practitioner Ms. Chen Pingzhen in Heilongjiang Province

Ms. Chen Pingzhen, 58, went missing on February 12th, 2006, after going to a relative's birthday party. On the afternoon of February 14th, her family saw a photo of an "Unknown Body" death announcement put out by the Hegang City Police Department; this is how they learned of her death. The autopsy revealed 700 ml. (about 3 cups) of blood trapped in her skull, one damaged kidney, and blood on both sides of her mouth. There was a bloody mark on her neck, one side of her face was very swollen and bruised, and her hands and feet were bruised. All the possessions and Falun Gong leaflets exposing the persecution she usually carried were gone.

Below are some facts about the persecution of Ms. Chen:

Ms. Chen lived in Hongqi Township, Dongshan District, Hegang City. She had benefited from cultivating Falun Gong since 1997. However, after the persecution began in 1999, she suffered very cruel mistreatment. In April 2002, officers from Hongqi Township Police Station arrested her and ransacked her home. They detained her in Hegang City Detention Centre, then transferred her to Hegang City Second Detention Centre.

Guards in the detention centre tortured her by placing a three-foot-long metal pole between her ankle shackles, then handcuffing her wrists around the pole, forcing her to stay in a bent over position. She could not stand up and was forced to sit on the cement floor for nine whole days. She was not allowed to sleep during those nine days. As soon as she closed her eyes, the guards would use a water hose on her or slap her in the face with their shoes. She even had to use the toilet with the handcuffs and shackles on. Two fellow practitioners had to help her. Her buttocks developed an egg-sized blood blister due to this torture, which also caused her nervous system to break down.

Guard Wu told other prisoners that Ms. Chen was sick with a strange mental disease, so they were too scared to go near her. Even though she was in such terrible shape, Deputy Director You (given name unknown) whipped her more than 30 times with a white plastic tube, causing her back to be covered with purple bruises--you could not see any of her original skin colour. Finally Ms. Chen passed out, and the guards took off her shackles. Other detained practitioners took good care of her for five days, and she regained consciousness. She had to rely on others' help in order to walk slowly.

After ten days, she was taken to Jiamusi Forced Labour Camp to serve a two-year term. In the camp, she was forced to sit on a small stool for a long time, and the guards deprived her of sleep and handcuffed her like "carrying a sword" (Photo: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/4/27/60082.html) She was forced to sit on the floor, one hand over the top of her shoulder, the other hand through the end of the metal bed, then both hands cuffed to the metal bed frame. She was in extreme pain after just five minutes, sweat covered her body, her hands turned purple, and the cuffs cut into her flesh. As result of this torture, she could not move one of her hands, and both of her legs were disabled.

Ms. Chen Pingzhen was emaciated, weighing only 80 pounds when she left the labour camp. She could not walk, so her son carried her out of the labour camp. She recovered at home but died in unknown circumstances in February 2006.

Earlier report: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200605/33178.html.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/1/27/194307.html