Li Jiagong, an Engineer from the Machinery and Electronics Institute of Handan City, Hebei Province, Dies as a Result of Long-Term Harassment by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

On January 13th, 2009, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Li Jiagong, a senior engineer from the Machinery and Electronics Institute of Handan City, Hebei Province, died after having endured long-term persecution and harassment by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His only son was not able to attend his funeral because he is being held in prison for a seventh year.

Mr. Li started to practise Falun Gong in 1995. Soon after, the hypertension that had made him suffer for many years disappeared. This "Falun Gong miracle" motivated his family members to practise Falun Gong as well, and the family was leading a happy life. After the persecution of Falun Gong started nationwide on July 20th, 1999, the secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Mr. Li's workplace, Ma Ruchang, and another person named Song repeatedly went to his home to harass and intimidate him. They ransacked his home many times with help from the local police and 610 Office¹ of Handan City. Later, in an attempt to force him into giving up his belief, they arrested him and sent him to a brainwashing centre.

In July 2001, Mr. Li's son Li Mingtao was arrested when he was distributing leaflets exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. In November 2002, he was sentenced to eleven years of imprisonment. He is now held in the Fourth Prison of Hebei Province, also known as the Beijiao Prison of Shijiazhuang City, and has been brutally mistreated. His family members attempted to see him but were turned away by prison officers. Mr. Li Mingtao has been subjected to the some of the most ruthless torture in the prison. At the end of 2003, guard Zhao Jun from the Re-education Section of the brainwashing centre hammered nails into the area between the fingers and fingernails of his left hand.

During the 16th Congress of the CCP in 2002, Mr. Li Jiagong was arrested because he mailed out letters exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. He was sent to Sucao Police Station and was prevented from sleeping for many days. He was later released after the police extorted 3,000 yuan² from him. At the same time, Mr. Li's older daughter was sentenced to two years of forced labour and the police extorted 8,000 yuan from his younger daughter.

Over the past nine years, officials from the local residence committee, Mr. Li's workplace, the local police station and the 610 Office relentlessly intimidated and harassed Mr. Li, to the point that he developed illnesses from the great mental pressure. He died on January 13th, 2009.

99-Year-Old Dies After CCP Officials Arrest Her Daughter

Ms. Wang Xiaocun, a Falun Gong practitioner from Taijiazhuang Village of Xinji City, Hebei Province, was doing well at the age of 99. She lived with her 50-year-old daughter

Ms. Tai Shuzheng, on Nanjie Street of Xincheng Town and depended on her for survival. Ms. Wang started to practise Falun Gong in 1998 and was in good health from then on.

At 10.30 p.m. on July 24th, 2008, some officials from the Xincheng government climbed over the fence of Ms. Tai Shuzheng's property and broke into and ransacked her home. They took away some materials about Falun Gong and arrested Ms. Tai. She was later sentenced to 15 months of forced labour and sent to the notorious Women's Forced Labour Camp of Hebei Province.

Ms. Wang was greatly impacted by her daughter's arrest, both mentally and physically. Being unable to endure all her suffering, she died on January 16th, 2009.

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.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/2/6/194941.html