A 69-year-old Woman Tortured to Blindness in the "Legal System School"

Ms. Lu Guiqin is a resident of Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. She and her son, Guan Longshan, were both arrested in July 2007 and locked up in the notorious "Legal System School" located inside the Pangjiawan Forced Labour Camp in Lanzhou City. They were severely tortured. Ms. Lu was sentenced to four years. She was tortured until she became blind and was mentally disoriented.

Some local people who knew their situation wrote an open letter asking for help. Following is their letter:

Dear Neighbours and Friends,

Our neighbour, Lu Guiqin, is 69 years old. She is retired from the Lanzhou Carbon Plant. Because she practises Falun Gong, she was arrested on July 20th, 2007, by officers Chen Zuopeng, Wu Cuncai, and Zhang Hongli from Hanshiwan Police Station in the Honggu District. She was transported to the notorious "Legal System School" (a brainwashing centre for Falun Gong practitioners). After that, on December 12th, 2007, she was sentenced to four years and is currently detained in the Women's Prison of Jiuzhou Developing Area of Lanzhou City in Gansu Province. Within a year, she became blind and she also lost her mental faculties.

Before her arrest, she was very healthy. She smiled at everybody she met and we all admired her good health. She always told us that it was because she practised Falun Gong that she became healthy.

We all know that Ms. Lu had many different illnesses before she practised Falun Gong. Her calves were all black because of severe arthritis, and she could not stand for more than ten minutes. She had to lie down almost all the time. If she did any chores, she would feel very uncomfortable, and her legs were extremely painful. She always took it out on her family members when she was not feeling well. When she did that, her entire family suffered. She hated her illnesses and spent a large amount of money to treat them. She also tried different kinds of practices, but none helped.

After she began practising Falun Gong, she followed Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and always looked inside herself when conflicts occurred. In a few years, all her illnesses were cured and her body felt very light. She would not get tired anymore when she did chores. She became more broadminded and didn't lose her temper anymore. She was always happy, and her family life was harmonious. Her children were not afraid to come home and talk with her. Everybody was happy.

In the midst of her happiness, on July 20th, 1999, Jiang Zemin's [former leader of China and instigator of the persecution] regime used his power to ban Falun Gong because so many people were practising it. She could not understand why Jiang's regime decided to do that: what government on earth would be afraid of having too many good citizens? It was absolutely impossible for her to stop practising Falun Gong and return to her old self. The local police banned her from practising, claiming it was due to orders from their superiors. She felt she had to go to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. She was detained twice for 15 days each time by the Honggu District Police Department. They accused her of "severely disrupting the social order." After that, she was detained for over a month in the Minhe County Police Department in Qinghai Province. This time they did not give her any reason. During this detainment, she was mentally devastated.

Afterwards, the authorities at the 610 Office¹ of Lanzhou City Carbon Plant (currently called Lanzhou Carbon Corporation and now bankrupt), Zhou Xiangjiu (retired), and the Haishiwuan Police Station collaborated to put Ms. Lu in the Pangjiawan Brainwashing Centre where she was further tortured mentally.

Meanwhile, Ms. Lu's son, Guan Longshan, was arrested on July 20th, 2007, by the Honggu District Police Department Domestic Security Division and the District Law and Politics Bureau 610 Office, and has been held in Pangjiawan Brainwashing Centre until today.

Guan Longshan was formerly employed by Lanzhou Carbon Plant. He is 37 years old. Before practising Falun Gong, he smoked, drank, and often took advantage of others. Once he began to practise Falun Gong, he followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He wanted to become a good person, someone who could contribute to society. Since practising Falun Gong he stopped doing bad things. He thinks of others before himself. In addition, he also became healthy, and full of energy. He is optimistic, capable, and ready to help others. Those who know him say that he has changed, and they are all willing to befriend him. However, such a good person is now detained in Pangjiawan Brainwashing Centre and is being pressured to denounce Truthfulness- Compassion-Forbearance.

Guan Longshan's sister, Guan Longmei, has also been detained numerous times, sentenced to forced labour twice, and detained in brainwashing centres many times for practising Falun Gong.

A formerly happy and harmonious family has been torn apart. Is it because they did something wrong? No, they simply practised their rights that are guaranteed by the law.

Falun Gong practitioners simply are exercising their basic human rights. The Communist regime spends citizen's taxes on whatever they want. They violate the law with the excuse of keeping the country "stable." Please recognize the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party. Do not become its accomplice and then be buried with it when it falls.

Some of the people involved in the persecution:

Zhang Chengyu, Deputy Head of Law and Politics Committee of Honggu District and also 610 Office head: 86-931-6211680 (Office), 86-931-6221899 (Office)
Heads of the Honggu District Domestic Security Division Zhang Yuliang (retired) and Huang Zongjun: 86-931-6214200, Ext. 4301 (Police Department Head Office), 4308 (Political Head), 4305 (Deputy Head), 4310 (Deputy Head)
Shi Yingbo, Presiding Judge of the Honggu District People's Court; Deputy Judge Zhang Xuelin, juror Guan Feng: 86-931-6211656 (Office)
Gansu Province Women's Prison: P.O. Box 68, Jiuzhou Developing Area, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, 780046

Prison Affairs Office: 86-931-8333526

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.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/1/25/194107.html