Kindhearted Family in Tianjin City Persecuted for Ten Years

Mr. Zhou Zhencai; his wife, Ms. Wang Shaoping; and their two sons, Mr. Zhou Xiangdang and Zhou Xiangyang, have practised Falun Gong since 1996. Their whole family has benefited from the practice tremendously.

Nonetheless, the Zhou family has been severely persecuted since 1999 for informing people about the true nature of Falun Gong and exposing the persecution to the government. Mr. Zhou and his wife were forced to become homeless to avoid being arrested. From 1999 to 2003, the national security police ransacked their house numerous times and took their valuables.

In September 2005, Mr. Zhou was sentenced to the Shuangkou Forced Labour Centre in Tianjin City for two and a half years. His wife was sent to the Banqiao Women's Labour Centre for one and a half years. By the time their terms expired and they were released last year, their health had drastically worsened.

Oldest Son Sentenced to Nine Years in Jail

The couple's oldest son, Mr. Zhou Xiangdang, was known for having beautiful handwriting and exceptional skills in repairing machines. He was always willing to help people who needed him. Because of this, everyone liked him very much. He strictly followed the teachings of Falun Gong and upgraded his moral standard according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

After the Chinese Communist Party started cracking down on Falun Gong, Mr. Zhou Xiangdang was arrested and sentenced to jail for nine years. He was detained in Jidong Prison in Tangshan City. His wife, Li Xiangling, was also sentenced to three years in prison. Their 3-year-old son was left to be cared for by his grandmother and aunt.

In June 2004, the National Security Bureau didn't release Ms. Li even though her prison term was over, because she was not "transformed¹." She was sent directly to a brainwashing centre where she was persecuted for more than a month before she was released.

On January 13th, 2009, Mr. Zhou Xiangdang was released after his prison term expired. However, the police didn't tell his family it was time to come pick him up.

Second Son also Sentenced to Nine Years

The Zhou's family's second son, Mr. Zhou Xiangyang, graduated from college with a double-major in architecture and economics. During his several years working for the Ministry of Railroad in Tianjin City, he made outstanding contributions to his company and became an engineer at the age of 26. However, this fine young man was sent to a forced labour camp for a year and later sentenced to nine more years, just because he believes in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

In late 2005, using the excuse of not being willing to renew his contract, the Ministry of Railroad dismissed him due to his belief in Falun Gong.

On July 13th, 2005, Zhou Xiangyang wrote a letter to his family. With much difficulty, the letter later made its way out of the jail and was delivered. The letter told about Mr. Zhou's persecution when he was arrested on the road that day, "At noon on May 31st, 2003, officers from the Dayingmen Police Station arrested me. In the morning on June 1st, I was taken to a room and locked in a cage. I was completely tied to a bench. The police stripped off all my clothes and poured cold water on me while running an air conditioner turned to its coldest temperature. Beginning on June 3rd, I was kept totally wet by the police for 48 hours. For three days and nights, I was not given any food or water, and they didn't allow me to sleep. During this period of time, the police cursed and hit me. They stabbed my nostrils, ears, and eyes with a little stick. They also played loud music to distract me and didn't allow me to use the toilet. From February to August 2002, when I was detained in the Shuangkou and Ji County Forced Labour Camps, I was beaten numerous times. They hit and shocked me with an electric baton for more than an hour, causing serious injuries to my face. My head, mouth, and nose were bleeding. My wounds festered for six months, and I was covered with injuries. I was forced to stand 12 hours per day and deprived of sleep for a month. The officers who participated in persecuting me included Wei Wei, Wang Lifang, Lu Lin, and someone with a last name Du, among others.

Making Up Excuses, the Prison Guards Didn't Allow Family Visits

It had been more than 270 days since Mr. Zhou went on hunger strike three times to protest his persecution in June 2008. In early 2009, when Mr. Zhou's parents went to visit him in the prison, he was very weak and emaciated. Four prison guards were needed to hold him up when he walked. The guards said they force-fed him five times a day, because his life was in danger. On February 12th, 2009, Mr. Zhou's parents and relatives went to visit him. They were denied entry because they were told the date was wrong. On March 17th, 2009, his parents and relatives visited him on the date given by the reception desk but were again denied a visit because, "He didn't cooperate with us," the police told them. He also said that because Mr. Zhou's parents were Falun Gong practitioners, they didn't meet the requirements for visitation. When the anxious parents asked him if Mr. Zhou's sister and brother-in-law, who were not Falun Gong practitioners, could see him, he said, "Yesterday was the visitation day. You missed it."

I hope that the International Criminal Police Organization will investigate all participants, including the guards in Kangbei Prison that have taken part in persecuting the Zhou family.

Kangbei Prison: 86-22-63251056, 86-22-62071156

Warden Guo Wei
Assistant wardens Duan Jicun, Chen Guoru
Political commissar Liu Jizhi
The Ninth Battalion
Battalion chief Yang Zhongshui, police ID: 1208055
Captain Li, police ID: 1208306
Captain Zhou: 86-22-62071215

Ministry of the Railroad
President Liu Weiqun
Party Committee secretary Wang Hongyu

Note

1. "Reform or Transform" Implementation of brainwashing and torture in order to force a practitioner to renounce Falun Gong. (Variations: "reform", "transform", "reformed", "reforming", "transformed", "transforming", and "transformation")

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/3/24/197723.html