Two Women in Their Sixties Die as a Result of Ongoing Persecution

Ms. Tao Weixiang Dies after Years of Persecution in Hubei Province

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Tao Weixiang, sixty years old, was a doctor employed by the Xian'an District People's Hospital in Xianning City, Hubei Province. From 2004 to 2006, officers from the Xianning City Police Department, the Wenquan District Police Department, the Xian'an District Police Department, and the Domestic Security Division harassed her, ransacked her home many times, and detained or sent her to forced labour many times. Each time she was arrested, the authorities used the false charge of "undermining social order." The ongoing brutal mistreatment she suffered at the hands of the police caused her huge physical and mental damage, and her old illness recurred.

On September 5th, 2005, led by Song Ruisheng, the police arrested Ms. Tao, ransacked her home, and took away her computer and other personal belongings. They forcibly took her to the Hubei Province Brainwashing Centre, where under constant pressure and abuse, Ms. Tao suffered from high blood pressure and had to be taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. The police still tried to take her back to the brainwashing centre, but her family reprimanded the officers and forced them to release her.

On January 17th, 2006, the Xian'an District Domestic Security Division Chief Zeng Guohua, Chinese Communist Party Director Huang Shun'an, and others forcibly arrested Ms. Tao again and imprisoned her in the Xian'an District First Detention Centre despite her family trying to persuade them to leave her alone. Two weeks later, Ms. Tao's blood pressure was so high that she passed out one early morning. She was rushed to the hospital for rescue efforts. Her family picked her up from the hospital.

In November 2006, Ms. Tao had a stroke, leaving the right side of her body paralysed and causing her to have difficulty talking. Her family took her to the hospital many times, but she could not recover, and she passed away on April 6th, 2009.

Ms. Zheng Aihua Dies Under Persecution in Hebei Province

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zheng Aihua, in her sixties, lived in a village in Qian'an Town, Qian'an City, Hebei Province. She went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong around July 20th, 1999, and was detained for over 40 days in the local police station upon her return. Local officers Peng Minghui and Ha Fulong threatened her.

In July 2000, officers Peng Minghui and Wang Shiwu ransacked Ms. Zheng's home, took away her Falun Gong books, detained her for 24 hours in the local police station, then forcibly took her to the Qian'an Town Brainwashing Centre located in Liujizhung Village. The 610 Office¹ directors were Yang Yulin and Zhao Lao'er.

Ms. Zhen was detained for 105 days in the brainwashing centre. Yang Yulin ordered her family to beat her, causing her to pass out. She was released after her family had 1,600 yuan² extorted from them.

In May 2001, officers from the Qian'an City Police Department, including Zhang Yu, stormed into Ms. Zheng's home, took away her copy of Zhuan Falun [This book comprises the principal teachings of Falun Gong], and imprisoned her in the Qian'an City Detention Centre for 15 days. Centre Director Hui Zhijiang slapped her, punched her, and extorted another 320 yuan from her family.

Her family could not bear the frequent arrests and harassment, and applied a great deal of pressure to Ms. Zheng to try to force her to give up Falun Gong. With constant pressure from her family and the ongoing persecution, Ms. Zheng's old disease recurred, and she died around 2006.

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/2009/7/5/203809.html