Imprisoned for Years for Refusing to Quit Practising Falun Gong

Name: Qu Lihua
Gender: Female
Age: 44
Address: Hailin Farm, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: January, 2002
Most recent place of detention: Hailin City Detention Centre
City: Hailin City
Province: Heilongjiang Province

My name is Qu Lihua and I am forty-four years old. My home is at Hailin Farm of Heilongjiang Province. Because of my perseverance in practising Falun Gong, I have been arrested, locked up, fired from my job and put into forced-labour camps in the past ten years. Now I have been forced to be homeless for almost two years.

Arrested and Fired for Refusing to Quit Practising

On July 20th, 1999, Jiang Zemin's, [former leader of China and instigator of the persecution] regime launched a senseless crackdown against people who practise Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. To appeal for Falun Gong, we went to the provincial government. We were forcibly taken away and sent back to local police stations. After being forced to pay a fine, we were taken home by our workplaces. My workplace suspended me from my job for three months.

In 2000, staff from Mudanjiang Agriculture Management Bureau came to investigate me, to see whether I still practised Falun Gong. Simply because I answered, "I still practise," my workplace locked me up on the same day and would not allow me to go home. Later, the local police locked me up for over half a month, searched my home and confiscated my belongings as well. My identification card was confiscated too and they still refuse to give it back to me. In June 2000, my workplace fired me and prohibited me from making contributions to my pension.

Sent to a Forced Labour Camp

On the eve of October 1st, 2000, Wang Jinwan, the former party secretary of my workplace, and Yu Hongkui, the former director of the public security department of my workplace, came to my home and tried to force me to promise not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. I did not answer. They said that nodding my head works too. I did not nod. They then reported to their boss and on the same day. I was forcibly taken away and imprisoned. At the end of the year, I was put into Hailin City Detention Centre.

In the Hailin City Detention Centre, because I practised Falun Gong, director Zhao Fuping and guard Li Guobin locked my feet with shackles and whipped me with a " little white dragon"(a white plastic tube used to beat people). Later I was sent to a forced labour camp for one year and sent to Harbin Women's Drug Rehabilitation Centre. In the forced labour camp, I had to get up at 5 o'clock every morning. The amount of time that I could spend using the toilet, taking a shower and washing clothes was restricted. I often had to work overtime. Every day, I had to work for over ten hours.

Forcibly Taken Away Again Three Months After Being Released

I was released in November 2001, but the local police continued to harass me. Wang Qiang, the head of the police station (who has left that post now), came to have a conversation with me. I did not speak a word. So he came again the next day. I told them how I benefited both physically and mentally after I practised Falun Gong. They wrote down what I said, but I did not sign their record. Three months after I came home, policeman Zhou Xuesheng (who has left the post now) and Zhou Jie (female) came to my home and harassed me again. They said that my attitude was not good and they reported that after they went back. Subsequently, Zhang Zhenqi, director of the 610 Office¹ (now retired) and police Wu Wei (who has left the post now) invaded my home and forcibly took me to the police station. In January 2001, I was again taken to Hailin City Detention Centre and locked up there for an unlimited term.

In the detention centre, us Falun Gong practitioners started a hunger strike to protest the persecution. Guards and prisoners dragged us out while beating and kicking us and force-fed us. Shan Chengqiang, the head of the detention centre (who had been dismissed from the post now) kicked my head hard with his heavy leather shoes and made me see stars. When they force-fed us, guards holding big batons stood beside us. We were pressed down to chairs with our arms twisted behind our backs. It felt as if my arms were about to break. Prison doctors held mouth-opening devices, pinched our noses, and force fed us highly salted corn gruel, which spilled all over our heads and bodies. Some fellow practitioners were injured to the extent that they vomited blood and some lost consciousness.

At a later period, scabies grew all over our bodies. Scabies grew on my palms and feet. My left leg was badly swollen and I could not roll over when I slept. Every day, I had to keep one position during sleep. Both my mind and body endured tremendous tribulation at that time.

In the beginning of 2003, after being locked up for one year, I was brought back home by Hailin Farm Police Station, and forced to pay fines as well as a deposit of two thousand yuan², which has not been returned to me.

On October 10th, 2007, Hailin Farm Police Station colluded with Hailin City Domestic Security to forcibly take away Falun Gong practitioners at Hailin Farm. I had no choice but to leave home. In that arrest, six Falun Gong practitioners were forcibly taken away and their homes were searched and belongings were confiscated. People who participated in the persecution: police Wu Wei (who has left the post now), Zhang Yanhui, Yang Rongfu, Song Yumin (female, the head of domestic security section of Hailin City, who is now retired.), vice head of section Guan Jingwei (who has left the post now), police Jin Haizhu, etc.

I began practising Falun Gong in November 1997. Before that, I suffered from many diseases and especially suffered from heart disease, and I could not undertake any ordinary work. A Chinese medicine doctor felt my pulse and told me that my heart was like that of a person in her sixties or seventies. In fact, I was a little over thirty at the time. After I practised Falun Gong, my body and mind changed tremendously. I recovered from all my diseases. Furthermore, my body was very strong and I could do any work. It is Falun Gong that gave me a new life. Please help stop the persecution.

People who participated in the persecution:
Hailin Farm Police Station, Hailin City, Heilongjiang Province
Wu Xijin, the head: 86-13836328008(Mobile) 86-453-7554521(Office)
Shan Haifa, the director of 610 Office: 86-13945323611(Mobile)
Bu Qinghe, previous secretary of political and judiciary committee: 86-13946371699(Mobile)
Police Zhang Yanhui: 86-13154534603(Mobile)
Police Yang Rongfu: 86-13359698378(Mobile)
Police Zhou Jie: 86-13836324188(Mobile)

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/2009/8/18/206750.html