Ms. Zhang Shoufen Suffers Mental Collapse Due to Persecution

Name: Zhang Shoufen
Gender: Female
Address: Jiansanjiang, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Employed at a middle school
Date of Most Recent Arrest: October 16th, 2009
Most recent place of detention: Qixing Farm Public Security Bureau
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Detention, brainwashing, threats, interrogation

Key Persecutors: Guo Yuzhong, Wang Jialin, Hou Jiting, Zhang Defu, Li Chunyao, Li Xudong, Han Kuikui

Ms. Zhang Shoufen, a Falun Gong practitioner from the Agricultural Development Jiansanjiang Branch, Heilongjiang Province, was carried out of a brainwashing centre on the evening of November 17th, 2009. She had been severely persecuted in the centre. Those responsible gave no details of her mistreatment.

On October 16th at 4:30 p.m., policemen from Qixing Farm Security Office arrested Ms. Zhang while she was talking to people about Falun Gong at the Jiansanjiang Train Station. She was taken to the Jiansanjiang Civil Education Centre, which is actually a brainwashing centre.

Guo Yuzhong, the Qixing Farm Public Security Office Guidance Counsellor, is one of the people involved in the persecution of Ms. Zhang. Guo interrogated Ms. Zhang several times at the brainwashing centre. Her family requested her release but there were ignored. On November 17th, Ms. Zhang's family was instructed to go to the centre to pick her up. When they arrived at the centre, they noted that her behaviour was strange. She sat on a table and would not come down. She whispered to her family when they approached her, "They want to harm me." The family noted that Ms. Zhang was behaving abnormally and told Li Xudong that the Qixing Public Security staff was responsible for her mental condition. He had no response. Her family called some relatives for a car to take Ms. Zhang home.

Zhang Shoufen behaved in a very disturbed manner upon her return home. She threw her mobile phone and small electrical appliances around. She blocked the door of her room, dumped rice on the ground and scattered her clothes on the ground. She repeatedly said, "There are monitoring devices in the house. The police are coming to arrest me and cut my head off." When no one was watching her, she would leave the house and her family would have to search for her. This was was very emotionally draining on her family.

On November 18th, 2009, Ms. Zhang's family went to Guo, the person in charge of the persecution in their area, to demand an explanation. Guo said that Ms. Zhang had been fine while in his custody. According to reliable sources, the guards at the brainwashing centre were very violent towards practitioners. In fact, on November 12th, during the interrogation, they threatened Ms. Zhang with serious bodily harm. The next day her mental state had clearly changed and she had become disoriented. On November 17th, her family took her home.

Ms. Zhang, 56, worked in the Third Middle School of the Qixing Farm. She became a kind and considerate person after she started practising Falun Gong. She was known as a dependable and good person. However, since July 20th, 1999, when the persecution of Falun Gong began, she and her family have not enjoyed a day of peace. She was taken to the Qixing Detention Centre and brainwashing centres many times. The local 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) sentenced Ms. Zhang to forced labour camp for two years. On October 2nd, 2002, the 610 Office transferred her from the forced labour camp to the brainwashing centre at Qixing Farm until her release in September 2004. After four years of unjust imprisonment, she was released for only two months and was then returned to the brainwashing centre in December 2004.

Mr. She Huaizhong, Ms. Zhang's husband, was the head of the Qixing Farm Armed Forces Department. In late 1999, he was fired because of his steadfast belief in the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. On January 25th, 2000, he was sentenced to one year in a forced labour camp, and the sentence was extended for another six months. At the end of his labour camp confinement, Mr. She was taken to a detention centre at a remote farm. In February 2002, he was again sentenced to three years in a forced labour camp in Suihua City, Heilongjiang Province. Mr. She currently stays at home, caring for his mentally injured wife. They are suffering dire financial difficulties.

We urge all people and human rights organisations around the world to pay special attention to the injustice that continues in China.

Wang Jialin, secretary of the Jiansanjiang Political and Judicial Committee: 86-454-5790335 (Office), 86-13763633399 (Mobile), 86-454-5802881 (Home)
Hou Jiting, secretary of the local Political and Judicial Committee: 86-454-5790507 (Office), 86-13836636699 (Mobile) 86-454-5727577 (Home)
Li Chunyao, head of the 610 Office: 86-454-5725790 (Home)
Zhang Defu, director of the Political Security Division: 86-454-5794878 (Office), 86-13329550077 (Mobile), 86-15331967999 (Mobile), 86-454-5730567 (Home)
Guo Yuzhong, guidance counsellor (in charge of the persecution): 86-454-5715761 (Office), 86-13803675568 (Mobile) 86-454-5788007
Han Kuikui, brainwashing centre director: 86-454-5794924 (Office), 86-13101656567 (Mobile), 86-454-5715550 (Home)

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/11/28/213450.html