Mr. Chen Yongtao Beaten in Sihui Prison, Guangdong Province

Recently Mr. Chen Yongtao was beaten by criminals in Sihui Prison, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. People in prison tried to brainwash him to make him give up Falun Gong. They designated criminal inmates to monitor him. Once, claiming that Mr. Chen was not sitting properly, the criminals slapped him and then kneed him in the lower back, causing on-going pain.

When Mr. Chen's family learned about this, they immediately questioned the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) in Sihui Prison and asked them to resolve the issue and to give a reasonable explanation. After the family had been to the office several times, the 610 Office personnel just denied the event ever took place. They even claimed that his family members were interfering with his brainwashing and would not allow them to meet him in the future. After his family members contacted the director of Sihui Prison, the Zhaoqing Procuratorate and the Guangdong Province Procuratorate, the attitude of the 610 Office personnel in Sihui Prison changed a lot.

Chen Yongtao and his wife are both Falun Gong practitioners. They were arrested in a big hunt and arrested "to ensure the security of the Olympic Torch relay" by Guangzhou City on April 15th, 2008. Later on both of them were sentenced to three years. His wife, Zou Danyu, was detained in Guangzhou Women's Prison. On August 25th, 2009, Mr. Chen was secretly transferred to Sihui Prison. The arrest and sentencing of both Chen Yongtao and his wife were done in secret. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials did not inform their family members what was going on. Only after everything was set was their family informed. Even then, the official responses were often vague.

Mr. Chen persisted in his belief, and was persecuted in Sihui Prison. The guards tried to designate criminals to use violence and lies to brainwash him.

Mr. Chen started to practise Falun Gong in 1997, and benefited both mentally and physically. He followed Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and considered others all the time. After the persecution started on July 20th, 1999, he persevered and was deprived of a good job by the government. He once found a job as director in a construction company, but he lost his job again because of one sentence from the 610 Office.

On December 10th, 2001, he and his wife were arrested and charged with conducting "illicit relations with a foreign country." After six days, these accusations were rescinded and they were to be sent home. However, they were detained in Zhuhai District Brainwashing Centre in Guangzhou City and Guangzhou City Brainwashing Centre (Guangzhou City Law School) for almost a year.

They used to be a happy family with a lovely child. However, after his parents were arrested, the child became irritable and did not like to study anymore. He said it was too painful and that he'd rather be dead.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2009/12/23/214920.html