Ms. Zhang Ying Dies Away from Home

Name: Zhang Ying
Gender: Female
Age: in her 40s
Address: Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Deputy Technical Director of Jiamusi Second Drug Manufacturing Factory
Date of Death: 2009
City: Jiamusi
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Fired from workplace, ID confiscated

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhang Ying, who has a Bachelor's degree, was forced to quit her job due to the persecution. Prior to learning Falun Gong, she suffered for many years with life-threatening illness.

After practising Falun Gong in 1997, she became well. Many colleagues at her factory witnessed the miracle of her restored health, and they also began to practise Falun Gong. But after the persecution began, the factory's Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Secretary and the factory director forced Ms. Zhang to choose between giving up Falun Gong or being fired. There are no conflicts between practising Falun Gong and work, but Ms. Zhang had to make the painful decision to give up her job, as otherwise she would die from her illnesses.

Ms. Zhang's husband was forced into early retirement, and their family suddenly experienced financial difficulties. In order to make a living, Ms. Zhang had to begin travelling in order to find work. She went to a far away southern city to work in a drug factory. She talked to people about Falun Gong and the persecution whenever she had a chance, but the local police arrested her and took her back to the Jiamusi City Police Department. Her family paid for her release on bail, but Ms. Zhang's ID was withheld by the police. In order to force her to quit practising Falun Gong, her husband physically abused her. However, Ms. Zhang remained steadfast in her belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Although it is difficult in China, Ms. Zhang had to find a job without an ID. She was able to find employment at a drug manufacturer in Huachuan City. Her excellent work ethic got her promoted. She was first hired to be in charge of a technical maintenance work section, but soon she was promoted to manage technical maintenance for the entire factory.

Nonetheless, ten years of moving from place to place to make a living, coupled with ongoing pressure from the large-scale persecution, placed a great deal of stress on Ms. Zhang. Her health deteriorated and she found out that she had breast cancer in 2008. She died in 2009 in Huachuan City, far from home. Had she had a stable living situation and could practice Falun Gong freely without the fear of persecution, perhaps Ms. Zhang's story would have been different.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/3/7/37266.html