Grandma Wang’s Tears

Grandma Wang, who lives in Jiaojiazhuang, Yongchang County, Gansu Province, had a happy life before 1999. She practises Falun Gong, as do her second daughter’s family, her third daughter and husband, and her youngest son and his wife. Such a big family of Falun Gong practitioners used to be the envy of others in the local area.

Since July 20th, 1999 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Gong, Grandma Wang’s second daughter lost her life as a result of the persecution; her son-in-law Qin Jichang was sentenced to eight years in prison; her grandson Qin Dexin was sent to one and a half years of forced labour, and was later sentenced to twelve years in prison; her third daughter Wang Zefang was sentenced to eight years in prison and her third son-in-law Zhang Yanrong was sent to forced labour for two years. He was later sentenced to twelve years of imprisonment and died as a result of the persecution. Her youngest son Wang Zexing was sent to forced labour for one and a half years and was later sentenced to ten years in prison, where he suffered a mental collapse. His wife Wang Yongfang was sentenced to eight years in prison. Whenever Grandma mentions the persecution her family has suffered over the years, she is in tears.

Summary of Persecution Suffered by Grandma Wang’s Relatives

Second daughter Wang Zelan: Forced to lay on ice till her flesh fell off, sent to forced labour for two years at Pingantai Labour Camp; passed away in 2008 due to persecution

Second son-in-law Qin Jichang: Was repeatedly shocked on the head by police with electric batons, imprisoned at Lanzhou Prison; he is now back home

Grandson Qin Dexin (Wang Zelan’s son): Was hung up in the air for two whole days and brutally beaten; police used wooden clubs to hit his head and kicked him until his whole body turned black and blue with injuries

Was imprisoned at Lanzhou Prison; he is now back home

Third son-in-law Zhang Yanrong: Forced to stand still for 18 days; police put a wild hare into his trousers and kicked it hard; suffered severe persecution at Jiuquan Prison; passed away as a result of brutal torture and persecution

Third daughter Wang Zefang: Forced to lay on ice; suffered financial extortion

Youngest son Wang Zexing: Tied up, paraded through the streets for humiliation; subjected to mass criticism as in “The Cultural Revolution”; suffered severe persecution at Jiuquan Prion; still suffering from mental collapse as a result

Youngest daughter-in-law: Was hung up and beaten until she lost consciousness; her leg was broken; forced to weave carpets day and night; after she returned home from Lanzhou Women's Prison, she has to take care of her mentally collapsed husband, Grandma Wang and her eight-year-old daughter all by herself

Grandma Wang’s second daughter passed away, and her second son-in-law and grandson were sentenced to imprisonment

After Qin Dexin started practising Falun Gong, his parents also took up the practice. His mother Wang Zelan, used to have all kinds of illnesses, including rheumatic disease and haemorrhoids. She felt cold all year round and had to wear padded clothes even in summer and wrap her head up tightly when she went to sleep. When she went to listen to the Falun Gong lecture for the first time, her entire body felt hot and she started to cry loudly, realising that Falun Gong was what she had been searching for her whole life.

In July 1999, Falun Gong suffered slander and suppression by the CCP. On December 15th, 1999, Qin Dexin and his uncle-in-law Zhang Yanrong went to Beijing to appeal and were detained in the Qianmen police department. They were handcuffed from behind and the police used a wooden club to violently hit their wrists. Later, they were taken back to their local area and continued to be detained. On January 22nd, 2000, police from Yongchang County took them to back to the Yongchang Detention Centre and they were not released until a month later. On February 24th, 2000, Wang Zelan was put into detention for 15 days. At the detention centre, the head of the detention centre, Cheng Yesheng, deliberately poured cold water on the floor. Wang Zelan was so cold that she lost consciousness and her hands developed big cracks. Fifteen days later, she was released, but only after being extorted 500 yuan¹.

On March 21st, 2000, Qin Dexin was again arrested and sent to forced labour for one year and a half. At the labour camp, he was forced to do endless slave labour and was constantly beaten. He was reduced to skin and bones. He was also forced to watch videos that slander Falun Gong. When he refused to watch, his term was extended by another month. He was not allowed to go back home until October 2001.

On March 8th, 2002, Yongchang county sent out a large number of police to arrest Falun Gong practitioners. Qin Dexin and his parents Qin Jichang and Wang Zelan were arrested and taken to Yongchang Detention Centre. The police slapped Qing Jichang on the face and pulled his hair.

On April 30th, 2002, Qin Jichang and his son Qin Dexin were sentenced; the father was sentenced to ten years in prison, and the son twelve. Wang Zelan was sent to forced labour for two and a half years at Pingantai Labour Camp in Gansu Province. On November 13th, father and son and a few other practitioners were transferred to Lanzhou Prison in Gansu Province.

On February 26th, 2003, father and son were transferred to Wuwei Prison. As soon as they arrived there, guards shocked their heads with electric batons.

Qin Dexin was beaten brutally for not bowing to the guards. They used wooden clubs to hit his head. He was knocked to the ground and the guards kicked him hard, leaving marks from their boots all over his face. His teeth became loose from the beating and his whole body was covered with injuries. Those who participated in the persecution include division head Kong Guowen, guards Liu Jibing, Yao Shenggeng, Shi Zhiyuan and others. After the beating, they hung him up from the beam of a blanket-weaving machine and continued to shock his mouth and face with electric batons. They tortured him for two whole days. After he was taken down, he no longer had feeling in his hands. The guards beat him again with wooden clubs. He was repeatedly hung up, beaten up and shocked with electric batons. The torture went on for two months.

On December 24th, 2008, Qing’s mother Wang Zelan, died as a result of persecution. The police did not even inform him of his mum’s death. Later, when a fellow villager told him about her death, he was in deep sorrow. The pain in his heart remained until he was released on June 5th, 2010. After his release, he was arrested again and detained for 20 days. He was also constantly harassed by the authorities. Facing the pain of losing his loved ones and the miserable situation at home, Qin Dexin left to live elsewhere and do odd jobs to keep going.

Grandma Wang’s third son-in-law Zhang Yanrong died from persecution

Zhang Yanrong, born in 1960, was a farmer in Hetan Village, Jiaojiazhaung, Yongchang County. He and his wife Wang Zefang raised one daughter and one son. After he started practising Falun Gong in 1997, he became very healthy and his whole family was well respected by local people.

After July 20th, 1999, Zhang Yanrong lost his life as a result of the persecution, at the age of 48. His wife Wang Zefang was sentenced to eight years in prison. Their daughter could not endure the discrimination and left home. Their son’s life is even more miserable. He was living in an adobe house. After days of rain, the dried mud the house was made of was washed away and even the beam collapsed. When neighbours saw him, he was crouching in a corner barely big enough for him to take shelter. His long hair was very messy. Later, he relied on doing some odd jobs for neighbours to feed himself. He is living a difficult life.

After July 20th, 1999, Zhang Yanrong was detained for 15 days. His grandmother died from fear and anxiety. On December 15th, 1999, Zhang and Qin Dexin went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. They were arrested and detained. The police hung Zhang up in the air with his hands restrained at his back. It was so painful that his sweat soaked his padded jacket and dripped to the ground. After he was taken back from Beijing by officer Li Guoyu from Yongchang county police department, he was detained at Yongchang Detention Centre and was not released until a month later.

Not long afterwards, Zhang was again arrested. Thugs led by Liu Fuhai, the head of Yongchang police department, and Peng Weiping and Li Guoyu from the security section paraded Zhang and other practitioners through the streets for public humiliation. During the parade, Zhang held up his head. Liu Fuhai hit his head with a fist and shouted at him. When they were back at the detention centre, Liu Fuhai not only instructed thugs to beat Zhang, he also joined in on the beating himself, telling others to beat Zhang to death.

On March 21st, 2000, Zhang was sent to forced labour for two years at the Pingantai Labour Camp, where he was subjected to more torture and slave labour. While he was sent to forced labour, his mother and wife were also arrested and detained by evildoers from the county police department and Jiaojiazhuang police station, leaving behind an under-aged son at home, who had no one to care for him and no money to go to school.

At the beginning of February, Zhang came back home from the detention centre. On March 8th, he was taken to Yongchang Detention Centre by Liu Fuhai and others, where he suffered beatings and torture day and night until he could no longer walk or take care of himself.

On September 18th, 2002, the Yongchang Court sentenced Zhang, Qin Dexin, Qin Jichang, Wang Zefang and Wang Yongfang to imprisonment, with terms ranging from seven to twelve years. They were taken to Lanzhou Prison and Gansu Women's Prison, respectively, on November 13th.

On February 26th, 2003, he was transferred to Wuwei Prison for further persecution.

In the beginning of December 2005, Zhang, Wang Zexing and more than twenty others were transferred to Jiuquan Prison. On the way, they shouted loudly “Falun Gong is good! Truthfulness- Compassion-Forbearance is good!” whenever they saw passers-by.

When they arrived at Jiuquan Prison, Zhang suffered brutal beatings and was deprived of sleep. He was forced to stand 24 hours a day, and if he moved even a bit, he was beaten and burned with a hot iron stick. This went on for eighteen days. What was more savage was that the guards put a wild hare into the crotch of his trousers and then kicked the hare violently. Zhang became extremely weak as a result of being subjected to these abuses. He did not get any medical care and treatment and his condition became worse and worse. He was allowed to go back home on bail for health reasons in June 2007.

On August 15th, 2007, Mr. Zhang passed away after eight years of severe persecution. When he died, his whole body was black and blue and his legs were covered with deep indentations. His elderly mother in her 70s travelled a long distance to Gansu Women's Prison, hoping that Zhang's wife Wang Zefang would be allowed to see him one last time, but the prison guards refused to let her see her daughter and they did not even inform her of Mr. Zhang’s death.

Account of the persecution of Grandma Wang’s third daughter, Wang Zefang

At the end of 1999, in order to prevent Wang Zefang from going to Beijing to appeal, the local regime thugs detained her for 15 days and extorted 100 yuan for food. After her husband Zhang Yanrong went to Beijing and suffered persecution, Wang was detained four times. At the detention centre, she and her sister Wang Zelan and sister-in-law Wang Yongfang were abused by detention head Cheng Yesheng. They were forced to lay on their stomachs on an ice covered floor, until the ice melted. They were forced to do this every day, from morning till night. Fifteen days later they were released.

In 2001, Yongchang County Party head Zhang Yunsheng took seven or eight thugs with him and went to Ms. Wang’s house, holding electric batons in their hands. They kicked open the door, in an attempt to abduct her. The next day, officer Li Guoyu broke into her house again with four or five thugs. They handcuffed her younger brother Wang Zexing, forcibly took her and Wang Zexing to the detention centre and extorted 700 yuan for food.

On March 8th, 2002, Liu Fuhai sent five police cars loaded with police including Li Guoyu. They broke into her house and took Zhang Yanrong, Wang Zefang, Wang Yongfang and Zhang’s mother to the detention centre. The police also took away their plough, which they needed for farming, and was worth over 7,000 yuan. They then sold it for 2,500 yuan.

At the detention centre, a vicious guard surnamed Wang, cuffed Wang Zefang with her hands behind her back and beat her with a rubber tube. He also put Teacher Li’s [Teacher Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong] photograph underneath her feet and tried to force her to step on it. When Ms. Wang refused to do so, he handcuffed her to a heating pipe.

On September 18th, 2002, Ms. Wang and her husband were sentenced and she was sent to Gansu Women's Prison on November 13th.

While at prison, she was forced to peel garlic every day with her bare hands. The flesh on her fingers eroded and her fingernails peeled off. Ms. Wang and Ms. He Xiuying refused to cooperate with the guards, so they were sent to Ward 3 to weave nets and were given an excessive workload. Every evening, they were forced to work until after 9:00 p.m.; afterwards, they were forced to wind strings used to weave nets till mid-night before they were allowed to sleep.

On March 31st, 2008, Ms. Wang returned home. Only then did she learn that her husband had passed away in August 2007.

Zhang Yanrong and Wang Zefang were repeatedly detained, sent to labour camps and sentenced to imprisonment. The four fishponds Zhang Yanrong built in 2002 failed due to lack of care, as the couple were detained. Their house door was also taken away by someone and all the windows were broken.

Grandma Wang’s youngest son Wang Zexing suffered a mental collapse due to persecution

Wang Zexing was born in 1965, and lived in Hetan Village, Jiaojiazhuang, Yongchang County. After July 20th, 1999, he was detained for 15 days. As he had no money for a train ticket, he went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong by bike in the beginning of 2000. On the way, when sleepy, he would sleep by the roadside; when hungry, he would eat some snow. As soon as he arrived at Tiananmen Square he was arrested by plain-clothes police and armed police and sent to a detention centre. A few days later, he was taken back by police from Yongchang and detained in the Yongchang Detention Centre for a month. Not long after that, Wang Zexing was arrested again. The police paraded him through the streets for public humiliation and organised a mass meeting to criticise and berate him.

On March 21st, 2000, Mr. Wang was sent to forced labour for a year and a half at the Pingantai Labour Camp in Gansu Province, where he was forced to do slave labour and was constantly beaten and berated. He returned home in 2001, but was taken away again only four months later.

On March 8th, 2002, Yongchang police department head Liu Fuhai, together with Li Guoyu and Peng Weiping arrested and detained Mr. Wang and more than thirty other practitioners.

On April 30th, 2002, more than thirty practitioners were sentenced by the Yongchang Police Department. Fifteen of them were sent to forced labour at Pingantai Labour Camp. On September 18th, the Yongchang Court sentenced Zhang Yanrong, Qin Dexin and others to heavy imprisonment terms, from eight years to twelve years. The practitioners were taken to Lanzhou Prison and Gansu Women's Prison, respectively, on November 13th.

Wang Zexing was monitored 24 hours a day at Lanzhou Prison, and not allowed to talk to others. Three months later, he was transferred to Wuwei Prison. There, he showed symptoms of severe intestinal obstruction. Doctors said such a condition was caused by being violently beaten in his abdominal area.

In the beginning of December 2005, Zhang Yanrong and other practitioners were transferred to Jiuquan Prison. On the way they shouted “Falun Gong is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” After they arrived in Jiuquan Prison, they were separated and could not see each other. Wang Zexing suffered a mental collapse as a result of persecution and he could not take care of himself. His legs were full of cigarette burns. He became very scared whenever he saw a stranger.

On May 18th, 2009, Wang Zexing was sent home. However, he could not even recognise his mother and his wife and could not take care of himself. He throws up anything he eats. He has no bowel movements and his abdomen is swollen and bloated. He can't get out of bed. Whenever someone mentions Jiuquan Prison, he stands still and is too scared to say anything.

Grandma Wang’s youngest daughter-in-law Wang Yongfang suffered persecution

Wang Yongfang suffered detention after July 20th, 1999. The first time she was detained was after her husband Wang Zexing was brought back from Beijing. She was implicated and detained together with him. Detention centre head Cheng Yesheng forced Wang Yongfang, Wang Zelan, Wang Zefang and other practitioners to lay on their stomachs on an ice covered floor, until the ice melted from their body heat. Their bodies very quickly became numb. Such torture went on for 15 days before they were released. After Wang Yongfang returned home, the police forced her to pay money, saying it was for the expenses incurred to bring Wang Zexing back from Beijing. She did not have any money so she had to sell some grain to pay the extortion.

After Wang Zexing was sent to forced labour, Wang Yongfang was detained four times. On March 8th, 2002, Wang Yongfang was arrested again. Police officer Li Guoyu and more than ten others broke into Wang’s family home, taking away Wang Zefang, Zhang Yanrong, Wang Yongfang and Zhang’s mum. At the detention centre, Li Guoyu beat them violently to get a confession. A guard surnamed Wang used a rubber tube to beat Wang Yongfang. Her face was covered with black and blue marks. Li Guoyu also hit her head hard with his fist. Three guards took turns beating her, until she lost consciousness. Her kneecap was broken from the vicious beating.

On April 30th, 2002, Wang Yongfang and other practitioners were tied up. Their necks were tied with a rope held by police, to prevent them from shouting “Falun Gong is good.” The police hung placards around their necks and paraded them through streets in the county’s downtown area to humiliate them.

On September 18th, 2002, Wang Yongfang and her husband Wang Zexing were sentenced at the same time. At the women's prison, Wang was subjected to brainwashing and was forced to weave carpets. Every day, they had to get up at 5:30 a.m., and started working at 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Sometimes, they were not allowed to have a lunch break. Lunch would be brought to their workshop. They had to rush through their lunch and continue to work until 11:00 p.m. Only then did they stop working to get some sleep. The carpets were exported overseas. After weaving carpets for two years, Wang became extremely weak and suffered anaemia.

On January 15th, 2007, Wang returned home. Only then did she learn that her father had passed away as he could not bear the mental blow after she and her husband were sentenced. Now there is only Grandma Wang and an eight-year-old granddaughter. There is no money for the little girl to go to school. It was only with the help of relatives and fellow practitioners that the little girl managed to finish primary school education. The Jiaojiazhaung Township government also confiscated all the land allocated to Wang Yongfang’s family. When Wang got back home, her house had been stripped of everything and there was not even any grain to eat. Wang Yongfang had to borrow 1,000 yuan from relatives to buy seed for crops.

Currently, Wang Yongfang is living a very hard life and she has to take care of her mentally ill husband. In addition, she is also constantly harassed by local regime agents.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.