Ms. Xu Chensheng Dies the Day She Is Arrested

Name: Xu Chensheng
Gender: Female
Age: 47
Address: Residential Area of Chenzhou Cigarette Factory
Occupation: Employee of Chenzhou Cigarette Factory
Date of Death: May 16th, 2012
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 16th, 2012
Most Recent Place of Detention: Renmin West Street Police Station
City: Chenzhou
Province: Hunan
Persecution Suffered: Unknown

Ms. Xu Chensheng, 47, was arrested on the street by officers from the Renmin West Street Police Station on the morning of May 16th, 2012. She died suddenly after being interrogated for 12 hours. The police department notified her family two days later, claiming that she had died of illness. Her family and friends are full of grief and anger. They hired an attorney and a medical examiner to find out the true cause of Ms. Xu's death.

At 10:00 a.m. on May 16th, Ms. Xu was arrested and taken to the Renmin West Street Police Station. She was handcuffed behind her back, forced to sit on an “interrogation chair”, and interrogated for over 12 hours. She was deprived of drinking water, food, and restroom use during the interrogation.

On the same night, at 10:39 p.m., Ms. Xu was taken to a police car by three officers and then to the Chenzhou No. 1 People's Hospital at 11:15 p.m. The doctor examined Ms. Xu and confirmed that she had already died. It's not known what had happened and how she died. Ms. Xu's body is being stored in the freezer at a mortuary, with her eyes half closed.

Two days later, on May 18th, the police department notified Ms. Xu's ex-husband about her death. Ms. Xu's mother, 87, full of grief and anger, declared that they will bring the murderer to justice. The family hired an attorney from out of town and was going to take a medical examiner to perform a judicial identification.

Ms. Xu had been arrested and detained, and had had her home ransacked several times just for practising Falun Gong. Her husband divorced her under the pressure. Her 20-year-old son is in college out of town. Ms. Xu lived alone.

One month ago, Ms. Xu told her friend that she was being followed and monitored. The followers were normally personnel from the National Security Team, the police department, the residential committee, and the Comprehensive Management Office at her work. They are controlled and operated by the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee and 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) of Chenzhou City.

Persecuted Many Times

In 2000, Ms. Xu was arrested, detained, and extorted by the Chenzhou Police Department for explaining the facts about Falun Gong to the government. In 2001, she was detained and subjected to brainwashing at a brainwashing centre located at the Beihu District Party School. In March 2005, the Chenzhou Cigarette Factory cooperated with the 610 Office, and attempted to send Ms. Xu to a brainwashing centre. Ms. Xu left home and work and became homeless for one month in order to avoid the persecution. Chenzhou Cigarette Factory later fired her. Later on, Ms. Xu was arrested while distributing Falun Gong informational materials and was detained for 15 days. The day after she was released, the 610 Office ordered the detention centre to arrest her again. They couldn't find her and listed her as wanted.

On the afternoon of December 24th, 2008, Ms. Xu went to the Suxian District Police Department to get a new identification card and was arrested. She was sentenced to forced labour after being detained for several months. She was taken to the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp in Zhuzhou City but the camp authorities refused to admit her. She was later released.

Ms. Xu took a train back to Chenzhou on June 11th, 2011. As she did not have an identification card, the train attendant searched her and found a Falun Gong book and several Falun Gong informational pamphlets. She taken to the Chasha City Railway Police Bureau. Several days later, the police ransacked her home. Ms. Xu was intimidated and abused while held at the Detention Centre of the Chasha City Railway Police Bureau. She started a hunger strike to protest the detention. The officers from the Chasha City Railway Police Bureau took her to the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp but the camp authorities refused to admit her because she did not pass the physical exam. Ms. Xu was later released and was extremely emaciated and weak. Her hunger strike lasted for 45 days, until the day she was released. The Railway Bureau praised the train attendant as “highly alert” and rewarded him with 100,000 yuan (15,764 USD).

Ms. Xu died with her eyes still open. Her family, relatives and friends are in deep sorrow. What caused Ms. Xu's death? Why did law enforcement act with total disregard for the lives of other people? We hope to bring the murderer to justice and not let this tragedy happen again.