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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/15/04e November 15, 2004 TO: COMMISSIONERS FROM: ROBIN S. TOMA RE: PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE FALUN GONG I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Cook and other practitioners of the Falun Gong last week. After discussion with them, and based upon the staff research, I attach a draft proposed resolution for your consideration. Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Resolution on Falun Gong Whereas, Falun Gong is a peaceful and non-violent form of personal spiritual belief and practice that originated in the People's Republic of China, but has grown in popularity worldwide, with a multitude of practitioners in the County of Los Angeles; and Whereas, Practitioners of Falun Gong have not only experienced human rights violations in China, well-documented by Amnesty International, but have also been targeted by individuals and representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles County and elsewhere for accusations about the Falun Gong with the purpose of denying their right to engage in their spiritual practice and to educate others about it; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission firmly believes in upholding every person's First Amendment fundamental human right to freedom, personal belief and practice, expression, and assembly; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission also firmly believes in upholding a citizen's human right to practice and pursue their religion in a peaceful and law abiding manner, without being targeted for discrimination, harassment, or false accusations regarding the nature of their practice; Whereas, the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a concurrent resolution, HCR 304, which expresses the sense of the House regarding oppression by the Government of the People's Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in China; Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission 1) extends respect and protection of the free beliefs and peaceful activities of Falun Gong practitioners, 2) recommends to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution concurring with the HCR 304, advising the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation of its action, and requesting the Commission to advise the appropriate officials of city governments of Los Angeles County of this action; and 3) will encourage the community through our networks to report incidents of discrimination, harassment or intolerance against the Falun Gong or its supporters to the County Human Relations Commission and/or other appropriate government and community agencies. Adopted, by the Human Relations Commission of the County of Los Angeles this xx day of xxxx, two thousand and four. a • a. r ! 3 Thomas Saenz, Esq. Commission President \\S' _�f Elaine Doerfling From: albertroman76@adelphia.net Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 10:04 PM To: Elaine Doerfling Subject: Brief Follow up Mayor Reviczky, Councilmen, Tucker, Yoon, Keegan, and Edgerton, and Ms. Doerfling, Hello. I just wanted to thank each of you for listening to my concerns at the, council meeting last night. Councilman Yoon, thank you for agreeing to draft a resolution or simply write a letter. If you send it to me, I will be more than happy to make copies and send it to the government officials I mentioned last night. Of course, if you'd prefer to send it on your own, that's fine. Councilman Edgerton, thank you for your kind encouragement and suggestion. Yes, I'm in contact with Congresswoman Harman's office. For the past few years, I've met with her assistants annually both locally and in Washington, DC. You're right. I should continue to focus on the "big picture" and utilize the appropriate channels of communication by speaking with officials who deal with foreign policy issues. I, nevertheless, still wish to raise awareness about this in my community. Thanks for allowing me to do so at the council meetings. I'm stoked to live in Hermosa Beach! (and to live in this wonderful nation) Take care, Albert Roman 124 -21st Street Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 1 1 November 15, 2004 TO: COMMISSIONERS FROM: ROBIN S. TOMA RE: PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE FALUN GONG I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Cook and other practitioners of the Falun Gong last week. After discussion with them, and based upon the staff research, I attach a draft proposed resolution for your consideration. s a.: r Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Resolution on Falun Gong Whereas, Falun Gong is a peaceful and non-violent form of personal spiritual belief and practice that originated in the People's Republic of China, but has grown in popularity worldwide, with a multitude of practitioners in the County of Los Angeles; and Whereas, Practitioners of Falun Gong have not only experienced human rights violations in China, well-documented by Amnesty International, but have also been targeted by individuals and representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles County and elsewhere for accusations about the Falun Gong with the purpose of denying their right to engage in their spiritual practice and to educate others about it; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission firmly believes in upholding every person's First Amendment fundamental human right to freedom, personal belief and practice, expression, and assembly; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission also firmly believes in upholding a citizen's human right to practice and pursue their religion in a peaceful and law abiding manner, without being targeted for discrimination, harassment, or false accusations regarding the nature of their practice; Whereas, the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a concurrent resolution, HCR 304, which expresses the sense of the House regarding oppression by the Government of the People's Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in China; Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission 1) extends respect and protection of the free beliefs and peaceful activities of Falun Gong practitioners, 2) recommends to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution concurring with the HCR 304, advising the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation of its action, and requesting the Commission to advise the appropriate officials of city governments of Los Angeles County of this action; and 3) will encourage the community through our networks to report incidents of discrimination, harassment or intolerance against the Falun Gong or its supporters to the County Human Relations Commission and/or other appropriate government and community agencies. Adopted, by the Human Relations Commission of the County of Los Angeles this xx day of xxxx, two thousand and four. ♦, r i t i Thomas Saenz, Esq. Commission President November 15, 2004 TO: COMMISSIONERS FROM: ROBIN S. TOMA RE: PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE FALUN GONG I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Cook and other practitioners of the Falun Gong last week. After discussion with them, and based upon the staff research, I attach a draft proposed resolution for,your consideration. ilii }0 ii.,4 4.4 {. rPi P 1 X 'MD Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Resolution on Falun Gong Whereas, Falun Gong is a peaceful and non-violent form of personal spiritual belief and practice that originated in the People's Republic of China, but has grown in popularity worldwide, with a multitude of practitioners in the County of Los Angeles; and Whereas, Practitioners of Falun Gong have not only experienced human rights violations in China, well-documented by Amnesty International, but have also been targeted by individuals and representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China in'L'os'Angeles County and elsewhere for accusations about the Falun Gong with the purpose of denying their right to engage in their spiritua`I-practice and to`educate others about it; and \ Whereas, The Human Relations Commission firmly believes in upholding every person's First Amendment fundamental human right to freedom, personal belief and practice, expression, and assembly; and Whereas, The Human Relations Comm cion also firmly believes in upholding a citizen's human right to.practice and.pursue their religion in a peaceful and law abiding manner, without beingtargeted for discrimination, harassment, or falseaccusations regarding the'nature of their practice; < Whereas, the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a concurrent resolution, HCR.304;which;expresses the sense of the House regarding oppression by, the Government of the People's Republic of China of Falun Gong in the'United�States and in China; Now Therefore Be It Resolved," that the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commissiori,1) extends respect and protection of the free beliefs and peaceful activities )of Falun Gong practitioners, 2) recommends to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution concurring with the HCR 304, advising the Los,Angeles County Congressional Delegation of its action, and requesting the Commission to advise the appropriate officials of city governments of Los Angeles County of this action; and 3) will encourage the community through our networks to report incidents of discrimination, harassment or intolerance against the Falun Gong or its supporters to the County Human Relations Commission and/or other appropriate government and community agencies. 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I .1 f?�•. ri Ss1, '^-1 It f4a3'!`gd'.i i' ?1ie1t� �I `. a ,Air.t l - 4 t _ rt,:" ':"k '.r t=" `( ._ ak�' ..'`ti 1.10,_.,1,A,1.10,_.,1,A,I .4 ,F d1 . iY3��� •� 9 r._ ^ • tr ' 1 .t .k 1 1 + 't i t 1 Il..- '`. •I } 1 ' ■tj'l �t. } � r. 1 1,' !Y, '. ,' 10 y s.t�'!''' ; • 4- ` s ;t}- - i re x11 i• .f t:7:1 tl #�Cktlralt ? �.� ,1t1")";imey')14, Al °a.dt 11' 4 ;d'lr • 'tk' Y. 'Y Thomas Saenz, Esq. Commission President November 15, 2004 TO: COMMISSIONERS FROM: ROBIN S. TOMA RE: PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE FALUN GONG I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Cook and other practitioners of the Falun Gong last week. After discussion with them, and based upon the staff research, I attach a draft proposed resolution for your consideration. Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Resolution on Falun Gong Whereas, Falun Gong is a peaceful and non-violent form of personal spiritual belief and practice that originated in the People's Republic of China, but has grown in popularity worldwide, with a multitude of practitioners in the County of Los Angeles; and Whereas, Practitioners of Falun Gong have not only experienced human rights violations in China, well-documented by Amnesty International, but have also been targeted by individuals and representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles County and elsewhere for accusations about the Falun Gong with the purpose of denying their right to engage in their spiritual practice and to educate others about it; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission firmly believes in upholding every person's First Amendment fundamental human right to freedom, personal belief and practice, expression, and assembly; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission also firmly believes in upholding a citizen's human right to practice and pursue their religion in a peaceful and law abiding manner, without being targeted for discrimination, harassment, or false accusations regarding the nature of their practice; Whereas, the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a concurrent resolution, HCR 304, which expresses the sense of the House regarding oppression by the Government of the People's Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in China; Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission 1) extends respect and protection of the free beliefs and peaceful activities of Falun Gong practitioners, 2) recommends to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution concurring with the HCR 304, advising the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation of its action, and requesting the Commission to advise the appropriate officials of city governments of Los Angeles County of this action; and 3) will encourage the community through our networks to report incidents of discrimination, harassment or intolerance against the Falun Gong or its supporters to the County Human Relations Commission and/or other appropriate government and community agencies. Adopted, by the Human Relations Commission of the County of Los Angeles this xx day of xxxx, two thousand and four. a Thomas Saenz, Esq. Commission President November 15, 2004 TO: COMMISSIONERS FROM: ROBIN S. TOMA RE: PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE FALUN GONG I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Cook and other practitioners of the Falun Gong last week. After discussion with them, and based upon the staff research, I attach a draft proposed resolution for your consideration. r Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Resolution on Falun Gong Whereas, Falun Gong is a peaceful and non-violent form of personal spiritual belief and practice that originated in the People's Republic of China, but has grown in popularity worldwide, with a multitude of practitioners in the County of Los Angeles; and Whereas, Practitioners of Falun Gong have not only experienced human rights violations in China, well-documented by Amnesty International, but have also been targeted by individuals and representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles County and elsewhere for accusations about the Falun Gong with the purpose of denying their right to engage in their spiritual practice and to educate others about it; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission firmly believes in upholding every person's First Amendment fundamental human right to freedom, personal belief and practice, expression, and assembly; and Whereas, The Human Relations Commission also firmly believes in upholding a citizen's human right to practice and pursue their religion in a peaceful and law abiding manner, without being targeted for discrimination, harassment, or false accusations regarding the nature of their practice; Whereas, the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a concurrent resolution, HCR 304, which expresses the sense of the House regarding oppression by the Government of the People's Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in China; Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission 1) extends respect and protection of the free beliefs and peaceful activities of Falun Gong practitioners, 2) recommends to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution concurring with the HCR 304, advising the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation of its action, and requesting the Commission to advise the appropriate officials of city governments of Los Angeles County of this action; and 3) will encourage the community through our networks to report incidents of discrimination, harassment or intolerance against the Falun Gong or its supporters to the County Human Relations Commission and/or other appropriate government and community agencies. Adopted, by the Human Relations Commission of the County of Los Angeles this xx day of xxxx, two thousand and four. r Thomas Saenz, Esq. Commission President 2000 - 2003 United Nations Reports on China's Persecution of Falun Gong The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group All rights reserved First Printing Oc tober, 2003. 1-931035-14-8 The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group Cover Photos From left: 1. AP Photo: Police seize a female Falun Gong practitioner on Tiananmen Square, Beijing in December 1999. 2. Two Falun Gong practitioners hold banners that say "Truth -Compassion -Forbearance" as plainclothes police close in on Tiananmen Square, Beijing in May 2001. 3. Ms. Chen Xingtao, on crutches after her release from police custody, shows photos of the injuries she sus- tained. Police torture had paralyzed her from the waist down and left a large hole from necrosis in her buttocks. The necrosis continued to worsen, and Ms. Chen died in May 2002, after more than one year of agony. United Nations Reports on China's Persecution of Falun Gong A Collection of Excerpts from Annual Reports of the Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Commission, 2000-2003 October 2003 The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group Table of Contents Preface iv Background vi I Reports by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 1 II. Report by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances 23 III. Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture 29 IV Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions 79 V Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women 99 VI. Reports by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders 119 VII. Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression 129 VIII. Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers IX. Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief 137 141 APPENDIX. Torture Methods Used by Chinese Police 147 III Preface Perpetrators of crimes against humanity have never admitted guilt for the resulting carnage, and the government of the People's Republic of China is no exception. Despite more than four years of heinous crimes and horrific atrocities against tens of millions of innocent and peaceful Falun Gong practitioners, the PRC government continues to deny any use of violence - because the violations are so blatant that even the PRC government can find no defense but to resort to categorical denial. What the PRC government counts on is effecting indif- ! ference in the international community through deceit and coercion. However, ink -printed lies can never conceal bloodstained facts. Collected in this book are excerpts from annual reports of the United Nations Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteurs, documenting cases of human rights violations committed by the PRC government against Falun Gong practitioners. The PRC government is a member of the UN Human Rights Commission and a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power. However, it cannot veto the findings of the Special Rapporteurs. These findings are just the tip of the iceberg of the ongoing slaughter. Many Special Rapporteurs and their assistants have indicated that the vast number of cases is simply beyond their capacity to process. We hope, however, that this small collection will serve adequately as independent and \ authoritative evidence for those who still wishfully believe that the PRC government is moving towards rule of law and that Falun Gong practitioners are "all treated according to the law." We further hope that this small collection is enough to stir the conscience of the internation- al community - including the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which appointed those i Special Rapporteurs - to come to the aid of the victims. In publishing these reports, we want to express our utmost respect and indebtedness to the Special Rapporteurs and their assistants, many of whom have faced hardship because of pressure from those who do not want the reports to see the light of day. These reports are also a tribute to the suffering Falun Gong practitioners, without whose courage and peaceful conviction these crimes could not have been exposed. Everyone who has worked for human rights causes knows that the first and most difficult step in ending systematic violations is to expose the evil. Falun Gong practitioners in China have coura- geously taken this first step; isn't it upon our conscience to come to their defense, so that their sacrifices shall not have been in vain? IV Background This book is a compilation of excerpts from the annual reports of the United Nations Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteurs, documenting cases of human rights violations committed by the Chinese gov- ernment against Falun Gong practitioners. A brief introduction is given here to provide significant background information. Falun Gong, a Practice That Has Benefited 100 Million People in Over 50 Countries Best known for its meditative exercises, Falun Gong emphasizes improvement of mind, body, and moral character. Falun Gong is an ancient form of qigong. Qigong, which translates as cultivation -exercise, is the generic term for practices of mind and body refine- ment through special mental and physical exercises. Throughout China's history and in some other parts of the world, numerous schools of qigong have existed, each with its own characteristics and emphasis. Some schools have taken the form of religion, some have been passed down from one master to only a few disciples, and some have taken the form of popular exercises. Taichi and some branches of Yoga are examples of popular exercises, while Buddhism and Taoism may be considered religious forms of qigong, with the former emphasizing mind cultivation and meditation and the latter paying particular attention to body refinement through unique exercises. Falun Gong distinguishes itself from other qigong practices by emphasiz- ing both mind cultivation and body refinement. Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, teaches his students that to achieve total health one must first be a good person of high moral character. Following Falun Gong's principle of Truthfulness -Benevolence -Forbearance," practitioners of Falun Gong devote themselves to the cultivation of their inner selves and the improvement of their mental and moral quality. This, combined with five sets of gen- tle exercises of proven efficacy in health improvement, has enabled practitioners to achieve purposeful living, morality, improved health, and inner peace. As a testament to its superior benefits, Falun Gong had become a global phenomenon of over 100 million practitioners across more than 50 countries by 1999, just seven years after its introduction to the public. The Chinese Government's Increasing Hostility towards Falun Gong The benefits of Falun Gong practice to people and to society were originally recognized and commend- ed by various levels of the Chinese government. In fact, the authorities' positive regard had facilitated the spread of Falun Gong in the early 1990s. The state-controlled media - including national and local newspapers, TV, and radio stations - frequently covered activities and benefits of Falun Gong practice. .14"*. silk Over 10,000 practitioners appealed outside the State Council Appeal Office after the first illegal arrests and beatings in Tianjin, China. The increasing popularity of Falun Gong, however, proved to be too much for a few officials within the Chinese government. From clandestine undermining in early 1994, to the orchestrated smear campaign and the ban- ning of Falun Gong books in 1996, to police harassment in 1997, certain power blocs within the Chinese government gradually escalated their underhanded persecution to overt assault. On April 23, 1999, in broad daylight, armed police forces in the city of Tianjin violently assaulted hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners and arbitrarily detained 45 of them. The "April 25th Peaceful Appeal" by Falun Gong Practitioners Two days later, on April 25, 1999, over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered quietly in Beijing outside the State Council Appeals Office, located next to the Chinese leadership compound, to request the release of the prac- titioners detained in Tianjin and the lifting of the ban on Falun Gong books. The gathering was peaceful, orderly, and lawful. After Premier Zhu Rongji met V Background a few of the gathered practitioners and ordered the release of those detained in Tianjin, the practitioners qui- etly dispersed. Because of this gathering Falun Gong began to receive international attention. Jiang Zemin Ordered All -Out Persecution However, China's Chairman, Jiang Zemin, resented the peaceful solution. Apparently seeking a resounding conquest to augment his personal authority, on July 20, 1999, without due process, Jiang ordered the persecution against Falun Gong to commence, despite the fact that many within the government were already either practitioners themselves or held favorable views towards Falun Gong. Later, in October, Jiang ordered the Chinese national legislature to pass a law to allow a tougher crackdown. The Washington Post noted in an article on November 2, 1999 that "When [China's Communist leaders] found themselves without the laws they needed to vigorously persecute a peaceful meditation society, the Party simply ordered up some new laws. Now these will be applied - retroactively, of course ... By these standards, Stalin was a scrupulous observer of civil rights." Since July 20, 1999, over 100,000 practitioners, including pregnant women, the elderly, and young chil- dren, have been sent to labor camps without trial; thousands have been illegally jailed, with terms of up to 18 years; and millions of innocent people have been arbitrarily arrested and detained, almost all under inhumane conditions. Thousands of practitioners have been detained and severely tortured with nerve -damaging drugs in mental hospitals. Thousands more have died in custody, while countless others are still unaccounted for. Meanwhile, Jiang created a nationwide system of "610 Offices," with absolute authority over the judiciary and all levels of the Communist Party, expressly to eradicate Falun Gong. The scope and severity of the atrocities are difficult to fathom. A Staged Self -Immolation and the Deception of World Opinion Jiang's regime has also launched a far-reaching campaign of disinformation to justify its persecution and to escape world condemnation. State-run media have flooded the printing presses and airwaves with fabri- cations about Mr. Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong. As with all lies, the propaganda fails miserably in the details. For example, the Chinese government made up claims that the practice of Falun Gong caused 1,400 people to die or to become insane. This number, even if assumed to be true, divided by 100 million practitioners, would be many orders of magnitude below the national average. In another example, the Chinese government claimed that Mr. Li Hongzhi had falsified his date of birth, and even produced a "hospital record" to prove that his mother was treated with oxytocin in 1952 before his birth. Oxytocin, however, was not to be identified until 1953. In early 2001, desperate to turn the tide, the Chinese government attempted an outrageous stunt: a staged self -immolation of five people in Tiananmen Square. The state-run media then blamed it on Falun Gong. This staged self -immolation, however, has been analyzed by neutral reporters and by careful observers of the same videotape that was published by the Chinese government: 1. An investigative story published by the Washington Post revealed that Ms. Liu Chunling, one of the "immolators," had never practiced Falun Gong; 2. Police were mysteriously patrolling Tiananmen Square with dozens of pieces of firefighting equipment that day; 3. Liu Siying, the 12 -year-old girl, was purported to have had a tracheotomy, but spoke and sang clearly, a medical impossibility; 4. Ms. Hao Huijun, another immolator, was reported to have graduated from a Henan Music College in 1974, a year in the Cultural Revolution when no students were graduated; 5. Mr. Wang Jindong was shown to have been badly burned; however, his hair and the plastic 7 -UP bottle that he had "used to dowse gasoline" remained miraculously intact. These holes prompted International Education Development, a UN NGO, to issue the following statement VI Background during the 2001 session of the UN Sub -Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: "The regime points to a supposed self -immolation incident in Tiananmen Square on January 23, 2001, as proof that Falun Gong is an 'evil cult'. However, we have obtained a video of that incident that in our view proves that this event was staged by the government." (For an analysis of the CCTV footage of the staged immolations, please visit: http://www.faluninfo.net/tiananmenlimmolation.asp) The Chinese Government's Global Coercion of Conscience The sole objective of the Chinese government's persecution is to force Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their belief. This coercion against con- science, however, does not stay just in China. Dozens of police violently arrest practitioners peacefully appealing against Jiang's "shoot on sight" order outside the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong on March 14, 2002. The Chinese government has repeatedly made threats of economic sanctions towards countries, states, cities, and businesses that dare to criti- cize its persecution of Falun Gong. This creates a fear, a fear of being left out of some economic gain, a fear of speaking for conscience. With this tactic, the Chinese government has induced several major Western news media cor- porations to apply self -censorship in reporting China's human rights violations, forced cities in a number of countries to rescind their moral support to the victims, and even coerced some democratic governments to stifle the voices of Falun Gong practitioners. The Chinese agencies, however, do not stop at blackmailing. Canadian Member of Parliament Rob Anders had the following to say about a physical assault by Chinese diplomats in February 2000: "I wore [a T-shirt that talked about Falun Gong] out to a function that was being hosted by the People's Republic's embassy here, in this building [Parliament]. I stood at the back of the room, and then all of a sud- den I had four or five men surround me and start to harass me, and point fingers, and jostle me physically, saying that I had to leave, that I wasn't welcome, go home, you know, cowboy, you don't know what you're doing... and what crossed my mind immediately was four or five people that comprise a gang on behalf of the People's Republic of China think they can get away with doing that to me as a Member of Parliament, on Canadian soil, in my place of work, in the House of Commons - can you imagine what they're doing to people back home in their own country? It was absolutely over the top! And then when a media reporter came over with his camera, they started to grab his camera, they tried to force it down to the ground, they told him to go away... They were issuing orders to a member of the free press here in Canada. ... It was absolutely outra- geous. And it just proved what Falun Dafa is up against. We're at a very critical moment. ... If we don't. take a stand now, history will look back at us and sigh." Similar incidents of intimidation and assault have also happened in the United States, Iceland, Germany, Australia, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and many more. Simply put, the Chinese government has exported its persecution to the world as a global campaign of evil against conscience. The Struggle Between the Truth and Lies For their belief, and also for humanity, Falun Gong practitioners have stood up against the evil: In con- trast to the Chinese government's violence and deceit, Falun Gong practitioners have adhered to peace and truth. Throughout the brutal persecution, Falun Gong practitioners have remained true to the principle of "Truthfulness -Benevolence -Forbearance." They remain peaceful during police beatings; they remain peaceful when inmates are instigated by police to torture them. Their great tolerance, compassion, and righteousness have even inspired many torturers to become Falun Gong practitioners. VII Background As the persecution is completely based on and sustained by lies, Falun Gong practitioners also take great risks to inform the public of the truth. AP Photo: Zenon Dolnyckyj, a Canadian citi- zen, being arrested by Chinese police on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. On March 5, 2002, Falun Gong practitioners in the city of Changchun suc- cessfully tapped into the local cable TV system to broadcast documentary films exposing the Chinese government's brutal persecution. Similar broadcasts fol- lowed in many other cities. For these righteous acts the practitioners suffered enormously. In Changchun alone, over 5,000 people were arrested, and at least a dozen died of torture during "interrogation." Even a visiting US citizen, Dr. Charles Li, has been jailed with a three-year term`on the charge of "intending" to carry out a similar broadcast. Falun Gong practitioners of foreign nationalities have also participated in clarifying the facts to the Chinese people. On November 20, 2001, thirty-six westerners gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to stage a peaceful peti- tion. Since then, hundreds of foreign citizens from dozens of countries have been to China to tell the Chinese people that Falun Gong,iswelcomed and legally practiced everywhere else in the world. All of them were arrested, mis- treated, and deported; many were severely,beaten. Falun Gong practitioners have made great sacrifices to expose the persecution and clarify the true facts of Falun Gong. Their benevolence has awakened many from being misled by the propaganda of hatred, from blindly following government orders, and from being unwitting accomplices of the evil. The Quest for Justice by Falun Gong Practitioners and the Quest for Rights and Dignity by Chinese People It is important to point out that the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong is no deviation from its 50 years of continuous persecution of intellectuals, labor activists, dissidents, Christians, Buddhists, and other nonconformists. Various studies by Western scholars have indicated that eighty million or more have perished because of the non-stop persecution under the Chinese communist rule. These killings far outnumber even those of the Nazis, and they are all born of the.same purpose: the destruction of human nature. The peaceful persistence and horrific suffering of Falun Gong practitioners have drawn international attention to the Chinese government's heinous crimes against humanity. With the help of many prominent human rights lawyers, Falun Gong practitioners in eleven countries have filed lawsuits against Jiang and his lieutenants for, among others crimes, geno- cide, torture, and other crimes against humanity. In the courts of New York and San Francisco, Falun Gong practitioners have won their cases by default. As more and more shocking facts of the Jiang regime's hate incitement, state terrorism, violence, and cruelty are revealed, the day of a new Nuremberg trial for the regime's crimes against conscience is bound to come. An Appeal to AU Good People of the World The persecution of Falun Gong is still going on in China; the death toll rises daily. Many Falun Gong practitioners have risked everything to publicize the violations they or their fellow practitioners have suffered. The cases reported by the Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Commission account for a very small fraction of the tragedies, but they must not be taken lightly, lest the values of hope, courage, and the most fundamental human rights be forsaken. In presenting these documents, we now ask you to speak for those who have no voice, to do all within your power to stop the injustice and cruelty. One of the hand gestures of Falun Dafa's fifth exercise. VIII Reports by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 2001-2003 UNITED NATIONS E 4140111766 NA I # Council Economic and Social Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 11 December 2001 ENGLISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Item 11 (a) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTIONS OF: TORTURE AND DETENTION Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention The present document contains the opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its twenty-ninth, thirtieth and thirty-first sessions, held in November/December 2000, May 2001 and September 2001, respectively. A table listing all the opinions adopted by the Working Group and statistical data concerning these opinions are included in the report of the Working Group to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-eighth session (E/CN.4/2002/77). GE.01-16296 (E) -2- E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 page 22 OPINION No. 35/2000 (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) Communication addressed to the Government on 2 February 2000. Concerning Yuhui Zhang The State has signed but not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by the Commission on Human Rights resolution 1991/42. The mandate of the Working Group was clarified and extended by resolution 1997/50, and reconfirmed by resolution 2000/36. Acting in accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group forwarded the above-mentioned communication to the Government. 2. The Working Group conveys its appreciation to the Government for having forwarded the requisite information in good time. 3. The Working Group regards deprivation of liberty as arbitrary in the following cases: (i) When it manifestly cannot be justified on any legal basis (such as continued detention after the sentence has been served or despite an applicable amnesty act) (category I); (ii) When the deprivation of liberty is the result of a judgement or sentence for the exercise of the rights and freedoms proclaimed in articles 7, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also, in respect of States parties, in articles 12, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (category II); (iii) When the complete or partial non -observance of the relevant international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned relating to the right to a fair trial is of such gravity as to confer on the deprivation of liberty, of whatever kind, an arbitrary character (category III). 4. In the light of the allegations made, the Working Group welcomes the cooperation of the Government. The Working Group transmitted the reply provided by the Government to the source and received its comments. The Working Group believes that it is in a position to render an opinion on the facts and circumstances of the case, in the context of the allegations made and the response of the Government thereto. -3- E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 page 23 5. It would be appropriate to set forth succinctly the allegations which have been brought to the attention on the Working Group by the source. (i) Mr. Zhang Yuhui, a Chinese national aged 35 years, who has resided in Macao for over nine years and owns a cleaning business there, was arrested on 10 November 1999 in Kaiping City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. According to the source, it is unclear whether he was presented with an arrest warrant upon arrest, or whether he has been formally charged and, if so, on the basis of what legislation. (ii) In early November 1999, Mr. Zhang undertook a business trip to the People's Republic of China with his wife. He was arrested in Kainping City and detained on the ground that he was practising Falun Gong, a traditional spiritual practice with millions of followers in the People's Republic of China and throughout the world. Falun Gong, as an organization, was banned by the Chinese authorities in July 1999. (iii) The source notes that many Falun Gong practitioners have been detained since July 1999 and sent for re-education through labour without trial, because they refuse to denounce their belief. Other followers have been sentenced to prison terms. (iv) Yuhui was an active Falun Gong practitioner in Macao. Following the government crackdown on the movement, he wrote numerous articles on Internet web sites to guide readers to think about the Falun Gong issue rationally. His writings were popular among both practitioners and non -practitioners. Yuhui had also written to the Macao office of the Xinhua news agency, voicing opposition to the ban on the movement in July 1999. It is argued that all Yuhui did was lawful and transparent. He himself had told his friends several times that he was in fear of being arrested, as he had been warned by the Xinhua news agency for expressing his beliefs. (v) The source does not identify the facility in which Mr. Yuhui is currently detained. It notes, however, that the authorities have thus far refused permission to his family to visit him. 6. The nature of the Government's reply makes it difficult for the Working Group to appreciate the conclusions arrived at by the court when it ruled that the defendant had "posed a threat to national and state security". It is apparent from the file that the activities of Mr. Yuhui were peaceful and that he was in no way directly involved in any violent activity. The Working Group believes that article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been violated. It reiterates that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that the said right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers. There is nothing to suggest -4- E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 page 24 that Falun Gong uses other than peaceful means to spread what the organization believes in. The Government of the People's Republic of China in its response has stated that Mr. Zhang Yuhui is a native of Kaiping City in Guandong Province. In 1986, after graduation from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, he was employed to work with the units of the customs houses in Guangzhou and Lianhuashan. He was thereafter transferred to Macao in January 1990. The Government accepts that he was arrested on 11 November 1999 by the Guangdong Province public security authorities because, since July 1999, he had been engaged in illegal activities and disrupted the social order. According to the Government, Zhang had confessed his error and displayed a willingness to correct it, pursuant to which his punishment was converted to house surveillance. The Government states that the public security authorities, in dealing with Zhang Yuhui, have acted in strict compliance with the People's Republic of China's relevant laws and regulations. The Government also informed the Working Group that Zhang Yuhui was released on 21 December 1999 and claims that Zhang was not arbitrarily detained. 7. Taking into account the response of the Government, the Working Group believes that the reasons for Zhang Yuhui's detention have not been denied. It is not denied by the Government that he wrote numerous articles on Internet web sites relating to Falun Gong. The Government also does not deny that his writings were popular both with practitioners and non -practitioners. Neither does the Government deny that Zhang Yuhui opposed the ban on the Falun Gong movement in July 1999. The reasons given for Zhang Yuhui's detention are propagation of his ideas and beliefs. That he expressed his beliefs and opinions peacefully is not in issue. The Government decision that these activities are illegal and disrupt the social order and therefore justify arrest by the public security authorities cannot be justified since his detention is in direct violation of article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 8. The Working Group, consistent with its practice, would not have rendered an opinion with regard to Zhang Yuhui's detention, on account of his release on 21 December 1999. However, the Working Group believes that the fact that Zhang Yuhui was detained for propagating his ideas and beliefs peacefully is sufficient reason for the Working Group to render an opinion, despite Zhang Yuhui's release from detention. 9. In the circumstances, the Working Group is of the opinion that the detention of Zhang Yuhui from 11 November 1999 to 21 December 1999 was arbitrary and contrary to article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and falls within category II of its methods of work. 10. Consequently, the Working Group requests the Government of the People's Republic of China to take all measures necessary to remedy the situation and, consistent with article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, not detain people for the peaceful propagation of their opinions. Adopted on 27 November 2000 -5- E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 page 25 OPINION No. 36/2000 (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) Communication addressed to the Government on 1 February .2000 Concerning Li Chang, Wang Zhiwen, Ji Liewu and Yao Jie The State has signed but not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by Commission on Human Rights resolution 1991/42. The mandate of the Working Group was clarified and extended by resolution 1997/50, and reconfirmed by resolution 2000/36. Acting in accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group forwarded the above-mentioned communication to the Government. 2. The Working Group regrets that the People's Republic of China has not provided its comments on the allegations made by the source. 3. The Working Group regards deprivation of liberty as arbitrary in the following cases: (i) When it manifestly cannot be justified on any legal basis (such as continued detention after the sentence has been served or despite an applicable amnesty act) (category I); (ii) When the deprivation of liberty is the result of a judgement or sentence for the exercise of the rights and freedoms proclaimed in articles 7, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also, in respect of States parties, in articles 12, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (category II); (iii) When the complete or partial non -observance of the relevant international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned relating to the right to a fair trial is of such gravity as to confer on the deprivation of liberty, of whatever kind, an arbitrary character (category III). 4. The Working Group would have welcomed the cooperation of the Government of the People's Republic of China. On 1 February 2000, the allegations from the source were communicated to the Government. In the absence of a response, the Working Group is left with no alternative except to deal with the allegations and render an opinion in the light thereof. -6- E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 page 26 5. It is appropriate at this stage to refer to the allegations forwarded to the Working Group by the source. These allegations relate to four presumed leaders of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, Li Chang, Wang Zhiwen, Ji Liewu and Yao Jie . They have allegedly been sentenced by the Beijing Intermediate Peoples Court to prison terms of between 7 and 18 years. (i) The court found them guilty of organizing and using a cult to undermine laws, causing deaths and illegally obtaining and disseminating State secrets. According to the Xinhua news agency, the judges ruled that the four defendants "organized and used the Falun Gong evil cult organization to spread superstition and heresies and deceive people, causing deaths". The trial reportedly was the Government's most significant prosecution since outlawing Falun Gong as a menace to the public and State interests in July 1999. (ii) The source alleges that for the trial, held on Sunday, 26 December 1999, the authorities cordoned off the courthouse to ensure that Falun Gong members did not stage peaceful protests such as had been held repeatedly in defiance of the Government's ban. Although State media reported that the four defendants had lawyers and that family members attended the proceedings, one relative indicated that each defendant was only allowed one family member in the courtroom. As some of the charges related to theft and dissemination of State secrets, part of the proceedings were held behind closed doors. (iii) According to the source, in setting out its case through the media, the Government merely displayed its fears about Falun Gong's ability to mobilize large numbers of followers, which was underlined by the fact that all the defendants were party members with good jobs in government and business. According to the Court, Li, Wang, Ji and Yao "set up 39 command posts, more than 1,900 training posts and 280,000 contact posts". They were said to have "plotted and directed" 78 protests, and to have stolen 37 top secret or otherwise classified State secrets and disseminated them or included them in protest letters. Finally, the four were said to have organized "proselytizing sessions and printed group literature illegally netting hundreds of millions of yuans in profits". (iv) The defendants contended that they had merely engaged in peaceful activities and protests, and defended the tenets of the group. 6. A response from the Government would have enabled the Working Group to appreciate the conclusions arrived at by the court when it ruled that the four defendants had "organized and used the Falun Gong evil cult organization to spread superstition and heresies and deceive people, causing deaths". The alleged role of the defendants in causing deaths could have been better appreciated had evidence for such conduct been furnished to the Working Group. In the absence of hard evidence, it is difficult for the Working Group to accept the conclusions of the court in this regard. The manner in which the courthouse was cordoned off to obstruct peaceful E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1 page 27 protests, the allegation that only one member of the family was allowed in the courtroom and the secret nature of the proceedings indicate that the Government dealt with these four defendants merely because they had the ability to mobilize a large number of followers. It is apparent that their activities and protest were peaceful and that they were in no way directly involved in any violent activity. The Working Group believes that article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been violated. The Working Group is of the opinion that everyone has a right to freedom of opinion and expression and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers. There is nothing to suggest that Falun Gong uses other than peaceful means to spread what the organization believes in. 7. In the above circumstances, the Working Group is of the opinion that the detention of Li Chang, Wang Zhiwen, Ji Liewu and Yao Jie is arbitrary, is a direct violation of article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and falls within category II of the Working Group's methods of work and that the situation requires to be remedied, since the deprivation of the liberty of Li Chang, Wang Zhiwen, Ji Liewu and Yao Jie is arbitrary and without reasonable cause. 8. Consequently, the Working Group requests the Government of the People's Republic of China to take measures necessary to remedy the situation and, in the light of the opinion of the Working Group, to act consistently with the principles enunciated in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted on 27 November 2000 UNITED NATIONS E oi Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.1 24 January 2003 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF TORTURE AND DETENTION Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention The present document contains the opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its thirty-second, thirty-third and thirty-fourth sessions, held in November/December 2001, June 2002 and September 2002, respectively. A table listing all the opinions adopted by the Working Group and statistical data concerning these opinions are included in the report of the Working Group to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-ninth session (E/CN.4/2003/8). GE.03-10553 (E) 040303. -9- E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.1 page 61 OPINION No. 5/2002 (CHINA) Communication addressed to the Government on 3 September 2001 Concerning: Tang Xi Tao, Han Yuejuan, Zhao Ming and Yang Chanrong The State has signed but not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by resolution 1991/42 of the Commission on Human Rights. The mandate of the Working Group was clarified and extended by Commission resolution 1997/50, and reconfirmed by resolution 2000/36. Acting in accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group forwarded to the Government the above-mentioned communication. 2. The Working Group conveys its appreciation to the Government for having provided the requisite information in good time. 3. The Working Group regards deprivation of liberty as arbitrary in the following cases: (i) When it manifestly cannot be justified on any legal basis (such as continued detention after the sentence has been served or despite an applicable amnesty act) (category I); (ii) When the deprivation of liberty is the result of a judgement or sentence for the exercise of the rights and freedoms proclaimed in articles 7, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also, in respect of States parties, in articles 12, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (category II); (iii) When the complete or partial non -observance of the international standards relating to a fair trial set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned is of such gravity as to confer on the deprivation of liberty, of whatever kind, an arbitrary character (category III). 4. In the light of the allegations made, the Working Group welcomes the cooperation of the Government. The Working Group transmitted the reply provided by the Government to the source, which has not provided it with its comments. The Working Group believes that it is in a position to render an opinion on the facts and circumstances of the case, in the context of the allegations made and the response of the Government thereto. 5. Because of their similar nature, the cases of the four following practitioners of Falun Gong are being dealt with in a single opinion: - 10 - E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.1 page 62 (a) Mrs. Tang Xi Tao according to the information received, is a 64 -year-old retiree who has studied and practised Falun Gong since 1996, which has helped her to overcome health problems. She has been detained several times, the latest being while she was on her way to Canton on holiday, and was sentenced to two years in a labour camp for disturbing public order and membership of an illegal organization. It is also alleged that her trial took place in camera and that her request for a lawyer was denied. She was reportedly subjected to ill-treatment, which led to heart trouble and psychological problems; (b) Mrs. Han Yuejuan, 43 -year-old widow of Liu Mingfang, a former United Nations military observer, graduated from Zhongshan University. She is a former Secretary-General of Dongshan District Literature and Arts Federation, a former Director of the Theory Education Section of the Propaganda Department of Dongshan District and a Falun Gong practitioner. She was first detained for 15 hours on 22 July 1999 and was pressed to give up her faith in Falun Gong. She was again arrested on 26 July 1999, in early June 2000, in July 2000 and in December 2000, when she was allegedly subjected to ill-treatment and even torture. In June 2000, she was dismissed from her post, and in October 2000, her application for a passport was refused. On 23 June 2001 she was arrested in Guangzhou by members of the police and was taken to an unknown destination where she was interrogated every two hours for three consecutive days. On 27 June 2001, Ms. Han was taken to Tianpingjia Detention Centre in Dongshan District in Guangzhou, where she is currently being detained; (c) Mr. Zhao Ming , 30 -year-old, a graduate of the Department of Computer Science of Tingshua University, a postgraduate student at the Computer Science Department of Trinity College in Dublin, a former network engineer with Tingshua Unisplendour Group and a practitioner of Falun Gong. He was arrested on 13 May 2000 in Beijing at the home of a fellow Falun Gong practitioner, after his passport was confiscated to force him to give up his faith, thus preventing him from returning to Ireland to continue his studies. On 7 July 2000, he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment in a labour camp, and was allegedly tortured and subjected to ill-treatment. His sentence was extended for a further period of six months; (d) Mr. Yang Chanron, a Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested on 27 December 2000 at his home by members of the police who did not show an arrest warrant. His wife, Ms. Zhou Fengling, was also arrested. According to the source, she died in prison on 12 July 2001, allegedly as a result of torture. It was reported by the source that she was seen handcuffed to a torture device known as the "Forbidden Board" at Xilin Detention Centre. It was also reported that their five-year-old son had been missing since, they were arrested. Mr. Yang was later sentenced to three years' imprisonment in a labour camp. 6. In its reply, the Government reported that it has carefully reviewed the circumstances and stated the following concerning the persons in question: (a) Tang Xin Tao , a 64 -year-old woman with an elementary education, lives in Guangzhou City. From March to May 2000, she repeatedly took part in activities directed against government institutions, seriously disrupting social order and the regular work of government departments. In June 2000 she was ordered by the Guangzhou Re-education through Labour Commission to undergo two years of re-education through labour until 17 June 2002 for disrupting social and administrative order. On 6 July 2000 she was sent E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.1 page 63 to the Chatou labour rehabilitation facility in Guangzhou. When she entered the facility, her relatively advanced years and difficult life were taken into account, and she was frequently taken to the clinic for check-ups and was given prompt treatment for her complaints; (b) Han Yuejuan is a 43 -year-old college graduate and native of Dongshan District in Guangzhou City. On 21 July 1999, Ms. Han, in collusion with others, plotted and organized nearly 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners to besiege the Guandong provincial government, and on numerous occasions thereafter organized and instigated activities aimed at undermining public security, seriously affecting social order and disrupting the work of the Government and the lives of the masses, to the disgust of the broad masses. On 5 July Ms. Han was detained on the order of the Guangzhou Municipal Security Department on suspicion of organizing and utilizing a heretical organization to break the law and commit crimes. The Guangzhou public security authorities are currently investigating her case in accordance with the law; (c) Zhao Ming is a 30 -year-old Han Chinese male and a native of Changchun City, Jilin Province, who graduated from Qinghua University in 1998 and went to Ireland in March 1999 to study at Trinity College, Dublin, at his own expense. In May 2000 Mr. Zhao was ordered by the Beijing Re -Education through Labour Commission to undergo one year of re-education through labour for having participated in the illegal activities of a heretical organization and for having disrupted the social order. While serving his term, Mr. Zhao violated re -education -through -labour disciplinary regulations on numerous occasions, and his period of re-education was consequently extended for 10 months, that is until 3 December 2002; (d) Yang Chanrong is a 41 -year-old male high school graduate from Changzhou City, and an employee of the Shuyan Industrial Raw Material Supply and Marketing Corporation. Since July 1999, he has repeatedly engaged in Falun Gong activities. On 3 November 2000, the Changzhou Re-education Labour Administration, acting in accordance with the relevant regulations, ordered Mr. Yang to undergo three years' re-education through labour. His wife, Zhou Fenglin, was also engaged in illegal Falun Gong activities and she was detained in accordance with criminal legislation for the offence of organizing and utilizing a heretical organization to break the law and commit crimes. While in prison she started refusing food because of her obsession with Falun Gong and desire to achieve a state of "completeness", fell ill and although the public security authorities and medical department organized a prompt rescue effort, they were unable to save her life. Her death, according to the medical examiner of the procurator's office, was caused by lobar pneumonia and electrolyte disturbance. The Government concluded by saying that the six-year-old son of Ms. Zhou and Mr. Yang has not disappeared and is currently being raised by Mr. Yang's elder brother. 7. The Government stated that the above-mentioned persons have been under investigation and are undergoing re-education through labour, their legal rights having always been fully protected, and that the allegations transmitted by the Office of the High Commissioner that these persons have been subjected to cruel punishment and ill-treatment are complete fabrications. 8. The Government stated that, like other organizations such as the Branch Davidians in the United States or the Aum Shinrikiyo in Japan, Falun Gong is quite simply a heresy. On the theoretical level, Falun Gong advocates doomsday and other extreme heretical ideas to create an atmosphere of terror; on the practical level, it legally amasses wealth and uses propaganda, - 12 - E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.1 page 64 founder worship and other fallacies to control the minds of Falun Gong practitioners. A great many persons obsessed with Falun Gong go overboard in their infatuation and their minds become affected that they attempt suicide. 9. The Government also stated that, to date, more than 2,000 people have been injured or have died as a result of practising Falun Gong, and more than 650 have gone mad. In fact, Falun Gong has such extreme phenomena in China as collective immolations of obsessed persons and the derailing and overturning of trains; it is a very dangerous heretical organization. The Chinese Government has lawfully banned the Falun Gong organization precisely to protect the fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, including Falun Gong practitioners and their families, and in so doing has obtained the broad support and endorsement of all segments of society. 10. The Government repeatedly stated that in the process of banning the Falun Gong, it has acted in strict compliance with the law. In the case of the overwhelming majority of ordinary practitioners the measures taken have consisted mainly of persuasion and education aimed at helping those persons recover their former everyday lives. Only a very few law -breaking criminal elements have been punished under the law. The Government concluded its remarks by stating that its methods are identical to those used by any other country in combating heretical practices, and therefore are universally understood by the international community. 11. In the light of the foregoing, the following may be concluded: (a) The Working Group notes that Mrs. Tan Xi Tao was arrested because of her practice and defence of Falun Gong, in which she did in a peaceful manner and in exercise of the rights to freedom of belief, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, and to freedom of opinion and expression, which are guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; (b) In the case of Han Yuejan, the Working Group notes that she was detained several times, the latest for membership of Falun Gong, and that the Government also accuses her of organizing and directing a demonstration, but neither indicates that the demonstration was a violent one nor offer any details to that effect. Consequently, Ms. Han Yuejan was detained for the peaceful exercise of internationally protected rights, such as the right to assemble and to demonstrate, freedom of belief and freedom to express opinions, including those which run counter to the opinions of the broad masses, as the Government stated in its reply; (c) In the case of Zhao Ming, no satisfactory explanation was provided as to why his passport was confiscated, which prevented him from continuing his studies, nor was any reason given for his detention other than the fact that he freely exercised his rights to freedom of belief and opinion in the manner to which he was entitled; (d) In the case of Yang Chanrong (Canrong, according to the source), the Government acknowledged that he was sentenced to re-education through labour for involvement in Falun Gong activities, as was his wife, who died in prison. The Working Group considers that the right to freedom of opinion and belief signifies that the mere adherence to or practise of a discipline or belief cannot be invoked as the only ground for detention. -13- E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.1 page 65 12. The Working Group considers that, according to the inforination provided concerning these cases, the activities and protests of these four Falun Gong activists were peaceful and devoid of all violence. In particular, in these cases the persons concerned were detained for having peacefully exercised their right to demonstrate their belief in Falun Gong, which the Government has not denied. The Working Group is of the opinion that article 19 of the Universal, Declaration of Human Rights, in particular, has been violated, as. everyone, according to this article, has the right to freedom of belief, conscience arid religion and as this right includes the freedom to manifest one's religion or belief and the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to impart them, either al"one or in community with others; in public or private and through any media. 13. In its report on the visit to China (E/CN.4/1998/,44/Add.2) the Working Group stated that administrative detention for re-education through labour should not be imposed on any person exercising his or her fundamental freedoms; as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of. Human Rights. In the cases at hand, detention does constitute a coercive measure designed to undermine the freedom of those persons to adopt beliefs of their own choosing. 14. In the light of the foregoing, the Working Group is of the opinion that the deprivation of liberty of Tang Ni Tao, Hari Yuejuan; Zhao Ming and. Yang Chanrong is arbitrary, as_ being . contrary to article`s 10, 11, 18, 19 arid 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and falls within category II of the principles applicable to the consideration of cases submitted tb the Working Group. 15. Consequently, the Working Group requests the Government to take the necessary steps to remedy. the situation of these four persons and to bring it into conformity with the standards and principles set forth iri the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and encourages it to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Adopted on 18 June 2002 -14- OPINION No. 7 /2003 (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) Communication addressed to the Government on 28 August 2002 Concerning: Chen Gang, Zhang Wenfu, Zhong Bo, Liu Li; Wu Xiaohua, Gai Suzhi, Liu Junhua, Zhang Jiuhai, Zhu Xiaofei The State has signed but notyet ratified the International Covenant on Civil and PolliticaRights .... - -- 1. 1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by resolution 1991/42 of the Commission on Human Rights. The mandate of the Working Group was clarified by resolution 1997/50, and extended by resolution 2003/31. Acting in., accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group sent to the Government the above-mentioned communication. 2. The Worldng Group conveys its appreciation to the Government for having forwarded the requested information in good time. 3. The Working Group regards deprivation of liberty as arbitrary in the following cases: • (i) When it manifestly cannot be justified on any legal basis (such as -zonti ention-afte malias-rear-sexved despite-au-applicahle est _- act (category 1); (ii) When the deprivation of liberty is the result of a judgement or sentence for the exercise of the rights and freedoms proclaimed in articles 7, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also, in respect of States parties, in articles 12, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (category II); (iii)When the complete or partial non -observance of the international standards relating to a fair trial set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned is of such gravity as to confer on the deprivation of liberty, of whatever kind, an arbitrary character (category III). 4. In the light of the allegations made, the Working Group welcomes the co- operation of the Government. The Working Group transmitted the reply provided by the Government to the source, which provided the Working Group with its comments. The Working Group believes that it is in a position to render an opinion on the facts and circumstances of the case, in the context of the allegations made and the response of the Government thereto. 5. According to the information transmitted by the source: - 15 - Mr. Chen Gang, male, 28 years -old, resident of Tianshui City, Gansu Province. It was reported that this person was arrested in April 2002 by members of the Police of Lanzhou City, who beat and ill-treated him. He is detained in the Luergou Detention Center, Tianshui City, Gansu Province, and is reportedly in a critical condition. The source further reports that Mr. Chen Gang was detained in November 1999 for 15 days, when he went to Beijing to ask the Government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. In January 2000, the Chief of the Politics and Law Committee of Tianshui City detained him for one month. Later, he was sent to the Ping'antai Labor Camp in Lanzhou City for one year of forced labor. While in detention in this camp, he suffered severe tortures. According to the -reports-fa-dived; guards bounded ibis arms -and legs, sealed his mouth and nose, and. then shoved him under a small bed board before stomping on it. In March 2001, he was released. But the police did not allow him to go back to work and his salary was stopped by the work unit. It was further said that the police often went to his residence to harass him, which motivated him to live on the streets and become homeless. Mr. Zhang Wenfu, male, a resident of Dalian City, Liaoning Province. It was reported that this person was arrested on 19 January 2002 and sent to Pulandian Detention Center for 50 days. It was alleged that on 8 March 2002, without any legal procedure, he was transferred to the N° 5 Division of Dalian Labor Camp where he was put under strict supervision for over 40 days. He was not allowed to wash his face or brush his teeth, and was forced to do heavy labor for long periods each day. On 18 April 2002, he was transferred to the N° 8 Division of Dalian Labor Camp, Dalian City.- On 28 April 2002; he started to hunger strike to protest the conditions of his detention;. =in-zesponse;=�iewa 11egedl1 to clr bat three -team- icaders ic:Xzezhoffg, Li Shaofu and Peng Dahua, and by an inmate, Chi Diandong. His mouth and eyes were sealed with tape, his two hands were handcuffed and his head was beaten with a rubber baton. He was beaten with a wooden board. Torturers used chopsticks to poke inside his mouth, causing Mr. Mang' s mouth to bleed profusely. Later, he was locked into a . solitary compartment, handcuffed and forced to lie on a wooden board for a day. Ms. Zhong Bo, female, 42 years -old, employee of the Anda Chemistry Factory, resident of Anda City, Heilongjiang Province. It was reported that this person was arrested at her home on 31 May 2002 at 9.00 a.m. by six policemen lead by Liu Yingshan, an officer from the 610 Office, an agency reportedly created specifically to persecute Falun Gong. At the compound of the Politics and Administration Department in Anda City, she was beaten with a wooden stick by six policemen led by Wang Jun, the Vice Director of the Anda City Police Station. The 610 Office officer shocked her back with an electric baton. The corner of her ,eyes bled and her face became black and swollen. That evening, she jumped from the second -floor window. The examination at Daqing City Hospital in Heilongjiang Province showed that two of her right ribs and her teeth were broken. She lost memory of what happened and cannot take care of herself Ms. Liu Li, female, resident of Taonan City, Jilin Province, blind in one eye. It was reported that this person was arrested at her home on 28 July 2002 together with 11 Falun Gong practitioners and was taken to the Taonan City Police Bureau. The Chief of the Department of Politics and Security, Liu Jinwei, announced her that she would be send to the Heizuizi Labor Camp in Changchun City. If they could not accept her, she would be send to reeducation classes in Daan City. He told her that she will not be released unless she would - 16 - renounce Falun Gong. Professor Wu Xiaohua, female, 47 years old, an associate professor of the Environment Art Department at Anhui Civil Construction Engineering College at Hefei City, Anhui Province. It was reported that this person was placed under house arrest in October 2001, during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Sununit held in Shanghai. Later, she was sent to a female Labor Camp. She was allegedly tortured in the camp in a variety of ways, including having her mouth stuffed with rags and tissue soaked in urine and menstrual blood. In mid-October 2001, on the tenth day of a hunger strike she initiated to protest against her detention, she was sent to the N° 4 People' s Hospital at Hefei City, Anhui Province. At 'the -hospital she -was -stripped -of her clothes and shocked with -electric needles and an electric baton all over her body. She was threatened by a medical doctor, Dr. Li, to be electrically shock until she becomes unconscious. She was also forcibly given injections and force-fed drugs. It was further reported that Professor Wu Xiaohua was first arrested in December 1999 for appealing in Beijing to the Govenunent to put an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. She was allegedly tortured at the Anhui Female Detention Center at Anhui Province. Later she was transferred to the N° 4 People' s Hospital of Hefei City where she also was tortured, including being locked in a 150 square -meter bathhouse full of mosquitoes during one night, or being forced to use as toilet a pigpen full of spider webs. In the end of April 2001, she was again arrested. Ms. Gai Suzhi, female, 63 years -old, a retired employee of the N° 2 Petrochemical Factory at Fushun City, Liaoning Province. She was arrested -in August 2001 and sent to the Wujiabaa-Guhor ampt Fushun:City pito-of-the act=th b3E-lave- or cantp_is-not allowed to detain anyone who is older than 60. To protest her illegal detention, she has gone on a hunger strike several times at the camp. Her weight is only about 35 kilograms now and she has become extremely sick. It was alleged that she has been cursed, beaten and tortured very often at the camp. It was further reported that Ms. Gai Suzhi was first arrested in December 2000, when she went to Beijing to protest against the persecution of Falun Gong. She was detained for more than two months. After that, she was arrested twice again. Mr. Liu Junhua, male, aged 36, employee of S anjiang F ood Company at Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province. According to the information received, this person was arrested on 9 April 2002 at his home at Jiamusi City by members of the Nanwei Police Station for his belief in Falun Gong. He is imprisoned in Xigemu Forced Labor Camp, Heilongjiang Province. H is w ife w as forced t o t eave h ome t o a void further h arassment a nd p ersecution from local police. He had been previously detained in sentenced to two years of re-education through forced labor. At the end o f O ctober 2 001, he was re -arrested in Mishan City and released after he went on 44 days of hunger strike. Mr. Zhang Jiuhai, male, aged 35, from Liudian Town, Pinggu District, Pinggu County, Beijing City. According to the information received, this person was arrested at his home on 6 August 2002 and send to re-education classes in Pinggu County, to the east of Hanzhuang Town Government Office. It was further reported that this person was previously detained, from August 2000 to February 2002, in Tuanhe Labor Camp, Beijing, where he was severely tortured, reportedly because he refused to renounce Falun Gong. In April 2002, he - 17 - was arrested again and shocked with electric batons at the Haidian District Police Bureau, Beijing. The local police ransacked his home six times and detained his father twice. Mr. Zhu Xiaofei; male, former employee of Lushun 4810 Factory, resident of Lushunkou District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province. It was reported that this person was arrested on 26 November 2001 at his workplace by members of the Police. He was directly sent to Dalian Forced Labor Camp, in Liaoning Province; where the guards allegedly ordered the criminals to monitor him and physically torture him by shocking him with electric batons. He was later transferred to Guanshan :Forced Labor Camp in Changtu City, Liaoning Province, where he is forced to do hard labor. It was further reported that Mr. Zliu Xiaofei had been previously detained twice at the Lushunkou District Police Station, where Police officer Ye Qiang tortured him, chocking him with a rope around the neck, and shocking him with electric batons. According to the source; the 9 above-mentioned persons are illegally, being held; in detention exclusively because their belief in Falun Gong. Many of them have been sent for re-education through forced labor without trial because they refuse to denounce their belief. The source adds that their activities were always peaceful. 6. The Government provided the Working Group with the following information: Chen Gang, male, aged 25, resident of Tianshui city in Gansu province. In February 2000, Chen was ordered by the Tianshui city labour rehabilitation committee to serve one year's labour re-education for repeatedly disturbing the peace. In September 2002; the--Tianshui-citglabout-rehabilitation=committee-ordered=C ewe=three-yte-are-lab'o r re-education, for once again having disturbed the peace. While serving his term of labour re-education, Chen has not been subjected to any harassment or ill-treatment. Zhang Wenfu, male, aged 40, resident of Dalian city in Liaoning province, was ordered by the Dalian city labour rehabilitation committee to serve two years and six months' labour re-education, to run from 20 January 2002 to 19 July 2004, for disturbing the peace: While serving his term of labour re-education, Zhang has never embarked on any hunger strikes. thong Bo, female, aged 42, resident of Anda city in Heilongjiang province. On 21 October 2002, Zhong was taken into criminal detention for repeatedly disturbing the peace and, on 11 November, she was granted medical parole. She has never been subjected, as alleged, to any harsh beatings, nor did she jump from a second floor window and break two ribs. Liu Li, female, aged 46, resident of Taonan city in Jilin province. On 3 February 2001, Liu was ordered by the local labour rehabilitation committee to serve one year's labour re-education for disturbing the peace, but, because she is blind in one eye, the order was amended to allow her to serve the term of labour re-education outside the custodial facility. While serving her term outside the facility, Liu was once again ordered, in April 2002, to serve one year's labour re-education for disturbing the peace, which term was to be served outside the custodial facility. Liu is currently leading a normal life at home. Wu Xiaohua, female, aged 48, formerly an associate professor at the Anhui Construction Industry College. On 28 January 2000, Wu was ordered by the labour rehabilitation authorities to serve one year's labour re-education for causing a serious disturbance of the peace. While serving her term of labour re-education, the facility employees noticed that her mental state was very distracted and observed that she displayed - 18 - other abnormal symptoms, such as a tendency to injure herself without cause or reason, to refuse food and other aberrations. On 17 July 2000, she was diagnosed by the Anhui psychiatric appraisal committee to be suffering from schizophrenia (of the paranoid variety), and incapable of responding to labour re-education. The labour re-education facility promptly took steps for her to receive medical attention.outside the facility and she was thereupon discharged from her term of labour re-education. After undergoing treatment, Wu's state of health improved, but she once again conducted activities which seriously disturbed the peace. On 2 June 2001, the Hebei municipal labour rehabilitation committee ordered Wu to be examined by the expert appraisal committee of the provincial psychiatric hospital, with a view to identifying her psychiatric disorder. The diagnosis found that, during the periodwhile her schizophrenia was in•full remission, she was capable ofresponding to labour re-education, whereupon she was ordered to serve, two years' labour re-education. While Wu was undergoing her term of labour re-education, the responsible authorities, acting on humanitarian grounds, frequently arranged prompt medical treatment for her and she was not subjected, as alleged, to any cruel treatment or insults or made to endure any electric shocks or physical beatings. Gai Suzhi, female, aged 62, resident of Fushun city in Liaoning province. In October 2000, Gai was ordered by the Fushun city labour rehabilitation committee to serve two years' labour re-education, to run from 19 October 2000 to 18 October 2002, for disturbing the peace. Inview of her age, her poor physical condition and her many ailments, the labour re-education facility, following the relevant regulations, decided to allow her to serve her term of labour re-education outside the custodial facility. While serving her term outside the facility, Gai once again caused a breach of the peace and was ordered to serve a further three months' labour re-education. Gai completed her term of labour re-education on 8 January 2003. Liu JuahuaT al aged 6, resident -of i us city-in=Hnilongjiang-proYince. Liu was ordered by the Jiamusi city labour rehabilitation committee to serve two years' labour re-education, to run from 23 October 1999 to 22 October 2001, for disturbing the peace. While serving his tern of labour re-education, Liu caused breaches of the facility rules and regulations and, on 3 November 2000, he conspired with other inmates of the labour re-education facility to escape. On 28 September 2001 he was reapprehended by the public security authorities and returned to the Jiamusi city labour re-education facility to continue serving his term. On 9 June 2002, the Jiamusi city people's court, acting in accordance with the law, sentenced.him to 10 years' fixed -term imprisonment for the offence of sabotaging implementation of State law. Zhang Jiuhai, male, aged 35, resident of Beijing. In July 2000, Zhang Jiuhai was ordered.tq serve one, year's labour re-education for causing a disturbance of the peace. On 1 April 2002, the. Beijing city labour rehabilitation authorities ordered him to serve two years' labour re-education; for having once again disturbed the peace. He is currently serving his term. . Zhu Xiaofei, male, aged 26, resident,of Dalian city in Liaoning province. On 1 October 2001, Zhu was ordered by the Dalian city labour rehabilitation committee to serve two years and six months' labour re-education, to run from 26 November 2001 to 25 May 2004, for causing a disturbance of the peace. He is currently serving his term in Guanshan labour re-education facility in Liaoning province. In his observations, the Government states that China is a country governed by the rule of law. Chinese law fully safeguards the lawful rights and interests of persons undergoing labour re-education. Where persons undergoing labour re-education are concerned, the basic policy followed by the labour re-education facility is that they should be -19- re-educated, guided by persuasion and thus reformed; that they should be accorded the same solicitude as parents accord their children, teachers accord their students and doctors accord their patients; that they should receive consideration, assistance and education; and that their lawful rights and interests should be protected in accordance with the law. At the same time, in the actual practice of labour re-education, full use is made of such procedures as the remission of terms, the granting of parole for terms to be served outside the facility and early release from detention in the facility, so that those undergoing labour education are reformed to the maximum extent. Once released from the labour re-education facility, students may return to their studies, employees and workers may resume employment and their rights to a normal life and job are fully upheld. 7. In its reaction to the reply from the Government, the source states that the Chinese government used "disruption of social order" as the pretext for detaining Thong Bo, Liu Li, Wu Xiaohua, Gai Suzhi, Chen Gang, Zhang Wenfu, Liu Junhua, Zhang Jiuhai and Zhu Xiaofei. According to the source, the Chinese government failed to name the specific offences. 8. The source notes with an interrogation how people of different ages (from 25 to 62), different professions (from worker, professor to retiree) and different locations, suddenly develop this same tendency to "disruption of social order", many even repeatedly. 9. According to the source, Zhong Bo, Liu Li, Wu Xiaohua, Gai Suzhi, Chen Gang, Zhang Wenfu, Liu Junhua, Zhang Jiuhai and Thu Xiaofei are all Falun Gong practitioners and were persecuted for exercising freedom of belief guaranteed by China's Constitution. They were repeatedly detained and tortured for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. 10. The Working Group notes that the Government of China has informed it that Thong Bo, Liu Li and Gai Suzhi are no longer being detained. When this information was transmitted to the source, it was not disputed. 11. The Working Group further observes that the Government has not denied that Chen Gang, Zhang Wenfu, Wu Xiaohua, Liu Junhua, Zhang Jiuhai and Thu Xiaofei are Falun Gong practitioners, or that they were detained in connection with the practice of this discipline. 12. As there is no evidence that Falun Gong is a violent, non -pacific belief, as far as the cases under consideration are concerned its free exercise should be protected by article 18 on freedom of belief and article 19 on freedom of opinion and expression of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 13. Even though the sentence of labour re-education is, as claimed by the Government, a more favourable measure offering better possibilities to the person concerned than a prison sentence imposed by a court judgement, it still constitutes, in the opinion of the Group, administrative deprivation of freedom that may be arbitrary in character, as found by the Group in its Deliberation 04 of 1993 (E/CN.4/1993/24). 14. In its report on its visit to China (E/CN.4/1998/44/Add.2, para. 95), the Working Group stated that the measure of re-education through labour should not be applied on any person exercising his or her fundamental freedoms, as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the cases at hand, detention does constitute a coercive - 20 - measure designed to undermine the freedom of those persons to adopt beliefs of their own chasing. 15. The Working Group therefore deems that these persons were prosecuted and sentenced to the administrative measure of re-education through labour, and therefore deprived of his liberty, mainly for exercising fundamental rights which are laid out in articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the right to freedom of conscience and religion (art. 18) and the right to freedom of opinion and expression (art. 19). 16. In the light of the foregoing, the Working Group issues the following opinion: Since Thong Bo, Liu Li and Gai Suzhi have been released in the meantime, the Working Group decides, pursuant to paragraph 17(a) of its methods of work, to file their case, without taking position as to whether their detention was arbitrary or not. The detention of Chen Gang, Zhang Wenfu, Wu Xiaohua, Liu Junhua, Zhang Jiuhai and Zhu Xiaofei is arbitrary, being in contravention of Article 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and falls within the category II of the categories applicable to the consideration of cases submitted by the Working Group. 17. Consequently, the Working Group requests the Government to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation of these persons and to bring it into conformity with the standards and principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and encourages it to ratify the International- Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Adopted on 9 May 2003 -21 - Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances 2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/70* 21 January 2003 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTIONS OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Submitted in accordance with Commission resolution 2002/41 * Reissued for technical reasons. GE.03-11318 (E) 040303 - 24 - E/CN.4/2003/70 page 17 China 67. During the period under review, two new cases of disappearance were transmitted by the Working Group to the Government of China, of which one occurred in 2002 and was sent under the urgent action procedure. At the same time, the Working Group clarified five cases on the basis of information provided by the Government that the persons concerned were either in detention or at liberty at the address provided, on which no observations were received from the source. * 68. Most of the 106 cases of disappearance reported to the Working Group in the past are said to have occurred between 1988 and 1990, or between 1995 and 1996. The majority of these cases concern Tibetans, 19 of them monks who were allegedly arrested in Nepal and handed over to the Chinese authorities. Other cases concern persons who reportedly disappeared following celebrations to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Eleven cases concern Falun Gong practitioners who were allegedly arrested or abducted in 2000 and 2001 by police, security services or local administrative officials. One other case concerns an autistic boy who reportedly disappeared in 2000 after having been questioned by Hong Kong immigration officers. * 69. The newly reported cases concern a woman who was allegedly arrested in 2001 for being a Falun Gong practitioner; and a Chinese citizen legally residing in the United States of America who was allegedly detained and held incommunicado by persons believed to belong to the Ministry of Public Security. 70. During the period under review, the Government provided information on two outstanding cases. In one case, the person concerned had, in accordance with the laws of the country, been assigned to 18 months of re-education through labour, and is regularly visited by her family. Information on her current whereabouts was provided. The Working Group decided to apply the six-month rule to this case. In another case, the Government informed the Working Group that investigations have established that the person concerned, originally from China, formerly employed at Beijing Normal University, had left for the United States in 1986 and is currently resident in Boston. On 19 April 2002, travelling on a borrowed passport under the name "Rao Qing" (Passport No. TCHN147315384), he arrived on flight UA851 and illegally entered China from Beijing airport. He then proceeded to carry out activities in China using a forged identity document. His activities were in breach of the Chinese criminal code. On 21 June, following the issue of an arrest warrant by the second division of the Beijing city people's procurator's office, he was arrested by the Beijing public security authorities and, in accordance with legal procedure, his family was duly notified of his arrest and his case is currently being heard at first instance. The Chinese Government is of the opinion that the present case has nothing to do with the issue of "enforced or involuntary disappearances". 71. Of the 69 cases clarified by the Working Group, 60 were clarified on the basis of information provided by the Government and 9 on the basis of information provided by the source. In a majority of cases clarified on the basis of information provided by the Government, the persons concerned were living at liberty at the address that was provided. In respect of 38 outstanding cases, the Working Group is unable to report on the fate and whereabouts of the persons concerned. - 25 - ANNEXES Annex I Decisions on individual cases taken by the Working Group during 2002 • Countries Cases which allegedly occurred in 2002 Cases transmitted to the Government _ during 2002 Clarifications by: Discontinued cases Urgent actions Normal actions Government Non-governmental sources Algeria 1 1 12 2 1 0 Angola 0 0 0 1 0 0 Argentina 7 7 0 0 0 0 Cameroon 0 0 0 3 0 0 China 1 1 1 5 0 0 Colombia 9 14 0 1 2 0 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 0 0 1 0 0 0 Guatemala 1 1 0 63 0 0 India 1 1 0 0 0 0 Indonesia 5 5 0 0 1 0 Iran 1 1 0 0 1 0 Japan 0 0 4 0 0 0 Lebanon 0 0 3 0 0 0 Mexico 7 6 1 14 0 0 Myanmar 0 0 1 0 0 0 Nepal 14 24 4 0 5 -. 0 Pakistan ' 0 0 0 2 0 0 Philippines 4 0 6 0 0 0 Russia 10 2 9 0 0 0 Rwanda 0 0 1 0 0 0 Spain 0 0 4 0 0 0 Sudan 0 0. 0 198 0 0 Syria 0 0 4 0 0 0 Tunisia 1 0 1 0 0 0 Turkey 0 1 0 1 0 0 Ukraine 0 0 0 1 0 0 United Kingdom 0 0 1 0 0 0 United States of America 1 1 0 0 0 0 Yugoslavia 0 0 0 1 0 0 Zimbabwe 0 0 2 0 0 0 Annex II Statistical summary: Cases of enforced or involuntary disappearance reported to the Working Group between 1980 and 2002 Countries/ entities Cases transmitted to the Government Clarification by: Status of person at date of clarification Discontinued cases Total Outstanding Government Non- governmental sources At liberty In detentio n Dead No. of cases : Female No. of cases Female Afghanistan 2 - 2 - - - - - - - Algeria' . ' 1 115 , ,` 17- .. 1 099 15 9 7 7 2 7 Angola 7 1 „ -. - 7 - - - 7 - Argentina2 3 462 " ' 772 - '3 384 . - ' 749 43 35 49 - 29 - Bangladesh 1 ` '1 : 1 1 - - - - - - Bahrain 1 - - - - 1 - 1 - Belarus 3 - 3 - - - - - - - Bolivia 48 3 28 3 19 1 - 19 - 1 - Brazil3 57 '' ` ` 4 8 - 45 4 1 - 48 - Bulgaria 3 ' - - 3 - - - 3 - Burkina Faso 3 - 3 - - - - - - - Burundi 53 - ... , 52 - - 1 'I'''''° , 1 - - - Cambodia 2 - 2 - - - - „ - - - - Cameroon 18 a, - 14 - 4 - 4 - - - Chad 13 • - _. 1.2. _ . - 1 - , - a, + 1 - Chile 912 67 844 67 45 23 -2 - 66 - China4 10.7 7 38 4 60 9 43 25 1 - Colombia 1128 104 867 78 199 62 157 24 80 - Congo 31 1 31 1 - - - - - - Cyprus - - - - - - - - - .. - CIQ 0 z N 0 0 E/CN.4/2003/70 page 70 500 CHILE 450 430 400 14 . 350 9 10 11 300 5 7 6 8 8 250 259 2 • 2 ■ 200 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 2001 2002 150 100 80 111 50 15 3 4 2 1 5 1 73 74 75 76 77 78 79-80 81 82-83 84 85 86 87 88 89 25 CHINA 20 23 15 14 10 9 10 11 5 7 6 8 8 0 2 • 2 ■ 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 2001 2002 Note: These graphs provide an illustration of the trend in disappearances reported to the Working Group during 1971-2002. - 28 - Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture 2000-2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/9 2 February 2000 Original: ENGLISH/ FRENCH/ SPANISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-sixth session Item 11 (a) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF TORTURE AND DETENTION Report of the Special Rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodley, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human.. -Rights resolution 1999/32* CONTENTS Executive summary Introduction I. MANDATE AND METHODS OF WORK II. ACTIVITIES OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR Paragraphs Page 4 1 - 2 5 3 5 4 - 8 6 III. INFORMATION REVIEWED BY THE -SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR WITH RESPECT TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES 9 - 1205 7 Afghanistan 11 - 12 8 Albania - 13 8 Algeria 14 19 8 Angola 20 24 9 Argentina 25 30 10 Australia 31 36 11 Azerbaijan 37 77 13 * Communications received from Governments between 15 December 1999 and 15 February 2000 regarding allegations transmitted by the Special Rapporteur in 1999 will be reflected in document E/CN.4/2000/CRP.2. GE.00-10567 -30= E/CN.4/2000/9 page 47 China Regular communications arid replies received 208. By letter dated 15 November 1999, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information on the following individual cases. 209. Jingsheng Liu was reportedly detained on 28 May 1992 and•sentenced on 16 December 1994 to eight years in prison for leading a "counter-revolutionary group" and another eight years in prison for "counter-revolutionary propaganda". He is currently being held at the Banbuqiao Detention Centre. He has reportedly been held in solitary confinement since 1996 and is allegedly not in good health. • 210. Yang Liming, Yang Wenli and Zhang Wenqing were reportedly arrested in December 1992 for burglary and murder in Wuwei city, Gansu province. Their confessions were allegedly obtained through 10 days of torture. Upon the confession of another individual to the alleged crimes, these three individuals were freed in February 1996. 21 1. Yu Dongyue, an art editor of Liuyang Daily, was reportedly arrested on 23 May 1989 for participating in pro-democracy demonstrations in Hunan. He was allegedly sentenced on 11 August 1989 by the Beijing Intermediate People's Court for "counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement" and "counter- revolutionary sabotage". He was allegedly tortured in Hunan Prison No. 3 at Lingling. He was allegedly held in solitary confinement in a tiny windowless damp cell for at least two years. The Special Rapporteur had already intervened on his behalf in 1992. According to recent information received, Yu Dongyue is now held in. Ruanjiang prison in Hunan, where he is allegedly showing signs of mental disturbance and of having lost control of some bodily functions -31- E/CN.4/2000/ page 49 * 218. The Special Rapporteur has also received reports regarding the alleged torture of Falun Gong practitioners who have reportedly been arrested since July 1999 and on behalf of whom he sent a joint urgent appeal with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 23 July 1999. It is alleged that most of the practitioners, including children and elderly persons, have been insulted and beaten by the police at the time of arrest and during their subsequent detention. Electric shock batons and a device called "Di Lao", in which alleged victims' wrists and feet are shackled and linked together with crossed steel chains making it nearly impossible to walk or sit down, are said to have been used. In particular, the Special Rapporteur has received information on the three following individual cases. * 219. Zhao Jinhua was reportedly arrested on 27 September 1999 by the Zhangxing county police. She was allegedly beaten to death in police custody. On 7 October 1999, she allegedly lost consciousness and was sent to the county hospital emergency room. She was then reportedly returned to the police where she was allegedly interrogated about her Falung Gong practices and tortured again, allegedly with police electric clubs. She is believed to have died the same day. An autopsy report by forensic doctors of Yantai City dated 8 October reportedly confirmed the presence of injuries, wounds and haematomas on many parts of her body, except the head, and revealed that her death was caused by beatings with blunt instruments. * 220. Practitioners from Hunan province were allegedly ill-treated at the time of their arrest. Yu Hanxin was reportedly arrested on 24 July 1999 by members of the Public Security Bureau of Yueyang city at his publishing enterprise, where books on Falung Gong were seized. It is reported that his feet were broken by the assistant director of the Yueyang Public Security Bureau at the time of arrest. Li Juhua was reportedly arrested on 25 July 1999 by members of a local Joint Defence Team, who allegedly raped her. Zhou Zhi, from Dichen district, Chande city, had his home allegedly ransacked on 25 July 1999. He was allegedly severely beaten at that time. Yang Junhua was beaten and injured by No. 7 Joint Defence Team of Xiangtang city on 26 July 1999. * 221. Xiao Hong Zhang was reportedly arrested on 9 September 1999 and chained back to back with another Falung Gong practitioner for 23 hours, during which -32- E/CN.4/2000/9 page 50 time they were allegedly denied food, sleep and to go to the toilet. From 10 to 14 September, they were reportedly individually handcuffed in the back in such a position that they were unable to lie down in order to sleep. 222. Concerning the situation in Tibet, the Special Rapporteur has received information on the following individual cases. 223. Ngawang Kyonmed, who was taking care of a shrine in the Drepung complex in Tibet, and Samdrul, both monks, were reportedly arrested in September 1998 on suspicion of having prepared a letter addressed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, during her visit to Tibet in September 1998. The letter is believed to express concern about the detention of the Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, as well as details of the May 1998 protests at Drapchi prison which were mentioned in a communication by the Special Rapporteur dated 3 September 1998 (see E/CN.4/1999/61, para. 116). Ngawang Kyonmed was allegedly beaten severely and detained at the Gutsa detention centre in Lhasa. He were reportedly transferred to a prison. An urgent appeal was sent on their behalf on 13 January 1999 by the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. 224. Norbu, a 17 -year-old monk from Nalanda monastery, was reportedly arrested along with three fellow monks on 25 February 1995, following a police raid on the monastery. He is said to have resisted the police who wanted to search fellow monks' rooms. He was reportedly taken to Phenpo County Public Security Bureau detention centre. He was reportedly transferred on 28 February 1995 to Gutsa detention centre in Lhasa city, where he spent almost a year in incommunicado detention. He was allegedly brutally interrogated by the prison guards and accused of hiding documents on Tibet's independence. He was then denied medical treatment, despite the fact that his health was constantly deteriorating during his detention. In particular, he is said to have sustained damage to his kidneys. When he was returned home, in February 1996, he was still in a very serious condition. He allegedly could not turn his head or bend one of his legs and could not speak properly anymore. He is said to have died at home in March 1999 from injuries sustained at the time of his arrest and interrogation. 225. Tashi Tsering reportedly died in the first week of October 1999, while still hospitalized, allegedly due to the beatings he sustained at the time of his arrest. Security police officers of the People's Armed Police (PAP) reportedly beat him so badly that his hands and feet may have been broken and his arm fractured. His head was struck against the back of a vehicle and by the time he was dragged into the police van by security personnel he was unable to walk. It is thought that his head injuries contributed to his subsequent death in the Tibetan Autonomous Region police hospital, near Sera Monastery, where he had been immediately rushed. He is said to have been arrested soon after having lowered the Chinese flag in Potala Square and attempted to hoist the forbidden Tibetan national flag during the Minority Games, held in Lhasa, on 26 August 1999. Urgent appeals and replies received 226. On 17 February 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal in conjunction with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Hemit Memet, Kasim -33- E/CN.4/2000/ page 51 Mahpir and Ilyas Zordun, three young Uighur men, who had been forcibly returned from Kazakstan to the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) on 11 February 1999. They had been arrested while attempting to cross the border between the Republic of Kazakstan and the People's Republic of China. They were said to be suspected of involvement in "ethnic separatist activities", and in 1998 a warrant to arrest them was reportedly issued by the Ghulja Municipal Bureau. 227. On 14 June 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal in conjunction with the Special Rapporteurs on the promotion and protection of the right of freedom of opinion and expression and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on behalf of Zulikar Memet and Saydakhmet Memet, who had reportedly been detained in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in 1998 and February 1999, respectively. It was reported that they were accused of "assisting separatist terrorists" and arrested owing to the fact that they were brothers of Hemit Memet, who had been detained on 11 February 1999 along with Kasim Mahpir and Ilyas Zordun, all reportedly accused of involvement in "ethnic separatist activities" (see above). They had reportedly been moved from a prison in Urumqi to the public security police detention centre in the city of Gulja (Yining). 228. On 1 July 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Ngawang Choephel, who reportedly went missing in August 1995 when he was travelling through Tibet, tape recording traditional Tibetan folk music. He had reportedly been sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for committing espionage. On 19 May 1999, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared his detention arbitrary. He was reportedly originally detained at the Nyari detention centre, in Shigatse, but has since been transferred to the Powo Tramo prison in Tramo county. His health has allegedly deteriorated since his imprisonment. In particular, since 16 August 1998 he has reportedly been vomiting blood and is suffering from tuberculosis and a gastric disease. A letter was reportedly written to the Higher People's Court in China requesting permission for him to have medical treatment, however no response was received. 229. The Government replied on 15 December 1999 that in September 1998 the Xigaze Intermediate People's Court found Ngawang Choephel guilty of spying and on charges of separatism and sentenced him to 18 years' imprisonment, including four years without political rights. The Government further replied that, on appeal, the Tibet Autonomous Region Higher People's Court upheld the guilty verdict, after a closed hearing. The Government advised that the hearing was closed because the case involved State secrets. The Government further advised that he is currently serving his sentence in Bomi prison in Tibet. In relation to medical care, the Government replied that all offenders are entitled to receive free medical care, including annual check-ups, as well as timely treatment if they become ill. The Government reported that in October 1998, Ngawang contracted bronchitis, a lung infection and hepatitis and was treated at the prison hospital for over two months. He received a check-up in January 1999 which found him to be showing signs of recovery and he is now recuperating with oral medication. The Government stated that as in the past, law enforcement authorities are providing every respect and protection of his rights. * 230. On 23 July 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent action in conjunction with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of a large number of Falun Gong practitioners who had reportedly been recently arrested. Falun Gong is said to be an organization committed to the improvement of its practioners' physical and mental well-being -34- E/CN.4/2000/9 page 52 through exercise and meditation. The authorities reportedly banned the Falun Gong practice in public or private on 22 July 1999, and have accused the group of "engaging in illegal activities, advocating superstition and spreading fallacies", as well as "jeopardizing social stability". Since 20 July 1999, organizers of the group were' detained in several cities, including Beijing, Tianjing, Nanchang, Harbin, Changchun, Tai Yuan, Shengyang, Benxi, Xinbin, Hengyang, Qinyuan, Wafangdian, Cangzhou and Shijiazhuang. Many persons have allegedly been beaten at the time of and after their arrest. More specifically, it was reported that Lu Shu Zhen,the mother of the Falun Gong founder, Li Hongzhi, had received death threats on 22 July 1999 from four non -uniformed members of the Chinese State Security Bureau. Her sister, Li Ping , and her children, Li Mai Yi, Li Pao Yuan and Li Pao Man , were also threatened. They reportedly remain under house arrest with constant police surveillance. Since the early morning of 20 July, Li Chang, Ji Lie-wu, Qi Bao Lei(female) and other individuals have reportedly been detained in Beijing. In Dalian, the following men were reportedly arrested: Yu Xiao-de , Li Fang -jun, Yang Chuan -jun , as well as the following women: Guan Shu-Qing , Tang Qiao-yunin, Gao Chun - mei, Yang Li-ying, Tang Qiao-yun. In Shijiazhuang, Duan Rong-xin, Miao Ying-zhi, Wang Hong -bin, Xie Zheng-yuan, Xu Xin-mu, and Feng Xiao-mei (female) were reportedly arrested. Lu Wenjie and Wang Hongbin, two Falun Gong practitioners who were reportedly protesting the arrests at the Governmental Appeal Bureau in Dalian were allegedly beaten by four policemen who forcibly took them to the police station. 231. The Government replied on 7 October 1999 that the Falun Dafa Research Society has not been legally registered: it engages in illegal activities, preaches superstition and heresy, deludes the masses and manufactures disturbances. The Government reported that the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs had determined, in accordance with the Regulations on the registration of public organizations, that the Falun Gong organization was illegal and resolved to ban it. Furthermore, the Chinese public service organs had taken coercive measures against the organization and individuals suspected of using the Falun Dafa Research Society to cause criminal disturbances to public order, who would be brought to justice as the law required. The Government reported that no beatings or ill-treatment had occurred as a result of the coercive measures taken. It reported that allegations of beatings, ill-treatment, torture and house arrests were sheer fabrications unrelated to the facts. * 232. In relation to Lu Shuzhen and Li Ping, the Government reported that on 22 July 1999, Beijing municipal security organs visited Li Hongzhi's mother, Lu Shuzhen, and Li Ping to obtain information about Li Hongzhi's circumstances abroad. The Government reported that the meeting was amicable, civilized and law-abiding, and that no restrictive measures of any kind were taken. * 233. On 17 August 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal in conjunction with the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Zulikar Memet, who had reportedly been sentenced to death on 25 July 1999 by the Ili Prefecture Intermediate People's Court, in the Xinjian Uighur Autonomous Region. He was allegedly accused of involvement in "ethnic separatist activities". He reportedly told the court that his confession had been extracted under torture and showed the court the signs of the torture he had allegedly suffered, including finger nails which had been pulled off His brother, Hemit Memet, as well as eight other unidentified -35- UNITED NATIONS E 1Ij Economic and Social If le, .. `4,:.4 Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2001 /66 25 January 2001 Original: ENGLISH/FRENCH/ SPANISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh session Item 11 (a) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS INCLUDING THE QUESTIONS OF TORTURE AND DETENTION Report of the Special Rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodley, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/43* * The executive summary of this report is being circulated in all official languages. The report itself is contained in the annex to the executive summary and is being issued in the languages of submission only. GE.01-10682 (E) - 36 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 57 law. In this connection he agrees with the recommendation of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR/C/79/Add.104 of 30 March 1999, para. 9) that the law should be amended so as to restrict the jurisdiction of the military courts to trial only of military personnel charged with offences of an exclusively military nature. 236. He fully supports, in particular, the following recommendations of the Human Rights Committee directly relevant to his mandate: That there be established an independent body with authority to receive and investigate all complaints of excessive use of force by the police and other security forces; While noting improvement as a result of recent legislative reforms, that the law be reconsidered with a view to eliminating incommunicado detention altogether; this applies, in the Special Rapporteur's view, whether or not such detention is ordered by a judge; That there be established "institutionalized" mechanisms for monitoring conditions in prison and for investigating complaints by inmates; such mechanisms should, in the view of the Special Rapporteur, include a substantiate component from civil society, including human rights non-governmental organizations. China 237. By letter dated 10 August 2000, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he continued to receive information according to which the use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, in particular in Tibet and in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is widespread. In addition to methods reported in previous years, the Special Rapporteur has transmitted information on the use of trained dogs to attack prisoners; the use of live electric wires to give electric shocks, inter alia, to the mouth and genitals; the insertion of sticks or needles under the nails or having fingernails pulled out with pliers; the hanging of prisoners from a rail with one foot and one hand for 24 hours; the shoving of paper into the anus of detained persons and the setting on fire of this paper. The Special Rapporteur has transmitted further information on prisoners being made to run in the "flying aeroplane" position, arms spread out and bent forward; having their hands tied behind their back and having them pulled up behind them, causing intense pain; and on prisoners being made to stand barefoot in the snow and having cold water poured over them in freezing winter temperatures. 238. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information on the methods of torture specifically used in the XUAR, namely the use of injections which cause victims to become mentally unbalanced or to lose the ability to speak coherently; the insertion of pepper, chilli powder or other substances in the mouth, nose or genital organs; and the insertion of horse hair or wires into the penis. The torture of prisoners is said to be common in prisons, detention centres and labour camps, such as the Liu Daowan jail in Urumqi and a labour camp near Kashgar. Torture methods reported from the labour camp include prisoners being hit on the head, stomach or genitals with electric batons; having electric - 37 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 59 244. Salam Kari, from Gulja-(Yining), was reportedly arrested in May 1997 in connection with protests in Gulja in February 1997. His dead body showing marks of torture was reportedly returned to his family a few days after his arrest. 245. Nizamidin Yusayin, a 70 -year-old scholar from Urumqi and former journalist for the newspaper Xinjiang Daily, is believed to have been arrested on or after -September 1997 on suspicion that he had sheltered people wanted in connection with the February 1997 protests in Gulja. He was said to have been detained incommunicado in the Urumqi City Public Security Bureau. On 7 April 1998, he reportedly died allegedly as a result of being beaten and tortured by the police in order to force him to make a confession. * 246. The Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information according to which the authorities have been conducting a major: crackdown on the movements of the Falun Gong, Falun Dafa and other Qi Gong groups. Practitioners are said to be put under pressure to renounce their beliefs. Reports have been received that practitioners have been subjected to public humiliation for their membership in the Falun Gong movement. Tens of thousands of practitioners have reportedly been detained by the police for varying periods of time. Many of them are said to have been sent to labour camps without charge or trial for periods of up to three years for "re-education through labour", or detained in psychiatric hospitals, where they were often administered drugs against their will, for periods of up to several weeks. Many of them are said to have suffered torture or ill-treatment. The Special Rapporteur has transmitted information on the following individual cases. *- 247. Xian Jin-ying, from Haiyan county, Zhejiang Province, and three other practitioners reportedly went to Tiananmen Square on 25 October 1999. They were allegedly sent to a nearby police station where between 50 to 60 practitioners were said to have been held. The police reportedly handcuffed about 12 practitioners in a very painful manner with one arm bending over the shoulder to meet the other hand on the back. The police subsequently made them kneel on the ground and hit their heads against the wall. Xian Jin-ying's arm allegedly broke under the • pressure. On 26 October, a doctor refused to examine her arm because of her Falun Gong membership. On 27 October, she was taken to hospital. * 248. Liu Juhua, from Tangshan city, Hebei Province, and Yang Xuezhen, were reportedly arrested in Beijing on 22 September 1999 after resisting a police officer who allegedly attempted to take Falun Gong books away from them. They were reportedly taken to Beijing Qinghe detention centre where they were allegedly interrogated, deprived of sleep, had their arms tied to their feet behind their backs and to have been burnt with cigarettes on their hands. They were reportedly transferred to Kaiping detention centre in Tangshan city. Another practitioner detained at the same time at the Kaiping detention centre had reportedly been tortured with electric shock batons and beaten with a large club. * 249. Zhang XiaoHong, from Da Lian city, was reportedly arrested on 30 August 1999. She was said to have been detained for 15 days in the detention centre in Dalian. On 9 September, she reportedly asked the prison authorities for permission to do herr exercises but was refused. On the same evening, she was allegedly chained together with another Falun Dafa practitioner, back to back. They reportedly had to sit on the wooden floor, were prevented from sleeping and from using the toilet and were deprived of food. On 10 September, the two practitioners were - 38 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 60 reportedly placed in single cuffs which chained their hands to their back and got further tightened as a result of movement, preventing them from sleeping. On 14 September, the cuffs were removed. They were released the next day. * 250. Yin XinQin, from Da Lian city, was reportedly arrested on 30 August 1999 and placed in the Dalian detention centre. On 8 September 2000, she was reportedly chained to a fence for a total of 21 hours. On 9 September, she was said to have been chained with another practitioner back to back until the next day. On 10 September, they were chained separately with their hands behind their backs until the morning of 14 September, when they were asked to work. On the evening of the same day, they were allegedly again chained with their hands on their back. On 15 September, they were said to have been released. * 251. Xin XiuJuan, from Da Lian city, was reportedly arrested on 30 August 1999 and detained in the Dalian detention centre. She was allegedly chained to the grill of the window in the jail room. On 8 September, she reportedly had rusty iron frames fixed to her feet (a method of torture known as the "under -earth jail"). She was then reportedly ordered to walk fast, which resulted in the iron frames cutting her feet. She was reportedly kept without food for six days. * 252. Zhu Hang, an Associate Professor of the Department of Humanity and Social Sciences of the Dalian University of Science and Engineering in Dalian city, was reportedly arrested on 30 August 1999 when she was practising Falun Gong exercises in a park and subsequently detained in the Dalian Yao Jia detention centre in Nan Guan Ling. There she was reportedly tied to the Di Lao device (literally translated as "prison in hell" device) by which her hands and feet were reportedly chained to a heavy steel frame 20 inches high and 15 inches wide. She reportedly went on hunger strike. After seven days, the authorities reportedly ordered several guards to force feed her and caused severe injury on her mouth. They are said to have installed a pipe to feed liquid to her. She is believed to have lost consciousness because of the treatment she was subjected to and was sent to the People's No. 2 Hospital in Dalian city to recover. She was reportedly later sent to a mental hospital by the Chinese authorities for revealing her experiences in detention. * 253. Zhang ChunQing was reportedly arrested on 3 September 2000 with her granddaughter and was subsequently reportedly detained for 15 days in the Dalian Nanguan Yaojia detention centre. On 5 September, she is said to have been insulted and slapped hard on her face and hands with a ring -binder by the section chief for practising Falun Gong in prison. She was allegedly subjected to the Di Lao device. She was allegedly ordered to walk 200 feet to her cell, which she could only do one inch at a time and which took over 40 minutes, and not permitted to have it taken off to use the sanitary facilities. On 9 September, she was again insulted and placed in the Di Lao device with three other practitioners. Thirty six other practitioners were reportedly handcuffed with self -tightening handcuffs to window rails in the prison hallway. They are said not to have been allowed to use the toilet or move their legs. On 10 September, about 30 practitioners allegedly recited together and were reportedly beaten, inter alia on their face and mouth, by five or six guards as well as by prisoners wanting to shorten their prison terms. In the evening of 10 September, they were reportedly handcuffed in twos, back-to-back, and were not allowed to move or talk. In the evening of 11 September, the handcuffs were removed. They were said to have caused blisters, swollen hands and scars. - 39 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 61 * 254. Shuzhen Lu, the 71 -year-old mother of Hingzhi Li, the founder of the Falun Gong movement, has reportedly been kept under house arrest in a suburb of Beijing since 22 July 2000. She is said to be suffering from a heart problem, which reportedly has worsened since her house arrest, leading to a diminution of her vision and a swelling of her legs, restricting her from moving around. The police reportedly refused to offer her medical treatment or to provide her with sufficient food and water. * 255. Xu Yanzhong, from Jiaozhou city, Shandong Province was reportedly sent on 25 April 2000 to the mental hospital of Jiaozhou city for practising Falun Gong. He was said to have been tied up and forced to take medicine and have injections in the 10 days that followed. He allegedly suffered physical and mental mistreatment. As a result of the injections, he reportedly suffered weakness all over his body, difficulty in opening his eyes, nervousness and depression. * 256. Kuang Bencui, from Jiaozhou city, Shandong Province, reportedly went to Beijing. On her way to Tiananmen Square, she was reportedly arrested and sent to the Jiaozhou Liaison Office in Beijing. Then, she was sent to the mental hospital of Jiaozhou city. During her time in the mental hospital, she was reportedly forced to take medicine and have injections. When she refused, two men allegedly seized her arms, pinched her nose and drove a chopstick between her teeth to force-feed her with medicine. She was reportedly force-fed three times a day, the dosage being increased from one tablet at a time to six tablets at a time. * 257. Tan Guihua,was reportedly arrested by officers from her work unit and the Politics and Law Commission in her home on 12 September 1999 and taken to the mental hospital. There, she was given an injection. As a result, she reportedly felt faint and sick and her heart beat accelerated rapidly. She allegedly lost consciousness. She received electric shocks on seven occasions. After an injection, her periods reportedly stopped, she could not move her eyes and had slowed -down reactions. A few days later, another medicine was said to have been added to the injection. As a result, Tan Guihua's body shook violently. This was said to have lasted 20 days. At the time of her release, she reportedly suffered from memory loss, she had problems speaking, her eyes were dull and her reactions had slowed down. * 258. Huang Jinchun, a civil court judge at the Beihai Intermediate People's Court in southern Guangxi Autonomous Region was reportedly arrested at his home on 15 November 1999 and detained at the Long Qianshan mental hospital in the city of Liuzhou, Guangxi Province. There he is said to have been prevented from seeing his family for three months and to have been injected with tranquilizers after he continued to practise Falun Gong meditation at the institution. * 259. Wang Fenglan from Yujia village in Shiduitou, Ma Yufeng from Xiaojiajia, Zhan Keyun, Wang Haohong, from Heya village, and Zhao Jinhua, a resident of Zhaoyuan city in Shandong Province, were reportedly arrested on 27 September 1999 by the Zhangxing County police. They were said to have been detained in the local police station, where they were allegedly subjected to ill-treatment by police officers for refusing to read a book that denounced Falun Gong. On 1 October 1999, while the practitioners were reportedly doing the Falun Gong exercises, a number of police officers entered the cell and violently kicked and punched them - 40 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 62 and beat them with rubber clubs. They reportedly struck Wang Fenglan several times with a club, tied her up with a telephone cord and gave her electric shocks. As a result, she is said to have lost consciousness. * 260. Liu Jing, a female Falun Gong practitioner from Jiangxi Province, was reportedly arrested on 22 December 1999 on Tiananmen Square for practising her exercises. She was reportedly taken to the Tiananmen Square police station and held until 24 December. During that time she is said to have been subjected to a full body search, interrogation and torture by the police. She reportedly sustained severe bruising on the back of her legs. * 261. Cheng Fengrong and four other practitioners were reportedly arrested for attempting to audit the trial of four Falun Gong practitioners on 26 December 1999. They were allegedly detained in the Nihe detention centre of Shunyi county in Beijing. Cheng Fengrong was allegedly forced to stay in a half -squatting position and was punched and kicked whenever she could not maintain it. Police officers reportedly poured two basins of cold water on her back and neck. The cold water allegedly froze under her feet. She was further said to have been brutally beaten by police officers using a broom. * 262. Gao Yulan, a female practitioner, was reportedly arrested at her home in Jiangsu Province at 5 a.m. on 31 December 1999 when she was practising Falun Gong. A policeman is said to have pulled her hair, slapped her face, kicked her and pushed her head under water. She was reportedly detained for 16 days. * 263. Chen Lingmei was reportedly arrested on Tiananmen Square on 19 November 1999, and taken to the police station of Zhuozhou city, Hebei Province, where she was reportedly beaten during interrogation. She was allegedly subsequently sent to a training centre with three other practitioners, Zang Cuiqing, Chang Hengchun, and Xing Junhua Zang, to be "re-educated". There, they were reportedly subjected for several hours to electric shocks all over their bodies and to kicks and blows to their faces with a one -foot long wooden stick for refusing to write statements promising to renounce Falun Gong. * 264. Bai Lili was reportedly arrested and sent to Dongcheng detention centre in Beijing on 25 October 1999. Police officers reportedly stripped her of her clothes. They are said to have pulled her arms and hair in order to confiscate books. The next day, they reportedly tied up her feet and arms and pushed her to the ground. * 265. Wang Wei, Hu Shuzhi and Ning Guiying, three practitioners and contact persons from Anshan in Liaoning Province, were reportedly arrested at their homes on 24 September 1999 and detained in the Yuemingshan detention centre in Anshan city, Liaoning Province. They are said to have been hung to a heating pipe and to have been beaten for a whole night for declaring they would continue to practise Falun Dafa. * 266. Chen Yajun, a woman from Ulumuqi, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, and 15 other practitioners, from Jilin and Shaanxi Provinces, were reportedly arrested in an apartment in Beijing on 19 September 1999. They are said to have been detained by the ChaoYang branch of Beijing Public Security Bureau in the early morning of 20 September. Chen Yajun is said to have been handcuffed behind her back until 24 September. She was -41 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 63 reportedly forced to stand for 13 to 14 hours without any place to lean on and without access to toile t facilities. A prison official is said to have verbally and physically abused her. On 25 September, three policemen reportedly forced her to lie on the ground, tore her mouth open and inserted pipes from her nose into her stomach to force-feed her. * 267. Huang Xiuling was reportedly arrested by policemen and taken to Tiananmen police station on 9 September 1999 and was allegedly transferred to Majuqiao police station and then to Qiaozhuang detention centre. An officer is said to have ordered prisoners to beat her in order to force her to hand in her books. The prisoners subsequently reportedly pulled her arms and legs, punched and kicked her and stripped her of her clothes. The next day, she was reportedly shocked with an electric club for practising Falun Gong. She was reportedly subsequently placed in handcuffs and shackles, and dragged to each cell, where she is said to have been shocked with an electric club as a warning to other prisoners. * 268. Sixty detained practitioners, who had allegedly begun a hunger strike on 7 September 1999 which continued for about nine days, amongst them two women practitioners, Zhang Xihong and Jin Gang, were reportedly interrogated for between two and three hours every day, insulted and beaten by police officers in Qiliqu detention centre in Changping county, Beijing. On 10 September, a police officer reportedly forced them to stand under the burning sun for three hours. Zhang Xihong reportedly had been on strike for 10 days and was said to have been kept in chains locking her hands and feet together, so that her head almost touched the ground when she walked. About nine other practitioners were reportedly handcuffed for practising or being suspected of practising Falun Gong exercises in the detention centre. A number of policemen of the Pre-trial Department reportedly tortured the prisoners, using belts, iron wires and screwdrivers. They allegedly forced practitioners to bow 90 degrees with their hands elevated over their heads, until they were close to losing consciousness. Jin Gang was reportedly twice severely beaten on the seventh day of her hunger strike. * 269. Wang Yan was reportedly arrested by the police in Shanhaiguan city on 22 July 1999. The next day, she was said to have been transferred to Jinzhou and finally detained in the Fuzhen police station in Liaoyuan city in Jilin Province. She was reportedly beaten and insulted for refusing to sign a statement promising to give up Falun Gong. * 270. Gu Zhiyou from Chongqing Tax School, Sichuan Province, was reportedly arrested on 19 July 1999. In the jail, she is said to have been subjected to 24 types of ill-treatment, including the "tiger stool" (where the thighs are reportedly tied to a bench and the legs are bent into the opposite direction by adding bricks under the heels), piercing through fingers with sharp bamboo sticks, electric chair, and electric shocks to the head and anus. * 271. Zhang Xuefeng and other practitioners, amongst them Liu Xirong and Li Juhua were reportedly arrested by two officials from Daqinjia town government, in Xiaozhuanshan village on 1 January 2000. They were said to have been beaten with sticks and clubs in the village office, and further at the county office. * 272. More than 300 Falun Gong practitioners, amongst them a woman whose surname was Xu, were reportedly detained in Balibao prison in Changchun city, Jilin Province, before 1 October 1999, for refusing to write so-called "confessing statements". They are said to -42- E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 64 have been subjected to ill-treatment, such as being burnt by cigarettes and being beaten with big clubs to the extent that the clubs broke during the beating. Xu was reportedly handcuffed, hung up by a rope and beaten, which caused extensive injuries to her back. * 273. Jimmy Zhimin Zou, a United States citizen was reportedly arrested on 1 December 1999 on Tiananmen Square in Beijing for being a Falun Gong practitioner and detained at Tiananmen Square police substation. There he was reportedly punched on his eyes, shoulder and arms and had his legs kicked by three police officers. He was said to have been subsequently handcuffed forcefully and to have been given electro -shocks to the waist with a stun baton. He was then reportedly sent to the Anhui Agency in Beijing, where he was reportedly detained in a room with about 30 other Falun Gong practitioners, where he was allegedly body -searched, and punched in the face, chest and stomach area by two police officers. One officer reportedly struck his feet with a baton. On the fourth day, he and two other practitioners were reportedly dragged out of their cell by seven officers for practising Falun Gong exercises. They were said to have been beaten and forced to stand facing the wall with their knees bent. * 274. Fourteen students of Tsinghua University in Beijing were reportedly arrested by the police when they were attending a Falun Gong conference on the campus on 21 October 1999. They were said to have been handcuffed, beaten up and tortured. * 275. Hang Jizhen, from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, reportedly went to Beijing on 23 December 1999 to appeal to the central Government against the ban on the Falun Gong. In Tiananmen Square, she was reportedly arrested and beaten. Police officers are said to have escorted her back to Nanjing and to have detained her in Nanjing mental hospital ("Nanjing Hospital for Brain Diseases"). She was reportedly given injections and pills, which are said to have caused her to feel sick and extremely weak. * 276. Ding Jianhua, the head of the Department of Health Care of the Public Security Bureau of Jiangsu Province, was reportedly sent to the Nanjing Brain Hospital on 3 October 1999 for refusing to give up her belief in Falun Gong. There she was said to have been subjected to forced treatments which reportedly slowed her reactions and blurred her eyesight. * 277. More than 20 practitioners, among them teachers from the Laiyang School of Medicine, teachers from Laiyang Higher Education through Broadcasting and TV, doctors from the Laiyang central hospital, and a practitioner from Qingdao city, are said to be detained at the Yantai Mental Recovering Centre, located in Laiyang city in Shandong Province as of the end of February 2000. They were reportedly forced to take medicines and given injections. They were further said to have been required to pay expensive medical fees. * 278. Bai Lili, Xu Wei (aged 4), Wang Youqun and Wang Shuge, four females, and Yu Tian (aged 5), Zhao Qun, Li Hongshen, Luo Lijuan, Fei Menlin, Ju Linyan and other Falun Gong practitioners reportedly gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on 4 February 2000 to appeal to the Chinese central authorities in relation to the ban on Falun Gong. Lili Bai and Wang Shuge, who were holding up flags with the Falun Gong emblem were reportedly pushed to the ground and brutally beaten, especially on the face, by police officers attempting to seize the flags. They were reportedly subsequently arrested. Practitioners - 43 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 65 holding banners were allegedly beaten by plain -clothes agents and uniformed police officers and taken to the Tiananmen Square police station. A family, including a 5 year old child, Yu Tian, were arrested. The practitioners from Linyi, Shandong Province, Zhao Qun, Xu Wei, and Li Hongshen were reportedly beaten to the ground by six police officers and were subsequently taken to a police van. More than 100 practitioners who are said to have practised meditation sitting in the north-eastern corner of the square were reportedly frantically beaten. Women practitioners were allegedly dragged to police vans by their hair. Dai, a practitioner from Australia, was said to have been kicked in the back three times by a police officer and then arrested. Zhen, a practitioner from Linyi district of Shandong Province, was reportedly severely beaten and had blood on his face. * 279. Liu Wenjie, Wang Hongbin, Zhang Zhaodong, and three women, Li Qun, Qu Xiuhua and Liu Shuziang, were amongst thousands of practitioners who reportedly petitioned the Governmental Appeal Bureau in Dalian city, Liaoning Province on 20 July 1999. Policemen reportedly started beating them, in particular young male practitioners. Li Qun was reportedly dragged by her hair and arrested along with nine other practitioners . In the police station, many practitioners were said to have been beaten. * 280. Six Falun Gong practitioners who had reportedly been arrested for appealing to the central authorities in mid -1999 were reportedly paraded in the streets of Liqiaoxi village, Guangrao county, in Shangdong Province in order to dissuade other Falun Gong practitioners from going to Beijing. The so-called "parade" was reportedly led by five police cars and followed by a police truck hung with anti -Falun Gong banners. The practitioners, who were reportedly forced to wear large paper hats and only thin clothing in the cold temperature, allegedly stood on both sides of the truck. * 281. Fifteen Falun Gong practitioners who had gone to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong were reportedly forcibly marched barefoot through the crowded streets of Pengjia town in Shuangliu county, Sichuan Province, by the local police on 8 January 2000. * 282. Zhao Xin, a lecturer of Beijing Industry and Commerce University, who was reportedly arrested on 19 June 2000 by police officers of the Haidian police substation when she practised Falun Gong exercises in the park. Several days later, her family is said to have received a "critically ill" notice about their daughter, detailing that the fourth, fifth and sixth vertebrae in her neck were fractured, that she had minor injuries to her head, that her left eye was bruised and swollen and that she had problems breathing. She was reportedly transferred to Haidian hospital in shackles and handcuffs. In hospital, she is said to be fed intravenously and to be supported on a respirator. * 283. Cheng Zhong was reportedly approached in Menghe town of Wujin city, Jiangsu Province by a group of policemen and members of the Department of Civic Affairs on 25 September 1999 and taken to the "Centre for Mental Diseases", Hospital No. 102 in Changzhou. He was reportedly threatened. On 28 September, he was reportedly taken by police officers to a mental hospital, the Third Hospital of Wujin city, where he was reportedly forcibly medicated and subjected to electric shocks five times by doctors or policemen. He was forcibly given medication for more than 10 days. - 44 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 66 * 284. Han Ji-zhen, from Nanjing City, reportedly went to Beijing to appeal to the authorities on 23 December 1999. She was said to have been arrested upon arrival by a police officer, who reportedly severely beat her. She was forcefully admitted to a mental hospital, the Nanjing Brain Hospital, where she was said to have been forced to take injections and medication which reportedly made her feel nauseous and weak. * 285. The following cases of deaths in custody of Falun Gong practitioners have been transmitted by the Special Rapporteur to the Government. * 286. Gao Xianming, from Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, was reportedly arrested in Tianhe park in Guangzhou city on 31 December 1999. He was allegedly subsequently transferred to the Tangxia detention centre in Tianhe district. He reportedly died in police custody on 17 January 2000 as a result of having been force-fed with highly salted water while he was tied up and had his nose covered with a wet towel. * 287. Liu Xuguo was reportedly arrested in October 1999 for protesting against the ban on Falun Gong. He was said to have been sentenced to three years of "re-education through labour" and sent in early February 2000 to a labour camp in Jining, Shandong Province. He is said to have started a hunger strike before 5 February and to have been taken to a hospital the following week, where he was reportedly brutally force-fed through a tube which severely injured his wind pipe and led to a lung infection, which is said to have caused his death in the labour camp on 11 February 2000. * 288. Wang Xiuying, from Daowai district of Harbin city, reportedly went to Beijing on 12 May 2000 with another practitioner. She was reportedly arrested on 13 May 2000, and detained in the Jiaomen detention centre of Chongwen district in Beijing. While in detention, she made several requests to the detention centre to allow practitioners to continue practising Falun Gong and to unconditionally release all detained practitioners. They are said to have subsequently started a hunger strike. The guards ordered that these practitioners be forced -fed with high-density salt water. Wang Xiuying was reportedly forced -fed six times, five times with high-density salt water which caused severe dehydration and loss of consciousness. After delayed emergency treatment, she reportedly died in the evening of 22 May 2000. * 289. Chen Zixiu, from Beiguan Xujia Xiaozhuang, Weicheng district, Weifang city was reportedly arrested at Weifang railway station on her way to Beijing to make an appeal to the authorities, taken to Chenguan Sub -district Office in Weicheng city and detained there for forced "re-education" purposes. In the morning of 21 February 2000, her body was reportedly transferred to the municipal hospital. Her body reportedly showed the following injuries: her mouth was reportedly bloody, her teeth were broken, she had a distended abdomen, her legs were swollen and covered in black and blue bruises from the hip down. * 290. Chen Ying, from Jiamusi city, Heilongjiang Province was reportedly arrested at the beginning of August 1999. She was said to have been sent back to Heilongjiang Province under police escort. On the trip from Beijing to Heilongjiang Province, she was reportedly subjected to insults, beating and threats by the police. As a result, she is believed to have jumped out of the moving train and died. - 45 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 68 298. The Special Rapporteur also transmitted information, according to which a campaign against the unregistered church in Guangdong Province, in south-eastern China, had been initiated in October 1999, which is said to be typified by arrests, beatings, detention, forced labour, raids, confiscation of property and heavy fines. The campaign has allegedly primarily focused on Pastor Li Dexian; who is said to have been. arrested 15 times between October 1999 and May 2000. In May, he was reportedly tortured and held in chains with his wrists tied to his ankles for five days, causing severe pain: * 299. The Special Rapporteur received information on the following death in custody. Zhao Dong, from Jixi city in Heilongjiang Province, who had been accompanied by police officers, reportedly died from his injuries after jumping from a moving train. He had reportedly been tortured by police and was in handcuffs at the time of the fall. 300. Finally the Special Rapporteur reminded the Government of a number of cases transmitted in 1998 and 1999 regarding which no reply had been received. Urgent appeals and replies received 301. On 12 May 2000, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Xu Wenli, who was reportedly in need of urgent medical attention. He had reportedly been detained on 30 November 1998 and sentenced ori 21 December 1998 to 13 years' imprisonment. He was' reportedly detained at Beijing Yangqingxian Labour Camp. The Chinese authorities are reportedly denying him medication obtained by his wife for hepatitis. 302. By letter dated 21 November 2000, the Government replied that Xu Wenli had conspired to establish an illegal organization in an attempt to subvert the State power and had received financial aid from foreign organi2ations. On 21 December 1998, the First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing found him guilty of crimes of subversion, and punished him to 13 years' imprisonment and three years' deprivation of political rights. Upon being questioned by his lawyer, he indicated that he would not appeal the sentence. The hearing was attended, upon the showing of their identity cards, by his wife and 22 other people. When the indictment was read to him, he stated that he would not accept a court-appointed lawyer. The court appointed a lawyer to defend him at the first hearing. After meeting him, Xu Wenli accepted him as his defence counsel. His trial by the judicial department was conducted in strict accordance with legal procedure, and the trial was open, just, lawful and punishment was meted out on a strict legal basis for his criminal activities in violation of Chinese law. Since having been diagnosed as a hepatitis B virus carrier, he has been taking medication as directed by his physician. An examination conducted at the prison in August 2000 indicated that his condition was back to normal. He said that he was feeling very well. He has never suffered from hepatitis A. , Article 54 of the Prison Law provides for medical services for detainees. Medical care for detainees should be included in sanitation and epidemic prevention plans of the area in which the prisons are located. All prisons have their own medical services for the treatment of sick convicts. There is a general hospital under the prison administration of every province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the central Government. Convicts suffering from serious diseases which are difficult for prison hospitals to manage are sent to prison general hospitals or better -equipped local hospitals, or are released on bail for medical treatment. - 46 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 71 315. Concerning Chen Jinchang, Wen Shaorong and Yao Zeldin, the Government confirmed that there had been a miscarriage of justice. On 17 February 1998 the Yunnan Provincial Higher People's Court pronounced them and another person not guilty. They were released and awarded compensation of 100,000 yuan renminbi. The Government confirmed that more than 10 policemen and prosecutors were disciplined. 316. Concerning Fan Zhen, she is allowed 15 to 20 minutes exercise every hour. An inquiry has confirmed that Fan Zhen herself states that she has not been subjected to any torture. 317. Concerning Abdul Helil, the Government indicated that he is now serving his sentence in the Yili Prefecture detention centre. No evidence of extortion of his confession by torture during his detention has been found. 318. Concerning Zhou Guiyi, he hanged himself the night stolen items from the Xinzhou county post office, Hubei Province, were found at his place. Concerning Xiao Beizhou, he was released on bail on 4 January 1998 by the Xinzhou County Procuratorate of Hubei Province. On 8 January, he tried to hang himself at home and was immediately transferred to hospital for emergency care, but he died on 13 January due to prolonged lack of blood and oxygen in his brain and some complications. Concerning Yu Li, he was arrested on 26 February 1998 by officers of Xinzhou county. He injured himself during his arrest and was immediately transferred to hospital, but he died on 23 May in the Xinzhou County People's Hospital. 319. Concerning Liu Dongjie, the Government indicated that he had been arrested on 12 August 1998 and had confessed in writing that he had taken a bribe. The following day, he escaped and arrived at Peijia Village, Jiutai Municipality, Jilin Province. He later doused himself with two buckets of petrol and burnt himself to death. It has been confirmed by the investigation by the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Chinese People's Liberation Army that the allegations that lie had been tortured contained in the letter referred to in the communication transmitted by the Special Rapporteur are groundless. 320. Concerning Cheng Meiying, the allegations of torture are groundless. * 321. Concerning Zhao Jinhua a Falun Gong practioner, the Government indicated that she had refused to go to hospital for treatment although she had been suffering from heart disease for a long time. Nevertheless, on 7 Oetober 1999, she fainted and was iminediately taken to hospital. She was subsequently transferred to Zhaoyuang municipal hospital for intensive care, but died on the way. The autopsy confirmed that she died of heart failure caused by acute myocardial infraction. The allegations of torture are groundless. * 322. Concerning Yu Hanxin, he was arrested in August 1999. On 23 December 1999, the People's Procuratorate of Yueyanglou district, after examination of the case, decided to countermand his arrest and the police released him without delay. An inquiry has revealed that the local police did not torture him during interrogation. - 47 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 72 323. Concerning Bazu, whose Buddhist name is Ngawang Kyonmed, he was detained on 17 December 1998. On 10 March 1999, proceedings were instituted against him and on 6 January 2000 the Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment on the charge of incitement to split the State. He is currently serving his sentence and is in normal physical condition. 324. Concerning Samdrul, whose Buddhist name is Chilai Qudan, he was detained on 19 June 1998 and arrested on 17 December 1998. On 10 March 1999, proceedings were instituted against him and on 6 January 2000 the Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to four years' imprisonment on the charge of incitement to split the State. He is currently serving his sentence and is in normal physical condition. 325. Concerning Norbu, whose Buddhist name was Liexie Danqu, he was arrested on 5 May 1995 on suspicion of protecting criminals. On 22 November 1995, the Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to one year's imprisonment. In February 1996, he was released after serving his sentence. He died in his home town in 1998. The Government indicated that an inquiry had confirmed that he had not been tortured while in detention. 326. Concerning Tashi Tsering, he was arrested on 26 August 1999 in flagrante delicto while trying to ignite some explosives in Potala Square in Lhasa. He candidly confessed to the crime. During his detention, he attempted to kill himself on several occasions. On 15 October, his arrest was approved by the Lhasa Municipal People's Procuratorate. On 10 February 2000, he committed suicide to escape punishment by severing his veins with a sharp instrument. An inquiry confirmed that he had not previously been tortured. 327. Concerning Li Juhua, Zhou Zhi, Yang Junhua and Zhang Xiaohong, the Government indicated that it was not able to determine their whereabouts. 328. Finally, the Government indicated that it had consistently prohibited torture and other forms of ill-treatment and had adopted various effective measures to prevent and to punish such acts. It stressed that the People's Republic of China was one of the earliest States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and has conscientiously fulfilled its obligations. Article 246 of the Criminal Law provides that any judicial functionary who extorts confessions from criminal suspects or defendants or extorts testimony from witnesses by violence shall be sentenced to fixed -term imprisonment of not more than three years, or to criminal detention. If their victims are injured, maimed or killed, they shall be punished with due severity. Article 248 provides that if supervisors in prisons, detention centres and other places of detention subject the inmates to beatings, other forms of corporal punishment or ill-treatment, they shall, in serious cases, be sentenced to fixed -term imprisonment of not more than three years, or criminal detention; if the circumstances are especially serious, they shall be sentenced to fixed -term imprisonment of not - 48 - E/CN.4/2001 /66 page 73 less than three years and not more than 10 years. Article 22 of the People's Police Law provides that police officers are forbidden to extort confessions or to subject prisoners to corporal punishment or ill-treatment. They are not allowed to beat prisoners or instigate others to do so. Police officers who commit such acts shall be subject to administrative sanctions. If the acts constitute crimes, the perpetrators' criminal responsibility shall be investigated according to the law. There are similar specific provisions concerning prison officials in the Prison Law. Finally, the Government stated that victims are completely free to appeal, in accordance with legal procedures. Observations 329. The Special Rapporteur appreciates the responses of the Government and is encouraged by the reference to a specific case of law enforcement officials being found guilty of extorting confessions. Nevertheless, he regrets that the Government has not been in a position to consider that its invitation to the Special Rapporteur to make a "friendly visit" to China (that was to take place in May 2000) amounted to an acceptance of the Special Rapporteur's request for a standard fact-finding visit. He has sought to pursue contacts with the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations at Geneva, with a view to finding a solution that would take account of the Government's concerns, while remaining consistent with the Special Rapporteur's belief that his standard methodology is important to his work and that he should not discriminate between countries. 330. Meanwhile, he notes that the Committee against Torture, in its review of China's third periodic report under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in May 2000, expressed its concern about "the continuing allegations of serious incidents of torture, especially involving Tibetans and other national minorities" (A/55/44, para. 116). The Special Rapporteur shares that concern and, in the light of the above allegations, considers that the same concern must also extend to adherents of Qi Gong groups, such as Falun Gong and Falun Dafa. 331. Among the important recommendations of the Committee against Torture, he believes the following should be highlighted: That a definition of torture that fully complies with the definition contained in the Convention be incorporated in domestic law (ibid., para. 123); That consideration be given to abolishing the requirement of applying for permission before a suspect can have access for any reason to a lawyer whilst in custody (ibid., para. 126) and to abolishing all forms of administrative detention, in accordance with the relevant international standards (ibid., para. 127); and That the prompt, thorough, effective and impartial investigation of all allegations of torture be ensured (ibid., para. 128). - 49 - UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Distr. Council GENERAL E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 14 March 2002 Original: ENGLISH/ FRENCH/SPANISH* ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Item 11 of the provisional agenda QUESTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL PERSONS SUBJECTED TO ANY FORM OF DETENTION OR IMPRISONMENT, IN PARTICULAR: TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT Report of the Special Rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodley, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/62 Addendum Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received* *. In view of its length, the present document is being issued in the original languages only, the Conference Services Division of the United Nations Office at Geneva having insufficient capacity to translate documents that greatly exceed the 32 -page limit recommended by the General Assembly (see Commission resolution 1993/94, para. 1). GE.02-11402 (E) 150402 - 50 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 54 China 287. By letter dated 22 August 2001; the Special Rapporteur.advised the Government that he had received information according to, ,Which no presumption of innocence is incorporated iii Chinese law, nor the right to remain silent, nor protection against self-incrimination. Evidence obtained through ill-treatment is said to be admissible in court and defendants are believed to have few means to expose ill-treatment by Ale police before or during trial, as judges are reported to have the power to limit arbitrarily a defendant's or defence lawyer's right to speak. Furthermore, a defendant who speaks out in court is said to open him/herself to retaliation by Prison officials if he/she is convicted. 288. The 1996 revised Criminal, Procedure Law (CPL) is said to repeat provisions in the 1979 law prohibiting the use of torture to extract statements, though not to exclude specifically the use as evidence in court of confessions, statements or additional evidence extracted as a result of torture. The Supreme People's Court's "Decision on specific issues in the implementation of the CPL" (effective 8 September 1998) is said to stipulate only that such statements: "61.... cannot become the basis for determining a case". It is reported that evidence extracted under torture may still be used to supplement the major evidence used to determine a case, and that material evidence derived from such coerced statements would not be excluded. The three specific offences covering torture and other forms of ill-treatment in the 1997 revised Criminal Law, i.e., torture to coerce a confession, extortion of a testimony by violence, and ill-treatment of prisoners, are said to be applicable only to a limited range of officials in limited circumstances or locations. Article 247 of the revised Criminal Law, which is said to criminalize "torture to coerce a confession", reportedly provides that this crime is applicable to "judicial officers" who inflict such torture on a "criminal suspect" or "defendant". Punishment is said to range from detention for one to six months in a criminal detention centre, to three years' imprisonment. Where such acts cause injury, disability or death to the victim, heavier punishment shall reportedly be given, according to the provisions. of articles 234 (intentional injury) and 232 (intentional homicide). Similarly, article 247, which also criminalizes the act of "extorting testimony by violence", is said to be.applicable to "judicial officers" extorting testimony from "witnesses". "Violence" is said to be generally limited to direct physical violence. According to the information received, it is unclear whether "witnesses" cover all remaining relevant parties to an investigation and trial, including victims and experts.. "Judicial officers" are said to be defined in article 94 of the Criminal Law as "persons who exercise the -51 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 55 functions of investigation, prosecution, adjudication and supervision or control". Prior to the revisions, a wider range of officials could reportedly be prosecuted for "torture to coerce a confession". Article 94 was said to apply to "State personnel" defined as "all personnel of State organs, enterprises and institutions and other personnel engaged in public service according to law" (1979 CL, arts. 136 and 83). Concerns have been expressed that this more restricted term may not apply to officers hired temporarily, or seconded from non judicial departments to assist in criminal investigations. Furthermore, it is reported that academic opinions appear to indicate that only "judicial officers" with specific responsibilities for interrogation could be prosecuted for these crimes. Previous judicial interpretations are also said to have given de facto powers of interrogation to security divisions in non judicial government departments, enterprises and organizations, and it is allegedly unclear whether such staff may now be prosecuted for these crimes. Furthermore, the use of the term "criminal suspect" or "defendant" in article 247 would appear to mean that these offences do not apply when the victim of torture is being detained outside the criminal process. 289. In addition, the procuratorate, which directly investigates and prosecutes torture and other offences committed by public officials, is believed to continue to set criteria for taking up cases which further limit the application of these offences. Under the 1999 Trial Rules, such cases should be filed for investigation only when the offences have involved one of the following: cruel methods or evil impact; they have resulted in suicide or mental disorder; they have caused unjust, false or erroneous cases; coerced confessions/extorted testimony by violence more than three times or against more than three people; or instigating, instructing or forcing others to coerce confessions/extract testimony by violence. 290. Sanctions applied for the police and procuratorate are believed to be insufficiently severe. Provisions for the procuratorate (25 May 1998) reportedly stipulate that the minimum sanction is a "demerit point", and that in cases where the "circumstances are serious or cause serious consequences" the disciplinary sanction may only be demotion. Under the 1995 Police Law, the minimum administrative sanction is said to be a warning and the most severe the expulsion of the person found responsible. Later regulations are believed to state that responsibility for "errors" (including for forcing confessions or testimony) will not be pursued, inter alia where judicial interpretations are inconsistent; where the police officer was carrying out an order from a superior; or where the police officer was handling a case according to regulations on cooperation with other units. 291. The Special Rapporteur also transmitted information on the following individual cases. 292. Chimey Rinzin was reportedly arrested in 1997 in lieu of his father, who had been evading arrest, and detained in Ngaba Prison, where he is believed to have been tortured in order to make him confess his father's whereabouts. As a result, he suffered from brain damage and died while in detention. 293. Zhou Jiangxiong, a farmer from Hunan province, was reportedly tortured to death in May 1998, when officials from a township birth control office allegedly tried to make him reveal the whereabouts of his wife, suspected of being pregnant. He was reportedly hung upside down, repeatedly whipped and beaten with wooden clubs, burned with cigarette butts, branded with irons and had his genitals ripped off. - 52 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 57 301. Xue Jifeng, a labour activist from Zhengzhou, Henan Province was reportedly forcibly confined in Xinxiang City Psychiatric Hospital from 17 December 1999 to 20 June 2000 by the Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau, after attempting to register the Zhengzhou Workers' Association. He was reportedly forced to take drugs producing serious side effects. He was released only after agreeing not to participate in politics or "care about other people's affairs". He had reportedly been detained in the same hospital in November 1998 for one week after suing Henan Province Communist Party for its role in the winding up of the Three Stars investment company. 302. Liu Haitao, a member of the Chinese Evangelical Fellowship, was reportedly arrested on 14 September 2000 in Jiaozuo City. He reportedly died whilst detained by police in Xiaoyi County Detention Centre, Henan Province on 16 October 2000, as a result of severe beatings. Food and hygiene conditions were also allegedly poor and he had developed a high fever, with vomiting and breathing difficulties, in early October, for which he was reportedly denied medication. * 303. Zhang Zhenggang, from Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province, was reportedly arrested on 2 March 2000 and transferred to the Huai'an City Detention Centre. He was reportedly severely beaten on or around 25 March, suffering severe head injuries, from which he never regained consciousness. On the evening of 30 March, after doctors found Zhang Zhenggang's pulse very weak, about 40 police officers reportedly cordoned off the ward and intervened with the doctor to shut off his oxygen supply and blood transfusion. Subsequently, police officers are said to have removed Zhang Zhenggang's body to the city crematorium and to have attempted to bar access to the family. 304. A newborn "out of plan" baby boy was reportedly beaten and killed by birth control officials in Caidian village, Hubei Province on 15 August 2000. The baby had first been rescued by a health worker, who had taken him home. There, five birth control officials reportedly grabbed the baby from her, kicked him repeatedly and then drowned him at a paddy field. Earlier, they had reportedly brought the nine -month -pregnant mother to their office and had injected her to kill the baby. When the baby was born alive, they instructed the father to kill him. Chen Shengli, Director of the State Family Planning Commission's Information and Education Department allegedly said the officials had "unfortunately ... killed the infant, and there is not much we can do now to change the outcome". 305. Xi Zhaofu, aged 17, reportedly died on 5 February 1999 after being beaten in the chest by an adult inmate in Huaihua City Detention Centre No. 2, Hunan Province, on transfer into a new cell, together with four other prisoners. His attacker is said to have been a prisoner serving a suspended death sentence for intentional injury and to have been executed as punishment for the attack. 306. The Special Rapporteur has transmitted information on the following individual case in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). - 53 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 60 321. Lobsang Sherab, a monk whose lay name is Norbu, was reportedly detained in early October 2000 by Security Bureau officers under the suspicion of involvement in pro -independence activities, and detained in the Tibet Autonomous Region Public Security Bureau Detention Centre, during which time he allegedly suffered ill-treatment, resulting in a fractured leg and head injuries. He was reportedly released on 24 November 2000 before sentence. His condition allegedly deteriorated drastically, and he reportedly died on 20 October 2000 from a brain haemorrhage. * 322. The Special Rapporteur has continued to transmit to the Government information according to which many Falun Gong and Falun Dafa practitioners, alone or in groups, have been taken by law enforcement officials to mental hospitals where they were reportedly detained for periods varying from a few days to several months, without receiving a psychiatric examination before being detained. They are also said to have been forced to take drugs. On 20 January 2000, a spokesman for the Changguang police station in Fangshan district in Beijing, is said to have confirmed to a foreign journalist that around 50 practitioners, mainly women, were being held at the Zhoukoudian psychiatric hospital near Beijing. He reportedly said that they were "not patients", but that they were confined "to be re-educated". 323. With respect to Falun Gong and Falun Dafa practitioners, the Special Rapporteur transmitted information on the following individual cases. * 324. Zhang Shuqi was reportedly arrested on 26 December 1999 and detained in Xicheng Detention Centre until 14 January 2000, when her relatives were told to pick her up. During the journey home, she reportedly told them about the ill-treatment she allegedly suffered, including force-feeding through the nose during a hunger strike. Within an hour of returning home, she allegedly started to vomit and lost consciousness. She reportedly died on the following day in Beijing University Hospital. * 325. Liang Quing (f), from Dalian city, Liaoning province, was reportedly sentenced without trial to three years of "re-education through labour" for having sent information about the torture of fellow Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Chunqing (f) to the foreign media. She was reportedly first detained for 26 days from 20 July 1999 at the Yaojia detention centre in Dalian, and again on 24 October. Zhang Chunqing (1), who had given an account of her ill-treatment at the Yaojia detention centre in September, was reportedly also re -arrested in October and sentenced to three years "re-education through labour" at the Mashanjia camp. * 326. Liu Jiankun from Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province, was reportedly assigned to one year re-education through labour in February 2000 in Baiquan labour camp. When he continued practising Falun Gong exercises, guards reportedly instigated inmates to beat him severely. In May 2000, he reportedly complained of pains in his chest and by 2 July he was unable to eat. He was reportedly required to continue with heavy labour until 5 July, when officials notified his family to collect him for medical treatment. City and district hospitals are said to have confirmed that his ribs were fractured and fluid had accumulated in his chest. He reportedly died in hospital on 27 August 2000. - 54 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 61 * 327. Wang Xingtian from Dayang Ningjin County, Hebei Province, was reportedly detained in the "legal education centre" of his village to prevent him from travelling to Beijing to appeal against the Falun Gong crackdown on 21 February 2000. He was reportedly transferred to government offices in Beiquanli village around 23 March, where he was denied food. On 25 March, he was reportedly beaten by hired workers using batons and iron rods. Wang's family reportedly had to pay a bribe before they could take him home in an unconscious state. He reportedly died later that day. * 328. Liu Xiaoling (f) was reportedly arrested on the eve of the 2000 Chinese spring festival, and detained at the Zhaodong City Detention Centre, where she went on a hunger strike. On 13 or 14 May 2000, the police reportedly force-fed her. As a result of beatings, her ribs were fractured, causing them to puncture her lungs. * 329. Mei Yulan (f) was reportedly arrested on 13 May 2000, detained in Chaoyang District Detention Centre, Beijing, where she was allegedly force-fed saltwater and soya bean milk through her nose on 17 May, by a fellow inmate with no medical skills who guards claimed was a nurse. Shortly after returning to the cell she allegedly began spitting blood, but she reportedly did not receive medical treatment until the next day. Her hands and feet reportedly became cold and her eyeballs stopped moving. She was reportedly transferred to the Minghang hospital, where she died on 23 May. * 330. Zhuang Yongxing from Qionghai in Hainan, was reportedly arrested on 7 October 2000, and taken to the seventh floor of the Jingrong building for interrogation. On 8 October 2000, he was found dead in front of the same building, his body covered with cuts and bruises. The police reportedly claimed that he had jumped from the building's balcony to avoid punishment. * 331. Yang Guibao, a resident of Beixingbao village, Zhangjiakou City, was reportedly arrested on 24 October 2000 in Beijing, and detained at the Xuanwu District Detention Centre, where police took turns beating him and ordered other detainees to do so for a day. He was reportedly escorted back by the Beixinbao village local police (Huailai County, Zhangjiakou City) on 27 December 2000, where he is believed to have been kicked, beaten with a bamboo stick and shocked with an electric baton. He reportedly died in hospital on 14 January 2001. The doctor allegedly identified the cause of his death as suffocation from concentrated salt water, to which he had been subjected after going on hunger strike. * 332. Xu Bingyuan and Lou Aiqing were reportedly arrested on 20 December 2000 in the central city of Qingdao for having hung up posters saying "Falun Gong is good" and were both beaten to death. * 333. Xia Shucai reportedly died as a result of police beatings on 22 December 2000, two weeks after his arrest at a train station in Caiyang City, Shandong. * 334. Zhang Maoxing, a resident of Chenzi, Jiangxi Province, was reportedly arrested by police on 25 December 2000 and detained at a Beijing detention centre, where he is believed to have been severely beaten. He was subsequently returned to Jiujiang County Detention Centre, - 55 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 62 where he allegedly died a few days later. He reportedly sustained bruises all over his face and lip. His wife is said not to have been allowed to see his body, which was cremated as soon as he died. * 335. Zong Hengjie was reportedly severely beaten on 1 and 3 October 2000 in the Tiexi district police substation, resulting in his death. The police allegedly claimed that he committed suicide. The authorities reportedly did not allow an autopsy and ordered his body to be cremated. * 336. Wang Bin was reportedly beaten for three hours by guards at the Dongfeng labour camp, and subsequently died on 5 October 2000. * 337. Xie Guiying reportedly died as a result of beatings he was allegedly subjected to at a police station in the eastern city of Zhunan on 18 October 2000. * 338. Zhao Yayun reportedly died on 20 June 2000 at the Wanjia Labour Camp in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. She reportedly bore bruises around her eyes and shoulder blades, her face was swollen and strangulation marks were visible on her neck. On the same date, at least 14 other female Falun Gong practitioners died as a result of the torture they were allegedly subjected to. Officials from the central and provincial governments are said to have subsequently inspected the camp. * 339. Shi Yingchun (f) was reportedly arrested for practising Falun Gong in a local park on 5 October 2000. In custody at the Huludao Detention Centre she was reportedly beaten by the guards when she continued to practise Falun Gong exercises. Two guards repeatedly beat her buttocks, using nail -studded clubs and plastic hoses. She was also handcuffed and shackled for several days. * 340. Zhao Shuijing (f) was reportedly caught by a group of plainclothes policemen on 18 November 2000 when she went to Tiananmen Square, beaten and kicked and, as a result, lost consciousness. She was allegedly dragged to the Tiananmen police station in a bad condition and subsequently released. She had a bloody eyeball, a swollen face, a one -inch -long cut inside her upper lip and a dislocated right shoulder. * 341. Xin Ran, a 14 -year-old girl, and her 13 -year-old sister were reportedly detained at Fangshan County, Beijing, on 16 December 2000, when they went with their mother to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa. Xin Ran was allegedly slapped, pinched'on her face and beaten on her buttocks with a stick by Fangshan police officers. The sisters were allegedly brought back three days later to their school by local policemen from Sanhe City. Their mother is believed to have been on a hunger strike and to have been released on 22 December 2000: * 342. Li Jingchun (f) was reportedly detained in the Mentougou Detention Centre in Beijing since 18 December 2000. She allegedly went on a hunger strike, on the fifth day of which, the guards allegedly fed her through her nose. She was reportedly released on 30 December 2000 but her fever was said to have got worse and she was vomiting. She reportedly died on 4 January 2001. - 56 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 63 * 343. Chu Congrui (f) was reportedly arrested in Tiananmen Square, Beijing on 1 December 2000. She reportedly died in the Haidian District Detention Centre around 13 December 2000. Her face and lips were reportedly swollen, her ears bloody and her nose was broken. Her body is believed to have been cremated in Changping County, Beijing on 18 December 2000. * 344. Tian Baozhen (f) was reportedly arrested by officers of the Tiananmen police station in November 2000, when she.went to Tiananmen Square. When she refused to reveal.her name and address, she was reportedly sent to Xuanwu District Detention Centre in Beijing. She allegedly went on a hunger strike and was subsequently interrogated, beaten and force-fed. She was released and died several days later, on 11 December 2000. * 345. Tong Zhentian was reportedly arrested and severely beaten by police in January 2001, when he went to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. He was taken to Shulan City police and then sentenced to one-year at Jilin Labour Camp, where he was allegedly subjected to further ill-treatment. He reportedly died on 4 July 2001 as a result of his injuries. * 346. Tan Yongjie was reportedly arrested on 26 April 2001 for distributing flyers urging the Government of China to stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. After being severely beaten by the local police, he was allegedly sent without trial to a labour camp in Boluo County, where he was reportedly held for over a month and repeatedly beaten, and hung from a cell window by a pair of handcuffs, with his feet barely touching the ground, for over five hours. On 2 June 2001, his legs were reportedly burnt 13 times with a heated iron. * 347. Li Changiun was reportedly detained on 16 May 2001 in Wuhan, for printing materials that were believed to reveal human rights abuses against Falun Dafa practitioners in China. His family is alleged to have been notified of his death on 27 June 2001. His face and neck were bruised and distorted, most of his teeth were missing and his back was burnt. * 348. Zuo Zhigang was reportedly arrested in his workplace, on 30 May 2001 by police from the Public Security Bureau of Shijiazhuang City and the so-called "610 office", taken to the Qiaoxi District police station in Shijiazhuang, where he was allegedly interrogated and beaten to death. His corpse reportedly bore many scars, there was a mark on his neck showing that a string had been pulled tightly around it, and two big square-shaped holes on the back of his torso. * 349. Liu Dongxue, a peasant from Dalou village of Shenxing town, Hebei Province, was reportedly detained at the county detention centre, along with his wife, on Chinese New Year's Eve 2001. He allegedly resorted to a hunger strike for four months to protest his illegal detention and persecution, during which he was reportedly forced -fed and severely beaten. At the end of May 2001, he was reportedly covered with cuts and bruises and weighed less than 25 kilograms. It is reported that he was sent home, where he died on 31 May 2001. * 350. Wu Qingbin reportedly died on 20 July 2001, after being forced to drink disinfectant at Huainan labour camp. He is alleged to have been in and out of re-education and labour camps since March 2000 and to have suffered repeated torture for his refusal to renounce his faith. - 57 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 64 351. By letter dated 30 September 2001 sent jointly with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information on the following individual cases. 352. Between March 1997 and June 1998, the director and deputy director of Qinjia Township police station, Xinhua County, Hunan Province, had illegally detained 42 young women who worked in other provinces, handcuffing, kicking, beating, humiliating and threatening them in order to extract confessions that they had engaged in prostitution. In September 1999, they were reportedly sentenced to one year and to six months in prison respectively for detaining the women. Both sentences were allegedly suspended for one year. 353. On 17 May 1999, the head of the Public Security Bureau Communication Department of Xinmi City, Henan Province, a police colleague and a security guard reportedly apprehended a young woman, detained her at their office, demanded that she admit to prostitution, beat her with police batons, gave her electric shocks to her breasts and thigh, sexually assaulted her, kicked and beat her. They reportedly forced her to sign a guarantee, threatening to send her to a labour camp. They reportedly told her they had been lenient to her and that, with women from other towns, they would apply electric shocks to their vaginas until they confessed. 354. By letter dated 31 August 2001 sent jointly with the Special Representative on human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information on the following individual cases. 355. Wang Wanxing, a human rights activist, was reportedly forcibly taken to Ankang Psychiatric Hospital in Beijing on 23 November 1999, and then to Ankang Public Security Hospital, managed by the Beijing Public Security Bureau, on 3 June 1992 after trying to unfurl a banner in Tiananmen Square. His wife was allegedly told he was suffering from a condition called "political monomania". On 19 August 1999, Wang Wanxing was reportedly released for a three-month period on condition that he not contact the media and dissidents. On 18 November 1999, he reportedly asked the authorities if he could hold a press conference on expiry of the period. In response, he was forcibly returned to the hospital on 23 November. * 356. Li Lanying, Chen Shihuan, Liu Jinling and Chi Yunling, four Falun Gong practitioners from Zhaoyuan County in Shandong Province, were reportedly detained in November 1999 for disclosing details of the death as a result of ill-treatment of Zhao Jinhua (f). In December 1999, Li Lanying and Chen Shihuan were reportedly sentenced to three years' "re-education through labour" in a labour camp in Zibo County, Shandong Province. Liu Jinling and Chi Yunling were reportedly still in custody in January 2000. 357. By letter dated 11 September 2001, the Special Rapporteur reminded the Government of a number of cases transmitted in 1998 regarding which no reply had been received. Urgent appeals * 358. On 7 February 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Tang Xi Tao (f), arrested on 6 July 2000. She had allegedly been charged with disrupting public order in relation with her participation in Falun Gong exercises and sentenced to two years' - 58 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 65 imprisonment after an allegedly unfair trial. According to medical reports, she has serious health problems, such as renal calculus and cardiac troubles. She is reportedly being detained at Cha Tou Penitentiary, Canton, Guangdong Province, where she has allegedly been subjected to ill-treatment, including being handcuffed and isolated for several days, forced to sleep on the ground with other detainees, verbally threatened, intimidated and obliged to perform forced labour.. 359. By letter dated 17 May 2001, the Government responded that she had repeatedly engaged in attacks on government organs, severely disrupting public order. In June 2000, she was assigned by the Guangzhou Re-education through Labour Committee to two years' re-education (from June 2000 to June 2002) in the Chatou re-education facility in Guanzhou. In view of her age, she has been repeatedly taken for physical check-ups and timely medical attention. The Government indicated that accounts of her suffering ill-treatment during re-education were purely fictitious. 360. On 22 February 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Rebiya Kadeer (f) and Kahriman Abdukirim, her secretary, detained at Prison No. 2, in Baijiahu, Urumqui, and at Umriqui Prison No. 3, respectively. Both were believed to be in a poor state of health due to the alleged bad conditions of their detention, including inadequate food. Rebiya Kadeer was transferred from Liudaowan to Prison No. 2 after her appeal against her eight-year sentence was rejected by the Xinjiang High People's Court on 28 November 2000. Kahriman Abdukirim is said to have been removed from the Wulabai Re-education through Labour School in Urumqi to Umriqui Prison No. 3 on 27 May 2000 and he is reportedly currently serving a three-year term of "re-education through labour" for his association with Rebiya Kadeer. 361. By letters dated .15 January and 12 June 2001, the Government affirmed that Rebiya Kadeer's right to proper treatment and physical and mental health were respected and that her physical condition was normal. On 10 March 2001, the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court had established that Rebiya Kadeer had, inter alia, long been collaborating with overseas elements engaging in ethnically divisive activities and had sent intelligence reports abroad endangering State security. The Court hence sentenced her to eight years' imprisonment for the criminal supply of State intelligence for parties abroad. Her appeal was rejected by the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Higher People's Court. The Government indicated that Rabiya Kadeer was now serving her sentence at the Xinjiang Autonomous Region No.1 prison, where she was in good health with a steady morale. The Government also stated that Kahriman Abdukirim and Rebiya Kadeer's son had been assigned by the Urumqi Municipal Re-education through Labour Committee to 18 months and two years' re-education through labour respectively for disturbing public order, and for having repeatedly supplied separatist elements abroad with material designed to fan ethnic hatred and imperil State security. The Government indicated that their punishment was entirely due to their own conduct. Both are serving their term at the Urumqi facility. Both are in good health and have received family visits. The Government specified that re-education through labour was remedially oriented. It did not seek to attribute criminal responsibility to petty offenders or to treat them as criminals. Its aim is to educate and reform them, to help them through persuasion and to turn them by means of education, labour and instruction in productive skills into disciplined, law-abiding, moral, useful human resources with some culture and technical abilities. - 59 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 66 362. On 7 May 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression and the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Gao Zhan, a research fellow at the American University in Washington D.C., who has been detained incommunicado since she was arrested by officers of the Beijing State Security Bureau at Beijing Airport on 11 February 2001. She was believed to have been charged on 2 April 2001 with accepting "missions from overseas intelligence agencies" and taking "funds for spying activities in mainland China". She is said to be suffering from heart disease. Her place of detention was unknown. 363. By letter dated 2 August 2001, the Government responded that she had joined a Taiwanese spy organization in 1993 and entered China several times to engage in espionage. She had incited the defection of an official responsible for affairs concerning Taiwan, who stole a large quantity of confidential documents, which she sent to a Taiwanese espionage unit, endangering the security of China. Gao and her husband were interrogated and candidly confessed to their spying activities. On 24 July 2001, Gao Zhan was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the First Intermediate People's Court, but was released on parole on medical grounds. Her husband, who was an accomplice, supported the police investigation, as a result of which the Procuratorate decided on 8 March 2001 to allow him to leave for the United States with his son. During the examination of the case, their son Andrew was placed in a kindergarten in Beijing with their consent. 364. On 21 June 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Representative on human rights defenders on behalf of Zhang Shanguang, a labour activist who is facing a 10 -year sentence at the Hunan No. 1 prison, an electrical machinery factory in Yuanjiang City, central Hunan Province. He was reportedly beaten by prison guards and put in solitary confinement after he allegedly circulated a petition, dated 15 March 2001, demanding an end to torture and long working. hours. Other prisoners who signed the petition were reportedly also beaten. The above-mentioned petition was smuggled out of the prison in April 2001 and describes the conditions of detention in the penitentiary centre, as well as the corporal punishments to which prisoners who are unable to do the work required or who complain are allegedly subjected. Zhang Shanguang has reportedly contracted tuberculosis in the past and is currently suffering from a lung illness. He is allegedly denied medical treatment. He is said to be forced to do heavy work in shackles, and to be beaten when he tries to stop working. * 365. On 3 July 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Han Yuejuan, the widow of a United Nations observer and previous director of the Theory Office of the Propaganda Department of Dongshan district in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. After her husband's death in January 1993, she is said to have started to practise Falun Dafa. After several arrests, she was reportedly placed in a "reform through labour programme" under the surveillance of the Political and Public Security Departments. On 22 December 2000, her work unit was said to have been ordered to send her to a "transformation class" at a great distance from Guangzhou City, which the unit refused. Han Yuejuan reportedly escaped the surveillance and went to appeal in Beijing, where the police are said to have arrested her, to have bound her hands behind her back and to have beaten her severely. In June 2001, the police reportedly re -arrested Han Yuejuan at Yifangyuan in Xilang of Fangcun in Guangzhou and detained her in Tianpingjia Detention Centre in Dongshan district in Guangzhou. - 60 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 67 * 366. On 25 October 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Huang Guodong, a resident of Mudanjiang city, Heilongjiang province, and his son, who had reportedly been arrested by two police officers at their home in February 2001 on the charge of having printed and distributed Falun Gong flyers. They were reportedly taken to the Nanshan police station of Tielinghe in Mudanjiang City, where the police are said to have tied them up and to have beaten them violently for a whole day and night. Huang Guodong was reportedly subsequently transferred to Mudanjiang Detention Centre, where he was said to be held in handcuffs and shackles. As a result of the treatment he was subjected to during the previous eight months, Huang Guodong is believed to have become incontinent and not to have been able to take in any food since 10 October 2001. * 367. On 30 October 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Zhang Maoxing and his eldest daughter Zhang Juan, who had reportedly been arrested in Beijing while protesting in favour of Falun Gong and taken to the Jiujiang County Detention Centre in the Jiangxi Province, where Zhang Maoxing allegedly suffered severe beating and was tortured to death on 25 January 2001. The police reportedly did not allow Zhang's wife to see her husband for the last time, simply because she is also a Falun Gong practitioner. To this date, Zhang Maoxing's daughter, Zhang Juan, has reportedly been detained in the Jiujiang Detention Centre, under the control of the Deputy Director of the Jiujiang Public Security Bureau, who is believed to be directly responsible for Zhang Maoxing's death. It was reported that she was near death after having endured brutal torture at the detention centre. Follow-up to previously transmitted cases 368. By letter dated 9 January 2001, the Government responded to an urgent appeal sent in May 2000 by the Special Rapporteur on behalf of Li Dexian (see E/CN.4/2001/66, para. 303). The latter had for many years spread Christian propaganda and on many occasions organized illegal meetings. Under the effects of his venomous pronouncements, some people had abandoned their jobs and students their studies, which had a deleterious effect on the social climate and had seriously disrupted people's usual production activities and life and their normal religious activities. The local authorities had repeatedly endeavoured to re-educate him, but he had refused to repent. In November 1999 and April 2000, the authorities twice sentenced him to a punishment of 15 days' detention for disturbing public order. No shackles were used against him. He was now at home and no coercive measures were used against him. 369. By letter dated 21 November 2000, the Government responded to an urgent appeal sent in July 2000 by the Special Rapporteur on behalf of Zhuo Xiaojun (see E/CN.4/2001/66, para. 306). On 26 December 1989, he had quarrelled with his neighbours over the erection of a wall, during which he picked up a knife stabbing them in the chest and abdomen and another man in the thigh. He was arrested on 30 December 1989 at the Jiangbin mansion in Fuzhou, Fujian Province and handed over to the armed police unit at the public security bureau in Changle. It was ascertained that no confession was extracted under torture. On 7 September 1990, he was found guilty of deliberate homicide and sentenced to death by the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court. In January 1992, the Fujian Higher People's Court ruled that findings of fact of the lower court were not clear, set the decision aside and sent the case -61 - E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1 page 68 back for reconsideration. In the same year, the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court sent the case back to the procuratorial authorities for further investigation. In August 1993, the Court began renewed hearings. In January 2000, the Fuzhou Municipal Intermediate People's Court found him guilty of deliberate homicide, and rejected his argument that there was no third party witness to the act. The Government indicated that his appeal was currently before the Fujian Higher People's Court. He is detained in normal custody and in good health. Allegations of his being shackled and suffering from several illnesses are not true. - 62 - UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 27 February 2003 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Item 11 (a) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTIONS OF: TORTURE AND DETENTION Report of the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, Theo van Boven, submitted pursuant to Commission resolution 2002/38 Addendum Summary of information, including individual cases, transmitted to Governments and replies received* * The present document is being circulated in the languages of submission only as it greatly exceeds the page limitations currently imposed by the relevant General Assembly resolutions. GE.03-11316 - 63 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 62 China 290. By letter dated 2 September 2002, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information on the following individual cases. 291. Li Wangyang, a veteran labour activist in Shaoyang, Hunan province, was reportedly sentenced on 20 September 2001 to ten years' imprisonment on charges of "incitement to subvert State power", after he allegedly went on hunger strike, demanding compensation for ill-treatment to which he had allegedly been subjected in the past. It was believed that he was seriously ill with heart problems and goitre. 292. Xu Jian, a lawyer from Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, was reportedly arrested in December 1999 and sentenced to four years' imprisonment by Baotou City Intermediate People's Court on 18 July 2000 for "incitement to overthrow State power". He was allegedly held in Area Two of Chifeng Prison, Inner Mongolia, and that he was believed to suffer from hepatitis. His condition was said to have deteriorated to a critical level. 293. By the same letter, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had continued to receive information on the following individual cases of Falun Gong practitioners. * 294. Helene Petit, a French woman, was reportedly assaulted by police officers on 20 November 2001 in Tienanmen Square, Beijing, where she was alleged to have gathered with other foreigners to peacefully protest the alleged persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Reportedly, she was grabbed by the arms by two police officers and taken away in a police van. It was reported that she was forcibly put into the van and that her legs hit the door many times as a result of which she allegedly sustained bruises on her legs. In the police van a police officer reportedly squeezed her neck against the hedge of the seat and cut it with the strap of her handbag, strangling her and preventing her from moving. At the police station she was reportedly pushed - 64 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 63 down the stairs and a policeman is thought to have tried to force his hands into her genitals. * 295. He Zhihong (f) was reportedly arrested on 3 July 2001 by the Sa District Police, Daqing City, and taken to the Fuqiang Police Station, Daqing City, where she was allegedly beaten and kicked by police officers. As a result, she reportedly sustained bruises on her face and arms. On 4 July 2001 she was reportedly transferred to the Daqing Detention Centre, where it was alleged that she was chained to an iron chair and prevented from sleeping for six consecutive days by officers from Daqing Police Station and the Sa District Police Station. As she reportedly went on hunger strike to protest this treatment, she was allegedly force-fed. Despite her poor condition, she was reportedly sent to perform forced labour in the Harbin City Drug Rehabilitation Centre, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. In October 2001 she reportedly went again on hunger strike and was allegedly forced- fed. * 296. Tang Zengye (f) was reportedly arrested on 3 July 2001 for practising Falun Gong and transferred to Daqing Detention Centre, where she was alleged to have been beaten and kicked. She was reported to have been handcuffed and hung up for one day and later handcuffed to an iron chair for four consecutive days. It was also reported that she went on hunger strike to protest this treatment and that she was eventually force-fed. On 10 July 2001 a doctor allegedly inserted a force-feeding tube into her nose approximately 20 times and on 12 July 2001 she was reportedly force- fed and dragged on the floor. An unknown substance was reportedly injected into her by force and as a result she is believed to have become extremely weak. instead of being transferred to a hospital, she was reportedly sent to the provincial drug rehabilitation centre in Harbin City. * 297. Chen Yutao was reportedly taken to Huanxiling Labour Camp on 25 September 2001, after having been detained for nine months in both the Detention Centres No. 3 and No. 1 in Jilin City and sentenced to two years of forced labour. Reportedly, upon his arrival at the labour camp, he was beaten with electric batons for three hours by guards led by a policeman. Other inmates are believed to have been instigated to beat him and to deprive him of food. * 298. Wang Zhaohui, a Falun Gong practitioner, was reportedly arrested, detained and beaten on 8 August 2001 at the Chuanying Branch of the Jilin City Police Bureau and sent to Yongji County Detention Centre two days later. It was reported that he was beaten again in the Detention Centre and that he went on hunger strike to protest both the detention and the treatment to which he was subjected. On 24 August 2001 he was reportedly sentenced to three years of forced labour and sent to Huanxiling Labour Camp, where he was allegedly handcuffed and beaten by the guards. A policeman was said to have stepped on his shoulder for a long time. As a result, he was allegedly unable to lift his arms for a fortnight. He was reported to have been kept in Unit No. 3 where the other inmates were allegedly instigated by the guards to attack him. * 299. Chen Aizhong, a Falun Gong practitioner, was reportedly sentenced to three years of forced labour on 12 September 2001 and sent to Tanghsan No. 1 Labour Camp in Hebei Province, where he reportedly died on 20 September 2001. It was alleged that when her sister saw her body in the mortuary, she observed bruises all - 65 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 64 over the corpse. Their younger brother Chan Aili, a Falun Gong practitioner as well, was reportedly detained in Tangshan City Jidong Prison. On 8 January 2002 he was said to have been seen by somebody who indicated that his weight had considerably gone down and that he showed several signs of dementia. * 300. Ming Zhao, a Falun Gong practitioner studying in Ireland, was reportedly arrested on 1 May 2000 in Beijing and sent to Turn He Labour Camp, Beijing. He was believed to have been kept in custody for 22 months without having been charged. It was reported that in the labour camp he went on a hunger strike but was violently force- fed. During his first month of detention at the labour camp, he was reportedly beaten, in particular on the head, and kicked on the legs while he was tied to a chair. He was believed to have been deprived of sleep and to have been forced to remain in uncomfortable postures known as the "military squatting" and the "driving plane" (sticking the back and arms to the wall with the face towards the ground). Two weeks before being released, he was allegedly tightly tied on a wood bed board by five policemen and subjected to electric shocks. He was reportedly released on 12 March 2002. * 301. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are reportedly detained in Wanjia Labour Camp, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. They are allegedly forced to work long hours, violently force-fed when on hunger strike to protest against their detention or the conditions of their detention, or not given enough food, injected with debilitating drugs and subjected to sleep deprivation or forced to sleep on wet weed mats or on the ground. Despite the fact that winter temperatures are said to range between -10° C and -20° C at night, detainees were reported to wear thin clothing and guards allegedly left tie doors and windows open. It was reported that virtually all the practitioners have scabies all over their bodies and some have developed cankers. They were said to be often held in solitary confinement in approximately two square metres cells for long periods, during which they were allegedly beaten and not allowed to have visits, to talk, to take baths or to wash their clothes. The Special Rapporteur had also received information according to which some detainees had been tied to an iron chair for extended periods, raped, subjected to electric shocks and beaten. 302. In particular, the Special Rapporteur had received information on the following individual cases. * 303. Zhang Yulan (f) was reportedly sent to the Wanjia Labour Camp in October 1999, where she was alleged to have died on 15 June 2001. Her family was reportedly not allowed to see her corpse until 23 June 2001. It was reported that her body sustained deep rope marks on her neck. * 304. Li Xiuqin (f), detained at Wanjia Labour Camp since 26 December 1999, started a hunger strike on 2 April 2001 to protest the treatment to which she was allegedly subjected in the camp. She was believed to have been force-fed 16 times during her 25 days of strike and to have been given rotten milk. It was reported that she was grabbed by the hair, slapped and kicked on several occasions by the chief of the Wanjia Labour Camp Hospital. Reportedly, on 18 June 2001 she was isolated into a small cell where her hands were cuffed behind her back and pulled up until her toes were off the ground by a guard. While in this posture, she was allegedly beaten. She - 66 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 65 was reported to have died after about 40 consecutive hours of hanging. Her body was believed to have been cremated by the police before notifying her relatives of her death. The family was allegedly sent an urn containing her ashes. * 305. Shao Ying (f) was reportedly sent to Wanjia Labour Camp in 2000. On 3 April 2001 she allegedly went on hunger strike to protest her detention, which she claimed to be illegal, and the treatment to which she was believed to have been subjected while in custody. It was reported that she was beaten, in particular on the head and chest, and kicked by the Chief of the Wanjia Labour Camp Hospital. Another doctor reportedly inserted a tube into her stomach and then pulled it out four consecutive times. She is believed to have died on 20 June 2001 after a guard allegedly hung her in the air for approximately 40 hours. * 306. He Miao (f) and Deng Weiguo were reportedly arrested in July 2001 by officers from Harbin City Police Department. Deng Weiguo reportedly died after having been thrown out of a window from the 12th floor of the Police Department building. He Miao was allegedly transferred to Wanjia Labour Camp where she was believed to have gone on hunger strike to protest her detention. She was allegedly beaten by guards and subsequently taken into solitary confinement. She was believed to have been force-fed with tubes by a doctor helped by some guards on 29 October 2001. She was reportedly grabbed by the hair, and repeatedly punched, slapped and kicked. She was said to have been force- fed and beaten again on 1 November 2001. It was alleged that on the 30th day of her hunger strike, on 20 November 2001, she was dragged into a guard's office, handcuffed to a heater pipe, punched, kicked and slapped by a guard and another detainee. * 307. Gao Shuyan (f), a detainee at Wanjia Labour Camp, was reportedly put in solitary confinement on 2 April 2001 and beaten by a guard. As a result, the following day she allegedly went on huger strike in protest. On 6 April 2001 she was reportedly force- fed. It was reported that on 16 April 2001 she was sent to the camp hospital where she was allegedly forcibly given an injection. * 308. Guo Minxsia (f) had reportedly gone on hunger strike several times to protest her detention, which she claimed was illegal. It was reported that she was beaten by the guards and other prisoners. On 24 October 2001 she was allegedly slapped twice by the chief of the Wanjia Labour Camp Hospital. She was reported to have been forcibly given an injection and taken into solitary confinement. On 7 November 2001 doctors from the camp allegedly pulled out her hair. She was believed to have been force- fed for over 50 days and to have vomited blood on the fortieth day. On 6 December 2001 she was sent again to the Wanjia Labour Camp Hospital along with four other Falun Gong practitioners on hunger strike, Hao Xiuzhi, Ding Yanhong, He Miao, and Shang Yuxia. It was reported that they were all force-fed, hit and kicked by the medical staff. * 309. Guo Hongyu (f) was reportedly confined to an iron chair on 4 May 2001. Several guards, the Chief of the Wanjia Labour Camp Hospital, and the leader of team No.12 were reported to have forced a tube into her nose. As a result, her nasal cavity and oesophagus were damaged and she started bleeding. She was then reportedly kept restrained to an iron chair. - 67 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 66 * 310. Tan Guizhen (f) was reportedly sent to a small cell and tied to an iron chair on 1 May 2001. She was reported to have gone on hunger strike to protest the treatment to which she was subjected. On 4 May 2001 she was reportedly force-fed by a guard who allegedly pulled up and down the force- feeding tube allegedly with a view to hurting her. * 311. Hao Xiuzhi (f) reportedly went on hunger strike in October 2001 to protest her detention, which she claimed was illegal. She was alleged to have been force- fed and forcibly injected on her ninth day of strike. She was believed to have been grabbed by the hair, pinched and beaten by the guards and nurses. * 312. Shang Yuqiu (f) reportedly went on hunger strike on 20 October 2001 to protest her detention, which she claimed was illegal. On 20 November 2001 she was reportedly grabbed by the hair and her head was hit against a wall by a doctor after she refused to be force-fed. She was believed to have been beaten by two male doctors until her face was bleeding. * 313. Wu Jiyang (f) reportedly went on hunger strike on 24 January 2001 to protest her detention and the treatment to which she was subjected. As a result, she was reported to have been tied to the top of a cell door and hung by her wrists. It was alleged that she had difficulty breathing and that she fainted. On her sixth day of hunger strike, she was reportedly force- fed and tied to an iron chair. * 314. Liu, Li Pan, Liu Fengzhen, Xie Jinxian, Yang Huiling, Song Yusu, Wu Shulian, Cao Liandi, Wu Xinru and X Shurong, and approximately 60 other female detainees were reportedly taken to male units on 24 May 2001 by order of the director of the labour camp. The women were allegedly hung up, beaten, subjected to electric shocks, forced to stand 24 hours a day or to remain in uncomfortable postures for extended periods, deprived of sleep and not allowed to take showers or change clothes. Several women were believed to have been raped by inmates and guards. Reportedly, Song Yusu was put into a water tank; Wu Shulian was drenched and subjected to electric shocks; Cao Liandi was hung up until she lost consciousness; Xie Jinxian, Wu Xinru and X Shurong were hung up, beaten with batons and subjected to electric shocks; Yang Huiling was hung up and her arm was dislocated; and Liu Fengzhen and Xie Jinxian were sent back to the female units where they were tied up and hung for five to six days, and beaten by the head of the female unit No.12. * 315. Liu Dongyun (f) was reportedly grabbed by the hair by a chief, pushed to the ground, beaten and kicked on 24 January 2001. It was alleged that she was subsequently grabbed by the hair and dragged into a solitary cell. She reportedly went on hunger strike for 30 days to protest this treatment. She was reportedly released on 10 May 2001. * 316. Lei Chuanqing (f) was reportedly beaten by male police guards allegedly for refusing to stop practising Falun Gong. She was believed to have sustained bruises all over her body and to have had difficulty moving for one month. On 18 June 2001 she was reportedly beaten approximately 40 times by two section chiefs and forced to take off her pants in front of them. - 68 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 67 * 317. Wang Guihua (f) was reportedly sentenced to one year of forced labour in Wanjia Labour Camp on 21 January 2001, after she allegedly went to Beijing in December 2001 to appeal to the Government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. It is reported that in Wanjia Labour Camp she was beaten after she allegedly practiced Falun Gong with other detainees. * 318. Li Lan (f) was reportedly isolated in a cell for over seven months and tied to an iron chair. She allegedly went on hunger strike to protest. On 16 November 2001, two guards reportedly sealed her mouth with tape and beat her. Lu Shiping (f), another detainee, was reportedly subjected to the same treatment. On the following day, Li Tan was allegedly slapped in the face and gagged with dirty socks. * 319. Ding Yanhong (f) was reportedly beaten by two guards on 2 November 2001 because she had allegedly been talking with her cellmate. It was reported that on the following day she was beaten again by two other guards. She was believed to have been beaten again with a broom on 6 November 2001. * 320. Pan Xuanhua (f) was reportedly beaten by six policemen on 26 April 2000 and forced to sit on an iron chair for three days. She allegedly went on hunger strike for 17 days to protest this treatment and was forced to sit again on an iron chair for seven days and later taken to a solitary cell for approximately 45 days. On 10 August 2000 she was sent again, along with other Falun Gong practitioners, Zhang Hong, Li Yanhong, Zuo Xiuyun and Wang Fang, to an isolation cell where she was kept for five months. While in solitary confinement she was reportedly handcuffed and forced to listen to loudly played recordings that allegedly slandered Falun Gong. On 24 January 2001 she was reportedly knocked to the ground, grabbed by the hair and arms and taken again to an isolation cell where she was allegedly beaten and kicked. Subsequently she was reportedly forced to sit on an iron chair. The guard reportedly beat her with his fists and with electric batons. * 321. Sam Guo was reportedly arrested in March 2000, and sent to the Feng Tia Detention Centre. He was reportedly interrogated and beaten by the police. It was reported that he was forced into a cell containing 25 prisoners. It was believed that he was punched in the chest and kicked by other inmates, who then stripped him naked and proceeded to slowly pour icy water on him starting from the head down. It is said that the water was so cold that his head turned numb. * 322. Many Falun Gong practionioners are reportedly detained in Shijiazhuang Labour Camp, Hebei Province, where it was alleged that in 2001 the Labour Camp authorities resorted to violence against them, including subjecting detainees to beatings with clubs, electric batons and ropes, hanging them handcuffed on iron pipes for extended periods during which only the tips of their toes could touch the ground, inserting needles into their fingers, smashing their fingers with hammers, depriving them of sleep, forcing them to stay in uncomfortable postures for long periods and brainwashing them. Such assaults are reported to have been intensified in the second fortnight of June 2001. Several Falun Gong practitioners, including Tao Hongsheng, Liu Xiurong, Liu Shusong, Zhao Fengnian and Ding Gangzi, reportedly died as a result of such treatment. - 69 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 68 * 323. A number of Falun Gong practitioners were also reported to be detained in Masanjia Labour Camp, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. They were reportedly forced to work 15 hours a day, forced to stay in uncomfortable postures for extended periods (for instance, practitioners are said to be kept in a head -down bending posture or forced to stand against a wall, to squat in a 30cm by 30cm area, or to stand with the knees bent and the arms held parallel to the ground), beaten, subjected to electrical shocks, kept in 8 by 3 feet isolation cells handcuffed to the door for one to two weeks, and deprived of sleep. Some prisoners were believed to have been hung, with their arms and legs spread for up to four hours. 324. In particular, the Special Rapporteur transmitted information on the following individual cases. * 325. Jiang Yuqing (f) was reportedly taken to a separate room on 2 August 2000 and beaten until she allegedly vomited blood. It was reported that afterwards she could not eat and that she could barely walk. She was believed to have sustained cuts and bruises all over her body, to have suffered from pain in her internal organs and to have passed blood in her stool for over one month. She was also alleged to have lost consciousness. * 326. Yu Suzhen (f) was reportedly assaulted along with seven other Falun Gong practitioners of Cell No. 2 on 7 August 2000. It was reported that her hair was pulled and that she was slapped in the face. On 13 September 2000 she was reportedly subjected to electric shocks. * 327. Qi Zhenrong (f) had allegedly been stripped naked and hit with electric batons several times. It is alleged that as a result she sustained blisters and bumps. In September 2001 she reportedly took part in a hunger strike staged by 130 Falun Gong practitioners, who were protesting their detention. She allegedly fasted for more than 40 days and was eventually transferred to Masanjia Labour Camp Hospital. 328. By the same letter dated 2 September 2002, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received follow-up information concerning Geshe Sonam Phuntsok on behalf of whom the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on 9 November 1999 (E/CN.4/2000/9, para. 236) to which the Government replied on 16 May 2000 (E/CN.4/2001/66, para. 310), indicating that inquiries revealed that there were no such lamas as Geshe Sonam Phuntsok in Karze county. According to the new information received, he was reported to have been sentenced in 2001. * 329. By letter dated 10 October 2002, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Special Representative on human rights defenders, advised the Government that he had received information according to which Li Qun, who allegedly wrote a letter on 13 March 2000 to the Office of Appeal of Nanjing City government calling on the Government to respect the rights of Falun Gong practitioners allegedly being confined and forcibly given harmful drugs in the Nanjing Psychiatric Hospital, was reportedly taken herself to the psychiatric hospital, where she was allegedly force- fed and forced to take psychotropic drugs, with apparent damage to her brain. 330. By letter dated 17 October 2002, the Special Rapporteur reminded the Government of a number of cases sent in 1998, 1999 and 2001 regarding which no - 70 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 69 reply had been received. By letter dated 11 November 2002, the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that an investigation into the cases included in the letter was under way. The Government indicated that a response will be provided in the future. Urgent appeals * 331. On 24 January 2002, the Speical Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteurs on violence against women, and on the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Connie Chipkar, a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner, who had reportedly been arrested in Tienanmen Square, Beijing, on 23 January 2002. It is alleged that she wore a sash that read "Falun Gong" and "SOS" and began to practise Falun Gong. * 332. On 5 February 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on behalf Wei Yanjiang, a 60 -year-old woman from Huludao City, Liaoning Province, who was reportedly arrested on 22 December 2001 in Beijing. She was believed to have been detained at the Shunyi County Police Station, Beijing, where she was handcuffed and forced to stand outdoors in the cold winter weather, wearing only a shirt. To protest against her arrest, she is believed to have gone on hunger strike. On the eighteenth day of her hunger strike, she was reported to have been sent to Masanjia Labor Camp, where in March 2001, three Falun Gong practioners were allegedly beaten to death. * 333. By letter dated 24 May 2002, the Government responded that Wei Yanjiang had twice been taken into administrative detention for disrupting public order and has spent a year in re-education through labour. Following her release, she showed no willingness to reform and continued to take part in activities that disrupted social order. On 8 January 2002, the Huludao City law enforcement authorities assigned her to three years' re-education through labour. The re-education facility treated her sympathetically. She was found to be suffering from a heart disease and was given prompt treatment. She was not ill-treated. 334. On 6 February 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteurn on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Xu Fuming, Hu Yong, Gong Bangkun, Gong Shengliang and Li Tongjin (also known as "Immanuel"), who were reportedly sentenced to death on 29 Decmeber 2001 in Hubei Province in connection with their membership of an unofficial Christina organization, the Hunan (South China) Church. Fears had been expressed that their confessions may have been extracted under duress. They also intervened on behalf of three women, Zhang Hongjuan, Li Tongjin and Yang Tongni, who had reportedly been detained on separate occasions between August and October 2001, and were said to have been tortured during interrogation in an apparent attempt to make them confess to having had a sexual relationship with Gong Shengliang., who was reportedly sentenced to death on charges including rape. Police officers at the Public Security Bureau detention centre in Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province, reportedly shackled Zhang Hongjuan's and Li Tongjin's hands and feet, ripped open their shirt and beat them on the chest with an electric baton. Yang Tongni was reportedly kicked -71 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 70 and beaten, tied up with a rope, whipped with a leather belt, had her hands cuffed behind her back and had books wedged between the handcuffs and her back by police officers at Jingmen Police School and Jingmen No.1 Detention Centre. Yong Tongni and Li Tongjin were reported to be serving three-year terms at Sha yang Labour Camp in Hubei Province. The whereabouts of Zhang Hongjuan were not known. * 335. On 8 February 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Chen Yunchuan, who was serving a two-year sentence in Datangwan Prison of Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province. His wife, Wang Lianying, was said to be missing since January 2001, their daughter, Chen Hongni, was said to be detained without warrant in Gaoyang Labor Camp in Baoding City, Hebei Province, and their son, Chen Aizhong, was said to have been sentenced to three years of forced labor in the Tangshan No. 1 Labor Camp in Hebei Province. On 20 September 2001, eight days after having been sentenced, the latter was allegedly tortured to death. His body was said to have been covered with wounds and bruises. Furthermore, another son, Chen Aili, was reportedly detained in the Tangshan City Jidong Prison where he was believed to be suffering from serious depression and diagnosed as having a low immune function due to depression. It is alleged that he was forced to take drugs through force-feeding. They are all said to have been detained for practising Falun Gong. * 336. By letter dated 3 September 2002, the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that the handing down of criminal sentences and labour re-education sentences on them was conducted in accordance with the law and did not entail the infringement of any human rights. Concerning Chen Yunchuan, the Government indicated that he was sentenced on 9 January 2001 to a term of two years' imprisonment for using threats of violence to obstruct public officials in the performance of their duties. He was serving his sentence in the north district prison in Shijiazhuang. While in prison he manifested good behaviour and his state of mind was stable. Concerning Wang Lianying (Wang Lianrong), the Government reported that that she was detained by the Hebei public security authorities for disrpting public order. She was released in early 2001 and her whereabouts were not known at the time of writing. Concerning Chen Aili, the Government noted that on 9 January 2001 he was sentenced to two.years' imprisonment for using threats of violence to obstruct public officials in the performance of their duties and was first sent to Zhuoln county jail in Hebei Province. The Government indicated that while in prison he committed self -mutilations and went on hunger strike in protest against his sentence. In August 2001 he was transferred to Jidong Prison in Hebei, where he continued his hunger strike. He showed symptoms of severe mental depression and other psychological disorders and was consequently transferred to hospital for treatment. He eventually ended his hunger strike. According to the Government, his health, condition improved after December 2001. Concerning Chen Aizhong, the Government noted that on 17 November 2000 he was sentenced to three years' re-education through labour for seriously disrupting public order and was sent to Tangshan City labour re-education facility on 12 September 2001. Before being admitted to the facility, he went on hunger strike and his health condition was poor. At the facility, he was provided with supplementary nutrition by intravenous and nasal feeding. He was transferred to Tangshan City people's hospital on 19 September 2001 after he started coughing and - 72 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 71 vomiting. The Government confirmed that he died the day after as a result of the collapse of his respiratory and circulatory systems and acute renal failure. Concerning Chen Hongni (Chen Hongping), the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that on 17 November 2000 she was sentenced to three years' re-education through labour. The Gove rnment assured the Special Rapporteur that the labour re-education facility fully respected her human rights and that at no time was she subjected to corporal punishment or ill-treatment. 337. On 9 April 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of four workers' representatives, namely Yao Fuxin, Xiao Yunliang, Pang Qingxiang and Wang Zhaoming, who had been charged with "illegal assembly and demonstration" for their part in organizing protests in Liaoyang City, Lianing Province. It was reported that up to 30,000 workers in north-eastern China have been demonstrating since 11 March against lay-offs, alleged management corruption and insufficient severance pay. Yao Fuxin was reportedly detained on 17 March and has since been hospitalized for "heart problems" which may have been caused by his detention. Yao Fuxin was reportedly detained incommunicado until 31 March. At the time of writing, he was reportedly not allowed to receive visits, and the real state of his health was not known. * 338. On 11 April 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Liang Zhenxing, Liu CHengjun, Zhou Runjun (f), Lei Ming, Zhao Jian, Yun Qinglin and Li Yanmei (f), who have reportedly been detained during a security crackdown in Changchun City and accused of having tapped, on 5 March 2002, into the signal of eight major television stations, in order to broadcast footage exposing the Chinese Government's alleged persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. Local police officials are said to have indicated that 15 other people have been arrested in connection with the same broadcast. An official of the Changchun Re-education through Labour Bureau has reportedly indicated that between 100 and 200 people have been detained since the broadcast and would probably be sent to a a labour camp. * 339. By letter dated 28 June 2002, the Government responded that Liang Zhenxing, Liu Chengjun, Zhou Runjun, Lei Ming Zhao Jian, Yun Qingbin, Chen Yanmei and other diehard adherents of Falun Gong had severed the local cable television transmission lines and had inserted Falun Gong audio and visual materials, seriously endangering public security. The supects were subsequently arrested for breach of articles 124 and 300 of the Chinese Criminal Code, inter alia, for sabotage and using a heretical sect to disrupt the application of State law. The case is currently being heard. The allegation that between 100 and 200 people have been arrested in connection with this case and that they are likely to receive sentences in labour camps have no basis in fact. The Government stated further that Falun Gong was an evil cult. In order to protect human rights, it had banned the organization. In relation to the overwhelming majority of ordinary practitioners, the Government primarily adopts the method of persuasive education to help them break free from the sect. Torture is strictly prohibited in China. - 73 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 72 340. On 28 May 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Yao Fuxin, Xiao Yunliang, Pang Qingxiang, all workers' representatives, as well as Wang Zhaoming, on behalf of whom the Special Rapporteurs intervened on 11 April 2002. They were reportedly still held in detention. Yao Fuxin was believed to be seriously ill, possibly due to ill-treatment. The right side of his body appears to be numb. His family had allegedly appealed for his release to receive medical treatment, but to no avail. Following their detention, demonstrations calling for their release and an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Liaoyang City Ferroalloy factory, where Yao Fuxin was employed, have reportedly taken place. On 15 May 2002, demonstrators, including Gu Baoshu as well as a retired woman and her son, were allegedly beaten by plain -clothes policemen. The whereabouts of another activist, Wang Dawei, remained unknown since mid-April, when reportedly he was travelling to Beijing from Liaoning Province to file a petition to the central authorities against the current situation at the Ferroalloy factory. 341. By the same urgent appeal, the Special Rapporteurs intervened on behalf of Gu Baoshu, an activist involved in demonstrations, who was allegedly severely beaten by the police on 16 April 2002. He was released after several hours of interrogation. He was reportedly covered in bruises, suffering from severe chest pains and had blood clots in his eyes. He was reportedly threatened and harassed by the police, following his demands for those responsible for his beatings to be investigated and his medical costs to be paid for by the Public Security Bureau. 342. On 24 June 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Won, a North Korean asylum -seeker, who had reportedly sought refuge in the South Korean Consulate in Beijing on 13 June 2002. He was violently removed by police officers from the South Korean Consulate on that day. It was believed that South Korean diplomats, who attempted to protect him, were injured as a result. His son was believed to have also entered the South Korean Consulate during these events, and to be currently seeking asylum in South Korea, along with 17 other North Koreans currently inside the Consulate. It was feared that Won may forcibly be returned to North Korea, where he would be at risk of torture upon his return. 343. By letter dated 28 November 2002, the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that an inquiry has confirmed that he had already left China for another country. It did not have any information about the other individuals mentioned in the Special Rapporteur's communication. * 344. On 9 July 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Wang Aihua, a Falun Gong practitioner from Yubei District, Chongqing City, Sichuan Province. She was reportedly arrested on 6 March 2002 and taken to Lianglu Police Station where she was allegedly subjected to threats and other forms of ill- treatment. As a result, she could hardly lift her arm. On the same day, she was sent to Yubei Detention Centre where she was subjected to further acts of ill-treatment. Her whole body was allegedly swollen. On the following day, she was allegedly subjected to further ill-treatment. - 74 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 73 * 345. By letter dated 4 October 2002, the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that she had been taken into custody on 12 May 2000 for causing public disturbance and sentenced on 20 June 2000 to a one year's re-education through labour. On 6 March 2002, she was detained for disseminating propaganda materials and for disrupting public order in Chongqing and placed in detention as she showed resistance by refusing to eat and by banging her head against a wall. The police custody centre took the necessary measures to prevent her from further self-inflicted injuries. The Government assured the Special Rapporteur that she was not subjected to verbal abuse or torture. 346. On 22 July 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Li Wangyang, a former labour activist, who was denied medical treatment while being detained in Chishan Prison in Yanjiang City, Hunan Province. He was said to be suffering from heart disease, hyperthyroidism, neck and lower back pain and to be going blind. He was reportedly sentenced in September 2001 to ten years' imprisonment on charges of "incitement to subvert State power", after campaigning for compensation for the ill-treatment he had received in prison while serving a previous term of imprisonment for his involvement in the 1989 pro-democracy movement. He was twice released on medical grounds. He allegedly spent many periods in solitary confinement and suffered several beatings from prison guards while imprisoned for the first time. Following his release, he went on a 22 -day- long hunger strike in February 2001 to demand compensation for the ill-treatment he received in prison and for costs of medical treatment of his illnesses, but to no avail. Furthermore, his sister, Li Wanglin, was allegedly sent to a labour camp for three years in July 2001 for publicly supporting her brother in his appeal for compensation for the abuses he had allegedly suffered in prison. 347. On 26 July 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on behalf of Ryu Mi-hwa (f), Han Sol-hee (f), Roh Myung-ok (f), Jeong Eun-mi (f), aged 10, Jeong Eun-chul, aged 8, Kim Chu1-nam, Kim Ji -sung, Nam Chun -mi (f) and her new-born baby and four other Korean nationals whose names are unknown, who were allegedly detained in in Manzhouli Prison in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and were believed to be at risk of imminent forcible return to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, where, it was feared, they could face serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, torture or death in custody. They were reportedly arrested on 31 December 2001 in Hulunbeier City, Inner Mongolia, while being led through north-east China towards the neighbouring State of Mongolia by a South Korean pastor, Chun Ki -won, and his assistant, Jin Qilong, an ethnic Korean Chinese national, who were also reportedly arrested, charged with "helping other people to illegally cross the national border", tried by the Hulunbeier Municipal People's Court in Inner Mongolia and sentenced to payment of fines. 348. On 16 September 2002, the Special Raporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Representative on human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers on behalf of Dr. Wan Yanhai, the founder and coordinator of the AIZHI (AIDS) Action Project, a non- governmental organization that provides information on HIV/AIDS and promotes the protection of human rights in the context of HIV//AIDS. He was allegedly detained by State security authorities - 75 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 74 on 24 August 2002, and held without being allowed to contact his family or friends. His detention was believed to be related to his alleged dissemination of information he had obtained from an AIDS research report on concerns about the collection of blood in Henan Province., 349. By letter dated 28 November 2002, the Government informed the Special Rapporteur that he had been detained by members of the Beijing State Security Bureau on suspicion of unlawfully transmitting State secrets abroad. Reportedly, the detainee requested in writing that his family should not be notified of his detention and voluntarily renounced his right to legal counsel. The Government further indicated that, in view of his positive attitude in acknowledging his guilt, he was granted a discharge on 20 September 2002. The Government gave assurances that he was not subjected to ill-treatment while in detention and that, at the time of writing, Wan Yanhai's health was entirely satisfactory. * 350. On 2 December 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Luo Rong (also known as Yoko Kaneko), a Chinese Falun Gong practitioner with permanent residence in Japan, and her sister, Luo Zhen Luo Rong had reportedly been arrested as she was handing out Falun Gong leaflets on 24 May 2002 during a visit to Beijing and transferred to a labour camp. She was reportedly seriously ill and was hospitalized for high blood pressure. She was believed to have bruises around her wrists and to have lost weight. Luo Zhen had reportedly been arrested on 5 November 2002 by the Public Security Bureau in Mudanjiang City, Heilogjiang Province, following her involvement in publicizing her sister's case. She was allegedly held in incommunicado detention and her family was not informed of her whereabouts. 351. On 11 December 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Yang Jianli, a Chinese citizen permanently residing in the United States of America, who has been active in the movement to promote democratization in China. He had reportedly been arrested on 26 April 2002 in Kunming, for reportedly entering China with false or incomplete identity documents. Since then, he had been held in incommunicado detention. Authorities informally acknowledged his detention after two months, when the Linyi City Public Security Bureau in Shandong Province informed Yang' s brother by telephone of his detention. Follow-up to previously transmitted communications * 352. By letter dated 14 December 2001, the Government responded to an urgent appeal sent in July 2001 by the Special Rapporteur on behalf of Han Yuejuan (ibid., para. 365). On 21 July, Ms. Han and others plotted and mobilized nearly 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners to besiege the seat of the Guangdong provincial government. On 5 July 2001, she was arrested under a writ issued by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Prosecutor on a charge of mobilizing and using a sect to break the law. A competent public security organ is conducting a judicial investigation into the case. Ms. Han's mental and physical health is duly protected and she is not being subjected to torture. * 353. By letter dated 31 January 2002, the Government responded to an urgent appeal sent in October 2001 by the Special Rapporteur on behalf of Zhang Maoxing and his eldest daughter, Zhang Juan (ibid., para. 367). The two were detained - 76 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 Page 75 together on suspicion of obstructing law enforcement through the organization of a cult (Falun Gong), and held at the Jiujiang Public Security Bureau's detention centre. After being admitted, Zhang Maoxing began to fast and all attempts to rescue his life, including intravenous infusions, failed. He was in no way tortured. His daughter was sentenced in March 2001 to two years ofre-education through labour, but was released on parole in August 2001 and is now living at home. * 354. By letter dated 19 February 2002, the Government responded to an urgent appeal sent in October 2001 by the Special Rapporteur on behalf of Huang Guodong (ibid., para. 366). He was arrested on 9 February 2001, on tips from other citizens when he was carrying out illegal Falun Gong activities. He confessed to all his offences. On 1 October 2001, he began to fast at Mudanjiang No. 1 detention centre. He refused to take food or medical treatment and even went so far as to remove intravenous needles. On 29 October 2001 he was sent to Northern Hospital in Mudanjiang City for medical tests. All results were normal, but he has a urethra infection for which he is being treated. Allegations of torture and starvation are unfounded. 355. By letter dated 19 February 2002, the Government responded to a letter sent by the Special Rapporteur jointly with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women on 30 September 2001 (ibid., paras. 351 to 353). 356. Concerning the detention of 42 young women (ibid., para.352), the Government replied that the director of Fengjia Township Police Station and the deputy director had summoned and illegally detained 12 local women and two non - local women engaged in prostitution during an extensive campaign to combat prostitution and protect the legal rights of women from June 1997 to June 1998. They were subsequently sentenced to six months' imprisonment suspended for one year, and to one year suspended for two years by the People's Court of Xinhua County, later reduced to six months each, suspended for one year. 357. Concerning the detention of a young woman by the head of the Public Security Bureau Communication Department of Xinmi City, Henan Province (ibid., para.353), the Government responded that all cases involving prostitution handled by the Public Security Bureau of Xinmi City in May 1999 were properly dealt with. The accusation of illegal detention and torture of a young woman is unfounded and false. The Government observes its legal obligations under the Constitution and the Women's Rights and Interests Protection Act and strives to strengthen its legislation on women's rights. Efforts have been made to prevent and combat prostitution, as well as to ensure women's rights to personal safety and property. 358. By letter dated 4 October 2002, the Government responded to a joint urgent appeal sent by the Special Rapporteur with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders on 21 June 2001 on behalf of Zhang Shanguang (E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1, para. 367). The Government informed the Special Rapporteur that he was convicted of illegally providing intelligence information and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment with 5 years' deprivation of his political rights in December 1998. Upon admission into Hunan No.1 Prison, he had been recovering from tuberculosis. Appropriate to his physical condition, he was assigned the job of sweeping floors by the prison authorities. In an attempt to obtain - 77 - E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.1 page 76 permission to receive medical treatment on parole, he refused to carry out any work. The prison authorities are encouraging him to mend his ways. He has not been denied medical treatment and has not been made to work long hours. The Government firmly opposes the practice of mistreatment and torture of criminals through manual labour. Observations 359. The Special Rapporteur notes with concern that no response has been provided to a number of cases brought to the attention of the Government since 1998 but he acknowledges the letter dated 11 November'2002 by which the Government expressed its intention to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in providing responses to these cases. He hopes that the pending invitation since February 1999 to the Special Rapporteur to visit the country will come to fruition in the near future. Cambodia * 242. On 22 August 2002, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Special Representative on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, sent an urgent appeal on behalf of at least eight Falun Gong practitioners living in Cambodia, including Wang Minchun, aged 58, and her husband, Jiang Linzhong, aged 61, both Chinese nationals living in Phnom Penh under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who were believed to be at risk of deportation to China. It is reported that the above-mentioned persons used to practice Falun Gong with Zhang Xinyi and her husband Li Guojun, on behalf of whom the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture transmitted an urgent appeal to the Chinese authorities on 15 August 2002. - 78 - Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions 2000-2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). UNITED NATIONS E ,V/i. I Economic and Social 3 ql�, ill Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/3/Add.1 2 February 2000 ENGLISH Original: ENGLISH/FRENCH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-sixth session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahanhir, submitted pursuant to Commission resolution 1999/35 Addendum Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received GE.00-10465 (E) - 80 - E/CN.4/2000/3/Add.1 page 21 China 107. It has been brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur that the death penalty continues to be used extensively in China. More people are executed every year in China than in the rest of the countries of the world taken together. Over 60 crimes are punishable by death, including a large number of non-violent offences. Many death sentences are imposed following trial proceedings which do not meet international standards. 108. The Special Rapporteur also received reports regarding the situation in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in western China, which is the only region in the country where political prisoners are known to have been executed in recent years. The Special Rapporteur has been informed of 210 death sentences and 190 executions carried out in this province since January 1997. Most of the persons convicted were Uighurs sentenced to death for subversive or terrorist activities in trials alleged to be unfair. Urgent appeals 109. The Special Rapporteur transmitted seven urgent appeals and two allegations to the Government of China. 110. On 2 December 1998 the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal concerning Ma Yulan who was sentenced to death for alleged organization of prostitution in Beijing. It was further reported that this was the first case in Beijing in which a person was sentenced to death for having organized prostitution. The Special Rapporteur pointed out that under internationally accepted standards, the organization of prostitution could not be considered to constitute "a most serious crime" for which the death penalty would apply. 111. On 19 January and 14 June the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal concerning a group of young Uighurs who were sentenced to death at the end of October 1998 in Gulja (Yining) by the Ili Prefecture Intermediate People's Court, for having allegedly organized a counter-revolutionary group. Some of the defendants were reportedly arrested in February 1997 and had been held in incommunicado detention since their arrest. The Special Rapporteur was informed that Abdulsalam Shamseden (Abudushalamu Xiamuxiding), a 29 -year-old textile worker from Gulja, Abdusalam Abdurahman (Abudushalamu Abudureheman) and an unknown number of other persons were facing imminent execution. It -81 - E/CN.4/2000/3/Add.1 page 23 It has been reported that by the time he was dragged into a police van by security personnel, he was unable to walk. He was reportedly taken to a police hospital in Lhasa where he remained until his death in the first week of October. * 118. Jinhua Zhao was reportedly arrested by police in Zhaoyuan city on 27 September 1999 and allegedly died in the morning of 7 October, after having suffered repeated beatings. On 8 October, the legal medical expert of Zhaoyuan city reportedly carried out an autopsy on Jinhua Zhao. The same day, the legal medical expert of Yantan city also examined the body and reportedly concluded that she had died as a result of beatings with elastic objects on numerous places on her body. Communications received 119. By letter dated 24 February the Government referred to the communication transmitted by the Special Rapporteur on 2 December 1998, stating that it had conducted inquiries concerning the following persons. 120. According to the information submitted by the Government between August 1996 and September 1997, Ma Yulan controlled some 10 prostitutes and repeatedly engaged in prostitution at the restaurant and baths she managed. The court determined that she had repeatedly disturbed public order by organizing prostitution for profit. Ma Yulan had been sentenced to death as her conduct was in violation of the Penal Code. The Government further stated that Ma Yulan had appealed her sentence to the Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court, where the case was under consideration at the time of the communication. Observations 121. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned by information received during the period under review describing a pattern of gross violations of human rights, including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. According to reports received, the main victims of these violations are members of the Uighur community, the largest ethnic group among the predominantly Muslim local population in the region. The Special Rapporteur also wishes to express her deep concern over the extensive and increasing use of the death penalty in China. - 82 - UNITED NATIONS E AAEconomic and Social Distr. *,*116 L�/ Council GENERAL E/CN.4/2001/9 11 January 2001 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahangir, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/31 GE.01-10156 (E) - 83 - E/CN.4/2001/9 page 13 28. The Special Rapporteur was moved by the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on her mission to the occupied territories in which she stated that "the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories is bleak. The civilian population feels besieged by a stronger power prepared to use its superior force against demonstrations and stone -throwing by adolescents. During the course of the visit the violence escalated with more shooting - including so-called drive-by shootings - on the Palestinian side and use of rockets and heavy machine-gun fire on the Israeli side (E/CN.4/2001/114, para. 19)". 29. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned at the abuse of force by the both the Indonesian police and army while performing law enforcement duties in various locations including Irian Jaya and Aceh. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur appealed to the Government of Indonesia, expressing her concern over the escalating violence in those areas and urging the authorities to ensure that government forces carry out their duties in strict compliance with international human rights standards. C. Deaths in custody 30. The Special Rapporteur transmitted allegations of the death in custody of 38 persons to the Governments of the following countries: Bangladesh (1), China (8), Congo (1), Cuba (1), India (2), Israel (1), Kenya (1), Mexico (1), Myanmar (1), Namibia (1), Nepal (1), Pakistan (2), Peru (1), Spain (1), Sri Lanka (2), Tunisia (2), Turkey (1) and Uzbekistan (1). The Special Rapporteur also transmitted one allegation to the Palestinian Authority. One urgent appeal was sent to the Government of Bolivia. * 31. In this context, the Special Rapporteur wishes to express her particular concern over reports from China describing a large number of cases in which detainees, many of whom were followers of the Falun Gong movement, had died as a result of severe ill-treatment, neglect or lack of medical attention. D. Death threats 32. The Special Rapporteur transmitted urgent appeals aimed at preventing loss of life after having received reports of situations where the lives and physical integrity of persons were feared to be in danger. In this context urgent appeals were sent to the Governments of the following countries: Argentina (2), Brazil (5), Colombia (25), Guatemala (4), Honduras (2), India (1), Indonesia (1), Jamaica (1), Mexico (4), Myanmar (1), Nicaragua (1), Pakistan (1), Peru (4), Sri Lanka (1) and Venezuela (2). 33. These urgent appeals concerned at least 53 identified persons and groups such as the peasants in Colombia, human rights activists in Brazil, witnesses in Guatemala and Nicaragua, journalists in Honduras and Mexico and human rights groups. E. Expulsion, refoulement or return of persons to a country or place where their lives are in danger - 84 - UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2001 /9/Add.1 17 January 2001 ENGLISH Original: ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH ENGLISH, FRENCH AND SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahanhir, submitted pursuant to Commission resolution 2000/31 Addendum Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received GE.01-10261 (E) - 85 - E/CN.4/2001/9/Add.1 page 15 China 46. The Special Rapporteur transmitted four urgent appeals concerning four individuals who were reportedly facing imminent execution. Urgent appeals 47. On 10 March 2000 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of China concerning the case of Hu Changqing, former vice -governor of Jiangxi province. Mr. Hu Changqing had reportedly been sentenced to death on 15 February 2000 by the Nanchang Intermediate People's Court for various crimes of corruption.. The Supreme People's Court upheld the sentence and Hu Changqing was reportedly executed. 48. On 20 June 2000 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal concerning the case of Fang Yong, who was sentenced to death for corruption by the Ningbo City Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang province on 8 June 2000. Mr. Fang Yong, who worked as an accountant with the China Bank of Communications, was alleged to have embezzled public funds from the bank reportedly using forged documents. The Special Rapporteur appealed to the Government to refrain from executing Mr. Fang Yong. 49. On 12 July 2000 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture concerning the case of Zhuo Xiaojun who was sentenced to death after being convicted of "intentional killings" by Fuzhou City Intermediate People's Court. It had been alleged that his trial and pre-trial detention did not meet basic international fair trial standards. Fears had been expressed that he had been tortured under interrogation and might be at risk of more torture or other forms of ill-treatment. 50. On 10 August 2000 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government concerning the case of Cheng Kejie, a 66 -year-old senior member of Parliament of the People's Republic of China, who was sentenced to death on 31 July 2000 by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court. It had been reported that Mr. Cheng Kejie had been sentenced to death for various crimes of corruption. In March 2000, he was removed from his National People's Congress post and subsequently expelled from the Communist Party. Communications sent 51. The Special Rapporteur transmitted eight communications of violations of the right to life to the Government of China on behalf of the following persons. - 86 - E/CN.4/2001/9/Add.1 page 16 * 52. On 21 April 2000, Li Hiu-Xi was reportedly taken to the police station in Hou town, where he was allegedly subjected to severe beatings by the police. The police reportedly informed the family of his death only after having cremated his body in the morning of 22 April 2000. The police allegedly threatened his family not to tell anyone about it. * 53. On 29 September 1999, Zhao Jinhua was working in the fields when she was arrested by the police. She was reportedly taken to a police station where she was severely beaten and subjected to electric shocks. It was alleged that she died in police custody as a result of this treatment on 7 October 1999. An official autopsy report allegedly stated that her body displayed multiple wounds to the head and other parts of her body, probably sustained as a result of beatings with a blunt object. * 54. Chen Zixiu reportedly died while in police custody on 20 February 2000. It was reported that she was captured by the person responsible for regulating Falun Gong in her area, and taken to the Beigua police station. The following day she was reportedly transferred to the "Falun Gong Re-education Centre"- Chengguan Street branch, where she was allegedly subjected to severe beatings by State officials for several days. It is alleged that Chen Zixiu died in custody as a result of this ill-treatment. * 55. Li Zaiji had reportedly been sentenced to one year of forced labour because of his Falun Gong activities. On 7 July 2000, the police in Jilin city reportedly told his family to go to the local hospital to take care of him. When they arrived at the hospital, Li Zaiji was allegedly already dead. It is reported that his body displayed multiple wounds, suggesting that he had been severely ill-treated. His body was reportedly cremated by the police on 14 July 2000. * 56. Wang Xingtian allegedly died on 25 March 2000. It was reported that on 21 February 2000, the Dayang village authorities detained Wang Xingtian and 11 other persons in order to prevent them from going to Beijing to appeal against the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. After 33 days in detention they were reportedly taken to Beiquanli jail. While in detention the 12 persons were allegedly ordered to write a statement denouncing Falun Gong. Wang Xingtian reportedly refused to sign this document. On 25 March 2000, the village authorities in Beiquanly allegedly brought in a group of men who beat Wang Xingtian using electric batons and police truncheons. It is reported that he died of his wounds on 25 March 2000 at around 5.00 p.m. * 57. It was reported that on 21 April 2000, Li Huixiwas on his way from his home town to Beijing when he was stopped by the police and escorted to the police station in Hou town. It is alleged that he was severely beaten while in custody. On 22 April 2000, the police reportedly informed his family of his death after having cremated his body. The police allegedly warned the family not to tell anyone about the death. * 58. It was reported that on 2 March 2000, Zhang Zhenggang was taken into custody at the Huaian police station. On 25 March 2000 he was allegedly subjected to severe beatings, which reportedly resulted in injuries to his skull and brain. According to the information received, he was later sent to the hospital in Huaian city for emergency treatment, where he fell into a coma. Zhang Zhenggang reportedly died at Huaian hospital on 30 March 2000. - 87 - E/CN.4/2001 /9/Add.1 page 17 * 59. It was reported that in September 1999, Zhou Zhichang was arrested and taken to the detention centre in Shuangcheng city. On 6 May 2000, after several days on hunger strike, he was reportedly taken to Shuangcheng hospital where he died the same afternoon. It is reported that his body displayed injuries suggesting that he had been subjected to ill-treatment while in custody. Communications received 60. The Government of China transmitted replies to the Special Rapporteur on 21 November and 1 December 2000. The replies have been submitted for translation. - 88 - UNITED NATIONS E VIi Jdi ',! `A kf �:i ,71k Council Economic and Social Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2002/74 9 January 2002 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahangir, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/45 GE.02-10054 (E) - 89 - E/CN.4/2002/74 page l l 5 C. Deaths in custody 33. The Special Rapporteur transmitted allegations of the death in custody of 150 persons to the Governments of the following countries: Albania (1), Azerbaijan (1), China (17), Colombia (2), Ecuador (1), Egypt (2), Georgia (1), Guinea (1), Honduras (4), India (14), Indonesia (3), Kenya (2), Kyrgyzstan (2), Liberia (1), Myanmar (8), Pakistan (6), Nicaragua (1), Peru (1), Portugal (3), Russian Federation (50), Rwanda (3), Slovakia (1), Sri Lanka (1), Sudan (2), Turkey (14), United Arab Emirates (1), Uzbekistan (7). One allegation was sent to the Palestinian Authority. In this connection, the Special Rapporteur sent urgent appeals to the Governments of China and Uzbekistan. In both cases, there were fears that the detainees in question could die owing to lack of adequate medical attention. * 34. In this context, the Special Rapporteur wishes to express her particular alarm over reports from China describing a large number of cases in which detainees, many of whom were followers of the Falun Gong movement, had died as a result of severe ill-treatment, neglect or lack of medical attention. She takes particular note of allegations that 15 female prisoners, all reportedly members of the Falun Gong movement, died as a result of torture in June 2001 in Wanjia Labour Camp in Heilongjiang Province. 35. The Special Rapporteur also continues to receive reports from Uzbekistan of cases in which people have died in custody after having been arrested by the police. In many instances, the dead body of the detainee was allegedly delivered to the family without explanation. In some cases the families were reportedly made to bury the body without an autopsy having been carried out, and threatened not to talk about what had happened. The Special Rapporteur further takes note of a large number of cases reported from India, where the police had allegedly beaten or shot detainees to death while in custody. Cases of death in detention were also related to the Special Rapporteur during her mission to Turkey. For a more detailed discussion of this issue, reference is made to addendum 1 to the present report. - 90 - UNITED NATIONS 0AEconomic and Social i,/lV J Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2002/74/Add.2 8 May 2002 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 11 (b) CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahangir, submitted pursuant to Commission resolution 2001/45 Addendum* * Due to late submission, this report is reproduced in the annex as received, in the languages of submission only. GE.02-13829 -91 - E/CN.4/2002174/Add.2 Page 12 China Urgent appeals 33. On 22 October 2001, the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal on behalf of five ethnic Uighurs, including two men named as Mr. Abdulmejid and Mr. Abdulahmad, who were reportedly sentenced to death on 15 October 2001 in the city of Gulja (Yining), Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. According to the information received, they were sentenced to death for political crimes of "anti state separatism" at a public trial in Gulja city. 34. On 1 October 2001, the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal on behalf of six people, including Lu Jijing and Lu Changhe, who were reportedly found guilty by the Intermediate People's Court in Taizhou city, Zhejaing province, of operating a gang engaged in the production and sale of fake coins. Whereas Lu Jijing and four others were reportedly sentenced to death, Lu Changhe received a two year suspension of execution. 35. On 10 August 2001 the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal on behalf of Mr. Li Li who was reportedly sentenced to death for tax fraud and evasion on 25 April 2001. His wife, Chen Lijuan, reportedly received a sentence of death with a two-year reprieve for the same offence. According to the information received, Mr. Li had confessed to all the offences and had given full details of the role of government officials in the crimes, including senior staff in the tax department. His lawyers reportedly argued that Mr. Li's substantial co-operation with police investigations should be taken into consideration as mitigating factor. Furthermore it was said that Mr. Li was made to take full responsibility for crimes which were equally the work of government officials. 36. On 1 May 2001 the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal concerning the cases of Li Guang, Mu Jiangqiao and Zhang Yusong, who were allegedly sentenced to death on 25 April 2001 by an intermediate People's Court in Lijiang region, Yunnan province. According to the information received, Li Guang and Mu Jiangqiao were accused of robbing a US diplomat on 13 August 2000 in Lijang and of being part of a gang, which allegedly committed 10 armed robberies in Lijiang over a three month period in 2000. Zhang Yusong was reportedly accused of robbing 400 Yuan and $ 30 from two tourists on 19 July 2000 in Lijiang. - 92 - E/CN.4/2002/74/Add.2 Page 13 37. On 24 April 2001 transmitted an urgent appeal on behalf of Zhuo Xiaojun, who was reportedly sentenced to death for "intentional killing" by Fuzhou Cit Intermediate People's Court. Urgent appeals concerning this case had already been transmitted by the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on Torture, on 12 July 2000 and on 14 December 2000. According to the information received, the trial and pre-trial detention in Zhuo Xiaojun's case did not meet basic international fair trial standards. The Fujian Province Higher People's Court reportedly upheld the sentence and concerns were expressed that Zhuo Xiaojun was facing imminent execution if the Supreme People's Court also rejected his appeal. 38. On 29 December 2000 the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal on behalf of Wang Youcai, who reportedly had been imprisoned since 1998 at Zejihang No. 1 Prison. According to the information received, Wang Youcai had contracted tuberculosis and was not receiving any treatment or proper examination. Communication sent 39. The Special Rapporteur transmitted allegations of violation of the right to life of the following individuals: * 40. According to the information received, fifteen female prisoners , including Ms. Zhang Yulan, Ms. Shao Yin, Ms. Xuiqin Li and Ms. Zhao Yayun, died in Wanjia Labor Camp as a result of torture and severe ill-treatment around 20 June 2001. * 41. It was alleged that on 19 February 2001, Ms. Yanhua Li, aged over 60, was arrested and taken to the police station in Dongjiang for interrogation. She was reportedly severely beaten until she died by police officers using clubs. * 42. According to the information received, on 24 November 2000, Ms. Zhou Fenglin, aged 32, was arrested in her home town of Qingtan, and sent to Qingtan jail. Allegedly, she was severely tortured by police officers while she was in detention. After a brief release she was reportedly rearrested on 27 December 2000 and sent to Xilin Detention Centre. It was alleged that on the night of 8 January 2001, she was tortured under interrogation and declared dead the following morning. - 93 - UNITED NATIONS E ccinornia and Social toundil Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/3/Add:1 12 February 2003 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH _ _ ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 11 (b) of the prO'ViSional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Report of the Special Rapporteuron extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Aima Jahanhii, submitted pursuant to Commission keiiShition 2002/36 Addendum Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received* *This addendum is being circulated in he languages of submission only as it greatly exceeds the page limitations currently imposed by the relevant General Assembly. GE.03- 10984 - 94 - E/CN .4/2003/3/Add. 1 page 20 China 54. On 9 January 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal reliting to Hong Kong residents Zhuang Chucheng and Huang Yancheng, who were reportedly sentenced to death on 25 December 2001 by the Shenzhen City Intermediate People's Court, Guangdong Province (neighbouring Hong Kong), for their alleged involvement in the manufacture and trafficking of the illegal drug "ice". According to the information received, they were tried with eight other unnamed defendants, four of whom also came from Hong Kong. Of the eight, six also received death sentences, two were reportedly sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and another four to life imprisonment. It is not - 95 - E/CN.4/2000/3/Add. 1 page 21 known whether the defendants have appealed their sentences. Zhuang Chucheng is reported to be the alleged ringleader of the gang which reportedly manufactured, in mainland China, at least 22 tonnes of liquid ice and three tonnes of solid ice which they had allegedly sold in mainland China as well as overseas. It has been brought to the Special Rapporteur's attention that these cases are causing controversy in Hong Kong, which does not have the death penalty. * 55. On 8 February 2002, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on torture, sent an joint urgent appeal to the Government of China concerning members of a family of Falun Gong practitioners who have reportedly been subjected to harassment, arbitrary detention and torture since 22 July 1999, on the grounds of their practice of Falun Gong and their appeal to the Government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong members. Chen Yunchuan, the 63 -year-old father, was reportedly serving a two-year sentence in Datangwan prison in Zhangjiakou city, Hebei Province; his 60 -year-old wife Wang Lianying was said to have been missing since January 2001, and their 31 -year-old daughter Chen Hongni was said to be detained without warrant in Gaoyang Labour Camp in Baoding city, Hebei Province. The 34 -year-old son Chen Aizhong was reportedly sentenced on 12 September 2001 to three years of forced labour in the Tangshan No. 1 Labour Camp in Hebei Province. Eight days later, on the afternoon of 20 September 2001, he was said to have been tortured to death in the labour camp. His body was said to have been covered with wounds and bruises. Chen Aili, a 34 -year-old son, was reportedly detained in Jidong prison, Tangshan city. On 26 December 2001, a police officer of the Changping police station reportedly took the section chief and team chief from Jidong prison to the home of Chen Shulan, his 35 -year-old sister. The section chief is said to have told her that Chen Aili was in bad health and needed to go to the hospital for treatment. They reportedly requested her to sign a bond. When she asked when they would release him, they allegedly answered that they were still processing the paperwork. When she asked whether she could visit him, the section chief reportedly told her to wait until the following spring. She is said to have refused to sign the bond. On 8 January 2002, Chen Shulan went directly to Jidong prison, where another chief reportedly told her that Chen Aili had withdrawn into himself since 1 October 2001 and that his overall health had deteriorated. In view of the reported death as a result of torture of Chen Aizhong, and the alleged force-feeding of drugs to Chen Aili, fears were expressed that Chen Aili might be at risk of further torture or other forms of ill-treatment and at risk to his life. Fears were also expressed that the other members of the family might be at risk of torture or other forms of ill-treatment, in particular Wang Lianying, in view of the incommunicado nature of her detention in an unknown location and the fact that prolonged incommunicado detention can in itself constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. - 96 - E/CN.4/2003/3/Add.1 page 24 * 62. According to the information received, on 26 January 2002, Zhan Wei died in custody at the Yingcheng City Number One Detention Centre, allegedly as a result of torture. According to the information received, on 20 January 2002 Wu Jingxia was allegedly tortured to death in police custody. She had reportedly been arrested on 6 January 2002 for having distributed flyers exposing alleged human rights abuses against Falun Gong practitioners in China. According to the information received, in August 2001, Kelsang Gyatso was arrested with groups of other Tibetan monks as they were trying to enter India via Nepal at the Chushui Bridge. It is reported that Kelsang Gyatso, a Tibetan monk, died in the Lhasa Detention Centre in December 2001 as a result of beatings and lack of medical attention. According to the information received, on 5 February 2001, Ngawang Lochoa died in the Lhasa Army Hospital as a result of continuous ill- treatment and deprivation of medical attention. Ngawang Lochoa, a Tibetan nun, had been imprisoned since 1993 for having taken part in a peaceful demonstration. According to the information received, in April 2000, Sonam Richen, a Tibetan farmer, died in Drapchi prison allegedly as a result of ill-treatment and torture. He had reportedly been in prison since 1992 for shouting pro -independence slogans. According to the information received, in August 2000, Tsering Wangdrag died in Krazde prison allegedly as a result of torture and ill-treatment. According to the information received, on 22 August 2001, Gao Mei died as a result of torture in Yishui Detention Centre. She had allegedly been arrested for pratising Falung Gong. According to the information received, on 21 September 2001, Wang Yongdong, a Falun Gong practitioner, died after having been thrown out of the window of his home by police officers. It is alleged that his body displayed marks consistent with reports that he had been severely beaten before being pushed from the window. According to the information received, on 14 September 2001, Yu Xiuling, a Falun Gong practitioner, died after having been thrown out of the window on the fourth floor by police officers. It is alleged that she had been severely beaten under interrogation. - 97 - Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women 2001-2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (`). UNITED NATIONS E V/t; 1,1 Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 13 February 2001 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh session Item 12 (a) of the provisional agenda INTEGRATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/45 Addendum Communications to and from Governments* * The executive summary of this report and the confidential information form (see appendix) are being circulated in all official languages. The report itself is contained in the annex to the executive summary and is being circulated in the language of submission only. GE.01-11089 (E) - 100 - E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 6 China * 15. By letter dated 19 January 2001 the Special Rapporteur communicated her grave concerns in regard to information received concerning the alleged use of violence against women in China and in particular the ill-treatment of female Falun Gong practitioners. According to - 101 - E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 7 information received the Chinese authorities have been conducting a major crackdown on the Falun Gong, Falun Dafa and other Qi Gong groups. The vast majority of Falun Gong practitioners are women. A ban was imposed on the Falun Gong on 22 July 1999 as "constituting a threat to social and political stability". Practitioners are said to be put under pressure to renounce their beliefs. Thousands are said to have been detained by police; many of them are said to have been sent to labour camps for "re-education" through labour, or detained in psychiatric hospitals and administered drugs against their will. Many of them are said to have suffered torture or ill-treatment. The methods of torture used against women practitioners have included: stripping them naked; severe beatings with fists or a variety of instruments, such as wooden batons, on shinbones, thighs, shoulders and other parts of the body; kicking; the use of electric shock batons, inter alia to the genitals, armpits, soles of the feet and the mouth; the use of handcuffs, shackles or ropes to tie prisoners in ways which cause intense pain; suspension by the arms or feet, often combined with exposure to extreme cold or heat; the use of cigarette lighters to burn their bodies; the insertion of sticks or needles under the nails or having fingernails pulled out by pliers; the insertion of pepper, chilli powder or other substances into the mouth, nose or genital organs; the use of injections which cause victims to become mentally unbalanced or to lose the ability to speak coherently. It is further alleged that many women practitioners have died following torture or medical neglect in detention. It is also reported that many women practitioners have died by falling out of windows whilst trying to escape. * 16. In that connection, the Special Rapporteur has received information on the individual cases summarized below: (a) In October 2000 prison guards in the Masanjia prison in Shenyang, Liaoning province, allegedly stripped 18 female Falun Dafa practitioners and put them into cells containing male convicted criminals. It is reported that Luo Gan, a high-ranking Communist Party official, was aware of the incident. The 18 women are said to remain in prison; (b) It is reported that since October 1999, more than 1,500 Falun Dafa practitioners have been detained in the Masanjia labour education camp in Liaoning province. Practitioners are reportedly forced to denounce Falun Dafa. People who refuse to do so are allegedly subjected to physical abuse, shocked with electric batons, detained in solitary confinement and assigned intensive labour. The electric batons are used to shock the breasts and genitals of the female practitioners. The camp officials also allegedly force practitioners to drink dirty water from an abandoned well; practitioners reportedly all showed symptoms of poisoning after they drank the water; (c) According to information received more than 50 female Falun Dafa practitioners were detained in Qiaozhuang detention centre, Tongzhou district, a suburb of Beijing, in July 2000. It is reported that after police had failed to force the practitioners to renounce their beliefs, using tortures and insults, most of practitioners were sent to labour camps and some were sent to psychiatric hospitals. In particular, the Special Rapporteur has received information concerning the following individual cases: (i) Huang Xiuling, aged 59, from Fuma village, Majugiao town, Tongzhou district, Beijing, was reportedly sent to Qiaozhuang detention centre in the afternoon of 30 June 2000, and was detained in cell 9. She refused to - 102 - E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 8 recite the prison regulations and continued to practice the exercises. She was allegedly beaten, handcuffed and shackled. Her jailers reportedly used electric shock batons on her body and stomped on her feet. They held her breasts and pinched the tips of her nipples, arid kicked her genitals. Huang went on a hunger strike to protest. According to information received, on the afternoon of 2 July 2000, she was sent to cell 7. The police allegedly force-fed her through her nose with a tube. Police wanted her to pay 10 yuan for the single -use of the disposable tube. As she didn't have any money, the police left the tube in her body so that they could use it again. In the evening, the pain became unbearable and she pulled the tube out. The next day, when she was force-fed again, the police handcuffed her from behind. After the force-feeding, the police allegedly left the tube in her body, one end in her stomach and the other end in her nose and pasted on her face so that she could not pull it out. That evening, Huang Xiuling reportedly developed a high fever. She was given medicine, but her fever didn't drop and she started vomiting. It is alleged that when the police realized that Huang Xiuling's life was in danger, they hastily sentenced her to one year of forced labour. Later that evening, they sent Huang Xiuling home and asked the village committee to watch her. After she returned home she recovered. On 13 July 2000, the police took Huang Xiuling away again and sent her to the fourth team of Beijing Tiantanghe female labour camp for forced labour. It is reported that Huang Xiuling went on hunger strike. She was allegedly tortured by the guards, injuring her neck; (ii) Liu Xuebin, aged 54, from Chengguan town, Tongzhou district of Beijing, was reportedly arrested on 4 September 1999 while she practised Falun Gong exercises at the Tongzhou Club. She was detained for three months without any legal procedure. Liu Xuebin reportedly experienced several kinds of torture in the detention centre. The guards stripped off all her clothes and used a wet towel with salt on it to thrash her, continuing to add salt to the wet towel as they beat her. The towel left rows of small bleeding sores all over her body. The salt stuck to the sores and made them very painful. On the second day, bloody pus oozed out of her wounds and her clothes stuck to her body. As Liu Xuebin refused to answer questions during a police interrogation, she was labelled mentally ill, upon which she was sent to a mental hospital. Liu Xuebin was kept with the most seriously ill patients. She was forced to take pills and receive injections. She was released after three months. On 25 April 2000, Liu Xuebin appealed for the right to practise Falun Gong again. As a result, she was sent back to the mental hospital. Her family and friends do not know anything about her current situation; (iii) Li Yaping, aged 26,was reportedly detained in Qiaozhuang detention centre, because she would not denounce Falun Dafa. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back and her feet were shackled. Jailers allegedly stuck an electric shock baton in her mouth until it bled. She was subjected - 103 - E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 9 to different kinds of torture. Later she was sent to the fourth team of Beijing Tiantanghe female labour camp, reportedly without a trial. (iv) Hu Shufang, aged 38, from Tongzhou district of Beijing, appealed to the Government on behalf of Falun Gong on 25 June 2000. She was detained in the west room in Qiaozhuang detention centre. She was allegedly beaten almost every day and shocked with electric batons, which left wounds all over her body. She was handcuffed and shackled. One month later Hu Shufang was sent to a labour camp without a trial; (v) The police reportedly also took Hu Shuwen, sister of Hu Shufang, away from her home. She is currently detained in Tuanhe labour camp, Daxing county, Beijing; (vi) On 6 October 2000, Falun Gong practitioner Yan Juying from Yanjiao, Sanhe city, Hebei province, went to Tiananmen Square to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. She was arrested and sent back to Yanjiao police station. It is reported that before she got out of the car, the police captain, Yang Xizhong, started to kick her, beat her, pull her hair, slap her face and kick her private parts. Then he lifted her up and violently threw her to the ground. He allegedly beat her on the buttocks several hundred times with a wooden rod, whipped her numerous times, subjected her to electric shocks all over her body, used a slipper to slap her face, put an electric baton in her mouth, spat on her face and stomped on her heels. He allegedly threatened to splash her body with boiling water. When Yan Juying refused an order to take off her clothes, Yang Xizhong allegedly threatened to find some workers to rape her. He then sexually molested her. After some time Yang Xizhong recorded the interrogation and beat Yan Juying again. That night, Yan Juying was sent to the town government hall to attend the "transformation class"; (vii) Tang Xi Tao, aged 64, from Guangzhou, Canton, was arrested on 6 July 2000 and was transferred to the Cha Tou detention centre for women (also called Xiao Dao) in Canton, province of Gangdong. Tang Xi Tao was sentenced to two years' re-education through labour. It is reported that she has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment. She is allegedly placed in solitary confinement for days at a time, verbally threatened, her hands have been bound to prevent her from practising Falun Gong exercises, she is not allowed access to medical treatment for her illness and is subjected to forced labour as part of the re-education programme. Furthermore, as a result of the judgement her pension has reportedly been stopped and her apartment and personal belongings confiscated; (viii) Xie Guiying, aged 32, from Huinan, Anhui province. According to information received, at 20.00 hours on 17 October 2000 Xie Guiying's home was ransacked by police from Chaoyang district police station, E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 10 Huainan, who allegedly beat her up before taking her to the police station. In the early morning of the next day, she was sent to the People's Hospital of Huainan because of serious injuries. She died at approximately 10.00 hours on the morning of 18 October 2000. At 16.00 hours the same day the police sent her body to the Datong Funeral Home. According to reports, in an apparent effort to cover up the details of the case, it was later reported by the Chaoyang district police station that she had committed suicide by jumping off a building; (ix) Wang Youju„ aged 64, from Dalian, Liaoning province. On 22 July 2000 Wang Youju was reportedly taken away from her home by police from the Gongji police station of Dalin and was sent to Wafangdian detention centre in Dalian. She was allegedly forced to work long hours every day and was frequently denied food and sleep if she could not finish her quota. On 31 July 2000 Wang Youju and a few other Falun Gong practitioners were released. She was very weak and required assistance to walk, her chest hurt and she could not even stand. She was given emergency treatment in the office of the detention centre, but reportedly died that night; (x) Hao Yafen from Sanhe, Hebei province. Liu Yalu and Qi Xiaoquan from Yanjiao police department allegedly beat and kicked Hao Yafen who had gone to Beijing to appeal peacefully for the right to practise Falun Dafa. She grew dizzy from the beating and lost her vision. After she fainted, they reportedly used an electric baton to shock her. She was hit with a shoe and kicked in the knees. On 13 July 2000 she was fired from the Communist Party committee of Sanhe power plant. She was also asked to pay a fine of 5,000 yuan renminbi by the police. In order for her to be allowed to return home her family gave Zan Qingcai, head of Yanjiao Police Department, 2,000 yuan renminbi. It is reported that Liu Yalu also extorted 1,000 yuan renminbi from them. He said it was to pay Beijing officials. Hao Yafen's work unit deducted her wages and bonus; (xi) Xu Wenjun was reportedly arrested in November 1999. She was detained at three different locations. At the First Detention Centre of Nanchang, she started a hunger strike to protect her Falun Gong books. She was reportedly beaten by the guards and her hands and feet were shackled together. As a result she could not take care of herself, nor could she walk or sleep. Later, Xu Wenjun was transferred to the Second Detention Centre where she started a second hunger strike because her detention period was eight months longer than that stipulated by law. Her family finally bailed her out after 10 days. Xu Wenjum was arrested again less than one month later. She was reportedly sentenced to three years' imprisonment on 1 September 2000; (xii) Huang Ligiong was reportedly arrested after going to Beijing to appeal for Falung Gong on 25 October 1999. She was detained in the Third -105- E/CN.4/2001 /73 /Add.1 page 11 Detention Centre of Nanchang, Jiangxi, for 24 days. According to reports she has been detained three times in one year. Finally she was sentenced to three years of forced labour; (xiii) Chen Ying, aged 18, from Jiamusi, Heilongjiang province, went to Beijing to appeal to the central Government at the beginning of August and was arrested. According to information received, during the journey back to Heilongjiang, the police allegedly threatened and tortured her. She was reported to have jumped off the train and killed. The family were informed on 25 October 1999; (xiv) On 27 September 1999 Zhao Jinhua, aged 42, from Zhaoyuan city in Shandong province, was reportedly arrested by the Zhangxing county police, together with four other Falun Gong practitioners, Wang Fenglan from Yujia village in Shiduitou, Ma Yufeng from Xiaojiajia and Zhan Keyun and Wang Haohong from Heya village. All five were detained in the same room of the local police station. They were reportedly tortured by the policemen for refusing to denounce Falun Gong. They were deprived of sleep. On the night of 1 October 1999, policemen reportedly came in and began to beat the prisoners with fists and with rubber clubs. They allegedly struck Wang Fenglan with the club, wrapped her up with a telephone cord from an old-style rotary telephone and sent current through the line until she lost consciousness. They allegedly hit Zhao Jinhua with a rubber club, then dragged her to the office and shocked her with the telephone. As she was being tortured, they repeatedly asked her if she would stop practising Falun Gong. Zhao Jinhua fainted and she was taken to a local hospital for emergency treatment, after which she was taken back to the police station. It is reported that Zhao Jinhua felt pressure in her chest and the right side of her body felt numb. She felt a great deal of pain all over her body. There was blood in her urine, pain in both of her legs, and she was unable to eat. Her body was black and blue from the waist down. The police reportedly did not take any further action to help her. At 16.00 hours on 7 October 1999, Zhao Jinhua fainted again. The police took her to the emergency room at the local hospital; but she stopped breathing while medical personnel were doing an electrocardiogram. According to information received, the autopsy report showed that there were multiple wounds on her body and subcutaneous bleeding. The report concluded that she had died from being beaten with a blunt object. According to information received, the perpetrators were not punished. Instead, the authorities reportedly investigated those practitioners who had disclosed the death of Ms. Zhao to the public. On 20 November 1999, practitioners Li Nanying and Chen Shihuan were sentenced to three years of forced labour education allegedly for revealing the truth of Ms. Zhao's death to the public; (xv) Dong Buyun, aged 36, from Lanshan district, Linyi city, Shandong province. Dong Buyun went to Beijing to appeal on 20 July 1999. She E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 12 was reportedly arrested in Beijing and escorted back by the police of Lanshan district on 20 September 1999. She was placed in the custody of the school where she worked, and detained in an office on the second floor. She was told to denounce Falun Gong but she refused. On the second day, her family was informed that she had jumped out of the window and had been killed. Her body was cremated before noon; (xvi) Chen Zixiu, aged 59, from Beiguan Xujia Xiaozhuang, Weicheng district, Weifang city, Shandong province, She was picked up at Weifang railway station on the way to Beijing to make an appeal to the authorities. She was taken to Chenguan subdistrict office in Weicheng city and detained there for "re-education". Chen Zixiu allegedly died in custody at Chenguan subdistrict office and her body was transferred to the municipal hospital at 9.00 hours on 21 February 2000. At 19.30 hours, the public security summoned her family to Jinhai Hotel in Weifang city and confined them there. The family was allowed to see the body on 22 February. According to reports Chen Zixiu's mouth was stained with blood, her teeth were battered and broken, her abdomen distended. Her lower body bore massive bruises, and her legs were also swollen; (xvii) The mother of Fu Xiaojuan, aged 56, from Gaoan, Jiangxi province, went to Beijing on a tourist trip on 14 September, 1999 and was arrested at her hotel in Xida (or Xidan) Street. She was detained 'in the Liaison Office of Yichun, Jiangxi province, in Beijing. It is reported that in order to avoid prosecution she tried to escape through the window at 3.00 hours on 16 September 1999, fell and was killed; (xviii) Yu Xiangme, aged 35, from Changshou county of Chongqing, Sichuan province, went to Beijing to appeal, was arrested in early November 1999 and detained at the Chongqing Liaison Office in Beijing. She tried to escape through the window, fell and was killed; (xix) Li Guihua, aged 47, from Jiangbei, Jiangbei district of Chongqing, Sichuan province. She went to Beijing to appeal and was arrested in late October 1999. She reportedly died while in detention in Chongqing Liaison Office in Beijing. The police department informed her husband and he went to Beijing to identify her and then her body was cremated. It is reported that the police threatened her husband not to reveal any information about her death; (xx) Gong Baohua, aged 35, from Liudian village, Pinggu county, Beijing, went to Beijing on 17 June 2000 to appeal for Falun Gong and was reportedly intercepted by police at Dongzhimen bus station, along with seven other Falun Gong practitioners . After they were taken back to the local police station, six of them were allegedly brutally beaten by police. Among them, Ms. Gong suffered the most. Medical examination in Yukou clinic afterwards showed that the bridge of her nose was broken. - 107 - I' E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 13 The police sent Ms. Gong and other practitioners to the county detention centre. To defend their rights, Ms. Gong and other practitioners went on a hunger strike. On 25 June 2000 at around 20.00 hours the guards allegedly force-fed Gong through her nose, despite the fact that it was broken. According to reports, after returning to the cell, her face was pale, her chest felt numb and she suspected that the guards might have inserted the feeding tube incorrectly during the force-feeding. About 10 minutes later, she lost consciousness. Her inmates are said to have called the guards, but nobody answered. After some time Gong regained consciousness. Guards finally came and took Gong for emergency treatment. She was sent back to detention on the morning of 26 June 2000, where her condition continued to deteriorate. On the morning of 27 June 2000, other inmates urged the guards to take Ms. Gong for another medical examination. At around 10.00 hours, the detention centre clinicians agreed to send her to the hospital. At around 21.00 hours that evening, Gong Baohua was pronounced dead in the hospital; (xxi) Zhang Yuzhen, aged 46, of Hegang city, Heilongjiang province. At the beginning of February, the local police reportedly detained Ms. Zhang in Lulinshan detention centre in Hegang city, in order to prevent her from going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. In April, she was transferred to the first detention centre of Hegang city. Ms. Zheng went on hunger strike for five days and she was beaten many times while in custody. She was released at the beginning of May, allegedly because she was very ill because of the long-term mistreatment in the detention centres. She reportedly had to stay in bed after she was released, and died on 20 June 2000; (xxii) Sun Shuqin, aged 58, from Hegang city, Heilongjiang province. In January 2000, Ms. Sun and another practitioner went to the Beijing Public Security Ministry to appeal for Falun Gong. On 24 January 2000, she was reportedly sent to the Hegang detention centre. On 14 February, she was transferred to the Yingbei county jail. She went on a hunger strike for four days in April. She reportedly died in custody in the Yingbei county jail on 27 April 2000; (xxiii) An Xiukun, aged 49, from Hengshui city. An Xiukun was reportedly removed from her post and was fined 2,800 yuan renminbi for practising Falun Gong. According to information received, An Xiukun went to the Beijing Public Security Ministry to appeal on 21 May 2000. She was escorted back and detained in the Education Committee Guest House. On 24 May, An Xiukun was given 15 days of administrative detention. An Xiukun refused to sign the paperwork for her detention, and declared that she would reserve her right to appeal. She was sent to the Lubei Administrative Detention Centre. On 25 May, the second day of her detention, An Xiukun was cuffed with a special type of handcuff nicknamed "bull's nose", for refusing to copy the rules of the detention E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 14 centre. An Xiukun started a hunger strike. On 6 June, An Xiukun lost consciousness. At 22.00 hours, An Xiukun was sent to the county hospital where she died at 7.30 hours on 11 June 2000, (xxiv) Miu Qun, from Qu county, Dazhou city, Sichuan province. Miu Qun went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in January 2000. She was reportedly taken back by local police and detained in the local detention centre. While in custody, she went on a hunger strike to defend her right to practise Falun Gong. The police force-fed her through the nose via a plastic tube. During the process of force-feeding, the police allegedly inserted the tube into her lung by mistake. She died shortly afterwards in custody; (xxv) Yin Shuyun, aged 46, from Changchun city, Jilin province. During the annual session of National People's Congress, Ms. Yin went to Beijing to petition the Government to stop persecution of Falun Gong. She reportedly died in detention at the Heizuizi labour camp due to ill-treatment; (xxvi) Yao Baorong, aged 52, from Aiming district, Lanzhou city, Gansu province. Ms. Yao was arrested on 17 May 2000 at home. It is reported that she died in custody in the afternoon of 19 May 2000. The cause of her death was unclear. It was said that she died after falling from the fifth floor of the local police station. It is reported that the police cremated her body secretly at 2.50 hours on 23 May 2000. To block the news, the police allegedly arrested 20 practitioners; (xxvii) Mei Yulan, aged 44, from Chaoyang district, Beijing. On 13 May 2000, Ms. Mei was arrested while practising Falun Gong exercises outside her house. She went on a hunger strike to defend her rights. On 17 May 2000, three days into her hunger strike, she was allegedly force-fed by another inmate who had no medical skills. After she got back to her cell, she said she had a headache and she started to vomit blood. The guard, whose surname was Sun, allegedly refused to send her for emergency treatment. She died in custody on 23 May 2000. Five practitioners who knew the circumstances of her death were reportedly sent to the detention centre on 26 May; (xxviii) Wang Xiuying, aged 45, from Harbin city, Heilongjiang province. On 13 May 2000, Ms. Wang was arrested as she was practising Falun Gong exercises in Tiananmen Square. She was reportedly detained in the Jiaomen detention centre of Chongwen district. According to information received, after three days of hunger strike, four men pushed her to the ground and force-fed her through the nose. She was force-fed with high-density salt water five times within nine days. On 22 May 2000, she lost consciousness and died in custody at 19.00 hours that day; -109- B/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 15 (xxix) Sun Xiuqing, in her 50s, from Hegang city, Heilongjiang province. Ms. Sun was reportedly detained in the Luobei detention centre before the Chinese New Year (4 February 2000). She died suddenly at the end of April 2000 in custody. The police allegedly cremated her body immediately without informing her family; (xxx) Li Yanhua; aged 45, from Nanchang city, Jiangxi province. Ms. Li had gone to Beijing twice in October 1999 attempting to petition the regime to stop its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. She was reportedly detained for 10 days and later, she was detained again for more than one month. After that, she was sentenced to two years of forced labour on 7 January 2000, without a trial, and was detained in the Women's Drug Treatment Centre (also called labour camp) of Nanchang city. Li Yanhua and other detained practitioners started a hunger strike. Later, the camp guards tied them up and took them to hospital. According to information received; the medical examination showed that Li Yanhua was in serious condition. Her internal organs were atrophied and damaged. The labour camp informed her family to come and pick her up. Li Yanhua died at around 18.00 hours on 13 April, within two hours of arriving home; (xxxi) Zhang Shuqi, aged 52, from Xicheng district, Beijing. On 26 December 1999, Ms. Zhang was reportedly arrested when attempting to attend the trial of four Falun Gong members at the Intermediate People's Court of Beijing. She was sent to Chang-qiao police station. The next day, she was transferred to the detention centre of the Xi-cheng police department. On the afternoon of 14 January 2000, the police station suddenly informed her family members,to come arid pick her up. After returning home, Ms. Zhang fainted, vomited and lost consciousness. She was immediately sent to the Beijing University Hospital for emergency treatment. However, she could not recover and died at 21.50 hours on 15 Jarivary; (xxxii) Zhu Shaolan, aged 50, from Jinzhou, Liaoning province. On 28 September many practitioners in Jinzhou, collected signatures for a letter appealing for their freedom to practise Falun Gong. It is reported that as a result, many were arrested. To voice their concerns over the injustice, more than 40 practitioners started fasting on 29 September. Ms. Zhu was one of them. She became very weak two days later and started vomiting on the fourth day. The Raoyang local police sent her to the hospital on 5 October, and she died in the hospital in the morning of 7 October 1999; (xxxiii) Au Xiangmei, aged 35, from Changshou county of Chongqing, Sichuan province. She was arrested in Beijing in November 1999 and was detained afterwards in the Chongqing Liaison Office in Beijing. It is reported that while trying to escape through a window, she fell and died; E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 16 (xxxiv) Xia Wei, aged 43, from Guanyingiao, Jiangbei district of Chongqing, Sichuan province. She went to Beijing to appeal and was arrested in early November 1999 and was detained afterwards in the Chongqing Liaison Office in Beijing. She reportedly tried to escape through the window, but fell and died. Police allegedly told her husband not to reveal any information about the case. * 17. According to information received; on 6 May 2000; 12 practitioners were sent to the Mental Hospital of Jiaozhou (also called Jiaozhou Psychological Recovery Centre), located at Yangzhou Road, Jiaozhou, Shandong province, for having gone to Beijing to appeal or continuing to practise Falun Gong: On 6 October 2000 a few were released but the majority are still reportedly being detained in the hopital. According t� report, they would only be released if they pledged that they would not appeal for Falun Gong, would not practise Falun Gong any more, and pay a fine of several thousand yuan. Reports have been received of various forms of ill-treatment including being forced to take medicines and receive injections, after which the practitioners would feel weak. They were also reportedly given electric shock treatment. In particular, the Special Rapporteur has received information concerning the following individual cases: (a) Zhou Caixia. It is reported that after being on hunger strike for four days in the detention centre of Jiaozhou, she was taken to the mental hospital on 4 June 2000. She was allegedly forced to endure shots, medicines and other treatment designed for treating mental patients; (b) Kuang Bencui. On 14 February, Ms. Kuang went to Beijing to appeal for. Falun Dafa. According to information received, she was arrested and sent to the Jiaozhou Liaison Office in Beijing and detained for one night. The next morning, her work unit in Qingdao took her to the mental hospital of Jiaozhou city. Ms. Kuang was reportedly detained in the mental hospital for two months and had been treated like a mental patient. She was allegedly forced to take medicine and have injections. She was force-fed three times a day, with the dosage increased from one tablet a time to six tablets a time. After two months, her family members bailed her out; (c) Tan Guihua. According to information received, on 12 September 1999, Ms. Tan went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. On her return officers,from her work unit and the Politics and Law Commission broke into her home and took her to the mental hospital of Jiaozhou. As Ms. Tan refused to take an injection, a nurse and eight mental patients held her , down and gave her the injection. She was reportedly asked daily whether she would continue to practise Falun Gong. When she replied in the affirmative the doctor gave her electric shock treatment. For a two-month period she was reportedly force-fed with medicines and given injections three times a day. It is alleged that the doctors also experimented on her with a new imported drug which had various side effects. Inter alia, she stopped menstruating and suffered memory loss. * 18. It is reported that at the beginning of December 1999, under a variety of fabricated charges, policemen from the Chengguan police station in Fangshan district of Beijing arrested 52 Falun Gong practitioners, the majority of whom were women, including: E/CN.4/2001 /73/Add.1 page 17 Liu Wen (sex unkown), Wang Shuzhen (female), Chen Shumei (female), Yang Xuehua (unknown), Yang Xiuru (female), Liu Shengzhi (unknown), Xu Shufen (female), Wang Yingyuan (female), Zhang Yuzhen (female), Zhang Shihong (female), Cao Xiufen (female), Ren Shufen (female), Bai Xiulian (unknown), Jiang Xianglian (female), Su Fengxia (female), Yang Fenglian (female), Liu Yuxiang (female), Zhao Guomin (unknown), Jiang Shufen (female), Li Wanfeng (unknown), Shi Zhiguo (male), Hu Yajing (female), Song Zhenlan (female), Cui Hongxia (female), Liu Shuying (female), Yu Huanfeng (female), Li Xiujuan (female), Fan Xiuzhen (female), Zhang Cuihua (female), Li Huixin (unknown), Xu Hemin (male), Su Xiurong (female), Chen Shuling (female), Niu Shuzhen (female), Jiang Jingfang (female), Liu Chunhua (female), Liu Fengxia (female), Wang Xiuhui (female), He Guizhen (female), Yang Shufang (female), Liu Zhixia (female), Li Ruilian (female), Li Huiyun (unknown), Cui Xiuzhen (female), Liu Shuxin (female). * 19. It is reported that the police station sent all of them to the Zhoukoudian Psychiatric Hospital, Fangshan district, Beijing, without any legal or medical procedures, allegedly in order to prevent them from going to Beijing to appeal during the period of the return of Macau to Chinese rule. They reportedly demanded every practitioner to pay between 800 and 1,000 yuan renminbi. It was said that it was up to the chief police officer in the police station when these practitioners were to be released. All 52 practitioners were reportedly released on 21-22 January after their family members paid the money. Observations 20. The Special Rapporteur recognizes that there has been insufficient time for the Government to respond to her letter of 19 January 2001. * 21. The Special Rapporteur notes that the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, by letter dated 10 August 2000, transmitted individual cases of torture of female Falun Gong practitioners to the Government. - 112 - UNITED NATIONS E dirs I 41 �Lv Council Economic and Social Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 14 January 2003 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 12 (a) of the provisional agenda INTEGRATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/52 Addendum Communications to and from Governments* * The executive summary of this report and the confidential information form (see appendix) are being circulated in all official languages. The report itself is contained in the annex to the executive summary and is being circulated in the languages of submission only. GE.03-10400 (E) 270203 - 113 - E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 page 9 China 26. On 24 January 2002; the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteurs on the question of torture, and on freedom of opinion and expression and to the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on arbitrary detention, on behalf of Connie Chipkar, a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner, who had reportedly been arrested on Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on 23 January 2002. * 27. On 22 July 2002 the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the. Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of female Falun Gong practitioners whose lives were reported to be, in danger. In particular, the Special Rapporteur received information ori the following individual cases. 28. Zheng Donghui, aged 30 of Changchun City; Jilin Province, is reportedly held at the Heizuizi Labour Camp in Changchun City. According to information received, she has been beaten, tortured with shocks from electric batons, and hung by her wrists in order to force her to give up Falun Gong. As a result of receiving shock treatment for an extended period.of time, she allegedly suffers from heart problems and infections. Her health and life are reported to be in danger. * 29. . Li Shujie,resident of Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, was reportedly arrested in early November 2001 after police broke into her home, and took her to the Anshunlu Police Station. According to reports, a group of police took turns beating her, then covered her head with a plastic bag, and, while suffocating her, pierced her face with needles until she fell unconscious. It is reported that Li Shujie's bones were broken, and her face.and body were covered with bruises. Ms. Li was then reportedly taken to the Qiqihar First Detention Center, Qiqihar City, Heilogjiang Province: According to information received, a few days later Ms. Li was taken into a room for interrogation where she was again severely beaten. As a result, her internal organs were allegedly injured, and she was reportedly unable to eat and move for five days. The directors of the detention centre, reportedly rejected Ms. Li's request to be released for medical treatment and it is alleged that one month later she was suddenly moved to an unknown location. * 30. Liu Runling, aged 38, resident of Hebei Province, was reportedly arrested on 28 September 2001 and detained at the No. 1 Detention Centre, where she remains. In January 2002, guards allegedly ordered several inmates to torture Ms. Liu because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. According to reports, they took her to a bathroom, where she was stripped naked and beaten. They reportedly inserted hair and used tissues into her vagina, and pierced her with needles for 40 minutes. It is reported that this left her covered with wounds and needle holes, and both her breasts allegedly turned black. - 114 - E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 page 10 * 31. Wei Tianchen, aged 45, resident of Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, was reportedly arrested and sentenced to two years forced labour after going to Beijing in May 2000 to appeal to the Government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was reportedly released in November 2000 due to weakness, but was arrested again in July 2001 and sentenced to four years in the No. 1 Detention Centre, where she allegedly remains. During her detention, it is reported that she has often been stripped and beaten for refusing to give up Falun Gong. In January 2002, a police officer reportedly put shackles on Ms. Wei and ordered an inmate to pour icy water over her. It is also alleged that she was forced to sleep on the icy ground for one month. * 32. Yang Jingxhi, aged 37; Lu Guifang, 50, and Zhao Yuhua, 41, residents of Weiping Township, Liaoning Province, allegedly went to Beijing to appeal to the Government to stop prosecuting Falun Gong and were reportedly arrested in Tiananmen Square on 25 April 2002. At the Tiananmen Square police station, they were allegedly stripped down to their underwear and tortured. It is reported that the policemen handcuffed their hands to their backs and inserted pieces of chalk or chopsticks between their fingers. The fingers were reportedly squeezed until the chalk or chopsticks were broken. It is also alleged that the police poured hot water on Ms. Yang, causing her to lose consciousness and her body to become swollen. It is reported that, on the same day, Ms. Yang, M. Lu and Ms. Zhao were sent t6 Masanjia Labour Camp, but were refused because they had become too weak. In May 2002, they were allegedly arrested and resent to Masanjia Labour Camp. * 33. According to report's, Wang Guizhen, aged 52, resident of Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province, went to Beijing in December 2000 to appeal to the Government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Three policemen reportedly shocked her with electric batons while in detention at the Huairou County Jail in Beijing. She allegedly went on a hunger strike to protest the detention, but reportedly almost died when,a feeding tube was inserted into her trachea. It is reported that after being released a week later she was again arrested and detained at the Changchun Heizuizi Labour Camp. According to information received, she frequently received shocks with an electric baton and was also allegedly beaten on numerous occasions. In addition numerous cuts were allegedly found on her face and neck, and her treatment is reported to have caused her to vomit, cough up blood and be unable to eat. She was reportedly sent to a mental hospital, but her current whereabouts are said to be unknown. -115- UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/200 3 /75/Add. l 27 February 2003 ENGLISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 12 (a) of the provisional agenda INTEGRATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/52 Addendum 1 International, regional and national developments in the area of violence against women 1994-2003* * The present document is being circulated in the language of submission only as it greatly exceeds the page limitations currently imposed by the relevant General Assembly resolutions GE.03-11304 -116- E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.1 Page 178 China 952. China ratified the Convention on 4 November 1980, but maintains a reservation to article 29. Legislation 953. Article 27 of the Constitution states that women enjoy equal rights with men in all respects and that the State protects marriage, the family and the mother and child, family violence against women is reported to be quite widespread. 954. Even though China has no national law specifically targeting domestic violence, amendments to the Marriage Law, passed in April 2001, provide some protection against spousal abuse. In addition, 13 provinces and provincial cities have passed their own legislation addressing domestic abuse. For example, the Domestic Violence Ordinance of 1997 provides protection in situations of domestic violence for the residents of Hong Kong. 955. The Law on Population and Family Planning 2002 makes China's `One -Child' Policy an official law. Even though it provides for the improve ment of reproductive health education and prohibits mistreatment of, and discrimination against women who give birth to female children, it severely restricts women's enjoyment of reproductive rights. 956. In 1996 and 1997 China revised its Criminal Procedure Law and Criminal Law with the aim of strengthening laws against forced prostitution and the abduction of women and children. The new legislation contains provisions that protect women from acts of violence in their every day lives as well as from violence administered while in police custody.396 Policies and programmes 957. In 1996 China began to execute the third five-year plan for the publicity and education of the legal system.397 The plan includes education of laws regarding women, as well as the creation of an inspection team to periodically inspect the enforcement of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women. 958. In July 1995 the Programme for the Development of Chinese Women was formulated with the participation of the State Council Working Committee on Women and Children and other -117- E/CN.4/2003/75/Add. 1 Page 179 ministries and commissions. Local governments also formulated plans for the development of women during 1996 and 1997, and corresponding bodies were set up in the provinces, prefectures and counties. In 1998/9 four regional conferences were held to monitor and analyse the progress made. As part of the media component, the television programme "Half the Sky" deals with many topics including reproductive health, violence against women, sexual harassment, and women's image in the mass media. Also in 1995, the Government launched "a child-bearing insurance scheme for employed women that included a collective social fund to bear the expenses of childbearing. Issues of concern 959. Despite the abovementioned protective measures, violence against women remains a serious problem. According to a July 2000 survey by the All China Women's Federation (ACWF), violence occurs in 30 per cent of Chinese families, with 80 per cent of cases involving spousal abuse. Domestic violence is present in all socioeconomic levels, and is reportedly more frequent in rural areas. Although awareness of this problem seems to be growing, there are reportedly no shelters for victims of domestic violence. 960. Despite central Government legislation that formally prohibits the use of force to compel persons to submit to abortion or sterilization, the intense pressure to meet Government imposed . family planning targets sometimes leads family -planning officials to force women to undergo abortions and sterilization. In addition, Genetic testing, banned since January 1995, has become a lucrative underground business in the country and has also led to pressure to abort female foetuses. 961. Women in Tibet continue to undergo hardship and are also subjected to gender -specific crimes, including reproductive rights violations such as forced sterilization, forced abortion, coercive birth control policies and the monitoring of menstrual cycles. There have been many reports of Tibetan women prisoners facing brutality and torture in custody. 398 * 962. It has also been reported that China has intensified repression of the Falun Gong. According to reports, there are numerous cases of Falung Gong practitioners facing harassment and torture in various areas of the country. They face extortion, prolonged detention, physical and psychological abuse and imprisonment. Some have died in prisons under unacceptable circumstances.399 963. According to statistics compiled by the World Bank, Harvard University, and the World Health Organization, over half of the world's female suicides occur in China. About 500 Chinese women commit suicide a day, at a rate that the World Bank estimates to be five times the global average. The low economic and social status of women is thought to be largely to blame. - 118 - Reports by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders 2002-2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social ,IJV �":%v Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2002/ 106 27 February 2002 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session http://www.unhchr. ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/e06a53 00f90fa023 8025668700518ca4/4d 23a02eac9b1116c1256b820052c56f Item 17 (b) of the provisional agenda PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS Report submitted by Ms. Hina Jilani, Special Representative of Secretary-General on human rights defenders, pursuant to the Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/61 GE.02-11122 (E) 220302 - 120 - E/CN.4/2002/106 page 42 CHINA Communications sent 50. On 31 August 2001 the Special Representative transmitted an allegation jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture on the following cases. 51. Wang Wanxing, a human rights activist, was reportedly forcibly removed from his home by public security officers and taken to Ankang Psychiatric Hospital in Beijing on 23 November 1999. This followed Mr. Wanxing's request to the authorities to hold a press - 121- E/CN.4/2002/106 page 43 conference to discuss his confinement. He was allegedly first detained in Ankang Public Security Hospital on 3 June 1992 after trying to unfurl a banner in Tiananmen Square commemorating the events of 4 June 1989. On 19 August 1999, Wang Wanxing was reportedly released for a three-month trial period. * 52. Li Lanying, Chen Shihuan, Liu Jinling and Chi Yunling four Falun Gong practitioners from Zhaoyuan county in Shandong province, were reportedly detained in November 1999 for disclosing details of the death due to torture of Zhao Jinhua in October 1999. In December 1999, Li Lanying and Chen Shihuan were reportedly assigned to three years' "re-education through labour", to be served in a labour camp in Zibo county, Shandong province. 53. On 26 September 2001 the Special Representative transmitted an allegation jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture regarding the following cases. 54. Mr. Lobsang Tenzin and Mr. Tenpa Wangdrak were reportedly caught, on 31 March 1991, while in Drapchi Prison, attempting to hand over a letter to the then United States Ambassador, James Lilley, who was visiting Drapchi Prison. According to the information received, the letter contained in detail treatment meted out to political prisoners and a list of prisoners who had reportedly been tortured. Mr. Lobsang Tenzin and Mr. Tenpa Wangdrak were reportedly beaten by officers of the Public Security Bureau (PSB), and moved to dark isolation cells. * 55. Mrs. Li Yang was reportedly arrested on 15 March 2000 and sent for one month to Chaoyang District Detention Centre for appealing for the rights of Falun Gong practitioners at the Government Central Appeal Office in Beijing. She was reportedly held in very bad conditions. * 56. Ms. Zhang Xuelingwas reportedly sentenced on 24 April 2000 to three years' imprisonment in the Wangcun Labour Camp in Shandong province for collaborating with the enemy. According to the information received, her arrest was connected with the appeal Ms. Zhang filed to seek justice for her mother, Ms. Chen Zixiu, who had allegedly been beaten to death on 21 February 2000, while in detention, and ask for a forensic report. It has been further reported that, on 20 April 2000, Ms. Zhang gave details of her mother's death and of her quest for justice to the Asian Wall Street Journal. 57. On 27 September 2001 the Special Representative transmitted an allegation to the Government of China regarding the following cases. 58. Jamphel Jangchup, Ngawang Phulchung, Ngawang Woeser and Ngawang Gyaltsen, Drepung monk members of the "Organization of Ten" were reportedly arrested by officers of the Public Security Bureau (PSB), on 16 April 1989, for forming a "counter-revolutionary organization, producing reactionary literature, which attacked the Chinese Government and slandered the People's Democratic dictatorship". In fact, the group reportedly published a Tibetan translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and had also given information about the human rights abuses reportedly perpetrated by the authorities. According to the information received, Mr. Jangchup and Mr. Phulchung were sentenced to 19 years' imprisonment and Mr. Woeser and Mr. Gyaltsen were sentenced to 17 years. -122- E/CN.4/2002/106 page 44 * 59. Mr. Chu 0 -ming, a Falun Gong practitioner based,in Hong Kong, was reportedly arrested on 7 September 2000 in connection with the complaint he filed, on 29 August 2000, with the Supreme Procuratorate of China, against Jiang Zemin, the President, Zeng Qinghong,,Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Personnel, and Luo Gan, Secretary of the Political and Legal, Committee of the State Council, for alleged persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. To date, Mr. Chu's family has still not obtained any information about his whereabouts. * 60., Ms. Teng Chunyan, a medical doctor and Falun Gong practitioner, was reportedly charged with "prying into State intelligence for overseas organizations" and sentenced to three years in jail by Beijing Intermediate People's Court, on 23 November 2000. According to the information received, on 7 Februaiy 2000, Ms., Teng led foreign journalists to a village in the Fangshan district of Beijing, where they reportedly, interviewed Falun Gong practitioners detained in a mental hospital. In March 2000, Ms. Teng returned to Fangshan and provided a digital camera for a man to take pictures of the detained Falun Gong members to document their detention and hunger strike. She later reportedly forwarded the pictures to foreign news organizations by e-mail. 61. On 8 and 12 March 2001, the local police reportedly arrested He Kechang, Ran Chongxin, Jiang Qingshan and Wen Dingchun, four farmers, who' were planning to go to Beijing in early March 2001 to present a petition to the Government complaining that local officials had embezzled funds intended to pay for resettling them. According to the information received, the four farmers are among thousands of people whose homes will be flooded by the Three Gorges Dam, a giant reservoir that is reportedly planned to be operational in the centre of Gaoyang in 2003. All four of them were reportedly, held in the Yunyang county police Detention Centre, charged with disturbing the social order, leaking State secrets and maintaining illicit relations with a foreign country. Observations 62. The Special Representative regrets that at the time of the finalization of this report the Government had not transmitted any reply to her communications. - 123- UNITED NATIONS E Vorru ANA Ntk Economic and Social Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/ 104/Add.1 20 February 2003 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 17 (b) of the provisional agenda PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS Report submitted by Ms. Hina Jilani, Special Representative of the Secretary- General on human rights defenders, in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/61 Addendum* Communications to and from Governments The present report is being circulated in several languages of submission, and will not be formally translated or edited, as it greatly exceeds the page limitations imposed by the relevant General Assembly resolutions. GE.03-11122 - 124 - Communications sent China - 125 - E/CN.4/2003/1 04/Add. 1 Page 25 E/CN.4/2003 / 104/Add.1 Page 26 80. On 16 September 2002, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal together with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture regarding Dr. Wan Yanhai, the founder and coordinator of the AIZHI (AIDS) Action Project. Dr. Wan Yanhai was reportedly taken into detention to a secret place by State security authorities on 24 August 2002. According to the information received, Dr. Wan Yanhai's detention may be related to his activities in favour of human rights and to the alleged publication on the Internet of information on the spread of HIV/AIDS through unsanitary practices in the collection of blood in Henan province. Prior to his disappearance and reported detention by State authorities, Dr. Wan Yanhai was allegedly under surveillance by plainclothes police. The AIZHI Action Project was reportedly forced to move out of its offices when its partner institute was allegedly obliged by authorities to stop cooperating with the group. According to the information received, Dr. Wan Yanhai was not given the possibility of contacting his family and friends or to be represented by legal counsel of his choice. 81. On 9 October 2002, the Special Representative transmitted a communication regarding the following cases. 82. Li Wangyang, an advocate for many years of labour rights in China, has reportedly been arrested and imprisoned in the past because of his human rights work. During his imprisonment he is reported to have developed medical problems. Following his release Li Wangyang is reported to have petitioned the Government to cover his medical costs and to have publicized his predicament among human rights groups. It is allegedly for this reason that on 29 September 2001, he is reported to have been sentenced to a further 10 years of imprisonment by the People's Intermediate Court of Shaoyang. Officially, he was reportedly convicted of incitement to subvert State power. 83. Zhang Shanguang, an advocate of workers' rights, was reportedly arrested on 28 August 1998 and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on 27 December 1998, allegedly after having given interviews to foreign organizations in which he reportedly related information about a kidnapping case in Xupu County. This information was allegedly described by authorities as "intelligence" information, even though it was reportedly widely known among inhabitants of the area. Zhang Shanguang is reportedly continuing to serve his sentence in the Hunan No.1 prison. In March 2001, he is reported to have signed a petition, along with other inmates, alleging serious human rights violations inside the prison. He was allegedly beaten as a result. 84. On 30 November 1998, Qin Yongmin, an activist and author, was allegedly accused of "incitement to subvert State power" after founding the China Human Rights Observer and for his role in establishing the China Democracy Party. It is alleged that he was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment after his trial on 17 December 1998. * 85. On 24 May 2002, Yoko Kaneko was reportedly arrested after having distributed material allegedly disclosing human rights violations committed against - 126 - E/CN.4/2003/104/Add.1 Page 27 Falung Gong practitioners in Tiananmen Square. It is reported that Yoko Kaneko was taken to the Haidian District Public Security Branch and has been detained since then. * 86. Shan Lihua was reportedly arrested and detained twice by the police during trips to Beijing to appeal to the Government to stop violating. the human rights- of Falung Gong practitioners. On 10 February 2000, she was reportedly arrested by police officers from the Weishui Town Police Station while she was doing Falung Gong exercises. In October 2002, she was reportedly sentenced to three years of imprisonment for having written letters about the human rights conditions of Falung Gong practitioners. 87. In September 1999, Rebiya Kadeer, a prominent advocate of, women's -rights and the rights of the Uighur ethnic group, was reportedly charged with "providing secret information to foreigners" after being arrested in August 1999 as she entered a hotel to discuss human rights with United States congressional staff visiting China. It is alleged that, in March 2000, Rebiya Kadeer was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment. In August 2002, grave concerns were expressed about her health. 88. In November 1999, Jiang Qisheng, an adovate of the rights of 4 June Tiananmen victims, was reportedly sentenced to four years' imprisonment and one year's deprivation of political rights for "incitement to subvert State power." On 15 April 1999, Jiang Qisheng reportedly circulated an open letter calling on the Chinese people to mark the tenth anniversary of the June massacre with peaceful acts, such as lighting candles inside houses. Further, on 17 May 1999, Jiang Qisheng reportedly issued a personal appeal on behalf of Cao Jiahe, the Dongfang magazine editor who was allegedly detained and tortured for collecting signatures to mark the 4 June anniversary. 89. Li Hai, a human rights activist, was reportedly jailed in 1995 for having made public a list of individuals sentenced to prison terms for their participation in the 1989 demonstrations in Beijing. Li Hai was allegedly convicted of "prying into and gathering the following information about people sentenced . for criminal activities in 1989: name, age, family situation, crime, ngth of sentence, location of imprisonment, treatment while imprisoned." It is all `ged that, according to the court's verdict, this information constituted "high-level State secrets". Li Hai's appeal was reportedly rejected by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate Court on 13 March 1997. Li Hai's detention was judged to be arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. 90. Ding Zilin (f), an activist whose son was reportedly executed in Tiananmen Square on 4 June 1989, has reportedly been under strict surveillance and has been detained on several occasions. Since 1989, Ding Zilin has been documenting the list of those wounded and killed during the Tiananmen Square events and distributing financial aid to victims' families. It is reported that in 2000, the group of so called "Tiananmen Mothers" to which Ding Zilin belongs issued a petition demanding the right to mourn peacefully in public, the right to accept humanitarian aid, the end to the persecution of the victims of the events of 4 June 1989 and a full public accounting of the events which took place on that date. It is reported that Ding Zilin's bank account has been frozen to prevent her from receiving funds to assist families of victims - 127 - E/CN.4/2003 / 104/Add.1 Page 28 * 91. On 10 October 2002, the Special Representative together with the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, transmitted a communication regarding Li Qun. On 13 March 2000, Li Qun is alleged to have written a letter to the Office of Appeal of Nanjing City government calling on the Government to respect the rights of Falun Gong practitioners allegedly being confined and forcibly given harmful drugs in the Nanjing Psychiatric Hospital. According to the information received, in reaction to her letter, Li Qun was herself taken to the psychiatric hospital, where she was allegedly force=fed psychotropic drugs, with apparent damage to her brain. It is alleged that Li Qun's relatives have been refused access to her. Communication received 92. By letter dated 28 November 2002, the Government informed the Special Representative that Dr. Wan Yanhai was detained by members of the Beijing State Security Bureau on suspicion of unlawfully transmitting State secrets abroad. The Government clarified that the detainee had requested in writing that his family should not be notified of his detention and voluntarily renounced his rights to legal counsel. The Government further indicated that given the fact that he had acknowledged his guilt, he was granted a discharge on 20 September 2002. The Government assured the Special Representative that Dr. Wan Yanhai had not been subjected to ill-treatment while in detention and that he was currently in good health. Observations 93. The Special Representative thanks the Government for its reply. However, she remains concerned that the actions for which Dr. Wan Yanhai was accused are among those protected by the Declaration on human rights defenders. She is concerned, further, at the Government's information indicating that he did not wish his family to be notified of his detention and that he renounced his right to legal counsel. The Special Representative regrets that, at the time of completion of the present report she had not yet received responses to her other communications. She notes, however, that an additional reponse was received from the Government prior to publication of this report but that insufficient time was available for the Chinese text • original to be translated and for the response to be incorporated here. - 128 - Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression 2002-2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). UNITED NATIONS E ;4N.`J �!>� Economic and Social � o � ��JV V����e Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2002/75/Add.2 25 February 2002 Original: ENGLISH/FRENCH/ SPANISH ENGLISH/FRENCH/ SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-eighth session Item 11 (c) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. Abid Hussain, submitted in accordance with Commission resolution 2001/47 GE.02-10970 (E) 140302 Addendum Country situations - 130 - China Communications sent E/CN.4/2002/75/Add.2 page 41 136. On 7 May 2001, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on torture, sent an urgent appeal concerning the prolonged detention of Gao Zhan, a research fellow at the American University in Washington D.C. She had been held in incommunicado detention since her arrest by officers of the Beijing State Security Bureau at Beijing airport on 11 February 2001. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Minister issued a statement on 28 March 2001 that she had been charged with accepting "missions from overseas intelligence agencies" and taking "funds for spying activities in mainland China". She was formally charged on 2 April 2001 with accepting money from a foreign intelligence agency and of participating in espionage activities in China. It was reported that the State Security Ministry had repeatedly denied Gao Zhan's lawyer's requests for meetings. Concerns were expressed for her health as Gao Zhan suffers from heart disease and other medical problems. Her place of detention was unknown. Gao Zhan, a United States resident, might have been arrested in connection to her research which focused primarily on women's issues, on Chinese family and on China's relations with Taiwan. Gao Zhan's husband, Xue Donghua, and their son, Andrew Xue, were also arrested on 11 February 2001 at Beijing airport and kept in incommunicado detention for 26 days. Xue Donghua, also a United States resident, and Andrew Xue, a United States citizen, were released and reunited on 8 March 2001 and immediately returned to the United States. 137. On 17 May 2001, the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal concerning a series of alleged arrests and detentions targeting individuals who write on the Internet. Yang Zili, creator of an Internet web site www lib.126.com, was arrested on 13 March 2001 as he was leaving his home in Beijing. His place of detention was unknown and he had not been formally charged. It was believed that his arrest was linked to articles he had published on Internet which denounced repression against Falun Gong followers and the economic problems of Chinese peasants. His wife, Lu Kun, was also arrested on 13 March 2001 and, after being interrogated by the police regarding the activities of her husband, she was released after 48 hours. Moreover, the Special Rapporter referred to the detention of Lu Xinhua for "subversion" on the basis of the law on the content of information published on the Internet, and of Wang Jinbo, a member of the China Democracy Party, arrested by police on 9 May 2001 in Junan, Shandong province, and accused of having published on the Internet a text libelling the local police. Furthermore, Wang Sen, also a member of the China Democracy Party, was detained in Dachuan, Sichuan province, where he was arrested on 30 April 2001. He was accused of having denounced on the Internet local trafficking in medicines. In addition, the Special Rapporteur indicated that Guo Qinghai was sentenced by a court in Cangzhou on 26 April 2001 to four years in jail for subversion by virtue of the law on the content of news published on the Internet. 138. On 15 August 2001, the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal concerning a directive issued publicly on 8 August by the Chinese State Press and Publications Administration according to which publications could be summarily closed down for reporting on any one of the seven proscribed topics, including criticism of government policies or reporting that "harms the national interest". This directive was the latest move in a crackdown on the mainland Chinese -131 E/CN.4/2002/75/Add.2 page 42 press that began intensifying in January. Since then, several publications have been shut down and a number of reporters and editors have been dismissed or demoted. Furthermore, hundreds of journalists have been brought to Beijing to meet with propaganda officials in order to "study publicity directions". 139. On 3 September 2001, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal -concerning the sending of Liu Haofeng, a free-lance writer and journalist, to a labour camp where he could stay for up to three years without formal charges or trial. Liu Haofeng was secretly arrested in March 2001 in Shangai. Liu Haofeng was accused by the Shangai Re-education through Labour Committee of "endangering national security" for having published under various pen names on the Internet a policy paper and anessay on the dissident China Democratic Party as well as on the current situation of China's peasants. Liu Haofeng was also accused of trying to form an illegal organization, the "China Democracy Party Joint Headquarters, Second Front". * 140. On 25 October 2001, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal regarding the arrest of Huang Guodong, a 51 -year-old resident of Mudanjiang city, Heilongjiang province, and his son in February 2001 on the charge of having printed and distributed Falun Gong flyers. They were taken to the Nanshan police station of Tielinghe in Mudanjiang city, where the police are said to have tied them up and to have beaten them violently for a whole day and night: Huang Guodong was subsequently transferred to Mudanjiang detention centre, where he was subjected to periodic torture by three police officers, whose names are known to the Special Rapporteurs. As a result of the torture, Huang Guodong became incontinent and has not been able to take in any food since 10 October 2001. * 141. On 30 October 2001, the Special Rapporteur transmitted an urgent appeal, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture, concerning the following allegations. On 25 December 2000, Zhang Maoxing and his eldest daughter, Zhang Juan, went to Beijing to appeal to the Government to stop the persecution of the Falun Gong. They were arrested together there and escorted back to the Jiujiang county detention centre in Jiangxi province. Zhang Maoxing had suffered severe beating in the detention centre and was tortured to death on 25 January 2001. Even after Mr. Zhang's death, the police did not lessen its persecution against his family. Indeed, the police did not allow Mr. Zhang's wife to see her husband for the last' time. Likewise, Zhang Maoxing's brother and his 10 -year-old son were allowed to see his body, but only very briefly before it was hastily cremated. They saw that the body had dark bruises all over, and was still shackled to an iron bed when it was carried away from the hospital for cremation. 142. On 1 November 2001, the Special Rapporteur transmitted a communication regarding the sentencing on 11 September 2001 of Zhu Ruixiang, a former Chinese television editor who used a Hong Kong -based Internet site to e-mail political articles to his friends, to three years' imprisonment on charges of subversion. In the same communication, the Special Rapporteur referred to the detention of Lu Xinhua, arrested in mid-March 2001 in Wuhan, Hubei province. This arrest could be linked to articles written by Mr. Lu about rural unrest and official corruption which appeared on various overseas Internet news sites. On 20 April 2001, Mr. Lu was charged with subversion, a charge frequently used against journalists who write about politically sensitive subjects. - 132 - UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social i-b4,1�,/ `��l�V Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2003/67/Add. 1 20 February 2003 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-ninth session Item 11 (c) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION The right to freedom of opinion and expression Addendum Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received GE.03-11113 - 133 - China Communications sent E/CN.4/2003/67/Add. 1 page 35 * 107. On 24 January 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent jointly with the Special Rapporteurs on torture and on violence against women and the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an urgent appeal concerning Connie Chipkar, a 61 -year-old Canadian Falun Gong practitioner, who was reportedly arrested on Tiananmen Square on 23 January 2002 because she wore a sash that read "Falun Gong" and "SOS" and had begun to practise Falun Gong exercises. According to the information received, she was immediately arrested by a uniformed police officer and some police officers in civilian clothes, put into a police van and driven away in an unknown location. 108. On 25 February 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture concerning Xu Zerong, a research associate professor at the Southeast Asia Institute of the Zhongshan University in Guangzhou, who was reportedly arrested on 24 June 2000 and charged on 25 July 2000 in connection with "the illegal publication of books and periodicals since 1993", for which he was reportedly sentenced in January 2002 by a Shenzhen Court to 13 years in prison (three years for "economic crimes" and 10 years on charges of "leaking state secrets" in connection with his alleged use of classified documents conceming - 134 - E/CN.4/2003/67/Add.1 page 36 Chinese military operations during the 1950-53 Korean war). Mr. Zerong was reportedly detained incommunicado for the 18 months leading up to his trial and his place of detention at the time the urgent appeal was sent was allegedly unknown. It was reported that Mr. Zerong appealed his sentence. 109. On 9 April 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture concerning information they received about the arrest of four workers' representatives, Yao Fuxin, Xiao Yunliang, Pang Qingxiang, and Wang Zhaoming, who were reportedly charged with "illegal assembly and demonstration" for their part in organizing protests in Liaoyang City, Lianing province, during which up to 30,000 workers demonstrated in March against layoffs, alleged management corruption and insufficient severance pay. The Special Rapporteurs indicate in their communication that Yao Fuxin, who was detained incommunicado from 17 to 31 March — when he was allowed to call his family but not to receive visits, might have developed a heart condition due to ill-treatment during his detention and had to be taken to hospital for treatment. * 110. On 11 April 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture on the case of approximately 20 Falun Gong practitioners in Changchun City, Jilin Province, including Mr. Liang Zhenxing, Mr. Liu Chengjun, Ms. Zhou Runjun, Mr. Lei Ming, Mr. Zhao Jian, Mr. Yun Qinglin and Ms. Li Yanmei, who have reportedly been detained during a security crackdown in Changchun City and charged with having tapped into the signal of eight major television stations, on 5 March 2002, in order to broadcast footage ekposing the Chinese Government's alleged persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. Reports also seem to indicate that local police officials have said that 15 other people have been arrested in connection with the same broadcast, without giving details about their names or whereabouts and that an official from the Changchun Re-education Through Labour Bureau has indicated that between 100 and 200 people have been detained since the broadcast and would probably be sent to a labour camp for between one to three years. 111. On 28 May 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent another urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture concerning workers' representatives Yao Fuxin, Xiao Yunliang, Pang Qingxiang and Wang Zhaoming, who were reportedly still held in detention, although according to the information received, Yao Fuxin is believed to be seriously ill possibly due to ill- treatment. On 11 April 2002, his wife was reportedly allowed to visit him, for the first time since his arrest, at the Tieling City Detention centre, in northeastern China and she reported that he may have suffered several minor strokes since his detention, although he had no prior history of cardiovascular disease, and that he may not have received appropriate medical care. The communication also referred to Gu Baoshu, an activist involved in demonstrations, who was reportedly forcibly taken from his home on 16 April, severely beaten by the police and released after several hours of interrogation. He allegedly was threatened and harassed by the police following his demands for those responsible for his beatings to be investigated and his medical costs to be paid for by the Public Security Bureau. On 15 May 2002, Wang Dawei's whereabouts remained unknown as he has reportedly not been seen since mid-April after he travelled to Beijing from Liaoning Province to file a petition to the central authorities against the current situation at the Ferroalloy factory. - 135- E/CN.4/2003/67/Add. 1 page 37 * 112. On 26 July 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication concerning the alleged blocking by the Government on 1 July of the uncrypted signal transmitting BBC World through the Sinosat 1 satellite, following a report on BBC World about Falun Gong broadcast on 30 June and 1 July 2002. A spokesman for China's international television corporation allegedly told Agence France Presse on 5 July that some programmes of the BBC infringed rules on the transmission of foreign programmes in China. 113. The Special Rapporteur also referred to Mr. Jiang , a Chinese -born Canadian citizen and a freelance reporter, who was reportedly arrested on 3 June 2002 in Daqing, Heilongjiang province, by the authorities, while he was filming a documentary about labour unrest in Daqing for the United States broadcaster PBS, and deported from China on 5 June, as he was accused of making illegal video recordings. 114. In the same communication, the Special Rapporteur referred to the case of Lee Sang - min, a South Korean journalist, who was reportedly assaulted and beaten by the police on 13 June 2002 in Beijing, while reporting on an incident in which Chinese security personnel forcibly removed a North Korean asylum -seeker who had successfully entered the South Korea consulate in Beijing. * 115. He also brought to the attention of the authorities the case of Yoko Kaneko, of her husband, a Japanese citizen, and of two other Japanese Falun Gong practitioners, who had reportedly travelled to Beijing on 23 May 2002 to peacefully appeal for the end of the regime's three-year campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. They were arrested by plainclothes police officers while they were walking to Tiananmen Square in the afternoon of 24 May, distributing Falun Gong materials that disclosed the situation of Falun Gong practitioners in China. It is alleged that they were taken to the Haidian District Public Security Branch, and Ms. Kaneko was detained and sentenced to 18 months of forced labour. * 116. In the same communication, the Special Rapporteur referred to the case of Sun Guilan and 50 other Falun Gong practitioners , who were reportedly having a Falun Gong experience - sharing conference in Caijiapo, Qishan County, Shanxi province at the end of September 2001, when the police broke into the meeting place and reportedly arrested Ms. Sun and sent him to the Baoji City Detention Centre, where she allegedly started a hunger strike to protest. It is reported that she was force-fed by the military doctors of Baoji City No. 60 Hospital and suffocated to death because of the tube being inserted into her trachea. * 117. He also brought to the attention of the Government the case of Chen Yuqing, who was reportedly detained on 1 October 2000 in the City No.1 Detention Centre by the Congtai District public security bureau, after he went to Beijing to appeal to the higher authorities for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. Mr. Chen Yuqing was reportedly mistreated during his detention and he died on 18 October 2000. - 136 - Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers 2000 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). UNITED NATIONS p Economic and Social iv i..14 P) Council Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/61 21 February 2000 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-sixth session Item 11 (d) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTIONS OF: INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mr. Param Cumaraswamy, submitted in accordance with Commission resolution 1999/31 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Executive summary 5 Introduction 1 - 2 6 i F ' I. TERMS OF REFERENCE 3 - 6 6 II. METHODS OF WORK 7 8 III. ACTIVITIES OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR 8 - 26 8 A. Consultations 8 - 10 8 B. Missions/visits 11 - 15 9 C. Communications with governmental authorities 16 - 20 9 GE.00-11177 (E) - 138- - E/CN.4/2000/61 page 26 China Communications to the Government 101. On 14 December 1998, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication to the Government of China concerning allegations he received concerning Mr. Li Bifeng, who was reportedly sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by the Mianyang People's Court in Sichuan on a charge of fraud following his reports on the grievance of laid -off workers to foreign organizations and his criticism of the Communist Party in a letter to it. It is reported that the trial of Li Bifeng lasted only one day. No witnesses appeared to testify against or on behalf of the defendant and the only piece of evidence was an IOU slip that supposedly linked Li Bifeng to an embezzlement scheme. Further, it is alleged that prior to the trial, Li Bifeng's lawyer had been threatened by the police and warned that the case was complicated and that he should not offer a strong defence on his client's behalf. 102. On 31 May 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication concerning developments arising from the two decisions of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) handed down on 29 January 1999. These decisions, inter alia, enabled children of Chinese nationality who were born outside Hong Kong, one of whose parents is a HKSAR permanent resident to qualify as a HKSAR permanent resident; such qualification was not related to the status of the parents at the time of birth or whether the child was born within or outside marriage. The Special Rapporteur was further informed that attempts were made to oust the execution of these decisions, including a request to the National People's Congress to interpret the Basic Law. * 103. On 22 November 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication concerning information he had received relating to the situation of the practitioners of Falun Gong According to the information received, following the Government's ban upon the spiritual practice on 22 July 1999, the Beijing Bureau of Justice issued on 29 July a notice setting out a procedure for reporting all requests for consultations and legal representation relating to Falun Gong. The notice required all legal units, including all attorneys' offices and Bureaux of Justice in all counties and districts, to immediately report, tally and record all requests for consultations and legal representation relating to Falun Gong. The notice stipulated that no contract for legal representation was to be signed without prior approval from the Office of Legal Administration. * 104. Furthermore, it has been alleged that Falun Gong followers have been sentenced without trial or notification to their relatives, including Li Zhiling, Tian Xiuhua, Sui Dali, Chang Yu, Zhang Jiezi and Zhou Ximeng , who have been sentenced to between one and three years in a labour camp. It is further reported that several Falun Gong followers will be facing proceedings. Communication from the Government 105. On 24 June 1999, the Government sent a letter in reply to the Special Rapporteur's letter of 14 December 1998 concerning the case of Mr. Li Bifeng. The Government informed the Special Rapporteur that Li Bifeng had been arrested for economic crimes in April 1998. The Mianyang People's Court held a public hearing during which the results of the investigation in -139- -140- Reports by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief 2002-2003 Editor's Note: Paragraphs relevant to Falun Gong are marked by asterisks (*). United Nations A/57/274 General Assembly Distr.: General 15 July 2002 English Original: English/French Fifty-seventh session Item 111 (b) of the provisional agenda* Human rights questions: human rights questions including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms ,...Elimination of all forms .of religious intolerance Note by the -Secretary-General** The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the members of the General Assembly the interim report prepared by Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 56/157 of 19 December 2001. Interim report prepared by Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief Summary The Special Rapporteur is submitting the present report to the General Assembly pursuant to resolution 56/157 of 19 December 2001. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur deals in section I with the communication sent to States since the publication of the most recent report to the Commission on Human Rights and with the replies received. He also includes the late replies of States to communication sent before the publication of the most recent report. The Special Rapporteur then devotes section II to in situ visits and follow-up. In section III, he describes developments with respect to follow-up of the International Consultative Conference, held in Madrid in November 2001. * A/57/150. ** The present report was finalized in Geneva and sent to the General Assembly Servicing Branch before the deadline of 2 July 2002. Express transmission to Headquarters is the cause of the delay. 02-51389(E) 110902 081002 * 0 2 5 1 3 8 9* E -1421' A/57/274 15. The Special Rapporteur also expressed his concern at the process for the re -registration of religious groups. 16. By letter dated 26 April 2002, Azerbaijan responded, inter alia: "The Sumgait community of Baptist Christians has not provided the additional documents required for its official registration since its incomplete filing on 27 December 2001. "Rauf Gurbanov, Anna` Gurbanova and Taissia Kuznetsova, who are members of this community, nevertheless pursued their religious activities. Arrested on 2 February 2002 while` distributing Christian publications to the population, they were charged with the unlawful exercise of a religious activity and then released. The confiscated publications were returned, no complaint or claim was filed' against the police and the medical examination they underwent showed no sign of their being ill-treated. As to Rauf Akifogly Gurbanov, the investigation revealed nothing to corroborate the statements alleging that he had been insulted and had suffered physical violence. 'During the questioning, Rauf Gurbanov and the other members of the community said that they had not been subjected to any unlawful act or harassment * when exercising their religious activity." Bangladesh 17. On 19 April 2002, the Special Rapporteur informed the Government of Bangladesh that he had * received reports alleging that, since the elections in October 2001, religious minorities, especially the Hindus, had been the victims of repeated attacks. These attacks, said to have been carried out by members of the Bangladeshi Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, have reportedly caused the deaths of dozens of people. More than 100 Hindu girls are said to have been abducted and/or raped, including Putul Rani Das, Alo Rani Das and Mrs. Tramoni -According to the reported information, hundreds of families were expelled from their land and found refuge in India, and numerous attacks have been made against Hindu temples, including in Sirajdikhan, Dewangonj, Akkhaura, Betagi, Fattulah and Sirajganj. 18. The following persons are said to have been killed: Gopal Krishna Muhuri; Sunil Das Sandhu; Habibur Rahman Kazi;' Khorshed; Suvash; Abdul Mannan; Abdul Kashem; Sha Alam; Ansar; Mahir; Lokman; Shariatullah; Hemayet Uddiri;:- Mokbul Ahmed; Azim; Mozahar; Shafiullah; Habibur Rahman; Monir Hossain; Farid; Zakir Hossain; Rabiul Islam; Moslemuddin; Hossain Ali Shuman; Monzer Ali Kalu; Nur Mohammad Mallik; Enayet Sikder; Abdul Alim; Masud; Bahar; Babu; Tajul Islam; Faruk Ahmed; Ramij Salam; Mohammad Yasin; Kalu; Abdul Malek; Liton Ahmed; Abdul Kalam; Shaheen; Noresh Chandra Das; Luftor„Nessae; Mohammad Yusuf; Nurunnabi;,Mukter Hossain. 19. The casualties are said to include: Anil Gomes; Gagon Rojario;' Shibnath Kirtania; Banalatha Kirtania; Charulatha -Kirtania; 'Nipun Kirthania; Nikhil Kirthania; Sandhya Rani; Santosh; Dr. Subodh;'Sanjib; Binod Das; Atul Majumder; Dalim; Usha Rani; Ranjit; Gopal Chakraaborty;.Shibu Dsash Mohanta. 20. It is further alleged that in the majority of cases no steps were taken to protect the citizens and the victims were threatened with reprisals if they filed a complaint. The police is said to have been informed of the incidents and to have taken no action to find the guilty parties and bring them to justice. China 21. The Special Rapporteur sent two communications to the Government of China with respect to the action taken against the members of Falun Gong and the sentences received by members of the Protestant South China Church. 22. Since 1999, 361 members of Falun Gong are said to have died in detention, 80 of them as a result of torture between October 2001 and January 2002, including: Li Began, Wu Jingxia, Li Jingdong, Liu Chunshu, Zhan Wei, Cui Dezhe, Tong Guji, Chen Biyu and Chai Yong. It is alleged that approximately 100,000 practitioners of Falun Gong have been detained and more than 20,000 have been sent to forced labour camps without any trial. Persons recently imprisoned are said to include: Xiong Wei, Teng Chunyan and Zhang Kunlun. 23. On 29 December 2001, five members of the South China Church, Gong Shengliang, Li Ying, Xu Fuming, Hu Yong and Gong Bangkun, were reportedly given death sentences by the Intermediate People's Court in Jingmen city for "using an evil sect to harm the implementation of the law". During the same trial, - 143- United Nations A/58/296 General Assembly Distr.: General 19 August 2003 English Original: French Fifty-eighth session Item 119 (b) of the provisional agenda* Human rights questions: human rights questions including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance Note by the Secretary-General The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the members of the General Assembly the interim report prepared by Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 57/208 of 18 December 2002. * A/58/150. 03-47258(E) 190903 230903 *0347258* - 144- A/58/296 Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) and the Orthodox Church had launched a campaign in Burgas to prevent the construction of a house of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. Posters calling on people to oppose "parasitic sects" had allegedly been displayed in the city. 28. The Special Rapporteur wishes to point out that the registration procedures would be 'considered legitimate and consonant with international laws concerning religious freedom only if they were specified ,by law, objective, reasonable and transparent, and therefore did not have the aim or the result of creating discrimination, and that any refusal of registration must be well-founded and be subject to judicial review. China * 29. The Special Rapporteur addressed a communication to the Chinese Government on 11 April 2003 concerning inter alia action taken against Falun Gong members. Between June 2002 and February 2003, a number of Falun Gong members had allegedly been arrested and sometimes tortured, or died while in detention or shortly after their release. This is said to involve, in particular: Zhang Zhuo; Xiao Peng; Li Xiaojing; Zhang Xiaochun; Wang Jinling; Wang Haoyun; Wu Mingfang; Lingxia Wu; Xiao Chengrui; Chen Jianling; Song Huaping; Xiangyun Deng; Xiaoyun Fu; Wei Chaozong; Chen Xunan; Pu Shigao; Bai Xiuhua; Wang Baoxian; Liu Jiming; Xun Ruilin; Dong Jinlan; Deming Shen; Hongmin Li; Mi Zhongsheng; Jiang; Jingyi Wang; Sun Jihong; Gaidi Zhu; Liao Zhaoqi; Xinzhi Gu; Liguo Jiang; Ouyang Wei; Fengfang Yang; Yunping Bi; Zhixiang Luo; Zaixin Wei; Xiuqin Xing; Laihe Wei; Guiqin Yang; Zhenhai Wang; Baochen Huang; Lianping Ye; Ms. Hou; Fengwei Wang; Lin Guan; Hongye Hu; Yurong Zhou; Xingguo Song; Jianhua Liang; Shufang Wang; Huajiang He; Cuizhen Zhang; Liu Qunying; Guanyun Yu; Jinshan Liu; Fengxia Xiong; Zhang Quanfu; Wang Fengqin; Liu Shufen; Zhang Dezhen; Guiying Meng; Yu Tianyong; Zhang Zhen; Lan Hu; Peng Fangjian; Liu Jie; Zhao Xianzhong; Li Hongwei; and Ding Feng. * 30. The Special Rapporteur also cited reports, concerning other Falun Gong members, of the arrest of Charles Li a United States citizen, and his three-year prison sentence for attempting to interfere with radio and television programmes; of the kidnapping of Nancy Chen, an Australian citizen, by Chinese national security agents; of the sentencing of Yuhui Zhang to 10 years in prison for having written and published articles on the situation of Falun Gong members in China; and of the sentencing of 16 persons for having demonstrated in front of the Chinese Government liaison office in Hong Kong. 31. Concerning the situation of Tibetans, the Special Rapporteur informed the Chinese Government of information about the arrest of five Tibetans, on 17 October 2002, in the city of Ganzi: Shamba; Tsangpo; Namgyal; Kayo Dogha; Tsering Dorjee; and Jampal. 32. Moreover, Tibetan officials from Lhasa were said to have been threatened with losing their pensions and/or employment if they visited the sacred site of Mount Kailash during the Buddhist festival of Sagadawa. 33. The Special Rapporteur also reverted to the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche (see paras. 19 and 20 of E/CN.4/2003/66), a professor of Tibetan religion who, in December 2002, was reportedly sentenced to death for involvement in a series of - 145- - A/58/296 explosions and fomenting of separatism. His aide, Lobsang Dhonhup, was also reportedly sentenced to death. 34. Finally, the Special Rapporteur drew the attention of the Chinese Government to a draft "anti -subversion" law submitted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, whose vague and broad definition of terms such as "subversive activities"; "treason" and "sedition" are allegedly likely to undermine freedom of religion and belief. 35. In a second communication of 12 June 2003, the Special Rapporteur transmitted information on the arrest of three monks, Tamding, Palzin and Shongdu, and a layman, Ngodup, of the Serthar Buddhist Institute on 27 May 2003. They were reportedly arrested in connection with their alleged involvement in an incident on 25 December 2002 related to the reconstruction of housing destroyed the previous year by the authorities, during which there were reports of casualties and destruction of police vehicles (see para. 21 of E/CN.4/2003/66). - 146 - Torture Methods Used by Chinese Police* Reprinted from The Falun Gong Report 2003, published by the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group, March 2003. Torture Methods Used by Chinese Police 1. Forced to stand for a long time A victim is forced to stand still, facing a wall, all day long. This punishment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. This abuse usually lasts several days. If victims can- not hold still they will be severely beaten. This torture has a number of variations, including: 1.1 Back Against the Wall: A victim is forced to stand or kneel down with the back against the wall, head dropped forward, and both hands pulled up from behind. L2 Standing In the "Army Corps" Posture: A victim is forced to stand under the scorching sun. The feet are plant- ed on the fiery ground, sometimes without shoes or socks. Besides the agony of standing for a long time, the victim suffers sunburn. 1.3 Exhausting an Eagle: A victim is forced to stand on a tall stool. When vic- tims fall from exhaustion, the police will viciously beat them and force them back on to the stool. 1.4 Body -Folding A victim is forced to stand with both legs straight and close together, and bend the head down as far as it will go toward the feet, in front of the knees. The fingers point to the ground, and the head is upside down, forcing the body into a contorted posture. 2. Forced to Sit for a Long Time A victim is forced to sit still for a long time, often for many days. This punish- ment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. This torture can result in poor blood circulation to the lower limbs, necrosis in the buttocks, and nerve damage from the waist down. There are several variations of this torture; including: 2.1 Iron Chair Sitting: A victim is shackled to a chair made of iron wires for more than a week. The wires hurt the victim's buttocks. 2.2 Board Sitting: A victim is forced to sit on rough wood- '"" '"*".«"' en boards. 2.3 Triangle Board Sitting: Sitting on an iron board with sharp peaks and grooves. This often causes the victim's hips to bleed and fester. 3. Forced to Squat for a Long Time A victim is forced to squat still for a long time, often for many days. This pun- ishment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. This torture can result in poor blood circulation to the lower limbs, muscle spasms, and nerve damage. There are several variations of this torture, including: 3.1 Riding a Horse: A victim is forced to squat down with the legs apart and both arms raised forward parallel to the ground. 3.2 Squatting on a Square: A victim is forced to squat in a square floor brick measuring 30 by 30 cm [approximately 1 ft. by 1 ft.] for a long time. The head must be raised and the feet cannot cross the demarcated line. 3.3 Squatting in a Comer. A victim is forced to a corner of a room using tables or boards, leaving only a small space, and forced to squat down. 3.4 Squatting with Heels up: A victim is forced to squat over nails sticking out of the ground under one's heels, and must keep the heels raised to avoid the nails. 4. Riding an Airplane This was an infamous torture in China during the Cultural Revolution. A victim's head is bent down and hands are pulled up and stretched outwards to both sides of the body (like the wings of an airplane). The victim is forced to stay still in this position for a long time. This punishment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. 4.1 Backing up an Airplane: This is a variation of "riding an airplane". A victim must bend over while hold- ing the legs straight. Then, with the feet close together, the arms are lift- ed as high as possible, with the hands touching the wall. 5. Forced to Run for a Long Time A victim is forced to run non-stop for over ten hours, or else suffer a harsh beat- ing. 6. Forced to Stand Outside on a Winter Night; Forced to Stand in Snow or on Ice with Bare Feet A victim is forced to stay outside in the biting cold overnight, or stand in snow or on ice. Countless Falun Gong practitioners have suffered this torture, includ- ing women and the elderly. Some are even stripped naked. 7. Forced to Stay in Closed Chamber in the Heat of Summer A victim is locked in a closed room with no window in the summer heat. Many Falun Gong practitioners have suffered this torture. Sometimes the police even pour hot water on the floor to make the chamber "steamier". 8. Deprivation of Sleep, Food, Water; Deprivation of Use of Toilet, Sanitary Napkins, Shower, Change of Clothes; Prohibition of Eye Contact and Talk; Bombarded with Deafening High -Pitch Sounds, Shined with Intense Light Police have exploited any and every basic physiological need or sense to tor- ture Falun Gong practitioners. Anyone not obeying will be viciously beaten. 9. Pouring Boiling Water or Icy Water over Head This usually is the first punishment one receives in jail. Many Falun Gong practitioners have suffered this "routine" torture. 10. Handcuffs and Shackles To Chinese police forces, handcuffs and shackles are not merely devices of mobility restraint, but also torture equipment. Many handcuffs and shackles that cannot be seen in other parts of the world are used by Chinese police: those that are very tight and cut into wrists and ankles, those that are self -tightening, those that have spikes, and so on. Following are several variations of tortures with handcuffs and shackles. 10.1 Handcuffed Behind the Back A victim handcuffed in this way cannot use the bathroom, eat or sleep. - 148 - Torture Methods Used by Chinese Police 10.2 Carrying a Sword over the Back:: A victim's hands are tied behind his back with one hand over the shoulder and the other hand against the lower back. The police then apply a great deal of force to pull the two hands toward one another and handcuff the two hands together. Usually, this torture causes victims to faint in just 20 minutes. However, police handcuff prac- titioners this way for as long as four hours. 10.3 Hell Cuff: This is a device intended for mur- derers or death row inmates. The pliers -shaped clasps dig into a victim's wrists and ankles. A vic- tim wearing a "hell cuff" cannot stand, squat, move, or sleep. 10.4 The Foot Shackle Combined with Handcuffs: One of a victim's hands is handcuffed to the other hand between the legs. The shackle weighs over 20 pounds. The victim cannot go to sleep, walk, stand, use the bathroom, or eat a meal. They have to walk in a half -squatting and bowing position. Police often torture practitioners this way for weeks. 10.5 Running in Chains: Several victims are hand- cuffed and shackled together and forced to run non-stop. 1001121.411, Olati 11. Solitary Confinement Solitary confinement, widely condemned around the world, is among the cru- elest tortures. In China, police have used tortures beyond usual solitary con- finement against Falun Gong practitioners. Following are only a few of the examples: 11.1 Locked in Small Cell: A small cell is a room of less than three square meters. It has no window, no bed, no water, and no toilet. A victim is locked in a small cell for months, having to eat, sleep, and excrete in the same small area. Since the height of the room is less than 1.5 meters, one cannot stand straight. To exacerbate the agony, the guards often hand- cuff the victim in the small cell door so the victim cannot sleep for many days. 11.2 Locked in Iron Cage: The height of the cage is short- er than a victim's height. The width and length are calcu- lated so that the person can neither stand straight nor lie down. The victim is often handcuffed to the rail and can- not sleep. Many Falun Gong practitioners have been locked up this way for as long as 120 days. They are men- tally and physically tortured. 11.3 Tied to a Death Board: This variation of solitary confinement was origi- nally conceived for and used on death row criminals. The victim is tied to an iron or wooden board for weeks with four limbs stretched out and locked, and cannot move at all. The victim is tied down at all times, having to be fed by someone else, but sleeping and excreting are all done on the board, for this reason the victim is often stripped naked. The victim suffers not only from solitary confinement, but also the excruciating pain of feeling their whole body atrophying. Many practi- tioners have lost their lives from this torture. 11.4 Leaning Against a Big Board: This is a variation of the "death board" tor- ture. The victim is forced to lie down on a bed made of a wooden board with- out any padding for many days at a time with feet and hands fixed to the bed. 11.5 Water Dungeon: This is a deadly solitary con- finement. A victim is stripped naked, locked in an iron cage with spikes on all sides, and lowered into a pit of filthy water until the water reaches the vic- tim's neck. The victim cannot lean to any side because of the spikes, and cannot squat down because the water. Many practitioners have suf- fered this torture and some have died. 12. Cuffed and Hung up Hung up by handcuffs, in its most simple form, causes excruciating pain. Chinese police have added many cruel variations to this torture. Most Falun Gong practitioners jailed have suf- fered this in one form or another. The following are just a few examples: 12.1 Tying up the horse: A victim is hand- cuffed and shackled, and the arms are pulled up behind the back, with the head down, and then tied up with a rope that also loops around the neck. Then the police pull the end of the rope to tighten it around the prac- titioner as much as possible. This torture can cause death. 12.2 Hanging a Cage: A victim's hands are twisted behind his back and hand- cuffed. The police then pull the hands over the head and hang him up in the air until the feet are off the ground. 12.3 Big Hang: A victim is hung upside-down by the feet. This is a deadly tor- ture, and some Falun Gong practitioners have died from this. 12.4 Hung up from Behind: With both hands tied or cuffed behind the back, the victim is hung up by the arms or the handcuffs, with both feet off of the ground, or just touching the ground. Both hands and arms will soon lose feel- ing and will go numb from lack of blood circulation. Countless Falun Gong prac- titioners have suffered this brutal torture. Some have even been hung up for several days. 13. Tying the Ropes A thin rope is used to tightly encircle the neck and the rope is wrapped around the victim's arms. Then the police use all the force they can muster to tighten the rope. The rope becomes tighter and tighter around the body of the prac- titioner, cutting into the flesh and making it more and more difficult for him to breathe. The pain is so intense that the victim sometimes loses control of the bladder. In many cases the rope was tightened to the point of breaking a practitioner's arm. Sometimes the practitioner is hung from a high place with the rope as well. Sometimes there are spikes on the rope. When the rope is tightly fastened, it cuts into the flesh, which is extremely painful. This torture is known to cause death if used twice in a row; however, some practitioners have suffered this up to 10 times in a row. 14. Tiger Bench A victim is tied on a narrow wooden or iron bench by the thighs and knees, with hands tied behind the back. Increasing number of boards or bricks inserted under his feet creates excruciating pain. The police often use this device to immobilize Falun Gong practitioners to force-feed them. - 149 - Torture Methods Used by Chinese Police 15. Live Hemp Torture Hemp is a perennial plant. Its stems and leaves are covered with fine hairs and sharp, poisonous thorns. After contact with hemp, the skin immediately becomes inflamed, extremely itchy, and painful. This torture was used against underground Chinese Communist Party members during China's civil war in the 1940's, and was banned after the Chinese Communists assumed power in 1949. But police now use fresh hemp stalks to slap Falun Gong practition- ers' faces, or strip practitioners naked and throw them onto a pile of hemp. 16. Electric Baton Shock This is by far the most common torture used by the police against Falun Gong practitioners. Practitioners have been shocked with as many as a dozen batons at a time, with voltages as high as 30,000 volts, often for several hours. Countless practitioners have suffered flesh burns, some having ears, hands, or feet charred from the electric shocks. The police have shocked practitioners' eyes, nipples, and penises. The police have also forced these batons into practitioners' mouths or vaginas to shock them. Many Falun Gong practitioners have died from electric baton shocks. 17. Beating Buttocks Literally, this torture is called "passing the board". A victim is forced to the ground and beaten viciously with a board, club, or baton, dozens or hundreds of times. This often causes the buttocks to become black and blue. 18. Force -Feeding This is another torture commonly used by police against practitioners, and it is the number one cause of deaths of Falun Gong practitioners. Almost every Falun Gong practitioner who has gone on a hunger strike in detention has suf- fered from force-feeding. Many practitioners not even on hunger strikes have also been tortured using this method. The purpose of police force-feeding is never to nourish, but rather to punish practitioners and to cause so much pain that they will renounce Falun Gong practice. To that end, the police have used many different means to cause excruciating pain and injury, including: 18.1 Inserting and Withdrawing the Feeding Tubes Repeatedly: The police usually use a tube inserted through a practitioner's nose to force-feed. Often, even when the tube is already inserted, the police pull it out again and re-insert it. This can be repeated many times. Many practitioners have died from the tube piercing through their lungs. 18.2 Leaving the Feeding Tubes in Stomach: This is another way to cause pain. Practitioners tortured this way are usually handcuffed. 18.3 Knocking off Teeth to Force -Feed: To force practitioners to open their mouths, the police resort to the most barbaric violence, knocking out practi- tioners' teeth, tearing apart practitioners' lips, or even poking holes in practi- tioners' cheeks. 18.4 Force -Feeding Saturated Salt -Water: This causes intense pain in the gut. Many practitioners have died from this because of the resulting dehydration. 18.5 Force -Feeding Vinegar/Liquor. Several Falun Gong practitioners have died from this. 18.6 Force -Feeding Hot Pepper Oil/Mustard O11/Boiling Water: These cause burns and intense pain in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. 18.7 Force -Feeding Urine/Feces 19. Bamboo Sticks under the Fingernails The police hammer sharp bamboo sticks into the fingers of the practitioners through the tip of the fingernails. In the process of the hammering, the fingernail will get torn off completely. The police first hammer the bamboo stick into one finger. If the practition- er still refuses to yield, the police will hammer bamboo sticks into succes- sive fingers until they mutilate all 10 fingers. 20. Burning The police have used cigars and cigarette lighters to burn fingers, toes, faces, nipples, vaginas, and other parts of practitioners' bodies. While burning them, the police say, "I will stop when you give up Falun Gong." 21. Hot and Spicy Chicken Legs A victim is forced to lie on the ground. The inmates then take turns jumping high up in the air and then landing on the upper legs of the practitioner with one foot. 22. Bed Pressing A victim is handcuffed and shackled and forced to sit down on the ground. A bed is then placed over his head and several people get on the bed pressing down and jumping on the bed. This often causes the victim to lose control of the bladder and bowels. 23. Dog Bites Police have let loose dogs to attack Falun Gong practitioners in a number of deten- tion centers and labor camps. 24. Suffocation The police pull a plastic bag over the head of a practitioner. While the practi- tioner is suffocating and gagging, the police will ask, "Will you give up Falun Gong?" Sometimes the police use thick paper soaked in water to cover the faces of practitioners to suffocate them. 25. Forcing Head into Bucket of Urine - 150 - Torture Methods Used by Chinese Police 26. Sexual Torture In addition to the tortures that the police use on both male and female Falun Gong practitioners, the police use many female -specific tortures against Falun Gong practitioners. These include: Rape / gang rape Forced abortion Pinching / pinching off or biting off of nipples Needling nipples Electric baton shock of nipples and vaginas Bottle / baton rape Stuffing dirty socks into vagina / anus Burning the vagina with a cigar Inserting and rotating brushes inside the vagina - 151 - The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group is a volunteer group dedicated to the human rights of Falun Gong practi- tioners. Our main activities include the collection and compilation of cases of human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners, and the submission of these cases to the United Nations, governments around the world, and international human rights organizations. We also seek to publicize the Chinese government's violent persecution of Falun Gong in order to raise public aware- ness. Our publications include The Falun Gong Report 2002, The Falun Gong Report 2003, and this report. These publica- tions can be downloaded from http://www.flghrwg.net or http://www.faluninfo.net We welcome your suggestions and participation The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group 10299 Scripps Trail # 226 San Diego, California 92131 U.S.A. e-mail: flghrwg@faluninfo.net 9 ISBN 1-931035-14-8 781931 035149 90000 The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group 10299 Scripps Trail # 226 San Diego, California 92131, U.S.A. email: flghrwg@faluninfo.net http://www.faluninfo.net http://www.flghrwg.net United Nations Reports on China's Persecution of Falun Gong • Collected in this book are excerpts from annual reports of the , United Nations Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteurs, document ing cases of human rights violations committed by the PRC government. against Falun Gong practitioners. The PRC government is a member of the:1 UN Human Rights Commission and a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power. However, it cannot veto the findings of the ,,, Special Rapporteurs. These findings are just the tip of the iceberg of the ongoing slaugh' ter. Many Special Rapporteurs and their assistants have indicated that the vast number of cases is simply beyond their capacity to process. We hope, however, that this small collection will serve adequately as independent and authoritative evidence for those who still wishfully believe that the PRC government is moving towards rule of law and that, Falun Gong practitioners are "all treated according to the law." We further hope that this small collection is enough to stir the con- science of the international community - including the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which appointed those Special Rapporteurs ' to come to the aid of the victims. These reports are also a tribute to the suffering Falun Gong praeti-' tioners, without whose courage and peaceful conviction these crimes could not have been exposed. The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group October 2003 PAimsaaits ars � eke NordiafteiLi.( a Gen®! oiu Ching d lid )g's G e )pro lig,airL t FEllun (Gong Err ci Jl n Jlrx) roc rJ Detained in 'China .3 !] wi) The campaign of persecution [against Falun Gong] has been... car died out by government official, ndolice at all levels, and has per- meate. . 611' segment of society and every .leve or government in the People's Re- public of China. United States. Congress (Resolution' No. 188 Unanimously Passed 420-0) Jiaanngis;horrific form of genocide is a ter- ror_ that -does not just destroy lives, but r- " *.-,n [aims. to] .=destroy faithY.. It, is a terror �mu t be.broug to�ju justice. j J Geo igen= enrl{B.eauthier Renowned' 11mn7�R uaights Attorney who uccesfull, ` secute1d Pinochetiand Rwandlan lGenocide Perpetrators/ t At least 43 psychiatric hospitals all over China are being used to detain and torture [Falun Gong] practitioners... We know some of the drugs the hospitals force on sane individuals in an attempt to destroy their will and spirit... we know of the widespread use of psychotropic drugs by .. ordinary police in jails, brainwashing centers, and labor camps. 1 Abraham L. Halpern, M.D. Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, New York Medical College; Former President of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law ., ON THE COVER Australian citizen, Jane Dai with daughter Fadu. Jane's husband was tortured to death by Chinese police because he practices Falun Gong. After months of effort and with the help of Australian Government officials, Jane was able to secure her husband's ashes. Championed by some of the world's leading human rights attorneys, Jane and others are now taking their case to the world's court rooms. Compassion is a journal providing news and information about Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) around the world. It is produced entirely through the efforts of vol- unteers and paid for by donations to the Falun Dafa InfoCenter. Editorial Committee Peter Jauhal, England Levi Browde, U.S. John Nania, U.S. Jillian Ye, Canada Sophie Xiao, Hong Kong Caroline Lam, Australia Publisher Compassion is published and distributed by: Falun Dafa Information Center 331 West 57th Street, #409 New York, NY 10019 USA Toll Free: 888-842-4797 Website: www f hininfo.net e-mail:: contact@faluninfo.net ISBN: 1-931035-01-6 Falun Dafa InfoCenter (FDI) is a non-profit organization based in New York City dedicated to providing news and information about Falun Dafa around the world. All officers, board members and staff are strictly volunteers, of- fering their free time and skills to help provide accurate information about Falun Dafa. Contents 12 LAWSUITS AROUND THE WORLD Lawsuits in more than a dozen countries take aim at persecution of Falun Gong. 22 IMMUNITY, GENOCIDE, AND THE RULE OF LAW An interview with Dr. Terri Marsh. 28 JIANG'S PERSONAL CAMPAIGN A closer look at how and why Jiang sought to "eradicate Falun Gong." 30 A GESTAPO AGAINST FALUN GONG The anatomy of China's illicit agency for persecuting Falun Gong. 36 WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THIS? Behind the media black -out in China and diplomatic interference abroad. 40 WHAT IS FALUN GONG? An introduction and history of Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual practice. 44 CIVIL DISOBEDIANCE AND THE EDUCATION OF CHINA One of the largest grassroots campaigns of civil disobedience the world has ever known. 48 AN AMERICAN DETAINED IN CHINA The story of Dr. Charles Lee from Menlo Park, California. 50 FROM RAGS TO RICHES TO TORTURE A businesswoman from northeast China recounts her horrific ordeal. 52 RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS A look at Falun Gong -related events around the world. .y 14 Rw- 14 Under Jiang's personal direction, officials�con_ducting the ,fticampaign of persecution against Falun Gong have commit- ted substantial violations oftthe Coni' ntions against Gen `tide' and against Torture: The death toll`is exceedingly high. Brutdl r lorture is state -authorized and commonplace. In this lawsuit against Jiang we see humanity's continuing effort to rise above our capacity for atrocity and to order our lines according to higher principles. ,= Dr. Terri Marsh mead attorney in class-action lwsuit charging Jiang Zemin and his Gestapo -like agency with genocide, torture and crimes against humanity. I AI y person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international.Ilaw is responsible theijefore.... III. The fact that a person who_ committed an,act which constitutes' a crime under international law acted as' Head of State or responsible Government official does riot relieve him fro' responsibility under international law. , The NurembergT ibunals ,. Charter and Judgment,(Principles & II) of the Nuremberg Charter adopted shortly after World War II, addressing the issue of immunity with respect to heads of state who ha ie ,viohated international laws. 1 From the Editors For the last several years in China, participants in one of the largest grassroots campaigns of civil disobedience the world has ever known have quietly educated fellow citizens about the genocide unfold- ing in their own backyards. At great risk to themselves, Falun Gong practi- tioners in China have also continued to provide the outside world with another first: Daily, eyewitness reports from inside China's forced labor camp sys- tem, prisons, and detention centers. These reports also illustrate how Jiang Zemin has tied the Falun Gong issue into virtually every aspect of society, from job applications to college examinations, from promotions in the military to elementary school "anti -Falun Gong sessions." Throughout society, all must "show the correct attitude" towards Falun Gong before securing a job, getting a promotion, or advancing in school. Such information provides an in-depth look at how the persecution of Falun Gong affects the Chinese people, the Chinese nation, and the inter- national community. Although Jiang has allocated significant resources to control the flow of such information, particularly outside China (in 2002, Reporters Without Borders ranked China second to last — edged out only by North Korea for the bottom spot — on its press freedom index), these reports give accounts of what is actually happening to Falun Gong practitioners. Utilizing emails, websites, faxes, payphones, and other means, individuals throughout China have courageously reported on a wide range of stories. They've collected facts on large-scale police actions, on secret government orders, on police who have tortured and killed, and even on local authorities in some regions who have come to understand Falun Gong and no longer carry out persecution orders. The Falun Dafa InfoCenter (FDI) endeavors to compile, cross-check, and publish these reports. They are provided to government officials, interna - tional media, human rights organizations, and the general public. We accomplish this through email alerts, weekly newsletters, press briefings, and print publications such as this one. Reports from FDI then feed into the international media and human rights bodies, who are frequently able to verify the factual details independently. FDI's operations are carried out entirely by volun- teers. FDI's publications are available at cost to indi- viduals who feel the need to expose the well -hidden truth of the persecution in China. These individuals contribute their time and their resources to make it possible. It is likely that whoever handed you this edition of Compassion paid for it him or herself. The editorial team, also consisting entirely of volunteers, includes professionals, students, business owners, and scientists. The work is done in a collab- orative manner spanning multiple countries, with a close watch on adhering to the main goal: to expose, as accurately as possible, the persecution of Falun Gong and those responsible for it. In this edition of Compassion you will learn about the international efforts to bring Jiang Zemin and his cohorts to justice in courts of law around the world (see p. 14). We provide details and insights into the inner workings of Jiang's regime, how he has commandeered the government apparatus to carry out genocide against Falun Gong (see p. 26), and how he has largely managed to hide the true extent of the atrocities not only from the outside world, but even from his own people (see p. 34). Many in China have undertaken great risks to provide this information to the world. We hope that we have organized and presented this information in a way that does justice to their courageous ef- forts. We also encourage you, our readers, to send us your suggestions or questions. Please contact us at contact@faluninfo.net, or see the mailing address on the previous page. – Editor Team, Compassion arrie-3/- 1:: .., 1.9 '...' . —% . f4.t*,-- - - -- i, , 4-.r-- - ,-.i.v...4.,,.;;...,- ... „. , .,,-,_. .t .., .... ..., - , ---46,z-r-c..c.- - . -4 ------ =esurf-9,.i., -,,, .... . - . .- ;: ..e...71.0. 7 4'4,44' • 740. -ire../.+. ,,,, ri--.0....... 4.:..--: r.o.f -46.4701•1, •• .. .,. tet. .5114r- , _ e•twi.j.m.::...,r........„,„— "- •••,-,-., L.,;.4..ii.,....,,..:..2„, ,:. • -,.. -• :?-,..-, V: .., - 7•11:7 t., • . . ..,7,..— ...... . -.',47.4f? ,140- z. sk >,- ... - .....- , . -- •-1 ttai c— - . ...• ....• ' 11.....7114 . 4-4•••,,,,,44•T'T‘'TO, Ar* ,.; • •TITI i , " ,t.,. , , ,.,,,..IT). ,,,,T„, - a T 4 ; ia-s:ii 1:1`,0•,. fa Nit 0 • UCjOfl ▪ in kilinaffmdire4hap b,nq,h ndr .1,111oirp'egple in -oxier-six cou - . U4 .„)„,/ .,, ,. t, ,-,', 0 ,A .: .' .4iY! KfiVti.., .--‘, '(4 • , , ' It I. i • • , 't'aken up Abe •ritaGtiC6: Most learned of itth r6ugh‘iv' ordootnid.0 h. u . 42. sg.,., , .....-. • , : 1-0 Ito. .." ... ... ' t‘.... 74'. V • 4:P104, practiticihers,rialie•foit'd2oli't'Sixiecibtinent's;letri,onnfilSt;fan`qi114,fr,6riy,,,Ciabadato: .. t.4..(,•-•vir.:0 • •..- '77,i \., , ,•946.5,•'.42 • - >et- ' 4, s..'1 '''';'-. ,,::.':1). 'Nt-'.-1.ttf.li .Y.,1 ;fki, i's -.1•... lArTentifia',IrcinfluSwede'n;fors.outm-Afnea;,andff6mTurKdytathippiiiiiiines.41,neyN ''' ,,,,,e- • 1 v*KNT ..4)f.:• -i-:', :'„0-^tokiL,, fy/ P1 ..)tit ,;L;'.:1•YA "L . e,.4'..`:fv,.. ' 1; s"_R;,11t1,:•A (.%).• -.4_7iVe V4*.4 1(.1-k 6 ir.._% .. M'07*4 r.,(V."; . '1 Awr:r4er, , ". t 41r.i.A.,.,,k‘r :-.:‘'( SI' : l'Ar ,.1.," ' • .44 :4'11 V 4.arefrp‘trritallt..ageTgrbitips all wal ks, .allife.:andoOppyidiNi,erseFcv, • fa la nd .ethrtitv 1 v• -f• .Ytiack6 OUrlak.taYesiFatUrior3g koakttihay,e,tb,een.t.tanllatedvinitt2`....14, Wahl-. re. TanSlattoM 'n 4,,, ;14.c.ji. .v.0- ,.1 :is.ii- • v'',1)•'' .131t; "tri :stt ' i -1 ,--,,it 1 iit.ip ' -•:'-' .. • 4,1, 117. ..4 re it . ? .d -Ile .J. V. rP .n4:V.4t.: It '4:4••• .611 Killed in China for Their Beliefs Women dressed in white - traditional Chinese funeral colors - carry photos of those who have been tortured to death in China. The procession has become a familiar sight in many of the world's cities, as Falun Gong practitioners around the world make known the killings of fellow practitioners in China. For their commitment to a practice that has brought them better health and peace of mind, and for their faith in the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance, Falun Gong practitioners in China are regularly killed by Chinese thorities. Among the dead are teenagers and the elderly, mothers d grandmothers, schoolteachers, farmers and judges. • t ,*: .•,,, 0 • t �earpld Ms. Zh eih hu Cui ''At,ir r •- , .an tI nic:Kore n living ": � .� r h ndrtlggast ina. Sh , eed. • ''Aug 2 -2 03 ijr yrv. A r e .-ne nerd b,s +� .►' j b staff r d whit i oned ..„46:1 ' '"#oeiie'.i•eliefs in a ford- Ia.+.r mp. x, 1 mold Li Wenruidied ody of Beijing Flair faeing arrested #� fort) 'ace_ u ly temonstrating 4 �.� of far?iil Imat* brims on his body as result of beatings and torture. nanm me"tYa u 'are. is d yeZ"floild Ms. Mo S t e ' ed -lab Ica Tactic ujirr.Was camp s Falun re Au/as beaten o • I ja4t1 blood. ould pose the • hehced labor camp officials admitiis ered a fatal injection. She collapsed and died. 1 :go Jur,- -5f :'After ten rnontRs of severe torture, 11.1;,... I 42-year-old' Ms. Shiying Dengfdieft irLaTrison,camp on July 19, 2003. During her,in?prisontnvitt/V1s. Deng was repeatedly subjeciedito electric shock torture, tied\dowh to a metal bed for extended I periods of time, beaten with rubber tubes, and violently k I force-fed. .17 Torture and Brainwashing Chinese police relentlessly employ both physical and mental torture to "brainwash" Falun Gong practitioners into renouncing their beliefs. Often surrounded by television or audio programs demonizing their faith, Falun Gong practitioners are beaten, shocked with cattle prods (often in sensitive areas, such as the genitals, anus and mouth), force-fed human feces and subjected to other forms of torture in order to "transform" them into renouncing Falun Gong. Police are often given quotas for the number of practitioners to "transform," and free reign to employ any means necessary to do so. Ms. Lingxia Wu with her son in 1997 With festering scars on her body and severe edema in her abdomen (left), Ms. Lingxia Wu was near -death after almost a year of severe torture in a Heilongjiang Province detention center. Fearing she would die in custody, detention center officials released Ms. Wu. She died three weeks later from her injuries. She was 37 years old. At a police station in western Beijing, Ouyang was stripped and L interrogated for five hours. "If I responded incorrectly, that is if 1 — didn't say, 'Yes,' they shocked me with the electric truncheon," he said. Then, he was transferred to a labor camp in Beijing's western suburbs. There, the guards ordered him to stand facing a wall. If he moved, they shocked him. If he fell down from fatigue, they shocked him. Each morning, he had five minutes to eat and relieve himself. "If I didn't make it, I went in my pants," he said. "And they shocked me for that, too." By the sixth day, Ouyang said, he couldn't see straight from star- ing at plaster three inches from his face. His knees buckled, prompt- ing more shocks and beatings. He gave in to the guards' demands. For the next three days, Ouyang denounced [Falun Gong's] teachings, shouting into the wall. Officers continued to shock him about the body and he soiled himself regularly. Finally, on the 10th day, Ouyang's repudiation of the group was deemed sufficiently sincere. He was taken before a group of Falun Gong inmates and rejected the group one more time as a video camera rolled. Ouyang left jail and entered the brainwashing classes. Twenty days later after debat- ing Falun Gong for 16 hours a day, he "graduated." "The pressure on me was and is incredible," he said. "In the past two years, I have seen the worst of what man can do. We really are the worst animals on Earth." Washington Post Beijing Bureau; August 5, 2001 September, 2003: ICELAND September:2003: BELGIUM sit February, 2002: SAN FRANCISCO lawsuits around the World As of Jan. 2004, 16 lawsuits have been filed around the world !hanging former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and a few senior officials with genocide, torturefand crimes against humanity for their roles in the persecution of Falun Gong in China. a� C November, 2003: TAIWAN As daily reports from China indicate, torture, killings and other grave .human rights abuses against Falun Gong practitioners re- main ain rampant. Falun Gong practitioners aroundthe world have now taken their cases to the world's courtrooms, seeking justice and an end to the �e.not: ide in China. Tamure BY JOHN NANIA Genocide is perhaps the gravest of legal terms. It is a word most often associated with the gas chambers of World War II, machete - bearing militia in Rwanda or mass graves in the former Yugoslavia. As encoded in international law, how- ever, genocide encompasses a broader range of crimes than the overt physical carnage these images convey, and neces- sarily so, for genocide has many faces. On December 11, 1946, the Gen- eral Assembly of the United Nations adopted with unanimity Resolution 96 (i) in which it offered its definition of genocide: "Genocide is the negation of the right to existence of entire human groups, as is homicide the negation of the right to life of individual human beings..." As 16 lawsuits now filed around the world argue, the more than four-year campaign to "eradicate Falun Gong" in China launched by former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin falls squarely within the definition of genocide, torture and other crimes against humanity. Jiang Zemin's Campaign against Falun Gong Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese exercise and meditation — or self -cultiva- tion — practice, which Chinese authori- ties embraced and supported during the early to mid -1990's. In April 1999, Chi- nese government officials told the Asso- ciated Press and the New York Times that "at least 70 million" people were practic- ing Falun Gong in China. In July 1999, Jiang launched a violent campaign against Falun Gong charac- terized by the United States Congress as a persecution "carried out by govern- ment officials and police at all levels, [that] has permeated every segment of society and every level of government" and is implemented through "organized brainwashing, torture, and murder." (HCR 218) By the end of 2003, details of 852 deaths have been verified by the Falun Dafa InfoCenter (FDI). Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial, ac- cording to the Center. There are over 14 Compassion • 2004 30,000 documented cases of persecu- tion, which are believed to be a small number of the total. Jiang Sued for Torture The torture of Falun Gong practition- ers in China is both wide -spread and state -sanctioned, with orders coming directly from Jiang. According to a Wall Street Journal article from 2001 called "A Deadly Ex- ercise" (part of a Pulitzer -prize winning series by Ian Johnson), orders passed down to Chinese police throughout the country were that "no means is too excessive" to force Falun Gong prac- titioners to abandon their beliefs. In a Washington Post article published later that year, the Chinese Communist Party is said to have "sanctioned the systematic use of violence against the [Falun Gong], established a network of brainwashing classes and embarked on a painstaking effort to weed out followers neighbor- hood by neighborhood and workplace by workplace." In February 2002, an Amnesty International spokesperson added: "Falun Gong practitioners are now systematically subject to torture in prisons and re-education camps." According to thousands of testimonies from victims, this "systematic use of vio- lence" has unleashed a barrage of torture methods on Falun Gong practitioners. The electric baton, or cattle prod as it is known in the West, appears to be the most common torture method. Practitio- ners are often tied down as police shock their bodies with electric batons that issue a 25,000 volt charge. Frequently the torturers target sensitive areas of the body such as the head, inside the mouth, the neck, genitals and anus. In many la- bor camps, the victims are first stripped naked and sometimes doused in water to intensify the electrical currents when the electric shock torture is administered. There have been hundreds of cases reported of practitioners being in- jected with psychotropic drugs or other "medications" that damage the nervous system, often rendering the person inco- herent and plummeting them into hor- rific states of physical pain and mental anguish. This form of torture often results in permanent nerve damage or irreversible psychological damage. Many have died from such "medications." Other torture techniques include force-feeding practitioners with human feces, driving bamboo sticks through their hands and under their fingernails, stripping them naked and exposing them to freezing temperatures for prolonged periods of time and incarcerating them in "water dungeons" where they are sub- merged in filthy water — sometimes from local sewage drains — in pitch-black sur- roundings for days at a time. Female Falun Gong practitioners have suffered sexual abuse and rape, includ- ing gang rape, as well as the "hip split- ting" torture: a technique where women are tied hanging from the ceiling spread- eagle, while the torturer violently shoves mops or toilet brushes into the vagina. The torture often causes extensive bleed- ing and infections. Sometimes hot pep- per sauce is placed on the brushes result- ing in severe burning in the vagina. Hundreds of testimonies from tor- ture victims inside China quote police and prison guards saying that their or - Members of U.S. Congress Urge U.S. Court to Proceed with Lawsuit against Former Chinese Communist Leader Members of the United States Congress filed an Amicus brief with a U.S. Dis- trict Court in Illinois on June 11, 2003, urging the court to proceed with a law- suit that charges former Chinese Com- munist leader, Jiang Zemin, with geno- cide, crimes against humanity and other offenses. Congressman Tom Lantos, the ranking Democrat Party member on the House Foreign Relations Committee, authored the brief, which 38 of his col- leagues endorsed. "As members of the U.S. Congress... we have a significant and abiding inter- est in this lawsuit," the brief begins. Among the "interests" Congress has in the court action against Jiang are is- sues of human rights, which "have long been considered a key aspect of U.S. foreign policy." The brief lists a number of Congressional laws — some of which are cited in this lawsuit — as vehicles to "protect citizens around the world from human rights abuses and violations." "Mr. Jiang did not come to power through any sort of popular electoral process," states the brief. "To the con- trary, Mr. Jiang rose to power for his hard-line approach to crushing the de- mocracy movement of 1989. Through- out his rule...reputable sources such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the State Department's own Country Report on Human Rights have documented severe and systematic hu- man rights abuses by Jiang's government against his own people." The brief continued, "This lawsuit was filed not to embarrass China, but to persuade the defendants to end their persecution of Falun Gong ... it is highly consistent with the goals set forth in [U.S. Department of State's] annual review of human rights." Up Close: A Few Plaintiffs While many plaintiffs remain nameless, a few Falun Gong prac- titioners living overseas have risked pressure and threats against their families in China to step forward and present their cases. Ms. Wang Yuzhi Wang Yuzhi was detained in the Wanjia Labor Camp and tortured to the brink of death for refusing to give up her beliefs. "1 chose my conscience because I knew that when people renounce good, wholesome beliefs under pressure from a dictatorship, something much greater than us dies." [For Wang Yuzhi's full story, go to p. 50.] Mr. Gang Chen Gang Chen survived eighteen months of severe torture in the notorious Tuanhe Labor Camp. The torture could easily have killed him, but he considers himself lucky, with efforts in the U.S. on his behalf eventually helping gain his release. He now uses his own case to help rally others to appeal for individual practitioners detained in the Labor Camps. "Because the guards knew they were being watched, what they did to me was not as bad as what they did to some others." ders to use any means necessary to force Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their beliefs come straight from the top: Jiang Zemin. Jiang Sued for Genocide As defined by the United Nations Convention Against Genocide, "geno- cide includes, but is not limited to, the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part..." The campaign Jiang has waged against Falun Gong in China fits multi- ple aspects of this genocide definition. First, there is the rapidly mounting death toll. While the verified death toll of Falun Gong practitioners in China reached 852 by the end of 2003, the true death toll is believed to be well into the thousands. The cases of verified deaths that are known have been uncovered by the persistent investigation of individu- als in China at great risk to themselves. The treatment of Falun Gong practi- tioners within labor camps and deten- tion centers has never been subject to in- ternational scrutiny, and all information remains tightly blocked by the Chinese state. Following on the heels of Jiang's orders that no measure is too excessive to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their beliefs, numerous informed sources inside China say Jiang's 6-10 Of- fice has also instructed labor camps and detention centers to record all deaths in custody as suicides and cremate the bod- ies immediately. In Jiang's attempt to eliminate Falun Gong in China, clearly torturing Falun Gong practitioners to death remains a 16 Compassion • 2004 Jane and Fadu Dai Jane and Fadu Dai have seen their family shattered. Jane's husband Chengyong Chen was tortured to death in Guanzhou, China. Chengyong's sister was called to identify the remains. When she did so, she herself was arrested for her practice of Falun Gong, and sentenced to a forced labor camp. Chengyong's father, doubly bereft, died of grief shortly thereafter. Jane, who luckily had obtained Australian citizenship, was able to keep herself and Fadu safe. Jane now tells others their story, speaking up for all those in China who cannot speak for themselves. Mr. Zhao Ming A graduate student in Computer Science at Trinity College, Dublin, Zhao Ming returned to China during Christmas break, 1999. Arrested for his practice of Falun Gong, Zhao Ming was imprisoned for 22 months. He survived numerous forced feedings, prolonged periods of sleep deprivation, severe beatings from inmates, and sessions of being shocked with cattle prods by several guards simultaneously. Two close friends of his have died in labor camps. wide -spread means to that end when individuals refuse to renounce their beliefs. Second, the infliction of "serious... mental harm" and the imposition of "conditions of life calculated to bring about [the group's] physical destruction" are both part of a horrific "transforma- tion" process. A systematic and compre- hensive effort is made to "transform" every single practitioner in China, and in doing so to eliminate the group Falun Gong entirely. Throughout the tumultuous reign of the Communist Party in China, com- plex, diverse and often violent methods of persecution were developed and re- fined. These methods aimed to isolate completely a segment of society and extinguish it by "transforming" indi- viduals' hearts and minds to the point where they are so broken, their spirits so raped, that they become but shadows of who they once were; reduced to an al- most mindless state of obedience to the Party line. Since 1999, Jiang Zemin has com- mandeered the knowledge and methods for "transforming" people that the Chi- nese Communist Party has amassed over five decades, and unleashed them upon Falun Gong with a terrifying force. In addition to the more than 300 forced labor camps throughout China where Falun Gong practitioners are being held, brainwashing centers have been instituted through state-run companies, government offices and police stations throughout China. In the camps and centers, Falun Gong practitioners are engulfed in a barrage of psychological attacks on their beliefs. On top of the psychological attacks comes continuous physical torture. Thus, day in and day out, detained Falun Gong practitioners live in a world that vilifies their most fundamental beliefs, while putting them through a regiment of unbearable tor- www.faluninfo.net 17 Up Close: A Few Lawsuits By the end of 2003, 16 lawsuits were filed in different countries around the world against Jiang Zemin and a few senior officials. China has become a prison for these defendants as they face more lawsuits and legal actions when traveling abroad. Madrid, Spain Filed on October 15, 2003 against Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan on behalf of fifteen plaintiffs from United States, Argentina, Belgium and Spain. The complaint is based on Spain's Organic Law, which grants Spanish courts universal jurisdiction to process complaints for severe crimes such as genocide, even though the crimes were not committed in Spain. Berlin, Germany Filed on November 21, 2003 on behalf of 40 plaintiffs at the Federal Court in Karlsruhe charging Jiang Zemin and other high-ranking Chinese officials responsible for the persecution with genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity. Falun Gong's attorney, Wolfgang Kaleck, first gained notoriety for representing German victims of former Argentine President, Jorge Videla, who was charged with the torture and killing of thousands during his rule in the late 1970's and early 1980's. ture aimed at breaking down the will ut- terly and completely. For those forcefully detained in mental institutions, psycho- tropic drugs, electric shock torture and nerve damaging drugs are often added to the transformation arsenal. The stated goal of this transformation process is two -fold: 1) To force Falun Gong practitioners to denounce their own faith and 2) enlist the practition- ers to publicly denounce Falun Gong and help authorities "transform" others. Through this process of transformation, many are killed amid the violent meth- ods used, many others are driven crazy or mentally collapse, while those who give in to the transformation live out their lives as agents of the persecution themselves. As one brainwashing center guard in Hebei Provincial Center regu- larly tells practitioners detained there: "It is when I see you beat and curse people that I will count you as totally transformed." Thus, all people in China who are identified as Falun Gong practitioners (or even those believed to be "support- ers") are targets of a "transformation" process that — if they do not die or are not driven crazy amid the terrifying violence and degradation — aims to strip them of their conscience, their faith and their human spirit: everything that makes them a Falun Gong practitioner, and indeed, a human being. Thus, through a combined process of brainwashing, torture and killings, Jiang Zemin has sought to negate — or in his own words "eradicate" — the very existence of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Early Legal Victories for Falun Gong From 2001 to mid -2002, a number of civil lawsuits were filed in the U.S. against high-level Chinese officials known to be involved in the persecution 18 Compassion • 2004 Chicago, U.S.A. Filed on October 18, 2002 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, suing Jiang Zemin and the 6-10 Office for genocide, torture and the denial to right -to -life, as well as a conspiracy to commit violations of civil rights against Falun Gong within the jurisdiction of the U.S. The complaint was served to Jiang's security detail while hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners held a silent appeal for justice nearby. Taipei, Taiwan Filed on November 17, 2003 in Taiwan's High Court, charging Jiang Zemin, Luo Gang, and Li Lanqing with genocide. This suit is the first use of Taiwan's law for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, adopted in 1953 as a domestic version of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners and supporters rallied in downtown Taipei the next day to show support for the lawsuit. of Falun Gong. In July 2001, the Head of Public Secu- rity for Hubei Province, Mr. Zhao Zhi- fei, was charged with wrongful death, torture, crimes against humanity, and other gross violations of international human rights law against Falun Gong practitioners in his home province of Hubei. After Defendant Zhao Zhifei went back to China, a massive hunt for the plaintiff, Mr. Peng Liang, and other Falun Gong practitioners in Hubei Province began. Peng Liang was arrested on August 30, 2001 and was last seen in custody of police in Wuhan, the Capital of the Hubei Province. He has not been heard from or seen since. On February 7, 2002, the Center for Justice and Accountability along with attorneys Paul Hoffman and Dr. Terri Marsh filed a civil action in U.S. Dis- trict Court of the Northern District of California, against Liu Qi, Mayor of Beijing on behalf of six plaintiffs who are citizens of the People's Republic of China, United States, Sweden, Aus- tralia, Germany, Canada, and France. The next day, Morty Sklar, Executive Director for Human Rights USA filed a lawsuit on behalf of individual plaintiffs and a designated class of injured par- ties, in the same U.S. Court against Xia Deren, Deputy Provincial Governor of Liao Ning Province, China for torture and genocide. These first three lawsuits proved to be early victories for Falun Gong. Judge Cote of the District Court of the South- ern District of New York ruled against defendant Zhao Zhefei and issued a de- fault judgment against him in November of 2001. The magistrate judge presiding over the cases of Liu Qi and Xia Deren issued a report recommending a default judgment against both defendants. [continued on page 60] www.faluninfo.net 19 The legal actions against those who persecute Falun Gong in China have garnered the interest of human rights attorneys from around the world. Here are a few who are working on legal actions to bring Jiang to justice... Georges -Henri Beauthier, Esq. France/Be gium Mr. Georges -Henri Beauthier is prob- ably best known for his role in bringing charges against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. He also brought the first successful case under Belgium's hu- man rights laws against two individuals for their roles in the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Mr. Beauthier is chief counsel in a Belgian lawsuit charging former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and two of his senior aides with genocide, torture and crimes against humanity. He is also co -counsel for a criminal lawsuit filed in France against former Chinese Vice - Premier, Li Lanqing, on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. Morton Sklar, Esq. Morton Sklar is Executive Director of the World Organization for Human Rights USA, an organization that represents victims of grave human rights abuse and monitors U.S. compliance with the Torture and Race Conventions. Mr. Sklar has served on the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA, taught human rights law at Catholic Uni- versity of America Law School, and participated in a year-long UN fact-finding mission to Burma to investigate forced labor there. Mr. Sklar's organization filed related lawsuits against the Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province, Xia Deren, and the former Mayor of Beijing, Liu Qi. David Matas, Esq. David Matas is Co -Chair and Senior Legal Advisor for the International Coalition against Torture. In January 2004, he joined efforts to prosecute Jiang Zemin using Canadian Law and to bar persecutors of Falun Gong from entering Canada. Mr. Matas has represented the Government of Canada in a number of delegations, such as the United Na- tions Conference on an International Criminal Court in 1998. He has lectured on law at both McGill University and the Uni- veristy of Manitoba and acted as Director of Canada's Rights & Democracy organization from 1997 to 2003. Wolfgang Kaleck, Esq. Germany Mr. Wolfgang Kaleck is a German lawyer based in Berlin. He first gained notoriety for representing — German German victims of former Argentine President Jorge Videla who was charged with the torture and killing of thousands during his rule in the late 1970's and early 1980's. A Nuremberg Federal Court has recently issued an arrest warrant for Videla in connection with the lawsuit. On behalf of Falun Gong practitioners, Mr Kaleck filed a lawsuit with the German Supreme Court against Jiang Zemin and other Chinese leaders on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. 20 Compassion • 2004 Geoffrey Robertson, QC A,usf al /England'" Mr. Geoffrey Robertson is Chief Jus- tice of the UN War Crimes Commis- sion, President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and one of the Queen's Counsels. Mr. Robertson has argued human rights cases in Commonwealth courts, the Privy Coun- cil and the European Court in Strasbourg. He has conducted a number of missions on behalf of Amnesty International to South Africa and Vietnam. Mr. Robertson is assisting an ef- fort to bring the case of traditional Chinese artist and Falun Gong practitioner, Ms. Zhang Cuiying — an Australian citizen — before the UN and the International Court of Justice. William Aceves, Esq. nited States Ignetes Professor Aceves is a Professor of Law and Director of the International Legal Studies Program at California Western School of Law. He frequently works with Amnesty International, the Center for Justice & Accountability, and the Center for Constitutional Rights on international law cases and human rights litigation. He has represented Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Advocates, the International Human Rights Law Group, and others as amicus curiae coun- sel in cases before the federal courts. Professor Aceves is work- ing with other attorneys on the class-action lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and the "6-10 Office." Jaykumar Menon, Esq. UnitedaStates Mr. Jaykumar Menon, a former staff attorney at the Center for Constitu- tional Rights, studied law and interna- tional political economy at Columbia University, receiving his J.D. and a master's in international affairs. Mr. Menon was an attorney in the landmark civil lawsuit against Li Peng — the former Premier of China who was sued for the massacre of Chinese students during the Tiananmen Square killings of 1989. Mr. Menon is working with other attorneys on the class-action lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and the "6-10 Office." ordan Paust, Esq. United States Professor Jordan Paust is a University of Houston Law Foundation Professor of Law and Director of the International Law Institute. He has written several books and over 130 articles addressing a wide array of international legal issues. He is often asked to provide expert advice to various media and organizations on international legal matters and has served on the President's Committee and Executive Council of the American Society of International Law and is currently Co -Chair of the ASIL's International Criminal Law Interest Group. Professor Paust is working with other attorneys on the class-action lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and the "6-10 Office." Carlos Iglesias Jimenez, Esq. Carlos Iglesias Jimenez is a lawyer from Spain. During the 1980s and 1990s, Mr. Iglesias held advisory posts for a number of Ministries in the Spanish Government. Mr. Iglesias has dedicated the last several years to pros- ecuting individuals for violations of human rights taking place in Mainland China against Falun Gong practitioners. On Oc- tober 15th 2003 filed a criminal lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and the Vice -director of the 6/10 office Luo Gan, accusing them of heading and organizing genocide and for the illegal persecution of Falun Gong inside and outside of China. Theresa Chu, Esq. Taiwan Ms. Theresa Chu, a member of the New York Bar, is Taiwan's spokes- person for the Attorney Group for Bring Jiang to Justice and Taiwan's representative of Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legisla- tion. She has been invited to be a member in a task force for Taiwan's Admission to the International Criminal Court. She has worked as a Legal Specialist in the Treaties and Legal Af- fairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan. Ms. Chu is now working with other attorneys on Taiwan's first ever genocide lawsuit --the case against Jiang Zemin, Li Lanq- ing and Luo Gan --the heads of "6-10 Office." www.faluninfo.net 21 Immunity, Genocide, and the Rule of law An Interview with Dr. Terri Marsh The lawsuits surrounding the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China first gained international attention with the filing of a class-action lawsuit against former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin during Jiang's visit to the U.S. in October, 2002. Since that time, the suit has garnered the interest of the international legal community, rallying some of the world's most renowned human rights lawyers around its cause. The suit has also rekindled debate concerning international human rights litigation, diplomatic influence over court rooms, immunity for former heads -of -state and other issues. In the following interview, Dr. Terri Marsh, who is the lead attorney on the U.S. class-action suit, and also a practitioner of Falun Gong, answers some of the key questions that have been raised by this landmark case. Dr. Terri Marsh addresses the media about the lawsuit against China's former leader, Jiang Zemin. Q Why does the lawsuit target Jiang Zemin? Jiang personally ordered the persecu- tion of Falun Gong, and did so without the support of the Premier or of the Politburo Standing Committee [the committee of high ranking Communist Party members who effectively run the country], many of whom were sup- portive of Falun Gong before it became illegal to admit such support publicly. Letters and speeches by Jiang himself explicitly ordered the persecution of Falun Gong. We also have personal testimonies from hundreds of individu- als in China, including some high-level Chinese officials, that tell exactly how and why Jiang did this. Of course, Jiang has gone to great lengths to blur the line between his personal will and the policies of the Chinese Government. To this day, many believe the "Falun Gong issue" to be a struggle between the Chinese Govern- ment and Falun Gong. This perception is no accident. It is the result of carefully calculated steps taken by Jiang to use the government for his own purposes, and to deceive others as to what he is doing. Q. How about other Chinese officials? We have made clear from the begin- ning that these lawsuits are not targeting the Chinese Government nor Chinese Government officials overall. Many Chinese officials who travel abroad are not served with lawsuits filed by Falun Gong practitioners — we only sue those whom we know are responsible for the international crimes related to the per- secution. Q How has Jiang and/or the Chinese government responded to the lawsuit? Outside of the courtroom, the Chi- nese government on behalf of Jiang has threatened nothing less than an interna- tional crisis between the United States and China should this case be permitted 22 Compassion • 2004 to go forward, pretending not to under- stand the integrity of the judicial process nor the separation of powers in this country. I am told there have been nearly daily phone calls and letters to the U.S. Department of State by PRC officials, pushing to have this case dismissed. In fact, Jiang has made this lawsuit a prior- ity in U.S-China relations, attempting to coerce our country into violating one of our fundamental principles, the sepa- ration of powers. Inside the courtroom — actually, the Chinese government has yet to appear inside a U.S. courtroom to respond to this or any other lawsuit. The U.S. Jus- tice Department has appeared in court at the behest of the U.S. State Depart- ment and argued on Jiang's behalf that he is immune to the charges we have pre- sented. U.S. District Court Judge Ken- nelly, however, correctly ruled that the U.S. government could not be a party to this lawsuit against Jiang. In fact, there is no head -of -state im- munity for former heads of state with respect to the crimes of torture and genocide. Article IV of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which, by the way, both China and the United States have ratified, states "Persons commit- ting genocide or other acts enumerated in article III shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rul- ers, public officials, or private individu- als." Precedent also precludes immunity nized a necessary exception to any form of immunity when international law has been violated, stating: "The principle of international law, which under certain circumstances protects the representa- tives of a state, cannot be applied to acts which are condemned as criminal by international law. The authors of these acts cannot shelter themselves behind their official po- sition," and one "cannot claim im- munity while act- ing in pursuance of the authority of the State if the State in authoriz- ing action moves outside its com- petence under in- ternational law." states that "genocide includes, but is not limited to, the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or reli- gious group, as such: Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring "Jiang has gone to great lengths to blur the line between his personal will and the policiesoftheChineseGovernment...these lawsuits are not targeting the Chinese Government nor Chinese Government officials overall." (Opinion and Judgment, I.M.T. at Nuremberg (1946), reprinted in 41 AM. J. INTL L. 172, 221 (1947) ) As the Nuremberg Opinion affirms, acts taken in violation of international law are be- yond the lawful authority of any state, are ultra vires, and cannot be covered by immunity. Speaking more generally, I think the argument on behalf of immunity should be very troubling to us all. The princi- ples of Nuremburg uphold a fundamen- tal moral principle: no one should be permitted to commit acts of torture and genocide, no matter what their position. The principles of Nuremburg assert that no man is above the law. The argument on behalf of immu- nity for someone like Jiang stands opposed to these principles. "We have all seen images of holocaust victims, half-starved skeletons gazing at us from behind barbed wire fences... The images of the victims of the persecution of Falun Gong are no less horrifying." for former (and sitting) heads of state as well as other public officials. For instance, the Nuremburg Court recog- Q What crimes has Jiang committed? Jiang has vio- lated the Convention against Genocide and the Convention against Torture, among others. The Convention Against Genocide about its physical destruction in whole or in part." Under Jiang's personal direction, officials conducting the campaign of persecution against Falun Gong have committed substantial violations of the Conventions against Genocide and against Torture. The death toll is exceedingly high. Brutal torture is state -authorized and commonplace, including subjecting practitioners to severe beatings, electric shocks, water dungeons and sleep deprivation; brand- ing and burning them; horrific forms of sodomy; and other forms of torture. There are over 30,000 documented cases of persecution. Furthermore, Jiang's re- gime has sent large numbers of perfectly healthy practitioners to mental hospitals, injecting them with mind -altering drugs and causing severe and often irreversible psychological damage. Q. How is this legal effort being funded? The costs of the case are being ab- sorbed by individuals who believe in it. No funds whatsoever come from any government or commercial sector... [continued on page 61] www.faluninfo.net 23 f Falun Gong? n July 20, 1999, approximately 8% of the entire population in China became "illegal" persons by virtue of their beliefs. Thousands are believed dead, hundreds of thousands rendered homeless, tortured or thrown into forced -labor camps. Chinese police have standing orders to use any means necessary to "transform" Falun Gong practitioners as Jiang aims to - in his own words - "eradicate Falun Gong." The 6-10 Office Named for the day it was created, June 10, 1999, Jiang established the 6-10 Office for a single purpose: to "eradicate" Falun Gong. The 6-10 Office leaders report directly to Jiang and have power over all levels of the government, particu- larly the Public Security Bureau, the Judiciary and the local police. ARBITRARY IMPRISONMENT Once identified as a Falun Gong practitioner, Chinese citizens are subject to immediate detention, and are often imprisoned in forced -labor camps for up to three years typically without trial. Sentences are frequently extended without cause if the practitioner has not renounced Falun Gong. : r e• TORTURE AND KILLINGS In detention centers, forced labor camps and brainwashing cen- ters throughout China, Falun Gong practitioners are subject to severe beatings and torture as police strive to "transform" them. Police say their orders are "no method is too extreme" to force Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their beliefs, and those who are killed amidst the torture "should be reported as suicides." REWARDS AND QUOTAS Police and labor camp authorities are often given quotas for the number of practitioners they must "transform," while having free reign in the methods they use to do so. Those who make quotas get bonuses or promotions. FAMILIES AND HOUSING Practitioners and their families stand to lose apartments and homes, pitting husband against wife as the 6-10 Office often pres- sures family members of Falun Gong practitioners to force their kin to abandon the practice. Many practitioners wander China homeless, having been forced from their homes to avoid persecu- tion or in an attempt to protect their families from persecution. EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION In a Communist nation where the government can exercise significant control over employment and education, employees and students are often forced to "show a correct attitude" towards Falun Gong or face losing their jobs or pensions or being expelled from school. Promotions and college examina- tions are linked to the Falun Gong issue. Even elementary school students are indoctrinated — everyone must condemn Falun Gong before advancing in society. MENTAL HOSPITALS At least 1,000 sane and healthy Falun Gong practitioners have been detained in mental hospitals, where psy- chiatrists and psychiatric nurses torture them with psychotropic drugs and electric shock treatment, as well as other means. The World Psychiatric Association voted in August, 2002 to investigate, but China repeatedly denied them access to any mental facilities. a a Rcl?sorta,Ienos CarnpagJ One Man's Decision to "Eradicate" the Traditional Chinese Belief of 100 Million People il The Communist Party must vanquish Falun Gong... How could it be possible that the Marxist theory we endorse and the materialism and atheism that we believe in can't vanquish what Falun Gong propagates? If it were true, wouldn't we become laughing stocks? 3 Jiang Zemin Excerpt from an April 25, 1999 letter to senior Communist Party officials BY DR. MICHAEL PEARSON-SMITH 0 ver the last four years, China watchers have proposed a variety of socio-political reasons for why the Chinese regime moved to crush Falun Gong — a benign exercise and meditation practice with ancient Chinese roots. The answer, however, has proved to be simpler and far more disturbing than most initially guessed. When the nationwide persecution campaign against Falun Gong began in China in July 1999, many believed the campaign to be another mass movement orchestrated and backed by the Commu- nist Party leadership as a whole. Over the last four years, however, facts have emerged to cast light on the maneuvers of then -Communist Party head Jiang Zemin. An abundance of evidence has emerged showing Jiang not only formulated the policy of eradicating Falun Gong himself, but also overrode the will of the Premier and the rest of the Politburo Standing Committee — who initially disagreed with Jiang's stance on Falun Gong — to enact the campaign. Additionally, since 1999 Jiang has been the driving force behind the campaign and its rising intensity. Falun Gong Flourishes in China From its introduction to the public in May 1992 to the beginning of the persecution in July 1999, the number of practitioners grew into the tens of millions. In 1999, Chinese Government officials told the Associated Press and the New York Times their estimate was "at least 70 million." (AP: "Growing group poses a dilemma for China," 4/26/1999; NYT: "In Beijing: A Roar of Silent Pro- testors," 4/27/1999) Many attributed the rapid growth of Falun Gong to its effectiveness in im- proving the physical health of millions of Chinese citizens, while also uplifting mental and spiritual well-being. By early 1999, one could see Falun Gong practi- tioners everywhere among the morning exercisers in all the major cities of China. In a strictly controlled society such as China it would have been impossible for such a large mass organization and social phenomenon to exist, let alone thrive for seven years, without consent and sup- port from all levels of government. At the time, not only were the masses learning Falun Gong, but also all seven of the Politburo Standing Committee members had read Zhuan Falun, the main text Falun Gong. Many of their relatives and friends were also practic- ing Falun Gong. Many high-ranking officials in the Communist Party, gov- ernment and military had taken up the practice themselves after attending Mr. Li Hongzhi's lectures personally or hear- ing about it by word-of-mouth. The Offensive Against Falun Gong Begins In the latter half of 1996 Falun Gong practitioners first began to report inci- dents of harassment by police. Luo Gan was already a high-ranking official. As the Chair of the Communist Party's Political Legal Committee, Luo was in charge of the Public Security Bureau, the national intelligence agencies, and the judiciary. But Luo Gan saw in Falun Gong an opportunity for further politi- cal gain and put in motion a plan to put Falun Gong and the government at odds with each other. As part of this plan, Luo, looking for a pretext to ban the practice, ordered the police in China to conduct a secret investigation of Falun Gong across the country. In July 1998, through the Chi- nese Ministry of Public Security Bureau #1 (a.k.a. Political Security Bureau), Luo Gan issued Public Authority [1998] #555 "Notification about conducting investi- gation of Falun Gong." This document first labeled Falun Gong a "cult," then asked the police departments across the country to systematically plant agents to investigate and collect "evidence." The investigation by the police, how- ever, found no evidence of crimes related to Falun Gong. At the end of the summer a letter was written in response to Luo's police in- vestigation by 135 very highly respected members of society, including famous professors, actors, and high level gov- ernment officials. The chief author of the letter was a famous law professor at Beijing University. In it he explained that the basis of Luo Gan's investigation of Falun Gong in July, the above-men- tioned "notification" from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security Bureau #1, violated the Chinese Constitution and was against the law. Premier Zhu Rongji quickly re- sponded, saying that the Public Security Bureau should not harass Falun Gong practitioners, but should concentrate on security issues. Zhu's response also men- tioned that Falun Gong had helped to save large amounts of medical costs for the country. The response from Premier Zhu, how- ever, was intercepted by Luo, and never forwarded to Falun Gong practitioners. It was not until April 25, 1999, that Pre- mier Zhu learned his response had been withheld by someone. It was also not until that time that Falun Gong practi- tioners first learned there had been such a positive response from Premier Zhu. Following the police investigation in July, a few retired Communist Party members of the National People's Con- gress led by Qiao Shi, who had been in his own time been a very high-ranking official, conducted their own investiga- tion of Falun Gong. They received a great deal of feedback from the popula- tion, and concluded that Falun Gong brought much benefit to China with no negative impact. They ended their report by saying "Winning the hearts of the people you gain the world. Los- ing the hearts of the people, you lose everything." The report was submitted in October to the Permanent Standing Committee (the group of seven Com- munist Party members who run the country), which Jiang Zemin headed. Insiders at Zhongnanhai (the govern- ment compound in Beijing) reported that Jiang was very displeased with this report, and wrote a note to Luo Gang expressing his displeasure, a note that excited Luo's desire to advance himself by opposing Falun Gong. [continued on page 62] il Jiang Zemin individually made this decision ... [he] went against many other people in his own politburo who did not want to do this to the Falun Gong, some of whom even practiced the Falun Gong or had relatives who prac- ticed the Falun Gong. So we need to hold him accountable. Ambassador Mark Palmer Former U.S. Ambassador and 26 -year veteran of the U.S. State Department explaining the role of China's former leader, Jiang Zemin, in the genocide against Falun Gong. The "6-10 Office A Gestapo against Falun Gong Jiang Zemin's regime has created notorious government '610' offices throughout the People's Republic of China with the special task of overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through organized brainwashing, torture, and murder [...] 3 United States Congress Resolution No. 188 Unanimously Passed 420-0 I, BY STEPHEN GREGORY ike Hitler's Gestapo, the 6-10 Office is an extra -constitutional body of unquestioned power whose business is terror. Created by former leader Jiang Zemin, the 6-10 Office has operated virtually unrestricted for over four years. The 6-10 Office aims to identify and isolate every single Falun Gong prac- titioner, and then bring to bear upon them the full weight of the state and society. The 6-10 Office's singular capacity for terror depends, first of all, on the way it penetrates every aspect of Chinese society, from the top to the bottom. The CCP Central Committee 6-10 Office has ministerial rank. Every province, city, county, and township has its own 6- 10 Office. Each university, government organization, and state-run corporation has its own 6-10 Office as well. At every level of administration, the 6-10 Offices have higher authority than normal government agencies. In particu- lar, they have authority over the Chinese public security organizations, judicial system, and the media. The 6-10 Of- fices' mandated responsibilities are to direct and coordinate "the struggle with Falun Gong." These loosely defined responsibilities give the officials of the 6-10 Offices virtual free rein, so long as they can justify what they do as being against Falun Gong. The 6-10 Offices were given their per- vasive place in China's government and society, and their unchecked powers, for the sake of fulfilling this mandate of Jiang Zemin: to "eradicate Falun Gong" by "defaming their reputations, bank- rupting them financially, destroying them physically." The 6-10 Offices carry out this mandate with propaganda, and with a system of social control meant to compel all Chinese to join in this campaign. In particular, it aims to compel the security forces to do so with no restraint what- soever. The following sections of this article will sketch out the various facets of the 6-10 Office that, when taken together, map out a schematic of the comprehen- sive terror machinery. Defaming Their Reputations The 6-10 Office's strategy in its use of propaganda is borrowed from that of fighting a guerrilla war. If the 6-10 Office can succeed in "defaming the reputations" of Falun Gong, then it can count on the people of China giv- ing practitioners no support and no safe harbor. The 6-10 Office seeks to psychologically isolate the practitioners of Falun Gong, while turning the entire population of China into willing infor- mants and collaborators in the effort to "eradicate" this peaceful practice. To do this, the 6-10 Office has con- cocted numerous stories meant to dem- onstrate that the practice of Falun Gong leads to psychosis, homicide, suicide, and alcohol and drug abuse. The now - debunked "self -immolations" on Ti- ananmen Square is the most famous of these. These stories are then used to jus- tify the claims that Falun Gong is "anti - science," "anti -society," "anti -humanity," "anti-government," and "anti -Party." Falun Gong is meant to be viewed as something both contemptible and threatening. In particular, the propa- ganda tries to turn the great pride the Chinese people have in their homeland into a source of hatred, by presenting Falun Gong as a "tool of anti -Chinese forces." But the depiction of Falun Gong attempts to touch even deeper instinc- tual sources of aversion. A recent com- mentary by Xinhua (BBC Monitoring Service, 9/24/03) refers to practitioners as being "chased by all, like rats running across the street." The imagery of ver- min removes all psychological barriers — one can do anything to a rat. (For further discussion of the propaganda, see "Why Didn't I Know?", p. 36.) The Implication System — Society a Weapon of Persecution In Imperial China the "implication" or "responsibility" system was a means of collective responsibility. The family or village was responsible for the indi- vidual's actions and would be punished if the individual stepped out of line, and so had a role in assuring the proper be- havior of all members. The Communist Party has long found this Imperial relic useful, and one that fits very neatly Marxist-Leninist and Maoist teachings. The 6-10 Office has refined and extended the implication system. One acts responsibly by "showing the right attitude." If the government has condemned Falun Gong, then all must condemn Falun Gong. The local 6-10 Offices organize "study sessions" in work units and schools in which every- one is required to denounce Falun Gong in mandatory signature campaigns that extend down even to elementary schools. Even tourists report being stopped by po- lice and prompted to curse Falun Gong or spit on a picture of Li Hongzhi. The 6-10 Office wants everyone in China to express symbolically that they have joined the persecution. The orches- trated mass actions help complete the lessons imparted by the propaganda. If "everyone" is chasing the practitioners down the street, then surely the practi- tioners deserve to be chased. If a practitioner is caught putting up posters or handing out leaflets, all parts of society may be required by the local 6-10 Office to punish such an act of conscience: the practitioner may lose housing, job, pension, and places in school. But the punishment often does not end with the practitioner. The family also stands to lose housing, jobs, pen- sions, and place in school. For this reason, millions of practitioners wander China homeless today, trying to protect their families from punishment. In addition to the punishments visited on the family, the neighbors may be fined, the workplace may be fined, and the school may be penalized. The 6-10 Office uses these punish- ments to attempt to deprive the prac- titioner the means of life, and even the warmth of simple human contact. Beset by non-stop attacks in all the media, iso- lated from friends and family, without jobs or shelter, the 6-10 Office expects the practitioners to choose to abandon Falun Gong. For those practitioners who remain steadfast, the 6-10 Office and the im- plication system have more forceful methods. The Implication System and the Police The 6-10 Office holds all members of society responsible for any Falun Gong activity, but it especially holds the secu- rity forces responsible. One way it ac- complishes this is through quotas. When the persecution first began in 1999, the first response of many practi- tioners was to go to Tiananmen Square to appeal. The response of the 6-10 Of- fice was to hold the local government of the practitioner's home responsible for any appeals. If the government met its quota in stamping out appeals, the police, the party officials and the gov- ernment officials would be rewarded. If not, they would be fined, demoted, or even fired. This carrot -and -stick ap- proach is applied across the board. For instance, in February 2002 in the town of Kaian in Nongan County, a journalist took a photo of many Falun Gong banners that were hanging in pub- lic. He then wrote an article attacking Falun Gong, which was published with his photo. The Chief of Police of Kaian was immediately fired, and all of the personnel in the police stations in Non- gan Country were changed. Mingkai Hou was considered by the 6-10 Office in Changchun to be a lead- ing figure in the March 5, 2002 broad- cast by Falun Gong practitioners over the state-run cable TV, but somehow had escaped the police. So, a bonus of 50,000 yuan (equal to 8 years' salary for the typical urban worker in China) and a promotion were offered for his capture, which then happened that August 21 (police hurriedly cremated his body two days later). And the 6-10 Office has another form of reward, one that has the advantage of costing the government nothing: it en- courages police at all levels to steal from practitioners and their families. Huge "fines" are extracted, with no receipt given for the cash lifted. Police walk into homes and simply take anything of val- ue. If the practitioners are farmers, they lose crops, equipment, even seed. In vil- lages throughout China, the local police chiefs often have new houses, with shiny new cars parked out front. Transformation and Brainwashing The Washington Post (August 5, 2001) reported that early in 2001 the 6-10 Of- fice had begun the task of identifying every single practitioner of Falun Gong and brainwashing them. The 6-10 Of- fices had created "brainwashing centers" throughout China. Now, the 6-10 Office had a new set of quotas — every township, city, county, and province had to meet quotas for "transforming" their practitioners. This is what the brainwashing centers were for: they were judged the most cost-ef- fective way to transform steadfast prac- titioners. The formal sign of transformation occurs when the practitioner agrees to write the "three statements" demanded by the 610 Office: a letter of repentance, a guarantee never again to practice Falun Gong, and a list of names and addresses of all family members, friends and ac- quaintances who are practitioners. Wang Zhizhong suffered brainwash- ing in the Hebei Provincial Center, succumbing in the hope of sparing from abuse his nineteen year-old daughter, a promising classical pianist who is also a practitioner of Falun Gong. Practitioners who submit and agree to "transforma- tion" describe this as the most painful experience in their lives. The guards know this, and know that merely writ- ing the three statements is not enough. Wang Zhinzhong reports that a guard at the Hebei Center tells practitioners: "It is when I see you beat and curse people that I will count you as totally transformed." In fact, forcing practitioners to engage in the "transformation" of their fellow practitioners is part of the regular rou- tine. Transformation has finally been accomplished when the practitioner replaces truth, compassion, and toler- ance with lies, brutality, and selfishness, when the practitioner is implicated in the persecution itself. For those who steadfastly resist brain- washing, the 6-10 Office has still other methods. "No Measures Are Too Extreme" "You talk about evil? I am evil." So Director Zhang of the Dalian Re -Edu- cation Camp told practitioners in late summer 2003 who were about to receive the "hip -splitting torture": practitio- ners were hung up spread-eagled from the ceiling, and sticks with hot pepper oil were forced into their vaginas. When these practitioners still did not recant Falun Gong, boiling water was poured on them. The 6-10 Office has created tens of thousands of Zhangs throughout Chi- na, individuals who routinely torture. Among them are those who, no doubt like Zhang, enjoy the torturing. Ian Johnson, in a Pulitzer -Prize win- ning series of articles for the Wall Street Journal on the death of Chen Zixiu in Weifang City, explained how the impli- cation system has within it a logic that promotes brutality (Wall Street Journal, 12/27/00). If a practitioner travels from Weifang City to Beijing to appeal, as Chen Zixiu did, the local officials stand to be fined or worse. But if the local officials beat her to death, there is no problem. The implication system only seeks to reach the goal — no appeals in Beijing — and puts no limitations on the means for reaching that goal. The 6-10 Office has made this logic explicit. "No measures are too extreme" to use on Falun Gong prac- titioners states a top-secret directive. The 6-10 Office makes sure of this directive by training police in more effective methods of torture. Force-feeding had been banned from the Chinese penal system as too danger- ous and brutal. The 6-10 Office brought it back to use on practitioners, and many have died from it in the last four years. Early in the persecution, when the Hebei province brainwashing center showed how to use on practi- tioners the techniques of sleep deprivation and abuse originally perfected for shattering the minds of spies, the 6-10 Office gave them an award, and brought lo- cal officials from around China to Hebei to study the technique. In the summer of 2003, when the Gaoyang Labor forced -labor camp made an innovation in the torture of force-feeding by using human excrement, the 6-10 Office gave them an award, and brought others in from around China to learn this inhumane procedure. Policemen in jails will beat and kick practitioners for hours; using an electric club with a charge of 25,000 volts that burns and blisters the skin and damages the nervous system, guards will torture until the batteries die out; women face all forms of sexual abuse, includ- ing rape, gang rape, and forced, late -term abortions; in mental hospitals, doctors and nurses administer huge doses of psychotropic drugs and electric shock, with catastrophic results; pokers heated in stoves are used to burn down to the muscle; acupuncture needles are stuck in the most sensitive points and hooked up to high voltage generators; needles are jammed under nails; practitioners are hung by straitjackets, with the result sometimes of slowly snapping their necks as they hang. Those police who are hesitant to do these terrible things lose their jobs. Death is not the object of this regime of torture, but it is also no cause for regret. The 6-10 Office has a policy for that as well: "Cremate the body immediately, and count the death as suicide." According to the 6-10 Office, there has never been a single case of the abuse of a Falun Gong practitioner. [continued on page 65] Fabricated News: Rat Poison at Xinhua News Agency Since the 6-10 Office was formed in 1999, it has used the state-controlled media in China to fabricate stories about Falun Gong aiming to bend public opinion against the practice. On a number of occasions, however, investigation has revealed the fraudulent nature of these stories. This past July 2, Xinhua pub- lished a sensational story "16 Beggars Poisoned: the Suspect is a Falun Gong Member." Evi- dence revealing the fabricated nature of this story, however, had been published earlier that same day by the local newspaper in Zhenjiang, Cangan county; the site of the story. Seven hours before the Xin- hua article was published, the Metropolitan Express (Du Shi Kuai Bao) reported the case had not vet been solved. The Xinhua report, however, said the case had been solved "last night" (i.e., July 1). According to Xinhua the alleged murderer was one Chen Fuzhao, said to be a practitioner. The Metro- politan News did not mention Falun Gong at all. The Xinhua account lacked details about the crimes, but said that the case was closed and that the murderer was a Falun Gong practitioner. The Metropolitan Express article had many details about the still - open case, including the news that Chen Fuzhao was arrested on May 24, and that there had nonetheless been seven similar deaths since his arrest. The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) contacted individuals in Zhen- jiang to investigate the story. A member of the Department of Propaganda for Cangnan County told WOIPFG with great certainty" that this cast had not been solved, and that in fact more than 500 policemen were still investigating the case. Furthermore, a member o the Radio and T.V. broadcastin bureau for Cangnan County confirmed that there had been no reports of this crime bein,, solved, and no mention of Falun Gong in connection with it. An official of the Cangnan County government, when asked about Chen Fuzhao, said that he was known to be psychotic. Once Xinhua has set a "direc- tion" for the way a story should be reported, state-run media throughout China toe the line. Thus, following the Xinhua ac- count of these alleged murders, newspapers throughout the country carried the fabricated story. International wire services outside China then picked up the fabricated story, distributin it around the world. In response to these stories, the Falun Dafa InfoCentea published the facts about the Xinhua account in August. Nevertheless, on December 31, Xinhua returned to this story, announcing that= Falun Gong practitioner" Chen Fu- zhao was to be executed, and wire services once more picked up the sensational story. The "beggar murder story.. is a typical example of how Xinhua, in the guise of a news agency, has repeatedly fabri- cated and spread stories meant to incite hatred and distrust of Falun Gong in China and around the world. Anatomy of Jiang's Coverup Dn China Media Blockade State -Run Media Media in China is controlled by the government, and used largely as a means to control what people in China read, see and hear about the world around them. Journalists are required to study Communist Party edicts and tout them in their "news" stories. Ji- ang has commandeered the state-run media in China to saturate the Chinese people with defamatory and often fabricated stories about Falun Gong. Propaganda War Since 1999 Jiang has wielded state-run media to at- tack Falun Gong. Chinese TV, radio, and print media outlets have unleashed a non-stop barrage, defaming Falun Gong, its practitioners, and its founder. Sub- jected to this repetitious campaign, Chinese citizens often find it difficult to know the facts of the perse- cution carried out in their own homeland. The Internet Access to most outside news sources, including Falun Gong websites, is blocked from within China. As of last year, according to CNN's Willy Lam, China employs some 100,000 Internet police to monitor access to restricted sites. Cyber cafes are required to install alarms that notify police when- ever a customer attempts to access information about Falun Gong. Cover -Up Orders to Police, Government Officials "Report All Deaths as Suicides" The 6-10 Office issued police secret orders that any death of a Falun Gong practitioner should be recorded as a suicide. Amnesty International reported that, of the first 120 documented cases of Falun Gong practitioners' death in custody, 17 "jumped" to their deaths while being transported to interrogation, and 15 died from "falling" while in detention. "Cremate Bodies Immediately" The 6-10 Office also gave secret orders that police are required to cremate the bodies of Falun Gong practitioners immediately following their deaths in custody, thereby destroying evidence of torture. Autopsies are either secret or not performed, and in most cases the victim's family is not allowed to view the body before cremation. "Shoot on Sight" In early 2002, a reliable source inside China re- vealed that Liu Jing, a leader of the national 6-10 Of- fice convened a meeting where he angrily criticized Jilin Province's inability to stamp out Falun Gong, and passed down the order: "shoot on sight." The Falun Dafa Information Center has documented cases of practitioners being shot solely for distrib- uting information. Overseas Pressure on Embassies and Consulates Consular officials and agents with known ties to Chinese consulates have held meetings with local community leaders and business owners outside of China, urg- ing them to join the campaign to stamp out Falun Gong outside of China. In one case, Falun Gong practitioners sued a local businessman for inciting assault against them during a peaceful appeal in New York City's Chinatown. Leveraging Business Ties Chinese Embassies and Consulates have used the promise of continued business to force compliance with their attempt to suppress Falun Gong. For instance, Se- attle, San Francisco, and Baltimore all do a significant amount of business carrying cargo from China through their ports. All three cities withdrew proclamations honoring Falun Gong, after protests from the Chinese government. International Media In late 2002, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked China second worst only to North Korea in its press freedom index. International media working in China are tightly restricted with respect to coverage of Falun Gong. Reporters stationed there tell stories of being followed, assaulted, and arrested by agents of the govern- ment, often having their film, tape, and materials confiscated. Some are stripped of their residence permits or fired under pressure from officials, forcing them to leave the country. Diplomatic Pressure Under orders from Jiang Zemin, Chinese embassy officials have contacted gov- ernment officials around the world, attempting to justify and garner support for the persecution of Falun Gong. This has ranged from former leader Jiang handing former US President Clinton a 150 -page book denouncing Falun Gong, to Chinese agents visiting Randy Voepel, Mayor of Santee, California, and urging him to retract a proclamation he issued in favor of Falun Gong (he refused). 'Why Didn't I Know This?' A media black -out in China, diplomatic interference abroad, and a global propaganda war keeps the true situation of Falun Gong in China largely unknown to the mainstream.... BY MATHEW KUTOLOWSKI y didn't I know this?" It's the single question I am asked most often. And most likely you will ask yourself it too, if you haven't already, as you read the surrounding features and encounter, most likely for the first time, the brutality,the scope, and the horror of the persecution unfolding in China right now. It's a question that's been asked else- where—when General Patton's troops liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany, when the outside world finally learned the grim realities of Kolyma and Stalin's gulag archi- pelago. And we asked this question col- lectively, with all due indignation, when the SARS cover-up in China was finally exposed. Each time we hoped, or even maybe assured ourselves, it would be the last. It's a question we should all be ask- ing more. To a great degree the horrors in Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union were made possible by those in the outside world not asking, or not knowing. These systematic campaigns of inhumanity were kept alive by gov- ernments systematically hiding them from view. Today in Jiang's China, we have a gov- ernment attempting to hide its atrocities from the world at large and from its own people. Asking "why didn't I know this?", then, cuts to the heart of so much that is terrible about the calamity that has befallen China. And if there should be a hint of frustration, even disbelief, un- derlying the question, it is justified. The answer to that question is the shocking story of how the world's largest authori- tarian regime has vigorously sought to cover up a genocidal campaign it will- ingly engineered, and one whose web of complicity is stunningly vast. We, insofar as we have been fooled by the obfuscation, are also its victims. To make such a claim in the 21st century, the age of globalism and mass communication, a time when the suf- fering and plight of people thousands of miles away is made immediate and tangible through televised images or digitized voices, delivered right into our own homes—in such a day and age—is not easy. How could we not know, you might ask, about such a violent, drawn- out, massive campaign that aims at noth- ing less than to "eradicate" 100 million people for their dedication to a popular meditation and exercise practice? Herein lies what is perhaps most in- sidious about the persecution of Falun Gong: its cover-up. At the Scene of the Crime: Complicity It begins at ground zero. A body is crippled from torture or beaten blue. The offenders—police, guards, prison wardens, and the like—know their crime and act decisively. Should the victim be dead the corpse is typically rushed off for cremation; in such cases the cause of death is labeled "suicide," in keeping with formal orders from the extra -judi- cial 6-10 government body to "cremate bodies immediately" and "count Falun Gong deaths as suicides." In at least one case the victim was still alive when cremated, while in another the corpse was thrown off the roof of a building so as to create "evidence" of a suicide. Family are not allowed to see the corpse save for in the rarest of circum- stances, autopsies are almost unequivo- cally denied, and witnesses or those re- sponsible must—under threat—toe the official line, attributing deaths to suicide or, as was done in earlier months of the persecution, "natural causes." According to Amnesty International, of the first 120 known Falun Gong practitioner deaths in custody, official reports from China claim that a full 17 "jumped" to their deaths while being transported to interrogation, with another 15 "falling" (such as by "slipping") to their deaths while in detention. ("Torture – A Grow- ing Scourge in China," Amnesty Inter- national, 12/02/01) For those that survive their captivity to tell, there is little recourse, legal or otherwise, at their disposal. Practitio- ners of Falun Gong have been stripped of their legal rights and are not allowed to sue their captors, much less hire an attorney to defend themselves when in- carcerated. Moreover, the very evidence of injustice they carry with them in their bodies—the scars, the torn out nails, the welts, and even missing limbs—is, in the most unlikely of twists, declared a "state secret" and as such "illegal" to disclose. Should such evidence be made known to foreign persons or rights groups, the "crime" ("leaking state secrets") is punishable with execution. A number of individuals have disappeared after exposing such torture to foreign media, with many being feared dead. For a po- liceman or official aware of the torture, to disclose it would be almost to ensure the loss of his job, financial punishment, and imprisonment, if not death. What information we do have, then, has come to us at the greatest of personal risk. To date not one policeman or guard has been reprimanded in a court of law for torturing, beating, starving, or murdering the adherents of Falun Gong; some 852 deaths in custody have been documented by human rights groups at the end of 2003. A number of those responsible, however, are known to have www.faluninfo.net 37 been promoted or given bonuses for their "effective" transformation of Falun Gong practitioners; for their willingness to use any means necessary to force Fa- lun Gong practitioners to abandon their beliefs. On not a single incident has Chinese officialdom admitted to, or even ac- knowledged the possibility of, wrongdo- ing by any of its police, jailers, or other employees—even when found at fault by the U.N. Committee Against Tor- ture and condemned by human rights organizations. ("Torture — A Growing Scourge in China": "Reports continue of deaths of detained practitioners follow- ing torture and extreme ill-treatment... in all cases where the victims were Falun Gong practitioners, the government has denied any wrongdoing, even in the face of multiple eye witness testimonials.") Willing Henchmen: State Media Apparatuses In the PRC, media is tightly con- trolled if not run by the communist state, complete with an official Ministry of Propaganda to oversee media affairs. Stories must espouse the Communist Party's dictates, and Falun Gong is al- lowed no voice. But those in China hear plenty about Falun Gong. In just the first month of the persecution alone, one single paper, The People's Daily, ran a staggering 347 articles denouncing Falun Gong. That's over 10 articles a day. Similarly, hundreds of newspapers, magazines, journals, radio stations and television stations have been used to dis- credit and demonize Falun Gong. Early in the persecution it was not uncommon for television stations to run propaganda marathons, with special features attack- ing Falun Gong (e.g., for being "anti- human -civilization," as it was claimed) being run sometimes—quite literally— days on end, 24 -hours a day. All materials produced by Falun Gong practitioners or by Li Hongzhi are banned—be they books, videos or audio tapes, articles, posters, t -shirts, or even meditation mats. In a number of cities Chinese authorities have even held public book burning rallies. A mere seven days into the persecution Chinese authori- ties boasted of having confiscated over 2 million "illegal" Falun Gong books. (The People's Daily, July 30, 1999) To question the regime's agenda or tac- tics has been tantamount to political or social suicide. Much like in the cultural revolution the skeptic might be branded, as many have in the past four years, a "Falun Gong sympathizer" or even, by extension, an "enemy of the state" and face much more than ostracization: a student might be expelled from school, an official stripped of his post, a worker fired, a neighbor jailed. Overseas Chinese language me- dia have for the most part departed little from official rhetoric, being either owned by PRC -run companies or, in the case of smaller entities, fearing reprisal. (For a startling look at the situation of overseas Chinese media, see "The Busi- ness of Misinformation: How China's Government is Attempting to Control Chinese Media in the U.S." China Brief, http://www.jamestown.org ) Many overseas media have admitted to direct pressure from the Chinese gov- ernment. Several Chinese papers have been sued for libel for their propaganda pieces, taken verbatim from China's state press. The Chinese Communist Party's relentless barrage of propaganda has sought to create a climate of hostility toward Falun Gong, either by deluding people as to what Falun Gong is, or by making clear to everyone that on the Fa- lun Gong issue, there was no choice but to "show the right attitude." (for how Falun Gong have managed to counter this propaganda, see "Civil Disobedi- ence and the Education of China" on THE GLOBAL REACH... During the 1999 APEC meeting in New Zealand, then -Chinese leader Jiang Zemin met with U.S. Presi- dent Bill Clinton. Accord- ing to the Associated Press, Jiang handed Clinton a book assembled by Chinese propagandists that vilified Falun Gong. No -doubt Ji- ang asked the U.S. President to toe the line. Similar materials de- monizing Falun Gong are regularly delivered to gov- ernments and media around the world in an attempt to paint Falun Gong as "dangerous" or a menace to society, claims that human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch call, "Unproven," "Bogus" and part of a "Massive Propa- ganda Campaign." On March 9, 2001, the Washington Post reported that President Bush's Na- tional Security Advisor came under fire from vis- iting Chinese diplomats: "former Ambassadors Zhu Chizhen, Li Daoyu and Zhang Wentu, were ex- pected to hold discussions with Miss Rice on a variety of U.S.-China topics: arms sales to Taiwan, China's human rights record and U.S. missile defense plans. Instead, one of the diplo- mats pulled out a prepared speech and harangued Miss Rice for some 20 minutes about the Chinese religious group Falun Gong." Miss Rice ended the meeting. Members of the U.S. Congress often receive pro- paganda attacking Falun Gong from Chinese offi- cials, but the letter in De- cember 2001 was exception- al. Part of a package from former Chinese Ambassador to the United States Li Zha- oxing, it frankly stated that U.S. officials were expected to suppress Falun Gong, or invite troubles in U.S.- China relations. 38 Compassion • 2004 page 44 of this issue.") Harassed, Threatened, Beaten Down: Foreign Media Reporting the news in China is dif- ficult business to begin with. For five consecutive years, Jiang Zemin was ranked one of the Ten Worst Enemies of the Press by The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ: http://www.cpj.org). In October 2002, among 139 countries, China was ranked second to last, behind only North Korea, for press freedom by Reporters Without Borders (http: //www.rsforg). Reporting on the persecution of Falun Gong, however, has been especially costly for foreign media. According to Reporters Without Borders, in the short span of just two years some 20 AFP reporters were ar- rested in China for trying to investigate and cover Falun Gong. Scores of other journalists and cameramen have met with similar ends, often being harassed, interrogated and threatened, arrested, and even—as in the case of Spanish radio journalist Teresa Bergada—physically as- saulted. Many reporters are stripped of their residence permits, forcing them to leave China. (For a gripping first hand account, see "The Dark Side of China," by the BBC's Rupert Wingfield -Hayes, published on 3/16/02). Film, equipment, and press cards are often seized on the spot, with what footage does remain in the end be- ing blocked from transmission and broadcasting overseas by the Chinese government's Central Television—the only station permitted to send pictures abroad by satellite. For the individual, to cover Falun Gong is to put one's professional work on the line; for the media company, it is to put its enterprise in jeopardy. Foreign media companies wishing to report on Falun Gong face economic pressure and the imminent threat of major business losses; for instance, most such compa- nies compete to sell footage to the Chi- nese government's media apparatus. Two days after the publication of the April 10, 2002 Time, which had an article on Falun Gong demonstrations in Hong Kong, Time was withdrawn from sale in China, and told at that time there were no plans for allowing its sale in China again. The magazine was al- lowed in May to resume sales in China. Some media companies have already declined to cover Falun Gong -related stories for fear of exclusion from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Should foreign journalists seek to cov- er Falun Gong along "legal" channels in China, what awaits them is nothing short of a farce. "Normal" and "regular" channels consist of staged interviews with supposed Falun Gong practitioners who have "reformed" or "repented"— each eager to recite scripted denuncia- tions—and carefully prepared tours of notorious labor camps. The labor camp tours are especially worth noting. The show tours take place at a time determined by the Chinese authorities, at a camp picked by the Chinese authorities, include interviews with detainees chosen by the Chinese authorities, and only allow access to a small scope of the camp, delineated, of course, by the Chinese authorities At the most recent tour, which took place in April, 2001 at the notorious Masanjia labor camp, foreign report- ers found to their amusement that the inmates wore matching, brand- new, designer sport suits embroidered with—curiously—each detainee's name in English. Fresh paint coated the walls, deer grazed happily on freshly manicured lawns, inmates praised the kind staff and good meals. The whole charade should have been eerily reminiscent of the 1944 Nazi show tours of the Terezin concen- tration camp in the Czech Republic. It was such farces that prompted the U.N: s torture inspector, Sir Nigel Rod - ley, to decline to visit China year after year; Beijing continually refused to let Rodley meet privately with prisoners or tour police stations and prisons unan- nounced—normal conditions for a visit by someone of his position. ("Rights Group: China Blocking Visit Of UN Inspector On Torture" Associated Press, 11/9/01) Towards a More Transparent Tomorrow? Much hope has been put in the In- ternet, and not without reason. Indeed, the vast majority of what is known about the persecution has been communicated surreptitiously over email, while a num- ber of Websites such as Minghui.net (Clearwisdom.net in English) provide detailed accounts daily. Chinese authorities, however, con- tinue to make a fierce battlefield of cyberspace. As of last year CNN's Willy Lam reported that China employs some 100,000 internet police. Such "police" are entrusted with the ignoble task of monitoring and restricting Web usage across the country. All sites related to Falun Gong are blocked, as are all for- eign media reporting on the topic. While there have been rays of hope over the years—The Wall Street Journal's Pulitzer -winning series on Falun Gong by Ian Johnson the most notable one— these have been more the exception. There is still an enormous distance to go, and if early indicators mean anything a 2008 Beijing Olympics is little occasion for optimism. Jiang has extended the misinformation campaign overseas, and with bravado. In the cover-up, the massive propa- ganda campaigns, the intimidation of foreign media, the blocking and moni- toring of the internet, and the exporting of the lies overseas, there is a message: those responsible know they are doing something wrong, and they are afraid others will find out. Once the world sees clearly what is happening in China, will this horror be allowed to continue? Thousands in China are risking their lives so that oth- ers, like us, can know the truth. Let us be worthy of their courage. Matthew Kutolowski has been researching the persecution since July of 1999 when he studied in Beijing at Tsinghua University. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Swarthmore College, Matthew now resides in Taiwan. www.faluninfo.net 39 BY NOAH PARKER The art of qigong, which is sometimes referred to as "Chinese yoga," is the practice of mind and body refinement often done through slow-moving exercises and meditation. Throughout China's history and, indeed, throughout the world, numer- ous schools of qigong have been handed down, each with its own characteristics and emphasis. Archaeological findings trace qigong to as far back as 3,000 or more years ago. Through the centu- ries, some schools of qigong have taken the form of religion, some have been passed down privately in monasteries or temples, and some have taken the form of popular exercises. Falun Gong – which is also referred to as Falun Dafa – is an ancient and advanced form of qigong. Falun Gong consists of gentle exercises combined with a meditation component. Aside from its popularity (100 million people in 60 countries), what is usually said to distinguish Falun Gong is its emphasis on the practice of refining one's moral character in accordance with three prin- ciples—Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. These three principles form the backbone of Falun Gong's philoso- phy and practitioners of the discipline aspire to live by them in their daily lives, striving to achieve, over time, a state of kindness, selflessness and inner balance. The principles of Falun Gong are captured in the two main books writ- ten by Mr. Li Hongzhi: Falun Gong (Law Wheel Qigong) and Zhuan Falun (Turning the Law Wheel). Falun Gong is a systematic, introduc- tory book that discusses qigong, intro- duces the principles of the practice, and provides illustrations and explanation of the exercises. Falun Gong is often recommended for beginners and those without a background in qigong. Organized in the form of nine lec- tures, Zhuan Falun is the most com- prehensive and essential work of Falun Gong. Thorough study of Zhuan Falun 40 Compassion • 2004 is considered necessary for genuine practice of Falun Gong. Both books and instructional videos are available free on the Internet. Falun Gong is correctly identified as a spiritual prac- tice. It does not have any religious forms — there are no temples, rituals, clergy, or initiation. Practitioners of Falun Gong practice according to their own lives and schedules, at home or with a group, as much as they like or as little. There is no membership, and no fees col- lected. All practice sites teach the exercises free of charge and are organized by volunteers. Practitioners of Falun Gong are found in all walks of life: Doctors, lawyers, housewives, parents, students, scientists, police officers — a broad cross-section of modern life that ranges from young to old. A Brief History The discipline of Falun Gong was first made public in May of 1992 in China by Mr. Li Hongzhi, who ad- herents regard as the practice's founder or teacher; Falun Gong was previously taught only in private to a single student and passed down in a lineage manner. Months later, Mr. Li traveled with several students to Beijing to participate in the Oriental Health Expo where Falun Gong earned several awards, prompting organiz- ers to invite Mr. Li to give several impromptu lectures on the principles of the practice. From 1992 to 1994, Mr. Li lectured on invitation in almost every major Chinese city, giving 54 lecture series in all. The number of attendees ranged as high as four thousand. All instruction at that time was overseen by the Chinese Government's top qigong organization, the China Qigong Scientific Research Society. Since the ex- ercises of Falun Gong were relatively simple and easy to learn, those who had learned could easily show others. Soon, people began establishing volunteer practice sites in parks and public recreation areas throughout China. Furthermore, news reports and word of mouth acclaimed Falun Gong's health benefits and positive impact. Thus, within a few years, hundreds of thousands had taken up the practice. During the early -to -mid 90's, Falun Gong was also widely embraced by the Chinese Government. Mr. Li was invited to speak at many government venues, such as the Hero's Foundation in the government's Public Secu- rity Department. Mr. Li and Falun Gong also received numerous awards from state-sponsored venues, such as the "Star Qigong" award given to Mr. Li at the 1993 Oriental Health Expo in Beijing. Although Mr. Li had stopped giving public lectures at the end of 1994, Falun Gong's popularity in China continued to soar. By 1996 Falun Gong had established Mr. Li Hongzhi lectures in the city of Wuhan during a Falun Dafa Seminar - one of 54 lecture series Mr. Li gave in nearly 20 cities throughout China. Widely supported by the Chinese Government in the early 1990's, Mr. Li lectures for the Hero Foundation in the government's Public Security Department. Morning group practice in Chengdu City in 1996, by which time practice sites like this one were in every major city in China run by volunteers. _ 4 b� ' • J Sgt *-Vil4JgpJ. • 12 a id In the early 1990's, Mr. Li Hongzhi and Falun Dafa earned numerous awards and recognitions from government bodies. By 1998, Falun Gong had spread, largely through word of mouth, to 70-100 million people in China. Volunteer practice sites were in every city. A Falun Gong conference in Geneva in 1998. Beginning in 1996, Mr. Li traveled to the U.S., Canada, Sweden and other countries to teach the practice. itself as the fastest growing spiritual practice in China, and perhaps, the world. With Mr. Li's third book, Zhuan Falun, landing on Beijing's bestseller list, millions were said to be practicing by then as the practice continued to be passed on by word-of-mouth, and free of charge with volunteer practice sites being established throughout the country. Beginning in 1996, Mr. Li also began to teach the practice abroad, traveling to Sweden first, and later France, Germany, Australia, and the United States among other nations. As it did inside China, the practice began to grow outside China through word-of-mouth and volunteer practice sites. By the end of 1998, a Chinese Government survey concluded there were between 70 and 100 million people practicing Falun Gong in China — more than 8% of the entire population. All seven members of China's Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee — the small circle of leaders who effectively run the country — had read the Falun Gong books, and some had fam- ily members who were practicing. In many areas, Falun Gong had become a household name, synonymous with good health and principled living. The Practice Grows Internationally Outside China, the practice continued to grow. In 1998, Falun Gong experience sharing conferences were held in different cities throughout the world, from Syd- ney to Frankfurt, from New York to Singapore. Mr. Li's book Zhuan Falun was translated into English, and made available for free over the Internet. Over the next several years, Falun Gong books were translated into over 32 languages. By 1999, volunteer practice sites existed in more than 40 countries around the world as listed on Falun Gong's website: www.falundafa.org. Furthermore, the persecu- tion campaign in China that began in 1999, had an un- witting side -affect around the world: From 1999 to the present, many people outside China expressing interest in the practice said they first heard about it from news about the persecution. "I first heard about [Falun Gong] on 60 minutes when Mike Wallace was interviewing Jiang Zemin," says Dr. Damon Noto, an orthopedics doctor working in Boston. "When Jiang Zemin began to explain why he was persecuting such a peaceful group he became very defensive ... it was so obvious to me that he was hiding something, so I decided to look into it." Today there are volunteer Falun Gong practice sites in over 60 different countries, including, Canada, Indone- sia, South Africa, Brazil, Germany and Russia, to name a few. Since Falun Gong is not an organization, and has no membership roster, it is difficult to gauge accurately the number of practitioners in each country. Judging from the rising attendance at local and international experi- ence sharing conferences around the world, however, it is clear that the practice continues to grow, with at- tendance at some conferences growing three -fold in the last four years. These conferences are coordinated by volunteers, are free of charge and open to the public. They provide a forum for practitioners to share their experiences in the practice, and to learn from each other. Held in major cities around the world where Falun Gong is practiced, their attendance ranges from a few hundred to over 6,000. Worldwide Appeals for Justice When the persecution campaign against Falun Gong was launched in 1999, the practice was thrust into head- line news around the world. The event impacted Falun Gong practitioners everywhere as many began volunteer- ing time and resources to appeal to relevant international bodies for help to end the crisis. In most large cities around the world (and many small ones), Falun Gong practitioners have held peaceful pub- lic appeals or processions memorializing those killed in China (see p. 8) — all aimed to help raise awareness about the persecution. They have also maintained peaceful ap- peals outside Chinese Embassies and Consulates around the world (see p. 56). In some cities, such as Vancouver, Canada, local practitioners have maintained a presence outside the Chinese consulate for more than two years, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Across North America, government leaders have be- stowed Falun Gong and Mr. Li with several hundred proclamations and recognitions for improving health, providing moral guidance, and for peacefully resisting the persecution in China. Mr. Li Hongzhi has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the past four years in a row, for his stance of peaceful resistance, and the millions in China who have upheld that teaching in the face of horrific violence. Throughout the past four years, Falun Gong practitio- ners in China continue an unprecedented, nation-wide campaign that has been strictly non-violent and non- political. They retain a single objective: to restore the basic human rights of Falun Gong practitioners to freely practice their beliefs. Noah Parker is a software engineer who studied Buddhism and Taoism for 20 years. He began practicing Falun Gong in 1999. Morning practice in Chicago. By 1999, volunteer Falun Gong practice sites were found in more than 40 countries around the world. CanirMila •••• am Rem am. 1111. WM. anli 1._.r-:1 ;rte, /.1n" /imi or Mr me motO 11.11110.11111111 ROI MN 'al .11111 MS MKT lAlwii an me ii Si. Ai Ili ii a en i ii �`��.•i��_Mriai� '_=�--- _-'_--a— _is With more than 300,000 practitioners, Falun Gong is widely popular in Taiwan where the President and other government leaders publically support it. Group practice in New York City's Central Park. Despite a violent persecution in China, the practice continues to grow around the world. 11. Senior Chinese official, Luo Gan, seeks political gain by orchestrating anti -Falun Gong publicity and harrasment. The Premier orders that Falun Gong be left alone, but his orders are witheld. The following year, Jiang Zemin, attempts to destroy Falun Gong because it is so popular and respected. • Falun Gong volunteers throughout China are taken from their homes in the middle of the night. Tens of thousands are detained over the next few days. On July 22, Jiang Zemin illegally bans Falun Gong. Within weeks, the first death in custody is reported by Falun Gong practitioners in China. t. 1998 Four Years of State Terror... July 20, 1999 - :r:_ t,,Tr Civi I Disobedience and . • .l , y rI. .. ,c „.Ct. et J¢ r thEd.uc.atio:oof . t y 1y !, `-4t,;�■_. •—iYL_L.i .a ...G. •.'f_. ^4. . .. � i , ' c#,.,---.ilet 1 ,, s..1-,*y,,iLt- - . , 4, zslyiivir.,aow„ItE, . ( '' y , , ., • . rn!il. fan a4remote�-region :of Ch na several Falun , c` - 4 : -,4,04 `.1 - - t,, ••.- .„ '04, t ng rac'titioners livesin ya�rownship at the' Ci . base of a' big mountain The Imother in=lawtof one �of,,thern lfivesrin-;,,a�ttownship.�„_onr 1 the o _ osite side of this i iountairi`'SheMold he'r son_in'law'`th'at no one aU-distrib"utedi.' '�— r� �p f : A\ r* (p �• � • 4 rLI t, C' « A_I * - I � � � Q • �l r { ' 'fin .i ! '� materials-m:her,.township_telling.the truth about the persecution.oftFalun,Gongc At (I:OO '_ n --* f �" , % r> �. t �F -� '�.,-' I .? .",7s1` • r .-- 4 sl ;il • ttl , s: , a f ,riv p rn: one'afternoon late in the`summer ofr200,3 that son-in-law and the other practitioners r( \i, .from his. township set out on foot o er• the mountain. ' ? --, i".4r—T c- 7 4 J \_-5 ,A r-^^ ' "fd .4A ,. il ) 7, i , 4 Ali i fr! riff nj, " ''. i'l . '4/ lib>S' r r L'"1 /Le _-=1 Four Years of Non Violent Appeal... • 110' --t April 1999 July -August 1999 • After dozens of practitioners are detained and some beaten in a nearby city, over 10,000 practitioners appeal in Beijing. The gathering was peaceful and orderly. In the evening, everyone went home after the Premier met with Falun Gong representatives and ordered the release of those being detained. In the days following July 20, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners travel to Beijing to engage in non- violent appeal against the recent "ban" issued by Jiang Zemin. After being released from custody, most Falun Gong practitioners go back to peacefully appeal and are repeatedly arrested. To date, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are arbitrarily arrested and sent to forced labor camps without trial; lawyers are ordered by the Bureau of Justice not to represent Falun Gong practitioners; millions of Falun Gong books are confiscated and burned in public book burnings. A healthy Army Lieutenant General is incarcerated in a mental hospital and tortured with drug injections. Hundreds more are undergoing similar torture in state-run mental facilities. Falun Gong practitioners are being held in every one of the nation's 300 forced -labor camps. Fall/Winter 1999 Fall 2000 I A:: If I . That night they delivered 800 sets 'of ,fliers�'�`to atdozen °N does Xinhuaiknow thaem-diriy in the West ma `not? { villages, with almost every house getting a set, and put'up • . Perhapsome,westefn. reporters_have concentrated their r posters on trees, telephone poles,, and walls. They returned gaze too much onahe_actiyity in Tiananmen -Square. In 1 ? • y , late the next afternoon, .having walked over 100 -Miles. _No . — he Weeks following the:beginning of..the'persecution,�ir%,`4 journalist was thereto witness their fear. t . ' , r -1.. ' ;1999; hundreds of'p'ractitibnerswere drrestedtevery dayin-- r r `Some.western media have 'been .reporting that' the Chi- t''the >square,` while.conducting•peaceful_appeals inevitably nese government has virtually succeeded in snuffing-out.—cut shoot by*squads;opofir5.,1 Lii : •t, r ti./.b".....' s all dissent by Falun Gong in`China. These reports in fact These. demonstrations made a deeptimpression for,good parrot,ounintentionally�for sure, the claims in Chinesegov , reason Mass, public, non_violent,.civil d obe'd nce in 4:(4.- )t er'nment propaganda iBut'a recent commentary by,Xinhua,� " "'the People s,'l puiil c, o"f,China has<only�,happenedronce 1� �w >.. the Chinese"CCommuniit Party%'s mouthpiece, gives the lie'A before. That the ublic,a eals continued`for a ear,ttl en rP . PP Y„ 1`. to these vera�claims,,andiforces all tottake a closer look at �two`� ears,,and'then longer was unheard orf. r r F f( ` ;R,q` ? what the practitioners in China are doing: t _ • f j - i Ti.he first impulse by practitioners m l'999.was simply,`to v i; J ! r that -a : C I r e ' r tt 7 OnSeptember 14;12003, tinhua editorialized ' e must tel the government that�amistakeihadbeen made! And - 2 fully seethe.protracted; a d�uous.and complicated�nature of ' — so..-they4w nt to{jTiananmen Square, toryt eLL State'Appeals' . =, Cthis struggle [against Falun Gong],• Protracted `'arduous, Offices, toilocal-officials. They ,trusted_in the rightness , andicomplicated" a e.not--how: one describes =the attempt to f * sof their cause, but they learned there was no ;one in the, — deal,with dissent that has alreadybeen snuffed,out. What government free to hear their story. Eve_ryoune in China; r A r1. l fir t. r ;1 - Its I;'r .gar I fit: t—'~1 '\ a October 1999 Summer 2000 Falun Gong practitioners organize a secret press conference with Western media in Beijing. Their stories make the front page of the New York Times the next day. The reporters and practitioners alike were later detained. Among them, at least one practitioner is tortured to death. Falun Gong practitioners publicly appeal almost every day in Tiananmen Square; more than 1,200 are arrested in one -week's time. Facing daily attacks in the state-run media, practitioners in dozens of cities throughout China begin printing and distributing flyers exposing the human rights violations. 5 individuals set themselves on fire in Tiananmen Square. Chinese authorities flood the state-run media with grisly photos of the event, claiming the self -immolators were Falun Gong practitioners. Days later, a Washington Post article reveals that at least two of the self - immolators were not practitioners. Further evidence later demonstrates the incident was staged. ■ On the evening of May 14 in Beijing, a female Falun Gong practitioner is beaten and raped on the street by a policeman. In June, police in Xingtai Public Security Bureau gang -rape many female Falun Gong practitioners. The total number of deaths verified by FDI increases 400% in less than one year. January 2001 May -July 2001 not just the practitioners, was under compulsion toshow the Practitioners did not stop going to Tiananmen Square -Be- . "correct attitude" toward Falun Gong or face persecution cause they had been defeated. Rather, they began a campaign A.,* . ..e*K 4' ,`' '�� - ,.t • extraordinary, audacious, and unprecedented: patiently and' •'` ~Meariwhile fthe go'verriment lauf ched a non-stop propagan- ' kindly,.to explain, without. any., access to conventional media,' _.. r da-campaign.that demonized Falun Gong,Nrnciting the people to everyone in China what -Falun Gongs is and why...the perse- -- Jt against�rt.tPractitioners discovere`dethat even iridiv duals, N ho cutioni,:\5. rong. ...1 -z_--,,,._ f r had knownithem their entire lives now suddenly had•questions + ` ti `F .. , -It- .% —- _ t' t• + _ ' 4:- •1r4 it `- z .11 • sit.► { + . gabout Falun Gong; questions about them; questions -the seeds _ • • t,� �'a *§ § g'r :4 f' of which wereplanted by the anti -Falun Gong pg ro a anda: • C' 1`-' 13( Even publ cp demiorist ations4 n•Tia atnmen tSq u re tha n Cons der.the events ofi Oc`tober 12,12000 It -was ust•another, � r 1.i '{ 1 r' i, . 7 1'`+ H:4 .4' ta►:I f ' j:.'! )r' , - 1 T • .: r Jt v,,r l '` C' d 41 • madenbi newssin the West--received�noicover ge in �Chinas� morning in, a, Beilrngrpark.,T he governments propaganda hada J 1 g rti+s� 1 i. ► t 1 t ' ' 1 ) tate-run>media.+Except for the dozens oi'people on,the Square spent fifteen. months giving a +billion people a single,, hate- ~- ''`) 1 i 'moi (J ... /� t "" J I v,� ,_ t} witness tlieµappeals fothc selves; form Chinese, they,. RC 1 m r sage. Y� ff. - fit '^ ,• / ' 7 : never happened- �� i s ' At 7am, the regulars.of Fragrant •Hill,Park, Temple of Heav', 14,-. ;NW'. ` /0 ti .-.�' *�r� i i :t y 1 7% �r1 f �e Q i .- .u4 ! 0. R J �.. 4� —„,„ OThus, practitioners ,had..to find other ways to educate-tlie.. en Park, andlYuyuantan Park heardia new,vo_ ice.,, ;,� f i / r 'r` h 'i .. �a rs�jf /Park, . 61 f . '' I. 1 [ . i people and the overnmentrand' do so -des itea systematic and,- • '� Kind' hearted*Beijing people,we are Falun Dafa4pracu- comprehensive effort to brainwash and -brutalize tl�ie-pracritio- trovers; sounded eighteen different�loudspeakers,across;the Hers, desprte!relentless propaganda,'and>despite' a blockade'on city. Thee 2.5 watt.loudspeakers,echoed in the skies ve the; 1 ' . i Iii . . a t g , mil•,� J �" cy rt all information+From o� tsrd Chiria. {,,,` n • (ijJ capital`for two hours,--� �''' 1%it Vr p -Lf, .� } r 1 f '. - I 1 i` n " i {'rW November 2001 March 2002 36 Western Falun Gong practitioners appeal in Tiananmen Square and are immediately arrested. Released days later, many report physical abuse in custody. Falun Gong practitioners continue peaceful appeals in front of Chinese Embassies and Consulates around the world. Falun Gong practitioners tap into state-run cable T.V. signals and broadcast programs exposing human rights abuses and Jiang's attempts to cover them up. Hundreds of thousands in China witness, for the first time, reports about the systematic campaign to "eradicate" Falun Gong. Authorities detain Dr. Charles Lee, an American citizen, accuse him of intending to expose human rights violations over China's state-run media, and sentence him to prison. Lee endures beatings, forced - feedings, daily brainwashing sessions, and other abuse as the authorities try to "transform" him. After being tortured, 56 -year- old Ms. Zhao Chunying wrote about her ordeal and posted it on the Internet. Local police discovered what Ms. Zhao revealed, and arrested her on April 15, 2003. Less than a month later, Ms. Zhao is dead. Photographs taken by her family show her death was horrifyingly brutal. January 2003 ► May 2003 I li 1 / 'l If - Citizen`s stopped and listened while policemen.fraritically ,,.uioners are being unjussly.persecuted: '• ----�-,—� searched for the carefully hidden.louds loudspeakers., ', . 4 �_ as n r • �' c "� y p '- - What was done in a 4 g e rnght in -Ma Y 2001�tliroughout At noon, the broadcasts -resonated in PurpleeBamboo Pafk—northeasterrce ina has been done continuously in a piecemeal and the Beijing zoo. The final loudspeaker was mounted at a fashion throughout the.,entirre nation.' -The truthful,words_ori.,! . detention center'where praetifioners„were being'tortu"red..'E..,, the: banner`s, fliers and CDs have been made illegal�in China. �'' ' ,:. �Y• r, with limrted,resourcestand�risking their lives whenever^-- - they walk or the, street; practitionersin`China have ,delivered. §§ ._-s`uch"illegal" facts tothousehol'dveverywhere,in big,cities4arid� ; / • On the morning of May 13, 2001, -residents of towns across tiny villages,-sl`owly countering the effects of their_egime's lies. • fir' northeastern China wokeAup to find their streets filled . over 500 colorful banners7•ifed characters painted on,a yellow', " ., § § § � frC 4,6 �G-: T. r. tfabricchanging„from a,tree spelled out the word's: "pwalunTDafa!+_ "= }} „ 1c; t' y ,� ,6 A p C • is good:'; . ei► • r ., t . ,t,r, er4,4 , h +4.• Spring,can;be particu ar'ly cold'ul IrkaiAgchun.,^ (, ; t The previous night, practitioners had left4their houses and • The three year' campaign has` beenespecrallybitter e this ,f'- - uretl t laced little letters, fliers; and G1 .1 "on thousands of ci•t , the hometown of `Faluri.Gong s ounderi +' q y`'p ” y g , , "_' Mr. Li,H'ongzhi. 'a doorste tThe•little Falun Dafa ay'�gifts bore information While,many offthe city s people carryon with their lives, rac . • F , t reibh eghbors could hea ' -nowhe e;,el'se within C�hf na bor- t2,trtioners are sti1L�dyingyin(Cliangchun's jails nd labor camps. . derst:IrWid Fallan Gong rs practiced freely around it thhe{world.:. that theiso-called "self immolatio 'is a.hoax, and-th` t practi-Jtl fIL.!r1 � �f r• ,`I C l I i �D4Y i' f D [continued on-page65]1 ► I f 1 t} t SID' 'I '1 1I October 2002 2003 Jiang Zemin visits the United States and is served with a class-action civil lawsuit, charging him and the "6-10 Office" with torture, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Jiang denies the existence of the lawsuit in China, and pressures the U.S. State Department to dismiss the case. Falun Gong practitioners in China operate thousands of home-based centers for printing flyers and posters exposing human rights abuses, and distribute these in cities and villages throughout China. Some villages report waking up to see Falun Gong flyers in every mailbox and posted in walkways. An American Imprisoned in China for His Courage and vow, Beliefs 30 -year-old Ms. Ycong-ching Foo prepares for a candle -light vigil appeal to call for the release of her fiance, U.S. citizen, Dr. Charles Lee. !?'. BY NINE ROSENBERG I J r. Charles Leehas been beaten, interrogated for days, deprived of . sleep, put through a show trial, dragged to "reeducation classes," tied to'`an iron bed, and had a hard:wplast c tube -shoved up his nos; Ms. Yeong-Ching Foo has, for the past nine months, been tirelessly attending press events, avisiting government offices; arid -collecting -sig-: .r"r natures trying to bring her fiance back. Lee is enduring a Chinese prison's all-out efforts to break his conviction. Foo has been to Capitol Hill. She has been 1 to Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Chicago,,+ and points in between. She has her Congress- woman's and the State Department's ph'o e numbers memorized:_She:is:.hoping so iieone can do something to help her fiance and the people of China. Worlds apart, they share courage, endur- ance, and hope. Lee, a naturalized U.S. citizen fromiMenlo Park, California, traveled to China to expose the human rights violations committed against Falun Gong practitioners. However, Lee never made it into China on his own. He was arrested on January 22, 2003 as soon as he got off the airplane at the Guangzhou Airport Dr. Charles Lee, detained in China since Jan. 2003 in southern China. Foo, 30, is a University of California Davis graduate who entered the software industry in the Silicon Valley. She met Lee, agraduate of— University of -Illinois who conducted research at Harvard, at a social gathering at Stanford University. Foo says that. Lee went to China to defend the lives of others. "Charles had a very com- fortable life, a good life, here in America. But he loves his fellow Chinese people so much, and he sees then suffer ander. this persecu- tion," she's"ays. A pun Gong practitioner and member of Amnesty International Group 466, Lee had intended to assist in broadcasting evidence of the persecution of Falun Gong by overriding the signal of a state-controlled TV broadcast. Falun Gong practitioners in China have used this method since February 2002 to try to break through China's pervasive information blockade. Foo explains that the information 'blockade is a key weapon inwthe-hands..of=.believes-L-ee-went-to-ChinaIknowing that Jiang's regime — it has hidden the bloody whatever punishment he receives if caught - persecution from the world outside China, will be less than what a Chinese citizen and even from China's own people. would have to suffer. In a 96 -page letter Lee wrote while in Perhaps that i.szthe case. Yet, in the 96 - jail, he explains that overriding China's page letter.'that Lee wrote while handcuffed cable broadcast signals is justified _and--in"i u's ody and managed to get to the U.'S"."' consulate only after enduring an eight-day hunger strike, Lee reveals that he, too, has been abused all along. so all of the people in China are affected," According to the letter, he was beaten says Lee's fiancee. She says by exposing the upon arrest at the Guangzhou Airport, was cover-up of the persecution, Lee; sought. tominterrogated and deprived of sleep for three spare innocent people f om' being tortured days and nights, and was handcuffed and to death. He also sought to give a chance to reconsider theirractions to those who, mis- led•by ilie propaganda, take part in perse- cuting their fellow countrymen. Perhaps if they knew the truth they would no longer commit these terrible crimes. Lee must have:known, the risks in- volved in-rs'is efforts. At least five Chinese Falun Gong practitioners who success - ..illy broadcasted evidence of the perse- _* ' cution in China have been tortured to death, while others have been sentenced to long periods in jail and have been sub- ject to life-threatening torture. "A•lot.of practitioners have been tortured to death, brainwashed, physically and men- tally tortured," says Foo. Yet, she -says she th necessary given the state of emergency -this persecution•has created'in China. "The whole persecution is based on lies, nied all allegations of torture of Falun Gong practitioners, and has maintained that Lee was arrested simply based on ` criminal charges of what he "intended to do." Foo believes, however, that "the real reason they persecute him is because of his belief in:FalunGong_It,really_has.nothing to do with their charges." She says that the Chinese security au- thorities have tried to brainwash Lee from the very beginning. What they really want is to "transform" him and force him to re- nounce and slander the practice, she says. Meanwhile, the pressure on Lee only tied in agonizing positions four-long-periods—builds.—The:U:S-€onsulate-in-Shanghai of time. Between March 27 and April 2 he was handcuffed consecutively for 130 hours. In February, he was tied to the iron "death bed" for nine hours, with his four limbs painfully stretched out reported in November that the brainwash- ing sessions now go on daily, and are more intense. Foo has not been allowed to speak with her fiance since his arrest. She says she Most dangerous have been the several would like to tell him to hold on. "We are forced feedings that Lee has been subjected going to get him out. We are working very to. Many practitioners have died�fromahisr hard,-not,only_inthe U.S., but worldwide, form of torture. Those who have suffered to get his release. I want him to -hang -on"! it say it is excruciatingly painful. On one there; I really need him to hang on there." occasion the feeding tube inserted into Charles nose was left there for 39 straight hours, simply to increase his suffering. The U.S. consular officials in Shanghai Nate Rosenberg is an Israeli and American citizen. Nate served as his university's Am- nesty International coordinator and is cur - have repeatedly protested the abuses, and rently researching Chinese concepts of rights the_Chinese government has repeatedly de- in_the,20th. century. + —" Unveiling Human Rights Abuses and Bang's Systematic Cover - ng on State-run TV Airwaves in China NEW YORK (FDI) -- Ac- cording to a September 18 report by the BBC, 15 prac- titioners of Falun Gong were put on trial in the north- eastern city of Changchun, China. Their crime? Tap- ping into cable TV signals to broadcast programs exposing human rights violations committed by Jiang Zemin's regime. The broadcasts also in- cluded programs showing the practice and support of Falun Gong in over 50 coun- tries around the world. For over three years, the Chinese state-run media has been saturated with pro- grams and campaigns that distort the teachings of Falun Gong. This propaganda also accuses Falun Gong practi- tioners of horrendous crimes (without any third -party verification) and denies any existence of Jiang's persecut- ing of practitioners -- all in an effort to align public opinion with Jiang's cam- paign against Falun Gong. In the state- run media, Falun Gong, like other sup- pressed groups, has had no voice... until now. By broadcasting programs that expose what is really happening in China, prac- titioners of Falun Gong are exercising their right to free- dom of speech, using peace- ful means that harm no one. Throughout history, those who peacefully defy injus- tice and the persecution of the human spirit have been called heroes. Today in China such people are being labeled as "criminals." With the show -trial of these 15 practitioners of Falun Gong, Jiang is lashing out, yet again, at those who seek to bring transparency to Jiang's persecution. The broadcasting of programs by Falun Gong practitioners over cable TV networks is standing up for the right to freedom of conscience, expression, and association. It exposes the true picture of human rights in China and gives a voice to the millions of Chinese citizens who have none. It is truly serving the people. I have been tortured to the brink of death simply because I'm a Falun Gong practitioner and would not renounce my beliefs amidst the pressure and violence. Yet, my story is not uncommon. In fact, I am but one of millions with such a story to tell... BY WANG YUZHI My family came from the city of Harbin. I was 15 when the Great Cultural Revolution swept through China. My father was jailed for being an "anti -revolutionist" Maoist jargon for anyone with an education, owning lands or holding traditional values. My mother was left to take care of eight children, with no source of in- come. Fortunately, two of my brothers were able to earn enough money wash- ing cloth by the banks of the Songhua River to keep the family fed. My mother was too depressed and sick to cook, so I took over the cooking for the family. I used to take meals to my father in prison, and can still remember seeing him behind bars—dark and gaunt, but always passionate and positive. In spite of the extreme difficulties in my life, I was always encouraged by my father's attitude. In 1976 the "Gang of Four" was re- moved from power and life began to change. My father was released from prison, and my two older boys were admitted to university, along with my younger sister. I was left to provide for the rest of the family, including my sick parents. I got a job making towel tassels, and was so efficient at my work that I could earn 200-300 Yuan a month. This was enough money to provide food for the whole family, and tuition for my younger brothers and sister. My Life Improves In 1979, life slowly started to change for me. I was working in an electronics company, and the company decided to send me to university. After I graduated, I went back to the factory to work as an engineer. In 1989 the company went bankrupt and so my husband (whom I'd met at university) and I started up our own business importing office sup- plies. The business went so well that the company profits continually doubled. My hardships were finally over—I had a house, a car, a great business and a happy marriage. I also had a beautiful son. By this time, my family was doing well financially. My father had started his own factory and went on to become one of China's first millionaires. Two of my brothers left China—one went to Philadelphia, and the other to the Middle East. My mother moved to the United Arab Emirates with my two younger sisters. All my brothers and sis- ters had prosperous businesses. Financially, life was good. My life underwent another incred- ible change in 1998 when one of my customers handed me a copy of Falun Gong—the introductory text of Falun Gong. When I first took the book, I had no idea how dramatically it would change my life. I began practicing Falun Gong and started to notice huge changes in my life. For years I had suffered from a debilitat- ing illness that would occasionally cause me to suddenly lose control in my legs, and make walking impossible. I had visited countless doctors, both Chinese and western, but none of them could pinpoint the cause of the illness. Three months after starting Falun Gong, my illness totally disappeared. I began diligently studying the Fa- lun Gong books, and did the Falun Gong exercises with friends at a local park. In the process of practicing Falun Gong I felt cleansed of many negative thoughts and emotions that I had col- lected throughout my life. I felt my body and soul gradually become healthy and harmonious like never before. My tiring life became happier and I was finally at peace. I felt so lucky to be able to learn a Chinese exercise and meditation practice that originated in the ancient traditions of my country. In Chinese history every dynasty was built on and governed by virtue and morality. The main focus in life was to think of others first and al- ways look inside to see where you could do better. The main goal in life was to strengthen the spirit, to enlighten to truth and return the body and mind to the original true essence. The profound principles in Falun Gong empowered me to make purer choices in my life and helped me to bring the principles of Truth Compassion and Tolerance into my family. I feel I have truly found the meaning of my life and the answers to life's mysteries by practicing Falun Gong. For me, it brought together all of the pieces of the puzzle. Crackdown on Falun Gong Falun Gong spread rapidly in China, and by 1999 statistics from China's Phys- ical Education Bureau showed that there were over 70 million people practicing Falun Gong. Jiang Zemin, the leader of the Communist Party at that time, was threatened by both the sheer numbers of people and their allegiance to something other than Communist Party ideology. On July 20, 1999 he ordered a brutal crackdown on Falun Gong. Overnight, those 70 million people, including my- self, became the "enemy of the people" and "followers of an evil religion." My life was about to take another dra- matic turn—full of incredible hardships that I could never have imagined. As the crackdown on Falun Gong continued, the media was saturated with lies and propaganda. In order to jus- tify the persecution, all kinds of bloody crimes (immolation, suicide, homicide) were used to frame up Falun Gong prac- titioners. The sensational propaganda demonizing Falun Gong permeated the entire country. It was like reliving [continued on page 66] www.faluninfo.net 51 Events and News from ar and the World s CP�CRUZ # � A40. s Jiang has waged the persecution campaign against Falun Gong in China, practitioners and supporters around the world have worked with their government leaders and communities to stop it. From Canada to Indonesia, from Germany to South Africa, practitioners have worked to expose the human rights abuses and bring Jiang to justice... Citizens from 20 Nations Appeal in Geneva oined by political figures and renowned human rights advocates from Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom, more than 1,000 practitioners and supporters of -Falun Gong from 20 nations around the world gathered in Geneva during the 59tIi annual United Nations 1-lunman Rights Commission. Falun Gong practitioners held press conferences announcing legal actions against Jiang Zemin, held public appeals outside the United Nations buildings and organized a procession through downtown Geneva to remember those who have been tortured to death in China. WV ti; 6T311..4. 171 Hid }L. TOBTUM sol r t1i Four-day Rally, Events in Washington DC Four years after former Chinese Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, launched the persecution of Falun Gong in China, over 5000 Falun Gong practitioners from around the world gathered in Washington DC to take part in a four-day event in rhe nation's capital. In addition to an all -day concert near the Capitol Building and a procession through the streets of downtown Washington DC, practitioners held a conference at the DAR Constitution Hall. In a rally on Capitol Hill, U.S. Senators, Congresspersons and prominent non-governmental organizations joined a chorus of voices, condemning the Chinese regime's four-year persecution of Falun Gong. Speakers also applauded rhe courage and non-violent nature of practitioners during the persecution. Worldwide Appeals at Chinese Embassies and Consulates Since July 1999, Falun Gong practitioners have held regular appeals in front of Chi- nese Embassies and Consulates throughout the world. Enduring rain, snow, and burning sun, their persistence and silent appeal have touched rhe world and drawn international recognition. Outside rhe Chinese Consulate in Vancouver, practitioners continue their non-stop, 24-hour vigil begun in August or 2001. !k. 1 117. Ann• poitmoroglinP irm ' La Angeles, USA • A1411401i.T. rif*1 AO. P.4 • (IP , JIANq-ze,.A451014 Fol:Eil • Bring Di ctato: N1"--- - - 1 50t t -Y, ) S 6 ZA It o r..rn mom, , • El VA . ..... 1.43.i.. ialti 0- - • •. 1 sitonicuun c---- - 4 ;e1,, %v. t • J -,. , Ere_ ,....... V . - to ' imorti. .. .5. i Melbourne, AuSitalla If5'.-1.- . Nati* 111. SOS : 44t. *V it eigi*C iiLltiAntf a Wt 416 Om. Ithm•••• Ingadrealms In J4. "41; -°Ire fa ir. C/) E 0 E L;-1 C/D O 0 ct Q.) p17-1') • Ci J ( 4 Practitioners' Conferences around the World t local and international experience sharing conferences held in major cities around the world, attendance has risen each year, -anging from a few hundred up to over 6,000. These conferences are coordinated by local volunteers, and are always free of charge and open to anyone. They provide a forum for practitioners to share their experiences in the practice of Falun Gong, and to learn from each other. Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong's founder, occasionally attends and answers questions from local practitioners for a few hours at a time. • vir 41, • t Washington DC, USA • ' •.a,.l •Aa. . \ s� /_ Rilti et f Berlin, Germany • , �► w1 .s ' 114- t19 .t E.rr ;i • S A.J1.. 11 I IFRINEffft, ._ A • /SiA PACIFIC FAIN UAFA E%PERIFAKE SMARIW f IIF t I_ _ ..A_AP _ - .rair ' y of ;.Chi agorU A'': q.:t':'! 'f° Tokyo, Japan } World Falun Dafa Day 2,003 Wiat began four years ago as a simple idea to celebrate a popular exercise and meditation practice from China has blossomed into a worldwide event, ushering in a comprehensive revival of traditional Chinese culture. Between May 11 and May 13, practitioners and supporters of Falun Gong joined their communities in over 30 cit- ies around the world to celebrate the fourth annual World Falun Dafa Day — an event marking the day Falun Dafa was first taught publicly by founder Mr. Li Hongzhi on May 13, 1992. i"�r.++� layer ..... r�MIN sfn. win ••• .•■/MUM MI. OM i Isrnnr s...si............i»= ia//a/frabi MN 1111 lit UM it �ANU/OffR"MN11111 OM r= SWAP ill I am MIN ill MN 1111. '___ N Sof /111111111/ MI NIX Mims UK IINIL ; _Olt II' IrIII NEM •11611i1111 /____1111/MRMII_ ior., 111 .77-1M138 "78 it• i • 9 00""_m• 14 1.7 •! All t'i,?—s,r�'� Articles continued... Former Chinese Leader and Senior Officials Charged... [continued from page 19] A Wave of Lawsuits around the World The lawsuits filed on behalf of Fa- lun Gong practitioners, however, first gained international media attention in October 2002, when individual plain- tiffs filed a class action lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Chicago against Jiang and the "6-10 Office" (aka Falun Gong Control Office). At the time, Jiang was visiting the U.S. just prior to step- ping down as Chair of Chinese Communist Party. Like previous cases, specific causes of action pleaded in the complaint included torture, geno- cide, and denial of the right to life. Also cited in the complaint, how- ever, was conspiracy to commit violations of civil rights against Falun Gong within the jurisdic- tion of the U.S. Since 1999, Chi- nese officials in the U.S. — usually associated with the Embassy or consulates — have engaged in a coordi- nated attack on Falun Gong practitio- ners in the U.S. and official documents secured by Freedom House suggested the attacks were part of Jiang's larger campaign against the practice. Two days after the lawsuit was served in Chicago, China's foreign ministry tried to deny the lawsuit even existed, but was forced into a retreat when pressed by Associated Press reporters in Beijing. Meanwhile, Jiang's supporters began mounting a campaign to pressure the U.S. State Department in an effort to block the court process. In September 2003, the District Court judge dismissed the case on ju- risdictional grounds, indicating Jiang enjoys immunity and cannot be tried for genocide and torture in U.S. Courts. "The decision contradicts case law in the U.S.," says Falun Gong attorney, Dr. Marsh, "and ignores international treaty law and customary international law that stipulates heads -of -state and former heads -of -state may not enjoy im- munity with respect to crimes against humanity." The case is currently on appeal with the 7thh Circuit Court of Appeals. Significantly, however, the Chicago lawsuit put the persecution of Falun Gong on the map of the international legal community. Since the filing of the 6-10 Office and oversees the persecu- tion. " Luo played a pivotal role in turning the government apparatus against Falun Gong in the late 1990's, and has been Jiang's most virulent supporter of the persecution. 4) Li Lanqing, Former Director of the "Leadership Team to Deal with the Falun Gong Problem" and former Vice -Premier of China. Following the Chicago suit, in De- cember 2002, William Bourdon and Georges -Henri Beauthier, two human rights lawyers renowned for their pros- ecution of Chilean dictator Augusto Pi- nochet, filed a suit for crimes of torture at the Court of Nice, France against Li Lanqing. The Chinese Vice -Premier was then on an unofficial visit in France. The plaintiffs were four Chicago suit, human rights attorneys have been using genocide, torture and other relevant international and na- tional laws to file 13 more lawsuits in 11 countries around the world on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. Defendants in these lawsuits are one or more of the following: 1) Jiang Zemin, former Chinese leader widely known to be the architect and driving force behind the persecution of Falun Gong. 2) The "6-10 Office," a gestapo -like agency established by Jiang specifi- cally to "eradicate Falun Gong." 3) Luo Gan, now Director of the "Lead- ership Team to Deal with the Falun Gong Problem," which created the Falun Gong practitioners, includ- ing two French women. The complaint was based on the UN Convention against Torture, which France signed in 1984 and which allows it to arrest.,- ' and prosecute any person guilty of torture. It is the first time in Europe that a Chinese leader has faced such a complaint. In July 2002, the case was ac- cepted by the criminal court in Paris, a magistrate was assigned and legal proceedings began against the former Vice -Premier. Over the next year, 10 lawsuits were filed in Belgium, Iceland, Finland, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and other countries against Jiang and other senior Chinese leaders for their roles in the persecution of Falun Gong. Tribunals and the International Criminal Court Lawyers in the U.S. and European cases have indicated they are also pre- paring a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and are inves- tigating the establishment of an ad-hoc 60 Compassion • 2004 tribunal. Letters were also submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Com- mission requesting assistance with legal initiatives against Jiang. With China sitting on the security council of the U.N., many feel a U.N.- backed initiative for redress is unlikely. Dr. Marsh, the lead attorney in the U.S. lawsuit against Jiang disagrees, saying a U.N. option is not so far-fetched given Jiang's rapidly deteriorating hold on power in China. "In May, the Washington Post was the first media outlet to expose the fact that Jiang's faction in the Chinese Govern- ment backed the cover up of SARS," says Dr. Marsh. "In that article, a China expert was quoted as saying that the `growing disdain and hatred for Jiang is stunning' and that `Jiang is being chas- tised as a narcissistic freak obsessed with his own alleged charm."' Dr. Marsh continued, "This is exactly in-line with the stories I hear coming out of China...Jiang has committed so many crimes against the people of China, that many in China are weary of him. When we first filed this lawsuit, some were concerned that it might appear to go against the Chinese Government and offend the Chinese people, but what I'm hearing is the exact opposite...it is bringing hope to people throughout China that Jiang might be brought to justice for his crimes. For the Chinese people, this lawsuit and related legal ini- tiatives around the world are really about hope for justice." John Nania is a communications consul- tant and freelance writer living in Min- neapolis, Minnesota. Immunity, Genocide and the Rule of Law... [continued from page 23] it's all just people who know about the persecution and want the case to go for- ward. The costs, however, are very low thanks to a lot of pro-bono work on the part of many attorneys. Q Are other legal channels being pursued, such as the ICC, the UN, tribunals, etc.? Yes, there are five attorneys who practice Falun Gong involved in these lawsuits. Two others have submit- ted lawsuits against Jiang Zemin, The- resa Chu of Taiwan, and Carlos Iglesias of Spain. The five of us have visited the ICC and shared with them the severity of the persecu- tion. We also discussed the possibility of filing a petition to the ICC and we are investigating the establishment of an ad- hoc tribunal and/or some other already established channel for redress. Jiang's crimes against practitioners of Falun Gong are of the most serious order and highest magnitude. Until he pays for his crimes in a court of law, we will continue to sue him in civil, criminal and inter- national courts around the globe. That is my personal promise to Jiang and those who help him in his ill-conceived campaign. The moral and legal issues raised by this case are of paramount importance to the future of human rights litigation here in the United States. How we re- solve these issues will affect our proud tradition of defending the universal principles necessary for justice and free- dom, as well as determine the place of the United States in the world. We will present a strong case to the Seventh Cir- cuit panel of Judges. The law is on our side. We can only hope that they will accept the challenge of history and do the right thing. "The principles of truthfulness, compas- sion and tolerance are constitutive of our very humanity. No persecution could succeed against those principles without extinguishing who we are. By suing Jiang we are affirming what is best in all of us." Q The case you filed in Chicago was dismissed at the District level and is now on appeal. Do you think the outcome of the appeal will be different? The Judge's ruling is of course not what we had hoped for or anticipated. However, this case is far from over. In- deed it is just beginning. Q. What are Falun Gong practitioners hoping to accomplish with these lawsuits? The lawsuits help educate people around the globe about the religious persecution of Falun Gong in China. These lawsuits also tell those who are responsible for the persecution that they cannot commit genocide and tor- ture with impunity, and in doing so we believe they will help contribute to the end of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and abroad. Indeed, we have heard encouraging stories of officials in China who are now beginning to walk away from involvement with the perse- cution because their previous notions of impunity has been shattered by the real- ity of lawsuits filed against them around the world. We have all seen images of holocaust victims, half-starved skeletons gazing at us from behind barbed wire fences. Those images moved the world in the wake of World War II to vow "never again." www.faluninfo.net 61 The images of the victims of the per- secution of Falun Gong are no less hor- rifying. I have two photographs. In the first is a professor smiling happily and picking flowers in her garden and then in the second just months later she has been tortured to death ... these photos still bring tears to my eyes when I look at them. A mother is forced to observe police officers hang her eight month old son upside down and torture him to death before her very eyes. Women are raped, forced to abort their babies, hung from ceilings, tortured with de- vices that ravage the human body to the point where they are driven insane or "transformed" into dark shadows of their former selves. The very old, the very young — no one is immune from the daily torture and brutal killings. In this lawsuit we see humanity's con- tinuing effort to rise above our capacity for atrocity and to order our lives accord- ing to higher principles. I believe this desire to live accord- ing to higher principles is ineradicable in humanity. History will show that the persecution of Falun Gong was not only a persecution of one hundred mil- lion individuals in China, it was also a persecution of the universal, moral prin- ciples of Falun Gong. The principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance are constitutive of our very humanity. No persecution could succeed against those principles without extinguishing who we are. By suing Jiang we are affirming what is best in all of us. Bang's Personal Campaign... [continued from page 29] April 25th: Jiang Zemin's Excuse to Declare War The acts of harassment against Fa- lun Gong came to a head in the city of Tianjin, not far from Beijing. Luo Gan's brother-in-law, a man with a Ph.D. in physics named He Zuoxiu, who has regularly written propaganda articles for the Communist Party, had written a magazine article attacking Falun Gong. That article included a previously dis- credited story about an individual said to have committed suicide due to prac- ticing Falun Gong (in fact that young man had neither practiced Falun Gong nor committed suicide). When the magazine refused to retract the article, practitioners held a peaceful appeal out- side its office. Police arrested and beat them. When local practitioners appealed to the police in Tianjin for the release of those ar- rested, they were told all appeals on this issue must go to Beijing. In all previous incidents in which practitioners had been harassed, this had never been said before. The stakes had risen. In Mainland China, Appeal Bureaus are set up by the government to receive grievances from the people. All levels of the Party and administrative depart- ments have Appeal Offices. For ex- ample, the Appeal Bureau for the State Council is located about two to three hundred meters down Fuyou Street from Zhongnanhai, the central government's compound in Beijing. On the morning of April 25, 1999, over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners — following the instructions they were given by officials in Tianjin — came to the Appeal Bureau for the State Council from different areas. They had heard of the situation through word of mouth, and came to appeal of their own indi- vidual will, hoping to appeal directly to the officials in the central government. Police were waiting for them in force. Rather than directing them away from the sensitive government compound of Zhongnanhai toward the Appeals Office, police did the opposite. They refused to let practitioners approach the Appeals Office, and instead directed them opposite Zhongnanhai until the group wound entirely around the com- plex in neat, orderly rows. On that day, then -Premier Zhu Rongji came out of the Zhongnanhai government compound and talked to the Falun Gong practitioners. According to witnesses, Premier Zhu asked why the practitioners had come, saying "Didn't I already issue comments on your prac- tice?" The Falun Gong practitioners responded that they never received Zhu's correspondence. They proceeded to ex- plain that police in Tianjin had beaten and illegally arrested over 30 Falun Gong practitioners. "We were told this could not be resolved locally, and that we should appeal to the central govern- ment," the practitioners told Premier Zhu. After listening to the report of the situation, Zhu issued an order to release the arrested practitioners that same day. After confirming that the practitioners in Tianjin would be released, the 10,000 then quietly dispersed. Not knowing practitioners were instructed to go to Beijing and then arranged around Zhongnanhai by the police awaiting them, many observers understood the appearance of practi- tioners there to be a direct challenge to the Communist Party's authority, and, when the persecution began, assumed the events of April 25th to be the cause. Jiang Overrides Government Leaders and Orders Persecution Eyewitnesses report that when the news of the Falun Gong appeal was brought to Jiang during the day, he re- sponded with a vehemence that shocked all present, "Crush Falun Gong! Crush it! Crush it completely!" That evening, Jiang wrote a letter to the other members of the Permanent 62 Compassion • 2004 Standing Committee and other top Party officials, calling for an emergency meeting regarding this incident. "The Communist Party must vanquish Falun Gong," Jiang stated in the letter. "How could it be possible that the Marxist theory we endorse and the materialism and atheism that we believe in can't van- quish what Falun Gong propagates? If it were true, wouldn't we become laughing stocks?" During the meeting, Jiang openly reprimanded Zhu calling him "Muddle- headed! Muddle-headed!" He repudi- ated the Premier's decision that was in the process of being implemented, and forced the Party to accept his personal goal to "eradicate" Falun Gong. At the end of the meeting, Zhu Rongji, who had been accused under Mao of being a "rightist," stopped and shook hands with every staff member present, saying his goodbyes. He is not known to have uttered a word about Fa- lun Gong since. Acting on Jiang's instructions the General Office of the CCP Central Committee and the State Council then issued a circular to the Party Commit- tees of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. This demanded that all departments ascertain whether any of their personnel were Falun Gong practitioners and whether they had been to Zhongnanhai on April 25th. Jiang also ensured that the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army issue a directive demanding that all military personnel, including sup- port workers and even retirees, cease participation in Falun Gong exercises. The order stated: "The people's armed forces must never allow any qigong orga- nizations of a religious nature; and must firmly and decisively dismiss those ser- vicemen and dependents who are Falun Gong exercisers. Whoever disobeys this shall be strictly disciplined." Yet, Jiang still faced considerable op- position within the Communist Party. His policy was viewed by most of the top Party members as irrational, un- necessary, and one that violated China's own Constitution. Jiang, however, was the head of the Com- munist Party, the government, and the military. Thus, in the face of Jiang's intimi- dation, over the next few months all high- ranking officials of the Chinese govern- ment gradually grew silent on the Falun Gong issue. Between April 25 and July 20, 1999, Jiang and Luo began to make use of all meetings and public occasions to force everyone to express their attitudes and pledge their allegiance. Chinese govern- ment sources say the situation during this time was also very chaotic as Jiang's followers attempted to find incriminat- ing details that they could use to justify the persecution and silence any objec- tions. The State Appeals offices still held policies that announced a "freedom to practice" qigong, and "no ban on spiri- tual practices." These announcements were on the walls of the Appeals offices directly alongside the new policies post- ed by Jiang, making the discord about Falun Gong at the highest levels of the Party visible for all to see. At a Politburo meeting on June 7 Jiang announced the decision to form a leader- ship team "to deal with the Falun Gong problem." The Director of that team would be former vice -premier Li Lanq- ing, and his assistant directors would be Luo Gan and the Propaganda Minister Ding Guangen. On June 10, the Central Commit- tee obediently formed the "Leadership Team to Deal with the Falun Gong Problem," headed by Li, with Luo and Ding as assistants. This team in turn formed an office they called the "6-10 Office," named after the date of its insti- tution. The 6-10 Office would carry out the policies of Jiang and his "Leadership Team" in eradicating Falun Gong. (see "The 6-10 Office," page 30) In the early 20, 1999, Falun Gong practice site vol- unteers around the country were pulled from their beds and detained by police. On the same day, Jiang ordered the Cen- tral Civil Affairs Department, which is responsible for the registration of groups and organizations, to issue a notice ban- ning Falun Gong. An estimated 35,000 practitioners were detained over the next several weeks. Within a few months, the first reports of severe abuse, torture and killings began to emerge from inside China. morning hours of July Four Years of Jiang -sponsored Terror According to sources in China and thousands of testimonies from vic- tims over the last four years, Jiang implemented the persecution through a three -pronged directive to all levels of government: Destroy [Falun Gong] practitioners physically; destroy their reputations; destroy them financially. Numerous edicts handed down by Jiang, which the security and propa- ganda machines had no choice but to obey, were illegal and unconstitutional. In July 1999, Jiang, through the Bu- reau of Civil Affairs (an Administrative branch), declared Falun Gong to be an "illegal organization." According to Ar- ticles 2, 80, and 81 of the Constitution www.faluninfo.net 63 of the People's Republic of China, only the National People's Congress has the ability to declare an organization illegal. The President does not possess such power. Yet, this executive order initiated the persecution campaign. In October 1999, the National People's Congress passed a series of laws basically targeting Falun Gong. Regarding these laws, a November 2, 1999, article from the Washington Post stated: "When [China's Communist leaders] found themselves without the laws they need to rigorously persecute a peaceful meditation society, the Party simply ordered up some new laws. Now these will be applied – retroactively." These laws were dictated by Jiang, using the National People's Congress merely as a rubber stamp. Doing so oversteps the authority granted to the President by the Chinese constitution. Applying these laws retroactively to prosecute Falun Gong practitioners and sentence them to prison terms was likewise an illegal action. Although many provinces were quick to enact Jiang's policy on Falun Gong, some southern provinces, such as Guan- dong, were not pursuing the persecution with the vigor Jiang demanded. Thus, in February 2000, Jiang went on a tour of those southern provinces to spur them on and ensure that they toed the line. In particular, he criticized Guandong for not "doing its best in the persecution of Falun Gong," and for being "too soft" on Falun Gong. He also asked Guandong Province Governor, Li Changchun, to make a statement at the conference of the Political Bureau to "express regret" with respect to his lack of efforts in this area. Under pressure from Jiang, Guandong Province as well as other southern prov- inces eventually began to incarcerate Falun Gong practitioners and send them to labor camps en masse. Among the first from Guandong to be sent to a labor camp was a university classmate of Hu Jintao, the vice-president of China (and the man who would succeed Jiang as President and Chair of the Communist Party). Hu had been very passive in car- rying out Jiang's campaign against Falun Gong. In forcing Hu to accept this, Ji- ang sent a powerful double message: no one may be granted exception from the persecution, and none of China's leader- ship may try to avoid the responsibility for enforcing it. By the end of 2003, details of 852 deaths have been verified by the Falun Dafa InfoCenter (FDI), with informed sources putting the true death toll well in the thousands. Hundreds of thou- sands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial, ac- cording to the InfoCenter. Jiang's Motives CNN's China expert Willy Wo -Lap Lam has reported that the persecution of Falun Gong was in fact an attempt by Ji- ang to secure his own power. Lam quoted a Party insider on February 6, 2001 as saying "by unleashing a Mao -style move- ment, Jiang is forcing senior cadres to pledge allegiance to his line. This will boost Jiang's authority — and may give him enough momentum to enable him to dictate events at the pivotal 16th Com- munist Party Congress next year." Others who have been investigating the human rights abuses against Falun Gong in China, however, put forth a more mundane cause: Jealousy. Consider events in the spring of 1998. The Yang- tze River was flooding. Jiang visited the city of Wuhan on an inspection tour of the endangered areas. According to eye- witnesses, a particular group working on the dikes caught his eye. They worked very well together and with great en- thusiasm. Their section of the dike had stayed ahead of the flood. Jiang was very pleased. He asked who these workers were. When told they were local Falun Gong practitioners who had volunteered for this duty, he flew into a rage, turned on his heel, and stalked off. "Jiang was jealous of Falun Gong's wide -spread popularity among the peo- ple," says Dr. Shiyu Zhou, a Falun Dafa InfoCenter (FDI) spokesman. "Falun Gong had captured the nation's attention and seemed to truly bring about changes in the communities. After so many years of turmoil, people in China were return- ing to a more traditional Chinese way of life, working together, thinking of others before themselves and putting an empha- sis on kindness. It may sound petty at first, but the admiration people held for Falun Gong made him furious. That's the main reason he did this." Dr. Michael Pearson -Smith lives in Mel- bourne, Australia, and works in educa- tional publishing and sales. 64 Compassion • 2004 The 6-10 Office... [continued from page 33] The 6-10 Office Tries to Hide by Changing Its Name The 6-10 Office has come under in- creasing international pressure as knowl- edge of its existence has been reported in the international press and details of its mission have gradually been unveiled. The shady office was fingered in news articles by the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post as well as statements from concerned government leaders around the world. Additionally, in 2002 and 2003 the 6-10 Office or its leadership was named in nine lawsuits filed around the world, alleging genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity. In response, in October 2003 provin- cial governments in China announced that the 6-10 Office had been "dis- banded." Its name was removed from most Chinese official web sites. An of- ficial document from CCP Rongchang County Committee, however, revealed the true situation: the Communist Party has done what it has often done in the past, changing the facade of an agency or policy that violates domestic and international laws, while in reality maintaining the status quo with little or no change. The 6-10 Office has simply changed its name. "The name of '6-10 Office' is not allowed to be used. In pub- lic activities, the use of 'the County 6-10 Office' is absolutely forbidden," states the Rongchang County letter. Since the 6-10 Office went under- ground in 2003, daily reports of extor- tion, loss of job or housing, beatings, torture and killings of Falun Gong prac- titioners have continued uninterrupted. The mission of the 6-10 Office lives on. Stephen Gregory is a doctoral candidate in the Committee on Social Thought, and an administrator, at the University of Chicago. Civil Disobedience... [continued from page 47] Families huddle around their TV sets on the evening of Tuesday, March 5, 2002. At 8 pm the state-run broadcast is suddenly interrupted. There is a brief blackout. Then, unex- pectedly, images appear of Falun Gong practitioners in large groups practicing in parks around the world, footage of the persecution, a slow-motion analysis proving that the so-called self -immola- tion is a hoax... Families in approximately 300,000 homes watched the 50 minute broadcast, and the airing is the talk of the town for days. Enraged, Jiang Zemin orders Falun Gong practitioners shot on sight. Over- night, Changchun is turned into a police state. Policemen raid the city's houses as 5,000 practitioners are arrested in three days. Witnesses see bodies being thrown out of high-rise windows. Others hear screaming from beyond prison walls. At least six people who helped carry out the broadcasts have been tortured to death, others have been sentenced to long jail periods. Nonetheless, over a dozen such broad- casts that have since taken place in major cities throughout China, including Bei- jing and Shanghai, have been reported. 'We don't know how much you know about your husband, and we don't know how much you are aware of his actions,' reads a letter sent to Ms. Zhao, the wife of the Chaoyang County Detention Center's deputy director. "We don't know, as a woman and a wife, how you feel about his actions. We also don't know 'how much you know about Falun Gong. However, we do know that people should live with kindness." The letter is also sent to the deputy director's high-school son, 'to the work- ers in his work unit and his wife's work unit, and to his neighbors. "He put Dafa practitioners in chains, poured cold water on them, and shocked them with electric batons," the letter reveals. "He has personally beaten every practitioner who has been detained in the county detention center." Soon after this letter is sent, news sur- faces that all of the Falun Gong practi- tioners detained at the county detention center were released. One of the deputy's former classmates tells practitioners the deputy said he would never participate in this persecu- tion again. Across the country, Falun Gong prac- titioners are now directly seeking out the perpetrators. They tell them to stop tor- turing people since the world has an an- cient moral principle: good is rewarded with good and evil with evil. When the persecution began, the practitioners could easily have stayed at home to do their exercises, patiently waiting for perhaps a decade or more for this latest spasm of violence by the Communist Party against the Chinese people to end. Certainly, this is what Jiang Zemin expected. But the practitioners chose civil disobedience, not as a tactic, but as a natural expression of the principles of Falun Gong, of truthfulness -compas- sion -tolerance. The practitioners use non-violence, because according to their beliefs, they cannot harm others. They seek to edu- cate, because in telling others the truth, practitioners allow the people of China to choose what is good. They risk their all, because the meaning of life is found in living according to what is best in each of us. With their words and their actions, the practitioners of Falun Gong simply appeal to the Chinese people not to do harm, but to consult the truth available to each inside them. And so, in the teeth of Jiang Zemin's frenzied efforts to deny their right to ap- peal, tens of millions of practitioners of Falun Gong have continued to exercise www.faluninfo.net 65 it, appealing to the hearts and souls of the Chinese people everyday. They do so by putting posters up on village walls, by hanging banners from build- ings or bridges, by slipping fliers under apartment doors or passing them out on crowded city buses, by mailing VCDs to government officials, by sending e-mail messages, by faxing busy offices, by calling officials on the phone, by text messaging, by broadcasting TV signals, by whatever peaceful and non-violent means they can find to reach others. Most importantly, the practitioners of China calmly tell others their stories, one on one, explaining that Falun Gong is good, and the persecution must end. And each time they change a heart, the persecution does end...one person at a time. Levi Browde is a project management consultant in New York City who has re- searched and written dozens of articles on the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Practitioners throughout China use many means to appeal for justice. This banner reads "Return the Innocence Back to Falun Dafa" From Rags to Riches... [continued from page 51] the Great Cultural Revolution—only worse. Arrested Three Times The sudden persecution of Falun Gong stunned me and all my friends, and so I went to the local Appeals Of- fice—following the legal rights guar- anteed by the Chinese Constitution to register appeals with the government. But I quickly found out that these rights no longer applied to Falun Gong practitioners. Ironically, the Appeals Office became the detention center, where all practitioners who went to appeal against the vicious persecution were arrested instead. I was arrested three times. The first time was in Janu- ary 2000 in Beijing—I was ordered to sign a pledge promising not to return to Beijing to organize support for Falun Gong. I refused to sign it, so the guards ordered other inmates to beat me. The second arrest was in July 2000, for pho- tocopying Falun Gong flyers. The po- lice officers beat me repeatedly, trying to find out whom the flyers were for. In spite of the vicious slander against Falun Gong, I stood firmly by my beliefs and decided to help reveal the facts of the persecution to people who had been deceived by the government's propaganda. In October 2000 I and a few other practitioners prepared over 100,000 leaflets explaining the truth about Falun Gong. With the help of other practitioners, we distributed the leaflets throughout the entire Province. People who had previously believed the propa- ganda suddenly understood the facts of the persecution. -Revealing the facts was what the authorities feared most, par- ticularly Luo Gan (the highest leader in the central government in charge of the 6-10 Office—a Gestapo -like entity of the government in charge of persecuting Falun Gong). I was placed on the "most wanted list," and my name and photo were posted everywhere with a reward of 50,000 Yuan offered for information leading to my arrest. On July 16, 2001 I went to the bank to withdraw my money and was arrested for the third time. The police confis- cated US $50,000 from my savings and froze my bank accounts. Memories of my father's time in prison came back to me like a bad dream. Here I was, 46 years old, being jailed for my beliefs, just as he had been. Wanjia Forced Labor Camp In November 2001, I was transferred from the Second Detention Center to the Wanjia Forced Labor Camp of Harbin—infamous for its brutality towards Falun Gong practitioners. All practitioners detained in the detention center or the forced Labor camp had to endure brainwashing. Every day, we had to sit in one position and watch anti -Falun Gong propaganda on TV or listen to the guards for over 8 hours. No one was allowed to move. Sometimes, a brainwashing session would last for days and we weren't allowed to sleep the entire time. Often, we were not even al- lowed to use the toilet. In addition to the intense brainwashing and sleep deprivation, Falun Gong practitioners were routinely beaten or whipped, tied with ropes and hanged from the ceil- ing, given electric shocks, forced to sit naked on iron chairs, or raped by male criminals Most Falun Gong practitioners re- fused to give up their beliefs. Some of them, including me, went on hunger strikes to protest our unlawful arrests and the inhumane torture and persecu- tion. Brutal Force -Feedings I vividly remember my first hunger strike at the Harbin City Detention Center. In order to force feed me, the doctors at the Harbin City Detention Center used a metal clamp to pry open my teeth and then pushed a thick rubber tube down to my stomach. My mouth 66 Compassion • 2004 was filled with blood and my body was covered in bruises after every force-feed- ing. Several people were there to beat and subdue me for these force -feedings. They would pour two big bowls of cold water mixed with corn flour into me, saying that it was for "stretching the stomach." When I screamed, the police were afraid of others hearing me. They ordered inmates to gag and beat me even more. The force-feeding at the Wanjia Forced Labor Camp was even more violent and cruel. The doctors there used force-feeding as a torture method and didn't care whether practitioners survived it or not. Before force-feeding me for the first time, I saw them grab a female Falun Gong practitioner named Shang by the hair and knock her head against the wall and floor. When she was finally uncon- scious, they forced the tube into her nose to force-feed her. There was no steril- ization—they simply brushed the tube around in a basin then forced it through her nose and down into her stomach. Then they injected ground corn grain mixed with cold water. After they'd finished with her, the two prison doctors turned around and looked at me. They stood there with their forceps and tools in their hands and said, "You see that? You're next." After that, I was subjected to this kind of force-feeding every day in jail. They would beat us to the point where we were almost unconscious before ty- ing our arms and legs down and forcing the tubes through our noses and down into our stomachs. We were tied up to prevent us from pulling the tubes out because of the excruciating pain. On one occasion I witnessed a female practitioner named Minxia Guo being force-fed. The nurses grabbed Minxia's hair and pinched her face and body. She was black and blue everywhere. Her whole body began to twitch. When I condemned the guards and doctors for what they were doing, they turned on me and beat me up as well. One day I heard the desperate cry of a man in the woman's ward. It was the husband of a Falun Gong prac- titioner named Yanhong Ding. He had begged to be able to visit her, and when he fi- nally was allowed to come in, they force-fed her right in front of him. This man cried terribly while his wife struggled in pain. I always knew that if I would simply write a letter denouncing Fa- lun Gong, denouncing its teachings and promise to never practice again, I would be released immediately. But if it is wrong to believe in "Truthfulness - Compassion Tolerance,"'what hope does humanity have? This persecution was forcing people to choose between their lives and their conscience. I knew that I was being forced to make that choice, and I chose my conscience because I knew that when good men and women renounce good, wholesome beliefs under pressure from a dictatorship, something much greater than us dies. Artist rendering of force-feeding torture. The artist, Amy Lee, herself was subject to this torture while detained in Beijing. Torture at the Labor Camp Hospital Due to the filthy conditions in the La- bor camp, many practitioners developed purulent scabies. They had pus cysts and blood all over their skin. The worst ones were as big as a peach. During the day the sores were continually discharging pus and mucus. During the night they became so itchy that it was impossible to fall asleep. Every practitioner that developed scabies would be sent to the hospital run by the forced Labor camp—but it wasn't for medical treatment. When practitioners arrived at the hospital, they were dragged into a small closed room, and forced onto the ground. The doctors would violently remove their clothes, and use sharp steel knives or metal spoons to scratch the pus cysts. They would scrape the spoons back and forth through the flesh and blood, while the practitioner on the ground would be screaming in pain. When they finished with the digging, they would force the practitioner to stand against the wall so that they could clean the blood from their bodies. The water from the faucets was not normal tap water; it was filthy, freezing cold and full of rust. I remember a new prison doctor who came—a university graduate. Whenever he treated a practitioner, he would fol- low the correct medical procedure to prick open and wash each of the vesicles. When the chief of the Wanjia Hospital saw what he was doing, he pushed the doctor aside, picked up a steel spoon and started using the spoon to dig into the pus cysts. This kind of murderous "medical treatment" would be repeated every few days along with daily beatings and force- feeding through the nose. Any Practitioner Tortured to Death will be Counted as a Suicide After enduring such torture, many practitioners ended up on the verge of death. I know of at least 8 Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured to death in Wanjia Forced Labor Camp since the persecution began. The guards told all the practitioners that if they were beaten to death, it would be counted www.faluninfo.net 67 as a suicide and their bodies would be cremated immediately—before inform- ing the families, so there would be no evidence of any torture. Although I lived in this extreme hor- ror every day, I was determined to sur- vive without compromising my beliefs. A Struggle to Let the Outside World Know About the Persecution My husband and children cried and begged the guards to be allowed to visit me on many occasions, but to no avail. Family members of Falun Gong practi- tioners were not allowed any visitation rights. On one occasion during my hunger strike, I was lying in bed in the Labor Camp Hospital. Through the window by the side of the street, I could see my relatives standing at the door, begging the guards to be allowed in. On another occasion, my two younger sisters came from overseas to visit me. They stood at the door, crying and beg- ging to be let in, and they refused to leave. Suddenly it started raining. They covered their faces with their raincoats and went straight past the security guard, and quickly ran inside the hospi- tal. By then I had been on hunger strike for over 50 days. When I saw them I somehow found the strength to get out of bed. I got out- side the door and grabbed the guardrail in the corridor with all my strength. I stared at my two younger sisters. When my sisters saw how emaciated I was, they began crying loudly in the corridor. I was crying too. I told them, "You need to contact international organizations and let the world know what is happen- ing to me!" In March, 2002, I started writing letters on tissue paper within the Labor Camp to the Harbin Justice Bureau, the Harbin Public Security Department and to the Province's Public Security Min- istry. The letters I wrote were each five feet long. On several occasions they were almost taken away by the warden. The day after I finished the letters some people from the Justice Bureau came to inspect the Labor camp. When they came to my ward I personally handed the letters to them. Finally Released After nine months in prison, my health had deteriorated so much that I couldn't even stand up. My eyes and nose were festering with blood and pus from the force feedings and my eyesight was almost gone. My hunger strike lasted more than 100 days. Towards the end of it, my nose was so swollen that the doctors could no longer force a tube into it. I was on the verge of death, and the doctors knew it. They called my rela- tives and gave them the responsibility of nursing me back to health. When I was final- ly released in May 2002, I had been in jail for nine months. Nine months that seemed like an eternity...I felt as though I had just emerged from hell. After my release, I immediately began practicing the Falun Gong exercises again. My body and eyes quickly re- covered. When the police realized I was healthy once again, they wanted to send me back to the Labor camp. In June 2002, to avoid further perse- cution, I went to visit my family in the United Arab Emirates. On the way, I used every opportunity to tell the Chi- nese people at the airports the truth about the persecution. Eventually, some- one from the Chinese Embassy saw me and persuaded the local police to arrest me, telling them that I was a dangerous criminal. The Chinese Embassy asked the United Arab Emirates to deport me back to China. Miraculously, through After around-the-clock efforts by Falun Gong practitioners in Canada, Wang Yuzhi avoids being sent back to China and arrives in Canada. 68 Compassion • 2004 around-the-clock efforts by Canadian Falun Gong practitioners and the Ca- nadian Government, I was given spe- cial permission to move to Vancouver, Canada in November 2002, to be with my son. The rescue efforts of the Canadians probably saved my life. What I have been through in the past three years is a nightmare. Although the nightmare is over for me, there are still hundreds of thousands of bloody night- mares like mine on-going in China. I hope that by publishing my story, I can help end these nightmares as well. I attribute my ability to survive the horrific torture to the principles of Fa- lun Gong: "Truthfulness -Compassion - Tolerance" exist deep in my heart, far beyond the reach of any electric baton, far beyond the reach of a prison guard's fist. Lies and slanderous propaganda dissolve when faced with the truth. Brutality and torture is no match for compassion. Violence and hatred cannot penetrate tolerance. For nine months, they tried to make me believe these principles are not true. They failed. I feel real freedom is not obtained ex- ternally, but internally within the realm of "Truthfulness -Compassion -Tolerance." Even when faced with extreme torture and persecution, true Falun Gong prac- titioners can withstand the unimagi- nable—even to the end of their life—in order to defend a common good greater than ourselves: the universal principles of "Truthfulness -Compassion -Tolerance." Yuzhi Wang is currently living with her son in Vancouver with a Ministers Permit for Canada. She spends her time letting people know about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Law and the Legal Profession on Trial in China Qingyun Hu, former Judge of the Jiangxi Province Supreme Court, was diagnosed with leukemia in 1997. Medical treatment did not help, and in February, 1998, doctors gave him only three days to live. He then learned Falun Gong and began to practice. Miraculously, he recovered. In July of 1999, after the persecution of Falun Gong had begun, he wrote letters to state leaders telling how his health had been restored after he began practicing Falun Gong. For this innocent act he was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison. He died in prison on March 22, 2001. On November 15, 2000 Jinchun Huang, a civil court judge of the Be- hai Intermediate Court in China was picked up at his home. The 34 year-old judge was then detained at the Long Qianshan mental hospital, where he was tortured with the forced injec- tion of tranquilizers, simply because he refused to give up the practice of Falun Gong. In similar cases, such tor- ture has resulted in severe, irreversible brain damage. According to recent re- ports from China, the whereabouts of Jinchun Huang are no longer known - he has "disappeared." What happened to Judges Hu and Huang - arrest and detention without trial, followed by abuse and torture - may happen to any of China's legal professionals who fail to give up their practice of Falun Gong. Their fates are emblematic, not only of conscience in the legal profession in Jiang's China, but of the law itself. As a condition for membership in the World Trade Organization, the People's Republic of China promised to develop an independent legal system. But the dictator Jiang Zemin has in his persecution of Falun Gong taken the country sharply in the op- posite direction. This persecution goes against guar- antees in the Chinese Constitution of the freedom of belief. Moreover, no law has been passed that makes the practice of Falun Gong illegal. Due process does not exist. Typically, prac- titioners of Falun Gong are arrested and sentenced without any formal legal procedures at all. When trials do occur, they are usually closed, and lawyers are explicitly forbidden from defending practitioners. Police and other security personnel are rewarded for torturing and stealing from practi- tioners, with the result that the entire law enforcement system now breeds brutality and corruption. www.faluninfo.net 69 4 started piacuculg- I iluiT Gon in 1 ate: 2000.. 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I hese uc ill he things rat I'a un Gong Isiah c c) accomplish 7HUrA\ti FA c II Deo a )ou p Ilun, ,otig'InF�t1I c f I�e)9 eh, nese Alis Festis'al ai [ ung'Isl and the 1incipCs .of the iraulcc .Iiuthfitlncss ;.; ompassion � l• olci t c on 1thc,,fiont of .' . flier caught n1y utCiitu)11 do tic over one month t -g 4` £ Iearncd of chc inhumane f cisccnilon if Gong and it pI Ictinonrs i i' N4 dna Id; sem+ itmrney dmitteci to 4rie.bar Fijii. ave since participated in`,(slIC Iocll: " Incl woor cwide pro b)no Ic l"iffol IS io'enu such dividuals hang Zemin s atrocious reatnten who practice, is un Gide The principles of �Falun`Gong are captured in the :.two main books writter_ b Mr. Li Hari gzhi: whin : Gong (Law Wheel Qi gong) and Zairian Fa/fin ("Fum- ing the Law Wheel). Falun Gong is a sys- tematic, introductory hoot{ "' that discusses'' dtgoilg, introduces t1he,;; principle, and,. provides `illustrations and: explanation of the 'exei=ciscs: Gongis often ecom- niei ded =fol hegtimers and those without a bickgi6und in ci gone . .,Organized -in the form of nine uan lectures, ZhFalun ;is the most comprehensive Ind essential work: of: Falun -Gong. Thor- ough study of Zhiian Falun is necessary for gcnutnc'°'pi icticc of Falun Gong liorh books ite.,wailllile for�fiee. on-line It www.falundafa.org of they can be pug - chased ;from'Uookscores. assistant professei ajn the Universityc htctt;os°etitatlsttc )epattmens rum o'n,the tenure `tr Ie< inet am ver dcdIcamedrro mywoil< - Acldcmia tot ly ri , cry�comj)ctulvc Yet 1�dun;,' 0 Gong h is ratg Ir,,,,,r ,nutr he so pico�cupicd`, leoutconic, Iii�f�c Ju t'do myrbcsr at e Ich t in, the process. No f`rn cnlotion Illy'inuch x> K relaxed whcn;domgsmy research" and the' is better' thin before " more overall l Buddha, Showing a Falun Standing Stance,' Thousand Hands ' the vice-jlIesidciir,of:i`binl<°ui Chicig) For. a n ���f sufkmcc froll] i hlccding peptic ul isiting hospitals and doctolsarinte; Ind Igtini years iftci waiting to it Ici �_ ; ry )et to l ' vas c I mel tivttC1 less Six,inonth'slater longer„ _ any Amedication — myuicei was gone I)rot g i 1~ Ilan Gong I h ivc xi n 4Ic a t put itongUtno- de4tandt lar the only t ue gain hes,in thin lcingof others first even/bti �lcalyh is Icss eniot4)11'11 stress. I find th Itotic`illg'°iiiwtrci'Jol the answer, ofbl;unrng others, is a surcawiv,to• resolve conflicts. slept stomach. Compassion orbearance nt'roduct'ion ancient .racticemind and .ody efinement done through slow-moving tion, . n• cultivating of tr'it`h'fulness, compassion tolerance n onesel£''These values orm the b"ackbon- lun Cion°'s philo soDh . Practi- tioners of the . is'cipline aspire iv by them W their . aily lives, striving to ac ieve, over time, a state of indness, selflessness aninner ba ance.. he of exercises,medita- the va ues nd iscipline three of Fa - Falun Gong titre ices founder or teacher; alun ong was previously rivate and passed n'' llennia from a inglestudent. 1992 areas China. 99 , on invitation in very major Chinese cit , giving ?lecture series all. ince the exercises ofFAira un ong elatively simpl- and earn, h a most t ose w o had l easil s ow others. Exercise,5 Abilities Higher Taking Acton.. Numerous organizations around the world are taking action to end the persecution of Falun Gong. (l Nneat .,o tni SA Headquartered in Organization to Investigate Boston, Massac usetts, • the orld Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) is an international organization esta.lished to investigate the criminal conduct institutions, organizations, and indiviuals persecution of Falun Gong. Gimailgite state- un media to 1999, Jiang of all involved has used .end pu.lic opinion against Falun Gong, often employing fabricated stories. 003, c aime were committed by inhua China's state-run news agency) that a series of murders in a Falun Gon southeast • China ractitioner. OIPFG conducted an investigation during hich county government mur.ers were still primesuspect officials in China nder investigation was known onnection to a un Gong. dmitted the and that, the to be psychotic with no isit WOIPFG on the web at Below are two examples: Friends of Falun Gong onprofiti human rig is organization con- cerne• about the persecution of Falun SA is . U.S.-based Gong. here are similar FoFG organiza- tions throughout the orld. FoFG's mis- sion is to support the freedom of belief of persons who practice Falun Gong. Case Study: is calie• "TOP," One project FoFG sponsors which employs apre-re- rovide Chi- core. p one message to nese citizens with documentary informa- tion exposing the persecution, to the anti -Falun Gong ere made in 2003. in contrast propaganda of eptember 2 illion calls October of Visit FOFG on the web at www.fofg.org or call 1 866 -FG -FRIEND. alum Dafa"Information Center 57th tree , "409 001 ew Toll Free: Website: 888-842-4797 contact a faluninfo:net The Chinese Government's State Terrorism Against Women and Children The Falun Gong Report 2003 I F 1Gn. ��� $•r 4 �r First Printing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any way or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright holder The Falun Gong Report March 2003 Compiled by the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group Preface This year's Falun Gong Report is dedicated to the tens of millions of women and children who continue to suffer under the brutal persecution against Falun Gong carried out by the government of the People's Republic of China Since July 20, 1999, these innocent people have endured heinous crimes committed by the Chinese police. Among the more than 2,500 Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured to death, the women, like the men, have been killed by beating, burning, suffocation, force-feeding, and injections of nerve -damaging drugs. Women have also been raped, gang raped, and shocked with electric batons on their nipples, inside their vaginas and mouths, and on their faces. Babies as young as eight months and even the unborn have been murdered. Children have been driven into homelessness, expelled from school, and orphaned. There can be no defense for such blatant violations; even the PRC government has to resort to categorical denial. What the PRC government counts on is effecting indifference in the international community through deceit and coercion. The persecution of Falun Gong violates all thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as China's own constitution, and has caused the greatest human rights disaster in the world today. Some, how) ever, have discounted this, wishfully believing that China is moving towards rule of law; some even subscribe to the PRC government's propaganda that Falun Gong is illegal in China and Falun Gong practitioners are "all treat ed according to the law" To propagate such lies is not only an unwitting betrayal of the Declaration, but also' mockery of the rule of law. Imagine a rule of law in which the punishment of murderers or rapists was to torture them into renouncing murder and rape. That is how twisted the PRC government's "rule of law" is: guilty until you renounce Falun Gong. This is no rule of law, but state terrorism against conscience. The PRC government has also used economic interest to coerce international opinion. Under the PRC's me I - ace, some have reversed their initial outcry against the violations, some have rescinded their moral support toward the victims, and some have even imposed self -censorship, choosing to remain silent to the killings. The financial gain may seem rewarding, but one may unsuspectingly fall victim to persecution of a different kind. We all like to think we know what is right, and we all like to think we stand up for justice. However, when the PRC governmerrit coerces us to act against our principles, isn't it in effect persecuting our conscience? The steadfast endurance of Falun Gong practitioners, therefore, is not just for their personal beliefs, but also for the purity of human conscience. For almost four years, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been risk- ing everything to send out information revealing the extensive and severe human rights violations committed by the Chinese government. Due to space limitations, we can only include a very small fraction of this information in our report. We hope, however, that it will be enough to stir the conscience of the international community to come to the aid of the victims. Cover Photo: A young girl holds a candle at a candlelight vigil in memory of practitioners killed in the crackdown on Falun Gong. Since July 1999, when Chinese Chairman Jiang Zemin ordered "No measures are too excessive in exterminating Falun Gong", reports of egregious human rights violations in police custody have continually emerged from China.. 11 11 11 11 11 11 II 11 Preface to the Falun Gong Report 2002 An Appeal to All Good People of the World In March 2000, before the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, we compiled a report on the extensive and severe human rights violations against millions of Falun Gong practitioners by the government of the People's Republic of China, hoping that the world would take notice and help to stop the bru- tal persecution. We have since updated the report for each and every subsequent session of the Human Rights Commission and its Sub -Commission. What you are now reading is the fifth edition of the report — and the violent persecution has gone on for almost three years, with minimal international intervention. Although there are voices calling on the PRC government to stop the persecution, they have been far too sporadic and are no match to the acquiescence the PRC government has received in the accession to the WTO, the awarding of the 2008 Olympics, and the avoidance of human rights discussions in the name of the anti-ter- rorist coalition. With these rewards and licenses, the PRC government feels encouraged to inflict its reign of terror and darkness. At the time of our first report two years ago, 39 Falun Gong practitioners had died of torture in police custody. The number now exceeds 1,600. The use of terror and extermination to quell a resistance is not a recent invention; however, the system- atic use of it to goad people into "actively" acting against their conscience is the trademark of communist tyran- ny, and the PRC regime has reached new depths in the extent and efficiency of its terrorism. Consistently through- out its 50 years of rule and persecution, the PRC dictators have openly announced to the nation that only 5% of the people are targeted, and that the other 95% are safe. This brings out the very worst of human nature --cling- ing to the 95% side at any cost, even at the expense of friends and relatives, and closing their eyes to the rights of the 5%. That 5%, of course, has been rotated so often that the whole nation has been repressed into submission. This is exactly the intended effect of the PRC state terrorism: people acting against their conscience and looking away from state evildoing. The unfortunate part of this crime against conscience is that it is self-perpetuating: the more it goes on, the more people are hardened in act against their conscience. This crime against conscience underlies the essence of the PRC government's persecution of Falun Gong. Falun Gong is apolitical. Falun Gong practitioners only aspire to become the most peace -loving people they can be through internal cultivation of personal integrity, courage, and universal love. This is what evildoers fear. More than two years of persecution of Falun Gong in China, the extreme torture of hundreds of thou- sands of Falun Gong practitioners, the killing of thousands of practitioners by the police, and the contrasting peaceful insistence on their right to conscience by the courageous Falun Gong practitioners epitomizes human evil against goodness in its most pure form. Edmund Burke once said: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." In the hope that the world will intervene, we submit this report to you, the good people of the world. The sole objective of the PRC government's persecution is to force Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their own conscience; in such, being evil is the real and only reason for its attack on conscience, no more, no less. Some have rationalized that the government's persecution as a reaction to feeling threatened. We urge you to III IV refrain from giving justification or excuse to the Chinese regime's brutality. The only proper action in the face of a severe human rights violation is to act to put an immediate end to it. The coercive methods used by the Chinese government against Falun Gong practitioners are of the most heinous kind. Chinese president Jiang Zemin has heartlessly instructed his security police, "No measure is too excessive against Falun Gong." We call out to all media and reporters: do not portray the PRC government's vio- lent persecution and Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful petition as a contest of two equals, for there is a vast dif- ference between the oppressors and the victims. We call out to the good people of the world: the suffering and sacrifice of Falun Gong practitioners is not just for themselves, but also for conscience and the benefit of humanity. From the pillorying of Jesus Christ's disciples to Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel to Martin Luther King's marches to Nelson Mandela's transcend- ing decades of incarceration, humanity has been given many examples of how the seemingly weak and vanquished become alive and huge in the history book by virtue of their humility and steely conviction in conscience. Their sufferings and peaceful initiatives ultimately become our most treasured heritage. This, in turn, has made the world a better place to live for all of us. History does repeat itself, and the world once again finds itself watching a peaceful group, this time Falun Gong practitioners, enduring an evil power and continuing the journey to conscience. We can choose to act, we can choose to watch, or we can choose to not choose. However, observing such a trial of good people, deep in our hearts we ultimately are making a choice. B Table of Content Introduction 1. Murder and Execution 2. Sexual Violation 3. Torture 4. Psychiatric Torment 1 17 29 55 5. Violence Against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers 67 6. Persecution Against Children 7. Forced Divorce and Coerced Family Violence 85 8. Torture Methods 73 'it Ltale" Y . ,,� 91 --, ,--_, rtr,... . _ ...... ... 6?, r '''- y ' y,\ t )) ti ��iN�1 J. oLUN DMA 4. ��1,I.i , I. V INTRODUCTION The Falun Gong Reports detail human rights violations committed by the government of the People's Republic of China against practitioners of Falun Gong. In the following chapters, we seek to bring to you the severity of the more than three years of violent persecution of Falun Gong. A brief introduction is given here to provide significant back- ground information. Falun Gong, a Practice That Has Benefited 100 Million People in Over 50 Countries Falun Gong is an ancient form of qigong. Qigong, translated as cultivation -exercise, is the generic term for the practice of mind and body refinement through special mental and physical exercises. Throughout the history of China and some other parts of the world, numerous schools of qigong have existed, each with its own characteristics and emphasis. Some schools have taken the form of religion, some are passed down from one master to only a few disci- ples, and some have taken the form of popular exercises. Taichi and some branches of Yoga are examples of popular exercises, while Buddhism and Taoism may be considered religious forms of qigong, with the former emphasizing mind cultivation and meditation and the latter paying particular attention to body refinement through unique exercises. Falun Gong distinguishes itself from other qigong practices by emphasizing both mind cultivation and body refinement. Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, teaches his disciples that to achieve total health one must first be a good person of supremely moral character. Following the Falun Gong principle of "Truthfulness -Benevolence - Forbearance,' practitioners of Falun Gong devote themselves to the cultivation of their inner selves and the improve- ment of their mental and moral quality. This, combined with five sets of gentle exercises of proven efficacy in health improvement, has enabled practitioners to achieve purposeful living, morality, total health, and true happiness. As a' testament to its superior benefits, Falun Gong had become a global phenomenon of over 100 million practitioners across more than 40 countries by 1999, just seven years after its introduction to the public. The Chinese Government's Increasing Hostility towards Falun Gong The benefits of Falun Gong practice to the citizens and the society was originally recognized and commended by various levels of the Chinese government. In fact, the positive regard from they authorities had facilitated the spread of Falun Gong in the early 1990's. The state -coni trolled media - including national and local newspa1 pers, TV, and radio stations - frequently covered activities and benefits of Falun Gong practice. A morning practice site in Beijing before the persecution VI p The increasing popu- larity of Falun Gong, however, proved to be too much fif a I few officials within the Chinese government. From clandestine undermining(?in early 1994, to the orchestrLt- ed smear campaign and tithe banning of Falun Gong books I in 1996, to police harassment in 1997, certain power blocs i [ within the Chinese government gradually escalated their underhanded persecution to overt assault. On April 23, 1999, in broad daylight, armed police forces in Tianjin City violently assaulted hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners and arbitrarily detained 45 of them. The "April 25th Peaceful Petition"by Falun Gong Practitioners Two days later, on April 25, 1999, over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered quietly in Beijing outside the State Council Appeals Office, located within the Chinese leadership compound, to petition for the release of prac- titioners who were detained in Tianjin and the lifting of the ban on Falun Gong books. The gathering was peaceful, orderly, and lawful. After Premier Zhu Rongji met with a few of the gathered practitioners and ordered the release of those detained in Tianjin, the practitioners quietly dispersed. Because of this gathering Falun Gong began to receive international attention. Jiang Zemin Ordered All-out Persecution Chairman Jiang Zemin, however, resented the peaceful solution. Apparently seeking a resounding conquest to augment his personal authority, on July 20, 1999, without due process, Jiang ordered the persecution against Falun Gong to commence, despite the fact that many within the government were already either practitioners themselves or held favorable views towards Falun Gong. Later, in October, Jiang ordered the Chinese national legislature to pass a law to allow a tougher crackdown. The Washington Post noted in an article on November 2, 1999 that "When [China's Communist leaders] found themselves without the laws they needed to vigorously persecute a peaceful meditation soci- ety, the Party simply ordered up some new laws. Now these will be applied - retroactively, of course... By these stan- dards, Stalin was a scrupulous observer of civil rights." Since July 20, 1999, over 100,000 practitioners, including pregnant women, the elderly, and young children, have been sent to labor camps without trial; thousands have been illegally jailed, with the longest term being 18 years; and millions of innocent residents have been arrested and detained, almost all under inhumane conditions. Shockingly, thousands of practitioners have been detained and severely tortured with nerve -damaging drugs in mental hospitals. Thousands of people have died in custody, while countless others are still unaccount- ed for. Meanwhile, Jiang created a nationwide system of "610 Offices", with absolute authority over the judiciary and all levels of the Communist Party, expressly to eradicate Falun Gong. The scope and severity of the atrocities are difficult to fathom. A Staged Immolation and the Deception of World Opinion Jiang's regime has also launched a far-reaching campaign of misinformation about Falun Gong to justify its persecution and to escape world condemnation. State-run media have flooded the printing presses and airwaves with fabrications about Mr. Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong. As with all lies, the propagandists failed miserably in the details. For example, the Chinese government made up claims that the practice of Falun Gong caused 1,400 people to die or to become insane. This number, even if assumed to be true, divided by 70 million practitioners, would be many magnitudes below the national average. In another example, the Chinese government claimed that Mr. Li Hongzhi had fal- sified his date of birth, and even turned up a "hospital record" to prove his mother was treated with oxytocin in 1952 before his birth. Oxytocin, however, was not to be identified until 1953. In early 2001, desperate to turn the tide, the Chinese govern- ment attempted an outrageous stunt: a staged immolation of five people in Tiananmen Square. The state-run media then blamed it on Falun Gong. This staged -immolation, however, has been analyzedt by neutral reporters and by careful observers of the same videotape that was pub - Three plain -cloth police gang up on and assault a female Falun Gong practitioner in Tiananmen Square VII lished by the Chinese government: " An investigative story published by the Washington Post revealed that Ms. Liu Chunling, one of the "immolators;' had never practiced Falun Gong; " Police were mysteriously patrolling Tiananmen Square with dozens of pieces of firefighting equipment that day; " Liu Siying, the 12 -year-old girl, was purported to have had a tracheotomy, but spoke and sang clearly, a medical impossibility; " Ms. Hao Huijun, another immolator, was reported to have graduated from a Henan Music College in 1974, a year in the Cultural Revolution when no students were graduated; " Mr. Wang Jindong was shown to have been badly burned; however, the plastic 7 -UP bottle that he had "used to dowse gasoline" remained miraculously intact. (For an analysis of the CCTV footage of the staged immolations, please visit: http://www.faluninfo.net/tiananmen/immola-' tion.asp) The Power of Non -Violence Facing extreme injustice and violence, the power of faith and nonviolence shines brightly. Since the persecution began, millions of Falun Gong practitioners, some from foreign countries, have gone to Beijing to tell the government,' "Falun Gong is good!" Millions remain true to their faith in Falun Gong's principle of "Truthfulness -Benevolences Forbearance" when facing abuse, torture, and death. Falun Gong practitioners have always remained completely peace ful. They remain peaceful during police beatings; they remain peaceful when inmates who are coerced by the police torture them. Their great tolerance, compassion, and righteousness have even inspired many torturers to become Falun Gong practitioners. The Peaceful Petition of Falun Gong Practitioners and the Chinese People's Quest for Rights and Dignity It is important to point out that the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong is no deviation from its 50 years of continuous persecution of intellectuals, labor activists, dissidents, Christians, Buddhists, and other noncom formists. Various studies by Western scholars have indicated that eighty million ore more lives have perished becaus: of the non-stop persecution under the Chinese communist rule. These persecutions are all born of the same purpose: the destruction of human nature. The persecution of Falun Gong is still going on in China. However, the peaceful and persistent insistence on their basic rights by Falun Gong practitioners is already transcending the historic plight of Chinese human rights. Their request cannot be simpler: the right to do the Falun Gong exercises and to be good people following the principle: of "Truthfulness -Benevolence -Forbearance." Their approach is peaceful, apolitical, and noble. Their suffering is helping more and more people wake up to the Chinese government's heinous crimes against humanity. Many Falun Gong practitioners have risked everything to publicize the violations they or fellow practitioners have suffered. Their reports must not be taken lightly, lest the values of hope, courage, and the most fundamental human rights be forsaken. In presenting these documents, we now ask you to speak for those who have no voice, tondo all within your power to challenge the injustice and cruelty. I VIII Murder and Execution I Photo overleaf: Young practitioners join a peaceful demonstration in memory of practitioners tortured to death in China. In Chinese culture, white is a color of mourning. This photo was taken in front of the United Nations building in Geneva on March 20, 2002, during the 58th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. (AP photo) 2 Murder and Execution Beaten to Death for Belief in Falun Gong Chen Zixiu, 1.11 female, 59, a villager of Xujia Small Village, Beiguan Street, Weicheng District, Weifang City, Shandong Province. Ms. Chen Zixiu On February 4, 2000, Ms. Chen Zixiu went to Beijing to appeal to the govern- ment to stop persecuting Falun Gong and was arrested just for peacefully demon- strating. On February 17, she was escort- ed back to the Falun Gong Detention and Transformation Center of Chengguan Street in Weifang City, Shandong Province. Ms. Chen was badly beaten and tortured at the Center. Her screams of anguish could be heard all night through- out the building. Officials from the Chengguan Street Committee beat her calves, feet, and lower back with plastic truncheons and shocked her head and neck with a cattle prod, according to witnesses. According to her cell - mates, they shouted at Ms. Chen repeatedly to renounce Falun Gong. Each time, Ms. Chen refused firmly. On February 20, the officials again demanded that she renounce her faith. Barely conscious after repeated jolts from a cattle prod, Ms. Chen stubbornly shook her head. Enraged, they ordered Ms. Chen to run barefoot in the snow. Two days of torture had left her legs bruised and her short black hair mat- ted with pus and blood, said cell mates and other prisoners who witnessed the incident. She crawled outside, vomited, and collapsed. She never regained consciousness and died on Feb. 21. The local party secretary told Ms. Zhang Xueling, Ms. Chen's 32 -year-old daughter, and Zhang's brother that Ms. Chen had died of a heart attack, but the officials wouldn't allow them to see her body at first. Only on the second day were they allowed to go to the hospital to see Ms. Chen's body. In a bag tossed in the corner of the room, Ms. Zhang spotted her moth- er's torn and bloodied clothes, the underwear badly soiled. The evidence of brutal torture was clear; her calves were black. Six- inch welts streaked along her back. Her teeth were broken. Her ear was swollen and blue. Ms. Zhang and her brother tried fil- ing a lawsuit, but no lawyer would accept the case. After she disclosed the truth of her mother's death to western media, Ms. Zhang was herself arrested and jailed, and her husband was not allowed to visit her. A Young Mother Died from Torture Wu Jingxia, female, 29, resident of Gejia Village, Fangzi District, Weifang City, Shandong Province. Ms. Wu lingxia On January 6, 2002, the police arrested Ms. Wu Jingxia because she distributed Falun Gong flyers. Ms. Wu was sent to a brainwashing class on January 18, and tortured to death around 5:00 p.m. on January 19. A death notice was sent to her family one day later. Many police officers monitored her family members and relatives who came to pay their last respects. Ms. Wu Jingxia's family members and relatives wit- nessed the cuts and bruises that were visible all over her body. They also noticed four or five deep depressions in her chest, which were caused by electric batons. Ms. Wu's lower back and thighs were beaten so severely that dark bruises covered them, and one of her thighbones was fractured. With her face covered in blood, it was difficult to recognize her. Ms. Wu left a 15 -month-old baby behind. After Ms. Wu's death, offi- cials from the Fenghuang Street Administrative Office and Fangzi District Police Department placed her mother, her husband, and all of her other relatives under house arrest, and illegally set surveillance systems to mon- itor them around the clock. Furthermore, the authorities prohibited anyone from visiting them. Nearby villages were also warned not to talk about Ms. Wu's death. Ms. Wu and her son 1. The Wall Street Journal: May 8, 2000, Ian Johnson, "China Tells U.N. It Did No Wrong in Death of Falun Gong Member". 2. The Wall Street Journal: April 20, 2000, Ian Johnson, Staff Reporter, "Practicing Falun Gong Was a Right, Ms. Chen Said, up to Her Last Day" 3. Asia Wall Street Journal: April 23, 2000, Matt Forney, "China Detains Daughter Of Dead Falun Gong Follower" 4. The Wall Street Journal: April 26, 2000, "Falun Dafa Heroes" 5. The Boston Globe: May 22, 2000, Jeff Jacoby, Globe Staff, "Nothing Normal About China" 6. Jewish World Review: May 15, 2000, Nat Hentoff, "The China that tourists don't see" 7. China Reform Monitor No. 301, April 25, 2000, Al Santoli, Editor, "Jiang's Anti -Western Campaign vs. Intellectuals Detailed Torture -Death of 58 Year -Old Falun Gong Member Described". 8. Human Rights in China: "Torture in China -UN Committee highlights gap between law and practice." 9. The Washington Post: April 26, 2002, "China's Rules" 10. Mobile Register: April 26, 2002, "China's government still brutalizes its own people." 11. Amnesty International Annual Report 2001. 3 Murder and Execution Two Mothers Tortured to Death within Three Days at the Kuiwen District Detention Center 1. Lou Aiqing, 12-2° female, 34, employee of the Bureau for Rural Business and Enterprise of Weifang City, Shandong Province. 2. Xu Bing, 12-2° female, 33, employee of the Residential Registration Office of the Public Security Bureau of Kuiwen District, Weifang City, Shandong Province. She lived in the west building of the Residential Hall for city employees on Shengli Street. Ms. Lou Aiqing Ms. Lou and Ms. Xu had been detained several times and dismissed from work for practicing Falun Gong. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on December 20, 2000, they were arrested while posting self-adhesive Falun Gong posters in Qingdao City. The police tor- tured them to find out the source of the materials. Later, the two were escorted from Qingdao City back to Weifang City and detained in the Kuiwen District Detention Center. At approximately 5:00 p.m. on December 25, the deten- tion center informed Ms. Lou's family that she had died 36 hours earlier from a heart attack. When called to identify the body, Ms. Lou's family noticed that there were several layers of make-up on her face and that her body was covered with wounds and bruises. Although her family took pictures of her body, the police confiscated the film and forced Ms. Lou's fam- ily to agree to cremate the body immediately. Ms. Lou left an 11 - year -old daughter behind. Ms. Xu Bing Within days, Ms. Xu was also tortured to death at the Kuiwen District Detention Center. As with Ms. Lou's family, the police forced Ms. Xu's family to agree to cremate the body as soon as possible; she was cre- mated on Dec. 28, 2000. Ms. Xu left an 8 -year-old son behind. Guo Ping Died from Force -Feeding Guo Ping, female, 27, resident of Huangjiazhuang Village, Weizhou Road, Kuiwen District, Weifang City, Shandong Province. Ms. Guo Ping On December 29, 2001, several policemen from the Ershilipu Police Station of Kuiwen District broke into Ms. Guo Ping's home and arrested her and her husband, Mr. Liu. Peidong. The police confiscated all of their belongings and jailed them at the Kuiwen Detention Center of Weifang City. MsJ Guo went on a hunger strike to protest her abduction and ille gal detention; consequently, she was force-fed by incompetent guards, which resulted in her suffering from a ruptured stom! ach and severe internal bleeding. I On May 15, 2002, when she had been tortured to the point of being near death, she was sent to the internal medi- cine department of the No. 2 People's Hospital of Weifang City for emergency rescue. She was handcuffed even during the emergency rescue proceedings while several policemen guard- ed the room. With blood coming from her mouth, her eyes star ing blankly, and with her hands, feet, and face swollen, she eventually lost consciousness. She passed away at 9:00 p.m! on the evening of May 17, 2002. There were 8 to 9 plainclothes policemen inside the hospital gate at 10 p.m. that night, and the courtyard was filled with police cars. Ms. Guo's husbar;d witnessed his wife's swollen hands and feet. After he was sent back to the detention center, he also started a hunger strike to protest the police's inhumane, brutal torture. 12. World Journal: January 2, 2001, "Four Falun Gong Practitioners Beaten to Death in Shandong Province and Sichuan Province" 13. Guardian Unlimited: January 3, 2001, "Four more Falun Gong Practitioners Died in Custody in China" 14. Voice of America: January 2, 2001, "More Falun Gong Followers Die in Detention" 15. Australian Broadcasting Corporation: January 2, 2001, "Four Falun Gong Practitioners Died in Custody in China" 16. Washington Post: January 2, 2001, "China Torture, Persecution Kill 4 Falun Gong Members" 17. BBC: January 2, 2001, "Falun Gong members die after beating" 18. Central News Agency: January 2, 2001, "Four Falun Gong Practitioners Tortured to Death" 19. Radio Free Asia: January 2, 2001, "Four Falun Gong Practitioners Died in Shandong Province and Sichuan Province" 20. Reuters: January 2, 2001, "China Torture, Persecution Kill 4 Falun Gong Members" 4 11 d Murder and Execution A Young Mother Died from Year -Long Torture Tortured to Death and Cremated without Family Consent Wu Lingxia, female, 37, resident of Shuangyashan City, Zhi Guixiang, female, 31, resident of Daling Town, Gongzhuling Heilongjiang Province. City, Jilin Province. Ms. Wu Lingxia and her son Ms. Wu Lingxia went to Beijing twice to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. That gave the local police of Changchun City, Jilin Province the official excuse to arrest her and extort money from her family. Although they kept Ms. Wu in custody, the police often went to her home to harass her family. Unable to withstand the policemen's constant hound- ing, Ms. Wu's husband divorced her. When Ms. Wu was finally released, she returned to her hometown of Shuangyashan City. However, when the local Shuangyashan City police were informed of her return, they began to harass her. They repeat- edly detained, interrogated, and extorted money from her because of her refusal to give up practicing Falun Gong. In May 2001, some police arrested Ms. Wu while she was visiting a fellow practitioner. They sent her to the Shuangyashan Detention Center. On July 2, 2001 she was transferred to the Xigemu Labor Center in Jiamusi City, where she was severely tortured for long periods of time. When her condition worsened, she was given no medical attention. As a result, she contract- ed hepatocirrhosis and ascites. She was sent home dying in July 2002; that year of torture had physically destroyed her. Wu Lingxia after her release from the Shuangyashen Detention Center When Ms. Wu passed away on July 27, 2002, festering scars covered her body, and there was severe edema in her abdomen. She left behind a teenage son and aged parents. Ms. Zhi Guixiang On the morning of July 19, 2002, police arrested Ms. Zhi Guixiang while she was taking a walk. At the Zhengyang Police Station the police tortured her, trying to force her to disclose information about other Falun Gong practitioners. On July 20, some people who were visiting the police station noticed that she was in poor physical condition and hardly had the strength to talk. She told them that she had suffered internal injuries from being beaten. On July 25, Ms. Zhi's condition had deteri- orated until she was on the verge of death. That afternoon, Zhu Zhishan, the policeman who handled Ms. Zhi's case, went to her parents' home in Daling Town of Gongzhuling City, and told them about Ms. Zhi's arrest, but did not mention her condition. Ms. Zhi's mother requested to see her daughter. Zhu Zhishan replied, "That is not going to happen. You are not allowed to see her." On July 27, Ms. Zhi died from the brutal torture. Later, Zhu Zhishan claimed that she died due to being on a hunger strike at the China and Japan Fellowship Hospital. When Ms. Zhi's family went to the hospital, however, no one could find her medical records. On July 31, without the knowledge or consent of her family, Zhu Zhishan had Ms. Zhi's body secretly cremat- ed at the Shuangfeng Crematory, and Zhu signed the crema- tion certificate as a trustee. Ms. Zhi's family was not made aware of any of these circumstances at that time. On August 13th and 14th, Ms. Zhi's parents went to see Zhu Zhishan twice and demanded information about their daughter's whereabouts. Zhu blatantly lied and claimed, "Ms. Zhi ran away." On August 15, Ms. Zhi's family discovered Zhu Zhishan's signature on the cremation certificate form at the Shuangfeng Crematory and he finally admitted to the facts, but he said, "Go ahead and sue me whenever you want. I'm not afraid! The gov- ernment made me do this." 5 Murder and Execution Dead after Three Years of Physical and Psychological Torture Zou Guirong, female, 36, a worker at Xinbin County's Public Highway System in Fushun City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Zou Guirong Because Ms. Zou Guirong went to Beijing in 1999 to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong, she was sentenced to one and a half years of forced labor at Wujiabao Forced Labor Camp in Fushun City. Guard Jiang Yongfeng beat her. She was later transferred to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, where she suffered more torture and abuse. After that, she was sent to Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp, where Deputy Director Chen, together with other guards, tortured her around the clock. They took turns beating Ms. Zou and didn't allow her to sleep for several days and nights. Later, Ms. Zou was transferred to Shenxin Forced Labor Camp, where she protested her illegal detention with a hunger strike. By this time her original sentence had long expired. In May 2001, Ms. Zou was sent to Shenyang City's Dabei Underground Prison Hospital, where she was again brutally tor- tured. On August 10, 2001, when Ms. Zou was on the verge of death, her family was allowed to take her home. However, Song Junlin, the Political and Legal Committee Secretary of Xinbin County, instigated the local police to break into Ms. Zou's home and take her away by force. She was then secretly transferred to Fushun City's Wujiabao Forced Labor Camp again. Led by Police Division Chief Wu Wei, the guards used many kinds of brutal physical and psychological torture in an attempt to break Ms. Zou so that she would renounce Falun Gong. Ms. Zou even- tually succumbed to the continuous torture. She died in early April of 2002. Que Fazhi Died from Torture Que Fazhi, female, 49, resident of Shuitang Village, Panlian Town, Miyi County in Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province. On June 1, 2002, Ms. Que Fazhi went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. The Beijing police arrested her on June 3. The police took Ms. Que to a basement and tortured her savagely for the next twelve days. Only when she was on the verge of death did the police send her back to the Miyi County Police Department. By the time she was sent back to Ms. Que Fazhi before her death. Ms. Que's swollen leg and arm due to torture the local police department, in the middle of June, she had lost the ability to take care of herself. When she was sent back home on June 28, her whole body was swollen, she had diff- culty breathing, and she could not sleep. She remained in extreme pain until she passed away on October 30, 2002. Tortured to Death by Punitive Force -Feeding Liu Guimin 21, female, 35, resident of Dougezhuang Villagb, Jugezhuang Town, Miyun County, Beijing On December 31, 2000, Ms. Liu Guimin went to Tiananmen Square to appeal to the Chinese government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was arrested and detained at the Haidian Detention Center, Beijing. She went on a hunger strike to protest her detention. The police brutally force-fed her, inflicting severe trauma, which resulted in internal bleeding. Because of her critical condition, police feared that she would die at the detention center, so on January 5, 2001, they took her back home. In an attempito save her, her family brought her to the hospital. However,Ithe rescue effort was unsuccessful, and on January 7, 2000, she passed away. Right before she died, she vomited a great amount of blood, which had accumulated in her lungs due to the extreme damage caused by the punitive force-feeding at the detention center. 21. AFP: January 11, 2000, "Chinese Police Blamed for Deaths of Three Falun Gong Women" 6 II h II ll 1 Murder and Execution Beaten to Death: the First Published Death Case Zhao Jinhua, 22-28 female, 42, a farmer from Zhaojia Village, Zhangxing Town, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province. On September 29, 1999, Ms. Zhao Jinhua was arrested while working in her fields, because the police had found out that she was a Falun Gong practitioner. The police officers detained and tortured her. On October 1, 1999, a group of policemen, led by Assistant Chief Sun Shixun from the Zhangxing Town Police Station, Zhaoyuan City, burst into the cell Ms. Zhao shared with other practitioners, beat them with their fists and rubber clubs, kicked them, and shocked them with electric batons. During the torture, Ms. Zhao lost consciousness three times, but they revived her so they could continue the beating. Finally she col- lapsed. She was taken to the hospital, given some injections, and then returned to the detention center. Ms. Zhao had blood in her urine and her whole body was in constant pain. Her body was covered with bruises from the neck down. She had difficulty breathing and could not eat. The whole right side of her body was numb, and she could not walk. On October 7, she collapsed again, and died shortly after she was sent to the emergency room. An autopsy, carried out on October 8 by medical experts from Zhaoyuan City and Yantai City in Shandong Province, found that Ms. Zhao had wounds and bruises on many parts of her body. The autopsy report indicated that her death had been caused by beatings with blunt instruments. The police had her body cremated before her family members could retrieve it from the detention center. Mortally Injured with Force -Feeding Tube Mei Yulan, 23-24 female, 44, resident of Chaoyang District, Beijing. On May 13, 2000, Ms. Mei Yulan was arrested and arbi- trarily detained in Nutong Cell #607, Chaoyang District Detention Center, Beijing, merely because she did the Falun Gong exercises in front of her home. Ms. Mei, along with sever- al other detained Falun Gong practitioners, started a hunger strike in order to obtain their unconditional release and the right to practice Falun Gong. To torture them, the guards of the Chaoyang District Detention Center started force-feeding these practitioners with over -saturated salt water and soymilk. Instead of having an experienced person perform the force - feedings, the guards ordered the criminals in custody to do it, which resulted in severe internal damage to the practitioners. On the morning of May 17, 2000, the guards once again dragged Ms. Mei out of her cell and force-fed her. Her scream- ing could be heard in the surrounding cells. On the night of May 18, 2000, she developed a severe headache and began to suf- focate. Gradually her hands and feet became cold and her eyes stopped moving. Later, Ms. Mei was taken to the emergency room of the Civil Aviation Hospital. On May 22, 2000, two practitioners went to visit Ms. Mei in the hospital and found her eyes were covered with white tape. They called her name three times but there was no response. Her chest heaved up and down with the assistance of a machine. When the visitors inquired about Ms. Mei's situ- ation, the doctor only said that Ms. Mei was a "special" patient and all information was to remain confidential by order of the authorities. At 4:10 p.m., on May 23, 2000, Ms. Mei passed away in the hospital as a direct result of the force-feeding. 22. AP: December 29, 1999, "China Sends Falun Gong Members to Labor Camps" 23. AP: May 03, 2000, "China Ignoring Jail Torture" 24. AFP: April 20, 2000, "Three more Falun Gong followers die in police custody 25. AFP: April 25, 2000, "Another Falun Gong Member Beaten to Death" 26. M2 Presswire: May 5, 2000, China -- "Torture in China under the spotlight at the UN" 27. Amnesty International, Public document, Al Index: ASA 17/54/99,October 22, 1999: "People's Republic of China reports of torture and ill treatment of followers of Falun Gong" 28. "Violence against Women in China's Crackdown on Falun Gong Practitioners", presented by Freedom House in 56th Session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights 7 Murder and Execution Two Practitioners Killed Via Lethal Drugs at Maojiashan Female Forced Labor Camp Zhou Chengyu, female, 55, was the manager of the Yuzhou University Library in Chongqing City, Sichuan Province. Ms. Zhou Chengyu Near the end of November 2000, Ms. Zhou Chengyu was arrested in the Chongqing Train Station on her way to Beijing to appeal to the central govern- ment to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. She was sent directly to the Chongqing Shapingba Public Security Sub -Bureau and forced to attend an anti -Falun Gong brainwashing class. On February 9, 2001, because Ms. Zhou refused to write a statement renouncing Falun Gong, she was sen- tenced to two years of forced labor and sent to the Maojiashan Women's Labor Camp in the Jiangbei District of Chongqing City. There, she was deprived of sleep from August 24 to 28, 2001, and was forcibly injected with unknown drugs. At around 1:00 a.m. on September 29, the labor camp notified Ms. Zhou's family that she had been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. When her family arrived at the hospital, they saw her vom- iting blood and gradually losing consciousness. At 6:20 a.m. on September 29, 2001, Ms. Zhou died in the hospital. The labor camp officials did not provide an autopsy report or any explanation of Ms. Zhou's sudden and untimely death. Wang Jiqin, female, 29, resident of Chongqing City, was arrested by the Chongqing City Police because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. On July 29, 2000, she was unlawfully taken to the Chongqing City Maojiashan Female Forced Labor Camp and sentenced to two years of hard labor. There, she was subjected to the cruelest mental and physical tor- tures. As a result, her health deteriorat- ed daily, her weight dropped, and she could no longer look after herself. In the name of treating her "illnesses," the camp police ordered 7 or 8 inmates who were drug addicts to force-feed her with an unknown drug, which caused her to lapse into a coma. Ms. Wang Jiqin Seeing that Ms. Wang was near death, the labor camp sent her home in order to avoid responsibility. After returning home, Ms. Wang remained in critical condition, spitting up blood and passing blood in her stool. Her limbs became extremely weak. She also had difficulty breathing, coughed, vomited, and had diarrhea. She felt sharp pains in her abdomen due to ascites (accumulation of serous fluid in the abdomen), and she could not sleep at night. On September 23, 2002, Ms. Wang died. Died from Injuries to Internal Organs Zheng Fangying, 29 female, 54, resident of Beiwei Village, Weifang City, Shandong Province. Ms. Zheng Fangying On December 2, 2001, Ms. Zheng Fangying traveled tb Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong, and was arrested in Tiananmen Square. In the Square, the police knocked Ms. Zheng down and beat her severely. They took heti to a police station, where they repeatedly beat and shocked her with a high-voltage electric baton. The cruel torture resul}-: ed in severe injuries to her internal organs. Later, she was locked in a small, solitary cell. Ms. Zheng then went on hunger r strike for eighteen days to protest the torture. The police beat Ms. Zheng so frequently that she could not walk or relieve hen self when she was conscious. She was in critical condition due to such abuse. Aware that they had mortally injured Ms. Zheng, the police put her onto a train to Jinan City to avoid the responsibility of having her die at the police station. After arriving at the Jinan Railway Station, Ms. Zheng painstakingly got out the train, but was too weak to move on. A kind-hearted young man helped her to her home. Upon her arrival at home, Ms. Zheng's family members found that two of her teeth that had been knocked out we're still hanging in her mouth by her gum flesh. Her whole abdomen area was dark brown, and there were bruises all over her body. When they tried to help her onto a bed, they could even hear the sound of broken pieces of her internal organs moving against each other. Three days after her return, Ms. Zheng died with her eyes and mouth open. 29. PRIMA NEWS AGENCY: January 21, 2002, "Believers killed in China" 8 d Murder and Execution Died after Six Months of Suffering with Broken Neck A High School Teacher Tortured to Death Zhao Xin, 30-37 female, 32, resident of Beijing, teacher at the Beijing University of Business and Industry. On June 19, 2001, Ms. Zhao Xin practiced Falun Gong excercises in Zizhuyuan Park in Beijing. She was arrested by the park police merely for practicing the exercises. She was sent to the Zizhuyuan Police Station in Beijing and then taken by police escort to the Qinghe Detention Center of the Haidian Police Department in Beijing. Ms. Zhao Xin In the detention center, the officers, led by Officer Bai Gang, severely beat and tortured her because she refused to renounce her practice of Falun Gong. They kicked her body and punched her face violently, inflicting injuries to her head and left eye and causing her to suffer great pain. Ms. Zhao went on a hunger strike to protest the maltreat- ment. However, the officers caused her further anguish and physical trauma by force-feeding her, and beating her with a heavy object. The brutal beating resulted in the fracture of three of her neck vertebrae. Zhao Xin was hospitalized She was rushed to the Haidian Hospital in critical condition, still in shackles and handcuffs. The police made the hospital perform surgery on her without informing her family. After the surgery, she was para- lyzed from the neck down. After having caused such a massively crippling injury, the Haidian Police Department released Ms. Zhao to her family. Despite the efforts to save Ms. Zhao, she died from injuries sus- tained while in custody. She struggled with extreme pain and suffering for six months before passing away on December 12, 2001. Sun Hongyan, 30 female, teacher of the Second High School in Liaozhong County, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Sun Hongyan In July 1999, Ms. Sun Hongyan went to appeal to the cen- tral government to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Consequently, she was removed from her teaching position by the school authorities. On August 1, 2000, Ms. Sun Hongyan was sent to the Longshan Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. While she was in detention, Ba Qijin, the principal of her school, led some school employees to ransack Ms. Sun's home. They confiscated Falun Gong materials, along with 3,000 Yuan. In addition, labor camp authorities fined her 13,000 Yuan. Ms. Sun went on a hunger strike twice to protest the maltreatment. In response, labor camp guards beat and force-fed her. Since Ms. Sun refused to denounce Falun Gong, in November 2000, she was placed in solitary confinement. In February 2001, the authorities sent her to the No. 463 Hospital in Shenyang City. In late February 2001, Ms. Sun was transferred to Shenyang Dabei Jail Hospital, where she was locked in the basement and frequently beaten. She was also injected with unknown drugs. As a result of this torture, she could not sit up by herself and lost control of her bowels. Two weeks later, she was released, at which time she was covered with open wounds and barely conscious. She died in April 2001. 30. AP: April 13, 2001, "Falun Gong Says More Followers Die" 31. BBC News: December 13, 2000, "Falun Gong member dies after beating" 32. Dallas News: "[group] member's death mourned in China" 33. AFP: December 12, 2000, "Falungong woman dies six months after Chinese police beating" 34. San Jose Mercury News: December 21,2000, LA. CHUNG, Staff Columnist, "Falun Gong devotees stay visible with vigil at Chinese consulate" 35. AP: December 13, 2000, Christopher Bodeen, "Hundreds attend funeral of banned Chinese [group] member" 36. Boston Globe: December 17, 2000, David Abel, Globe Staff, "Falun Gong members rally in Boston" 37. The Metro: Jason Loftus, "Fears Unfounded About Falun Gong" 9 Murder and Execution Li Jiju Beaten to Death During Interrogation Li Jiju, 38 female, 37, resident of Xifan Village, Macheng City, Hubei Province. Ms. Li Jiju At noon on May 15, 2002, Macheng City police broke into Ms. Li Jiju's home by climbing over a wall. When Ms. Li protested the unlawful break-in, over ten policemen brutally beat her, breaking one of her ribs. The policemen then dragged Ms. Li to the Macheng No. 2 Detention Center, where they continued their beating. At the Macheng No.2 Detention Center, Ms. Li went on a hunger strike to protest her illegal detention. On May 20, the Macheng City Disciplinary Committee Secretary, Li Shengguo, the Macheng Police Department Section 1 Chief, Yang Gandun, and Yan Wenshan secretly took Ms. Li to the Longchi Police Station to interrogate her. During the interroga- tion, the police beat her until she stopped breathing. Ms. Li's eyes were wide open when she died. There were bruises all over her body, many of her bones were fractured, and signs of strangulation were visible on her neck. To deceive the public, the Macheng City authorities claimed that Ms. Li had committed suicide by jumping out of a building. Moreover, they sent policemen to intimidate Ms. Li's relatives and friends, threatening them with arrest if they asked questions or spoke out. At the same time, many Falun Gong practitioners' homes in Macheng City were under surveil- lance and they were warned not to get in touch with each other. On the day that Ms. Li's body was placed in the crematory, the police department drove all of the crematory staff mem- bers out of the building, replacing them with dozens of police- men who were stationed there to guard Ms. Li's body. The police would not allow Ms. Li's family members or friends to get near the crematory. Someone tried to take pictures of the body, but was then viciously beaten, and the film was destroyed. The following day, the police department dispatched sever- al hundred policemen to the crematory. Over two hundred policemen, including plainclothes officers, were positioned along the way leading from Ms. Li's home to the crematory. Later, Ms. Li's family members and relatives were put under house arrest; they were not allowed to talk to anyone. The police said they would appoint a medical examiner to investi- gate the cause of Ms. Li's death. However, none of the medical examiners from Macheng City or Ms. Li's residential area wrote a report about Ms. Li's death after they examined the body. In 38. PRIMA NEWS AGENCY: lune 10, 2002, Chinese police killed "[members]" 10 the end, the police department cremated Ms. Li's body. They gave Ms. Li's family members 32,000 Yuan to buy their silence about the truth of her death. Tortured to Death while in Police Custody Liu Zhi, female, 61 years old, resident of Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, address: Building 67-73, Jintie Street, Linghe District, Jinzhou City. Ms. Liu Zhi After Falun Gong was banned on July 20, 1999, Ms. Liu Zhi went to Beijing three times to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Simply because of these peaceful appeals, in May 2000, she was sentenced to one year of forced labor at the Masanjia Labor Camp. She was released the day before New Year's Eve, 2001. However, in May 2002, five policemen from the Jinzhou City Police Department arrested her. They beat and interrogatl ed her for an entire day. They released her only after extorting 2,000 Yuan from her husband. On the morning of August 201 2002, policeman Li Changmin and five others from the Jintie Police Station broke into Ms. Liu's home and arrested her, not even allowing her to put on her shoes and coat. 11 On August 25, 2002, Jinzhou City "610 Office" Director L u and personnel from the Local Residential Committee notified Ms. Liu's family that she had died in police custody. The police refused to allow Ms. Liu's family members to do any sort of investigation. Deputy police department Chief Zhang Yinggen ordered Ms. Liu's cremation without obtaining her family mem- bers' signature or consent. Ms. Liu's ashes were not even returned to her family. Murder and Execution Force -Fed, Injected With Harmful Drug, Then Tortured to Death Zhang Dezhen, female, 38, single, a teacher at Mengyin County No. 6 Middle School, a resident of Xiezhuang Village, Jiuzhai Township, Mengyin County, Shandong Province. Ms. Zhang Dezhen Ms. Zhang Dezhen had been arrested several times for going to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. In January 2000, Mengyin County Police detained her for more than two months. During the detention, she was severely beaten, and was forced to sit in the snow while she was menstruating. Starting at the end of December 2000, Ms. Zhang was detained for over four months, first in a brainwash- ing class and then at the Mengyin County Detention Center. In April 2001, she was illegally sentenced to four years of forced labor at Jinan Female Forced Labor Camp. Thirteen days later, having failed a physical examination, she was sent back home. After she returned home, the principal of the Mengyin County No. 6 Middle School continued to harass her. Ten days later, Ms. Zhang left home; she became destitute and home- less in order to avoid illegal arrest and torture. In October 2001, Ms. Zhang was illegally arrested by secu- rity guards in Xintaixie Village Mine. She was then detained in a brainwashing class in Mengyin County for over three months, where she was frequently beaten and tortured severely and not permitted to bathe or meet with her relatives. Her sister tried to visit her there once, and the "610 Office" then detained her as well for over one month. Ms. Zhang went on a hunger strikes three times to protest her illegal detention, and the guards ordered that she be force- fed by the Mengyin County Traditional Medicine Hospital. The feeding tube punched through her throat, causing her condi- tion to weaken and endangering her life. Afraid that Ms. Zhang could die, the "610 Office" asked her family to take her home. After Ms. Zhang recovered she left home again, attempting to escape imminent re -arrest by the local "610 Office." On September 19, 2002 the Mengyin County "610 Office" and Mengyin County Police arrested her again. She was sent to the "610 Office" brainwashing center, and then to the Mengyin Detention Center. During this detention, Ms. Zhang again went on hunger strikes to protest the illegal detention. She was force-fed many times at the Mengyin County Traditional Medicine Hospital. On January 31, 2003, Ms. Zhang was inject- ed with a drug that makes one feel hot and dry. Taking small doses of this drug makes one feel hungry and thirsty, while large doses of the drug cause heart failure and difficulty in breathing. Ms. Zhang eventually passed away. On the same day, Ms. Zhang's family members were instructed to meet with "610 Office" representatives. Her brother, Mr. Zhang Dewen, and her nephew were taken direct- ly to the funeral home. At this time, rigor mortis had already set in, indicating that she had died some time before. Ms. Zhang's body was very emaciated and curled up, with wounds on top of wounds all over her body. The Mengyin County "610 Office" attempted to force Mr. Zhang to sign a slip releasing the body for cremation, but he refused. As a result, Mr. Zhang was beat- en brutally. He yielded and tearfully signed the slip. After Ms. Zhang's death, no court-appointed doctor per- formed an autopsy and no family member was allowed to attend the cremation. To cover up their act of murder, the police spread lies that Ms. Zhang had died of a heart attack. Hung up for Half a Month, Causing Paralysis and Death Xing Xiuqin, female, 61, teacher, resident of Beima Village, Songlindian Town, Zhuozhou City, Hebei Province. Ms. Xing Xiuqin had been a teacher for over 30 years. Because she would not give up practicing Falun Gong, she was constantly monitored and had no freedom for three years. Her pension was stopped, and she was fined and detained many times. At around 8:00 p.m. on September 15, 2002, Ms. Xing was forcibly taken from her home and sent to Songlindian Police Station for brainwashing. Because she refused to give up her belief in Falun Gong, she was handcuffed to a tree for three days and nights. Afterwards, she was hung with her feet off the ground for half a month, and as a result, she became paralyzed in her lower body. While in detention, she was denied family visitation. At about 4:00 p.m. on November 16, 2002, the police asked her family members to pick her up and take her home. When they arrived, she was already cold all over her body. She died at around 4:00 a.m. the next morning. When her family members went to the town government to find out the reason for her death, the officials refused to meet with them. 11 Murder and Execution Ribs Broken, Force -Fed, and Killed Liao Zhaoqi, female, 57, former Party Secretary at the Institute of Women and Children's Health of Qionglai City, Sichuan Province. After July 20, 1999, the police and higher authorities harassed Ms. Liao Zhaoqi almost daily, placing her under sur- veillance and trying to force her to write a letter renouncing Falun Gong. In June 2000, she went to the appeals office of the State Department to appeal and to clarify the facts about Falun Gong. She also went to Tiananmen Square. As a result, she was illegally detained for over 40 days and expelled from the Communist Party. Late in 2000, to prevent her from clari- fying the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong, the authorities attempted to arrest her, stopped her pay, and dis- missed her from her job. She had to leave her home and go from place to place in order to avoid illegal arrest and torture. At about 5 a.m. on September 25, 2002, the police from the Dayi Police Department broke into the home of Ms. Chen Guiying (female, over 60 years old) on Xiaoxi Street of Jinyuan Town and forcibly arrested Ms. Chen Guiying, Ms. Liao Zhaoqi, Ms. Dong Yuying, and two male practitioners (both in their 20s), who were doing the Falun Gong exercises. They confis- cated all of the Falun Gong books, pictures, VCDs, 3,500 Yuan of personal savings, and other personal belongings of Ms. Chen Guiying. The police then tried to force Ms. Liao Zhaoqi to tell them the source of the Falun Gong materials. Ms. Liao started a hunger strike to protest her illegal arrest. As a result, the police force-fed her. They pried her teeth open, causing necrosis inside her mouth during the forced -feeding. To leave no obvi- ous marks of injury, the police beat her brutally on the chest, which resulted in broken ribs and other internal injuries. The police also forcibly injected her with harmful drugs. Ms. Liao's body and mind suffered tremendously. According to the police, on the eveninglof October 3, 2002, she started to exhibit a state of shock. She died in the emergency room after rescue attempts failed. Police then tried to conceal the murder and the details of her death. When Ms. Liao's family members hurried to the Dayi County Police Department and requested to see Ms. Liao's body, the chief of Section 1 told them that she was already out of the hospital and had been sent to a crematory a long time ago. The director of the Dayi Police Department, the Procurator, the chief of Section 1, and the medical examiner, Sun Dahong of the Chengdu Police Department, meticulously covered up the murder. They unreasonably requested that her family members not take pictures of her body and not hold a memorial service. If the family did not comply with this request, they would not be allowed to see her body. After much effort, her family members were finally allowed to see her frozen body in the funeral parlor. Her face was pur- plish blue, her eyeballs were protruding from her face, there 12 were clear handcuff marks on both of her hands, the inner sur- face of her right hand was mangled, there were clear bruise marks on her cheek close to her right ear, and some other places had purplish -blue needle -pierced holes. Medical exam- iner Sun Dahong did a surface check of the body while other people took pictures and made written records. When her family members saw the blood marks around her mouth and requested a re-examination, the medical exam- iner found many excuses to turn down the request, attempting to end the process without a careful re-examination. Because of the persistent request of her family members, the medical examiner cut open her chest and found that many of her ribs were broken. Sun, the medical examiner, tried very hard to cover it up. In particular, Sun lied about the 5th to 7th right ribs, which were clearly broken. He depicted the problem as "ossification." Her family members requested a written report on the medical examination. Not only their request refused, but Ms. Liao's son was also forced to sign on a document waiv- ing further medical examination so that they could avoid any responsibility. Force -Fed Mustard Oil and Suffocated to Death Li Hongmin, female, 60, resident of Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province. Ms. Li Hongmin .j On the morning of September 16, 2002, Ms. Li was arrest ed while she was distributing Falun Gong materials. She was detained at the Mudanjiang City Police Bureau and tortured to death the following day. On September 18, Ms. Li's family aril workplace were informed of her death. Her body was cremat- ed on September 19. 'I According to people who knew the details of Ms. Li's death, Ms. Li was force-fed a bottle of mustard oil. Right after the force-feeding, her head was covered with plastic bags that were tightly closed around her neck, causing Ms. Li to suffo- cate to death. In order to hide their responsibility, the police threw her corpse off of a building, and then claimed that slie had committed suicide. Afterwards, the police department threatened her family, asked them not to reveal the news& her death, but rather to claim that Ms. Li went on a trip to visit relatives, and that she was not dead. 4 Murder and Execution Suffocated while Trapped in an Overcrowded Cell Zhang Tieyan, 3941 female, 29, resident of Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, worked at a Heilongjiang petroleum oil factory (Daqing City's Lama Dianhua Factory). Ms. Zhang Tieyan Because Ms. Zhang Tieyan refused to renounce Falun Gong, on April 19, 2000, her work unit placed her under house arrest for 3 days. On April 21, 2000, she was sent to the Ranghu Street Detention Center for 15 days. On May 5, she was taken to the Saertu District Detention Center. While detained, all she was given to eat was sorghum with salt water, so she became very weak. In the sweltering heat of summer, she was locked in a window- less room that was just over 10 square meters in size, along with 14 to 15 other people. The lack of fresh air caused her to have breathing difficulties. Every day in the detention center, detainees got dizzy, felt nauseated, got confused, and lost strength in their limbs, because of the lack of oxygen. Sometimes they fainted and had to be carried away. At 5:30 a.m. on August 11, 2000, Ms. Zhang was heard screaming in pain. She was suffocating. While her limbs convulsed, her face turned green and her eyes turned pale. Within moments she had no pulse. The guards sent her to the Xincun People's Hospital. The cardiograph showed a straight line; she had died. Then the police ordered the hospital to give a false diagnosis of heart failure. Tortured to Death at the Fushun City Detention Center Liang Suyun, female, 37, resident of Fushun City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Liang Suyun was detained in the No. 1 Detention Center in Fushun City because she had gone to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. She suffered vicious tor- ture while in detention. On March 17, 2002, with wounds all over her body, and still wearing handcuffs, Ms. Liang was sent to the Petroleum Hospital for emergency resuscitation. she died in the hospital. Ms. Liang's photo ID English Teacher Died of Inhuman Torture Zhou Wenjie, female, 40, was an English teacher at Dongfeng County's No. 2 Middle School in Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province. On October 11, 1999, Ms Zhou Wenjie was sentenced to a one-year term in Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp in Changchun City, Jilin Province. She was sen- tenced because she had gone to Beijing to appeal to the govern- ment to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Because she refused to give up her practice of Falun Gong, the labor camp extended her term for another year. Ms. Zhou went on a hunger strike to protest her maltreatment and was punished with punitive force-feed- ing, which is widely used in labor camps as a means of torturing Falun Gong practitioners. Ms. Zhou Wenjie The force-feeding was so violent that several of her teeth were broken. The camp police handcuffed her arms behind her back and locked her in an isolation cell. The cell was filthy and smelly and had rats running around in it. Later, she was thrown into a freezer used to store dead bodies. The police handcuffed her and hung her up. Then, she was tightly bound to a metal board for over ten days. She was forced to eat and urinate on this board. In September 2001, she was uncondi- tionally released. On December 17, 2001, she was arrested for distributing Falun Gong information materials and detained at the Dongfeng County Public Security Bureau. The county police tried to send her to Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp for a term of three years, but the camp refused to accept her because she had been physically devastated by the torture. On May 20, 2002, Changchun Railway Police Station person- nel kidnapped her when she was telling others the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution. Ms. Zhou was tortured to death on May 26, 2002 while in police custody. Ms. Zhou's body was kept frozen in the Third Hospital of Bai Qiuen Medical University. Her neck, armpits, arms and some other places showed obvious signs of rope marks. Moreover, one chief official from the No. 1 Section of the city police department admitted to being responsible for Ms. Zhou's death. 39. AFP: September 6, 2000, "Three More Chinese Falun Gong Members Die in Police Custody, BEIJING" 40. Reuters: September 6, 2000, "Falun followers die in China detention, Hong Kong" 41. AP: September 6, 2000, "3 Falun Gong Members Died, Beijing, September 6, 2000" 13 Murder and Execution Beaten to Death at Tuanhe Labor Camp Sun Shaomei, 4243 female, 43, employee of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, resident of Goushang Village, Linglong Town, Zhaoyuan County, Shandong Province. Ms. Sun Shaomei In 1999, Ms. Sun Shaomei went to Beijing many times to appeal to the government to end the persecu- tion of Falun Gong practitioners. Each time she was arrested, beaten, and fined. For nearly eight months, starting on February 14, 2000, the Linglong Branch of the Zhaoyuan Police Station in Zhaoyuan County, Shandong Province arbitrarily detained her to prevent her from going to Beijing to appeal. After her release, Ms. Sun went to Beijing to appeal, and was arrest- ed again. On November 28, 2000, she was transferred to Tuanhe Labor Camp in Daxing County of Beijing. She was severely beaten in the camp. On December 2, 2000, she was sent to Tuanhe State Farm Hospital for emergency treatment. At 11:45 a.m. on December 12, 2000, Ms. Sun died as a result of the beatings she had received in the labor camp. A Senior Murdered by Police from Jinzhou City Cao Shufang, female, 61, lived on the 5th floor of Building 44, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. She was an employee of the Jinzhou City Cotton and Linen Company. At 4:00 p.m. on August 4, 2002, Wang Dianyu, Chief of the Kangning Police Station Office in Linghe District, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, and police officer Wang Hong stormed into Ms. Cao Shufang's home. Locking her husband in the bed- room, the police tried to abduct Ms. Cao and threw her head- first off of the fifth floor balcony. The police spent a long time confiscating Falun Gong materials, so it was quite some time before they finally came downstairs. Eyewitnesses reported that Ms. Cao was still alive after landing, but that she died because the rescue effort was so slow. Although people called for an ambulance, it took a long time to arrive. Someone took a photo of her body, but the Linghe District Political and Judiciary Committee confiscated the camera and film. By 9:30 p.m., 32 police vehicles, more than 100 policemen, and journalists from the Jinzhou TV sta- tion, Jinzhou Daily, and the Jinzhou Evening News had all gath- ered on the scene, trying to falsify a report defaming Falun Gong. The residents and neighbors resisted their attempt to fabricate lies against Falun Gong. The Director of the Linghe Police Station publicly stated to the crowd, "You go ahead and sue us. You won't get anywhere!" After being left there overnight, Ms. Cao's body was finally sent to the funeral home at 4:50 a.m. the next day. An Engineer Died from Torture and Punitive Force -Feeding by Beijing Police Tian Baozhen, female, 40, an engineer of the Hubei Textile Design Institute at Yuejiazui in Wuchang District of Wuhan City, Hubei Province. In mid-November 2000, Ms. Tian Baozhen went to appeal to the government to end its persecu- tion of Falun Gong practitioners. On the morning of November 20, 2000, she was arrested and taken to the Tiananmen Police Substation in Beijing, where she was beaten severely. That after- noon, Ms. Tian was transferred to the Xuanwu Detention Center in Beijing, where she went on a hunger strike to protest her mal- treatment and demand her imme- diate release. B I' Ms. Tian Baozhen On the third day of her hunger strike, the staff of the deten- tion center started to punitively force-feed her. When Ms. Tian refused the force-feeding, she was beaten and slapped in thFo face. One person grabbed her by the hair and held her arms behind her back while two other people stepped on both of hir; legs. Another person forced a tube into her stomach. Ms. Tian suffered terribly from this inhumane treatment and her health deteriorated rapidly. I Later, Ms. Tian was transferred to the Henan Police Station. At the sight of her extreme physical weakness, the Henan police released her. In her weakened condition, Ms. 11 Tian managed to board a train headed for Hubei Province. When she arrived at the Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan City, she was too feeble to move on. Her husband finally came and • took her home. CI After arriving at home, Ms. Tian coughed continuously and suffered from severe pains in her chest. On December 11, 2000, Ms. Tian died as a result of the physical abuse received while in detention in Beijing. At the time of her death, the dark bruises on her arms from the policemen's beatings were 461 clearly visible. 42. AFP, Feb. 7, 2001, "Seven More Falun Gong Followers Die in Chinese Custody" 43. PRIMA NEWS AGENCY, February 7, 2001, "New victims of religious repression in China" 14 II Murder and Execution Lost All Teeth, Dropped Half of Her Weight, and Died Starved and Tortured to Death in Mengyin County Zhou Yurong, female, 40, a doctor in the 45th Corps of the 3rd Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Group, Tacheng City in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. On March 15, 2002, Ms. Zhou Yurong was arrested and detained in the detention center of the Tacheng City Police Department because she had gone to Beijing in December 2001 to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. Ms. Zhou began a hunger strike as soon as she was arrested. The detention center force-fed her and also tortured her in var- ious other ways. She was monitored 24 hours a day. Nearly nine months into her hunger strike, Ms. Zhou, who had weighed 150 pounds before her arrest, was reduced to skin and bones, weighing only 67 pounds. She lost control of her bowels and bladder, and all her teeth fell out. By late November Ms. Zhou was near death, but instead of releasing her for the emergency hospitalization she needed, the detention center scheduled a trial date of December 2, 2002. The authorities did not inform Ms. Zhou's husband of the trial until November 28, and the police even ordered him to carry her to the courtroom to be tried. At about 10:00 a.m. on December 4, 2002, Ms. Zhou received the verdict and she was sentenced to three years in prison and four years on probation. She passed away at around 1:00 p.m. that same day. Tortured to Death at Zhoushuizi Labor Camp Wang Qiuxia, female, 48, resident of Dalian City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Wang Qiuxia Ms. Wang Qiuxia was illegally arrested on October 1, 2000 while trav- eling to Beijing, and sent to the Dalian Drug Rehabilitation Center in Dalian City. She was then sent to the Yaojia Detention Center and later to the Zhoushuizi Labor Camp. During her detention in Zhoushuizi Labor Camp, Ms. Wang endured a series of tortures and beatings, staunchly refusing to sign a pledge to renounce Falun Gong. Finally, on June 9, 2001, Ms. Wang was heavily beaten and tortured until semi- conscious. At that moment she apparently signed the renunci- ation pledge. Waking up the next morning, she told Camp staff she would retract the pledge, upon which they started beating her mercilessly until she was hovering on the brink of death. Ms. Wang was immediately sent to the hospital but died on the way there. The family was finally informed at 9:00 p.m. They saw that Ms. Wang's head was swollen and had become mis- shapen. In addition, both of her legs were swollen, and her entire body had turned dark purple from the injuries. Liu Shufen, female, 39 years old, resident of Tangzi Village, Andi Town, Yinan County, Shandong Province. Ms. Liu Shufen On September 16, 2002, the Mengyin County Police Station and the Mengyin County "610 Office" [an agency specifically created to eradicate Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems] arrested Ms. Liu Shufen for practicing Falun Gong. She was detained and brutally tor- tured in the Mengyin Detention Center. On January 29, 2003, after enduring four months of torture, Ms. Liu passed away. On January 31, Ms. Liu's family members were asked to come to a meeting. They had a meal with Lei Yancheng, Vice - Director of the Mengyin County "610 Office," and were then sent to a funeral home. There, they viewed Ms. Liu's body, which was curled up, covered with wounds, and reduced to skin and bones. The representative from the "610 Office" tried to threaten Ms. Liu's family into signing a paper releasing the body for cremation. However, they insisted on an inquiry, so the court doctors conducted an autopsy. The results showed that her brain was filled with blood. Ms. Liu had been slender, but her blood pressure had always been normal, and she had become especially healthy after starting to practice Falun Gong. Her hematoma of the brain and the wounds on her body were caused by beatings. The Mengyin County "610 Office" immediately cremated her body in order to cover up the mur- der. Afterwards, the Mengyin County "610 Office" gave Ms. Liu's family 4,000 Yuan. The Vice -Director of the Mengyin County "610 Office," Lei Yancheng, said to them, "You had bet- ter take the 4,000 Yuan, because if you don't, you will get noth- ing. No matter where you go to sue us, it will be in vain!" 15 Murder and Execution Su Qionghua Kicked off Sixth Floor and Killed by Police Su Qionghua,44-48 female, 32, resident of Suining City, Sichuan Province. On the morning of December 18, 2000, over a dozen policemen from the National Security Squad and Chuanshan Police Sub -Station of Suining City came to search Ms. Su Qionghua's home and confiscate her property. Ms. Su would not open the door, and instead tried to reason with them. The police surrounded her house, yelling and shouting, "After we capture her, we'll kill her!" MS. Su Qionghua Later, at around 6 p.m. on December 20, 2000, two policemen used ropes to gain access to her sixth floor apartment from the roof. At this time, Ms. Su was leaning out the window explaining the truth about Falun Gong to around three to four hundred spectators outside on the ground. When the policeman low- ered himself down from the roof, he fiercely kicked her. She grabbed the policeman's foot with both hands, but the policeman straightened his foot quickly and Ms. Su fell from the sixth floor. The crowd shouted, "The police have killed her! The police persecuted someone to death!" After Ms. Su fell, the police took no measures to save her. Instead, they tried to hide the truth of what happened. While she was still breathing, they lifted her onto a net (used to catch people who jump in order to commit suicide) and took a photo- graph, hoping to make it look like they had tried to save her from committing suicide. Ms. Su stopped breathing at around 6:30 p.m. on December 20, 2000. Another policeman, named Huang, abused Ms. Su's 12 - year -old daughter, searching her body and seizing the key to her apartment. After opening the door with the key, the police cut the cable TV cord and hung it from the ceiling, placed a blanket over the window, and moved a mattress next to the window, thereby making the room appear to be the scene of a suicide. After falsifying this evidence, they took photographs and video footage in order to deceive the public. Beaten for Nine Hours and Killed by Asphyxiation Li Shuyuan, female, 51, resident of Dahuangdi Village, Taijitun Town, Lianshan District of Huludao City, Liaoning Province. On October 17, 1999, the Huludao City Police Station arrested Ms. Li Shuyuan and sent her to a detention center because she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. During her month-long detention, once guard, Yuan, beat her with a baton and a "wolf's tooth stick". As a result, she was bruised all over and had difficultly time to move her body around. On July 7, 2000, the policemen from the Taijitun Town Police Station arrested Ms. Li again and took her to an anti - Falun Gong brainwashing class, where she was detained for 28 days. During her detention, she and twelve other practitioners were packed together in a 15 -square -meter room. It was stuffy( and damp in the hot summer. They were forced to sit and sleeps on the cement floor day and night. They were beaten or exposed under the scorching sun for more than twelve days. I On June 11, 2001, the policemen from the Huangtukari Township Police Station beat Ms. Li because she had distribl uted the Falun Gong flyers. She was sent to the Nanpiao District Police Station, where division chief Shi and team chief Wang beat her from 2:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Her face was swollen and deformed and her mouth broken and bleeding.` She felt excruciating pain in her chest when breathing. Her leg was beaten black and blue. Yellow secretions ran down froni r the bruised part of her leg for over a week; it was still painful even one month after the beating. Afterwards, she was trans ferred to the Nanpiao District Detention Center and then to the Huludao City Detention Center. On August 27, 2001, she was released. On September 20, 2001, Ms. Li was sentenced to three years of forced and detained at the Nanpiao District Detention Center. On the sixth night of her detention, Ms. Li was tortured I until she lapsed into a coma. After her family brought her home 1 from emergency treatment at the Nanpiao District Hospital, the Nanpiao District policemen went to her home several times wanting to arrest her, so she was forced to leave home and live in exile. On the night of July 6, 2002, Ms. Li and two fellow practi tioners went out. She did not return. On the next day, her life- less body was found in Jinlizi Village. She had been forced to the ground with her hands behind her back. Her face was coh- ered with dirt. There was evidence of her being held there, kicking and struggling for her life. Her head was swollen and had a bump on it, and there were other wounds on her body. According to the autopsy, she died of asphyxiation. 44. BBC, January 2, 2001, "Falun Gong members "die after beating" 45. Washington Post, January 2, 2001, "China Torture, Persecution Kill 4 Falun Gong Members." 46. VOA, January 2, 2001, "More Falun Gong followers die in detention." 47. Radio Free Asia, January 2, 2001, "Four more Falun Gong practitioners from Shandong and Sichuan die of abnormal cause." 48. World Daily, January 2, 2001, "Four Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death in Shandong and Sichuan Province." 16 Photo Overleaf: Masanjia Labor Camp Artist's rendering of women being thrown into male jail cells at Masanjia Labor Camp. In the summer of 2001, guards at the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp stripped 18 women naked and threw them into the cells of violent male criminals, where they were gang -raped. 18 Sexual Violations Stripped Naked and Shocked on Her Genitals until Dead Li Yinping„ female, 37, an employee of Weifang Animal Husbandry Bureau, Weifang City, Shandong Province. Ms. Li Yinping practitioners without Detention Center. On June 4, 2001, Ms. Li Yinping was merely visiting a fellow practition- er's home in Majia Village of Shouguang City, Weifang region. Police from the Shouguang Police Station came to arrest Ms. Li and all other practitioners who were there. They were all detained at the Sunji Police station, although no legitimate criminal charges were brought against them. They were forced to stand out- side to be burned under the hot sun. Ms. Li was also interrogated and beat- en. Afterwards, the police interned the any legal procedure in the Shouguang On the afternoon of June 6, 2001, Ms. Li, along with the other detained Falun Gong practitioners, requested uncondi- tional release. The policemen dragged Ms. Li into the hallway and beat her with a rubber baton. After drinking alcohol, five to six policemen began another round of torture. They slapped her face, twisted one of her arms behind her back, grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, hit her all over her body with rubber batons, and shocked her with electric batons. The policemen stripped Ms. Li of all of her clothing to inflict more pain by beating her unprotected skin. After beating Ms. Li, the policemen chained her to an "Iron Chair". After taking a break, later on in the evening, the director of the detention center, Team Leader Wang, and other guards took turns shocking her genitals with electric batons. Her whole body was shaking, and had turned dark purple and black. She suffered severe pain, and lost consciousness several times. Each time, the guards revived her with cold water, so that they could shock her again. One of the officers threatened to rape and kill her. They contin- ued to shock her with the batons even after she began spitting up blood. This torture lasted for several hours. Ms. Li was left chained to the iron chair, and she kept vomiting all night. By early the next morning, June 7, 2001, Ms. Li had lost consciousness and no pulse could be detected. However, the policemen still would not take her to the hospital. At last, they accepted that she was near death, so the plainclothes police- men took her to the People's Hospital at Shouguang City, where she died that same day. Vagina. and Anus Stuffed with Socks at a Detention Center in Beijing Pan Dongmei, female, 20, resident of Dianbai City, Guangdong Province. On April 3, 2001, Ms. Pan was arrested and sent to the Chaoyang District Detention Center in Beijing because she went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop the perse- cution of Falun Gong. During her detention, from April 5 to April 8, she was tied to a wooden rack in Room #612, where she was force-fed through her nose. One policeman took off Ms. Pan's socks and stuffed one into her vagina and the other one into her anus. The policeman also directed prisoners to seal Ms. Pan's mouth with tape. Ms. Pan was tortured so terribly that she lost consciousness. From April 8 to April 10, Ms. Pan was interrogated day and night. As she was not allowed to sleep or rest, she suffered from extreme fatigue. On April 11, at midday, policeman Kang Jianjun stripped a male practitioner's pants off and dragged him into Ms. Pan's presence. He tried to force her to look at the male practitioner's private parts. Since Ms. Pan refused to look, Kang threatened to take off her clothes as well. Then Kang burned Ms. Pan and the male practitioner's faces with a lighter until they were black and covered with blisters. In spite of the severe pain it caused them, Kang used a piece of filthy cardboard to wipe the soot from their faces. Sexually Abused and Dog -Bitten at Shanxi Female Labor Camp Most of the arrested female Falun Gong practitioners in Shanxi Province were detained at the Shanxi Female Labor Camp. The camp guards often tortured and sexually abused them. To force the practitioners give up their belief, the camp guards bound four toothbrushes, inserted them into a practi- tioner's vagina, and twisted the brushes harshly. They often instigated the criminal inmates to beat the practitioners. The camp guards put Falun Gong founder Mr. Li Hongzhi's pictures on practitioners' beds and other places that practitioners had to pass every day, so the practitioners were not able to consci- entiously sleep on their beds or move about freely. They even freed the dogs from their leashes and let the dogs run loose to bite practitioners. The head of the brainwashing center of Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province learned the torture process when he visited Shanxi Female Labor Camp. After he went back, he also used dogs to torture Falun Gong practitioners at his cen- ter. As the result, several more practitioners were bitten and terrorized. 19 Sexual Violations Bloody Violence and Sexual Assault by Weifang Police On February 26, 2002, twelve Falun Gong practitioners from Weifang City, Shandong Province went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. They were arrested and brutally beaten. Later they were sent back to the local police station, where they were handcuffed and locked up in a dark garage for five days and nights before being interro- gated. People's Republic of China HAINAN Weifang City, Shandong Province Wang Xiuyu, female, about 35 years old, resident of Wang Zhuang Village, Weifang City. Li Li, Communist Party Committee Assistant Secretary of the county, interrogated Ms. Wang Xiuyu. He shouted at Ms. Wang, fiercely pushed her onto the floor, stomped on her body, and violently kicked her neck and face. Then Li ordered the police and their accomplices to take turns beating her. They ruthlessly kicked Ms. Wang back and forth between them like a soccer ball. When they became tired, they brought out elec- tric batons to shock her neck, back, and even put the electric baton into her mouth to shock her tongue. A few hours later, Li ordered three of his young accomplices to beat Ms. Wang with a big wooden club, one meter long and as thick as a forearm. On the afternoon of the same day, Li and another ruffian forced Ms. Wang to sit on the floor, spread her legs, and then insert- ed the electric baton into her mouth to shock her. He even shoved the electric baton down her back and into her under- wear to shock her. Then Li ordered one thug to force a chair over Ms. Wang's head, then two of them pressed hard on top of the chair, forcing it down on her and immobilizing her. In front of the others, Li shocked Ms. Wang's inner thighs and groin with an electric baton. Then he poured water over her chest and pushed the electric baton into her underwear to shock her, brutally inserting the electric baton into her vagina. 20 Zhang Suzhen, female, 42, resident of Lijiazhuang Village of Weifang City. Wang Quanfeng, the Chief Captain of the National Security Military Unit of Fang Ziqu Public Security Bureau, and some others stripped off Ms. Zhang's pants and then hit her lower back and buttocks extremely hard with a wooden club. They beat her so viciously that the club broke. Ms. Zhang was injured all over, her entire body was swollen, and they only stopped when she became unconscious. The lower part of Ms. Zhang's body was totally black and bruised; the flesh and blood were stuck to her underwear, and she had great difficul- ty taking off her clothing. She could not even walk by herself. Fang Yixiang, female, 48, resident of Houdeng Village, Weifang City. Ms. Fang Yixiang refused to renounce Falun Gong, so Yu Jinxiang, the Secretary of the County Armed Forces, and Wang Quanfeng brutally stomped on Ms. Fang's body. They shocked her with electric batons and beat her with a wooden club from head to toe. Policemen then beat her on the knees and shins. Yu Jinxiang struck Ms. Fang's head so hard with a wooden rod that blood gushed down her face. They then pressed a chair onto Ms. Fang's legs, handcuffed both of her hands to the back of the chair, and shocked her body all over with electric batons. They shamelessly and brutally shocked her genitals. During the entire torture, they did not give her anything to eat for four days' and nights and did not allow her to sleep. Ms. Fang was for-. tured until she was injured and bruised all over her body. There was not a place on her body that was unscathed. Her face was extremely swollen. Wang Fengping, female, 46, resident of Wang Zhuang village, Weifang City. In order to force Ms. Wang Fengping to give up her practice of Falun Gong, policeman Bi Xiaochen slapped her face repeati edly, punched and kicked her, and shocked her with an electric baton. During the night, Li Li used a square wooden board td strike her toes and thumbs and shocked her entire body with an electric baton. Policeman Ju Youxiang cruelly stuck the eleo- tric baton into her mouth to shock her tongue and kicked her lower back and legs with all his strength. Wang Huixia, female, 36, resident of Fumayingercun Village, Weifang City. While Ms. Wang Huixia was being interrogated, the ruff I ans took turns stomping on her legs and knees, hitting herA thighs with a wooden board, and shocking her mouth with an electric baton because she would not obey their orders. One day after the interrogation, practitioners Ms. Wang Xiuyu, Ms. Zhang Suzhen, Ms. Fang Yixiang, Ms. Wang Sexual Violations Fengping, and Ms. Wang Huixia were sent to the Fangzi Detention Center of Weifang City. However, Li Li still went to the detention center to keep torturing them. Ms. Wang Fengping was forced to stand on a stool for two hours with her back bent at a 90 -degree angle and her arms stretched out horizontally. In addition, they kept hitting Ms. Wang's fingers, shins, and knees. All of her limbs were badly swollen due to the heavy blows. When she could not stand any more, they forced her to lie on a stool with her head suspended in midair and four limbs touching the ground. They shamelessly hit her breasts and shocked her body with electric batons. Due to the repeated electric shocks and beating, many places of her body were swollen and bruised. In addition, while Ms. Wang was detained, police kidnapped and tortured her daughter, holding her hostage until finally extorting 2,000 Yuan from her family in exchange for the release of her daughter. Zhang Shirong, female, 60, resident of Deng Village, Weifang City. At the police station, Ms. Zhang Shirong kept suffering from the policemen's brutal torture. Policeman Yu Jinxiang forced her to lie down on the ground and raise her four limbs vertically. Then he put a teacup on the sole of her foot. When her foot trembled from fatigue, the teacup dropped and broke into pieces. Then Yu stuffed the sharp pieces into Ms. Zhang's clothes and forced her to lie on her back. As a result, her back was cut and bled profusely. For a whole night, she was tortured and continuously pressured to write a "guarantee statement" renouncing Falun Gong. She was not released until she paid a fine of 3,000 Yuan. Wang Xiaojuan, female, 20, resident of Yuanshang Village, Weifang City. Some policemen locked Ms. Wang Xiaojuan into a room and forced her to kneel on the floor. They beat, kicked, and shocked her all over with electric batons. One policeman vio- lently kicked her lower back while policeman Liu Xianxun shocked her mouth with an electric baton. On another night, ten people used the technique of wrapping a telephone wire around her fingers and shocking her. They tortured and humil- iated her in various ways, such as forcing her to stand on her head, to squat and walk with a stance called "horse steps", and to stand motionless on a stool for a long period of time. They even threw a lit cigarette into her mouth. Sexually Abused at No. 1 Detention Center, Shijiazhuang City 1. Liu Runling, female, 38, an employee of the Yuji Cosmetics Store, resident of Hebei Province. 2. Wei Tianchen, female, 45, an employee of the Hebei Provincial Decoration Corp., resident of Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. People's Republic of China No. 1 Detention Center Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province On September 28, 2001, Ms. Liu Runling was arrested and detained at the No.1 Detention Center. In January 2002, because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, guards ordered 111 several inmates to torture Ms. Liu. They dragged Ms. Liu into a bathroom, stripped her naked, and beat her up. Then they pinched the most sensitive parts of her body, inserted dirty stuff such as hair and used sanitary napkins into her vagina, and pierced her with needles for 40 minutes. By then, Ms. Liu was on the brink of collapse. This torture left her whole body covered with wounds; both her breasts had turned black and needle holes could be found all over her body. Ms. Liu is still being detained in the No.1 Detention Center. In May 2000, Ms. Wei Tianchen went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong and was arrested and sentenced to two years of forced labor. In November 2000, she was released when she became extremely weak. In July 2001, Ms. Wei was arrested again and sentenced to four years in the No.1 Detention Center. During her detention, she was often stripped naked and beaten for refusing to give up Falun Gong. One day in January 2002, offi- cer Yan put shackles on Ms. Wei and ordered an inmate to pour lots of icy water on her body. She was forced to sleep on the icy ground for one month. Ms. Wei is still being detained in the No.1 Detention Center. 21 Sexual Violations Stripped Naked, Beaten Unconscious, and Punitive Force -Feeding A Survivor of Haidian Detention Center On the morning of December 1, 2000, I went to Tiananmen Square to appeal to the government to stop perse- cuting Falun Gong practitioners. I was arrested and sent to the Beijing Haidian Detention Center the following day. When I arrived, after 8 p.m., the police stripped me naked to search for Falun Gong materials and take away my money. At that time, I was menstruating and the blood dripped on the floor. Upon seeing this, a policewoman slapped my face so hard that it made me dizzy. Later, when I was interrogated, one policeman used an electric baton to shock my head and face with great force. When a policewoman sent me to a cell, she instigated the criminal inmates to torture me. At first, the female inmates forced me to stand barefoot on the cement floor in the December cold. Then, five to six inmates punched and kicked me, aiming at my chest and temple. After they were tired of beating me, they forced me into positions like "riding an air- plane" and "gecko climbing the wall." When I refused to com- ply, they rushed over and beat me until I lost consciousness. While I was half-conscious, one of the female criminals pulled me up by my hair. She slapped my face, head, and hands with her plastic slippers. I started bleeding, and my hair fell all over the floor. Then she grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall until I lost consciousness again. After they rested, they kicked me to wake me up. Then, a strong deaf inmate started to beat me up. Later they brought three buckets of cold water, stripped me naked, and dragged me into the shower. They used a mug to dump water on my chest and head. The deaf inmate fanned cold air on me with a towel. I was shivering from the cold and my menstrual fluid dripped all over the place. Then, that big deaf inmate came to beat me up again. She punched my temple and knocked me down into a puddle. I passed out right there. I don't know how much time passed before they woke me up again for more torture. I found black and blue bruises all over my body. This kind of torture lasted the whole night. The next day, I went on a hunger strike to protest the tor- ture and illegal detention. The inmates stripped off my jacket and dragged me to a cold and windy place. They pushed me to the ground and punched and kicked me. They also used a toi- let brush to force open my mouth to force-feed me. They pinched my nose, choked me, and pressed my stomach in order to force my mouth open. I was suffocated and almost lost consciousness. They still could not force anything down my throat. Then the police came. They shackled me to an iron bed and started to force-feed me. They used newspapers to cover my eyes and stuck a very long rubber tube through my nose and down into my stomach. All the while they cursed me. If any- thing squirted on them, they punched me. One of the male police used his hand to crush my knee with great pressure. I 22 felt as if my bones would break into pieces, and I was in so much pain that I was soon drenched in tears and sweat. I was force-fed in this brutal manner nine times during my detention period. Stripped Naked and Fondled by Police Jiang Zilan, female, 39, a factory worker from Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. People's Republic of China NAIN"il Dongfeng Detention Center Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province In early May 2000, I was arrested because I visited a Falun Gong practitioner's home. I was detained for 15 days at Dongfeng Detention Center, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. On May 11, along with other practitioners, I started a hunger) strike to protest the illegal detention. On May 12, when I was sitting on my bed, two male police guards came to my cell, and told me that the director of the detention center wanted to talk to me. The guards grabbed my arms and dragged me to their office. However, the director was nowhere to be seen. Only a female guard, Cui, and two other male guards were there. They pushed me to the ground, and the male guards held my arms and feet to the ground. The female guard pulled my sweater over my head, unbuttoned my shirt, and stripped off all of my clothes except my underwear. Then she pulled down my under` wear with one hand and stroked my private parts with the other hand. I was shocked, and I cried out from instinct, "Help! Help!!!" I yelled at the female guard, "Are you still a woman? Are you still a human being? Don't you have any sense of shame?" But the shameless female guard said, "What are you crying for? I kept your underwear on." Later I was dragged baciki to my cell without any clothes on my upper body. This inhuman abuse almost caused me to have a mental breakdown. I tried to completely forget this incident. It is very painful to recall it, because I was so shocked that it removed my courage to face life, but I know that I have to reveal this abuse to the world, to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong. 11 Sexual Violations Nipples Charred, Face Burned and Distorted, and Thighs Bloodied In March 2002, police from the First Branch of the Changchun City Police Bureau arrested me on suspicion that I was involved in broadcasting on cable TV, a program that exposed the Chinese government's brutal persecution of Falun Gong.1 They took me to Jingyue Hotel in Jingyue Mountain area. The Police Bureau occupied the entire first floor of the hotel, and every room on that floor had been turned into a torture chamber. All the windows and doors were covered by thick fab- ric to block out light and sounds, and the rooms were filled with torture devices: batons, ropes, plastic bags, tiger benches, electric baton chargers, etc. It was a horrifying, hellish place. As soon as the vicious police took me into a room, they handcuffed my hands and roped my feet to a tiger bench. They stripped off my clothing and started to interrogate me. When they could not get me to "confess," they started to shock me with electric batons. One policeman used two short batons to shock both sides of my neck, and another took a long baton and placed it on my breasts to shock me. The blue sparks and exploding sound filled the room immediately. As if this was not enough, they used another short baton to shock the back of my neck. The power of four batons shook my head around violently. The police then shocked my face. As my mouth was uncontrollably opened, they stuck a baton into my mouth to shock me. After a while, they placed two batons under my arms, and one police- man even placed a baton over my eyes. As they could not get me to yield to them, the police start- ed to shock my lower body. One used a kind of baton that had two sharp electrodes to pierce into the inside of my thigh. As he continued to pierce and shock, my inner thigh became covered in blood. The other policeman used a baton to shock my private parts. Using these gruesome methods, they shocked me all night long. My nipples were completely charred in the end, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. The next day, the police continued to torture me. They poured electricity -conducting liquid over me and shocked me with batons. The shocks caused my whole body to cramp, and the agony was indescribable. They then took me down from the "tiger bench" and tied my hands and feet together from behind, forcing me to bend over backwards to form an "0" shape. They then hung me high, and dropped me down to crash to the ground. As they tortured me again and again, they shouted, "The pain is going to escalate!" After torturing me for four days, the police still could not force me to yield to them. They then threatened that they would bury me alive. They finally sent me to a cell in a detention cen- ter. Dozens of inmates cried upon seeing my horrible shape. My whole face was full of blood-filled blisters, my ears were swollen to very long and thick pieces, and the insides of my lips protruded outwards. When the police stripped off my clothes, most inmates were frightened and closed their eyes, turning their heads in disgust from my tortured appearance. Many practitioners there have suffered severe torture2. One was named Wang Lili. Her legs were so swollen from being beaten that she was unable to squat to urinate. She had to be sent to the emergency room in a hospital, where a doctor found that one of her kidneys had been destroyed from the beating. Another practitioner, in her fifties, was also shocked badly. The police also suffocated her with a plastic bag. Another practi- tioner was also suffocated with a plastic bag. Only when she was suffocated to the point of losing control of her bladder did the police remove the plastic bag from her head. I have not suffered as much as some other practitioners. Every night, we could hear cries from those being tortured, cries that could rip through one's heart. I could only imagine what they were going through; but really, I couldn't! 1. BBC: March 7, 2002, "Falun Gong breaks onto China's airwaves" 2. AP: March 8, 2002, Joe McDonald, Associated Press Writer, "China Detains 7 [Falun Gong Practitioners] during a Protest" 3. Reuters: March 7, 2002, Jeremy Page, "Falun Gong [broadcasts on] China City's TV Airwaves" 4. IGFM Press Release: March 7, 2002, "Cable Television Program Supportive of Falun Gong on China's TV Results in Orders from Jiang Zemin, "Kill them without Mercy" 5. Freelance joumalist: March 7, 2002, Zhen Vanxiong, "Changchun City Residents Exclaim: So the Self -Immolation Was All a Fake!" 6. DN (Dagens Nyheter, a Swedish Newspaper): March 7, 2002, "Falun Gong [Broadcasts] Videos on TV" 7. Washington Post: March 12, 2002, John Pomfret, "Fight Over Banned Chinese [Group] Moves to U.S." 8. Guardian: March 11, 2002, John Gittings, "Australians Held After Falun Gong Demonstration" 9. SCMP: March 7, 2002, Vivien Pik -Kwan Chan, "No More [Truth Telling], Broadcast Chiefs Told" 10. Reuters: March 14, 2002, "Hong Kong police detain Swiss Falun Gong members" 11. Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER): March 15, 2002, "Hotel Security Check For Banned Spiritual Group" 12. De Standard: March 16, 2002, "Falun Gong "captures" TV -station in Chinese city" 13. Amnesty International: March 21, 2002, "Calls for Urgent Action in Changchun, China As Murder Count Rises" 14. AFP: March 25, 2002, "Falungong claims 5,000 members detained in northeast China sweep" 15. Time: March 25, 2002, Matthew Fomey, "Falun Gong Finds Free Cable" 16. World Journal: April 1, 2002, "Falun Gong Calls for Support for Changchun Practitioners" 17. Radio Australia: April 3, 2002, "18 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested for Television Broadcast" 18. Radio Free Asia (RFA): April 2, 2002, "Discussion Organized by Europe's Chinese Press on the Recent Intensified Persecution of Falun Gong in China" 19. BBC: April 18, 2002, "Covers Chinese Media Report on Falun Gong TV Takeover" 20. AP: May 9, 2002, MARTIN FACKLER, Associated Press Writer, "Falun Gong Activists Broadcast Video" 21. Reuters: May 10, 2002, Tamura Vidaillet, "Falun Gong [uses] TV broadcasts to spread message (photo)" 23 Sexual Violations:Chaoyang Detention Center Inhuman Torture and Sexual Assault by the Police of the Chaoyang Detention Center in Beijing A Survivor of Chaoyang Detention Center I am a Falun Gong practitioner who firmly believes in Truthfulness -Benevolence -Forbearance. Like all other Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China, I have been suffering under the Chinese government's constant persecution for over three years. For over three years, I have been forced to remain home- less to avoid illegal arrest. My husband, who is not a practition- er, was unlawfully detained for 15 days by the police, who tried to force him to reveal my whereabouts. My child went to the police station to reason with them, and in retaliation the authorities ordered the school to suspend my child. The school authorities took my child back to school and reprimanded him. My child had to live on the street for those fifteen days to avoid further harassment and persecution. To expose the Chinese government's brutality, I participat- ed in producing truth clarification materials about Falun Gong and telling the true facts regarding the persecution of Falun Gong to the public. For this, I was twice detained in the Chaoyang Detention Center in Beijing. The first detention last- ed over four months, and the second lasted over three months. During these periods of illegal imprisonment I suffered from constant beatings and torture by police thugs. Below is an account of the torture and harassment against Falun Gong practitioners that took place in the Chaoyang Detention Center. I hope that kindhearted people will come to learn what is hap- pening there. Late in December 2000, the police discovered our site for producing Falun Gong truth clarification materials. All five of us there were brutally beaten and taken to the Chaoyang Detention Center. After we were thrown in jail, the head of the inmates in the cell again viciously beat us. After the beatings, we were forced to stand naked against the wall as a punish- ment. I asked the head of inmates why she beat us for no rea- son. She replied, "The detention center guards ordered us to do it. Each Falun Gong practitioner was to be beaten upon arrival. You are no exception. [Chairman] Jiang gave the order from high above." 24 Chaoyang Detention Center, Beijing The guards then forced us to stand outside in the cold win-' ter weather for more than 12 hours. As if that was not cruel) enough, the guards also beat me savagely. When I fell uncon-I scious, they poured buckets of icy water on me to revive me: and continue the "interrogation". They poked my breasts hard with electric batons and shocked them. There were over 30 Falun Gong practitioners in my cell. There were Falun Gong practitioners in every cell of the deten- tion center. They were from all over the country and they were arrested for coming to Beijing to appeal to the government td stop the persecution. Falun Gong practitioners were interrogated and tortured every day. Falun Gong practitioners frequently die under these harsh conditions. It's just that these cases are not made pub: lic. The authorities used all means to keep these deaths from being known by the public. Every day, there are practitioners sentenced to prison terms, sent to forced labor camps, and tor- tured in the most heinous ways. The police have used all sorts, of torture devices and methods, including inserting electric batons in vaginas of female practitioners to shock them, shocking their nipples with batons, burning pubic hairs and pri- vate parts with cigarette lighters, inserting dirty socks into the vagina and rectum, etc. All Falun Gong practitioners who refused to give up their faith were subjected to horrific tortures. One Falun Gong practitioner, Mei Yulan, female, went on hunger strike to protest the torture and was force-fed by police! She died in cell 607 of the Chaoyang Detention Center from the brutal force-feeding. Practitioner Li Zhen's eyes turned black and the entire right side of her face turned dark purple as a result of the beat ings. A lady over 60 years old from Henan Province passed out many times in an interrogation and torture session. A lady over 70 years old from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province lost control of her bladder after the torture. The police also stuffed dirty socks into vaginas and rectums of female practitioners Tan Yingchun, from Xining City, Qinghai Province, and Pan Dongmei, from Dianbai region in Guangdong Province. Policeman Du Shijun boasted, "If you're so resourceful, why don't you go ahead and report the abuses and brutalities to the world? You go ahead! The Communist Party runs the dic- tatorship and I just take orders!" The heart-rending cries from practitioners during the tor- ture often echo in my ears. The brutal scenes often appear) jn front of my eyes. Those practitioners risked their lives for sim- ply speaking out a few words of truth to the public. I hope all kindhearted fellow countrymen will stand up against the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Sexual Violations:Tumuji Women's Labor Camp Severe Torture at Tumuji Women's Labor Camp Tumuji Women's Labor Camp is located in Inner Mongolia Province and detained hundreds of female Falun Gong practi- tioners. At the whim of the guards, all practitioners were repeatedly abused and beaten. In more extreme situations of abuse, the guards stripped off practitioners' clothing and shocked them with high-voltage electric batons for hours. Due to violent abuse, many practitioners have been seriously injured and crippled, some so seriously that they were left unable to care for themselves. Many practitioners have had severe internal organ damage, some of whom are close to los- ing their lives. Because of practicing Falun Gong exercises, Ms. Yang Chunxiang, Ms. Li Yumei, and Ms. Lu Hongwei were kicked in their private parts, chests, and breasts by Yin Guijuan, the chief of Team One. He even inserted an electric baton into their mouths to shock them. Five female guards surrounded and beat these three practitioners. They stepped on their bodies, and shouted loudly, "What fun! What fun!" In the fall of 2001, Ms. Wang Yin and Ms. Zhang Liyuan were shocked and beaten for several hours by the Vice -Chief of the team. Ms. Wang was beaten until she lapsed into a coma. Her head was swollen and bruised. She could not recover even four months after the beating. For failing to fold her quilt in time, female guard Su Hong slapped Ms. Jia Haiying's face continuously 24 times. This caused Ms. Jia's teeth to be loosened and her facial skin to crack severely. She finally fainted and fell to the ground. Female guard Wang Guirong kicked Ms. Ji Yunzhi until she fell to the ground because she said, "Falun Gong is good." Several of her ribs were broken from the beating. Then two male guards dragged Ms. Ji to the office and shocked her for two hours using a high-voltage electric baton. As a result of this torture, Ms. Ji has become incontinent and her legs are para- lyzed. Since Ms. Fan Xiaoli refused to sing the prisoners' song, the director of Team Two, Luo Jinyun, shocked her until she started having convulsions. She could not move after the tor- ture. Ms. Peng Huiyi was also beaten for the same reason. The guards punched her so hard that some of her teeth fell out. Ms. Wang Chunyan could not walk after she was shocked with an electric baton. Female guards Na Renhua, Liu Xiuhua, and Yang Jie still cursed her and yelled, "If you cannot walk, then crawl!" Once a group of practitioners were shocked with electric batons because they practiced Falun Gong exercises. The guards surrounded and beat the practitioners. They kicked and punched them, ripped off their clothes, and hit their necks with electric batons. As a result of this abuse, Ms. Fu's face was swelled and full of red marks, and became disfigured. Ms. Zhao's and Ms. Zhang Xiuxia's legs were pinched until the skin became blotchy and discolored. Two large clumps of Ms. Li Yumei's hair were pulled out. Four strong guards grabbed Ms. Wang Xiujie and threw her to the ground. Ms. Wang Chunyan was shocked with an electric baton until her legs were para- lyzed. Because Ms. Liang refused to renounce Falun Gong, a guard tortured her by hanging a heavy bucket of water from her neck and slapping her. Ms. Lu Xiumei was shocked with an electric baton and beaten for reciting a Falun Gong book. The guards pinched her breasts, hips, and private parts. She was hurt so badly that she could not walk after the torture. Ms. Liu Huirong, Ms. Guo Junxiu, Ms. Liu Chunyan, Ms. Li Chunxia, Ms. Liu Zhun, and Ms. Liu Xiaoxin were hung up in the air and forbidden to sleep. In addition, the guards stripped off Ms. Liu Chunyan's pants to humiliate her. Ms. Wang Yin could not bear the torture and attempted to escape, but was caught, brought back, and severely beaten. The severity of the beating caused her to lose her hearing because of bleeding in her brain. Sexual Assault and Malicious Torture at Beijing Women's Labor Camp I am detained in Beijing's Female Forced Labor Camp. I am here because I believe in and practice Falun Gong. I was ille- gally arrested at my home, and have repeatedly been subject- ed to inhuman torture. I was often deprived of food. For long periods of time, I was not allowed to sleep or to use the bath- room. The guards often ordered the criminal inmates to beat me up. In order to muffle my cries, the guards stuffed dirty underwear, stained with menstrual blood from other females, into my mouth. I was beaten until my body was completely cov- ered with bruises. Another very determined practitioner had a toothbrush rammed into her vagina and was sexually assault- ed because she would not give up her belief in Falun Gong. There was a practitioner who was sent here from the detention center. Her lower back was severely twisted. Her head had been twisted about 150 degrees, and almost faced her back. When I first saw her, I thought she was in her 70s. She told me that, in the detention center, she had received excruciating tor- ture because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. The guards then twisted her lower back, handcuffed her hands and feet together while she was in that twisted position, and kept her like that for over ten days. They wouldn't let her go to sleep for nine consecutive days and nights, forced her to stand still with- out moving, didn't give her any meals, and even forbade her to use the toilet. Not until we had that discussion did I learn that she was actually only in her 40s. A person in her 40s had, through torture, been made to look like someone in her 70s, simply because she held fast to her belief in Truthfulness - Compassion -Forbearance. 25 Sexual Violations: Judong Women's Labor Camp Needling of Nipples, Pulling of Pubic Hair, Baton Rape, and Shock at Judong Women's Labor Camp In 2001, under orders to intensify the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and to achieve a higher so-called "transfor- mation rate," authorities of the Judong Women's Labor Camp in Jiangsu Province started to carry out inhuman torture on more than 400 Falun Gong practitioners in the No. 3 and 4 subdivisions. Director Xu Xinzhen and Captain Zhou Ruihua of the 4`" subdivision applied electric shocks and imposed a "standing -and -no -sleeping" torture on practitioners. They also chose tall and strong criminal inmates to "cluster" (stay in the same room) with the practitioners. Guards Zhou Ruihua, Hong Ying, Huo Yan, and others openly used brutal force, throwing practitioners around, slapping their faces, punching and kick- ing them, pulling their hair, and also using many other humili- ating torture methods. People's Republic of China HAINAN Judong Women's Labor Camp, Jiangsu Province Qin Yanqiu, female, resident of Jiangsu Province. Miao Qi, a director of the female sub -unit, and guard Jiang Dongmei of the fifth team forced Ms. Qin Yanqiu to squat and stand for eighteen days and nights. She was not allowed to sleep, sit, talk, or go to the toilet. They stopped torturing her only when she suffered from incontinence, looked extremely pale and weak, and her life was in danger. The police also ordered other inmates to join their torture of Falun Gong practitioners. They stripped off practitioners' clothes and held them on the ground, with one person sitting on the upper body and another person sitting on the lower body. They humiliated and assaulted the practitioners by viciously pinching and piercing their nipples with needles. They used a square stool to pound on their abdomens, they kicked their lower bodies, hit their private parts with their knees, pulled their pubic hair, and stuffed paper into their vaginas. They also pinched practitioners in the lower abdominal area and their inner thighs. 26 1. Du Xiuju, female, 42, single, a former teacher of the Technical School in Lianyun Harbor, Jiangsu Province. 2. Huang Hongping, female, 35, a 1989 graduate from Department of Chemistry, Hehai University, Jiangsu Province. Practitioner Ms. Du Xiuju suffered from vaginal bleeding for over one month after being tortured. The practitioner who suffered the most was Ms. Huang Hongping. Xie and other vicious policemen kicked her head and face, pulled her hair, slammed her head against the wall, and shocked her. The tor- ture made her lose control of her bladder and bowels. They even cursed and yelled at her during the beating, saying, "We will beat you to death just like we would beat a dog to death, and the authorities will never investigate our actions." Ms. Huang's abdominal area, the inner side of her thighs, and her entire lower body turned black and blue. Even after lying in bed for more than one month, she couldn't walk normally, having to rely on two persons to support her. Yu Shuxia, female, resident of Jiangsu Province. Six prisoners who had been prostitutes took turns beating Ms. Yu Shuxia for three days to force her to renounce her prac- tice of Falun Gong. Her eye sockets were blackened from the beating, her face and whole body were swollen, and bruises covered her entire body. These prostitutes took advantage of the guards' support. They pinched the tendons of her thighs and pulled her pubic hair. She called for help many times, but) no one came to intervene; she nearly lost her life. In order tot conceal her grievous injuries, the labor camp authorities locked her in a storage room for over 20 days until the swelling had eased up. Song Weijuan, female, resident of Jiangsu Province. On March 16, 2002, Ms. Song Weijuan was handcuffed with her hands behind her back and pinned down to the ground by seven or eight male and female guards led by Zhao Yulan and Zheng Qihui. They shocked her with electric batons, while interrogating her. They shocked her mouth if she refused to talk. To prevent her from screaming due to the pain, the guards stuffed dirty rags into her mouth. Liu Xiue, female, 59, resident of Jiangsu Province. 11 Ms. Liu Xiue was tortured by being forced to stand still, without sleep, on and off for more than twenty days and nights, simply because she refused to copy a note slandering Falun Gong. The police took off all her clothes and forced her to stand naked in the yard to humiliate her. For refusing to copy the slandering note, almost all the practitioners were forced`tro stand still and were deprived of sleep. Over a dozen practition- ers in the No. 11 team were forced to stand for eleven days and" Sexual Violations nights. Their feet and legs became red and swollen, and they were mentally exhausted. It was the middle of summer, and each practitioner's body was covered with mosquito bites. 62 - year -old Ms. Wu Qunying suddenly fainted and fell on her face. On the second day, her eye socketsturnedblue and her eyes turned red. Only on the eleventh night did the guards cease this inhuman torture. Kong Qingmei, female, resident of Jiangsu Province. Since Ms. Kong Qingmei refused to copy a note slandering Falun Gong, guard Zhang Yan instigated a vicious prisoner, Ding Lilin, who had been convicted of prostitution, to injure her hip and legs. Thereafter Ms. Kong had to rely on other people's support to walk. Chen Yujie, female, 54, resident of Jiangsu Province. Guards Zhao Yulan and Zhou Ying often locked Ms. Chen Yujie in a confinement room for no reason, forcing her to stand still and not sleep. Her legs and feet became so swollen that she was unable to put on her shoes. Her physical condition deteriorated quickly. She vomited whenever she ate food. Guards Zhao and Zhou ordered four prisoners to forcibily pour medicine into her nose, eyes, ears, and mouth, which caused her ears to get infected, causing her to lose her hearing. She became very skinny, her weight dropping from 160 pounds to 98 pounds. She became paralyzed and is no longer able to take care of herself. Wang Lanfeng, female, resident of Jiangsu Province. Guard Xiao Jiantao, called "the #1 Killer," kicked Ms. Wang Lanfeng so hard that the bone and flesh on her calf separated. She had been locked up in the confinement room more than ten times and was tortured by being forced to stand without sleeping. The guards even shocked her with four electric batons at the same time. In 2002, the guards of Judong Women's Labor Camp became more vicious. They used four or five people to attack and brainwash one practitioner. They started from 5 a.m. and continued until 3 a.m. the next day. They tried to brainwash practitioners one after another and deprived them of sleep. The brainwashing lasted for at least 40-50 days and some- times for more than 80 or 90 days. Changchun Police Took Practitioners into Wilderness for Torture and Rape By A Falun Gong Practitioner once Detained by Changchun Police As their barbaric tortures of Falun Gong have been exposed more and more to the public, the police in Changchun city have been taking practitioners out of detention centers and labor camps far into the wilderness to torture them. In the middle of the night the police dragged detained practitioners out of their cells, covered their.eyes so they would not know where they were taken, and tortured them mercilessly. Under the cover of dark night, some police have sexually violated female practitioners. The policemen even boasted to each other, such as "The forest in Jingyue Mountain is a wonderful place to have fun. You can hear all kinds of screams from Falun Gong [practitioners]." Some practitioners who were taken out did not return, and no one knows what happened to them. One place where the police conduct their crimes regularly is in the mountains. The police tied up some of the practition- ers, grabbed them by their heads and feet, and threw them against a tree. While torturing the practitioners they said, "We will bury you here if we end up beating you to death. Nobody would know!" One practitioner was dragged to a nearby moun- tain in the middle of the night and severely beaten. The police said, "Give up Falun Gong, or we will throw you into the moun- tain stream!" Some police used electric batons to shock female practi- tioners' breasts, forcibly shocking the sensitive nipple area. The police even shocked practitioners in their vaginas. Practitioners who were menstruating were not spared and were shocked to bleed profusely, so their pants were soaked in blood. The police often drank alcohol before and during their torture session. While drunk, some police attempted to rape female practitioners. One heartless policeman said, "The base- ment is the perfect place to straighten out Falun Gong practi- tioners, it's no big deal to kill one or two!" 27 Sexual Violations Beijing Police Officer Beats and Rapes a Female Falun Gong Practitioner in Public After 9:00 pm on May 14, 2001, I was alone and pasting up Falun Gong flyers along the street from Dabeiyao to the Yong'anli city canal, Beijing. A plainclothes policeman who was on patrol duty stopped me. He was in his 30's, about 1.65 meters tall and quite strong. He claimed he was a policeman, briefly flashed his work ID, and wanted to take me to the police station. He viciously groped around my lower body using the excuse of con- ducting a body search. I struggled to get free and ran down the street. He chased after me on his bicycle and beat me fiercely with a rubber baton for over an hour, bringing me to the verge of death. There were about a dozen passersby who came to watch during that time. He then shouted, "She is a Falun Gong practitioner. If I beat her to death, it will count as nothing." No passerby dared to stop, and hastily left. Two of my front teeth fell out and I had many wounds on my head. My whole body turned black and blue from the bruises and became swollen. I felt extreme pain from the inside of my body. The policeman then hit me fiercely with his baton on my right ear and temple and as a result I lost consciousness. Then he dragged me under the bridge and raped me. After that, he forced his rubber baton into my vagina using his full strength, and then sat on me. When I regained consciousness I stated that I would sue him at the police station, he then fearfully ran away on his bicy- cle. 28 a) 6. r./ +J L ti Photo overleaf: Water Dungeon This is a deadly solitary confinement. A victim is stripped naked, locked in an iron cage with spikes on all sides, and lowered into a pit of filthy water until the water reaches the victim's neck. The victim cannot lean to any side because of the spikes, and cannot squat down because the water. Many practitioners have suffered this torture and some have died. 30 Torture Paralyzed from Severe Torture Li Huiqi, female, 35, former employee of the Shijiazhuang Paint Factory, Hebei Province. On December 2, 2001, Ms. Li Huiqi was abducted by offi- cials from the Weiming Street Police Station in Shijiazhuang City, then detained in the Shijiazhuang City No. 1 Detention Center for two months. On February 2, 2002, she was sen- tenced to one year of forced labor in the Shijiazhuang Labor Camp, "retroactive to the day she was arrested." To force Ms. Li to give up her faith in Falun Gong, the guards in the labor camp tortured her severely. Ms. Li was in critical condition a number of times as a result of this severe torture. Her family requested to see her repeatedly, but their requests were all rejected. On April 8, 2002, Ms. Li's condition deteriorated so much that the labor camp had to send her to the People's Hospital of Hebei Province for emergency care. Only at this point was her family allowed to see her. Ms. Li was later transferred to the Third Hospital of Hebei Province for treatment, but her injuries were so severe that the doctors could not heal her paralysis. She also suffered from lung and urinary system injuries, all resulting from the severe torture. Her whole body twitched constantly, and she often lost con- sciousness. The doctors had to use a respirator to maintain her breath. On December 3, 2002, Zhao Jinlong, the director of Shijiazhuang Labor Camp, and policeman Zhou Yilin demand- ed that the hospital halt its intensive care for Ms. Li. The excuse was that Ms. Li's one-year sentence was over! She was thus forcibly moved out of hospital. Ms. Li Huiqi is paralyzed and relies on a respirator to breathe Ms. Li Huiqi's legs are deformed and she could not stand up Beaten to Blindness Sun Changli, female, 44, resident of Hongmiaozi Village in Xinbin County, Fushun City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Sun Changli was detained in the Wujiabao Labor Camp. To force her to give up practicing Falun Gong, the guards there repeatedly tortured her. One night in late December 2001, several guards dragged Ms. Sun out of her cell and began another torture session. They forced her to maintain a squatting position for a long time, and then forced her to bend forward with her two arms stretched out sideways, the so- called "flying an airplane" torture. The police beat her savage- ly whenever she could not hold this agonizing position. This tor- ture lasted for four hours. Eventually, the police beat Ms. Sun to the point that she completely lost her eyesight. However, she was still tortured in the days that followed. Moreover, they threatened to beat her to death if she dared to tell people how she was beaten to blindness. Eye Popped out from Beating Zhang Binghui, female, 51, resident of Changchun City, Jilin Province. On February 10, 2002, Ms. Zhang Binghui was detained at the Changchun City's Kaixuan Hospital because she refused to renounce her belief in Falun Gong. The doctors and nurses at the hospital viciously beat Ms. Zhang with an electric baton and other instruments, causing one of her eyes to fall out. She was transferred to the Changchun City Center Hospital, but her eye could not be saved. Loss of Eyesight Due to Severe Torture Liu Xiaolian, female, 61, resident of Chibi Town, Chibi City, Hubei Province. In December of 2000, Ms. Liu Xiaolian was detained in a labor camp in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province because she went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. She was denied drinking water for nine days and beaten by police. Later, she was escorted to a detention center in her hometown. She was detained at the detention center for 20 months and suf- fered various forms of torture. She was never allowed a family visit or a full night's sleep. She was once forced to kneel on the ground for twelve hours. On a number of occasions, officer Ye Jun beat Ms. Liu so viciously that she lost consciousness. As a result of the severe torture, Ms. Liu could not walk, sit, eat, move, or get up, and she lost vision in both eyes. However, the police continued to detain and torture her. Once, Ye Jun punched and kicked Ms. Liu in her lower abdomen so hard that her internal organs were severely damaged and she had to be sent to the hospital for treatment. In the hospital, despite her injuries and blindness, she was forcibly injected with a poison- ous substance that caused her to vomit blood and pass blood in her stool. She was released only after she went on a hunger strike. However, as soon as her eyesight got better, she was detained again. 31 Torture Hung Up with Arms Handcuffed and Tortured for over 100 days Qiu Cuixiang, female, 50, resident of Chongqing City, Sichuan Province. In 2001, while detained at the Chongqing City Women's Labor Camp, Ms. Qiu Cuixiang was hung up with her arms handcuffed behind her back for more than 100 days. While hung in this position, she was tortured in a variety of ways: her eyes were poked with pins when she dozed off slightly; her face was completely covered with yellow adhesive tape, including her nose and mouth, causing her to pass out from suffocation; and she was beaten until she was bruised all over. Early one morning, a guard cut all her hair, leaving just a small spot on the top of her head to insult her. They then wrote remarks slan- dering Falun Gong all over her body. Right before the New Year of 2002, the labor camp officials extended Ms. Qiu's detention term by ten months because she still refused to renounce Falun Gong. Policeman Burned Face with Cigarette Zhao Fengying, female, resident of Caojiatugou Village, Hongshagou Town, Weifang City, Shandong Province; her hometown was Dongnan Village, Hongshagou Town. On March 6, 2000, Ms. Zhao Fengying took a train from Weifang City to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop per- secuting Falun Gong. At 3 p.m. on March 8, local police abduct- ed her from a Beijing hotel. Around 8:30 p.m., police officer Song Shuling started beating and kicking her violently. At about 11 p.m., Song grasped Ms. Zhao's hair and used his cigarette to burn her face about 30 times. Ms. Zhao was sent back to Weifang City, arriving at about 6 a.m. on March 10, 2000. The photos of Ms. Zhao were talzen at the Hongshagou Police Station of Weifang City: at around 8 a.m. on March 10, 2000 32 Forced to Stand in the Snow for Three Days and Deprived of Sleep for Seven Mu Xiangjie, female, resident of Hongqiao District, Tianjin City. Ms. Mu Xiangjie was detained at the Tianjin City Women's Labor Camp. Because she refused to give up practicing Falun Gong. In January 2000, Ms. Mu was forced to stand outside in the snow for three days and nights. She suffered such severe frostbite that her hands and feet swelled and festered, leaving her unable to walk for a month. However, the guards still used a pair of small handcuffs on her. They handcuffed her so tight ly that the handcuffs cut into her flesh and caused her wrists to bleed. The guards also placed her in solitary confinement and strapped her arms to a steel bar in the window so she could not sleep for seven days. They shocked Ms. Mu in her mouth with an electric baton and beat her arms with electric batons. After she was released from solitary confinement, Ms'. Mu could not move her legs and there were blood blisters covi ering her arms. Although Ms. Mu was severely weakened by the torture, the guards still forced her to do hard labor for long hours, get- ting up at 5 a.m. and having to work until 1 or 2 a.m. Forced to Walk on Knees Huang Cengxiu, female, 68, resident of Chibi City, Hubei Since July 20, 1999, Ms. Huang Cengxiu has been arrest- ed four times and detained for a total of almost two years. She was interrogated many times. Once, she was forced to kneel down and walk on her knees. On another occasion, Officer Ye Jun slapped her face so severely that her entire face turned black and blue and her lips bled. Later, her left hand was hand- cuffed to the top of a window frame and she was forced to kneel down, suspended. During her fourth detention period at the Jiyu Police Station, while she was sitting cross-legged, ode policeman pulled her left leg free and stomped on her right ankle with his boot heel. Later, a number of guards kicked h'er repeatedly. Her right leg remained swollen for weeks. Province. H I Torture Face Disfigured from Beating Zang Yuxia, female, resident of Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. The large bruise covered Ms. Zang Yuxia's face and ear One day in April 2002, several policemen broke into and ransacked Ms. Zang Yuxia's home without a warrant. Failing to find what they wanted, they forced Ms. Zang and her child, who is not a Falun Gong practitioner, into the police car. While in police custody, Ms. Zang was tortured severely. The torture left her face deformed, and her body was traumatized. She devel- oped a high temperature of over 40°C that lasted a very long time and made her comatose. Fingers Squeezed Between Chopsticks, Body Doused With Hot Water 1. Yang Jingxin, female, 37, resident of Weiping Township, Xingcheng County, Liaoning Province. 2. Lu Guifang, female, 50, resident of Weiping Township, Xingcheng County, Liaoning Province. 3. Zhao Yuhua, female, 41, resident of Weiping Township, Xingcheng County, Liaoning Province. On April 24, 2002, Falun Gong Practitioners Ms. Yang Jingxin, Ms. Lu Guifang, and Ms. Zhao Yuhua went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. At 5 a.m. on April 25, they were arrested and detained at the Tiananmen Square Police Station. At the Tiananmen Square Police Station, the police stripped Ms. Yang, Ms. Lu, and Ms. Zhao down to their under- wear and handcuffed their hands behind their backs. The police inserted chalk and chopsticks between their fingers and squeezed very hard. Their fingers were squeezed until the chalk was crushed and the chopsticks broken. This torture caused their fingers to turn dark blue and become severely swollen. The police also poured boiling hot water over Ms. Yang. Her entire body swelled up, and she lost consciousness twice during the five hours of torture. Later, Ms. Yang, Ms. Lu and Ms. Zhao were sent to the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp. Internal Organs Damaged and Bones Broken from Torture Li Shujie, female, resident of Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province In early November of 2001, police broke into Ms. Li Shujie's home and took her to the Anshunlu Police Station. A group of policemen led by Liu Dayi took turns beating her. They tied her down to a "tiger bench" and beat her savagely, caus- ing her to bleed badly. When Ms. Li lost her control of bladder, officer Liu soaked up Ms Li's blood and urine from the floor and wiped it on her face, using filthy words to insult her. They also covered her head with a plastic bag to suffocate her and repeatedly poked her face with needles. Only when she lost consciousness did they remove the plastic bag. However, as soon as she regained consciousness, they continued the tor- ture. As a result of the torture, several of Ms. Li's bones were broken, and her face and body were covered with bruises. The police then imprisoned her in the Qiqihar First Detention Center. A few days later, officer Liu took Ms. Li into a room for inter- rogation and beat her up once again. The severe beating injured her internal organs, causing severe bleeding. Despite her critical condition, the directors of the detention center, Mr. Feng and Mr. Yang, refused to send her for medical treatment. Instead, Mr. Yang ordered a staff member to inject her with an unknown substance. A month later, the police took Ms. Li away from the detention center. Shocked on Sensitive Body Parts and Vomited a Liter of Blood Wang Shouhui, female, resident of Changchun City, Jilin Province. Because of her belief in Falun Gong, she had been repeat- edly arrested and tortured by local police. In mid-April 2002, Ms. Wang was arrested once again. She was sent to the Changchun Police Station. The policemen blindfolded her and took her to a torture room on the hill near Jingyuetan, where they tortured her on the "tiger bench" for two days. They shocked her with electric batons on her breasts and genitals. They beat her face, head, and breasts until she vomited up nearly a liter of blood. The left side of her face was fractured, and she lost the vision in her left eye due to the beating. The police then sent Ms. Wang to the Shuangyang Detention Center, where her lungs became infected because of the tor- ture. She went on a hunger strike to protest the detention. The police released her only when her condition became so critical that they feared she might die in custody. 33 Torture Force -Fed Two Bottles of Hot Mustard Oil Lin Lixin, female, in her 40s, resident of Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province. On January 16, 2002, policemen from the Mudanjiang City Police Station arrested Ms. Lin Lixin and secretly sentenced her to a six-year jail term in the Mudanjiang City Detention Center. On April 2002, Ms. Lin went on hunger strike to protest the maltreatment she suffered in the detention center. The guards first attempted to force-feed her through a tube insert- ed into her mouth. When that failed, they forcibly inserted a tube through her nose, and left the tube in her nose for a long period of time for force-feeding. They even force-fed Ms. Lin two bottles of hot mustard oil. This caused severe injury to Ms. Lin's stomach, and she vomited a lot of blood. On July 12, 2002, Ms. Lin had to be sent to a hospital for resuscitation. However, on August 23, 2002, she was taken back to the detention center. Ms. Lin was terribly emaciated. Her legs were thinner than ordinary people's arms, and she could not open her eyes, speak, or move. Nevertheless, the police still kept heavy foot shackles on her. Shocked and Beaten during a Hunger Strike Zhang Shuxia, female, resident of Qinghe District, Tieling City, Liaoning Province. Because Ms. Zhang Shuxia refused to renounce her belief in Falun Gong, on August 1, 2002, she was arrested and taken to the Qinghe Police Station at Tieling City. The police hand- cuffed Ms. Zhang and hung her up by her hands and her left foot. She was left hanging in this agonizing position for over five hours. Meanwhile, the police used electric batons to shock her, and they kicked her hard with leather boots. The torture left black and blue marks all over her body. On August 5, 2002, Wang Yi and several other policemen interrogated Ms. Zhang again. At that point, she was on a hunger strike and had been without food and water for five days. Her body was so weak that it was difficult for her to stand, yet the policemen shocked Ms. Zhang's hands, armpits, ears, head, and other sensitive parts of her body with electric batons. The torture lasted from 2:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Her whole body was trembling. Her pained cries could be heard throughout the corridor. Not wanting her screams to be heard, Wang Yi gagged Ms. Zhang's mouth with a towel. After the elec- tric shocks, her ears and armpits were swollen, and she devel- oped large blisters. During the whole interrogation and torture session, she was not allowed to use bathroom, and was forced to defecate in her pants. Ms. Zhang was later released, but was forced to become homeless to avoid further persecution. 34 Severe Injury of Esophagus from Force -Feeding On April 19, 2002, policemen from the Liulinqiao Police Station abducted Ms. Zhang Jie, a resident of Handan City, Hebei Province, and took her to the No. 1 Detention Center of Handan. When Ms. Zhang went on a hunger strike to protest her detention, the guards force-fed her by inserting a tube into her mouth, badly injuring her esophagus in the process. This caused a large amount of blood to gush out from her mouth. On another occasion, police guard Wu Xia tormented Ms. Zhang for a period of 24 hours by tying her arms so tightly behind her back that the insides of her arms touched each other. As a result, the nerves in Ms. Zhang's thumbs were dam- aged, and she lost all sensation in her thumbs. Later, the police guards placed a 60 -pound shackle on Ms. Zhang's feet and chained her hands to the shackle. She was left in this ago- nizing position for seven days and seven nights, during which time she was not allowed to eat, use the restroom, or sleep. As a result, her entire body became swollen and she had to be sent for emergency treatment. The police have blocked any fur- ther information about Ms. Zhang. Teeth Chipped from Force -Feeding Gao Shuyun, female, resident of Tiefa City, Liaoning Province. On February 12, 2002, policemen broke into Ms. Gao Shuyun's home and confiscated her personal property. Ms. Gao was then sentenced to three years of forced labor in the Tieling Labor Camp. During her detention, Ms. Gao went on a hunger strike for 41 days. On the sixth day of her hunger strike, the doctor in the labor camp stabbed the arches of her feet with needles. In order to force-feed her, officer Tian ordered several inmates to sit on her, while others tried to open her teeth with a toothbrush and a steel spoon, causing four of her front teeth to chip. She was in critical condition after repeated force-feeding, and was diagnosed with intestinal adhesions, hypertension, and an abnormal electrocardiogram. The labor camp released her for fear that she would die in custody. After her release, policeman Wang Biao of the Tiefa City Police Station extorted 1,000 Yuan from her family. Torture Two Elderly Women Beaten by a Gang of Government Officials 1. Zhang Yuhua, female, 55, resident of Daqinjia Town, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province. 2. Wang Lianfang, female, 58, resident of Daqinjia Town, Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province. On November 9, 1999, Ms. Zhang Yuhua and Ms. Wang Lianfang were arrested while on their way to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Police escorted them to the Daqinjia Town Government bureau, and a gang of dozens of staff came out to assault these two elderly women and rob them of their money. Four young men held each old woman down, while dozens of people took turns beat- ing and kicking them. The two old women passed out many times during their one -day and two -night ordeal of torture. Then they were sent to the Zhaoyuan City Police Bureau and detained for 15 days. Elderly ladies bruised by beatings Pushed off from the 4th Floor Liu Tao, female, 28, resident of Tangu district, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. In October 2000, the police arrested Ms. Liu Tao for telling people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to three years of forced labor at Shijiazhuang Labor Camp, Hebei Province. The camp guards used various means to force her to renounce Falun Gong, including handcuffing her, placing her in solitary confinement, forcing her to stand, and depriving her of sleep for an extensive amount of time. On May 11, 2001, at approximately 7:00 a.m., the guards once more tortured Ms. Liu, and forced her to jump from the fourth floor of a building. The impact caused ten broken bones, four of which were compound fractures. The camp officials did not send Mr. Liu to the hospital or give her any treatment until 11:00 a.m., by which time Ms. Liu had lost consciousness as a result of bleeding. Ms. Liu was sent back to the labor camp only 26 days after surgery, still encased in a body cast, even though she had steel pins in various parts of her body. The police denied her family's repeated requests to bail her out for independent hospitaliza- tion. In January 2002, the police transferred Ms. Liu to the Hebei Law Enforcement Education Center for further persecu- tion. Beaten with an Electric Baton and Wooden Stick Zhong Bo, female, 42, resident of Anda City, Heilongjiang Province, an employee of the Anda Chemistry Factory. At 9:00 a.m. on May 31, 2002, Liu Yingshan, an officer from the "610 Office" of Anda City, led six policemen to Ms. Zhong Bo's home. They confiscated her family's property and forcibly searched her, groping her body. They then took Ms. Zhong to the Anda City Politics and Administration Department. The vice -director of the Anda City Police Department, Wang Jun, ordered several policemen to strap Ms. Zhong to a chair and beat her. Liu Yingshan shocked Ms. Zhong's back with an electric baton, and Wang Jun fiercely beat Ms. Zhong's head and body with a wooden stick until she passed out. Later at the hospital, an examination showed that two of Ms. Zhong's right ribs were broken; there were inch -long wounds at the corners of her eyes and ears; her teeth were bro- ken; her whole face was black and swollen; and her body was covered with severe bruises. Ms. Zhong has not yet completely recovered. She has no memory of what happened and she can- not take care of herself. However, the police still do not leave her alone. She is under constant surveillance. 35 Torture: Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp Electric Shock, Woolen Shoes, Small Cell, and Forced Labor in the Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp Zheng Donghui, female, 30, former accountant at the Changchun Optical and Mechanical Instrument Factory, Changchun City, Jilin Province. People's Republic of China ININAN Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp Changchun City, Jilin Province Ms. Zheng Donghui has been held at the Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp in Changchun City. To force her to give up Falun Gong, the guards at the labor camp have continuously tortured her in many ways. She was once locked in solitary confinement in a small cell for over two weeks. The cell was dark and damp, and had no window, water, or toilet. Ms. Zheng had to defecate and urinate inside the same small cell. She was also not allowed to wash herself. When she was released from the cell, the stench in the cell was unbearable. In the summer of 2001, the guards forced her to wear felt shoes, which caused her to have fungal infections throughout the summer. To protest the cruel treatment, Ms. Zheng went on a hunger strike for three months. Labor camp guard Liu Lianying not only force-fed her, but also shocked Ms. Zheng every day on her neck and face for three months. As a result, her neck and face became black and blue, and at one point a large, fester- ing wound on the back of her neck became infected. She suf- fered severe pain as a result of this wound. Because the con- tinuous electric shocks, Ms. Zheng developed severe heart problems, but was not allowed to medical treatment. Her health declined rapidly, and her life is in grave danger. As of June 2002, Ms. Zheng is still being detained at the Changchun City Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp. 36 Lu Shuqiu, female, 46, resident of Jilin City, Jilin Province. In October 2000, Ms. Lu decided to go to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was arrested and escorted back to Jilin City. On November 24,1 2000, she was sent to the Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp in' Changchun City, Jilin Province, where she was imprisoned and tortured for eight months. At the labor camp, Ms. Lu was forced to take on an excesl sive workload every day. She was forced to work from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. She had no break during the day, not even to go to the restroom. In addition to forced hard labor, the guards tortured Ms. Lu constantly to force her to renounce Falun Gong. As a result, she1 lost so much weight that she became little more than skin and bones. However, the torture escalated. In April 2001, the guards shocked her with several electric batons simultaneous ly. To protest the cruel treatment, Ms. Lu started a hunger strike in May 2001. Guards handcuffed Ms. Lu to an iron board, electrical shocked her, and force-fed her three times a day with rotten vegetable soup. Ms. Lu's health was complete ly destroyed from so much torture. The electric shocks caused damage to her heart muscle, and the force-feeding injured helr stomach. She eventually developed vagina hemorrhaging and was on the verge of death. 11 The labor camp sent Ms. Lu home at the end of July 2001 to avoid responsibility for her death in custody. Ms. Lu was abfle to recover. However, in February of 2002, she was arrested again, and was tortured to death in Jilin City's liaison office tin Beijing. I� "I M Torture: Yongchuan Women's Prison Force -Fed, Lost Teeth, and Lost Half of her Weight Gong Zhihui, female, 37, resident of Miyi County, Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province. In August 2001, police from Binggu Police Station of Miyi County arrested Ms. Gong Zhihui while she was visiting fellow Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Gao Nongying's home. She was detained at the political security section of the Miyi Police Bureau. Policeman Zhou Ling and others shackled Ms. Gong, forced her to maintain a half -squatting posi- tion for two days and nights, and beat Ms. Gong Zhihui before her during the whole "interrogation". being tortured Later, Ms. Gong was transferred to Miyi Detention Center. During her detention, director Wu and the guards continuously tortured Ms. Gong. In February 2002, Ms. Gong was released because she had become extremely weakened by their torture. Shortly after her release, the authorities of Panlian Township of Sichuan Province arrested Ms. Gong again while she was talking to others about the persecution of Falun Gong. She was taken to the local police station, where Xiang Jinfa, the head of the political security section, hung Ms. Gong up by her handcuffs for one hour and prohibited her from the use of the restroom. Then she was taken to the interrogation room, where she was shackled throughout the night in a painful posi- tion, in which she could neither stand straight nor squat. By the next morning, Ms. Gong was too weak and in too much pain to stand up. The police officers noti- fied her family to pick her up. Not long after her second release, Ms. Gong went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. She was arrested and jailed at the Dongcheng District Detention Center in Beijing. The police grabbed Ms. Gong by her hair, swung her head, and banged it against the wall. Much of her hair was pulled out. When Ms. Gong went on a hunger strike to protest the inhuman treatment, police instigated other inmates to kick and punch her. They also force-fed her while pinching her tendons and plugging her nose. As a result, Ms. Gong was unable to walk and two of her teeth were knocked out. Ms. Gong's hair has been torn out after the torture Ms. Gong's teeth knocked 4 out while being force-fed Ten days later, she was sent back to Neijiang Detention Center of Sichuang Province and detained there for 37 days. While in custody, her condition deteriorated, and she vomited blood and suffered heart ischemia. Ms. Gong was losing her eyesight and was on the verge of death. To avoid the responsi- bility having her die in their custody, the officials of the deten- tion center released Ms. Gong. At that point, Ms. Gong's body weight had dropped from over 110 lbs to only 55 lbs. All Four Limbs Shackled and Force -Fed for Over Three Months Liu Mingwei, female, employee of the Jilin City Water Company, resident of Jilin City, Jilin Province. Because Ms. Liu Mingwei went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in August 1999, she was fired from her workplace. Then, at the end of September 1999, she was sen- tenced to one year in a labor camp. After her release from the labor camp, on November 22, 2000 Ms. Liu was arrested again and sen- tenced to three years in the Changchun City Women's Prison, Jilin Province. Upon arriving there, the guards tried to force her to give up Falun Gong, and so Ms. Liu began a hunger strike that lasted for nine months. She was released on October 6, 2002, but was under 24-hour surveillance at home by local policemen. Ms. Liu Mingwei On October 22, 2002, she was arrested once again because she had bought a ticket to Beijing and it was pre- sumed she would make another appeal. She was once again detained at the Changchun Women's Prison. During her deten- tion, one inmate, Yin, was ordered to curse at her and beat her every day. Once this inmate put a mop cloth into her mouth and rubbed very hard, creating many blood blisters in her mouth. After Ms. Liu went on a hunger strike to protest the torture, guards force-fed her salt and raw corn gruel through a thick tube every day. They left the tube inside her stomach for a long time and shackled her limbs all the time so that she couldn't move an inch. This abuse lasted for over three months. The tor- ture made Ms. Liu extremely emaciated and weak. 37 Torture: Huadian Police Station A Personal Experience of Torture at the Huadian Police Station By Ban Huijuan My name is Ban Huijuan and I am a Falun Gong practition- er. On June 3, 2002, I was kidnapped by the local police, who took me to the Political and Security Team of the Police Department of Huadian City, Jilin Province. I was brutally tor- tured there. At around midnight on June 3, Police Chief Wang held a meeting with those who had been taking turns beating me, and threatened me afterward, "Ban Huijuan, be stubborn, I want to see you stubborn." He then nodded to those vicious police- men. By 3 a.m., seeing that I still refused to provide them with the information they asked for, three policemen bound me onto a bed and forcefully stretched out my limbs. The blood flow to my limbs was stopped as a result and I suffered a great deal of pain. Seeing that I remained silent, they shouted as a threat, "We are going to call in two rapists, feed them aphrodisiacs, and then have them rape you!" Then they used different objects to stab at my body and sensitive areas. I shouted out. It took them by surprise, so they stopped their activities and switched to a different tactic. They soaked napkins with water and put them on my face one by one to suffocate me. After five layers of napkins, I started to lose consciousness, and I don't know how long it was before they removed the napkins to keep me from suffocating to death. They repeated this suffocation routine several times, but I still didn't say a word. They then blew cigarette smoke into a plastic bag and placed it over my face. This choked me terribly. They went from one form of torture to another until 9 a.m. the next morning. The deputy team leader named Jin came in and said, "We have found your husband, Xu Guijun, your print- er for printing Falun Gong materials, and everything else. Now I want to see if you confess." Three policemen came in and sav- agely beat me. I was soaked with sweat and lost conscious- ness. They poured cold water on my face and put a dirty sock into my mouth, saying, "Don't let her shout out." I was sent to another detention center in the evening on June 4 and was locked in a "small cell" with two other Falun Gong practitioners. A small cell is a very small room with no window, no bathroom, and no beds. We were imprisoned in the room for over three months, and by that time, due to the damp- ness and unsanitary conditions, we all got scabies. The condi- tions were so bad that eventually our cell was filled with knee- deep putrid water. The guards were forced to move us to anoth- er small cell, but the conditions also quickly deteriorated there. It was nearing the end of autumn and we soon faced the cold, but the guards refused to give us anything to cover ourselves with at night. To protest the inhuman treatment, I went on a hunger strike. On October 17, the guard used a 38 -pound shackle on 38 me and forcibly bound me with the shackle to a "death -bed," a torture device normally used on death row criminals. Only on the eighth day of my hunger strike did the guards release me from the death -bed, fearing I would die. The shackle was left on my feet until the evening of November 4. I wore it for a total of 20 days. On November 4, the heavy shackle was briefly removed, as the city authority intended to put on a show trial of Falun Gong practitioners on November 5. My feet were terri- bly swollen from wearing the shackles for so long. Tang Yiwen Nearly Beaten to Death Tang Yiwen, female, 35, resident of Guangzhou City, On May 13, 2000, Ms. Tang Yiwen was arrested when she appealed for Falun Gong at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. While being held in custody, she was beaten by the Beijing policemen. She was released because she was on the verge of dying from the severe beating (the photos were taken on May 19, 2000). Guangdong Province. On August 29, 2000, Guangzhou policemen took Ms. Tang from her home. She was sentenced to two years of forced labor and was detained at the Chatou Women's Labor Camp in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. During her detention, she was monitored by the inmates and was often deprived of sleep during the night. Because she has refused to give up Falun Gong, she is still being detained in the labor camp even though her sentence was over long ago. Injures all over Ms. Tang's body after she was released from the Chatou Women's Labor Camp Torture: Wanjia Labor Camp Punitive Force -Feeding, Solitary Confinement, Scabies, and Rape at the Wanjia Labor Camp Since the Chinese government started its brutal persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, thousands of Falun Gong prac- titioners have suffered horrific torture in Wanjia Labor Camp simply because they would not give up their belief in Falun Gong. The torture of female Falun Gong practitioners is particularly egregious in Wanjia Labor Camp. The living and sanitary conditions in Wanjia Labor Camp are beyond unbearable. Falun Gong practitioners have been forced to sleep on wet floors, not allowed to wash, and not allowed to change clothes. Many practitioners have been subjected to solitary confinement in the "small cell", which is 1.3 by 2.2 meters, and only 1.5 meters high. The small cells are cold and damp, and those who are confined in a small cell are forced to sleep, eat, urinate, and defecate in the same cell for extended time periods, some over ten months. More than 98% of the practitioners at Wanjia Labor Camp have scabies that causes extreme itching and ulcerations all over their bodies. Instead of giving medical treatment, the labor camp guards and doctors use knives or metal spoons to scratch the pus -filled cysts as a form of torture. They scrape the spoons back and forth through the flesh and blood while the practitioner scream in pain on the ground. After the digging, they "clean" the blood from the practitioner's bodies using filthy, freezing cold, rusty water. Some practitioners have suffered from scabies for years. Their bodies were swollen and covered with pus and blood from injuries caused by other tortures as well. Torture in Wanjia Labor Camp is rampant and heinous. Anything that can cause physical and mental agonies has been employed by the camp guards to force practitioners to renounce Falun Gong. The only limit of the torturer is their wicked imagination. In addition, female practitioners are often sexually abused, and some have been raped or gang raped. People's Republic of China Wanjia Labor Camp Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province Due to the severe torture, at least ten practitioners have died in this labor camp. Punitive Force -Feeding and Beatings Guo Mingxia, female, 47, resident of Chengzhi Village, Chaoyang Township, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. Shuangcheng City police arrested Ms. Guo at her home because she is a Falun Gong practitioner. She was sent to the Shuangcheng City Detention Center, and then transferred to the Wanjia Labor Camp. During her detention at the Wanjia Labor Camp, the guards and the inmates often tortured Ms. Guo. She went on hunger strikes many times to protest the ille- gal detention and inhuman treatment. One day in early 2001, when Ms. Guo refused to be force-fed, Song Shaohui, the direc- tor of Wanjia Labor Camp hospital, beat her so badly that her nose turned black and blue and her face was swollen beyond recognition. After the beating, she was forcefully injected with an unknown drug and then dragged into a solitary compart- ment. Due to the severe beating, Ms. Guo lost consciousness, the back of her head became numb, and she had difficulty moving her hands and feet. On October 24, 2001, Ms. Guo was sent to the Camp hos- pital, where she was force-fed for over 50 days. Song Shaohui and the doctors slapped her face, pulled her hair out, and beat her severely during the force -feedings. After the 40th day of forced feeding, Ms. Guo vomited blood for over ten days because her stomach had been badly injured by the feeding tube. However, the camp doctors continued to force-feed her. Her weight dropped from 70 kg (160 lbs) to just over 30 kg (70 lbs). After the force-feeding Ms. Guo was extremely weak and her whole body would shake. Gang -Raped and Brutalized in the Male Criminal .Units At the end of May 2001, to protest the arbitrary extension of forced labor terms, several female practitioners in Team 12 began a a hunger strike. On May 24, Shi, the director of the labor camp, instructed the guards to put all the female practi- tioners of Team 12 into the male inmate buildings. Over 60 female practitioners, including Ms. Liu, Ms. Li Lan, Ms. Liu Fengzhen, Ms. Xie Jinxian, Ms. Yang Huiling, Ms. Song Yusu, Ms. Wu Shulian, Ms. Cao Liandi, and Ms. Wu Xinru, were sent to male criminal units. In the male criminal units, male guards and male prisoners watched them 24 hours a day. Under the instructions of the labor camp official, Lu Zhenshan, the guards hung up practitioners, beat them, inflicted electric shocks, handcuffed them with hands behind their backs to the front of beds, made them stand day and night, deprived them of sleep, and did not allow them to wash or change their clothes. They also enlisted male inmates to beat practitioners. Many practitioners lost consciousness during these beatings and sustained severe injuries. Some practitioners were made to stay in a squatting position for 36 hours and their legs 39 Torture: Wanjia Labor Camp became swollen and numb. Some practitioners were forced to continuously sit on small stools for as long as 21 days. As a result, their skin cracked and bled. Among the other horrors, two female practitioners were gang -raped by three camp guards; Ms. Song Yusu was repeat- edly dunked into a water tank; Ms. Wu Shulian was drenched and then shocked with electric batons until her body was black and blue; Ms. Cao Liandi was hung up until she lost conscious- ness; Ms. Xie Jinxian, Ms. Wu Xinru, Ms. Shurong, and others were hung up and beaten until they were black and blue from electric shocks and police batons; Ms. Yang Huiling and others were hung up every ten minutes and one of the practitioner's arms became dislocated; the guards dragged one practitioner by her hair across the floor, leaving her injured and bleeding from the sand scraping her skin. Beaten During a Heart Attack Zhao Xiru, female, resident of Jilin Province. On January 14, 2002, Ms. Zhao Xiru was taken to the Wanjia Labor Camp hospital after she lost consciousness. The examination and an electrocardiograph revealed she had heart disease and she was classified as a high-risk patient. However, instead of giving her medical treatment, the guards sent her back to the labor camp. On January 17, 2002, at around 8 p.m., Ms. Zhao suffered a heart attack. Guards Wang Junping and Hu Bo came in to her cell and started beating her. Another guard, Han Yushan, also joined in the beating using a broom and a mop. Han pulled Ms. Zhao's hair and beat her while she was unable to move on the bed. The torture didn't stop until the guards became tired. As a result of the beating, Ms. Zhao had purple bruises all over her body and clumps of her hair was pulled out. Solitary Confinement Lin Yongmei, female, 33, resident of Heilongjiang Province. On the morningofJune 26, 2001, Ms. Lin went to question guard Wu Jinying about the deaths of three fellow practitioners. Wu became angry and threw Ms. Lin into a solitary compart- ment. The solitary compartment was less than 3 square meters in area and 1.5 meters high with no window, water, or toilet. It was dark and damp. Ms. Lin could not stand up. She had to defecate and urinate inside the compartment and she was not allowed to wash. Because of the filthy conditions, she developed pustules and blisters on her body. On July 4, 2001 Ms. Lin and four other practitioners start- ed a hunger strike to protest the inhumane treatment. She demanded to see camp officials and wrote an appeal letter. However, the labor camp officials escalated the persecution of these women by taking away their normal break time. In August 2001, because Ms. Lin practiced the Falun Gong exercises while in a solitary compartment, female guard Wang Zhonghua, dragged her out and shoved her forward, making 40 her stumble against a chair and fall on her back. Twelve other practitioners were also put into the solitary compartments on the same day as Ms. Lin. Some of them lost consciousness at times, some lost their memories and had dif- ficulty breathing, and some were unable to walk. Ms. Lin and the other practitioners were confined in the solitary compart- ments for at least four months. Communist Brainwashing and Punitive Force -Feeding WangYuzhi, female, 47, was a businesswoman living in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. She is now living in Vancouver, Canada. On July 16, 2001, Ms. Wang was arrested for the third time because she is a Falun Gong practitioner. The police confiscated US $50,000 from her and froze her bank accounts. In November 2001, she was transferred from the Second Detention Center to the Wanjia Labor Camp. Every day during her detention at Wanjia, Ms. Wang and other Falun Gong practitioners were forced to sit in one position and watch anti -Falun Gong propaganda on TV or listen to the guards for over eight hours. No one was allowed to Ms. Wang Yuzhi and her son move. Sometimes, a brainwashing session would last for days and they weren't allowed to sleep the entire time. Often, they were not even allowed to use the toilet. In addition, they were routinely beaten or whipped, tied with ropes and hung from the ceiling, given electric shocks, forced to sit naked on iron chairs! or raped by male criminals. To protest the inhuman treatment, Ms. Wang started a hunger strike, after which she was repeatedly force-fed. The guards and camp hospital doctors beat her to the point where she was almost unconscious, and then they tied her arms and legs before forcing a tube through her nostril. They force-feMd ground corn grain mixed with cold water through the tube. Ms! Wang was in excruciating pain during these "feedings." 'r In May 2002, after nine months of detention, Ms. Wang health had deteriorated to the point where she couldn't even stand up. Her eyes and nose were festering with blood and pus from the force -feedings and her eyesight was almost gone. Her nostrils were so swollen that the doctors could no longer force a tube into them. Realizing she was on the verge of death, the camp called her relatives and told them to take her home. Torture: Gaoyang Labor Camp A Personal Experience of Torture at the Gaoyang Labor Camp I am a Falun Gong practitioner from Hebei Province. In November 2000, because I had gone to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong, the local police came to my house and arrested me. I was detained in a local detention center for a month. On New Year's day of 2001, I and five other Falun Gong practitioners were sentenced to two years of forced labor and sent to Gaoyang Labor Camp of Baoding City, Hebei Province. To protest against the illegal detention and inhuman treat- ment, we went on a hunger strike. A month later, we were sent to the Gaoyang Labor Camp. Our health condition had deterio- rated greatly and everyone showed signs of high blood pres- sure or heart disease. Among us, there was one practitioner whose entire body was swollen. She had blood in her urine and was on the verge of death. Ma Fuwei, the executive deputy head of the local Qiaodong police station, ordered us sent to the labor camp in spite of our poor condition. As soon as we were in the labor camp, the especially atro- cious treatment began. All of our personal items were ran- sacked. Then we were forced to write a guarantee renouncing Falun Gong, or to face torture by the camp guards around the clock. A practitioner named Yang from Chengde City, Hebei Province was beaten by four camp guards and shocked with electric batons for a whole day and night, because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. She was injured all over her body and the whole camp could hear her moaning from agony. She could not stand up and could not relieve herself even eight days after the torture. Another practitioner from Baoding City, Hebei Province also did not write the guarantee letter. The guards used the electric batons to shock her head, face and whole body. Her head and face were swollen beyond the point of recognition. Her whole body was covered with blisters, red and purple in color. The dark scars have not disappeared even to this day. Another practitioner, named Xiao Li, was also beaten by the guards three times on the head and face. She was knocked to the ground, grabbed by the hair, and pushed against the wall very hard. Afterwards she was shocked with electric batons on the breasts and genital area for a long time without pause. She lost consciousness many times. She cannot get out of bed, her period is out of phase, and her lower abdomen aches badly and bleeds continuously. Another practitioner was beaten so severely that she almost bit her tongue off due to the unbear- able pain while being beaten. In April and May, under orders from the "610 Office," the labor camp officials escalated the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. They gathered all practitioners and held brain- washing classes. All camp guards were not allowed to take leave and instead required to exert all their energy on brain- washing Falun Gong practitioners. The vicious guards locked all practitioners in the same room and applied punishment such as beating, threatening, shocking, hanging, sleep depriva- tion, etc. Apart from eating and going to the restroom, we were all ordered to stand in the same position between 10 and 20 hours a day, listening to propaganda slandering Falun Gong and our teacher. People's Republic of China HaNAN a Gaoyang Labor Camp Baoding City, Hebei Province As a result of this inhuman torture, many practitioners developed high blood pressure and lost consciousness. Then the guards would come to beat and shock us with electric batons. An elderly practitioner was beaten six times in a single day. To achieve their goal to have practitioners renounce Falun Gong, they even kept us from sleeping a single minute for many days. A practitioner with the surname Sun was tied up with ropes and hung outside with her toes not touching the ground for nine hours. One of the practitioners in the Gaoyang Labor Camp was tortured to the verge of death. The camp officials sent for her family to take her out, fearing she might die in the camp and they would be responsible for her death. According to her, the Gaoyang Labor Camp authorities took orders directly from Luo Gan, one of the highest officials in the Chinese government in charge of persecuting Falun Gong. He had stayed in the labor camp and planned the torture and persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. He also ordered other labor camps to learn from Gaoyang Labor Camp in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. In a single day, 30 practitioners in Langfang City, Hebei Province were arrested by police under his order. 41 Torture: Nanmusi Labor Camp Nanmusi Women's Labor Camp Tao Juhua, female, in her 30s, resident of Sichuan Province. At the beginning of 2001, Ms. Tao Juhua was sentenced to one year of forced labor at the Nanmusi Female Labor Camp, Zizhong County, Sichuan Province. While there, she suffered from endless mental and physical punishment. The guards there instigated other inmates to torture Falun Gong practition- ers and force them to do hard labor. The torturers employed vicious beating, electric baton shocks, and boot camp -style drills to force the practitioners to give up practicing Falun Gong. In the hot Sichuan summer, the practitioners were forced to stand still under the scorching sun every day. They were not allowed to shower for weeks on end. The torture could not change Ms. Tao's belief in Falun Gong. Every day when the guards called the roll, Ms. Tao answered, "A Falun Gong practitioner is here." At this the guards would all get angry and come up to attack her. One time when Ms. Tao and several other practitioners demanded their right to practice the exercises, the leader of the 7th team, Zhang Xiaofang, became angry and brought electric batons to shock them. She shocked many practitioners without restraint. During the same night, Zhang also instructed a policeman to lock Ms. Tao in the office and brutally beat her. The policeman did not stop beating her until she was almost dead. Once the policeman from the No. 8 team locked her up in a small cell. They handcuffed her for three whole days, with both hands lashed to the iron door and nothing but her two toes touching the ground. In the heat, the policemen used a thick cotton quilt to cover her up until she could not breathe and lost consciousness. Only then did the policemen unlock her handcuffs, fearing that she might die. In January 2002, Ms. Tao was still detained for forced labor in the Production Team. It was said that her sentence was prolonged for anoth- er year. Miao Sufang, female, 65, resident of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. In January 2001, Ms. Miao Sufang went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. She was arrested and tortured by policemen in Beijing and then escorted back to Chengdu City. She was sentenced to one year of forced labor in the fifth group of Nanmusi Women's Forced Labor Camp in February 2001. As soon as Ms. Miao arrived, the guards instigated drug addicts to torture her and force her to stand still facing a wall from morning until after midnight. This standing punishment caused Ms. Miao's feet and knees to swell badly. She could not even wear shoes, and her legs frequently trembled, so walking was difficult for her. After four months' torture in the fifth group, Ms. Miao was transferred to the ninth group, and then to the seventh group in August. In the seventh group, she was detained in a second - floor room and forced to sit still in a military posture all day 42 long every day for five months. The long-term physical and mental abuse eventually made Ms. Miao very weak, and her blood pressure became very high. Afraid of her death and the possible responsibilities, the labor camp allowed her to leave the camp, but only under house surveillance. She was tortured for a total of 11 months. Lin Lisha, female, 43, resident of Jiaochangba, Leshan City, Sichuan Province. People's Republic of China HAINAN 0 Nanmusi Female Labor Camp, Zizhong County, Sichuan Province In February 2001, Ms. Lin Lisha was sentenced to three years of forced labor in the Nanmusi Women's Labor Camp. Ir the fifth group, she was forced to stand pressed against a wall with both hands raised up high over her head for extended hours. She was also forced to remain in a half -squatting pos tion for a long time. Staying in these agonizing postures caused her legs to swell. The blood vessels in her legs became a purple color and were in a necrotic state. Besides the physi- cal punishment, she also suffered mental torment. Practitioners were not permitted to speak or even glance atv each other. All they could hear all day long was slander against! Falun Gong. After a few months of mental and physical torture in the fifth group, Ms. Lin was transferred to the ninth group where she and others were forced to do military drills under the hot sun. She refused to perform the drills and was hand - 11 cuffed in a bathroom. One day, when Ms. Lin refused to listen to the slander of Falun Gong, a police officer dragged hell downstairs and forced her to sit with legs double-crossed! Then the police directed inmates to walk on her legs and feet and to sit on her legs. Her pained cries could be heard on tie second floor. Wu Houyu, female, in her 30s, resident of Luzhou City, Sichuan In March 2001, Ms. Wu Houyu was sent to the Nanmusi Women's Labor Camp. Labor camp guard Zhou Junhui forced her to stand from dawn to midnight every day for more than Province. Torture: Huludao City one month, causing both her legs to swell horribly, and her upper body to atrophy. Even with clothes on, both shoulder bones protruded terribly. Her appearance was so appalling that even some guards couldn't bear to look at her. Locked in Solitary Confinement for Eight Months Zhu Junxiu, female, 47, former employee of the Chengdu City Qingyang District Taxation Bureau, resident of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. On October 14, 2000, at around 7 p.m., plainclothes policemen from the Xiaojia Village Police Station arrested Ms. Zhu Junxiu for distributing Falun Gong materials. The police- men ransacked her house and confiscated a computer, a print- er, CD player, fax machine, and some other personal property. Ms. Zhu was first detained at the Xiaojia Village Police Station. She was interrogated for eight hours that night, then locked in a dark, tiny, and cold cell for two days. On Oct. 16, 2000, she was transferred to the Chongzhou City Detention Center. There, policemen Chen and Zhao Bing interrogated her. During the interrogation they beat her face and temples, and dragged her by her hair causing her to lose consciousness twice. Four days later, she was transferred to the Huaiyuan Police Station, where she was detained in a small (around 2 square meters) dark room for forty days. The floor of the room was covered in urine and feces, there were no windows, and she was not allowed to wash or use the restroom. After forty days, Ms. Zhu was sentenced to one year of forced labor in the Nanmusi Women's Labor Camp. She was locked up in solitary confinement for eight months. Every day the guards took her out to shock her face and mouth with elec- tric batons and force her to remain in agonizing positions for long hours. The guards also incited other criminals to beat her. Because of the torture, Ms. Zhu's legs became so swollen that she couldn't wear her shoes. Huludao City, Liaoning Province My Experience of Torture in a Brainwashing Center at Huludao City On March 27, 2000, for appealing in Tiananmen Square for the right to practice Falun Gong, I was detained in the Huludao City (Liaoning Province) Liaison Office in Beijing. Policeman Wu, over 50, sexually assaulted me by cuffing me to a bed and rubbing my breast. On March 29, 2000, I was escorted back to the Huludao Detention Center. Because I did Falun Gong exercises in the cell, I was forced to sit outside in the freezing night, trembling under the cover of just a thin layer of cloth. I was released later, but the police never left me alone. On June 28, 2000, while I was talking with a classmate in a salon, the police came and abducted me to a local government build- ing. They humiliated me and other Falun Gong practitioners by parading us through the streets. We were forced to walk over eight miles, with their trucks driving behind us broadcasting slogans that slandered Falun Gong and us. Later, we were detained in an anti -Falun Gong brainwashing center. For doing Falun Gong exercises, I was beaten, kicked, and forced to kneel down in the hallway for over five hours. They forced me to run for 20 miles every day without giving me any water. Other phys- ical punishment included army drills under the scorching sun for prolonged periods of time with restricted food and no water. They forced me to kneel down on sand. The sand particles cut into my flesh and caused my knees to bleed. The Vice -Head of security hit my mouth with a full bottle of water, making my mouth bleed and lips swell. I was unable to open my mouth or take any food for three days. They forced me to watch their video attacking Falun Gong. I received a heavy kick in my back when I accidentally closed my eyes. On July 15, 2000, the Vice -Head of security ordered me to stand on a board over filthy water in a ditch full of rotten garbage. He put a brick block on my head, and another one on my foot, which I had to lift up above the board. He said that he wanted to see me fall down into the ditch and said, "I hate Falun Gong. I don't care about murders or arsonists, only Falun Gong!" I was forced to stand like this for over five hours almost every day. One night, while other practitioners were forced to run on the sports grounds, the Vice -Head of security slapped my face more than twenty times because I refused to give up practicing Falun Gong. This sudden and forceful beating made me feel dizzy and temporarily lose my hearing. The corners of my eyes became black and blue and my face quickly swelled up. Then, he dragged me into a room, took out a rubber -coat- ed steel baton, and forcefully hit my buttocks. While he rested, he forced me to do push-ups. Later, he forced me to remain in the up position and then fiercely hit my buttocks again. He took another rest, bullied me, and repeatedly beat me. Finally, I was exhausted and collapsed on the ground. After the torture, my back was black and blue and I was unable to sit. I am current- ly at home but under constant threat from local government and police because I refuse to give up practicing Falun Gong. 43 Torture: Panjin Labor Camp Panjin Labor Camp People's Republic of China Panjin Labor Camp Panjin City, Liaoning Province Su Ying, female, resident of Liaoning Province. In January 2001, Ms. Su went to Beijing to peacefully appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was arrested and sent to four different prisons, where she was repeatedly tortured. On one occasion the female prisoners were ordered to strip her down to her underwear in the freez- ing yard and pour cold water on her while punching her in the face. In March 2001, Ms. Su was transferred to the Third Detention Center in Panjin City, Liaoning Province. In April 2001, she was sent to the Panjin Labor Camp in Panjin City. On May 25, 2001, Ms. Su was dragged to the sec- ond floor of the reception building. There she was forced to stand "horse step" for a long time every day. She was also forced to put her hands on her head, lower her head, and bend over fully. Sometimes she was forced to perform "golden pheasant stands alone." They didn't allow her to sleep at all or only let her sleep for two hours a night. She was only allowed to use the restroom three times per day, while squatting down and moving around on her feet. On May 29, 2001, in the middle of the night, under the orders of Section Head Yi Xiuyan and Vice -Section Head Liu Jing, policewomen Cai Li, Wang Yan, and Yan Lina took Ms. Su to a pitch-dark room, where four policewomen stripped her down to her underpants, although she was having her menstru- al period. They beat and kicked Ms. Su, and pounded her head, face, ear, cervical vertebrae, breasts, back, waist, legs, and other vital parts. Then they shocked her over thirty times with an electric baton, leaving her covered with cuts and bruises. Her lower back and buttocks were especially swollen and were the color of eggplant. After that, they forced her to lie on her stomach while beating her with wooden sticks. Each police- woman took a turn to beat her three times with a wooden stick. Then they pinched her on her neck, armpits, lower abdomen, and the inside of her thighs until she bled. Then they beat her 44 again. Ms. Su was tortured until she lost consciousness, after which she was sent to the First People's Hospital in Panjin City. The hospital's examination of Ms. Su revealed that there were severe injuries to the inside of her thighs and buttocks; her skin was damaged beyond recognition. Her buttocks were black and blue and badly swollen. Without notifying Ms. Su's family, she was committed for seven hours of emergency treat; ment due to her temperature of 103°F and infected wounds During the surgery, 500cc of extravagated blood were removed from her buttocks. After being hospitalized for half a month! Ms. Su was sent back to the labor camp. To hide the extent of her torture, the police locked her in a cell with another female practitioner and played loud disco music all day long to cover the sound of any cries from the torture. In July 2001, Yi Xiuyan forced Ms. Su to stand still every day from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next night, even though she had not yet fully recovered. Ms. Su was forced to stand in the, "horse step" position every day until the end of September After she finished the long hours of standing she was sent back to the jail cell and wasn't allowed to speak. In the beginning of November 2001, Yi Xiuyan locked Su Ying in a small cell in order to observe her closely. On November 17, Yi Xiuyan placed another three Falun Gong prac. titioners in the same small cell with Ms. Su. As they wee denied use of a toilet, they were forced to defecate and urinate in the small cell, the same cell in which they ate. The guards covered the window on the door with newspaper to restrict their freedom even further. On November 20, Ms. Su was locked in a different small room with the other three practition- ers. The window was covered with newspaper, and the electric lights were left on 24 hours per day. Four people shared two beds with no sanitary facilities. During the 48 days of confir;e- ment in the small room, they were forced to get up at 4:30 a.m. and were not allowed to go to sleep until after midnight. ITo cover up the extent of the torture, the guards told Ms. Su notto tell her family about her torture. However, Ms. Su did tell her family about the torture she suffered and showed them the scars on her buttocks. The guard on duty, Liu Jing, then threat- ened to beat her to death in front of her family members. On the morning of January 8, 2002, Yi Xiuyan and Cai Li placed Ms. Su in confinement for seven days, during which she was handcuffed behind her back to a heating pipe, bent over and squatting down. Because she began vomiting on the fourth day, the police released her hands. On March 18, 2002, Ms. Su was transferred to the Masanjia Labor Camp, where she suffered more agony. I Torture: Yongchuan Women's Prison Deprivation of Sleep, Shower, and Toilet at Yongchuan Women's Prison Zhou Qunying, female, 27, resident of Hechuan County, Chongqing City. On December 28, 2001, the police brought Ms. Zhou Qunying to the Yongchuan Women's Prison in Sichuan Province. The police watched her 24 hours a day, restricted her movements, and deprived her of sleep for many days and nights. They would not allow her to talk with anyone, and often handcuffed and shocked her with electric batons. As a result, she had purple bruises all over her body. The police ordered inmates to beat her, verbally abuse her, and stuff dirty socks in her mouth. Once she fell asleep, inmates would punch her awake. The police frequently locked her in a solitary cell. Even when she had a break from work, they called her every 15 min- utes, so that she could not have any rest. During June and July 2002, she was not allowed to show- er for over 20 days. Once she was deprived of sleep for ten days and nights, and forced to remain standing the whole time. After a few days of standing, her feet became so swollen that she could barely stand any longer. During that time, she was not allowed to use the toilet or eat food. She could only urinate in the clothing that she wore. If she took a nap, the police had cold water poured on her face and stuffed used cotton swabs in her mouth. After the ten days and ten nights of torture, her body was shaking and both feet were badly swollen. Later, she was not allowed to move or use the toilet again. Once, a group of inmates physically abused her by choking her and applying pressure to her collarbones. As a result, she had difficulty breathing, and she felt extreme pain around her collarbones. Yang Xiaoli, female, 39, teacher of the Southwest Normal University, resident of the Wulong District, Chongqing City. Ms. Yang Xiaoli was forced to clean the toilets daily. The police often forced her to squat for long periods of time without moving. They deprived her of sleep for two days and two nights while she was detained at the Yongchuan Women's Prison. The police often made a group of inmates punch and kick her. They threatened and cursed her. Once she was held in solitary con- finement for days. Sometimes, she was tied with both of her thumbs onto an iron bed for many hours. As the results of all of the torture, her body was beaten black and blue, her entire body was swollen, and she suffered pain in her legs and feet. She had difficulty walking because of the long periods of time she was forced to remain squatting. In Beijing, the police beat Ms. Xiong Yuzhen, female, 49, resident of Sichuan Province, so badly that her lungs were seri- ously injured. She was sentenced and detained in the Yongchuan Women's Prison without any medical treatment for her lung injury. Her daughter was expelled from her school, and her paralyzed husband now has no caretaker. Persecution by "610 Office" of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province 1. Wu Yali, female, resident of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province. 2. Zheng Cuiping, female, resident of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province. 3. Liang Fengying, female, resident of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province. 4. Wang Xinlian, female, resident of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province. 5. Yang Xiulian, female, resident of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province. Under instructions from the "610 Office" of Hanzhong City, policemen in the Hanzhong detention center ruthlessly perse- cuted Falun Gong practitioners. They took turns interrogating and cursing at practitioners. They even appointed drug addicts, drug smugglers, prostitutes, and thieves as "cell heads" to tor- ture practitioners at will. The criminal "cell heads" ripped out practitioners' hair, slapped and beat their faces, kicked their feet, chest, and abdomen, and stomped on their bodies with leather shoes while the practitioners lay injured on the ground. All the ruthless actions were taken to force practitioners to renounce Falun Gong. After Ms. Wu Yali was beaten until her ribs broke, she could not get out of bed for a month. Ms. Zheng Cuiping was beaten until her sternum was broken; she could barely move for over a month. Ms. Liang Fengying was beaten until her whole body was black and blue and her face was swollen. Ms. Liang was brutally beaten and put in shackles. The local "610 Office" has been extorting money from practitioners and their families to finance their brainwashing classes. They extorted 30,000 Yuan from Ms. Chen Chtunzhu's daughter, 40,000 Yuan from the husband of Ms. Wu Yali, and 18,000 Yuan from the son-in-law of Ms. Yang Xiulian. Ms. Wu Yali was illegally dismissed from her jobs and had no way to make a living. 45 Torture: Shibalihe Women's Labor Camp "Tying the Ropes" at the Shibalihe Women's Labor Camp Hundreds of female Falun Gong practitioners are detained at Shibalihe Women's Labor Camp in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. One torture technique, called "Tying the Ropes," is used regularly by the camp. Using one thin rope, the police first encircle the practitioner's neck, and then tie the practitioner's hands behind her back with it. Then they use all the force they can muster to tighten the rope. As the rope constricts around the practitioner's body, it makes it more and more difficult for her to breathe. The guards at the camp often made the pain so intense that the practitioners lost control of their bladders. Sometimes, the rope was pulled so tight that the practitioner's arm broke. Often, female practitioners were stripped of their jackets and sweaters and tortured with "Tying the Ropes." From 63 -year-old elders to a 17 -year-old teenage girl, no one was spared. In addition to being tied up, practitioners were forced to maintain a half -squatting position with wooden sticks and bricks placed under their knees. They had to bend at the waist and lower their heads. While they were still in the "Tying the Ropes" position, guards often shocked them with electric batons and burned them with cigarettes. Another form of torture is called "Military -Style Training." The practitioners are forced to participate in boot camp -style training every morning, even when they have just been released from torture and still have difficulties lifting their arms. Any sign of disobedience during these drills results in additional beatings, regardless of age. People's Republic of China IwNM, Q Shibalihe Women's Labor Camp Zhengzhou City,Henan Province 46 '°Ting the Ropes" and Denied Use of Sanitary Napkins Ding Xiangqin, female, resident of Henan Province. Director Wu Hongru and several guards tied Ms. Ding Xiangqin's hands behind her back, slipped a wooden stick through the hollow, then hung her up. While she was hanging in this painful position, they kicked her, beat her, and burned her with cigarettes. The guards tortured her for 24 hours, resulting in purple bruises all over her body; her arms were numb, and her body could not move. During her detention, inmates even monitored her bathroom visits, and she was not allowed to use sanitary napkins when she was menstruating. In March 2002, Jia Meili, chief of the No. 3 Division,' forcibly took Han Fulan to the labor camp's new office building, tied her up with ropes, and beat her. Ms. Han was tortured for three days and nights by police officers. During the torture, to prevent her from screaming, they used a rope to tie her mouth shut. As a result, her mouth was terribly swollen. Her shoulders were an unrecognizable mess of blood and flesh because the ropes cut deeply into her flesh. Her clothing was completely torn off during the beating. Ms Han lost consciousness many times during the three days of torture. She even had blood in her urine. For several months after the torture, the wounds on: her body did not close over, and her body could not touch wateii because of these injuries. There are still two very deep scar's left on her shoulders. Torture Causing Kidney Necrosis Cui Qiuju, female, 36, resident of Wen County, Henan Province. During Ms. Cui Qiuju's detention in the Shibalihe Women'sI� Labor Camp in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, inmates beat Ms. Cui until she spat blood. She was beaten because she hald gone on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. In early December 2001, the labor camp, fearing responsibility if stile were to die, sent her back to Wen County. Three months lar, after she had recovered, they arrested her again. Ms. Cui aga`n went on a hunger strike. On the third day, she was brought to the office building of the labor camp, where she was tortubed again. The guards used the "Tying the Ropes" technique to tor- ture her, as well as electric shocks and rubber batons. She was tortured for three days and nights and incurred severe injuries. She had purple bruises all over her body; her internal organs were injured; her arms were numb and could not move. Once she was not allowed to sleep for four days. As a result, she is suffering from kidney necrosis. Almost all of her internal organs have sustained some degree of injury. Torture: Masanjia Labor Camp Masanjia. Labor Camp Thousands of female Falun Gong practitioners are being detained and tortured at the infamous Masanjia Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. The new four -floor jail building, built last November, is already inadequate to hold all the practitioners, even at the density of 40 or more people per room and four per double-jointed single bed. PeopWs Republic of Chins HAWN a Masanjia Labor Camp, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province Everything the Masanjia Labor Camp authorities and guards do is for one evil purpose: to make life as miserable as possible for Falun Gong practitioners so as to force them to renounce Falun Gong. The guards openly shout to practition- ers: "Hell is here. It is not up to you, we will transform you." Forcing practitioners to do hard labor for 15-16 hours every day is a common method of torture. Practitioners in the No. 1 Brigade are forced to make paper and fabric flowers and other decorations, most of which are for export. Making these products for extended hours over several consecutive days caused many practitioners' fingers to bleed, swell, and ache. When practitioners failed to hold the paper strips tight to the wires due to injured fingers, the guards would punish them by depriving them of sleep and doubling their quotas. After their release, some practitioners could not flex their thumbs proper- ly for eight or nine months. The practitioners also knit flowers and sewed colored beads onto sweaters. If they made a mis- take they were not allowed to sleep until they corrected it. Their eyes and necks quickly became sore, and after a long day's work their shoulders and lower backs were also too painful to move. In the summer it was so hot that they could hardly breathe, and their bodies were full of rashes and covered in sweat. The police also deliberately assigned extra work to pun- ish those who were firm in practicing Falun Gong. The guards also use various kinds of cruel torture to force practitioners to renounce Falun Gong. In one guard's own words, "We have countless methods to handle you." Indeed, the extent of evilness is only limited by the imagination of their wicked minds. In the solitary confinement cells, practitioners are severe- ly beaten, shocked with electric batons, and locked up for months on end for not renouncing Falun Gong. The tortures include forcing practitioners to remain in agonizing postures for days, forcing them to run non-stop for many hours, hand- cuffing and shackling them with very tight devices that cut into flesh and stop blood circulation, hanging them up by hands handcuffed behind the back, etc. Two particularly horrible forms of torture are solitary con- finements in a "small cell" and on a "death board." A "small cell" is a room smaller than two square meters, with no win- dow, no bed, no water, and no toilet. Practitioners are often locked in a small cell for months, having to eat, sleep, and release in the same small area. Since the height of the room is less than 1.5 meters, one cannot stand straight. To exacerbate the agony, the guards often handcuff practitioners to small cells doors so they cannot sleep for many days. The solitary confinement on a "death board" was original- ly used on death row criminals. The victim is tied to an iron or wooden board for weeks with four limbs stretched out. The vic- tim is never untied, having to be fed by someone else, but sleeping and releasing are all done on the board. The prolonged mental and physical torture and terrible liv- ing conditions cause practitioners to suffer serious medical complications, including diabetes, hypertension, heart dis- ease, cerebral thrombosis, infectious skin diseases, hepatitis B, and nerve damage. Practitioners who refuse to work or wear the criminal des- ignation are fed corn bread and drink water. There is no salt in their diet, so they have become extremely ill. Part of the main building is full of practitioners who are on a hunger strike to protest maltreatment. They are force-fed with one bowl of corn congee every two days, for which the labor camp charges them 80 Yuan (approximately US$10) per bowl. Another technique is called "sandwiching". Two people watch on one practitioner to isolate her and prevent her from talking to others. Physical Restraints Xia Ning, female, over 50, resident of Xingcheng, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Xia Ning had been cuffed to a bed for over eight months because she tried to practice the Falun Gong exercises. Her arms and legs were numb and would not move. Her wrists were swollen. Once she was handcuffed to a bed but kept standing for four nights. When she double- crossed her legs to practice the Falun Gong sitting meditation, her legs were tied up for many hours until the pain drove her out of her mind. Torture: Masanjia Labor Camp Stuffing Dirty Towels in the Mouths Because Ms. Wang Yan and Ms. Song Caihong recited Falun Gong books, police stuffed dirty towels in their mouths and beat them repeatedly. Their bodies were completely black and blue. Police also forced practitioners to step on a photo- graph of the founder of Falun Gong. Practitioners are also ordered to put bowls of water on their heads. If the bowls fall, they are beaten. The practitioners are tortured day and night, non-stop. Restroom Access Denied During Period Practitioners worked from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day, except for mealtimes, brief bathroom breaks, and a one- hour noon break. Oftentimes the noon break was cancelled to make time for extra work. The practitioners were not allowed to talk while they worked. Ms. Wang Junying requested several times in vain to go to the restroom because of her period. Guard Xie Ping refused. Ms. Wang bled through her pants and cried from being unable to change her pad. Beaten with Shoes and Screwdriver On July 31, 2001, the director of the No. 2 Female Brigade, Huang Haiyan, incited Yang Jianhong, a criminal inmate, to beat Ms. Li Yanjun. Yang grabbed her by the hair and beat her until her own hands hurt. She then used the heel of her shoe and a screwdriver to continue beating Ms. Li for five hours. Ms. Li's entire body was covered with wounds and her skin was black and blue. She had blood in her stool the following day. Pinching Thighs and Slapping Face with Rubber -Soled Shoes One evening in November 2001, the police took Ms. Zhang Yongli to a restroom and took turns slapping her in the face and head with rubber -soled shoes. Some of them slammed her head against the wall. Ms. Zhang was tortured through the night. The bruises badly deformed her face and her head swelled to nearly twice its normal size. Once six criminals stripped off Ms. Zhang's pants, pinched her on her thighs, and sat on her neck for a whole morning. The pinched area (about 15 x 11 square centimeters) was festering the next day. The pain was excruciating. Beaten for a Whole Night During her detention at the Masanjia Labor Camp, Ms. Yang Chunfang suffered repeated beatings. Early in 2001, she was beaten for a whole night and could not walk. She could not move on her own. A year later she had not fully recovered. The police did not allow her family to come to visit her. 48 Squatting for a Long Period of Time, Shocking with Electric Baton Officer Qiu Ping punished Ms. Lin Ping with "half squats" (squatting with legs apart and both arms raised forward paral- lel to the ground), causing the loss of feeling in one of her toes. Qiu also shocked her for three hours with an electric baton, burning her skin. Water, Sleep, and Restroom Deprivation In July 2000, a group including team director Zhang Xiurong, inmate Yang Jianhong, and others tortured Ms. Ge Chunling for more than 20 days. She was not allowed to drink,' go to the restroom, or sleep, and had to assume the "half squat" position for 24 hours. She became very thin, and her arms and legs went numb. In May 2001, Ms. Ge was put into the "Strictly Managed Brigade", where she was not allowed to use the restroom for so long that she developed edema and her heart rate slowed to 48 beats per minute. She was still forced to do heavy labor. � Choking and Stabbing with Needles Once several guards took Ms. Li Xiupin to a private room and hit her all over. One guard choked her while another rode on her back, others hit her head and face, and still other stabbed her with two-inch stainless steel needles. They poked her torso, foot arches, and palms randomly. She was tortured to the verge of death. Afterward, Ms. Li was bedridden for sev eral days. Her body was black and blue, her face deformed and her skin broken and bleeding. Stomach Bleeding after Forced -Feeding Early in 2002, when Ms. Qi Zhenrong had been badly tori tured, she went on a hunger strike for 87 days before being released. One month later, she was returned to Masanjia Labor Camp because she had gone to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. As of April 2002, Ms. Qi had been on a hunger strike for more than one month and force-fed many times. Her stomach was injured and bleeding from the force-feeding tube, and she was extremely weak. Female Practitioners' Sentences Extended for Refusing to Renounce Falun Gong Police at Masanjia Labor Camp tried to extend practition- ers' sentences. In May 2002, the sentences of Ms. Li Liming, Ms. Sun Jinjun, Ms. Song Guixiang, and Ms. Hu Ying were referred to the Liaoning Province Police Department for exten- sion. Torture: Masanjia Labor Camp Tortured to Paralysis In September 2001, Ms. Zhang Chunmei was sent to the Masanjia Labor Camp, and since then her hands have been cuffed together except when she ate, washed her face, or used the toilet. Her wrists were swollen, and the skin broken and bleeding. The warden encouraged Fu Wei, a man from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, to force a female practitioner from Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province to sit in the corner on the show- er room floor. She was forced to spread her legs into a painful position. Fu then sat on her shoulders. He forced her to sup- port his body weight. He beat her when she could not endure any longer. Fu broke bones in her neck. She has been para- lyzed for a long time and must be carried from place to place. Wang Haiying Sued the Labor Camp for the Torture In January 2001, for being Falun Gong practitioners, Ms. Wang Haiying, 31, and her husband, Mr. Li Qinhua, residents of Shahe District of Dalian City, Liaoning Province, were abducted to the Dalian Labor Camp, Dalian City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Wang is suing, at the District Court level, the Dalian Labor Camp officials for their violations of Chinese constitutional law over the past one and half years. During her detention at Dalian Labor Camp, Ms. Wang was once handcuffed and beaten by eight police simultaneously. She was beaten, slapped, and electrically shocked in her mouth, leaving her face swollen and covered in black and blue marks. She sued the police involved and the labor camp team leaders, Yong, Gao, Sun, and Sui, and Wang Jun senior and Wang Jun junior, for physical and mental health compensation. During her detention in the Masanjia Labor Camp, Ms. Wang wrote to her husband, who was detained in the Dalian Labor Camp. Her letters were confiscated and Ms. Wang sued his labor camp team leader for violations of people's privacy rights. Lin Yan Punched an Iron Stick into Her Chest Lin Yan, female, 30, resident of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. In October 1999, Ms. Lin Yan was sentenced to three years of forced labor. She had been tortured so badly that on July 1, 2000 she jammed an iron stick into the left side of her chest to get hospitalized. After leaving the hospital on July 24, she was forced to do hard labor at Masanjia. Ms. Lin had chest pains and difficulty breathing, and became bedridden. The labor camp refused to send her to hospital for further diagno- sis. Stripped and Hit with Electronic Batons Ms. Qi Zhenrong, female, 41, resident of Huanren County, Benxi City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Qi has been detained at the Masanjia Labor Camp since October 29, 1999 because she refused to give up her right to practice Falun Gong. She was sentenced to a three-year term of forced labor. In the camp, Ms. Qi was stripped and hit with electronic batons repeatedly in one day. She was beaten so badly that she began to roll around on the ground and whimper. She was covered with blis- ters and bumps from the beating. In September 2001, Ms. Qi took part in a group hunger strike of 130 Falun Gong practitioners protesting extended sentences. She fasted for more than 40 days and her life was in great danger. Ms. Qi was then sent to the Masanjia Labor Camp Hospital, where she was under the surveillance of the camp police and continued to be tortured. Even near death, Ms. Qi again asked the Masanjia police to release her and the other detained Falun Gong practitioners and to restore their basic rights. The police ignored her and told her family in the hospital that the only way they would release her was if she died. The police even forced them to pay 5,000 Yuan in "hospital fees". Ii finghua Suffers a Mental Breakdown Due to Torture Li Jinghua, female, 34, resident of Lizhangzi Village, Zhaoduba Township, Longcheng District, Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province. On October 30, 1999, Ms. Li Jinghua was sentenced to one year of forced labor and sent to the Masanjia Labor Camp because she refused to give up Falun Gong. During her deten- tion at the labor camp, she was often beaten. In January 2000, Ms. Li was transferred to the First Women's Team of the labor camp and forced to make clothing. If she did not finish the required quota, the guards would beat her. Ms. Li was under extreme mental pressure. She worked from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Sometimes she had to work until 3 a.m. the next day to finish the quotas. Once she was forced to work continuously with no rest for 36 hours straight, with- out meals. In the middle of June 2000, the labor camp authorities ordered the practitioners in the First Women's Team to undergo brain- washing. More than twenty practi- tioners were forced to sit bunched up next to each other on benches, in hot and muggy weather, from 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m., while the Li Jinghua suffering mental guards took them out individually !breakdown at the Masanjial for brainwashing. Guards beat and Labor Camp 49 Torture: Masanjia Labor Camp shocked them with electric batons. Ms. Li was engulfed by the snow down my back and drive a car in front of me in order to screams of the victims and the sound of electric batons hitting blow cold air at me. Exposed in the frigid air, my whole body flesh. became numb. Starting on July 6, 2000, Ms. Li was brainwashed every day until midnight. After more than 20 days of torture and brainwashing, Ms. Li was physically injured and mentally worn down. On August 2, 2000, since she still refused to renounce Falun Gong, policeman Zhang Yan locked her up in a small cell that was less than 1.5 m in height. Ms. Li was forced to remain still in a bent over position for 72 hours while deprived of sleep and food. If she moved even a little, she was beaten. Afterwards, Ms. Li was locked in the small cell for many more days. There was no table, bed, or toilet in the small cell, and Ms. Li had to eat, sleep, and relieve herself in the same small cell. As it was the middle of summer, she suffered from the suffocating heat, mosquito bites, and unbearable stench in the cell. Still, the guards shocked her hands, feet, chest, and neck with high-voltage electric batons. The shocks caused her to begin twitching and burned her flesh black. Camp guard Zhang Yan also tortured her by forcing her to hold the "flying airplane" position for over two hours, until she lost conscious- ness. After she woke up, she was forced to hold the "flying air- plane" position for four days and four nights. Ms. Li suffered greatly from the mental pressure of continuous torture; she became extremely weak, and little more than skin and bones. Then Ms. Li was sent back to do hard labor for extended periods at a time. She was often beaten. She developed a ter- rible complexion and fell into a depression. Since she was not released after the one-year term ended, she began a hunger strike and refused to do the forced labor. Thereafter, she was shocked with electric batons every day. After several days' tor- ture, she stared blankly and talked to nobody. She became incontinent. She was sent to the Shenyang Mental Hospital in Shenyang City. In May 2001, Ms. Li was taken home, and still has not recovered. My Suffering in a Beijing Police Station I am a resident of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. On the morning of January 29, 2001, I was arrested on Tiananmen Square in Beijing because I practice Falun Gong. I was taken to the Tiananmen Police Station and locked up in an iron cage where more than 10 practitioners were being held. At about 8 p.m., I was taken to the Beishicao County Police Station, where I was interrogated by policeman Liu. After being interrogated, I was taken out to the yard where Liu took off my coat and sweater, forced me to wrap my arms around a tree, and tightly cuffed my hands. He rolled up my sleeves to expose my arms. Another policeman held my clothes under my throat, so that I could only move my head backwards. This made my neck became spastic. They proceeded to stuff 50 When they finally released me from the tree, they pulled me into a room and immediately placed my hands on extreme- ly hot heating pipes. The palms of my hands were burned. Then, they stripped me down to my cotton undergarments, cuffed my hands and right foot to the heating pipes, and forced me to stand on my left foot. Suddenly, Liu violently pulled on my left leg and I was completely hanging in the air. It seemed that my hands were broken, and my whole body soon became numb. Even now, both of my hands are still numb. After a while, he pulled me up and threw my head against the wall. He then pro- ceeded to shock the sensi- tive parts of my thighs, navel, neck, etc. with an electric baton. He continued to shock me until I lost control of my urine. Because I was having my menstrual period at the time, menstrual blood also rushed out. Consequently, urine and menstrual blood were everywhere on the ground. He continued to tor- ture me until after 6 a.m. the next day. Then, I was cuffed to the heating pipes with three pairs of handcuffs and not permitted to sleep. After 9 a.m., policeman Zheng interrogated me until noon. Immediately following the interrogation, he brought out three willow twigs: one thick, one thin, and one with an egg - sized knot on one end. He proceeded to cuff me to the heating pipes, draw back the curtain, and close the door. He began to whip my legs; especially my thighs, with the three twigs one after another. To prevent me from shouting, he used chop- sticks to brace my mouth. Legs were covered with bruises Even after the willow twigs were broken, he continued to beat me until I lost consciousness. He also burned my hands on the heating pipes. After I regained consciousness, I was interrogated again in the afternoon. After 5 p.m., I was taken to the yard where, once again, they wrapped my arms around a tree and tightly cuffed my hands. The ground was snowy and in the freezing temperature of -8 or -9 °C (17 °F), Zheng continued to whip me with a twig until I lost control of my urine. My legs were as black as charcoal and badly swollen. Even now the bruises and swelling on my legs are still quite clear. I still have difficulty walking and my legs frequently become numb. After the police escorted me back to Chengdu City, they extorted 8,000 Yuan from my family. I was under surveillance at home. At present, I have to wander about on the street, and can not go back home. Torture: Shuangcheng City Barbaric Beating and Force -Feeding in Shuangcheng City Punitive Force -Feeding Guo Mingxia, female, 45, Chengzhi Village, Chaoyang Town, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. Police from Shuangcheng City took Ms. Guo Mingxia from her home, saying that they wanted to talk to her, and would bring her back in a short while. Instead, they escorted Ms. Guo directly to the Shuangcheng detention center, where she and other Falun Gong practitioners began a hunger strike to protest their illegal detention. The leader of the detention cen- ter, Cui, ordered the inmates and guard Han to beat them even though they had not eaten for four days. The guards grabbed the practitioners' hair, slammed their heads against the wall, and forced them to sit on the cement floor. Later, Ms. Guo was sent to the Wanjia Labor Camp. She went on hunger strikes more than 10 times during her deten- tion there. Song Shaohui, an administrator at the labor camp clinic, beat her so badly that her nose became black and blue and her face swelled up. After the beating she was forcibly given an injection and dragged into solitary confinement. In the cell, she lost consciousness, the back of her head became numb, and she had difficulty moving her body. On October 24, 2001, Ms. Guo was sent to the labor camp's clinic, where administrator Song struck her face and a group of male doctors forcibly gave her an injection. She was beaten and force-fed every day for over 50 days. On about the 40th day she began vomiting blood, which continued for over 10 days. However, the camp doctors continued to force-feed her. Her weight dropped from 70 kg to just over 30 kg. One time, her extremely weakened body was shaking all over and a female guard, Yu Fangli, pointed to her and spat, "Die, die quickly. You deserve it!" By December 6, 2001, Ms. Guo and four other Falun Gong practitioners in the labor camp had been on a hunger strike for over 50 days to demand their release. They were force-fed again. Police, prison doctors, and guards hit and kicked them. They held the practitioners' heads to the ground, yanking their hair back while kicking them directly in the face. Practitioners' faces became disfigured and blood gushed out of their mouths. Ms. Guo and others lost consciousness and were force-fed again when they regained consciousness. Fainted from Choking, Arm Twisted Until Broken I am a female resident of Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. Around 11 p.m. on February 9, 2001, Police Officer Zhao Yujun of the local police station, along with more than ten policemen and staff members of the "610" Office, broke into my home. They searched my house, back yard, and my body trying to find Falun Gong materials. When they could not find any by around midnight, they confiscated my brand-new VCR, two radios, and my tapes and CDs. Then, detention center offi- cers Jin Wanzhi and Zhang Guofu ordered four policemen to take me away. My head hit the wall as the four policemen dragged me out of my home, and I fell down on the bed. They continued dragging me on the floor, causing my head to strike the door. I nearly fainted from the impact. Then, they wrapped two comforters around me. One policeman clutched my neck until I couldn't breathe, and another twisted my arms until my right arm actually broke. My husband, son, and daughter tried to protect me from being taken away. When my son placed me on the bed, I was on the verge of death. Fearing I would die in front of them, all of the policemen left my home. I finally regained conscious- ness after 3 a.m., but felt dizzy and had difficulty breathing. My neck was black and blue and I could not move my right arm. Throughout the day, I felt faint. My daughter-in-law was so scared that she moved back to her parents' home. My son was so frightened that he wandered the streets rather than remain at home, and my daughter feared that policemen would take me away to die. The stress made my husband unable to eat. The authorities threatened to jail me when I recovered. People's Republic of China wuww Q Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province 51 Torture: Shenyang Detention Center The Thirty-four Falun Gong Practitioners I Came to Know in the Shenyang Detention Center I used to be an ordinary person with no spiritual beliefs. On April 22, 2001, I was sentenced to eight months in jail for ille- gally holding someone in custody, and I was detained in the Shenyang Detention Center. While in the Shenyang Detention center, I met Falun Gong practitioners for the first time in my life. They were: Ms. Wang Yaping, Ms. Wu Yuhua, Ms. Wang Juan, and one other. They were all very kind. Under the unbearable conditions, the prac- titioners truly remained "Truthful -Compassionate -Tolerant," and they left me with a deep and lasting impression. A week later, most of them were transferred to Longshan Labor Camp, and only Wang Juan remained. On May 7, another practitioner, Ms. Bai Xiujuan, was put in our cell. When the head of our cell forcibly stripped off her clothes, we saw bruises and cuts all over her body. That night I talked to her and learned that she had suffered four days of torture before she came to Shenyang. Six policemen, all at once, shocked her with electric batons. They removed her clothes, tied her up, and savagely beat her. They shocked her breasts and vagina with the high voltage -batons and insulted her with shameless and dirty words. I could see that every part of her body was injured by the beatings. I was shocked by what I heard and what I saw. I felt sad for those policemen, but I felt sadder for our country. Meanwhile, I admired the strong-willed Falun Gong practitioners. They gave up everything they had for their belief in Falun Gong. For speaking out about the persecu- tion, they courageously risked their lives. I saw the nobility of Falun Gong in Ms. Bai. I believed everything she said. Ms. Bai was the fifth Falun Gong practitioner that I had met while in the detention center. On May 27, three more practitioners arrived: Ms. Yin Liping, Ms. Zou Guirong, and Ms. Zhou Yanbo. They had been on a hunger strike for ten days already. I learned that because they refused to give up Falun Gong, they had been incarcerat- ed and tortured in six different detention centers and labor camps, including the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp and Zhangshi Labor Camp. The guards in labor camps even locked them up with male criminals and let those male criminals abuse and rape them. The courage and dedication of these practitioners to their faith really touched some of the common prisoners there, and I began to help take care of them. On June 4, an older woman, Ms. Ma, was sent in. She was also a practitioner. I noticed that all practitioners treated each other like a family, all very sincere and considerate. A few days later, all four of them were taken away. By June 14, Ms. Yin and Ms. Zou were sent back, with wounds all over their bodies. I saw once more the heinous crimes that the police committed against Falun Gong practitioners. A few days later, Ms. Zhao Shuhuan, Ms. Li Jiazhen, Ms. Wang Jie, and Ms. Lu Guoqin were put in our cell, and Ms. Zhou 52 Yanbo was also sent back. There were a total of seven practi- tioners there. On June 22, the guard gathered us common pris- oners together, ordered us to monitor and prohibit the practi- tioners from doing the Falun Gong exercises, and to inform the guards if anyone did them. I sought out Ms. Yin and asked her why they insisted on doing the exercises. Ms. Yin told me, "I have suffered numerous beatings and torture. The police did not give me any treatment for my wounds, nor even a single tablet of medicine. It was the Falun Gong exercises that helped me recover time after time. Tell me, can I not do the exercises, can I not be a Falun Gong practitioner?" I saw the wondrous- ness of Falun Gong from their resilient bodies and spirits. Falun Gong indeed is supernormal. I therefore remained acqui- escent when they did their exercises. Other prisoners however, were not as cooperative. They attacked practitioners to get them to stop doing their exercis- es. Ms. Zou was hit so hard over the head that she lapsed into a coma. The guards who responded did not punish the attack- ers. Ironically, they locked the practitioners up in solitary con- finement. Because of her head injury, Ms. Zou was in serious condi- tion and lapsed in and out of consciousness. To escape their responsibilities, the guards tried to trick Ms. Zou into writing, "I died from practicing Falun Gong." When Ms. Zou refused, four policemen beat her viciously. At this point, all seven practition- ers protested together with a hunger strike. They did not eat any food, nor did they drink water. Their protest went on for 21 days. The guards began to force-feed them. All seven resisted. They resisted the persecu- tion with their lives. From the practitioners actions I saw the power and righteousness of Falun Gong. I now hold Falun Gong disciples and their teacher in a most respectful place in my heart. In the end, on August 10, they prevailed. The guards had to release them from the detention center. They persevered through the most arduous of circumstances. They truly attained the freedom that ought to belong to them. On August 24 seven other practitioners were sent in, including Ms. Zhou Yumei, Ms. Su Yu, Ms. Huang Xin, Ms. Li Yuan, and others. They all came with severe injuries from the inhuman police torture. The guards again ordered us common prisoners to further abuse the practitioners. However, the prac-i titioners always treated our viciousness with compassion, told us the higher principles of being noble people, and dispelled much of our life-long confusion about the purpose of living.' They were the second group of practitioners that I met in jail Like the previous group, they went on a hunger strike and were released three weeks later. The third group of practitioners that I met included Ms1 Ren Shuojie, Ms. Wu Yanping, and Ms. Ma Lianxiao. They were sent in on November 14, with wounds all over their bodies. At 1 Torture: Shenyang Detention Center that time, they had been on a hunger strike for eight days already. Their hunger strike was joined by practitioners Ms. Jin Qian, Ms. Zhang Yaping, etc. They were all released on December 3. From these three groups of Falun Gong practitioners, I gradually came to see the truth and power of Falun Gong, and I began to practice Falun Gong myself. On December 23, 2001, another practitioner, Ms. Liu Xiangdang came. I was together with her for eight days. In those eight days, she told me many things that I did not under- stand about Falun Gong, and many higher principles that I had never known. I felt so lucky. At that point, I had been in jail for seven months. In those seven months, I had known and interacted with 31 Falun Gong practitioners. From these courageous people I understood so many things I needed to know. I felt my incarceration was a blessing in disguise, the greatest blessing one could ever get, because I learned the truth and had the fortune to become a Falun Gong practitioner. Afterwards, I met three more practitioners: Ms. Wen Jun, Ms. Wang Xibin, and Ms. Xu Min. They were transferred from another detention center where they had been detained and tortured for over a year. However, their hearts had not been moved even a little bit. Those are the 34 Falun Gong practition- ers that I met while in Shenyang Detention center. Through them, I learned the ultimate truth of the universe; through them, I began to practice Falun Gong. Through the practice, I experienced the physical and mental benefits of Falun Gong. Nothing will be able to take away my belief in Falun Gong, a belief gained through personal experience and enlightenment. Dentist Disabled from Severe Torture Gu Changqin, female, 46, dentist, resident of Nanpiao District, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. In October 1999, Ms. Gu Changqin was arrested for appealing in Beijing and was escorted back to her hometown, Huludao City, in handcuffs. At Gangyaoling Detention Center, she was shackled to a "death board". Three days later, she was transferred to the Masanjia Labor Camp, where she was given a three-year term without any legal procedures. In the labor camp, Ms. Gu was frequently tortured. She suffered forced standing, forced squatting, body -folding, forced sitting, and other forced postures for long periods of time. She was also deprived of sleep for many days. In mid-November 1999, inmate Li Fenglian, following the guards' instructions, cruelly tortured practitioners. She brutally beat each of the practition- ers in Room 4, Squad 1. She punched and kicked their heads, faces, necks, and chests. On many occasions, Ms. Gu was beaten until she vomited blood. constant physical torture including the following: forced standing for long periods of time, body folding (standing with two legs straight and knees together in a toe touching posi- tion), being forced to remain alert while facing a wall for many hours, denial of sleep, hard labor, verbal abuse and beating. Besides the physical abuse, Ms. Gu was under constant mental torment. The guards instructed two inmates to watch her 24 hours a day; even when sleeping, she was sandwiched between two inmates. She was not allowed speak to anyone, or else she would be suspected conspiring to make trouble and punished. She was not allowed to close her eyes during the day, or she would be suspected of doing meditation. She could only go to the bathroom twice a day and was watched and humiliated. The mental and physical torment and the 16 hours per day of forced labor severely damaged Ms. Gu's health. In October 2000, Ms. Gu experienced difficulty in eating, breathing, and speaking. A medical "expert" was brought to the labor camp to examine her. The doctor briefly touched the back of Gu's neck and said, "She is okay. You can do whatever you want to do with her." What he meant was forced -feeding. Even though Ms. Gu was not involved in any hunger strike but had trouble swal- lowing food, she was accused of pretending and was force-fed anyway, causing her extreme pain. Meanwhile, the guards and inmates who originally forbade Ms. Gu to talk to anyone now forced her to speak, which she had difficulty doing. As a result of the cruelty, her health condition deteriorated rapidly. One side of her face became swollen. Also, she developed such pain that she could not sleep on her back. On November 1, 2001, Ms. Gu was sent home. On November 7, 2000, Hao Shushan, Chief of Nanpiao Division, Gangyaoling Police Station, brought 4-5 policemen with him to Ms. Gu's house, kicked open the front door, ran- sacked her home, and took away all her Falun Gong books, 53 Torture compact discs, and a cassette recorder. Then they wrote false reports accusing her of organizing Falun Gong activities. As a result, Ms. Gu was sent back to the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, where she was sexually abused and brutally beaten by Zhang Jun, a vicious policeman from the Third Squad. She was so battered by the attack that her eyes were swollen and she vomited. She could not speak anymore, although Hao insisted that she could. She was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with cancer; the medical record of the diagnosis was kept in Masanjia Hospital. Dong Bin (female, the head of the Third Squad) sent her home on May 30, 2001. Ms. Gu cannot practice dentistry anymore because she has lost her ability to speak. Her livelihood is in jeopardy and she relies on the financial assistance of other people. Her 80 - year -old mother is suffering from a serious heart ailment as a result of the ordeal the family has gone through. In addition, Ms. Gu is a single parent. Her 16 -year-old daughter has had to drop out of school because of the family's hardship. Ms. Gu is still closely monitored by the Police Station. 54 Hung Up in "Carrying a Sword over the Back" Position and Beaten Kou Xiaoping, female, 40, was a government employee who worked in a bank, resident of Lishan District, Anshan City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Kou Xiaoping went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong several times after July 20, 1999. The police arrested her and escorted her back to Anshan City, where she was illegally detained at the No. 3 Detention Center for 15 days. The police handcuffed her with one arm over the shoulder linked to the other arm behind her back and hung her in this position for a whole day. Meanwhile, she was beaten until she was black and blue all over. After being released, she had her salary suspended and was forced to undergo brain- washing. Because Ms. Kou refused to give up practicing Falun Dafa, she was illegally sentenced in November 2000 to two years of forced labor. In the labor camp, to force her to renounce Falun Gong, she was not allowed to sleep for a whole month. In February 2002, Ms. Kou joined other practitioners on a group hunger strike to protest the persecution. After four days, police force- fed them as a form of torture. Many practitioners had strong reactions from these force-feeding torture sessions. Ms. Kou felt discomfort all over her body, her mouth was extremely dry, her nails and face turned pale, and she felt pain in her internal organs. Ms. Kou was eventually sent to a hospital for emer- gency treatment. Two days later, on February 22, 2002, she passed away. Soon after Ms. Kou was persecuted to death, her sister, Ms. Kou Xiaokun, was tortured to death in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. Psychiatric Torment Photo overleaf: Punitive Force_Feeding A drawing of a force-feeding session in a Chinese prison by Amy Lee, a Falun Gong practitioner now living in the USA, who was subjected to force-feeding torture while detained in China. Recalling her experience, Ms. Lee said: "They dragged me by my hair and slammed my head against the ground. Then they violently kicked my head and chest. I lost consciousness. When I came to, I had a headache and realized my clothing had been stripped from my body. To protest this treatment, I began a hunger strike. Five days later, I was force-fed. They forced a thick and hard plastic tube into my stomach through my nose. It was excruciatingly painful, especially to my nose and throat. Force-feeding by violently stuffing tubes through the nose and down the throat is a common practice in Chinese detention centers. Very often, it's not food that's forced through the tube, but a highly concen- trated salt -water solution that is extremely painful when ingested. Even more appalling is that human feces and urine are sometimes 'fed' to the hunger -striking practitioners. The procedure is usually carried out by untrained guards or sometimes even criminal inmates." 56 Psychiatric Torment Repeated Detentions and Torture in Mental Hospital Wu Xiaohua, 1-2 female, 47, an associate professor at the Environmental Art Department of the Anhui Civil Construction Engineering College, Hefei City, Anhui Province. Professor Wu Xiaohua In early 2000, the local authorities sent Prof. Wu Xiaohua to the Anhui Women's Labor Camp because she had appealed to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. In the labor camp, the guards instigated inmates to beat and abuse her. They slapped her face with the sole of a shoe, wrapped her face and head with tape, and stuffed rags that were used for cleaning bathrooms and soaked in urine into her mouth. They even filled her mouth with sanitary napkins soaked with men- strual blood. They also locked her up in a small solitary confine- ment cell in the hot summer. When such torture failed to force Prof. Wu to renounce Falun Gong, the labor camp sent her to the Hefei City No. 4 People's Hospital (a mental hospital) in late July 2000. In the mental hospital, Prof. Wu was handcuffed to a bed with her arms and legs stretched out day and night. She was forcibly given injections, force-fed drugs, and shocked with electric needles. This torture put her in a daze and made her feel fidg- ety. She often lapsed into a stupor. One day, they handcuffed her hands behind her back and locked her in a warehouse from that afternoon until the following morning to expose her to mosquitoes. Because she was handcuffed, she could not fend off the mosquitoes. The next morning she was covered with blood from mosquito bites. She was detained and tortured in the mental hospital for 50 days before she was transferred back to the labor camp. On October 23, 2001, Prof. Wu was once again sent to the mental hospital. In the hospital, the nurses forced her onto a bed, grabbed her by her hair, and stripped off her clothes. The doctors cursed at her while cutting her underwear off with a pair of scissors. Then they tied her to the bed with her arms and legs stretched out and shocked her with electric needles and an electric baton all over her body. The pain was beyond description. They then force-fed her and injected her with nerve -damaging drugs. These drugs caused her to feel muddle- headed and sick. During her detention at the mental hospital she went on three hunger strikes, the longest one lasting 21 days. The hospital authorities threatened to electrically shock her until she passed out if she would not renounce Falun Gong. Because of the injections and drugs she remains in a lethargic state and has a feeling of numbness. She feels uneasy no mat- ter how she sits, stands or sleeps. She has a constant headache, vomits, and suffers from menstrual irregularity. She also suffers from memory loss, and her eyesight is intermittent- ly out of focus, rendering her unable to see people or things clearly at close range. Her hearing has also been terribly dam- aged. Due to her weakened condition she sometimes passes out three to four times in a single day. Because of the torture, her blood sugar value often reaches 22-28, her blood pressure is very high, and her heart is not in a healthy condition. In October 2002, guards from the Anhui Women's Labor Camp secretly took Prof. Wu from the hospital. No one knows her current whereabouts. Chen Biyu Died from Psychiatric Torture Chen Biyu, female, 51, employed at the China Industrial Commercial Bank's Taijiang Branch, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. In November 1999, Ms. Chen Biyu was arrested in Beijing for appealing to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was escorted back to Fuzhou City and detained in the Shuitou Detention Center. To force her to renounce Falun Gong, the police first sent her to the Fuzhou Neurological and Mental Illness Prevention Center in Fuzhou City in December 1999, and later to the Fuzhou Mental Hospital Treatment Center in Fuzhou City. She was force-fed with psychiatric drugs in these institutions. Ms. Chen managed to escape from the mental hospital, but was arrested again and sent back to the Fuzhou Neurological and Mental Illness Prevention Center on January 7, 2000. The chief physician of the Second Unit, Dr. Lin Yaoping, tortured her with electric needles and injected her with nerve -damaging drugs. The severe torture caused her to become incontinent and lose her memory. She was then trans- ferred to another hospital, but was released because she was unable to pay the hospital expenses. When she returned to her job at the bank, she was fired, and then sent to the Fuzhou Mental Hospital. After Ms. Chen was released, she was once again arrested by the police on September 26, 2001, and suffered more psy- chiatric torture. Ms. Chen died in custody in October 2001. 1. AP: August 27, 2002, "Falun Gong Practitioners Call For Support to End Mental Hospital Abuse Used to Persecute Healthy Falun Gong Practitioners in China" 2. The Japan Times: September 5, 2002, "Psychiatric Abuse In China" 57 Psychiatric Torment Help Rescue My Mother, Han Jizhen, Who was Cruelly Persecuted In Nanjing Mental Hospital By Jason Wang 3-4 My mother's name is Han Jizhen. She is a Falun Gong practitioner. Like millions of other Falun Gong practitioners, my mother has suffered severely because of the Chinese govern- ment's persecution. This is her story. My mother began practicing Falun Gong in 1998. Within a few months, a chronic gynecological disease that had plagued her for 28 years disappeared, and so did many other illnesses. For the first time in many years, my mother was completely healthy by practicing Falun Gong. My mother became known as a very kindhearted person in her work unit and throughout her neighborhood. From right: Jason's mother, Han lizhen, his father, brother, and sis- ter-in-law. The photo was taken during his brother's wedding Ceremony. On July 20, 1999, out of resentment towards the popular- ity of Falun Gong, China's president, Jiang Zemin, launched a nationwide persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. As one who had benefited greatly from practicing Falun Gong, my mother felt it was her responsibility to explain to the Chinese government their misconception about Falun Gong, so she went to Beijing on December 23, 1999 to appeal for the resti- tution of Falun Gong's reputation. On her way, a policeman stopped her and asked, "Do you practice Falun Gong?" My mother answered, "Yes." The policeman immediately pushed my mother into a police van. In the van, the policeman slapped my mother repeatedly, until he got tired. Then he grabbed a bag and hit her many times with that. Later, my mother was escorted back to her hometown of Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. Without any legal documenta- tion or medical diagnosis, the police detained her against her will in the Nanjing Mental Hospital (currently renamed as the Nanjing Brain Hospital). Initially, the hospital refused to admit my mother because the doctor could see that she was a per- fectly healthy person. The police placed a lot of pressure on the doctor and eventually forced the hospital to admit her. The doc1 tor told the members of our family, "She is not here because she has a psychiatric problem. It is because she does not want to give up her belief in Falun Gong!" I was shocked and anxious when I heard my mother wa I I being detained in a mental hospital because of her belief it Falun Gong. I immediately flew back to China and visited my mother in the Nanjing Mental Hospital. I asked my mother how the hospital was treating her, a healthy person. My mother told me, "I am forcibly injected with unknown drugs combined with some oral medicine. If I refuse to take their drugs, they use ropes to tie me up and force the injections into me. The drugs make my body so painful. I cannot calm down regardless d>r whether I am sitting, standing, or lying down. I feel listless and dizzy. My head just stops thinking, I am easily irritated, and cannot calm down." My heart was pained when I looked at he"r! My mother's every motion was extremely slow, whether while talking or while making tiny physical movements. When she spoke, it sounded as if her tongue was swollen and could nog move easily. She could not speak fluently and her thoughts were cluttered and random. After all those days in the hospital, my mother, a previously healthy person, looked like a real men- tal patient. We suddenly heard a nurse yelling something outside I f the door. My mother said to me nervously, "They are going to give me drugs again!" Soon a young nurse came in with a cup of water and some drugs in her hands. She said while feeding my mother the drugs, "Do you still want to practice Falun Gong? Give it up now!" I was standing on the side and silently watching what was happening. Watching my mother suffering right in front of my eyes is far beyond what I can describe It was agonizing for me. The painful scene stabbed my heart and ripped it into pieces. II Later I met with the doctor and said, "I am Han Jizhen s son. I came back from America because I wanted to know about my mother's situation." The doctor said, "Your mother can be discharged from the hospital at any time as long as I he police allow it." When I asked them about the drugs they we're administering to my mother, she said, "We have no choice. The police want her to be here, and we have to use drugs on her. Otherwise, if she goes to appeal for Falun Gong in Beijing again, we would bear the responsibility." 11 3. Houston Chronicle, by EDWARD HEGSTROM, Nov 19, 2001, "China takes Falun Gong fight overseas - Local followers say consulates cracking down" 4. The Dallas Morning News , by ESTHER WU, Oct 3, 2002, "UT student hopes rally helps father" 58 Psychiatric Torment After repeated requests from our family, the hospital released my mother several days before the Chinese New Year. To our dismay, the police came to our home the next day and threatened my mother, asking her to write a statement promis- ing not to appeal for Falun Gong again in Beijing, or else she would be put back into the hospital. Under the pressure, my mother gave in. We thought that the police would not harass us any more, and we could have a peaceful New Year's Festival. But the police came to our home again the next day. They said to my mother, "You only wrote a statement promising not to appeal for Falun Gong in Beijing. That is not enough. You must write a statement promising never to practice Falun Gong again, or we will put you back into the mental hospital." My mother told them, "How can I make such a statement? Practicing Falun Gong has solved all of my health problems. How can I stop practicing such wonderful exercises?" The police said brazenly, "It seems that you still have a psychiatric problem, and were not cured at all in the hospital. You must still need further treatment in the hospital." Without any legal process, the police took my mother away and put her into the hospital again for an additional two months. My father's health is not good. He had cancer at the time, and needed my mother to take care of him at home. Since the police took my mother away, she could not take care of him, and instead he had to send meals to her every day. My family was in a crisis. At the end of 2000, I had the documents ready for my par- ents to visit me in America. Right before they were to board the flight, my parents were stopped by customs at the Shanghai airport because they found my mother's name on the blacklist in their computers. Right now, the police and other government officials are still watching my mother. She cannot leave her hometown with- out permission from the authorities. I appeal to the internation- al community to help free my mother so that our family can be reunited. Fan Lihong Died from Psychiatric Torture 5 Fan Lihong,5 female, 29, a resident of Xining City, Qinghai Province Ms. Fan Lihong was arrested in the autumn of 2000 and sentenced to one year of forced labor in the Qinghai Women's Forced Labor Camp. Because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, the labor camp sent Ms. Fan to a mental hospital for psy- chiatric torture. At the mental hospital, the doctors and police- men force-fed Ms. Fan with psychiatric drugs. She was detained several times in the mental hospital because she would not renounce her belief. The drugs severely damaged her nervous system, and she often fell into a lethargic, trance- like state. Because of her critical condition, the hospital released her, fearing that she would die in custody. Ms. Fan never recovered from the severe nerve damage, and in December 2001, she was found dead in the Qinghai People's Park. Tortured at Fangcun Mental Hospital Dong Yuhua, female, age 31, resident of Baiyun District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. On July 20, 1999, Ms. Dong Yuhua was arrested because she went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop ban- ning Falun Gong. During her detention, Ms. Dong was forced to drink water laced with an unknown drug. This caused her to feel very sick and dizzy. The drug also caused her lips to crack. From that time until October 2001, she was arrested six times and was detained at 15 different locations, including 43 days at the Fangcun Mental Hospital of Guangzhou. At the end of August 2001, the police from Guangzhou City coerced Ms. Dong's family to send her to the Fangcun Mental Hospital in Guangzhou City. At the hospital, Ms. Dong was locked in an iron cage. Whenever she tried to practice the Falun Gong exercises, the male staff and doctors in the hospi- tal beat her viciously until she fell to the floor. They tied her to a bed with handcuffs and shackles, each time for a period of 1-3 days. She was not allowed to go to the restroom and had to defecate and urinate in the bed. At the same time, she was forcibly injected with large doses of drugs, which caused her to become disoriented and dizzy to have a rigid facial expression and a splitting headache; she was also constantly tired and felt sleepy all day. As the doctors continued to increase the dosage, Ms. Dong suffered temporary memory loss, not even being able to remember who she was. The drugs caused Ms. Dong to wake up every morning with a large area of her pillow drenched in her saliva, and from then she would roll up and withdraw into a corner. Nevertheless, the hospital staff contin- ued to increase the drug dosage and to charge her family more and more money. Ms. Dong was tortured in the hospital until October 9, 2001, when her family finally withdrew her from the hospital. 5. Washington Post Foreign Service, August 26, 2002, Philip P. Pan, "The Silent Treatment From Beijing, Mental Hospitals Allegedly Used to Quiet Dissidents, Falun Gong" 59 Psychiatric Torment How I was Tortured with Drugs in a Mental Hospital By female practitioner Wang Huifan My name is Wang Huifan. I am a retired worker. During the 2000 Spring Festival, because I practice Falun Gong, plainclothes policemen arrested me and threw me into a drug rehabilitation center to be brainwashed. After I went on a hunger strike for two days, they force-fed me. One day, several people from my workplace took me to an army hospital. They dragged me to the mental illness section on the third floor and forcefully changed me into a patient's clothes. I shouted loud- ly, "I don't have any illness!" The nurse forcibily injected me with an unknown drug, and shortly afterwards I lost conscious- ness. When I regained my consciousness, I found my mouth very stiff, and I couldn't make it do what I wanted it to. I could- n't speak clearly even if I wanted to. I was force-fed with more medicine. I spent the whole day unconscious. My legs were weak and I was unable to walk. My hands wouldn't do what I wanted them to, and I felt very dizzy all day long. They force-fed me twice a day with some other medicine. As a result, I could only lie in bed all day, either unconscious or hallucinating. After one week, I was transferred to a bigger room. I was force-fed medicine twice a day. My arms and legs felt weak all day long. I felt dizzy and nauseated. Every day the director on duty would come and check on me. Because I did not give up the practice of Falun Gong, the director increased my dosage from three tablets to five tablets. Finally my dosage was a handful of tablets, three times the amount everyone else was taking. At the same time, every Friday I was asked to go to the pharmacy room by myself to take two big tablets of yellow med- icine, and I had to open my mouth for them to check. Since the dosage of medicine was continuously increased, I felt more and more disoriented and nauseated. The mental persecution was no less severe than the phys- ical torture. Since I was forced to take large dosages of medi- cine for long periods of time, my entire body became bloated. My face was swollen like a bubble. My complexion was also very bad. Everyone who saw me said I was in bad shape. I could not read Falun Gong books or do the exercises in this place, and was forced to live among the truly mentally ill patients. After they finally released me from the hospital, I had been tortured so severely that both of my eyes were red, swollen, and very puffy. I had difficulty opening my eyes. My ears festered inside and out. My neck also filled with yellow fluid. 60 Suffered a Mental Collapse after Three Years of Torture Zhu Hang, female, in her 40's, an associate professor at the Dalian Polytechnic University in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. Prof. Zhu Hang was arrested in September 1999 and detained in the Yaojia Detention Center in Dalian City, Liaoning Province for three years. During her detention, she was beaten, handcuffed, shackled, and deprived of sleep for extended peri- ods of time. Once, her hands and feet were handcuffed togeth er in such a way that she could neither stand nor sit. She was forced to squat all the time. She went on a hunger strike to protest the torture. The inmates were then ordered to pry open her mouth with a spoon, injuring her mouth in the process. Since she was not allowed to use the restroom, she had to urii nate in her underwear and on the ground. Then they forced her to lick the urine off the ground. She was also force-fed through her nose. She was tortured until she lost consciousness. She was sent to the Dalian Second People's Hospital for emergency treatment on September 17, 1999. II After Ms. Zhu returned from the hospital, the detention center guards took turns torturing her. They pricked her face forehead, and eyebrows with toothpicks and needles whenevi er she closed her eyes. Sometimes they took turns slapping her face. Dark purple -colored bruises appeared all over her face! As she was wearing shackles all the time, her ankles swelled up and festered with open sores. She developed a high fevv. as a result of being tortured for such a long period. Instead of giving Ms. Zhu medical treatment, the authorities sent Ms. Zhou to the Dalian Psychiatric Hospital in Dalian City, Liaoning Province, where she was forced to take narcotics that numb the nervous system. If she refused to take them, the so-called doctors would tie up her arms and legs and give her injections against her will. Brain Damage Resulted from Injection of a Harmful Drug Zhao Xuexia, female, resident of Xingtai City, Hebei Province ++' Ms. Zhao Xuexia was detained in the No. 2 Women's Group of the Shijiazhuang Labor Camp for practicing Falun Gong. In the labor camp, she was tortured severely. In orde[ito make her renounce Falun Gong, the guards injected her with nerve damaging drugs that damaged her brain. She went into a coma. While she was in this state, the head of No.! 2 Women's Group held her hand and signed her name to a state- ment renouncing Falun Gong. In April 2002 Ms. Zhao's family members took her home and looked for treatment, but she was diagnosed with serious brain damage and pronounced very unlikely to wake up from the coma. Psychiatric Torment Ding Jianhua Mistreated at the Nanjing Psychiatric Hospital Ding Jianhua,6 female, 47, a first -rank police supervisor and head of the Department of Health Care of the Jiangsu Province Police Station, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. On October 3, 1999, Ms. Ding Jianhua was sent to the Nanjing Psychiatric Hospital : to receive forced treatment because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. The abusive "treatment" harmed her physically. Afterwards, she had slowed responses and blurred eyesight. Ms. Ding was detained in the 27th Bed of the Sixth District in the Nanjing Psychiatric Hospital. Three other Falun Gong practitioners were also detained and mistreated there. Given Forced. Injections Until Comatose at Hefei City Mental Hospital 1. Guo Qiong, 30, female, bank cashier, Anhui Province. 2. Wang Caiyun, over 40, female, a worker of the Hefei Beer factory, Hefei City, Anhui Province. Because Ms. Guo Qiong practices Falun Gong, her compa- ny threatened to fire her. Under pressure from the authorities, her family reluctantly sent her to the No. 4 People's Hospital in Hefei (a mental hospital). As soon as the doctors in the hospi- tal learned that she was a Falun Gong practitioner, they did not ask any other questions and forced her to stay in the hospital for treatment. She was treated as a mental patient even though she was healthy. She was forcibly given injections and electric shocks. After being injected and shocked, she fell to the ground and lost consciousness. She was forced to take the drugs three times a day. After swallowing the pills, she had stomach pains and she would vomit until she started bleeding. She also felt very tired and listless. Threatened with the loss of every family member's job and heavy fines, Ms. Wang Caiyun's family reluctantly let her be taken to the mental hospital. The diagnosis showed that she was normal, but the hospital staff still forced her to be hospi- talized. They tortured her with electric shocks and injections when she refused to take their drugs. After being injected, she lay on the ground and lost consciousness. Ms. Wang was forced to stay at the hospital for more than 30 days. A Pregnant Mother Given Psychiatric Drug Injections at a Mental Hospital in Jiangsu Province Zhang Wuying, female, an instructor at the Changzhou City Normal Institute of Technology, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Ms. Zhang Wuying and her husband were forced to leave their teaching positions at the Changzhou City Normal Institute of Technology because they appealed to the authorities to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Moreover, the police from the Cuizhu Police Station, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province repeatedly detained Ms. Zhang. Even though she was pregnant, the police forced her to stand for the entire night. At the beginning of April 2000, Ms. Zhang and her hus- band went to Beijing to appeal to the central government for justice. At that time, Ms. Zhang was more than four months pregnant. Twenty or more plainclothes policemen took turns beating her in front of the State Appeals Office in Beijing. Afterwards, Ms. Zhang and her husband were escorted back to their school. School officials then sent them to the People's Liberation Army No. 102 Mental Hospital, where they were incarcerated with mental patients. Although Ms. Zhang was five months into her pregnancy, the nurses at the hospital tied her to a bed, injected her with psychiatric drugs, and force-fed her other drugs. In August 2000, Ms. Zhang gave birth to her son. Her school assigned two colleagues to monitor her during her three days in hospital. After she checked out of the hospital, the local authorities did not allow anyone to visit her. In October 2000, Ms. Zhang and her husband wanted to visit their parents in Shandong Province, but the authorities held their baby as a hostage and prevented them from leaving. In late January 2001, when the couple was finally allowed to visit their parents in Shandong Province, local police from that area were instructed to follow and harass them. On February 28, 2001, when the couple returned to Changzhou City, eight policemen in two police vehicles from the local police station at the Cijiao Train Station intercepted them. The police dragged them into a police vehicle, tearing both the baby's and Ms. Zhang's clothing. The baby was so frightened that he had diar- rhea and cried throughout the night. In May 2001, police from Changzhou City arrested Ms. Zhang's husband and sentenced him to two years of forced labor. The school's security guard, Li Honggen, kept Ms. Zhang and her child under surveillance 24 hours a day, even when she went to buy food. They interrogated anyone who communi- cated or interacted with her. The police also threatened to send Ms. Zhang to a labor camp once her baby reached one year old. 1 6. Nando Media, Beijing, April 5, 2000, "China commits Falun Gong instructor, force-feeds her drugs" 61 Psychiatric Torment Jiang Jing Repeatedly Tortured and Drugged in the Zhonghan Mental Hospital Jiang Jing, female, resident of Chengyang Town in Qingdao City, Shandong Province In March 2000, Ms. Jiang Jing was detained because she appealed to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was locked up and tortured in a small basement for over six months. There was no bathroom in the basement, and she was forced to urinate and defecate in the same room. She was also not allowed to wash. There was no bed, and she was given nothing to cover herself with at night. To protest the violation of her human rights, Ms. Jiang went on hunger strike three times, each time for more than twenty days. In September 2000, Ms. Jiang escaped from the base- ment, but was detained again in October 2000. She was put back in the same basement to suffer the same conditions as before. In November 2000, because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she was sent to the Zhonghan Mental Hospital in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. The hospital staff forcibly injected her with a drug. A few minutes after the injection, Ms. Jiang felt ill. Her heart beat very rapidly and she felt panicked. Her vision first became blurred and then went totally dark. Her mouth and tongue felt dry. When Ms. Jiang asked the medical staff what kind of drug it was, they lied, saying that it was a sedative to help her sleep. A medical expert revealed the truth: this drug is banned by the government. It was only used on rab- bits in lab experiments. When used in high doses, it kills rab- bits instantly. During the next few days, Ms. Jiang couldn't eat or drink and she became too weak to walk. She was repeatedly asked to renounce Falun Gong. When she refused, more injections were forced into her. While administering the injections, a doc- tor also threatened to torture her with electric needle shocks. After a month, Ms. Jiang escaped from the mental hospital. In July 2001, Ms. Jiang was detained again. She went on a hunger strike for half a month, and was force-fed many times. Then she escaped again. In August 2001, Ms. Jiang was detained once more and severely tortured. On August 26, 2001, she attempted to escape, but fell from a fourth -story window. She was severely hurt with several broken bones. However, she was still tied to a wooden bed and beaten by Zhang Zhongkai, the director of the Chengyang Town Synthetic Management Office. She was not sent to a hospital until September 14, 2001. Her current situ- ation is unknown. My Painful Experience of Psychiatric Torture 79 In early August 1999, under the Chinese government's propaganda and pressure, my father, uncle, another relative forced me into a mental hospital, although I am not mentally ill. Under the authorities' order, they and several patients forcibly carried me into a cell. A doctor interviewed me to determine whether my mental health was normal. I correctly and clearly answered all of his questions, but the doctor still claimed that I had a slight mental problem. Because I protested the illegal and immoral treatment the hospital had used on me, I was tied up on a bed for most of the last nine days of my detention. I was forced to eat and urinate on the bed. The doctors force-fed me with drugs and used intravenous injections on me. The inhuman treatment once made me faint in the restroom. Once they shocked me with ari electric baton, knocking me unconscious. It took me a long time to recover my memory and recall what happened before! The torture in the mental hospital was so painful that I cannot endure the memories. The physical and mental torture is beyond anything I can describe. In the summer of 2001, under pressure from the local "610 Office," my father complied with their demands and forcibly sent me to the anti -Falun Gong brainwashing center. Transformation Center: People's Liberation Army No. 215 Mental Hospital Under pressure from the authorities at the local "610 Office," the People's Liberation Army's No. 215 Mental Hospital imprisoned more than ten Falun Gong practitioners in a brainwashing class. Policemen, doctors, and nurses perse cute the practitioners who refuse to give up their practice. The hospital authorities admit that it is illegal to imprison these people, but will not do anything because it was a decision made by the government. This brainwashing class is located on the third floor of this hospital. The staff of the brainwashing class welded iron bars to the doors and windows and over 20 policewomen guard the area. It has been reported that this hospital had previously secretly detained over 20 Falun Gong practitioners who were on hunger strikes at other detention centers or labor camps. 7. Dagbladet (Norwegian Daily Newspaper Website): August 26, 2002, "The Opposition In [China's] Mental Hospitals" 8. Radio Free Asia: Jiang Nan, August 24, 2002, "Tens of Thousands Dissidents Detained in Mental Hospitals" 9. AFP: August 26, 2002, Jonathan Annells, "World psychiatrists consider call to inspect Chinese hospitals 62 1' 1 11 Psychiatric Torment Vicious Scenes in the Masanjia Labor Camp A Survivor's Testimony I am a female Falun Gong practitioner from Liaoning Province. In October 1999, I was sent to the Second Brigade of the Second Women's Division of the Masanjia Labor Camp for one year of "re-education through labor." I had to do very heavy manual work (sewing cotton -padded clothing for the army). During the winter, the weather was very cold but I was never given enough nourishment or sleep. One evening, a female practitioner started screaming and yelling in the corridor. People said she had a mental disorder, but of course she had been a normal, healthy woman when she first arrived. When I went to the restroom I saw her in the corridor tied up with rope and lying on the ice-cold cement floor shivering in the early win- ter air. This healthy woman had been abused until she suffered a mental breakdown. I was forced to attend brainwashing sessions where I was physically attacked and beaten with electric batons. The labor camp staff took turns torturing me. Because I refused to renounce Falun Gong, the Brigade Leader constantly repri- manded me, forbade others to talk to me, but just had them watch me. At that time, I really felt that every single day seemed like a year. I was forced to stand for long periods of time in a position called "riding the horse" [a position where the person has to squat down with legs wide apart as in riding a horse. The position quickly exhausts a person when held for long periods of time]; my clothes quickly became soaked with sweat and whenever I fell down I had to get up and continue holding the position or be beaten. When other people were tak- ing a break, the officers forced me to "study" communist theo- ry. The Brigade Leader also threatened to send me to a small solitary confinement. After one year of my term, the labor camp arbitrarily extended it for another three months. Another practitioner I knew, Ms. Su Juzhen, had been tor- tured with severe electric shocks and other forms of corporal punishment. One day I saw that she could not smile or speak. Her face had no expression at all, her eyes were glassy and did- n't move, and her pupils were large and fixed. When I greeted or even touched her she didn't respond. It seemed that she did not know me. Her whole body was very feeble and traces of blood were visible on her face. I saw black and red marks on the backs of her hands, which were the scars from electric shocks. I knew Ms. Su was a mentally healthy person; so the Brigade Leader must have forced her to take some kind of drug. I recalled that it had been early in the morning, and I had still been in bed when I heard her blood -curdling screams. I wonder how long she had been deprived of sleep by the corpo- ral punishment and torture. She walked with a strange gait. Apparently her legs had been damaged in some way. I later learned that the beatings and long-term forced squatting had caused her serious injuries. When my extended sentence was over, the labor camp declared that my term would be extended indefinitely because I still had not given up my belief! I would either be kept in the labor camp for further observation or transferred to Dabei Prison of Northwest China. One day in January 2001, the Brigade Leader wanted to talk with me. When I went down- stairs I was put into a car with three other practitioners. The four of us were taken to the psychiatric ward of a hospital. I was maliciously "diagnosed" with schizophrenia and forced to pay 489 Yuan for the drugs. I repeatedly explained to the doctor that I had no illness and refused to buy or take any medication; but it was to no avail. We were denied all of our rights; other Falun Gong practitioners were falsely diagnosed as having depression or manic depression. Back at the labor camp, the criminal prisoners tried to force me to take medication. When I tried reasoning with them, they said they were simply carrying out orders from the Brigade Leader. When I refused, two prisoners would force me onto my back. Then one of them pinched my nose with his fingers and the other poured the medicine down my throat. Sometimes, when I spit out the medication, it would land in my hair and on my clothes. Every time they finished pouring the medicine down my throat, they would force me to stay in bed for half an hour. This occurred twice daily, morning and evening. They said that they would continue to do this until I had some "good sense." During the time I was forced to take the drug I lost the desire to eat and was easily startled; at the call of my name my heart would race. I always felt very tired, unsteady, and could not concentrate. In the fourth month of my extended term, I was informed that my parents had come to take me for med- ical treatment. Later on I learned that among those fellow women practi- tioners detained with me, the staunchest ones were sent to Dabei Prison. Some were confined in special torture cells; oth- ers had their terms extended. The male practitioners were transferred to other labor camps. Mr. Zou Guirong, after being transferred from place to place, was tortured to death at a prison in Fushun City, Liaoning Province. Mr. Jiang Wei suffered a mental collapse from the extreme adversity and torture. Forced to Take Mind -Altering Drugs Shortly before July 20, 2000, in order to prevent me from going to Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong, the police in my hometown locked me up in a local psychiatric hospital. The chief of the local police station sent me there himself. In the hospital, I was forced to take drugs, orally and by injection, that damage the central nervous system. One day a female doctor, two male doctors, and some of the patients tied me to a bed and injected the drugs. Immediately after the forced injection I could not think clearly any more. I lost my balance when I tried to walk, my hands shook, I began to drool, and I could not control my tongue when I tried to talk. I was tortured like that for a month and charged 4,000 Yuan in "hospital treatment fees." 63 Psychiatric Torment Practitioners Frequently Tortured to Death at Baiyun Mental Rehabilit '°13 Baiyun Mental Rehabilitation Center was established as a charitable organization under the supervision of Guangzhou City. Under the direction and coordination of the Guangzhou Security Department, however, Baiyun Mental Rehabilitation Center has become a place for torturing Falun Gong practition- ers. On May 4, 2001, Zhang Dazi, a hospital doctor, told some practitioners, "We kill people like we kill ants in this hospital. We have a mortuary here and nobody has ever investigated who ends up there. I issue the death certificates, and nobody ever finds out the real cause of death." On May 2, 2001, more than ten female practitioners were transferred from Shahe Detention Center to Baiyun Mental Rehabilitation Center. They were brutally beaten by a group of male drug addicts, as ordered by Zhang Dazi. The drug addicts divided themselves into groups, with three men using thick iron batons to beat each female practitioner. The practitioners were beaten until they lost consciousness. As a result of these vio- lent beatings, these practitioners were covered with open wounds and bruises of bluish and purple color. A 60 -year-old female practitioner and a 20 -year-old female practitioner lay on the ground unconscious, their faces swollen with bruises. On May 13, 2001, Zhang Dazi instructed eight to nine male drug addicts to break into the female section of the hos- pital and drag out a female practitioner who refused to renounce Falun Gong. When a few practitioners tried to stop them, the men then turned their attention to these female practitioners. Some used planks to hit them, some kicked and punched them, and some threw them to the floor and choked them. They stopped only when these practitioners were beaten so severely that they had all lost consciousness. Then, these criminals took the practitioner they had initially targeted else- where, where she was violently beaten until she lost conscious- ness. Every day, screaming was heard coming from the male cells. It was not unusual for five or six dead bodies to be car- ried out of the cells each day. Someone said a male practition- er doing the exercises was beaten to death and his body later carried out of his cell. The hospital did not disclose any infor- mation and secretly disposed of the bodies in the mortuary. Nobody knows how many practitioners have been tortured to death in this living hell. Zhang Dazi proudly presented the hospital "accomplish- ments" to the Guangzhou "610 Office" and was "recognized" and "supported" by the Office. This has turned Baiyun Mental Rehabilitation Center into a designated site for torturing practi- tioners and a site for teaching these tactics to other mental hospitals. On May 9, 2001, Zhang Dazi instructed his people tol demand that practitioners "write a thank -you letter to express your appreciation to the hospital for curing your illnesses Either you write the letter or you risk another serious beating." Practitioners who were on hunger strikes to protest their detention had been suffering from the vicious torture on a daily basis. On May 14, 2001, all the practitioners started another hunger strike and asked for their unconditional release. Zhang Dazi was somewhat frightened, but the Executive Director of the hospital decided to continue to detain and torture practi- tioners. All information relating to their maltreatment was covI ered up. Under the guise of a "government organization," the hos- pital officially set up an area where taking drugs was "legal."' Under the pretext of rehabilitation, drug addicts "legally" dealt with "doctors" in buying and selling drugs. At the same time, the "doctors" recruited male drug addicts to torture practitionf ers. Practitioners in the hospital lost all their belongings and money to these drug addicts. i A 60 -year-old practitioner was arrested for distributing Falun Gong information. In October 2001, she was initial 1 detained in the Chatou Detention Center, and then transferred to Baiyun Mental Rehabilitation Center. She escaped after 97 days of imprisonment. She said that the Center was a filthy place where many patients had sores and skin ulcers all over their bodies. She was kept in the same cell with several drug addicts. Although the hospital made it known to people that they would be released if they paid the asked price, Falun Gong practitioners were exceptions to this. 1i It is difficult to estimate how many people have been trans -I ferred to this hospital, as the number of people involved hast been quite enormous. Anyone released by the hospital had to I Some of the practitioners were released by the hospital but transferred to brainwashing classes or to forced labor camps by the Security Department. Some of these practition- ers started hunger strikes and in several cases their weight dropped from as much as 60 kg (approximately 130 pounds) to around 20 kg (approximately 50 pounds). They looked life skeletons and were quite close to death. Sometimes tile Security Department instructed the families of these practi-. tioners to come pick them up, while extorting money from them for their release. Only a very few practitioners have ben released and so have had the opportunity to expose the crimes that took place inside the hospital. pay 600 Yuan. 10. Reuters: August 26, 2002, Stuart Grudgings, "Psychiatry mission to visit China, no censure yet" 11. UPI: August 26, 2002, Bruce Sylvester, "World psych group wants China abuse eyed" 12. Sydney Morning Herald: August 28, 2002, "Psychiatrists Put China On The Couch" 13. Houston Chronicle: September 9, 2002, "China's Dissidents - Must Open Mental Wards For Honest Examinations" 64 Psychiatric Torment Tortured in the Yichun City Mental Hospital Shi Yinghua, female, a highly ranked teacher in Jinshantun, Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province. Ms. Shi Yinghua has been tortured because she practices Falun Gong. Officers from the local "610 Office" and the police station ordered Gao Fu, her husband, to torture her. Gao Fu often cursed at and beat Ms. Shi. He grabbed her by the hair and knocked her head against the wall. He brutally hit her fore- head with a pair of pliers. He even tried to force her to hang herself. Later, policemen arrested her and sent her to a deten- tion center, where they brutally tortured her. They tied Ms. Shi's arms onto a cross and used a metal rod to keep her mouth pried open. Then they sent her to the Yichun City Mental Hospital and continued to torture her there. After she was released from the mental hospital she was not allowed to teach. Later, she was arrested at the Shanhaiguan Railway Station because she was on her way to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. On the way back to the detention center, the handcuffs cut her wrists to the bone and her hands were bleeding. Afterwards, the local police authorities again sent her to the mental hospi- tal for further torture. Forced Injections at Qiqihar City No. 3 Mental Hospital Qu Jinfeng, female, 26, a resident of Fuyu County, Heilongjiang Province. On November 30, 1999, Ms. Qu Jinfeng went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was arrested in Beijing on December 2, 1999 and escorted back to the Fuyu County Police Station. Policeman Liang Shichao slapped Ms. Qu, leaving marks on her face. The police tied Ms. Qu to a "Tiger Bench" and beat her with an electronic baton. 26 days later Ms. Qu was released and sent back home. On February 9, 2001, Policemen Yang Hongge and Wang Zewei broke into Ms. Qu's home and brought her to the Fuyu County Detention Center, where Liu Jianchun slapped her in the face and beat her face with an electric baton. On March 8, 2000, they sent Ms. Qu to the Shuanghe Forced Labor Camp of Qiqihar City, where she was beaten very severely. During the 56 days of her detention, they kept her handcuffed around the clock except when she used the restroom and had meals. The guards also instigated a criminal, Li Xiaoyang, to seal her mouth with tape, slap her face, and trample on her feet. Because Ms. Qu went on a hunger strike to protest the torture, guards forced her to stand for a long time, bashed her head against a wall, hung her up (usually from a rafter or a tree), and stuffed towels in her mouth. She was also force-fed and forced to receive intravenous drips. Later Ms. Qu was sent to the Qiqihar City No. 3 Mental Hospital, where she received forced injections that made her lose consciousness. Fifteen days later Ms. Qu was sent home. On January 21, 2001, because Ms. Qu still refused to renounce Falun Gong, the Fuyu County Police Station again sent her to the Fuyu Detention Center. There, they shackled Ms. Qu and beat her with clubs. Ms. Qu went on a hunger strike to protest the continued torture and was force- fed; the officers inserted the feeding tube into her trachea, almost suffocating her. A Nursing Mother Tortured into Mental Illness Gu Peng, female, 27, a kindergarten teacher at the Baoding City Cigarette Factory, resident of Baoding City, Hebei Province. In January 2001, Ms. Gu Peng, a nursing mother, was arrested, along with her husband and their six-month old baby, for going to the central government to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. After they were escorted back from Beijing to Baoding City, her husband was detained at the Baoding Detention Center and Ms. Gu was sent to a mental hospital. Every day she was forced to take drugs and injections. This previously healthy mother was tortured with drugs until her mind was completely debilitated. Now, Ms. Gu unceasingly paces the floor in a drug-induced stupor. Her baby is deprived of vital nutrition and maternal care because of her mother's psychiatric torture in the mental hospital. Tortured at the Yantai Psychiatric Recovery Hospital Chen Yujie, female, employee of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Laixi Branch, Laixi City, Shandong Province. In July 2000, Ms. Chen Yujie was arrested because she went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecut- ing Falun Gong. The local police sent her, along with six other Falun Gong practitioners, to the Yantai Psychiatric Recovery Hospital. Upon their arrival, the hospital director, Li Tao, told Ms. Chen, "We specialize in treating Falun Gong practitioners." Without going through any diagnosis, the nurses forcibly gave Ms. Chen injections, and asked if she would continue practic- ing Falun Gong. They continued to increase the dose as long as she refused to give up her faith. Under the influence of the drugs, Ms. Chen was unable to focus, her attention span was significantly shortened, and her arms and legs also became weak and numb. Ms. Chen was tortured there for 45 days. 65 Psychiatric Torment Three Female Falun Gong Practitioners Tortured in Jiaozhou City Mental Hospital 1415 1. Tan Guihua, female, 42, a worker at the Third Leather Shoe Factory in Jiaozhou City, Shandong Province 2. Qiu Yuaner, female, 33, an employee of an oil company in Jiaozhou City, Shandong Province 3. Kuang Bencui, female, 48, an employee at the Third Leather Shoe Factory, Jiaozhou City, Shandong Province On September 12, 1999, Mr. Song and several others from the Third Leather Shoe Factory in Jiaozhou City forcibly took Ms. Tan Guihua to a hospital because she had gone Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. When she asked, "I am healthy, why do you take me here?", Mr. Song answered, "You went to Beijing, and that is your mental illness." A nurse at the hospital then had eight men hold down Ms. Tan and injected a large dose of drugs into her. In only a few seconds, she felt nauseated and sick, her heart started to beat very quickly, and she eventually fainted. Over the next few days, a female doctor repeatedly asked her if she would continue to practice Falun Gong. Because Ms. Tan always answered yes, the doctor shocked her with electric nee- dles, injected her with a nerve -damaging drug, and cursed, "I will see to it that you will say 'no' one day." This torture went on for two months, but was not able to force Ms. Tan to renounce Falun Gong. The doctor then inject- ed Ms. Tan with an even stronger drug, and cursed, "Aren't you good at biting the bullet? I want to see if you continue to prac- tice Falun Gong." After the injection, Ms. Tan stopped menstru- ating. She was unable to control her eyes, and her actions and reaction time became very slow. A few days later, they added another drug to her injections. As a result, she started to shake violently and could not even hold a bowl. She was tortured like this for 20 days. When her family finally picked her up, she was disoriented and could not see things clearly. She had lost her memory and her whole body had become bloated. In February 2000, because Ms. Qiu Yuaner went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong, she was tortured in the same mental hospital for two months. On February 14, 2000, Ms. Kuang Bencui went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was arrested and escorted to a mental hospital. Although she was healthy, during her two months of detention in the mental hospital, Ms. Kuang was treated like a mental patient. She was forced to take drugs and receive injections. Usually two men grabbed her arms while one pinched her nose; then they drove a chopstick between her teeth and force-fed her drugs. Ms. Kuang was force-fed drugs three times a day, with the dosage increasing from one to six tablets at a time. She was detained in the mental hospital for two months before being released to her family. 14. Amnesty International, CHINA: The crackdown on Falun Gong and other so-called "heretical organizations' http://www.amnesty.ca/library/asal71100-6.htm 15. 2000 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom: China http://www.state.gov/www/global/human rights/irf/irf rpt/irf china.html 66 Violence Against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers Violence against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers My Experience of Seventh -Month Forced Abortion Both my husband and I are Falun Gong practitioners. Because we went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong, the Beijing police arrested us and sent us to the Beijing Police Station. After we were escort- ed back to our hometown my husband was immediately sent to a detention center. The detention center dared not keep me there because I was seven months pregnant. Detaining a preg- nant woman is against the law. They threatened to force me to have an abortion, so they could send me to a detention center, if I refused to give up Falun Gong. I refused to renounce Falun Gong. I thought, "This is such a great practice. Why should I quit doing it?" I was taken to a hospital against my will. In the hospital, several people forcibly held me down and performed an abortion procedure on me without even informing my family. When my family got to the hospital, it was too late, and the forced abortion had taken effect. After receiving the injection to abort my seven month pregnancy, my unborn baby struggled in my womb for over forty hours before giving up its life. While giving birth to a dead baby, I suffered tremendous pain and lingered in and out of consciousness. My mother cried while holding me tightly. I don't remember how many times I passed out. It was always my mother who pulled me back into consciousness by crying out loudly to me. I don't know how much time passed before my dead child emerged from my womb. Looking at my dead son, my heart was broken. My parents cried loudly. We loved the dead baby too much to allow the hospital to throw his body away. During the several days I was forced to stay in the hospital, I missed my dead child. At the same time, I missed my hus- band, who was detained in the detention center, and he had no chance to see his baby son. Seven days later, policemen wanted to send me to a deten- tion center. They claimed, "according to orders from higher up, no matter what is done to Falun Gong practitioners it is not off limits." Because of my parents' determined intervention, the police didn't get their way. Instead, they sent me home under 24-hour surveillance. I was not allowed to leave home and completely lost my personal freedom. One month later, my par- ents were fined 2,000 Yuan. My husband wasn't released until after two months of detention. 68 Forced Abortion at Full Term Zhang Hanyun, female, 33, resident of Hanzhong City, Shanxi Province. In March of 2000, because Ms. Zhang Hanyun practices Falun Gong, she was forced to attend the anti -Falun Gong brainwashing class held by the Hanzhong City "610 Office", even though she was pregnant and expecting her new baby soon. To avoid the persecution, Ms. Zhang hid with a relative's family. Her father owned a contraction company. Under instruc- tions from the Hanzhong City "610 Office" staff members, the Beiguan Administrative Office closed down the construction sites of Ms. Zhang's father and brother in an attempt to force them to hand over Ms. Zhang. They also handcuffed Ms. Zhang's husband to the Jialing River Bridge to humiliate him. In the end, Ms. Zhang was arrested and sent to the anti - Falun Gong brainwashing class. When the staff of the Hanzhong City "610 Office" realized Ms. Zhang would soon be giving birth to a baby, in order to detain her at the anti -Falun Gong brainwashing class, they took her to a hospital. Ms. Zhang was subjected to forced late -term abortion by dilation and extraction. The horrifying process is hard to imagine. Forced Abortion After Fourth Month of Pregnancy Jiao Fangyu, female, employee of Laiwu Shandong Steel Factory, resident of Laiwu City, Shandong Province. Because Ms. Jiao Fangyu distributed Falun Gong flyers, she was arrested by the Panzhuang Police Station on April 8, 2001. She was detained at the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Laiwu Shandong Steel Factory. In June 2001, Ms. Jiao was four months pregnant. In order to keep her in custody they forced her to have an abortion. On October 8, 2001, the Laiwu Shandong Steel Factory sentenced Ms. Jiao to forced labor and sent her to the Wangcun Detention Center. Forced Abortion to Keep in Detention Lu Yunzheng, female, 31, resident of Fengcheng City, Jiangxi Province. In January 2000, Ms. Lu Yunzheng was detained for appealing to the government in Beijing to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. She was later escorted back to Fengcheng City. Because she was pregnant, the Chief of the Fengcheng Police Station forced her to have an abortion in order to keep her in the detention center for a longer term. Violence against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers A Pregnant Mother Jailed for Eighty -One Days LiangSuxian, female, resident of Leiyang City, Hunan Province. In late December 2000, Ms. Liang Suxian was lured to the Leiyang City Police Station for questioning, but was arrested upon arrival. During her detention, Ms. Liang was found to be two months pregnant. The police nevertheless jailed her for 81 days because she had gone to Beijing in April 2000 to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Before releasing her, they also forced her to sign a document declar- ing that she would give up the practice of Falun Gong Detained While Pregnant and Forced into Homelessness Yang Zhifang, female, 28, a teacher at the Anatomy and Physiology Department of the Weifang City Husbandry and Veterinarian School, Weifang City, Shandong Province. In October 1999, Ms. Yang Zhifang went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. She was arrested and escorted back to the Weifang City Husbandry and Veterinarian School, and detained for nearly 60 days, although she was three months pregnant. The School fired her but assigned employees to take turns watching her. Because she refused to write a statement renouncing Falun Gong, on September 5, 2001, the school authorities attempted to send Ms. Yang to be brainwashed. To avoid further persecution and possible forced abortion, Ms. Yang escaped and did not return to her home. Her husband, Mr. Hua Yuliang, also a Falun Gong practitioner, was sentenced to three years of forced labor at the Changle Detention Center. Currently, Ms. Yang is living on the streets. Detained while Pregnant Li Yanchun, female, 29, resident of Tiefa City, Liaoning Province. In September 2001, the police from the Tianshan Street Police Station arrested Ms. Li Yanchun because she was dis- tributing Falun Gong flyers in Inner Mongolia. She was detained at the Tianshan Street Detention Center in Arlukeerquinqi. Ms. Li refused to reveal the source of the flyers, and went on a hunger strike to protest her illegal detention. Ms. Li was pregnant but the police denied this fact even though they had taken her to the hospital twice for pregnancy tests. They refused to let her see the examination results. They told her husband, however, when he came to visit in January 2002, that she was four months pregnant, but they still would not release her. They also tried to feed Ms. Li some unknown med- icine, but she refused. Torture and Hard Labor During Pregnancy Li Dan, female, resident of Linhe City, Inner Mongolia. On February 19, 2000, Ms. Li Dan was arrested because she went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop perse- cuting Falun Gong. She was then sent back to Linhe City and detained at Linhe City Police Station. While in the Linhe City Police Station, three policemen took turns beating her for an entire night. Policeman Yang slapped her face over a dozen times. On February 20, 2000, Ms. Li was shackled and sent to the Huhehaote City Women's Labor Camp. She was detained in this camp until July 30, 2000. During her detention, she was forced to do heavy labor. On July 10, an examination revealed that she had been pregnant for a few months. She was still forced to unload 30 tons of coal per day with eight other Falun Gong practitioners. Also, she was forced to load and unload bull dung and till the soil. When there was no heavy work, she was forced to wrap more than 10,000 pairs of chopsticks each day. Every morning, Ms. Li was handcuffed to the stair rail and forced to squat for a long time. One day, Captain Liu of the No. 3 Team of the labor camp shocked her with an electric baton. Later, Deputy Captain Chang Hong ordered guards to hang her by handcuffs without letting her feet touch the ground. Her arms became black, cold, and numb after two hours of hanging, and she was hung this way for the entire day. On July 30, 2000, she was released to go home with her hands still cuffed. The Linhe City Police Station ordered the clinic to force Ms. Li to abort her baby during her eighth month of pregnancy, but the forced abortion did not succeed. Shortly after she gave birth, the police ordered her to write a statement to renounce Faun Gong, or she would be fined 30,000 Yuan or taken from her house. Even three months after her release she was still harassed and five or six policemen kept her under sur- veillance 24 hours a day. To avoid another illegal arrest, Ms. Li left home and became homeless. Detained More Than 40 Days during Pregnancy Liu Yaqing, female, 26, university student, resident of Quyang County, Hebei Province. In October 2000, the local authorities ordered the Quyang Police Station to arrest all of the Falun Gong practitioners in Quyang County. On October 7, Ms. Liu Yaqing was arrested and detained at the Quyang County Detention Center. She was pregnant at the time, but the Quyang Police Station refused to release her, and fined her family 10,000 Yuan. She was detained for more than 40 days. 69 Violence against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers Six Months Pregnant Mother Vomited Blood after Detention Cui, female, resident of Huichun City, Jilin Province. At around 5 a.m. on September 7, 2001, four policemen from the Huichun Police Station broke into Ms. Cui's home and searched it. They arrested Ms. Cui and her husband because they are both Falun Gong practitioners. At the time, Ms. Cui was already six months pregnant. Ms. Cui and her husband were sent to the Huichun Police Station, where they were inter- rogated for several hours. Ms. Cui went on a hunger strike to protest the detention. During the hunger strike, Ms. Cui and her unborn baby suffered significant physical trauma. She was released after five days of detention. After she was released, she began to vomit blood. Ms. Cui's husband escaped on the way to the detention center, and his whereabouts are unknown. Detained Although Six Months Pregnant Na Yafang, female, resident of Lequn Town, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. Since Ms. Na Yafang went to Beijing to appeal to the gov- ernment to stop persecuting Falun Gong, she was detained in the Shuangcheng City Detention Center for more than half a month and fined 3,000 Yuan. After her release, she was forced to sell her land. In January 2001, because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she was detained again in the office of Lequn Village although she was six months pregnant. Pregnant Mother Tortured Zhou Jing, female, resident of Beijing. Since Ms. Zhou Jing was a Falun Gong practitioner, sever- al plainclothes policemen from the Beijing Police Station broke into her home and tried to arrest her. Ms. Zhou refused to go with them. Despite her pregnancy, a strong policeman hand- cuffed her arms behind her back, pushed her down on the ground, and dragged her out of the room. The police tore her clothing, leaving her body uncovered. Her eyes, knees, and legs were injured while she was dragged on the cement floor. 70 Forced to Become Homeless during Pregnancy Yu Ping's wife, female, resident of Beijing. On October 18, 2000, the Beijing police arrested Mr. Yu Ping and his wife because they are Falun Gong practitioners. Their house was searched and property confiscated. Yu Ping's wife escaped and became homeless to avoid illegal arrest. She was several months pregnant at the time. She is still on the wanted list after her escape. Yu Ping was detained at the Chaoyang District Shanjianfang Detention Center. He went on a hunger strike to protest the detention. Threatened with Forced Abortion Ou Yang, female, resident of Guilin City, Guangxi Province. On July 13, 2000, police from the Qixing Police Station arrested Ms. Ou Yang, although she was pregnant, because she was practicing the Falun Gong exercises. They sent her toi the Guilin Second Detention Center. She went on a hunger strike to protest the detention. Because of her hunger strike, she was fined 10,000 Yuan. Furthermore, the police threat- ened her with forced abortion if she refused to renounce Falun. Gong. Three Months Pregnant Mother Beaten Sun Guijie, female, 33, resident of Changfeng Village, Duimiancheng Town, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. In March 2000, because of her practice of Falun Gong, the' local government officials and police woke Ms. Sun Guijie from her sleep at home and arrested her. They detained her in a warehouse for one month. In April 2000, because she went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong, she was arrested again and detained at the Shuangcheng City Detention Center for 20 days. Liu Chengjiang, the Secretary of the Party Committee of Changfeng Village, required Sun's husband, Mr. Xiao Yalin, to pay a fine of 2,600 Yuan to secure her release. Her husband had to sell their land because he didn't have the money. On the sixth day after her release, she went to Beijing; again to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falunl Gong, and was detained at the Baigumiao Detention Center in Beijing. A policewoman beat her with an electric baton. She was unable to sit down because of the torture. After she was escorted back to Shuangcheng City, she was detained at the Shuangcheng City Detention Center for two months. After pay- ing a fine of 4,000 Yuan, she was released. After January 1i,, 2001, she was detained for more than one month in the Changfeng Village office because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. At that time, she was more than three months pregnant. During her detention, Liu Xingwang beat her. 't I Violence against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers A Nursing Mother Jailed and Assaulted Liang Peiying, female, resident of Shiyan City, Hubei Province. One afternoon in the middle of October 2000, when Ms. Liang Peiying was breast-feeding her seven -month-old daugh- ter at home, two policemen from the Sanyan Police Station, Shiyan City arrested her. Even though it is illegal to detain a woman who has a child less than one year old, they took her to the police station and beat her severely. When her husband went to see Ms. Liang, the policemen handcuffed him and hung him from the window frame by his handcuffs, although he is not a Falun Gong practitioner. They brutally beat him as well. They then cuffed Ms. Liang's hands behind her back and made her sit on the floor all night. Her seven -month-old son was deprived of her breast milk and cried so hard that he became hoarse and nearly lost his voice. Later Ms. Liang was released. On December 14, 2000, Gao Donghui, the Sanyan Police Station chief, and policeman Cai Xiaojun broke into Ms. Liang's home and arrested her again. In the police station, they hand- cuffed her behind her back, with one arm over her shoulder and the other behind her waist. The torture is called the "Carrying the Sword on the Back." With her hands still in this distorted position, they pushed Ms. Liang onto the ground, fac- ing up. Policeman Cui Ke, while wearing leather boots, stomped on her body from her head to her toes. Ms. Liang instantly lost control of her bladder and bowels from this assault. They then hung her up on the window frame by the handcuffs. On December 15, Ms. Liang was sent to Shiyan No. 1 Detention Center. Ten days later, when policeman Cai went to interrogate her, he closed the door of the interrogation room and brutally beat her again. To cover up the arrest of a woman with a child under one year old, the Sanyan Police Station authorities changed the document date, stating when they sent Ms. Liang to the detention center, from December 15, 2000, to February 17, 2001, which was one day after her daughter's first birthday. To support this fabrication, Ms. Liang was transferred from the detention center to an out -processing station on January 15, 2001 and transferred back again on February 17, 2001. Detained during Pregnancy and Homeless while Nursing Yu Libo, female, 29, resident of Zhaodong City, Heilongjiang Province. Since Ms. Yu Libo went to Beijing to appeal to the govern- ment to stop persecuting Falun Gong, she was jailed at the Zhaodong City Detention Center in January 2000. She was five months pregnant at the time. She was released after two months, but only after her family paid a fine of 1,000 Yuan. After her release, she was harassed and kept under surveil- lance by the local police station and the local government. She was warned that she could be arrested again at any time. In May 2000, she was warned that she would be arrested after her nursing period. To avoid illegal arrest, she fled home and wandered the streets. A Nursing Mother was Punitively Force -Fed Peng Li, female, 25, a teacher at Dayi Shaqu Town Central Primary School, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, resident of Longxing Village, Dayi Caichang, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. On January 1, 2001, Ms. Peng Li was arrested and taken to a detention center, although her daughter was only seven months old and was still being breastfed. Since then, Ms. Peng has been detained and tortured in the Shuangliu Detention Center, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. She was handcuffed and shackled for five days, which made her unable to eat, wash her face, or even sleep at night. Ms. Peng went on a hunger strike to protest her inhumane treatment. In order to force-feed her, ten policemen pressed her limbs to the ground and tried to insert a large wooden stick into her mouth. As a result, her mouth began to bleed profusely. The next day, police took Ms. Peng to a local hospital to have a large tube inserted into her stomach to force-feed her. She was in extreme pain and she was unable to talk or move. 71 Violence against Pregnant and Nursing Mothers Li Yanjie and Her Baby Forced to Became Homeless Li Yanjie, female, 25, resident of Dahe Town, Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province. In February 2000, because Ms. Li is a Falun Gong practi- tioner, the police from the Yilan County Police Station went to her home, searched it, and threatened to push her down the stairs from the third floor. They took Ms. Li to the Dahe Town Police Station and tried to send her to a detention center. Because Ms. Li was pregnant, they had to release her. After one week, eight policemen from the Dahe Town Police Station went to Ms. Li's home, handcuffed her, and threatened to force her to have an abortion so that they could then send her to the detention center. They detained Ms. Li for more than sixteen hours. After her release, eight policemen kept her under sur- veillance 24 hours a day for more than a month. In early August 2000, when her baby was only nineteen days old, more than twenty policemen from the Dahe Town Police Station searched her home and took her husband away. During the altercation, the police twice used an electric shock baton on her mother-in- law. On December 26, 2000, Ms. Li took her baby with her to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. She was arrested in Tiananmen Square. She and her baby were detained in the Fengtai Police Station in Beijing for three days. After her release, Ms. Li and her baby were forced to wander the streets to avoid further illegal arrests. After six months, she took her baby back to her hometown to visit her family. The police threatened her with another deten- tion. Ms. Li was forced to take her baby with her to wander the streets, becoming homeless once again. Nursing Mother Detained for Over One Month Zhao Hongbo, female, 26, an employee of the 208 Team, No. 2 Mine, No. 1 Oil Explorations Factory, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, resident at 4-4-1-501 Jingxia Dengfeng Village, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. On December 19, 2000, Ms. Zhao Hongbo, went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. The police from the Tiananmen Qianmen Police Station in Beijing arrested her and transferred her to the Miyun County Police Station in Beijing. They detained her for four days. Then they escorted her back to the Sa District Police Station in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, where they incarcerated her for one month. Ms Zhao was then transferred to another deten- tion center and detained for 15 days. All this time, while she was incarcerated, she was nursing her baby. On February 21, 2001, the Party Secretary of the No. 2 Mine, No. 1 Oil Explorations Factory, Zhang Jixian, fined Ms. Zhao 15,000 Yuan (the average monthly income for an urban worker in China is 500 Yuan), confiscated four months' salary, totaling about 2,800 Yuan, and withheld her salary several times, total- ing an additional 3,000 Yuan. On August 22, 2002, the local police arrested Ms. Zhao again for giving her colleagues VCDs that contained Falun Gong information. 72 Forced to Become Homeless with Newborn Baby Mr. Zhou Yongnian's wife, resident of Tongzhou District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. On February 19, 2000, Mr. Zhou Yongnian and his wife were arrested and detained for a month because they prac- ticed the Falun Gong exercises outdoors. At that time, Mrs. Zhou was two months pregnant. After they were released, the police continued to threaten them relentlessly. On October 1, 2000, the Tongzhou District Police Station arrested Mr. Zhou I Yongnian after he and his wife appealed to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. On April 6, 2001, the Tongzhou District Court sentenced him to a nine-year term. On December 8, 2000, during a search of Mr. Zhou's home, the Tongzhou District Police Station illegally took possession of all his valu- ables, including cash. Since then, their home has been searched and ransacked three times. The Tongzhou Police Station put Mrs. Zhou and her 28 -day-old baby under constant surveillance. She was not allowed to answer phone calls and was followed if she went out. Because of this relentless perse-! cution, she fled from her home with her newborn baby even though she had no money. Her and her baby's whereabouts are unknown. Nursing Mother Taken to Brainwashing Class Hou Huiru, female, 28, a teacher of the Xinhua Elementary School, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. Since Ms. Hou Huiru practices Falun Gong, Zhao Wenting,! the principal of the Xinhua Elementary School, suspended MO Hou from teaching classes. Zhao also withheld money from Ms! Hou's salary and detained her at the school. After releasing her, Zhao then hired two security guards to monitor Ms. Ho` day and night. Later, Zhao Wenting, together with officers from the "610 Office", forcibly took Ms. Hou and her husband to an anti -Falun Gong brainwashing class, leaving their nine-month old baby, who was still in need of breast-feeding, unattended. it Persecution Against Children 1 Photo overleaf: Jane Dai of Australia with her daughter, Fadu, at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva 2002. Ms. Dai's husband, Chenyong Chen, was tortured to death by Chinese police; Ms. Dai learned of his death while browsing a Falun Dafa web site. Assistance from media and the Australian government eventually brought Mr. Chen's ashes to Australia. Little Fadu often asks for her father -- but how does one explain the nature of evil to a child who has barely learned to speak? 74 Persecution against Children Have I Lost Mom Too? Two -Year -Old Child was Deprived of Parents' Care Zou Rongfa was born in November 1999. At that time, her father, Zou Songtao, was held in a detention center because he had gone to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. Mr. Zou was not released until the end of December 1999. He had been in and out of jail many times because he was a Falun Gong practition- er. Rongfa is waiting for her Mom to come bath. batons, and killed him The director of the Taixi Police Station, Gong Guoquan, once hand- cuffed Mr. Zou to an iron chair. The director beat him with the sole of his shoe, causing his head to bleed and swell to twice its size, beyond the point of recognition. He was unconscious for more than 20 minutes. In July of 2000, Mr. Zou was sent to the Qingdao City Labor Camp. He was later transferred to the Wangcun Labor Camp in Zibo City at the end of September 2000. On the morning of November 3, 2000, policemen Zheng Wanxin, Shao Zhenghua, and others took Mr. Zou into an interrogation room, shocked him with electric within two hours. Rongfa lost her father. After the death of Mr. Zoul, the police kept harassing and closely watching Rongfa's mother, Zhang Yunhe. In February 2002, the police arrested Ms. Zhang Yunhe and detained her at the Dashan Detention Center, Qingdao City. The police refused to release any information about her to her family. Zou Rongfa thus was separated from her mother. Rongfa's father, Zou Songtao, who was tortured to death, and mother, Zhang Yunhe, who is cur- rently detained Rongfa had to stay with her grandmother, who was over 60 years old. However, her grandmother became ill and died in August 2001 from the pain of losing her son-in- law and being separated from her daughter. Rongfa has lost her father, her mother, and her grandmother, the three peo- ple she loved the most. Whenever she misses her family, she steps up on a little stool, and reaches up and kisses her Daddy's box of ashes. 1. AR November 8, 2000, "A Falun Gong Member Died" 1. 2. 3. Hu Ming, 2, male, Beijing City Hu Qianfeng, male, 30, Hu Ming's father, employee of the Capital Steel Factory of Beijing, Beijing Ma Li, female, Hu Ming's mother, employee of the Special Steel Division of Beijing's Capital Steel Factory, Beijing Little Hu Ming turned two on June 30, 2002. However, he was without his parents on this special day. His father, Hu Qianfeng, was detained at Beijing's Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp and his mother, Ma Li, was being held at Beijing's Xinan Forced Labor Camp for Women. Hu Ming has rarely seen his father. Two weeks before he was born, a group of policemen broke into his parents' home. They took his mother for interrogation from 11 p.m. to 1 p.m. the next day. Despite her late -term pregnancy, Ms. Ma was forced to sit on a small round stool with no back support. She was not given any food or water and was not allowed to sleep. The police also arrested Mr. Hu, shocked him all over his body with an electric baton, and then sentenced him to one year in a forced labor camp. Ms. Ma was released only because she was so close to giv- ing birth to her baby. She was without her husband at her side. She did not even know where her husband was. Worried about her husband and feeling helpless to raise a child all by herself, Ms. Ma spent many days in tears. The authorities still would not leave little Hu Ming and his mother alone. One day, the authorities arrested Ms. Ma and her toddler and took them to a brainwashing center. In June 2001, when Hu Ming was almost a year old, his father was released. Under horrifying torture and against his will, Mr. Hu consented to the police's demand to give up practicing Falun Gong. However, fearing that his consent was gained only through coercion and not a genuine renouncement against Falun Gong, the officials in the "610 Office" forced Mr. Hu and his wife to continue attending the brainwashing class. The cou- ple weren't even allowed to be home with Hu Ming on his first birthday. Hu Ming has been left in the custody of his grandpar- ents. After his parents were released from the brainwashing class, they had to leave their home to avoid further persecu- tion. In September 2001, a security guard arrested Ms. Ma while she handed out Falun Gong flyers. She was sentenced without trial to one year in a forced labor camp. Hu Ming's father was arrested again in November 2001 and was sent to a forced labor camp, where he has been cruelly tortured with electric batons and deprived of sleep for extended periods of time. The persecution of Falun Gong has ripped apart this oth- erwise very happy family. How many countless others are suf- fering? 75 Persecution against Children Four -Year -Old Child Without Parents' Care 1. Huhu, male, 4, Beijing 2. Yu Chao, male, Huhu's father, male, 30, network engineer, Beijing 3. Chu Tong, female, Huhu's mother, 32, lecturer in the Institute of Microelectronics at Tsinghua University, Beijing On April 25, 2000, Huhu's father, Mr. Yu Chao, went to Tiananmen Square to appeal for Falun Gong. Because of this, he was detained for one month and was then sentenced to one year of forced labor. Later he was allowed to serve the sen- tence outside the labor camp. Huhu - a four-year-old boy On October 27, 1999, when Huhu's mother, Ms. Chu Tong, went to Tiananmen Square to appeal for Falun Gong, she was brutally beaten by the police. Then she was arrested and detained in the No. 7 Section of the Beijing City Police Department. She was sentenced to one and a half years in prison without any legal procedure. After her release, she wrote an article exposing the persecution she had received in prison and published her "solemn declara- tion" expressing her intention to continue cultivating Falun Gong. She and her husband, Mr. Yu, were forced to leave their home with their son Huhu to avoid further persecution. The police kept tracking them and even closely watched the apartment of Huhu's grandparents. The options that the small family had were limited. Soon, the police captured Huhu's parents. Huhu has been separated from his parents and is cared for by a friend. 14 -Year -Old Girl Shocked with Electric Baton for Four Hours Han Tianzi, female, 15, resident of Liaoning Province At the end of July 2000, Tianzi was sent to the Longshan Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, because she had gone to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Officer Tang Li and officer Damu of the labor camp forced her to squat down in the office for a long time and threatened to shock her with electric batons if she refused to give up Falun Gong. The authorities also threatened to send her to reform school. Because Tianzi was steadfast in her belief in Falun Gong, they shocked her with an electric baton for almost four hours. Other practitioners 76 in the camp could hear her cries of pain. The policeman also' told her he would come back the next day and continue the forl ture. When her term of detention was finally over, Tianzi's body was marred with wounds from the torture. Family Broken Apart, 14 -Year -Old Child Left Home Alone 1. Qu Yao, male, 14, Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province 2. 3. Qu Yongjiu, male, father of Qu Yao, salesman at Xinfeng Corporation, Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province Yao Mei, female, mother of Qu Yao, Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province At approximately 6 a.m. on July 4, 2002, Mr. Qu Yongjiu left his house to buy breakfast for his son Qu Yao, but the police from the Liaoyang County Public Security Bureau forcefully arrested him. Five policemen then broke into Mr. Qu's house.) Qu Yao, Mr. Qu's 14 -year-old son, was the only one at home. The police ransacked the house and arrested Qu Yao. The police did not release the teenager until several hours later. He, suffered severe mental stress from the incident. The police arrested Qu Yao's father to get informatiol about his wife, Ms. Yao Mei, who had left home to escape police persecution. Currently, only Qu Yao is left at home, and he has no one to take care of him. He does not know how to cook and often goes hungry. At the time of his father's arrest he was preparing for his final exams. There was much stress from school. What he needed most was his parents' care and support. Yet, he even had difficulty finding food to eat. His mother could not come home because she would be arrested if the police saw her. The police from the Political Security Department n Liaoyang County Public Security Bureau sent Mr. Qu to the Shoushan Detention Center. He was ruthlessly beaten there and, without any legal reason, sentenced to labor reeducation for two and a half years. 1I II Persecution against Children 16 -Year -Old Driven to Homelessness by State Brainwashing I am a 16 -year-old high school student and I have prac- ticed Falun Gong for more than six years. Falun Gong has ben- efited me in so many ways. It has taught me true responsibili- ty, to always be considerate of others, and to conduct myself by the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance" in my daily life. On April 25, 1999, my mother and I participated in the peaceful petition to the Chinese government for Falun Gong. Since then, our lives have been turned upside down. The per- sonnel from my local residence office and the police station have harassed me many times at my school and at home. But I did not give up practicing Falun Gong since I had done noth- ing wrong. However, I feel pain from the forced break-up of my family. My parents have been detained illegally many times. My mother was forced to leave home to avoid the persecution. I miss her very much, but I cannot see her. Once when the police detained my mother, they also came to my school, took me to the principal's office, and surrounded me in an intimidating manner. At the beginning, they told me that I could see my parents as long as I agreed to persuade my parents to renounce Falun Gong. When I rejected this, they started to scold and threaten me. They shouted at me one after another. This happened many times, and once I was so scared that I cried. Fortunately, many teachers at my school encouraged and helped me during these difficult times. On April 30, 2001, they came to my school again and took me to the local residence committee office. There they handed me a phone. My mother was on the other end. I sensed that my mother had agreed to give up practicing Falun Gong. Eager to find out what happened to her, I agreed to go with the police to see my mother, who had been detained at a brainwashing detention center in Hulufa in the Fangshan District. On the way, I heard from a policeman that this place had once held more than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners. I did see my mother, and asked her what happened and why she gave up her belief. She did not answer me. I felt sad for her, but quickly found that I myself had been deceived and abducted by the police, who then tried to force me to write a statement renouncing Falun Gong. They took me to a room and threatened to keep me in the room until I complied. To threat- en me, they also pointed to a man who was being forced to run nonstop as torture. I felt both angry and strange. I was angry because there could be no reason for them to take away my personal free- dom. I did not violate any law! I felt strange wondering why that man was running nonstop, why my mother would give up her belief. That evening, just before going to sleep, when I saw the awful black and blue bruises on my mother's back, shoulders, and arms, I simply burst into tears. These bruises were clearly marks of torture. I suddenly understood how my mother was forced to give in. In the brainwashing center, the torturers took turns brainwashing and threatening her and did not allow her to sleep for several days. They tortured her by various means, including making her stand facing the wall, kicking her, punch- ing her, and forcing her to run around the courtyard for six hours, just like that man I saw running. They even threatened to have a dog bite her. My mom was finally coerced to act against her conscience. I was shocked by the bloody and cruel facts. During the days that followed, the police took turns to bombard and threaten me. I could not even think clearly. I was forced to write notes to "repent" and to renounce Falun Gong. Once we were released from the brainwashing center, my mother came to her senses and resumed her practice of Falun Gong. To avoid further torture, she fled from our home. She would rather lead a vagrant's life than to live against her con- science. The evil officials then came after my father and me. On one evening in September 2002, several women from my local residence office and policemen from the local police sta- tion took my father and me to the Hulufa brainwashing center again. There, the police forced me to give my fingerprints and forced me to write 8 pages of lies about Falun Gong. I did it against my will. I just wanted the nightmare to end. The suffering didn't stop there. Every day thereafter I was forced go to the brainwashing center. These people also forced me to provide information to them so they could track down my mother. I resisted, but the pressure was so great. I was on the brink of mental collapse. In those awful days, I often wondered: if they did not want me to be truthful to my conscience, then what kind of person did they want me to become? I was released in early October, 2002. I felt humiliated in my heart that I had betrayed my conscience. I wanted to per- sist in my belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." To avoid being sent back to the brainwashing center, I have now left my home and the school that I liked so much. I've been forced into homelessness, just like my mom. 77 Persecution against Children The Persecution of A 14 -Year -Old and Her Family 1. Li Guozhen, female, 83 resident of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province 2. Wang Guihe, male, 52, resident of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province 3. Zhong Yu, female, 37, resident of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province 4. Wang Yuli, female, 14, resident of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province On September 16, 1999, at approximately 9 p.m., the police went into Mr. Wang Guihe's home and arrested Mr. Wang; his wife, Ms. Zhong Yu; his 83 -year-old mother, Li Guozhen; and his fourteen -year-old daughter, Wang Yuli. They were arrested because they practiced Falun Gong. Yuli and her grandmother were released the next day. When they returned home, they found that not only had all the Falun Gong books and materials been confiscated, but also all the money they kept in the house had been taken. Yuli's mother was kept in police custody for more than 20 days. Her father, Wang Guihen, was detained in the Nanchang Forced Labor camp. Due to pressure from the government, his company fired him on the second day of his arrest. He was sentenced to one year in a forced labor camp. When on December 25, 1999, Yuli and her family were allowed to see her father, they were shocked at how frail he looked because of the brutal torture and up to 18 hours a day of hard labor every day. In February 2000, her mother was arrested again for mak- ing two phone calls to her overseas relatives (who are also Falun Gong practitioners). Yuli and her 83 -year-old grandmoth- er were left at home again with no money. Her mother was released after more than two months of torture. Her father, Mr. Wang, was not released until July 2000. On December 16, 2000, Yuli, her mother, grandmother, and father went to Beijing to tell the truth about Falun Gong to the government. They were arrested on December 19 in Tiananmen Square. They were beaten very badly while being detained. Ms. Yuli was returned to her home in Nanchang City. She had to live alone because the rest of her family was being held in custody. Her grandmother was released on January 10, 2001. Later, Yuli and her grandmother were arrested again and sent to Nanchang No. 27 North Road Detention Center. They were to be kept there for three months. The police said that they would not be released until a fine of 40,000 Yuan was paid. Yuli's mother and father have been sentenced to a forced labor camp and the police will not tell the family where they are being detained. 78 Mother Detained, Three Children Left Unattended Dong Peilan, and her three daughters aged 8, 10, and 13 Both Ms. Dong Peilan and her husband, Zhao Lanzhou, are Falun Gong practitioners. In January 2000, Ms. Dong Peilan was arrested because she appealed to the government in Beijing for Falun Gong. She was then detained in the No 1J Labor Camp in Gansu Province for one year. After her release on August 25, 2002, she was again arrested while in a local store. Her husband had been forced to leave home over a year ago to avoid arrest and torture and has been missing ever since. Now, their three little girls have been left alone with no one to take care of them. The three children went to Tianshui Police Station three days in a row, crying for the release of their mother. The police refused to free her. The oldest daughter, who was 13, could not bear this tragic situation and ran away from home. She has been missing ever since. The other two daughters, 8 and 10 years old, are having a hard time living by themselves. High School Student Forced to Leave Home I am a 17 -year-old high school student. In June 2001, before an important examination at school, my teachers and the school authorities called me into their offices several times to tell me not to give the true answer to the Falun Gong ques- tions in the examination. However I did not want to lie, so I wrote down the truth about Falun Gong for the questions on the examination. The city education administrator, Yao, and school teacher, Zheng, twice threatened me for this and want- ed to send me to a forced labor camp. When theycame to my house, I managed to escape and g thus avoid being captured and tortured. The authorities and the policemen of Sanjie Town threatened my parents. They told my parents that if they did not turn me in, they would arrest my parents and confiscate our land. The authorities, Dong Xiquan and Wang Jiubing, also beat my parents. On September 3, 2001, to prevent further torture, my parents left home. We are all wandering on the streets. I have not been able to attend school since we became homeless. fl i IIII Persecution against Children An -Eight -Year -Old Girl Died from Mistreatment Gao Jingyu, female, 8 years old, granddaughter of Mr. Gao, 59 - year -old man living in Jiuxian Village, Changping County, Beijing. Gao Jingyu Mr. Gao had three major operations in his life because of poor health, but his illnesses were never cured. In June 1999, Mr. Gao started to practice Falun Gong. Since then, both his physical and mental health have been greatly improved. On March 5, 2000, because Mr. Gao refused to give up practicing Falun Gong, the village officials sent him to the nearby Gaoyakou Military Training Center and forced him to be brain- washed. During Mr. Gao's detention in the military training center, he learned that his granddaughter, Gao Jingyu, had been hos- pitalized with leukemia. Mr. Gao was released from the training center so he could be with his granddaughter. After staying in the hospital for thirteen days, doctors sent her home with some medicine. A month later, she was hospitalized again because her situation worsened. After being admitted to the hospital for the second time, her situation continually became worse. Finally her doctors said that they would not be able to cure her illness. Jingyu was sent back home again. Everybody in Mr. Gao's family was saddened by this. Because of this desperate situation, Mr. Gao said to his family "Let Jingyu practice Falun Gong with me. Falun Gong has cured so many illnesses in my body. I think Falun Gong can save her." From that day on, Mr. Gao started teaching his granddaughter the Falun Gong exercises. Miracles happened soon. Jingyu, who had been so weak and unable to stand, started to recover and even walk. Soon, she wanted a bike, and could ride a fair distance. The whole family was very happy to see the changes in the little girl. Following her recovery, her grandmother, father, and mother started practicing Falun Gong one after another. Gao Jingyu's father would carry her on his back, and they did the exercises together in a public place. A few days later, she was able to walk from home to the practice site by herself. Everybody in the village witnessed her incredi- ble recovery. On July 20, 2000, Mr. Gao and other practitioners in the village went to do the exercises as usual. When they reached the practice site, they saw that the village and town officials, the head of the town's military department, and the town's police officers were waiting there with three cars. The police officers rudely ordered all the practitioners to form a line and forced Jingyu's father to run while carrying her on his back. After he ran to the gas station which is about 400 meters away from the practice site, the officers forced Mr. Gao, his granddaughter, and the other practitioners to get into the car, but made Jingyu's father run in front of the car while the officers were driving. Jingyu was so scared watching her father run. She asked her grandfather "Why do the police make father run in front of the car? What will happen if the car hits my father?" Her father had to keep running all the way until he reached the town's police station, three kilometers away. Yet he still could not rest. The officers forced him to jump up and down in front of his daughter and they even hit him. The police then detained all the practitioners, including little Jingyu. She weakly lay down on the concrete slab, anxious, scared, and confused. She was released and taken back home by her mother after being kept in the cell for more than six hours. Mr. Gao and ten other prac- titioners were later sent to Gaoyakou Training Center, and were closely watched. On July 23, they were released. On the morning of July 24, 2000, Mr. Gao locked the gate to their yard, and did the exercises with four other family mem- bers. A little while later the village official and police officers came and arrested all five of them, including Jingyu. She was released an hour later. The others were detained in the police station for more than 30 hours. After coming back from the police station, Jingyu's situation quickly became worse. She began to vomit blood. On August 18, 2000, Jingyu closed her innocent and confused eyes for the last time and left this world. An eight-year-old child, diagnosed with an incurable dis- ease by the hospital, had gained a little hope by practicing Falun Gong, but finally lost her life after the inhuman treatment received from the heartless police who had lost their con- science and blindly followed the government irrational demands. 79 Persecution against Children An Outstanding Student Stripped of Education, Left Homeless Yin Xiaotian, male, 15, a middle school student, resident of Changchun City, Jilin Province Since July 20, 1999, because Xiaotian went to Beijing twice with his parents to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong, the Anmin Elementary School in Changchun City stripped him of his right to participate in the activities for honor students. He was punished with open criticism in front of the entire school. They also wrote on Xiaotian's record "Went to appeal in Beijing twice and will not give up Falun Gong even after much coaching. As such, he has caused a lot of damage to the school." In the summer of 2001, Xiaotian was accepted at the Chaoyang No.1 Middle School in the Chaoyang District, Changchun City due to his outstanding scores. When the prin- cipal of the No.1 Middle School got his record from the Anmin elementary school, he found out that Xiaotian was a Falun Gong practitioner. Therefore, he was forced to renounce Falun Gong, or not be allowed to attend the school. Since Xiaotian refused to give up Falun Gong, he was sent to the No. 69 Middle School, the lowest ranking middle school in Changchun City. On the first day of school, Xiaotian was forced to renounce Falun Gong, or else not be allowed to attend class. He was also threatened with being sent to the police station if he refused to give up Falun Gong. Therefore, Xiaotian was stripped of his right to attend any school and obtain an education because he refused to renounce Falun Gong. Starting in July 1999, Xiaotian's father, Yin Xueqing, was detained at the Chaoyanggou Labor Camp in Changchun City for a year because he went to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. His mother, Chen Yanmei, was detained at the Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp in Changchun City for one year, and then her term was extended for more than half a year with- out reason. During that year, Xiaotian did not have anybody to take care of him, and he had to live in other people's homes. After being released, his father was again sentenced to two years of forced labor because he practices Falun Gong. While Xiaotian's father detained at the Chaoyanggou Labor Camp, and his mother became homeless to avoid fur- ther persecution. Xiaotian again became a child with no one to take care of him. 80 A Teenager was Force -Fed with Harmful Drug Li Mingwei, a male middle school student at the Experimental Middle School, Anqiu City, Shandong Province One morning in early March, 2001, while Mingwei was still sleeping, eight city officials and policemen broke into his home and arrested him and his mother, leaving his 12 -year-old sister home alone. They were detained in Anqiu City. The Anqiu city official, Song Baojie, had emptied two houses there for the pur- pose of detaining and brainwashing Falun Gong practitioners Li Mingwei started a hunger strike to protest the illegal detention. Five days later he was sent back to school, where he was detained in a small room. Under orders from the Anqiu city official Wei, and as punishment, the school sent him to the Anqiu City People's Hospital for force-feeding. They injected him with an unknown drug that made his whole body numb. They tried to insert a tube into his nose and down to his stom- ach, but failed because the tube was too thick. They then used some equipment to force open his mouth so they could insert it into his stomach. His mouth bled profusely due to this tor- ture. The school officials tried to force Li Mingwei to write a statement saying he was not going to appeal to the govern ment to stop persecuting Falun Gong. If he refused, they told him they would lock him up and not allow him to go back to class. A teacher closely watched him during the day while two students watched him at night. He was forced to watch materia als defaming and lying about Falun Gong. In July 2001, Li Mingwei went to Beijing again to appeal to the government to stop the persecution. He was arrested and sent back to school, where he was detained for the whole sum:- mer. ummer. Li Mingwei started another hunger strike and was aga'n released. One day, he was called from his class to the school office. Several teachers surrounded him and attacked him verbal y. One of the school directors, Jiang Dongpo, slapped him on his face more than ten times. I To avoid further persecution, he had to leave home and wander about. Persecution against Children A Teenager was Sent to a Brainwashing Class 1. Li Zhongwen, male, 17, Jingxing County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province 2. Bai Yuzhi, Li Zhongwen's Mother, 40, worked in the Jingxing County Industry and Business Council, 3. Li Dongliang, Li Zhongwen's Father. On July 20, 1999, when Li Zhongwen was 14 years old, his mother, Bai Yuzhi, was illegally arrested and sentenced to three years of forced labor for practicing Falun Gong. In 2000, his father, Li Dongliang, was also illegally sentenced to three years of forced labor for practicing Falun Gong. Li Zhongwen, also a Falun Gong practitioner, has had to live by himself ever since. The police have ransacked Zhongwen's home several times. He has not seen his parents in over two years. Once when Zhongwen went to visit his father, the guards demanded that he first write a letter renouncing Falun Gong. Zhongwen left with tears in his eyes. In May 2002, Zhongwen was arrested by the Jingxing police and put into a brainwashing class. In the brainwashing class, much physical and mental abuse was exerted to force Zhongwen to give up his belief in Falun Gong. He was also expelled from school. Child Left Unattended While Mother Suffers Fang Siyi, female, 28, hairdresser, Jilin City, Jilin Province. After July 20, 1999, Ms. Fang Siyi was arrested and detained several times because she went to appeal for Falun Gong. Her husband, who had had a good relationship with her in the past, divorced her due to the pressure and the propaganda spread by the government. He also refused to pay child support for their few -months -old child and even helped the police to arrest Ms. Fang. In May and June of 2001, Ms. Fang was detained in the No. 3 Detention Center, Jilin City. In order to regain her free- dom, she started a hunger strike. In fear that her death might cause them problems, the policemen released her. However, she was rearrested before she had a chance to fully recover from the previous torture. To avoid the persecution, she was forced to jump from a second -floor window. Although she broke her left foot, she managed to escape the arrest. Ms. Fang was arrested again in mid-September 2002. The police ransacked her house and took away 810 Yuan in cash, and other valu- ables. She was detained in No. 3 Detention Center in Jilin City. Under the order of Jilin City's "610 Office" and Jilin Police Department, she was soon transferred to Jilin Women's Forced Labor Camp in Changchun City, where she was almost tortured to death. This is also one labor camp where quite a few practi- tioners have been tortured to death. Ms. Fang's three-year-old son is not able to see her, her friends and relatives took turns caring for him. A 12-Year-Old's Predicament Yuan Yuan, male, 12, China Yuan Yuan's mother was given custody of him when she divorced her husband a few years ago. In 1998, Yuan Yuan and his mother began to practice Falun Gong. They benefited both mentally and physically. In April 2000, Yuan Yuan's mother was illegally detained for practicing Falun Gong. As a punishment, the court changed Yuan Yuan's custody to his father. Yuan Yuan's mother was later released, but was rearrested in 2001. After her release, Yuan Yuan requested that his custody be returned to his moth- er. His father always used violence to control him and often vented his anger at Yuan Yuan. One time he injured Yuan- Yuan's head, and the boy could not lay his head on a pillow for more than 10 days. His grades in school also declined. In October 2001, Yuan Yuan filed a petition to the court to return custody to his mother. According to the law, if a child is over ten years of age, the court should consider the child's wish. Yuan Yuan had the right to choose to be with his mother. Yet the court used the fact that his mother practices Falun Gong as an excuse and ruled that custody should be given to the father. This 12 -year-old boy's appeal to be with his mother was rejected. Mother and 15 -Year -Old Son Tortured Ms. Sui Cun, age 44, is a resident of Heijinhe Township, Tangyuan County, Heilongjiang Province. On the night of January 14, 2001, eight people from the local police station and the "610 Office" broke into Ms. Sui's home and took her to the police station. At the police station, policemen Zhou Tiegang and Deng Jian beat Ms. Sui to force her to give up practicing Falun Gong. Policeman Ren Changjun also used an electric baton to shock her head and body. When the police- men were exhausted from beating Ms. Sui, they brought in two thugs from detention center to torture her. The police threatened to beat Ms. Sui's two sons and to send her whole family to jail. Later, they detained her elder son for 24 hours and slapped the fifteen -year-old boy in the face over thirty times, causing his face to swell horribly. Ms. Sui was held in custody for 5 days and 4 nights. Every night policemen beat and tortured her. At the end of each beating, they handcuffed her to the heating pipes in a stand- ing position, so she could not sleep. The police also hand- cuffed her to a door handle, forced her to open the door each time they went through, and spat on her face each time they went through. In April 2001, Ms. Sui was sentenced to one- year of forced labor in the Jiamusi Labor Camp. 81 Persecution against Children Statement from Chen Ying's Mother On August 19, 1999, CCTV broadcast a report about Chen Ying, a first-year student at Shuren High School in Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province. The report stated that Chen Ying, after attempting suicide a few times, had died from jumping off a train. This report did not tell the true story. Chen Ying and Her Mother Chen Ying had practiced Falun Gong since May 1996. She was healthy both physically and mentally. She was an intelli- gent student with an excellent character and was always will- ing to help others. At school, she was vice-president of her class and active in extracurricular activities. She was an honor student for her excellence in academics, sports, and morality, and had received many awards. Her teachers and classmates also spoke highly of her. At home, she was a good helper to her mother and her neighbors were quite fond of her. On July 22, 1999, CCTV announced the ban on Falun Gong. That evening, Chen Ying went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practicing Falun Gong. On July 29, a relative found her at Tiananmen Square in Beijing and took her back to Jiamusi City by train. When the train stopped at Qinhuangdao City, Chen Ying left when the relatives went to a store. The relative contacted Qinhuangdao Railway Station for help, but they were unable to find her. Chen Ying was later arrested in Beijing and put on a train with a train crew officer assigned to watch her. During a two-hour break at a station, Chen Ying escaped while left unattended. On August 2, Chen Ying was arrested in Beijing again and sent to Jiamusi City's Liaison Office in Beijing; how- ever, she managed to escape the next day. On August 4, Chen Ying's father, her school principal, and a school security officer arrived in Beijing to take her home. They searched for her for a week but could not find her. A per- son in charge of the Liaison Office promised to inform Chen Ying's family members and the school principal as soon as she was found. On August 15, Chen Ying was again arrested in Beijing, but no one notified either the school or her family members. On August 16, Chen Ying was escorted back towards Jiamusi City. On the way to Jiamusi City, at around 2:34 p.m., Chen Ying went to the washroom and jumped off the train from 82 the washroom window. The train ran about another 10 kmi before it fully stopped. The head of the train crew and Officer( Li rushed to find Chen Ying and sent her to the Fengrun Hospital in Fengrun City. I At about 5:00 p.m. on August 16, one police officer took me from my workplace to a police station. I was told that I would not be allowed to see my daughter if I still practiced Falun Gong. Because I wanted to see my daughter, I lied and told them that I no longer practiced Falun Gong. They did not tell me that my daughter was already dead. When we arrived at the Fengrun Hotel in Fengrun City after 9:00 p.m. on August 17, Officer Li told us that they had discontinued her oxygen supply on the evening of August 16 when she could not be revived. They had then sent her body to the Fengrun Crematory fo`r freezing. On August 18, in order to see my daughter's body, I was forced to lie again, on a TV interview conducted by the Tianjin TV station on behalf of CCTV, by saying that I had completely stopped practicing Falun Gong. Then, on the same day, I was accompanied by police officers and taken to the crematorium to see my daughter's body. However, I was not allowed to see the cremation, and was forced to leave Fengrun City after 2:00 p.m.. Now, I must tell the truth. What I said to the police and media reporters were all lies, including the story that was pub fish ed in the "Sanjiang Evening Newspaper". On March 29, 2000, I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong as my daughter had done before. I was arrested on the train from Shenyang City to Beijing and sent to a detention cen ter. On April 3, 2000, I was escorted back to Jiamusi City by staff from both my workplace and the police station. I was detained at a detention center for 47 days. 16 -Year -Old Girl Tortured in the Police Station I am 16 years old, and was expelled from school because I am a Falun Gong practitioner. The local police station gave orders to watch my family closely, day and night. II In the evening on September 9, 2001, my younger brother and I went out to post some Falun Gong leaflets. After that, we spent the night at a friend's house. Early the next morning, when I got home, I found that the director of the police station was interrogating my mother, trying to find out where I was. Later they arrested me, and took me to a room on the second floor of the local police station. I was forced me to sit on a small stool. There were two iron rings on the floor, one meter apart. I felt strange. I just tried to stand up and leave the room. However the policeman pushed me back to the stool. Half an hour later, a policeman came` in to interrogate me. He ordered me to lift my head. When' I refused, he pulled my hair. He shouted, "You and your brother posted some leaflets, is that right?" II Persecution against Children I said, "It has nothing to do with my brother. I did it by myself." He asked, "Where did you get the leaflets?" I did not answer him. When he didn't get an answer, he got very angry. He slapped my face. I fell to the ground, and tears started rolling down my cheeks. He pulled my hair and kept on asking. He said, "Someone reported that you posted more than 10 leaflets. If you tell me who gave the leaflets to you, I will release you." I told myself that I would never betray other Falun Gong practitioners. He slapped me many times, and left. Soon, another tall policeman came in with some shackles. He pushed me to the two iron rings on the floor and shackled my right hand to one of them. He sat down in front of me and kicked my chin and head with his leather shoes. He kept asking questions. Then he stood up and slammed my head into the wall. He left without getting any answer from me. Next, two policemen came in, one with an electric baton, and the other with pen and paper. They shackled my left hand to the other ring so that I could not move at all. They shocked me, and repeatedly slapped me, as they kept questioning me. To prevent others from hearing my screams, they locked the door. They shocked my hand, head, and even my neck. The shock was so intense that I lost control of my bladder. I was menstruating at the time. Both urine and blood streamed down from my pants. The shackles cut deep into the flesh of my hands. I started crying from the pain. At last they asked me to stand up. I was too weak to stand. My head felt dizzy, my body kept shaking, and I could not even open my eyes. I told them, "Before, when I watched TV, I learned that shackles and electric batons are only for bad people. I am just 16 year old and haven't done anything wrong. Yet you use them on me like I'm a common criminal." "You spread leaflets," one policeman said. I told them, "I just tried to tell people the facts about 277 Falun Gong practitioners being tortured to death. I didn't com- mit any crime." They were speechless. In the evening, I was taken to a detention center. Wang Lixuan and Her Eight -Month -Old Son Tortured to Death in Tuanhe Labor Camp 1. Wang Lixuan, 2-5 female, 27, resident of Nangou Village, Qixiasikou Town, Yantai City, Shandong Province 2. Meng Hao, son of Wang Lixuan, 8 months old. On October 21, 2000, Ms. Wang Lixuan and her Eight- month -old son, Meng Hao, were arrested by the officials from the local Shandong government's liaison office and detained at Tuanhe Labor Camp in Beijing. They had been on their way to Beijing to appeal to the central government to end the per- secution of Falun Gong. Ms. Wang Lixuan and her son, Meng Hao On November 7, 2000, Ms. Wang and her son were tor- tured to death at Tuanhe Labor Camp, Beijing. When her fami- ly received the death notice and arrived in Beijing, they found the frozen corpses of Ms. Wang and her son. According to the coroner's exam, her neck and knucklebones were broken, her skull was sunken and there was a needle stuck in her body. There were two deep bruises on her son's ankles. Moreover, there were two black and blue spots on his head and blood in his nose. The bruises may have been caused when the guards of the labor camp shackled little Meng Hao's ankles and hung him upside down. Family members of Ms. Wang have also been persecuted. Her sister, Ms. Wang Lihui, was sent to a labor camp merely because she practiced Falun Gong at Yantai University. Her brother was also sent to a labor camp for practicing Falun Gong at Jinan Industrial College. 2. WoonsocketCall.com [RI]: June 30, 2001, Joseph Fitzgerald, Staff Writer, "Students stage protest march to nation's capital" 3. Geocities, July 22, 2001, "Falun Gong Practitioners Light a candle for freedom in Malta" 4. Foster's Online, Jennifer L. Saunders, "Falun Gong holds walk in Portsmouth to expose mass killings in China" 5. Reuters, April 18, 2001, Sue Pleming, "Falun Gong members urge world to condemn China" 83 Persecution against Children Teenage Boy Shocked with Electric Baton and Severely Beaten Men Ying and Men Long are sister and brother. They are teenaged Falun Gong practitioners from Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. On November 16, 2000, they went to Tiananmen Square to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Several police officers grabbed their banner, reading "Falun Gong Is Good," and beat them. The police officers dispersed the crowd that had gathered. Using extreme force, they dragged the practitioners to a police van and took them to the Tiananmen police station. At that time, 30 practitioners were detained there. At midnight, the practitioners were transferred to the Anshun police station. Men Long was sent alone to a secret place. Several police offi- cers took turns beating this teenage boy severely. They stripped off his clothes and forced him to stand on the cement floor, which was covered with cold water. They poured cold water down his body, exposed him to a cold wind, and beat him with a leather belt all over his body. After beating him, the officers prepared another basin of cold water. They forced Men Long to put his hands in the water, and then put an electric baton in the water to shock him. When he took his hands out of the water, the officers handcuffed his hands behind his back and beat him viciously. The police offi- cers even said, "If you still do not give up practicing Falun Gong, we will beat your penis until it is useless." Then these police officers forced an electric baton into Men Long's mouth and shocked him, rendering him unable to speak for several days. Later, they transferred him to the Tongzhou Detention Center of Beijing. There, the police officers instigated two prisoners to beat his face with shoes; they stopped only when they were exhausted. When the police offi- cers took Men Long out of the detention center, a policeman stomped on his chest very hard. Finally, they handed him to police officers from Shuangcheng City. He had been beaten so severely that he could not walk and had to be carried by oth- ers. In just two days, the police had turned a healthy young boy into an unrecognizable one who could not even walk on his own. 84 Elementary School Student and Her Father Became Displaced Persons Xuan Xuemei, female, 5th grade student, class 4 at Xinqi Primary School in Boli County of Heilongjiang Province Xuemei and her mother are Falun Gong practitioners. After' I repeated arrests, Xuemei's mother fled from her home to avoid further persecution. On March 5, 2001, the authorities of Boli County, Heilongjiang Province forced every teacher and stu- dent in the Xinqi Primary School to sign documents slandering Falun Gong. To avoid signing the documents, Xuemei asked to leave. But two days later, the County again sent people to make videos of every teacher and student signing the anti -Falun Gong statements. Xuemei again asked to leave. Xuemei's mother is wanted by police. They exerted pressure on the school to force Xuemei to sign the statements and aid them in tracking down her mother. Teacher Yi Bo was assigned to coerce Xuemei into denouncing Falun Gong. She threatened the little girl for three hours. After returing to class, Xuemei was called to the princi- pal's office again. There were three or four police officers wait- ing for her. They asked her questions like "Is Falun Gong good?,' and "Is Li Hongzhi good?" They also asked her about her moth- er's whereabouts. Xuemei was finally allowed back to class, but the teacher again tried to pressure her to stop practicing Falun Gong. The teacher told her the only way she could attend school was to give up her practice. Eventually Xuemei had to leave school. Because of these kinds of threats, Xuemei's father decid ed to leave home with her, and they are now homeless. Girls Forced to Listen while Mother was Tortured Two teenage girls, one 13 -years -old and one 11, from Xushui County, Hubei Province, were arrested along with their mother for participating in a group Falun Gong exercise section at the County Square. The policemen beat their mother from head to toe in order to find out who the organizers were for trite group Falun Gong exercises. Some of them pulled her hair, oth ers twisted her arms and still others punched her in the eyes. Her eyes became blurred and then she went blind. Blood gushed out of her mouth nonstop. While their mother wes being severely beaten, the girls were also interrogated by the police in the next room. These two girls were also forced to lis- ten to how their mother was being tortured - all the kicking, shouting and belligerence. I Photo overleaf: Ms. Lu Shuqiu with her daughter. For appealing to the authorities not to persecute Falun Gong, Ms. Lu was imprisoned and tortured for eight months in Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp. Frequent force -feedings and electric shocln destroyed her health and damaged her stomach and heart muscle. The labor camp released Ms. Lu to avoid responsibility for her death. She managed to recover, but was then rearrested and tortured to death in Jilin City's liaison office in Beijing. (For the full story, please go to page 36) 86 Forced Divorce and Coerced Family Violence Husband Sent Wife to Mental Hospital for Psychiatric Torture Lu Hongfeng, 1 female, 37, vice-principal of the No. 1 Elementary School, Lingwu City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ms. Lu Hongfeng In March 2000, the Education Bureau of Lingwu City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region suspended Ms. Lu because she signed an appeal letter to the government opposing the persecu- tion of Falun Gong. As a result, she was dismissed from her position as vice-prin- cipal. Ms. Lu's husband, Qin Yuhuan (Secretary General of the Communist Party Committee of No. 1 Construction Company in Lingwu City), took part in per- secuting her. On May 6, 2000, he beat her and kicked her out of their home. On June 7, 2000, Qin Yuhuan, Dong Yun, head of the Hospitalization Department of the Lingwu City Mental Hospital, and Nurse Tao Zhijun abduct- ed Ms. Lu and took her to the Lingwu City Mental Hospital. In the hospital, Ms. Lu was tied to a bed and forcibly injected and force-fed with large amounts of nerve -damaging chemicals. One doctor later revealed that one of the drugs was imported from Germany, and a single tablet was enough to cause an average person to lose consciousness for three days; however, Ms. Lu was forced -fed 24 tablets every day. Ms. Lu was tor- tured in the mental hospital for over 50 days, and by the time she was sent home in July 2000, her central nervous system had already been severely damaged. However, her husband continued to beat her and feed her large doses of nerve -dam- aging drugs. On September 6, 2000, she eventually died from the mental and psychological abuses. To cover up his crime of murder, Qin blamed Ms. Lu's death on Falun Gong. The local government spread the fabri- cated story about Ms. Lu's death through newspapers and on TV, instead of reporting the true situation. Heavy Fines Broke Ms. Wang's Family, and She Died from Persecution Wang Xiuyun, female, 47, resident of Huadian City, Jilin Province Since July 20, 1999, Ms. Wang Xiuyun had been arrested and detained many times for going to Beijing to appeal to the government for an end of the per- secution of Falun Gong. The police had extorted over 30,000 Yuan from Ms. Wang's family. Ms. Wang's husband could not endure the persecution and divorced her. To avoid further arrests and persecution, Ms. Wang had been liv- ing on the streets. On June 3, 2002, Ms. Wang and eight other Falun Gong practitioners were kidnapped and incarcerated at the Political Security Division of the Huadian City Police Department. The police beat Ms. Wang savagely, hung her up, shocked her with elec- tric batons, forced her to sit still on an iron stool for long peri- ods of time, and suffocated her by pulling a plastic bag over her head. Ms. Wang Xiuyun On October 9, 2002, the Huadian City Court staged a secret trial for Ms. Wang and sentenced her to 12 years in prison. Ms. Wang filed an appeal to challenge the sentencing and went on a hunger strike for 49 days, but the police contin- ued torturing her. As a result, she developed pulmonary edema and pleural effusion. For three months, she had difficulty breathing and had to sit upright all day and night because of the orthopnea. She was hospitalized at the end of November 2002. After three days in the hospital, Ms. Wang's condition remained critical. However, the police forcibly took her back to the detention center against the doctor's warning. On December 7, 2002, Ms. Wang had to be returned to the hospi- tal because of her worsening condition. Four days later, despite her critical condition, and despite the pending appeal, the police took her from the hospital and sent her to the Heizuizi Prison in Changchun City, Jilin Province. She died ten days later. 1. Radio Free Asia: "Three More Falun Gong Practitioners Died Abnormally" 87 Forced Divorce and Coerced Family Violence Forcibly Divorced and Tortured in Jail Hospital Sun Yuncheng, female, an employee of a satellite -tracking cen- ter, Xi'an Province. In December 2000, Ms. Sun Yuncheng was illegally sen- tenced to one and a half years in jail for going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. Her husband, a military officer with the rank of divisional commander, was forced to quit his job because Ms. Sun practiced Falun Gong. Ms. Sun was further threatened that if she did not give up her Falun Gong practice, both she and her husband would lose their jobs. When Ms. Sun refused to denounce Falun Gong, they were both dismissed from their jobs. Under the intense pressure, her husband was coerced to. Ms. Sun lost her family, her job, her apartment, and became a homeless person. On September 12, 2002, police from the Beilin Police Station illegally arrested Ms. Sun and confiscated 41,700 Yuan. They interrogated her for two days and nights with her hands cuffed behind her back, with one hand pulled over her shoulder and the other one pulled up from the waist. The handcuffs broke the skin and cut into her flesh. Later, her arms were hung up over her head and she was forced to squat down for over ten hours. At the same time, police used sticks to twist her arms. To protest and resist the persecution, Ms. Sun went on a hunger strike, and was sent to the Jail Hospital in Ankang City, where she continued the hunger strike. Police doctors tortured her in various ways and injected her with unknown drugs. Each time before she was injected, she would be bound to a bed for about ten hours, causing her hands to bruise. She was left to sleep on a bare bed with no quilts or sheets. She was not allowed to use the toilet, and had to urinate in her pants. During her hunger strike, she frequently vomited yellow fluids, and her urine was a red color. Some nights, she could not go to sleep. Even in such a situation, she was force-fed; the prison police would forcibly insert the tube into her mouth. Sometimes the tube was inserted into her windpipe. Almost every time, her nose or mouth would bleed because of the tube insertion. Once, after the police failed to insert the tube into her mouth after more than ten tries, the angry head nurse, Liu Qi, forcefully struck Ms. Sun's mouth. In the end, the police could not break her will, and released her. She is currently homeless. 88 Father Forced to Send Daughter to a Mental Hospital Cheng Weihong, female, resident of Yanshan District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. i In April 2000, Ms. Cheng Weihong went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Sl e was arrested and sent to the Shandong Provincial Menta Hospital by the police from Heping Road Police Station in Lixia District. In the mental hospital, she was forced to take drugs and given injections that caused muscle spasms in her neck and severe loss of her mental faculties. After Ms. Cheng way released from the hospital, the police ordered her parents to monitor her. The local police also monitored her parents' house every day. Later, the local authorities ordered her father to send Ms. Cheng to the mental hospital again, or else lose their house and suffer arrest and jailing of other family mer l- bers. Ms. Lu's father pleaded to the Secretary of the District Political and Legal Committee. However, nobody cared about his appeal because persecuting Falun Gong was the national policy. Under the pressure, Ms. Lu's father sent his daughter back to the mental hospital against her will. The Tribulations of Disabled Bo Minghua and Her Family�i Bo Minghua, female, over 50, resident of Huainan City, Anhui 111 Ms. Bo Minghua is a Falun Gong practitioner who has been blind since birth and cannot care for herself. On August 21, 2000, merely for her practice of Falun Gong, the police intert'o- gated her at the Huainan City Panji District Police Station for three days and nights, without allowing her to sleep. Then they sent her to the Hefei City Women's Labor Camp. The labor camp did not accept her because of her blindness. Province. She is blind. At around midnight on August 21, 2001, Wang Huaijing and Xu Hong from the Politics and Security Section of the Huainan City Panji District Police Station, Huainan City, An,fiui Province again ransacked Ms. Bo's home, this time sending her husband for brainwashing in Huainan City. Ms. Bo and tier daughter were separately detained at the Huainan City Panji District Police Station. On the third day, Ms. Bo was senttor brainwashing because she refused to give up Falun Gong. She was forced to write a so-called "transformation statement." `she second day after her release she immediately wrote a solemn declaration that the "transformation statement" was invalid. This both exposed and shocked the police. They tried to arrest her again, so she had to leave home. Ms. Bo is now living1on the streets. I Forced Divorce and Coerced Family Violence Under Intense Pressure, Ms. Zhang's Husband Divorced Her Zhang Yufen, female, an instructor at the Changchun Technology and Engineering University in Jilin Province Ms. Zhang Yufen was an excellent young instructor at the Changchun Technology and Engineering University. However, she was persecuted simply because she refused to stop prac- ticing Falun Gong. In 2001, Ms. Zhang scored the second-high- est grade on the admissions exam and was accepted to a PhD program at the university. However, the director of the Office of Graduate Studies removed Ms. Zhang's name from the PhD program because Ms. Zhang was a Falun Gong practitioner. At the end of April 2002, the university's Party Secretary, Wang Guozhong, cut off Ms. Zhang's salary. The university authorities also forced Ms. Zhang's husband to send her to a brainwashing center. They deceived Ms. Zhang's husband, telling him that everything would be fine in the brainwashing center, and that all of Ms. Zhang's withheld salary would be returned to the couple. Under pressure, Ms. Zhang's husband cooperated with the university authorities, enabling them to kidnap Ms. Zhang and force her to attend the Xinglongshan brainwashing center in Changchun City. While Ms. Zhang was detained in the brainwashing center, the authorities further forced her husband to divorce her. In the brainwashing center, Ms. Zhang was persecuted in various ways. She was locked in a solitary confinement room and forced to read government propaganda materials slandering Falun Gong. Ms. Zhang tried to escape from the brainwashing class, but fell from the fourth story of a building. She broke her neck during the fall, and her present condition is extremely serious. Forced to Divorce and Tortured in a Psychiatric Hospital Hu Keling, female, a teacher at the Shiyan Middle School of Laixi City, Shandong Province. On December 28, 2001, Ms. Hu Keling was arrested sim- ply because she visited the home of another Falun Gong prac- titioner. Ms. Hu's husband, Gao Ruibo, was a Communist Party leader in Diabu Town. Because he was under pressure and wanted to protect his position, Gao divorced Ms. Hu. The Municipal Court cooperated with the Laixi city authority to expedite the process and "legalize" the divorce on the second day. The court not only gave all of their property to Gao, but also ordered Ms. Hu to pay 400 Yuan per month in child sup- port for their daughter. Because he cooperated with the authorities, Gao was pro- moted, and became a Communist Party leader in Laixi City. Gao proudly intensified his persecution of his ex-wife. He beat Ms. Hu many times, causing her head and body to become very bruised. Her legs and feet were swollen. When Ms. Hu prac- ticed the Falun Gong exercises, he would urinate on her. Gao even tried to forcibly send Ms. Hu to a mental hospital, but Ms. Hu managed to escape. While Ms. Hu was forced to become homeless, Gao deceived their daughter, causing her to develop hostility toward her mother. When Ms. Hu was forced to flee from her home, Gao coop- erated with the Laixi City "610 Office" to have Ms. Hu arrested. Eventually, Gao's information led to Ms. Hu's second arrest in late September 2002. Gao then signed documents to send Ms. Hu to the Laixi City Mental Hospital, although he was Ms. Hu's ex-husband and had no legal right to do so. Ms. Hu suffered vicious psychiatric torture in the mental hospital. She was tied to a bed, beaten, shocked, forcibly injected, and fed nerve -damaging drugs. According to a wit- ness, Ms. Hu's entire body is swollen, and her life is in immi- nent danger. 89 Forced Divorce and Coerced Family Violence Wang Xingui Forced to Leave Home Wang Xingui, female, farmer from Hejiadian, Shandan Village, Wushan County, Gansu Province. Ms. Wang Xingui, her husband, Mr. Huang Yuanyi, and their two children are all Falun Gong practitioners. Since the July 1999 banning of Falun Gong in China, they have been arrested, detained, beaten, and fined many times. Their home has also been ransacked frequently and they have become destitute. On November 23, 2000, to avoid being detained, the couple was forced to leave home and live on the streets. On December 22, 2000, they went to Beijing to appeal to the gov- ernment to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Mr. Huang's mother and two of his children also went to Beijing to appeal in early January 2001. Mr. Huang, his mother, and the children were arrested and escorted back to Wushan County. Police released only the 10 -year-old daughter. Mr. Huang, his mother, and the 18 -year-old son are still being detained. Mr. Huang's 66 -year- old father could not bear the persecution of his family and committed suicide; the family was not permitted to hold a funeral for him. In Beijing, Ms. Wang was detained at the Xuanwu District Detention Center, where she was forced to sleep on the cement floor without any covers. She refused to give her name and address and was beaten by three prison guards. In protest, Ms. Wang began a hunger strike. Fearing that she would die from the hunger strike and the cold, the police dragged her out of the detention center and left her on a street in Beijing on the evening of the 19th day of her hunger strike. She was on the verge of death. She cannot return to her home because she would most likely be arrested again, and so she must live in exile in other provinces. Ms. Wang's grandmother -in-law, who is over 80 years old, lives alone with no one to take care of her. Ms. Wang's 15 -year- old son is having a very difficult time working on the farm to support two families, and Ms. Wang's 10 -year-old daughter is in foster care. Forcibly Divorced and Dead from Torture in a Labor Camp Hou Youfang, female, 48, a physics teacher at Xipo Village Middle School of Jinchang City, Gansu Province. Ms. Hou Youfang went to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. As a result, she was dismissed from the school and fined more than 9,000 Yuan (the average monthly income of an urban worker is 500 Yuan). Her family could not afford such a large sum of money. Under the pres- sure, her husband divorced her, thereby keeping his job secure. In August 2001, Ms. Hou was sent to Ping'antai Labor Camp in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province because she practiced Falun Gong. On November 29, 2002, Ms. Hou was tortured to 90 death at the labor camp. Her ribs and pelvis were severely frac- tured, her internal organs were badly injured, and her body had hemorrhaged internally. Shortly after her death, the police sent her body to be cremated. Yu Ruiying and Her Husband Became Homeless to Avoid Further Persecution 1. Yu Ruiying, female, 47, resident of Haiyang City,Shandong Province 2. Qi Xuekuai, male, Yu Ruiying's Haiyang City, Shandong Province husband, resident of On July 21, 1999 Ms. Yu Ruiying went to Beijing to appeal to the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong pray+ titioners. Ms. Yu was arrested and escorted back to Haiyang City, and detained at an anti -Falun Gong Brainwashing Class'. After her release, she wrote a letter to the local political depart ment explaining how she had benefited from practicing Falurr Gong. Once again Ms. Yu was sent to the brainwashing class. On February 4, 2000, Ms. Yu was held in custody just for hav- ing stepped outside of her house. The next day, she practiced Falun Gong exercises outdoors and was detained for fifteen days. 11 Through her husband's workplace the police tried to pres- sure Ms. Yu to renounce Falun Gong. They told her husband Mr. Qi Xuekuai that he had three options: he would have to prevent her from appealing or practicing Falun Gong or they would su- pend his salary, he would have to pay for someone to keep sur- veillance on her, or they would send her to the mental hospital and he would have to pay for the drugs used on his wife. Her husband chose the first option. Therefore, he had to report to the work place everyday about his wife. Mr. Qi was unable to work for a month due to the mental pressure. Yet tie police of the Haiyang City Police Station kept on threatens+g him. Finally Mr. Qi could not bear the pressure any more and left, leaving Ms. Yu and their daughter at home. u On July 20, 2000, Ms. Yu went to visit her mother. The police from the Haiyang Police Station with camera in hand came to arrest her, fortunately, she had already left for iter younger sister's house. Then, the police headed her sistp's house immediately, but Ms. Yu managed to escape, however, she could not return home anymore. The police constantly threaten Ms. Yu's daughter, a high school student. This younger girl's performance at school is adversely affected by the aggravating situation. I Torture Methods Torture Methods 1. Forced to stand for a long time A victim is forced to stand still, facing a wall, all day long. This punishment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. This abuse usually lasts several days. If victims can- not hold still they will be severely beaten. This torture has a number of variations, including: 1.1 Back Against the Wall: A victim is forced to stand or kneel down with the back against the wall, head dropped forward, and both hands pulled up from behind. 1.2 Standing in the "Army Corps" Posture: A victim is _ forced to stand under the scorching sun. The feet are plant- ed on the fiery ground, sometimes without shoes or socks. Besides the agony of standing for a long time, the victim suffers sunburn. 1.3 Exhausting an Eagle: A victim is forced to stand on a tall stool. When vic- tims fall from exhaustion, the police will viciously beat them and force them back on to the stool. 1.4 Body -Folding: A victim is forced to stand with both legs straight and close together, and bend the head down as far as it will go toward the feet, in front of the knees. The fingers point to the ground, and the head is upside down, forcing the body into a contorted posture. 2. Forced to Sit for a Long Time A victim is forced to sit still for a long time, often for many days. This punish- ment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. This torture can result in poor blood circulation to the lower limbs, necrosis in the buttocks, and nerve damage from the waist down. There are several variations of this torture, including: 2.1 Iron Chair Sitting: A victim is shackled to a chair made of iron wires for more than a week. The wires hurt the victim's buttocks. 2.2 Board Sitting: A victim is forced to sit on rough wood- '"""'"'""'"'"4 en boards. 2.3 Triangle Board Sitting: Sitting on an iron board with sharp peaks and grooves. This often causes the victim's hips to bleed and fester. 3. Forced to Squat for a Long Time A victim is forced to squat still for a long time, often for many days. This pun- ishment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. This torture can result in poor blood circulation to the lower limbs, muscle spasms, and nerve damage. There are several variations of this torture, including: 3.1 Riding a Horse: A victim is forced to squat down with the legs apart and both arms raised forward parallel to the ground. 3.2 Squatting on a Square: A victim is forced to squat in a square floor brick measuring 30 by 30 cm [approximately 1 ft. by 1 ft.] for a long time. The head must be raised and the feet cannot cross the demarcated line. 3.3 Squatting in a Corner: A victim is forced to a corner of a room using tables or boards, leaving only a small space, and forced to squat down. 3.4 Squatting with Heels up: A victim is forced to squat over nails sticking out of the ground under one's heels, and must keep the heels raised to avoid the nails. 92 This was an infamous torture in China during the Cultural Revolution. A victim'sf head is bent down and hands are pulled up and stretched outwards to both' sides of the body (like the wings of an airplane). The victim is forced to stay still in this position for a long time. This punishment is often combined with the deprivation of food, water, sleep, and the use of the toilet. 4. Riding an Airplane 4.1 Backing up an Airplane: This is a variation of "riding an airplane". A victim must bend over while hold- ing the legs straight. Then, with the feet close together, the arms are lift- ed as high as possible, with the hands touching the wall. 5. Forced to Run for a Long Time A victim is forced to run non-stop for over ten hours, or else suffer a harsh beat - 6. Forced to Stand Outside on a Winter Night; Forced to Stand it Snow or on Ice with Bare Feet ing. A victim is forced to stay outside in the biting cold overnight, or stand in snow or on ice. Countless Falun Gong practitioners have suffered this torture, include ing women and the elderly. Some are even stripped naked. 7. Forced to Stay in Closed Chamber in the Heat of Summer A victim is locked in a closed room with no window in the summer heat. Many Falun Gong practitioners have suffered this torture. Sometimes the police even pour hot water on the floor to make the chamber "steamier". 8. Deprivation of Sleep, Food, Water; Deprivation of Use of Toile, Sanitary Napkins, Shower, Change of Clothes; Prohibition of Eye Contact and Talk; Bombarded with Deafening High -Pitch Sounds, Shined with Intense Light li Police have exploited any and every basic physiological need or sense to or- ture Falun Gong practitioners. Anyone not obeying will be viciously beaten. 9. Pouring Boiling Water or Icy Water over Head This usually is the first punishment one receives in jail. Many Falun Gong practitioners have suffered this "routine" torture. 10. Handcuffs and Shackles To Chinese police forces, handcuffs and shackles are not merely devices of mobility restraint, but also torture equipment. Many handcuffs and shackles that cannot be seen in other parts of the world are used by Chinese police: those that are very tight and cut into wrists and ankles, those that are self -tightening, those that have spikes, and so on. Following are several variations of tortures handcuffs and shackles. 10.1 Handcuffed Behind the Back: A victim handcuffed in this way cannot use the bathroom, eat or sleep. Torture Methods 10.2 Carrying a Sword over the Back:: A victim's hands are tied behind his back with one hand over the shoulder and the other hand against the lower back. The police then apply a great deal of force to pull the two hands toward one another and handcuff the two hands together. Usually, this torture causes victims to faint in just 20 minutes. However, police handcuff prac- titioners this way for as long as four hours. 10.3 Hell Cuff: This is a device intended for mur- derers or death row inmates. The pliers -shaped ----- clasps dig into a victim's wrists and ankles. A vic- tim wearing a "hell cuff" cannot stand, squat, move, or sleep. 10.4 The Foot Shackle Combined with Handcuffs: One of a victim's hands is handcuffed to the other hand between the legs. The shackle weighs over 20 pounds. The victim cannot go to sleep, walk, stand, use the bathroom, or eat a meal. They have to walk in a half -squatting and bowing position. Police often torture practitioners this way for weeks. 10.5 Running in Chains: Several victims are hand- cuffed and shackled together and forced to run non-stop. 711..161-0 C. 11. Solitary Confinement Solitary confinement, widely condemned around the world, is among the cru- elest tortures. In China, police have used tortures beyond usual solitary con- finement against Falun Gong practitioners. Following are only a few of the examples: 11.1 Locked in Small Cell: A small cell is a room of less than three square meters. It has no window, no bed, no water, and no toilet. A victim is locked in a small cell for months, having to eat, sleep, and excrete in the same small area. Since the height of the room is less than 1.5 meters, one cannot stand straight. To exacerbate the agony, the guards often hand- cuff the victim in the small cell door so the victim cannot sleep for many days. 11.2 Locked in Iron Cage: The height of the cage is short- er than a victim's height. The width and length are calcu- lated so that the person can neither stand straight nor lie down. The victim is often handcuffed to the rail and can- not sleep. Many Falun Gong practitioners have been locked up this way for as long as 120 days. They are men- tally and physically tortured. 11.3 Tied to a Death Board: This variation of solitary confinement was origi- nally conceived for and used on death row criminals. The victim is tied to an iron or wooden board for weeks with four limbs stretched out and locked, and cannot move at all. The victim is tied down at all times, having to be fed by someone else, but sleeping and excreting are all done on the board, for this reason the victim is often stripped naked. The victim suffers not only from solitary confinement, but also the excruciating pain of feeling their whole body atrophying. Many practi- tioners have lost their lives from this torture. 11.4 Leaning Against a Big Board: This is a variation of the "death board" tor- ture. The victim is forced to lie down on a bed made of a wooden board with- out any padding for many days at a time with feet and hands fixed to the bed. 11.5 Water Dungeon: This is a deadly solitary con- finement. A victim is stripped naked, locked in an iron cage with spikes on all sides, and lowered into a pit of filthy water until the water reaches the vic- tim's neck. The victim cannot lean to any side because of the spikes, and cannot squat down because the water. Many practitioners have suf- fered this torture and some have died. 12. Cuffed and Hung up Hung up'by handcuffs, in its most simple form, causes excruciating pain. Chinese police have added many cruel variations to this torture. Most Falun Gong practitioners jailed have suf- fered this in one form or another. The following are just a few examples: 12.1 Tying up the horse: A victim is hand- cuffed and shackled, and the arms are pulled up behind the back, with the head down, and then tied up with a rope that also loops around the neck. Then the police pull the end of the rope to tighten it around the prac- titioner as much as possible. This torture can cause death. 12.2 Hanging a Cage: A victim's hands are twisted behind his back and hand- cuffed. The police then pull the hands over the head and hang him up in the air until the feet are off the ground. 12.3 Big Hang: A victim is hung upside-down by the feet. This is a deadly tor- ture, and some Falun Gong practitioners have died from this. 12.4 Hung up from Behind: With both hands tied or cuffed behind the back, the victim is hung up by the arms or the handcuffs, with both feet off of the ground, or just touching the ground. Both hands and arms will soon lose feel- ing and will go numb from lack of blood circulation. Countless Falun Gong prac- titioners have suffered this brutal torture. Some have even been hung up for several days. 13. Tying the Ropes A thin rope is used to tightly encircle the neck and the rope is wrapped around the victim's arms. Then the police use all the force they can muster to tighten the rope. The rope becomes tighter and tighter around the body of the prac- titioner, cutting into the flesh and making it more and more difficult for him to breathe. The pain is so intense that the victim sometimes loses control of the bladder. In many cases the rope was tightened to the point of breaking a practitioner's arm. Sometimes the practitioner is hung from a high place with the rope as well. Sometimes there are spikes on the rope. When the rope is tightly fastened, it cuts into the flesh, which is extremely painful. This torture is known to cause death if used twice in a row; however, some practitioners have suffered this up to 10 times in a row. 14. Tiger Bench A victim is tied on a narrow wooden or iron bench by the thighs and knees, with hands tied behind the back. Increasing number of boards or bricks inserted under his feet creates excruciating pain. The police often use this device to immobilize Falun Gong practitioners to force-feed them. 93 Torture Methods 15. Live Hemp Torture Hemp is a perennial plant. Its stems and leaves are covered with fine hairs and sharp, poisonous thorns. After contact with hemp, the skin immediately becomes inflamed, extremely itchy, and painful. This torture was used against underground Chinese Communist Party members during China's civil war in the 1940's, and was banned after the Chinese Communists assumed power in 1949. But police now use fresh hemp stalks to slap Falun Gong practition- ers' faces, or strip practitioners naked and throw them onto a pile of hemp. 16. Electric Baton Shock This is by far the most common torture used by the police against Falun Gong practitioners. Practitioners have been shocked with as many as a dozen batons at a time, with voltages as high as 30,000 volts, often for several hours. Countless practitioners have suffered flesh burns, some having ears, hands, or feet charred from the electric shocks. The police have shocked practitioners' eyes, nipples, and penises. The police have also forced these batons into practitioners' mouths or vaginas to shock them. Many Falun Gong practitioners have died from electric baton shocks. 17. Beating Buttocks Literally, this torture is called "passing the board". A victim is forced to the ground and beaten viciously with a board, club, or baton, dozens or hundreds of times. This often causes the buttocks to become black and blue. 18. Force -Feeding This is another torture commonly used by police against practitioners, and it is the number one cause of deaths of Falun Gong practitioners. Almost every Falun Gong practitioner who has gone on a hunger strike in detention has suf- fered from force-feeding. Many practitioners not even on hunger strikes have also been tortured using this method. The purpose of police force-feeding is never to nourish, but rather to punish practitioners and to cause so much pain that they will renounce Falun Gong practice. To that end, the police have used many different means to cause excruciating pain and injury, including: 18.1 Inserting and Withdrawing the Feeding Tubes Repeatedly: The police usually use a tube inserted through a practitioner's nose to force-feed. Often, even when the tube is already inserted, the police pull it out again and re-insert it. This can be repeated many times. Many practitioners have died from the tube piercing through their lungs. 18.2 Leaving the Feeding Tubes in Stomach: This is another way to cause pain. Practitioners tortured this way are usually handcuffed. 18.3 Knocking off Teeth to Force -Feed: To force practitioners to open their mouths, the police resort to the most barbaric violence, knocking out practi- tioners' teeth, tearing apart practitioners' lips, or even poking holes in practi- tioners' cheeks. 94 18.4 Force -Feeding Saturated Salt -Water: This causes intense pain in the gut. Many practitioners have died from this because of the resulting dehydration. 18.5 Force -Feeding Vinegar/Liquor: Several Falun Gong practitioners have died from this. 18.6 Force -Feeding Hot Pepper Oil/Mustard Oil/Boiling Water: These cause burns and intense pain in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. 18.7 Force -Feeding Urine/Feces 19. Bamboo Sticks under the Fingernails The police hammer sharp bamboo sticks into the fingers of the practitioners through the tip of the fingernails. In the process of the hammering, the fingernail will get torn off completely. The police first hammer the bamboo stick into one finger. If the practition- er still refuses to yield, the police will hammer bamboo sticks into succes- sive fingers until they mutilate all 10 fingers. 20. Burning The police have used cigars and cigarette lighters to burn fingers, toes, faces, nipples, vaginas, and other parts of practitioners' bodies. While burning them, the police say, "I will stop when you give up Falun Gong." 21. Hot and Spicy Chicken Legs A victim is forced to lie on the ground. The inmates then take turns jumping high up in the air and then landing on the upper legs of the practitioner with one foot. 22. Bed Pressing A victim is handcuffed and shackled and forced to sit down on the ground.; A bed is then placed over his head and several people get on the bed pressing down and jumping on the bed. This often causes the victim to lose control of the bladder and bowels. 23. Dog Bites Police have let loose dogs to attack Falun Gong practitioners in a number of deten- tion centers and labor camps. 24. Suffocation The police pull a plastic bag over the head of a practitioner. While the practi- tioner is suffocating and gagging, the police will ask, "Will you give up Falun Gong?" Sometimes the police use thick paper soaked in water to cover the faces of practitioners to suffocate them. 25. Forcing Head into Bucket of Urine it Torture Methods 26. Sexual Torture In addition to the tortures that the police use on both male and female Falun Gong practitioners, the police use many female -specific tortures against Falun Gong practitioners. These include: Rape / gang rape Forced abortion Pinching / pinching off or biting off of nipples Needling nipples Electric baton shock of nipples and vaginas Bottle / baton rape Stuffing dirty socks into vagina / anus Burning the vagina with a cigar Inserting and rotating brushes inside the vagina 95 l The Falun Gong Human Rights.Woi king Group is a volunteer group dedicated to the human rights cause of Falun Gong practitioners. Our main activities include the collection, compilation of human rights violation cases against Falun Gong practitioners, and the submission of these cases to the United Nations; governments of world countries, and international human rights. -organizations. We also seek to publicize the Falun Gong crisis to bring about public awareness. We welcome your suggestion and participation. ' I II I Ii The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group I flghrwg@faluninfo.net I 1 For updated information on Falun Gong, please visit: http://www.faluninfo.net 11 M ./ A practitioner displays a banner in support of Falun Gong as a plainclothes policeman approaches to arrest her on Tiananmen Square in Beijing