Ms. Cui was an employee of the Henan Province Grains and Oils Import & Export Corp. In May 2003, police arrested her because she was publicly distributing flyers exposing the persecution of Falun Gong in China.According to sources familiar with her case, Ms. Cui was pressured by police in an attempt to coerce her to write a “guarantee statement” to give up her practice of Falun Gong. Numerous sources in China say police and detention centre personnel are rewarded – usually monetarily and/or through promotion – for obtaining such “guarantee statements” from Falun Gong practitioners. Despite the attempts, Ms. Cui refused to write the statement, so she was taken to the Heizhuang Detention Centre in Jinshui District where she was sentenced to one-and-a-half years of forced labour.

Ms. Cui went on a hunger strike to protest her illegal arrest, detention and sentence. Consequently, detention centre officials began to force-feed her.

More often used as a torture technique than a method for supplying the victim with nutrients, more than 10% of all deaths of Falun Gong practitioners in Chinese custody have resulted from force feeding. On one occasion while force-feeding Ms. Cui, an eyewitness reports that Detention Centre Chief Cheng Haitao observed blood on the force-feeding tube, but told Ms. Cui, “Don’t even think about getting out, even if you bleed.”

By July 18, Ms. Cui had grown so emaciated and weak from the torturous force-feedings and other abuse that authorities grew wary of her dying in the detention centre. Therefore, they ordered her sister to take her home. Ms. Cui died eleven days later, on July 29, 2003.
Units responsible for her persecution and their telephone numbers in Zhenzhou City
(add 86-371 before each phone number except the cell phone):

Jinshui Distric Police Department: 6256038 Political and Security Section of Jinshui District Police Department: 6256038 Sectionchief: LiXinjian: 86-13017662358 (cell) Deputy Chief: Tao Wenyue
Jinshui District Detention Centre: 5942156 Chief: Cheng Haitao. (an eyewitness says Cheng Haitao actively took part in torturing Falun Gong practitioners, and administered some of the fatalwounds to Ms.Cui) Henan Province Grains and Oils Import & Export Corp: 3944901

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practise of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” It is a practise that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practises such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practised in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practising Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practise in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang’s regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practise while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practise it.

The Falun Dafa Information Centre has verified details of 765 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.