Thirty-Four Practitioners Died Due to Persecution

Mr. Gong Zhanyuan, 81, was a resident of Faku Town, Faku County, Liaoning Province. He went with other practitioners to the provincial government to appeal for Falun Gong and was very active in telling people the truth about Falun Dafa. However, the authorities harassed him mercilessly, and all his fellow practitioners from his area, including his two daughters, were detained, sent to forced labour camps, and subjected to brainwashing. Mr. Gong was traumatised by all of this and his health deteriorated. He passed away on October 21, 2004.

Ms. Li Sulian, 80, was a resident of Longwei Village, Mutoudeng Town, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. She had enjoyed excellent health since she started to practise Falun Gong in 1995. Once she fell and broke her arm, and another time she suffered a serious stroke. Because she firmly believed in Dafa, she recovered quickly both times without medical treatment. After July 20, 1999, because her home was a practice site, authorities from the township government broke into her home and confiscated a lot of materials. Ms. Li was traumatised and deeply regretted that she was not able to protect the Dafa materials. She had several strokes and died in June 2004.

Ms. Yu Yan was a 37-year-old resident of Changchun City, Jilin Province. Ms Yu had a high fever at the age of three. She was taken to a hospital where she was given injections. As a result, she became mentally disoriented. Shortly after she began to practise Falun Gong in 1995, she recovered from this condition. In January 2000, Ms. Yu and her mother, also a practitioner, went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa. Police in Beijing arrested them and took them to the Tiananmen Police Station. As the officials in the Changchun City Liaison Office in Beijing were taking them back to Changchun City, Ms. Yu and her mother were separated. In the vehicle, the officers tried to force Ms. Yu to squat down and wouldn't allow her to sit. When she refused, they beat her, viciously punching her head and face. When Ms. Yu still refused to cooperate with them, they continued to beat her. They stopped when other practitioners shouted, "Don't beat her, she is disabled!" Ms. Yu's face was covered with black and purple bruises. After they arrived in Changchun City, Ms. Yu was detained in the Daguang Detention Centre for 10 days, where she was infected with scabies. After she was released, the scabies covered her entire body, which itched terribly and kept her awake at night. Shortly after, she developed hemiplegia and became paralysed. She passed away on July 21, 2004.

Ms. Zhao Shuzhen, 88, was a resident of Houbu Village, Yongling Town, Xinbin County, Liaoning Province. She suffered from severe heart disease before practising Falun Gong. After July 20, 1999, officials from the local township government and police station came to her home many times and harassed her. They searched for Falun Dafa books and tried to stop her from studying the books and practising Falun Gong. They also arrested Ms. Zhao's daughter many times. Ms. Zhao was traumatised by all of this and could no longer bear the pain of seeing her daughter tortured. She had a heart attack and died on March 19, 2002.

Ms. Xu Suxian, 77, was a resident of Tangmazhai Village, Liaoyang County, Liaoning Province. After July 20, 1999, the police often harassed and threatened her, which adversely affected her mind and body. She died in July of 2003.

Mr. Yi Lichun was a 73-year-old resident of Dasiping Town, Xinbin County, Liaoning Province. He recovered from many of his old illnesses after practising Falun Gong. After July 20, 1999, he was prohibited from practising Falun Gong. After some time, his old illnesses came back, and he died on February 5, 2005.

Ms. Yi Xiuqin, 58, was a practitioner and resident of Zhuanghe City, Liaoning Province. The authorities arrested her on September 4, 1999, and detained her for 17 days in the Zhuanghe City Detention Centre. As a result of the persecution, Ms. Yi's old illnesses came back after she was released. She died April 18, 2001.

Mr. Han Renming was a 72-year-old practitioner of the Xianweili Community, Haigang District, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. After he began to practise Falun Gong in 1996, he recovered from his severe heart disease. After July 20, 1999, Mr. Han clarified the truth many times to people. Because there was no environment for group cultivation, Mr. Han became mentally depressed. He suffered under the persecution of Falun Dafa and its practitioners. He died in November of 2003.

Ms.Wang Suqin, 64, of Longwei Village, Mutoudeng Town, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, suffered from heart disease, caused by a lung disorder. She was taken to the hospital emergency many times. After she started to practise Falun Gong, her condition improved significantly. She was again able to do household chores. After July 20, 1999, the TV stations broadcast programmes slandering Falun Dafa continuously. Ms. Wang wept in front of the TV and said to herself, "Now that (the government) forbids me from practising Falun Gong, what should I do?" She was traumatised, suffered from a sudden relapse of her former heart disease, and died on July 26, 1999.

Ms. Li Junying, 55, was a resident of Changshuidi Village, Xintun Town, Zaoqiang County, Hebei Province. She had breast cancer before practising Falun Gong in 1998. After she began to practise, she recovered from this condition. Because of the persecution after July 1999, she suffered a relapse and died in November of 2003.

Ms. Shi Gejing was a resident of Xinzhuang Town, Jizhou City, Hebei Province. She started to practise Falun Gong in 1997. After the persecution began, her family members, pressured by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government, often tortured her. On October 10, 2003, Ms. Shi was tortured to death.

Ms. Teng Peixiang, 51, was a resident of Anshan Village, Tumen City, Jilin Province. She was mentally disoriented and suffered many illnesses before practising Falun Gong. After she started to practise in 1997, she regained her physical and mental health. In 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was detained. The authorities also ransacked her home. In 2000, she was arrested and her home was ransacked again. They detained her in a detention centre, where they tortured her inhumanly. She was then sent to Yanbian Mental Hospital, where she was tortured. She became mentally ill. After she was released, the police often came to her home and harassed her. Under the prolonged harassment and mental torture, Ms. Teng died on March 15, 2005.

Ms. Ma Shiying, 66, was a resident in Weiguang Road, Changchun City, Jilin Province. She suffered from many illnesses, such as heart disease, fatty liver, and hypertension. All of her illnesses disappeared after she practiced Falun Gong. On November 24, 2000, she went to Beijing to appeal and was detained. The authorities also ransacked her home and extorted money from her. After she was released, she once contacted her fellow practitioners over the phone. The police had tapped her phone, and, to escape the persecution, she became homeless and had to wander from place to place. Unable to live a normal life, Ms. Ma's health deteriorated, and she died on March 21, 2004.

Ms. Li Xiuxiang, 48, was a resident of the Ningjiang District in Songyuan City, Jilin Province. She suffered from many illnesses before practising Falun Gong. After she started to practice in 1997, all her illnesses disappeared. After July 20, 1999, she went twice to Beijing to appeal. She was sent to the Ningjiang District Detention Centre for one year of forced labour. After she was released, Ms. Li suffered again from her old illnesses. She died on April 11, 2002.

Mr. Dong Fang, 65, was a retired worker of the Gongpengzi Grain Storage in Songyuan City, Jilin Province. He began to practise Falun Gong in 1996. Within half a year, Mr. Dong's health improved significantly. He became as energetic as a youngster. After July 20, 1999, he was often threatened, which caused his death on October 23, 2002.

Ms. Tian Shuying, 71, was a resident of Jilin City, Jilin Province. Her health was greatly improved after practicing Falun Gong. She even had her period again. She died on December 26, 2003, due the persecution.

Ms. Mu Xiaojie, 49, was a resident of Taikang County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. She recovered from her previous illnesses after practising Falun Gong. After the persecution started, the local police arrested her and often harassed her. The persecution traumatised her. She died on January 13, 2004.

Ms. Sun Xiufen, 57, was a resident of Taikang County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. Because she suffered from many illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and lung disorders, she started to practise Falun Gong. Her conditions improved after practising. After the persecution started in July 1999, the police often came to her home to harass her, which disturbed her life and interfered with her practice. She passed away on January 13, 2004.

Ms. Cheng Fengzhi, 46, was a resident of Taikang County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. Because she suffered from many illnesses, she started to practise Falun Gong in 1996, after which she became healthy. After July 20, 1999, the persecutors arrested her three times and extorted 60,000 yuan (1) from her. She became sick again after the persecution started. After she was released from jail, she was financially broke and this traumatised her. She died in July 2003.

Mr. Chen Yihe, 65, was a resident of Sujiatun Village, Wanlong Town, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. He started to practise Falun Gong in 1997. On July 22, 1999, Mr. Chen went to the Heilongjiang Province Government to peacefully appeal. After he returned, the persecutors harassed him many times. Deceived by the lies, his family members prevented him from practising the exercises and studying the teachings. His wife and other family members also burned some Dafa books. His family members' actions and the harassment by the authorities seriously hurt Mr. Chen in mind and body. He died on April 10, 2005.

Ms. Cheng Shuhua, 73, was a resident of Duerbote County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. After he started to practise Falun Gong in 1996, he recovered from all his illnesses. Under the persecution after July 1999, the police harassed her many times. The intimidation and harassment caused her death.

Ms. Wu Guizhen, 80, was a resident of Duerbote County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. She enjoyed good health after practising Falun Gong. Because her daughter-in-law was persecuted, the elderly lady became traumatised and died.

Ms. Lu Fengxi, 88, was a resident of Hailaer City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. She started to practise Falun Gong in 1997 at the age of 81. Between July 1999 and November 2000, her daughter (also her only child) was detained in jail twice for nearly four months. The police also ransacked her home several times and harassed her frequently. Ms. Lu and her daughter had depended on each other and had lived together for over 60 years. Because of the persecution and pressure, Ms. Lu's health deteriorated. She died on January 14, 2003.

Mr. Hu Xin, 75, was a resident of Anqing Town, Songshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Before he practised Falun Gong, he suffered from many illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and tracheitis. Within half a year after he began to practise Falun Gong in 1997, his heart disease improved significantly. A medical exam showed that the black dots on his lung had disappeared. After the persecution began in July 1999, police from Anqing Town Police Station came to his home and harassed him and confiscated his Dafa books. As a result, he lost the environment to study the teachings and practise. Under the tremendous pressure and terror, Mr. Hu's illnesses came back and he died in May of 2003.

Ms. Pan Zhilan, 73, was a resident of Kelaqinqi, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region who began to practise Falun Gong in 1996. After the persecution started in July 1999, her daughter was often harassed. In March 2001, the police sentenced her daughter to two years of forced labour. In May 2002, Ms. Pan lost her memory because she missed her daughter so much. She died on December 24, 2004. At her funeral, the bundle of burning incense maintained the shape of a lotus flower and the three or four incense sticks in the middle stood up straight. The villagers were all surprised by this. They said that they had never seen burning incense sticks like this, and that Ms. Pan must be blessed. This sign made many people in the village and the old lady's friends and family members understand the truth about Falun Gong.

Ms. Tai Jinlan, 62, was a resident of Shabei, Chuanhui District, Zhoukou City, Henan Province. She started to practice Falun Gong in 1995. On July 21, 1999, she went to the provincial government to appeal for Falun Gong. After she returned home, the local police asked her to come to the police station. They tried to force her to write the "Guarantee Statements." (2) The persecutors also harassed her by phone and threatened her. Ms. Tai died from a sudden stroke in 2004.

Ms. Zhang Furong, 60, was a resident of Jianxin Street, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. After she started to practice Falun Gong in 1996, she recovered from all her illnesses. She went to Beijing to appeal three times after July 1999. In 2000, because she distributed Teacher Li's pictures, officials from the Zhongyuan District Police Department and the Qinling Police Station arrested her and detained her in the Qiliyan Detention Centre. In early December 2002, officials from the Zhongyuan District Police Department arrested her at a site producing leaflets exposing the persecution and illegally interrogated her. They also went to her home afterwards and threatened her. She died from a sickness on February 16, 2003.

Mr. Sun Daoyong, 72, was a retired worker of the No. 8 Coal Mine, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province. He started to practise Falun Gong in 1996. After the persecution started, he was harassed and prevented from studying the teachings and practising the exercises. The harassment caused him to become seriously ill, but the harassment continued, which caused his death in January 2002.

Ms. Tao Guixian, 57, was an employee of the Water Conservancy Bureau of Xinzhou District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province. She suffered from bladder cancer. Although a surgery removed the cancer in 1998, the illness was not cured. After she practised Falun Gong, she became healthy. During the persecution after July 1999, the authorities harassed and threatened her many times, preventing her from cultivating. As a result, her old illness returned, and she died in May 2002.

Ms. Liu Lihua, 59, was a villager in the No. 5 Group, Guogang Village, Fenghuang Town, Xinzhou District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province. In 1996, her son introduced her to Falun Gong. Because of her poor financial situation and her being illiterate and seriously ill, she cultivated off and on. Still, her health condition improved. Because her son went to Beijing to appeal in late 1999, he was detained. In 2000, her son went again to Beijing to appeal, after which he was detained again and "brainwashed." In late 2000, he went to Beijing for the third time to appeal. This time he was detained him and sentenced to one year of forced labour, from January 2001 to December 2001. When her son was being persecuted and detained three times, Ms. Liu was pressured by everyone, including her neighbours. Her family members, themselves under pressure from the authorities, beat and cursed her. They also destroyed Dafa books and audiotapes and interfered with her cultivation. Ms. Liu also had a daughter who practised Falun Gong. The authorities detained her, tried to brainwash her, and extorted money from her. Given all this mental pressure, Ms. Li became ill again and died in September 2000. She vomited much blood while dying. The forced labour camp hid the information of Ms. Liu's death from her son, who was in detention at the time.

Mr. Tong Zhiyong was from Anhui Province. He was detained at Lujiang Prison. In 2002 or 2003, officials from Lujiang Prison and Kong from the Anhui Province Prison Management Bureau tortured him to death. The prison claimed that Mr. Tong committed suicide. In Lujiang Prison, those in charge frequently beat practitioners, kept them awake for long periods of time, put them in confined cells, and held meetings criticising them. They brutally force-fed any practitioners on a hunger strike.

Mr. Pan Yunsheng, 74, was a resident of Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. He started to practise Falun Gong in late1994. On July 25, 1999, his wife's work unit and police officers (five people altogether) arrested his wife. Unable to bear the harassment, Mr. Pan left home and went to a remote rural area. Without a cultivation environment, his health deteriorated, and he died in April 2000.

Ms. Hu Zhengying, 65, was arrested at a train station when she was on her way to Beijing to appeal in 2000. She was detained in a brainwashing centre. In 2001, she was detained in a brainwashing centre for over six months. Shortly after she was released, on September 12, 2001, Ms. Hu died.

Ms. Chen Guirong, 68, began to practise Falun Gong in 1998. After the persecution started, because her family members were scared of being persecuted by the CCP, they prevented her from studying the teachings and practising the exercises. Ms. Chen became depressed and her old illnesses returned. She passed away in October of 2004 .

Note:

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

(2) "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/5/5/101152.html