Two Elderly Practitioners Ms. Zhang Guiyun from Heilongjiang Province and Mr. Li Hongxi from Hebei Province Die under Persecution

Ms. Zhang Guiyun Dies in Heilongjiang Province

Ms. Zhang Guiyun, 76, lived in Bajia Village, Changling Town, Hulan District, Harbin City. She began practising Falun Gong at the end of 1996, and all of her illnesses disappeared. She went to Beijing to appeal for justice after the persecution began on July 20th, 1999. She was arrested three times. The first time, she was detained more than 40 days. The second time, she was released after she went on a hunger strike lasting 13 days. The third time, she was cruelly beaten. Four agents picked her up and then threw her down on the ground hard. Her body was covered with bruises after the beating. She absolutely refused to cooperate with the authorities and shouted "Falun Gong is good" repeatedly. She was released after 6-7 hours.

Local 610 Office¹ agents and the police kept harassing her and her family. Her children are all practitioners. They were arrested, detained, sent to forced labour camps and sentenced to prison.

On May 24th, 2008, her daughter Wei Yuhong and son-in-law Xin Hongyuan were both arrested again. They were tortured for six hours in the police station. The police poked Mr. Xin's fingertips with needles, burned his fingers, and used electric batons to shock him. He was forced to sign a false confession under such torture. Ms. Wei's cries were heard down the hallways. When police took her to be detained in Tiexi District Detention Centre, the doctor found her body to be covered with wounds.

At 9 a.m. on October 16th, 2008, Tiexi District Court put Ms. Wei and her husband Mr. Xin on trial. Judge Chen Yan gave a verdict quickly. This pre-arranged trial ended in a few minutes, with the couple each being sentenced to 3 years in prison. They are now detained in Pingluo Prison Block located in Shenyang City. Their child is at home alone without care. Ms. Zhang died soon after the sentencing.

Mr. Li Hongxi Dies under Persecution in Hebei Province

Mr. Li Hongxi, 67, lived in Xiyuzhung Village, Ansu Town, Xushui County, Baoding City. He began practising Falun Gong in October 1998, and benefited both physically and spiritually. At around 10 p.m. on May 7th, 2008, Xushui County Domestic Security agents intruded into his home. They ransacked his place and took his possessions worth 1000 yuan². He was arrested later at his workplace.

The police detained Mr. Li for 11 days in the Xushui County Detention Centre. They harmed him both physically and mentally when they tried to take him to the Baoding City Forced Labour Camp. He appeared absent minded after that. He had symptoms of a bloated stomach and fluid accumulation around the liver. He never recovered and died on November 25th, 2008.

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

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

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/12/6/190890.html