Practitioners Mr. Shan Zhongxiang and Ms. Yan Xiuzhi, from Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province, Died as a Result of the Persecution

Two Falun Gong practitioners, an elderly man and an elderly woman from Dade Village, Shuiquan Township, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province, died as a result of the extended persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Mr. Shan Zhongxiang, a 74-year-old retired widower, lived in a home for the elderly. He used to suffer from various illnesses. After he began to practise Falun Gong in the spring of 1996, he became healthy, as if he were a different person. He was kind and helpful to others. However, Mr. Shan suffered tremendously since the persecution began in 1999. In February 2000, Mr. Shan went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong and was taken to the Shuangcheng Detention Centre for more than a month. They released him because he was mistreated to the point where he was unable to walk. After he returned to the home for the elderly, Mr. Shan was constantly harassed. He was threatened and monitored, and his personal freedom was restricted by the head of the home for the elderly, as well as by the village cadres and policemen. He was required to report to the head of the home whenever he went out.

At the beginning of 2001, Mr. Shan was sent to the village brainwashing centre for more than two months, and was not allowed to use the toilet. In the wintertime, he was not allowed to heat up his "kang" (a type of bed used in northern China) or to use a quilt. The village government also held back his veteran retirement benefits. On April 7th, 2005, Mr. Shan Zhongxiang died as a result of the extended persecution.

Ms. Yan Xiuzhi was 63 years old when she died. She began to practise Falun Gong in the spring of 1995 and benefited greatly from the practice. She no longer suffered from her previous ailments of stroke and diabetes. Ms. Yan's body and mind became healthy and she became less of a burden to her family. On July 22nd, 1999, just after the CCP began the persecution, Ms. Yan visited the provincial government to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. She also went to Beijing in June and December of 2000 to tell the government that Falun Gong is good, but was arrested. Subsequently, the CCP authorities constantly visited Ms. Yan, harassed and pressured her. She passed away in mid-April of 2003.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/4/4/220949.html