California, USA: Falun Gong Practitioners Call on Xi Jinping for Justice during State Visit

June 09, 2013 | By a practitioner in the US

(Minghui.org) On June 7, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama met at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, California. Falun Gong practitioners took this opportunity to call for an end to the 14-year-long persecution of Falun Gong in China and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. The practitioners held a press conference and displayed banners beside Xi’s hotel and the Annenberg Retreat.

Falun Gong practitioners hold banners calling for justice along Chinese President Xi Jinping’s motorcade route

US Southwest Falun Dafa Association holds press conference

On June 6, the US Southwest Falun Dafa Association held a press conference condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong and calling for Jiang Zemin and other perpetrators to be brought to justice.

In a prepared statement, the association pointed out, “The CCP’s 14-year-long persecution of Falun Gong is the most severe human rights violation in the world. It must stop. The perpetrators, including Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Zhou Yongkang, Liu Jing, Zeng Qinghong, and Bo Xilai, must be brought to justice.

“On July 20, 1999, then CCP head Jiang Zemin initiated a bloody persecution of Falun Gong. Following his order to ‘kill without pardon,’ Chinese police have been brutally torturing of millions of Falun Gong practitioners. The most horrible crime is the communist regime’s systemic harvesting of vital organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit. Due to the regime’s information blockade, we cannot know the full extent of this atrocity.”

The statement called on President Obama to put forward the issue of Falun Gong in order to help stop the persecution.

Practitioners tell of being persecuted in China

Dozens of practitioners who suffered persecution and torture in China participated in the press conference. Two of them shared firsthand accounts of their and their families’ experiences of being persecuted.

Ms. Dafang Wang from San Francisco was arrested and imprisoned for going to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. Her sister was tortured to death in Heizuizi Women’s Forced Labor Camp in Jilin Province. Her older brother was tortured by the Changchun police and is still incarcerated in Siping Prison, Jilin Province.

Ms. Chunmei Ma, who now lives in Washington, DC, was imprisoned in Heizuizi Forced Labor Camp and tortured. She was forced to do hard labor for 18 to 19 hours a day. Her sister, Ma Chunling, is still imprisoned in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. More than ten of her close friends in China died as a direct result of persecution.

Ms. Shuying Li is a retired physics teacher from Beijing. She started practicing Falun Gong in 1999. She recalled, “I was 52 years old. After practicing for half a year, all my illnesses were gone. The most delightful thing was that I understood the real meaning of life. One should not be selfish, but should be a good person of high virtue and open-minded. My brother, sister-in-law, younger sister and her daughter, two daughters of my elder sister, and my daughter and her husband all started practicing Falun Gong in 1999. My whole family practiced Dafa, and we were very happy.”

But after Jiang initiated the persecution in 1999, the family suffered terrible persecution.

Ms. Li recalled, “I was arrested and imprisoned four times for not giving up my belief. The longest was from February 2000 to February 2003 in Tuanhe Women’s Forced Labor Camp in Beijing. My younger sister, her daughter, and my elder sister’s daughter were all imprisoned in the same camp.

“My elder sister’s daughter was young and had never experienced such intense pressure and torture. She suffered a mental breakdown. My younger sister was forced to take different drugs in detention. After ten months, she became emaciated and her legs had turned dark brown. Doctors said that her diabetes index reached 23 to 24, at a critical level.

“My elder brother was an engineer. The police monitored him constantly. The local administrative office, the 610 Office, and the residential committee frequently harassed him. He was under major pressure and passed away in April 2011.”

People support Falun Gong

Falun Gong practitioners held banners calling for an end to the persecution near the Hyatt Hotel where President Xi stayed and along the road to the Annenberg Retreat.

Christine Dickerson, minister of the Palm Springs Presbyterian Church, (first from left) came out to support Falun Gong practitioners

The activity caught the attention of the media and the local people. Christine Dickerson, minister of the Palm Springs Presbyterian Church, came out to express her support. She said she knew about Falun Gong and wanted to show her support personally.

She said that she believed in freedom of belief. Though she is a Christian, she supports freedom of belief, especially Falun Gong practitioners’ belief, because they are so peaceful.

She also said that if she could speak with President Obama, she would encourage him to talk directly with Xi Jinping on behalf of Falun Gong: “If we have a relationship with China, human rights must be respected.”

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Rallies & Protests

The Crimes Carried Out in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp are Supported by CCP Money and Awards

June 12, 2013 | By Feiyu

(Minghui.org)

Lens Article Shocks Readers with the Atrocities Carried Out Inside Masanjia

The Chinese magazine Lens published an exclusive article on April 7, 2013 that documented the methods of torture used in Masanjia Women’s Forced Labor Camp in Liaoning Province, China. Titled “Out of Masanjia,” this extensive article was reprinted numerous times by major Chinese websites, including Sina, Sohu, Tengxun, and 163. These websites modified the title of the article, but kept the content largely unchanged.

The Lens article focused on several Masanjia victims who were detained for appealing to the government, yet it deliberately made no mention of Falun Gong practitioners who make up the majority of Masanjia detainees.

Despite not discussing the plight of Falun Gong practitioners, the dark side of Masanjia depicted in the Lens article still gave many people chills, and some couldn’t even bring themselves to believe that Masanjia could be that evil. They doubted if the guards had any humanity left, and wondered how the perpetrators could be so heartless in torturing their victims using such brutal methods.

While the Lens article readers were still reeling from the shock of the crimes committed in Masanjia and condemning them, a documentary entitled “Above the Ghosts’ Heads: The Women of Masanjia Labor Camp” held its first online screening on May 1, and put Masanjia back in the spotlight.

The atrocities being committed in Masanjia had been widely reported in the overseas media as early as 2000. The labor camp gained increasing notoriety as it intensified its torture of Falun Gong practitioners.

Inside China however, Masanjia was disguised and beautified. Its atrocities against detained Falun Gong practitioners earned the notorious labor camp numerous awards and significant government appropriations from former Chinese Community Party head Jiang Zemin and his accomplices. The CCP’s support of this criminal labor camp underscores the regime’s hypocrisy and cunning.

Communist Regime Doles Out Generous Financial Support to Masanjia

The Lens article indicated that “the labor camp buildings were built in 2000 and they looked very spacious and bright.” Below is the truth behind the Masanjia buildings.

After inspecting Masanjia in early 2000, Wang Maolin and Dong Yufa, both officials of the Central 610 Office, sang the praises of the labor camp’s persecution of Falun Gong and gave a detailed report to Jiang Zemin. Jiang soon appropriated six million yuan to the labor camp and ordered 610 Office Head Liu Jing to set up “Masanjia Reformation Through Education Base” as soon as possible. The project later swelled to 10 million yuan and Liaoning Province was told to make up the funding shortfall.

Moreover, for each practitioner from Liaoning Province sent to Masanjia, the local government had to give the labor camp 10,000 yuan. From October 1999 to April 2004, Masanjia housed more than 4,000 practitioners. In other words, the funds funneled into Masanjia from the local governments within the province reached more than 40 million yuan.

One high-ranking official from Liaoning Province Judicial Bureau once remarked at a “detainees release” meeting in 2004, “The financial appropriation used to deal with Falun Gong has exceeded that to fight a war.” At that time, it was not even five years into the persecution. Now that the persecution has been going on for 14 years, and one can only infer how much more money has been devoted to the persecution of the practice.

Masanjia’s Ruthless Attacks on Practitioners Won Favor from the Central 610 Office

Why did Masanjia receive such special treatment from the Central 610 Office? Primarily due to its ruthless efforts in making Falun Gong practitioners suffer.

In the early years of the persecution, most practitioners were held in the regime’s labor camps. While other labor camps were still contemplating what to do with these innocent people, Masanjia had already implemented a system of torture and brainwashing. Its tactics against Falun Gong won support and praise from Jiang Zemin. No wonder the communist regime kept pumping money into it and showered it with awards and recognition.

Central 610 Office Head Liu Jing and Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretary Luo Gan went to Masanjia many times to learn about new developments in its anti-Falun Gong tactics. The duo even personally directed the guards to pressure practitioners to give up their beliefs. Masanjia once broadcast Liu Jing’s speech, which was full of lies and slander about Falun Gong’s founder.

Luo Gan and Liu Jing helped spread Masanjia’s tactics to other labor camps in Liaoning Province, and later popularized them throughout the rest of the country. As a result, all labor camps intensified their attacks on Falun Gong practitioners.

Masanjia thus became a “poster child” in the persecution of Falun Gong by winning support from Jiang and its own devotion to Jiang’s policy.
Torture Methods Reported in Lens Article Cannot Compare to Those Used on Practitioners
One torture mentioned in the Lens article concerned victims being ordered to sit on small stools for a couple of hours while reciting labor camp rules.

When the same torture was used on Falun Gong practitioners, it was much more brutal. As a matter of fact, practitioners were often forced to sit on the small stools for nearly 20 hours each day, sometimes for several months straight.

Masanjia even promoted this method to the entire country. In 2005, Yunnan Province Second Women’s Prison sent a group of officials to Masanjia to learn about its torture methods. Upon returning, the delegates not only adopted this “small stool method,” but took it to the next level. Yunnan practitioners were made to sit still on small stools upright without moving for extended periods of time. Any slight movement brought brutal beatings. Oftentimes they were not let off until their buttocks festered and oozed pus.

According to a classified document from the Central 610 Office and Ministry of Justice, as of November 2011, Masanjia had received a total of more than 500 visitors from 25 provinces during 31 trips to the labor camp.

What was exposed in the Lens article was just a glimpse of the big picture. Subsequent interviews with victims mentioned in the article revealed even more shocking details.

Gai Fengzhen from the Tiexi District of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, was one of the victims mentioned in the Lens article, who was twice detained in Masanjia for her appeal. She said, “On the evening of September 9 or 10, 2008, at around 9:30 p.m., on my way to the bathroom, I saw the prison guards torturing two Falun Gong practitioners. Six male guards were beating a female practitioner surnamed Zhang. They used cotton swabs and clamps to stuff her genitalia. In the end, they beat one practitioner to death.”

“Six men wearing white gloves carried her body away, but we didn’t know her name. Several of us detainees witnessed them carrying her body away. The security division head of Masanjia Forced Labor Camp was also present.

“We saw the guards burying something behind the camp. The next day, we saw them dig up some clothing stained with blood–it was a detainee’s uniform. We later reported this to the Chengjiao Procuratorate and brought the prosecutor to the labor camp to collect evidence, but the officials from the Procuratorate and Masanjia both denied this death.”

Masanjia and Its Officers Received Numerous Awards for their Anti-Falun Gong Efforts

Jiang Zemin and his accomplices showered Masanjia with numerous awards, and openly celebrated its brutal attacks on Falun Gong.

On February 26, 2001, various central government agencies, including the Organization Department and the Propaganda Department of the Central Party Committee, Political and Legal Affairs Committee, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Human Resources, and the Central 610 Office, held a conference at the Great Hall of the People. Su Jing, head of Division Two of Masanjia Labor Camp, was invited to give a report. Of course she did not mention the torture of Falun Gong practitioners carried out at Masanjia. She described the brutality as “caring for them tenderly.”

Division Two has received numerous awards, including Shenyang City Civilization Model Post, Anti-Falun Gong Model Group at the country and the province level, Liaoning Province 3.8 Red Flag Group, Judicial System Education Reformation Model Group, and Liaoning Province Judicial Bureau Level-two Merit.

Su Jing herself has also been given countless awards, including Judicial Bureau Outstanding Educator, Satisfactory Police Officer in the Provincial Political and Legal System, and Outstanding Public Servant of Liaoning Province.

Concluding Remarks

Masanjia is not the only labor camp supported by the regime’s money and fame. All the prisons and labor camps that persecute Falun Gong practitioners are driven by monetary interests and recognition. The crimes continue because of CCP support. The CCP’s usual method of operation is to use someone else to do its dirty work, and instigate its followers to carry out its policies by rewarding them with money and fame.

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Opinion & Perspective

Mr. Zhang Xinghe Faces Trial, Family Hires a Lawyer

June 13, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent from Shandong Province, China

(Minghui.org) Mr. Zhang Xinghe is a Falun Dafa practitioner in Beixiyao Village, Daiyue District, Tai’an, Shandong Province. He has been detained for more than three months, and is facing trial. His family hired a lawyer from Beijing, and Mr. Zhang will plead not guilty.

Mr. Zhang spoke to people about Falun Gong and gave out free truth-clarification calendars on December 28, 2012. Tang Guangming reported him to the police. Deputy director of the Wenkou Town Police Station Li Jun, officer Jin Bo, and assistant officer Li Maokang arrested him. Subsequently, the director of the police station Gong Yujun, instructor Zhang Xunyi, Li Jun, and the head of the 610 Office Liu Deyun led a dozen officers, including Wang Qing, with the help of the village area director Gao Jun, to break into and ransacked Mr. Zhang’s home. They seized his computer, printer, recorder, Falun Gong books, truth-clarification materials, and 2,000 yuan in cash.

The officers also took away his electric bicycle, and incarcerated him at the Tai’an Detention Center. His wife, Ms. Feng Yuelan was arrested and taken to the town police station at the same time, but was released around 5:00 p.m. that afternoon.

Mr. Zhang, 60, is a law-abiding citizen. He is a good person at home and in his village. He used to be feeble and suffered from many long-term illnesses. He also took care of his grandmother and parents, who were also sick. After practicing Falun Gong, his physical health greatly improved, his illnesses disappeared, and he got along better with others.

Mr. Zhang told others about the benefits he got from practicing Falun Gong, as well as the persecution of practitioners. He urged people to do good deeds, and this was not any behavior that harmed others or society. Instead, these were good deeds that benefited others.

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Accounts of Persecution

Ms. Liu Cuixian and Three Other Practitioners in Kunming Illegally Tried Again

June 13, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent from Yunnan Province, China

(Minghui.org) Practitioners Ms. Liu Cuixian, Ms. Peng Xueping, Ms. Ran Xiaoman, and Ms. Liu Xiaoping of Kunming City were to be tried again at the Lufeng County Court at 8:30 a.m. on May 30, 2013.

First trial

The first trial was held at 8:30 a.m. on May 3, 2013, in the same court. Each family hired an attorney, who pled not guilty on the practitioner’s behalf. They each had a family member to represent them in court, but the court, district procuratorate, and Lufeng County Detention Center tried their best to make it harder for the defendants. They would not let the attorneys meet with the defendants until the day of the trial and did not notify the practitioners that each of them had a family member representing them.

The attorneys asked the court to let the persons making the arguments for the defendants be given an opportunity to explain to the defendants their rights in the trial and to learn more about the case from them. However, Judge Li Liangsheng denied their request.

The attorneys petitioned for the public prosecutor, chief procurator, judge, and the head of the court to be recused from the case. The judge acted beyond his authority and denied all the requests on behalf of the chief procurator, procuratorial committee, head of the court, and the judicial committee. Because the attorneys were denied their right to speak for the defendants, they and four family members who were supposed to represent the defendants all refused to participate in the trial and left the courtroom. The trial was held anyway.

Appeal results in a new trial

Afterwards the attorneys appealed to the higher level procuratorate, the court, discipline inspection committee, Political and Legal Affairs Committee, Party committee, and the People’s Assembly, charging that the officials involved had abused their authority and requested that the lawyers’ rights to participate in the trial be upheld.

Thanks to the cooperative work of practitioners, families, attorneys, and the honest people in Yunnan Province, the attorneys were finally able to meet with the detained practitioners and examine their files, and the court scheduled a new trial for 8:30 a.m. on May 30.

Background

Ms. Liu Cuixian, Ms. Peng Xueping, Ms. Ran Xiaoman, and Ms. Liu Xiaoping were distributing Shen Yun DVDs to villagers in Tuo’an Township, Lufeng County, and were reported by the village guard on December 20, 2012. The Domestic Security Division of the County Police Department arrested them and ransacked their homes.

Ms. Liu Cuixian, 58, resided in Hongmiao Village in Kunming City. She began to practice Falun Dafa in 1997. Afterwards all her illnesses went away. Ms. Peng Xueping is her daughter-in-law. When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) first began to persecute Falun Gong, Ms. Liu was regarded as a prime target and was closely monitored by the Honglian Police Station (now Zongshuying Police Station). The police repeatedly went to her home to ransack it and hassled her and her family. They never showed any identification or followed any due process.

Ms. Liu Cuixian went to Siying Street in Gaoming County to tell people the facts about Falun Gong on March 1, 2003, and was arrested by officers from the local police station. She was taken to the Gaoming County Detention Center, then to the Kunming City No. 2 Detention Center, and finally to Yunnan Women’s Forced Labor Camp to serve two years.

Ms. Liu went to Lufeng to visit her relatives and tell people the facts about Falun Gong on April 5, 2005. She was reported and arrested, and taken to the Shezi Police Station, and then to the Lufeng County Detention Center, where she was detained for 32 days. She slept on the cold concrete floor and was badly bitten by mosquitoes. She was sore all over and became very weak.

On May 7, 2005, police arrested her again and took her to the Yunnan No. 1 Forced Labor Camp to serve for a year.

Ms. Liu Xiaoping, 56, was a retired lab tester from the Zhuhai City Cookie Factory. She began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998 and has followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When the CCP began to persecute Falun Gong in 1999, Ms. Liu went to Beijing to appeal. She was arrested and taken back to Zhuhai City. She was subjected to brainwashing and had to do slave labor in the detention center. She later moved to Kunming City in Yunnan Province.

Ms. Ran Xiaoman, 41, resided in Wayao Village, Longtou Street, Kunming City. She began to practice Falun Dafa in 2010.

Chinese version available

CATEGORY: Accounts of Persecution