Perspective on the Shanghai Judges’ Prostitution Scandal

October 05, 2013 | By Tashan

(Minghui.org) Recently, the case regarding Shanghai High Court judges and officials consorting with prostitutes has been widely circulated in the media and on the Internet in China.

Videos posted on the Internet by a concerned citizen were meant to expose a judge for his disreputable behavior in a nightclub—he believed that the judge had made an unfair ruling against him in a civil lawsuit. Three other judges were also filmed inadvertently.

Due to strong condemnation and pressure from the public, the authorities expelled the four judicial officials from the CCP and dismissed them from their positions. Following the exposure of this disciplinary action in the news media, Internet users responded. One lawyer wrote on his blog: “Are these four the only corrupt judges in Shanghai courts? Of course not. Were these judges corrupt from birth? Of course not. Are these judges only guilty of engaging in prostitution? That’s impossible.” The lawyer utilized this case to implicate and ridicule the entire judiciary sector in China. The legal conscience and ethical standards of CCP judges is certainly in question.

Judges enjoy special power and authority, and their deliberate breaking of the law in their legal practice has become a serious problem. In China today, the number of cases which are fairly treated is now of great concern. In many cases, the accused have presented evidence demonstrating complete innocence, but due to policy set by the CCP, judges are obliged to make illegal decisions. There have been many such cases brought against Falun Gong practitioners.

China’s Constitution clearly stipulates that citizens enjoy freedom of belief and expression. However, in order to persecute Falun Gong, the CCP first fabricated false evidence labeling it a “cult”, and then suppressed practitioners. The CCP brought forth charges of “sabotaging law enforcement”, “revealing state secrets” or “subversion of the government” without supporting legal evidence. In cases where there was a complete absence of justifiable evidence, CCP judges even sentenced Falun Gong practitioners to prison. In the last 14 years of persecution, more than 10,000 practitioners have been illegally placed on trial, without a single case in which the judge decided that the victim was innocent.

Falun Gong teaches people to be good and upright, while the CCP has notably undermined law enforcement, through misuse and persecution of citizens with proven innocence.

Although CCP judges have demonstrated such low ethics and morality, they’ve shown a high level of political sensitivity. The judge who illegally sentenced Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Chunsheng from Yiyang, Hunan Province said, “Right now, the Party (CCP) wants to suppress Falun Gong regardless of the law. We have to go through the motions. There is nothing we can do. Don’t blame us.” Chief judge Gu Yingqing of Suzhou Intermediate Court shouted in court, “Don’t talk to me about the law. I’m talking about politics.” The court staff in Qian’an City Court in Hebei Province openly stated: “Falun Gong cases won’t be dealt with according to law.” Changchun Intermediate Court passed sentences against Falun Gong practitioners without trials, and announced: “For Falun Gong cases, there is no need to go through the legal process.”

In mainland China, all Falun Gong practitioners taken to court are illegally convicted, and their prison terms predetermined by the 610 Office, an office formed on June 10, 1999 for the sole purpose of persecuting Falun Gong. There are 610 Offices at all levels of government throughout China, and they manipulate local police departments, the Procuratorate offices and courts in order to persecute innocent people. For example, 610 Office staff in Nong’an, Jilin Province told defense lawyers of Falun Gong practitioners, “In this place, we rule. We only care about politics, not the law. You can go and sue us anywhere you’d like – we don’t care.”

Manipulated by the 610 Office, judges knowingly break the law, and personnel in the police departments and Procuratorate offices also act in disregard of ethics and morality. For example, section head Gu in the Domestic Security Division in Baoshan District of Shanghai once said, “What law? What I say is the law!” In March 2000, Futian District court in Shenzhen illegally sentenced practitioner Li Jianhui to four years in prison. He was the first Falun Gong practitioner from that area sentenced on fabricated charges. Earlier, Li Jianhui went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. He was arrested and the local authorities reported him to the 610 Office in Guangdong Province and the central government, which then escalated the persecution of Li Jianhui. The Shenzhen City Procurator told Mr. Li: “You didn’t commit any crimes, but we must sentence you to prison. This is a political necessity. The upper authorities are the ones who want to sentence you.”

Judges should be held accountable for abusing the law. Once the cases are decided by the 610 Office, the judges blindly carry out their decisions. For example, the Yuexiu District Court in Guangzhou illegally sentenced practitioner Wei Peiling to four years in prison. The judge informed her family that the decision was made by the 610 Office, and they were simply reading the decision in court.

The 610 Offices not only determine the prison terms of practitioners prior to trial; judges also change the terms at will, based on the “behavior” of practitioners in court. Ms. Han Yuejuan from Dongshan District of Guangzhou was placed on trial, and declared to the court: “Falun Dafa is good” three times. The judge then added another three years to her sentence. The judge explained: “Han Yuejuan said ‘Falun Dafa is good’ three times; each time deserved another year of imprisonment.”

Based upon the actions of these Shanghai High Court judges, how can they possibly make fair and just decisions in court? Is it possible that judges who submitted to the 610 Office and illegally sentenced Falun Gong practitioners would engage in other corruption? There have been over 10,000 illegal trials of Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China in the past 14 years, and in all these cases, not one fair decision was delivered based on evidence. Are there any honest judges left in today’s China?

Chinese version available

Category: Opinion & Perspective

Four Women Sentenced Six to Ten Years for Distributing Shen Yun DVDs

October 07, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent in Yunnan Province, China

(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Performing Arts, the world’s finest classical Chinese dance and music company, has toured the world and receives high praise from audience members wherever it performs. However, four women from Yunnan Province, China were sentenced from six to ten years of imprisonment merely because they wished to share the beauty of Shen Yun by giving DVDs of Shen Yun performances to people in China.

Ms. Liu Cuixian, Ms. Peng Xueping, Ms. Ran Xiaoman, and Ms. Liu Xiaoping distributed Shen Yun DVDs to villagers in Tuoan Town, Lufeng County on December 20, 2012. Officers from the County Domestic Security Division arrested them.

The Lufeng County Court put the four Falun Gong practitioners on trial on May 30, 2013. Ms. Liu Xiaoping was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, Ms. Liu Cuixiang to eight years, Ms. Peng Xueping to eight years and Ms. Ran Xiaoman to seven and a half years.

During the trial, the families of the four practitioners and their lawyers pleaded not guilty for them.

Practitioners and Lawyers Spoke from the Standpoint of Justice

The trial lasted 13 hours and went on for two days.

The four practitioners’ families and friends arrived at the court gate at 8:00 a.m. The trial began around 9:00 a.m. The court only gave the families eight visitor badges, but there were over 30 visitor seats in the courtroom. Besides the eight family members and friends, all the other people in the courtroom were from the local 610 Office and Domestic Security Division.

Prosecutor Wang Jingzhong tried to frame the four practitioners, claiming that they “sabotaged the implementation of the state’s laws and executive regulations by utilizing evil religious organizations.” His so-called evidence was simply that the practitioners were distributing Shen Yun DVDs to local residents. The practitioners asked him to play the DVD for the people in the court. Wang Jingzhong kept ignoring their request and refused to answer directly.

The prosecutor also tried to present other “evidence,” including the DVDs they confiscated from practitioners cars and homes, a computer, printer, an MP3 with Falun Dafa music compositions on it, paper money with “Falun Dafa is good” written on it and other money bills with nothing written on them which they took from Ms. Liu Xiaoping’s home. The lawyers pointed out that none of these items could be used as evidence of any wrongdoing.

Wang Jingzhong lied and claimed that over 100 villagers turned in the Shen Yun DVDs they received to the village Party Committee. The lawyer requested that witnesses be present in court, adding, “You do not have to ask all 100 villagers to come here. You only need to call in one of them so we can ask the question to confirm if what you said is true.” Wang Jingzhong did not respond to this simple request.

The trial lasted from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wang Jingzhong never did call in any witnesses and could not provide any evidence of criminal activity.

Finally, around 6:00 p.m., it was time for debate in the court.

The four practitioners presented their own arguments of innocence. Their lawyer and family members then also defended the practitioners.

Ms. Liu Xiaoping gave the first statement. She said, “I did not commit any crime. What I did was to tell you the truth about Falun Gong and let you make the right choice at this critical historical moment.”

After Ms. Liu Xiaoping was finished speaking, judge Li Liangsheng recessed the trial for the day and announced that it would resume the next day at 8:30 a.m. The that first day trial lasted from 9:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

When the trial resumed the next morning, Ms. Liu Xiaoping’s sister gave the first argument of Ms. Liu’s innocence. She said, “You said giving out Shen Yun CDs to the villagers is sabotaging the implementation of the state’s law. Have the villagers become mentally unstable after seeing the CDs? Is this affecting the villagers’ lives in a negative way? If so, can you please invite those villagers to the court as witnesses? I admire my sister. If every Chinese could follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and become a better person, this country would be wonderful and rich. Wouldn’t that be great!”

Ms. Liu Cuixian’s younger sister said, “After my sister started practicing Falun Gong, she became healthier. She is able to face calmly the unfortunate things happening in her life. She respects her mother-in-law. Her daughter-in-law Peng Xueping witnessed the wonderful changes in her and also started practicing Falun Gong.”

Practitioner Ms. Peng Xueping’s sister asked Ms. Peng Xueping in court, “Your husband is mentally challenged and cannot take care of himself. Your child is still young. Why could you let go of these and go tell others the wonderfulness of Dafa?” Ms. Liu Cuixian’s daughter-in-law Peng Xueping said, “My husband and I couldn’t have any children for a long time after we got married. After I saw how my mother-in-law greatly benefited from practicing Dafa, I started practicing. Not long after that, I gave birth to a son. I witnessed the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa. I am telling everybody here today: Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”

Ms. Ran Xiaoman said, “I began practicing Falun Gong not long ago. Prior to that, I was deceived by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) lies. I suffered from many illnesses. Not long after I started practicing Falun Gong, the diseases all disappeared. Through practicing Falun Gong, I follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and consider others in my daily life. In the village, everybody tries hard to acquire more land and they dig ditches in others’ land. I am a practitioner. When it was my turn, I let the divider ditch stay on my land. It is Falun Dafa that changed me and made me a better person.”

The four lawyers also showed how the prosecutor’s accusations violated the law and gave sound arguments that the practitioners should be acquitted.

Defense Ignored, Heavy Sentences Handed Down

The debate concluded that morning around 10:00 a.m. The court went on recess for an hour. Around 11:30 a.m., judge Li Liangsheng sentenced Ms. Liu Xiaoping to ten years of imprisonment, Ms. Liu Cuixian to eight years, Ms. Peng Xueping to eight years and Ms. Ran Xiaoman to seven and a half years. Prior to the pronouncement, several court police officers came into the court, and many officers were seen standing outside the court. From the very beginning to the very end, there was a plainclothes officer taking videos. Afterwards, three officers kept taking pictures of the practitioners’ family and friends, until the lawyers stopped them.

The same afternoon, the four lawyers met with the four practitioners at the Lufeng County Detention Center and said they would continue to appeal. Paperwork was signed to have the lawyers to continue to represent them and to ask the family members to continue to present and debate on their behalf.

For further information about the persecution of these four practitioners and their previous two trials, please read: Ms. Liu Cuixian and Three Other Practitioners in Kunming Illegally Tried Again

Chinese version available

Category: Accounts of Persecution

Mr. Cao Jingyu Dies After Enduring Seven Years of Imprisonment

October 07, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent in Hubei Province, China

(Minghui.org)

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:
Name: Cao Jingyu (曹靖宇)
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Address: 717 Jiefang Blvd., Qiaokou District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province
Occupation : Unknown
Date of Death: September 22, 2013
Date of Most Recent Arrest: March 2003
Most Recent Place of Detention: Sihui Prison (广东四会监狱)
City: Sihui
Province: Guangdong
Persecution Suffered : Illegal sentencing, detention, imprisonment, sleep deprivation, forced labor, brainwashing, beatings, denial of restroom use

Mr. Cao Jingyu, from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, was imprisoned for seven years for his belief in Falun Gong. He was greatly harmed during the incarceration. Upon his release, agents from the local 610 Office continued to harass him at home, and his health deteriorated further.

Mr. Cao passed away on September 22, 2013, at the age of 40.

Mr. Cao Jingyu

Mr. Cao was born on August 6, 1973, and graduated from the Naval University of Engineering. He started practicing Falun Gong at the end of 1998. Seven months later, in July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the spiritual practice.

Mr. Cao went to Beijing in 2000 to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. He was illegally arrested and detained at the Etouwan Brainwashing Center in Wuhan City for almost two years. He eventually escaped from the brainwashing center and went to Guangzhou City.

Mr. Cao was arrested again in March 2003, while in Guangzhou City. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. In 2004, he was transferred to the Sihui Prison in Guangdong Province.

Mr. Cao was tortured and force-fed during his incarceration. He was not allowed to buy any daily necessities. He was forced to do slave labor during the day and subjected to physical punishment at night.

He was transferred to the “Enforced Management” prison district in 2008. The guards assigned several inmates to monitor him and attempted to force him to renounce his faith in Falun Gong.

Mr. Cao was forced to sit with a military posture for prolonged periods of time. He was beaten, sworn at, and insulted, as well as deprived of sleep, food, and restroom use. His eyes were sprayed with mosquito repellent, which decreased his vision.

Some of the inmates wrote words defaming Falun Gong on the ground and on Mr. Cao’s bed and tried to force him to step or lie on them. When Mr. Cao refused, he was forced to stand for eight days straight. Eight inmates took turns monitoring him. He was not allowed to move or sleep, and his legs became swollen.

Mr. Cao was later diagnosed with renal failure by the prison hospital. He had a big lump on his right cheek, and it constantly discharged pus.

Mr. Cao was released on November 18, 2009. Thereafter, the Qiaokou District 610 Office personnel repeatedly came to his home to harass him. The head of the 610 Office, Xie Xiaofeng, also threatened and deceived Mr. Cao and his mother.

The abuse at the prison greatly harmed Mr. Cao. He never recovered his health and continued to be emaciated and ill upon his release.

Mr. Cao was sent to the Intensive Care Unit of the Zhongshan Hospital in Hubei Province on September 15, 2013. However, he failed to respond to treatment and passed away on September 22.

Chinese version available

Category: Deaths

Falun Gong Practitioner Suffers Permanent Nervous System Damage from Forced Administration of Drugs in Prison

October 07, 2013 | By a Minghui correspondent in Jilin Province, China

(Minghui.org)

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:
Name: Dong Yanfa (董岩发)
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Address: Jilin, Jilin Province
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 18, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Siping Shiling Prison (四平石岭监狱)
City: Ji’an
Province: Jilin
Persecution Suffered : Illegal sentencing, forced injections/drug administration, imprisonment, fired from workplace, home ransacked, detention

This is a summary of the injustice suffered by Mr. Dong Yanfa from Ji’an City, Jilin Province as a Chinese citizen, who has upheld his constitutional right to freedom of belief.

Mr. Dong Yanfa, 55, used to suffer from heart disease, tonsillitis and gastritis, but he became completely healthy after practicing Falun Gong for two months. He was known to previously have a bad temper and constantly fight with his wife, but he improved his temper and his relationship with his wife as the result of Falun Gong’s teachings based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

“It was Teacher Li Hongzhi that has transformed me,” he said. “He has given me a second lease on life. Words cannot express my gratitude to him!”

In July 1999 the Chinese Communist regime violated the country’s own constitution and deprived its people the freedom of faith by launching the brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Mr. Dong was since illegally arrested and detained in the Ji’an City Detention Center five times for persevering in practicing Falun Gong.

Mr. Dong was put in a detention center for the third time on April 27, 2001. Two police officers forced an unknown drug into his nose on April 29. He lost all feeling in his lower body and even lost the ability to speak in the afternoon. He was sent to a hospital the next day and told that he was seriously ill. The drug had damaged his central nervous system. He now has limited use of his body and to this day he continues to suffer from the damage caused by the drugs.

Mr. Dong was arrested again without any warrant on November 25, 2005 when he was out grocery shopping. After he was put in the detention center, the officers used his key to enter his home and confiscate two copies of Zhuan Falun.

Mr. Dong was arrested again on April 12, 2009 after a group of police officers broke into and ransacked his home that evening. They took a new desktop computer, a Toshiba notebook computer, a new printer, a CD-ROM burner and many other personal items.

While he was incarcerated in Ji’an City Detention Center, he was released on bail twice for medical treatment because of his rapidly deteriorating health.

Mr. Dong’s arrest was approved on May 18, 2009, and he was released on bail awaiting trial on May 19. The prosecutor filed charges on June 4 and had him tried on June 25. He was sent to a detention center on June 25 and notified that he had been found guilty of being in possession of computer equipment. He was sentenced to four years in prison. The prosecution and the verdict were in direct violation of China’s own constitution, which guarantees freedom of belief.

Mr. Dong was diagnosed with a stroke at the Central Hospital in Tonghua City on August 19, 2009. Despite the diagnosis, he was still sent to Siping Shiling Prison.

He was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension in prison. The prison doctor decided that he needed a medical bail-out, but the request was denied by the warden. The deputy warden asked Mr. Dong to renounce Falun Gong in writing in exchange for medical bail. He refused.

The prison eventually agreed to let Mr. Dong out on bail because of his alarming health condition. However, the local police refused to sign the bail document, so Dong was kept in prison. When his 80-year-old mother went to the police chief, begging him to sign the bail document, he pushed and beat the elderly lady.

Mr. Dong survived. He has been released, but he has become disabled. He is unable to work and has been fired from his job. His family is now in a financial crisis. His son faces discrimination as the son of a Falun Gong practitioner and is unable to find anyone willing to date or marry him. Mr. Dong’s older brother’s heart disease deteriorated when he was sentenced to prison. His older brother passed away in 2010.

Chinese version available

Category: Accounts of Persecution

New York: Raising Awareness of the Forced Organ Harvesting at Union Square (Photos)

(Minghui.org) Practitioners in New York have been holding activities at Manhattan’s Union Square since August 2013. They set up photo displays and talked to passersby to bring their attention to the forced organ harvesting atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party in China.

People from many different walks of life and nationalities were shocked when they learned about the organ harvesting, and signed a petition calling for an immediate end to such criminal acts.

A writer carefully studied the photo displays and drew illustrations from the photos in his notebook. “It’s really too cruel!” he said. “Really a heinous crime! I want to write about it and show the world’s people!”

Practitioners also demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises to introduce people to the beauty of Falun Dafa.

New York residents learn the facts about Falun Gong

Chinese version available

Category: Other Community Events