FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 11/22/2001 [ http://www.faluninfo.net/ ]
NEW YORK, November 22, 2001 (Falun Dafa Information Center) - Chinese officials have confirmed the death of one man and refused to provide any information regarding a second in the latest reports of Falun Gong practitioners being killed in China for peacefully practicing their beliefs. Both victims were detained for practicing Falun Gong and died while in police custody.
Tortured to Death by his Captors After Arrest
Mr. Zhanrui Wu was a volunteer coordinator for the Falun Gong practice in Fushun City. According to sources inside China, Mr. Wu was taken into custody on July 20, 1999 and died shortly afterward. While Chinese state-run newspapers had reported that Mr. Wu had committed suicide, these sources reveal that Mr. Wu was actually tortured to death in an attempt by his captors to force him to renounce Falun Gong. Because he refused, his captors tortured him, broke his ribs, and eventually killed him.
An official with the Fushun City Public Security Department confirmed Mr. Wu's death.
The death of Mr. Wu fits a disturbing pattern that began two days before the official ban of Falun Gong on July 22, 1999. In the early morning hours of July 20, 1999, Falun Gong volunteers throughout the country were taken from their homes and detained. These individuals were then subjected to severe torture and brainwashing techniques in an effort to get them to publicly make statements against Falun Gong and its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi. Many believe this policy was an attempt to shake the resolve of other practitioners, who numbered in the tens of millions, by broadcasting footage of the volunteers denouncing the practice. Like Mr. Wu, some of the volunteers who refused to denounce Falun Gong were eventually killed.
Due to tight control by Jiang Zemin's regime over the information regarding Falun Gong practitioners being killed in custody, the details of Mr. Wu's case have only now been uncovered.
Chinese Air Force Hospital Could Not Counter Labor Camp's Abuse
More recently, Mr. Yongshun Shan, 40 years old, was illegally detained in the Zhengzhou City Baimiao Labor Camp before he was tortured to death, according to sources inside China. On October 19th 2001, he was sent to the Zhengzhou Air Force Hospital when he was "on the verge of death," these sources say. Despite an emergency rescue effort, Mr. Shan died from his injuries incurred while in custody.
One reporter who spoke with a woman at the Zhengzhou City Baimiao Labor Camp asked about Mr. Shan's case three times after which he was told, "If you want to learn the details, you need to come here and bring an introduction letter with you. That's the regulation here."
Falun Dafa Information Center spokesperson Adam Montanaro commented on these cases: "These deaths are the direct result of Jiang Zemin's policy of state terrorism towards Falun Gong. This cannot and must not go on." Mr. Montanaro continued, "As we all saw from the western demonstrators on Tiananmen Square yesterday, despite the efforts of Jiang's regime to hide the facts, the world is becoming aware of these atrocious acts. China has a rich and profound culture, but for China as a nation to participate in the global community with any sense of dignity, the suppression of Falun Gong must end, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice."
The Falun Dafa Information Center has confirmed the deaths of 314 Falun Gong practitioners who died due to brutality in custody since Chinese President Jiang Zemin banned Falun Gong in July, 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,000. Over 100,000 have been detained, with many of them being sentenced to forced labor camps with no trial.