NEW YORK, April 26, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Center) - Sources inside China have confirmed the deaths of four more Falun Gong practitioners as a result of treatment received in the hands of Chinese police. Those brutalized range widely across demographic groups, including elderly, women, and children.

Authorities in China go to great lengths to maintain the information blockade about these cases. For example, one victim's daughter who knew the truth about the circumstances of her mother's death has been detained since December 2000. At the time of her arrest, she was only 16 years old.

Mr. Adam Montanaro, spokesman for the Falun Dafa Information Center, remarked, "It is clear that this campaign of violent suppression by the Chinese government is not limited to any particular demographic group. As long as the victim practices Falun Gong, he or she will be persecuted just the same. The victims are ordinary people - the elderly, those in the prime of their lives, even innocent children. Doesn't it seem unconscionable to you that the police would detain an 16-year-old girl for over a year, right after murdering her mother?"

Mother Thrown to Her Death From 5th Floor, Daughter Still Being Detained

Reliable sources have reported that Yang Wenhui, a 40-year-old woman from Panzhihuamiyi County Sichuan Province, was arrested and thrown to her death by the police from the fifth floor of a local building on December 16, 2000. The police hastily cremated her body and only afterwards did they notify family members of her untimely death.

Sources confirm that Ms. Yang had been arrested while distributing flyers with her then 16 year-old daughter, Ye Wenyan, In order to keep the true circumstances of her mother's death from becoming public, the police continue to hold Ms. Ye (whose nickname, Dongmei, means "little winter plum blossom") almost a year and a half later.

66-Year-Old Man Arrested and Tortured for His Wife's Appeal in Beijing

Mr. Jiao Zhenxing, a 66-year-old man from Baiquan County, Heilongjiang Province, was arrested in October 2000 after his wife had gone to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. Sources inside China report that Jiao's home had been the target of numerous searches and both visual and electronic surveillance by police and officials from his workplace, the Baiquan County Personnel office, since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999.

After his arrest, Jiao was both physically and mentally abused in the detention center. Mr. Jiao's health then deteriorated rapidly, as he experienced chest pains and other symptoms. Sources confirm that despite his poor condition, the police delayed releasing Mr. Jiao until after they had been successful in extorting 4,000 Yuan from his family. Shortly after his release, Jiao Zhenxing passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage on March 25, 2001.

30-Year-Old Man Dies Soon After Release From Forced Labor Camp

Mr. Song Yongjun was a 30 year-old Chinese language teacher at the No. 2 Middle School of Dai County, Shanxi Province. Sources inside China report that Mr. Song was arrested in July 1999 and sent to Yuncheng Forced Labor Camp, where he was subjected to cruel physical and psychological torture. Not long after, Mr. Song's relatives were notified by authorities to pick him up and take him home. Mr. Song passed away just a few days later.

Elderly Woman Denied Medical Treatment Until it Was Too Late

Feng Peizhi, a woman of approximately 60 years of age, was from the city of Changzhi, Shanxi Province. Ms. Feng was arrested for her practice of Falun Gong in May 2001. Sources close to the situation report that she went on a hunger strike to protest the brutal treatment she received at the hands of police. Despite her rapidly failing health, her captors waited over a month before sending her to Shanxi Public Security Hospital, where she passed away in June 2001.

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices in China, such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.

The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of over 400 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600. Over 100,000 have been detained, with more than 20,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps without trial.