(Clearwisdom.net) Over the last several years, Dafa practitioner Mr. Yang Zhiwen from Anshan City, Liaoning Province was constantly arrested, beaten, detained and sentenced to labor camps by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was once forced to leave home and became destitute and homeless in order to avoid persecution and arrest. The long-term brutal persecution wrecked Mr. Yang's health, and he passed away on October 20, 2006. He was fifty-four years old.

Mr. Yang Zhiwen went to Beijing to speak out for justice for the Fa in October 1999; he was illegally arrested and was held in detention for over fifteen days. Police from the Dagushan Police Station raided his home on July 4, 2000, confiscated his Dafa books and Master's picture and took him to the police station. When Mr. Yang's wife, Zhang Suhua brought meals to him, the police questioned her, "Do you still practice Falun Dafa?" She replied "Yes." The police stated, "Why do you still practice when the government forbids you to do so." Mrs. Zhang answered, "It is such a wonderful practice; why not practice it!" Because of what she said, husband and wife were both held in the detention center. Zhang Suhua was held there over a month, and Mr. Yang was sentenced to one year in a forced labor camp.

While in the labor camp, Mr. Yang Zhiwen held to his firm belief in Dafa and refused to be "transformed." The brutal persecution took its toll on him, however, and he developed diabetes and an anal cyst. Blood and pus oozed out of the cyst daily. After surgery for this condition, normally the dressing on the wound should be changed daily for at least fifteen days. Mr. Yang, however, was sent back to the labor camp immediately after the surgery. Because of this, his wound was not able to heal for a long time and continued to ooze blood and pus. The labor camp refused to release Mr. Yang, even under such a condition. Because Mr. Yang refused to give up Dafa, the labor camp extended his sentence for four more months. When he was finally released in November 2001, after sixteen months spent in labor camp, his mental and physical health were greatly damaged.

Shortly after Mr. Yang was released, Dafa banners appeared on the door of the Dagushan Police Station; the police assumed that Mr. Yang and his wife were the ones who put them there. Policemen Tian Rongge, Wang Zuogang and a third person broke into Mr. Yang's home and took the couple away. His wife Zhang Suhua was sent to the No. 3 Detention Center in Anshan City, but they released Mr. Yang. Less than one month later, the police also took Mr. Yang to No. 3 Detention Center. During the brutal arrest, the police knocked out his front teeth and split his upper lip, which required twelve stitches. After Mr. Yang was taken away, the couple's teen aged child remained at home alone.

On January 27, 2002, nineteen Dafa practitioners broke out of the detention center with their righteous thoughts, including Mr. Yang and his wife. This heroic undertaking shocked the evil in Anshan. Mr. Yang and Mrs. Zhang broke out of the jail, but they were forced to become homeless to avoid being arrested again.

On August 20, 2002, the police from the Jiefanglu Police Station in Anshan arrested the couple. Police officers Wu Jinghua, Wang Taiquan, Jin Jun and several other people stripped off Mr. Yang's clothes and brutally beat him. Blood oozed from his mouth and nose, there were countless bruises on his chest, he was covered with blood, and he could not stand up. A policeman kicked him so hard that he sprained his ankle. After the beating, Mr. Yang was sent to No. 1 Detention Center in Anshan City, but was refused because of his poor physical condition. They stated, " How could you beat a person to this extent?"

Mr. Yang was sentenced to three years in the Anshan Correctional Facility. During his time there, he continued to firmly practice Dafa, but due to the ongoing brutal persecution, he developed heart disease and hepatitis and became extremely weak, until he was unable to take care of himself. After an examination by the hospital, Mr. Yang was released for medical treatment.

In the middle of November 2004, the residency committee director reported to Dagushan Police Station that there were people visiting Mr. Yang Zhiwen. Police officer Tian Rongge and several others came to raid his house. His wife refused to open the door from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The police refused to leave, and after Mr. Yang came back from work, he noticed the police surrounding his house. He started to run and shouted: "The police are arresting good people again! The police are arresting good people again!" The police caught up with him and forced their way into his house. They opened the closet and looked in the beds, did not find anyone or anything, and finally left.

Over these past several years, Mr. Yang Zhiwen was under constant long-term brutal persecution at the hands of the CCP. His physical health was ruined, he developed complications of diabetes and heart disease. Mr. Yang passed away on October 20, 2006.