(Minghui.org) Ms. Li Ying was only ten years old when she was first sent to a detention center. She was subjected to sleep deprivation as well as other forms of brainwashing. She was sent to a nursing home against her will and confined under constant surveillance.
Five of Ms. Li's family members have died as a result of the persecution of Falun Gong. Her mother is now paralyzed and in a detention center. Ms. Li, now 21, was arrested again after visiting her mother in a detention center. She is currently detained at Chaoyang District Detention Center in Beijing.
Arrested after Visiting Her Mother in Detention
Ms. Li's mother, Ms. Chen Shulan, was sentenced to a seven-year jail sentence in 2002. At that time, Li Ying was only ten years old. Ms. Chen was released from jail in 2010 and immediately sent to Changping Brainwashing Center without an opportunity to go home to see her daughter. She was finally allowed to return to her home after being detained for 70 days in the brainwashing center.
Mother and daughter were under surveillance during the two years that they lived together. Ms. Chen was arrested again in December 2012 by officers from the Songyuan Police Station, because she was distributing truth-clarifying materials.
Ms. Chen was sentenced to four years in jail by the Changping District Court. On her way to jail in a police car, she sustained spinal fractures. She is still unable to take care of herself due to paralysis, and is confined to bed. Ms. Chen's lawyer asked to see her, but the authorities at the detention center did not allow it. After Ms. Li Ying and the lawyer appealed to the Beijing Police Department and the municipal government, they finally got permission to see her.
During the visit to the detention center, Ms. Li Ying talked about her family situation with a person in charge whose last name is Shi. She told the official how five members of her mother's family died as a result of persecution. She also let Shi know that her mother was the sole survivor and the only family member she had left. Unfortunately, as a result of sharing this information, Ms. Li Ying was regarded as engaging in the promotion of Falun Gong and was reported to the authorities.
On October 31, 2013, Ms. Li was arrested by officers from Dougezhuang Police Station in Shaoyang District. She has been detained in Shaoyang Detention Center ever since.
A 10-year-old Prisoner
Several of Ms. Chen's family members went to Beijing to appeal after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Gong in 1999. Just like many other practitioners, they were detained and tortured. Li Ying, although a mere child, was not exempt.
Ms. Li was quite ill when she was very young and had to take medicine every day. She was so sick that she was unable to attend kindergarten when she was six years old. She started to practice Falun Gong in 1998 and completely recovered. When her mother Ms. Chen Shulan was arrested on September 17, 2002, 10-year-old Li Ying was also arrested and sent to a brainwashing center. Her mother was later sentenced to seven and half years and incarcerated in Daxing Women's Prison.
On the day her mother was arrested, Ms. Li was in school. Officers from the 610 Office came to her school and took her to Changping Brainwashing Center. A 10-year-old child was treated as an adult and was pressured to “transform” under threats and propaganda. She was forced to watch propaganda materials and was threatened that she would not be allowed to go back to school if she refused to write the statement renouncing Falun Gong. When she refused to write it, she was ordered to copy from the one they prepared. When she still refused to do this, she was not allowed to go to bed until after 1:00 a.m.
In order to return to school, the young child gave in and signed her name on the statement. However, she still had no freedom. She was taken to school during the day and returned to the brainwashing center after school. She was finally allowed to leave the brainwashing center three weeks later. The night before she left the brainwashing center, she was told to make a verbal declaration and guarantee to not practice Falun Gong. She was not allowed to go to sleep until she did. It was already after midnight.
At that time, all her family members were in detention and she had no place to go. In the beginning, she stayed at a day care Monday through Friday, and on weekends the teachers took turns caring for her.
The Only Child Residing in a Nursing Home
Three months later, without her consent, she was sent to Changping Nursing Home, as ordered by the 610 Office. The distance from the nursing home to her school was over two kilometers, and she had to walk alone to and from school. The road was in a remote area without any lights. In winter it was already dark when school ended for the day. She was scared to walk alone on the dark road. Several times, she made a request to Lin Guojun, deputy of the nursing home, and Kang Li, deputy director of the 610 Office, to take a bus or ride a bicycle to school. She was ignored.
She was the only child in the nursing home. No one came to visit her during the two years she was there. Sometimes when she was late getting home from school, she had to eat cold food for an evening meal, as no one would heat it for her. Sometimes there was not enough food left for her. She asked for an insulated lunch box, but was ignored.
No one in the nursing home cared for her. She had no freedom except when she was in school. If she wanted to go somewhere, she had to get permission from the deputy of the nursing home. If she needed something, she was required to make an application. If the application was granted, someone would accompany her to buy it, and usually it was cheap and of poor quality. She was given 1.5 yuan for her breakfast daily, and no pocket money. She was looked down on by her classmates.
She was finally able to leave the nursing home, after spending more than two years there. She left school as well, although she had earned good grades. Although she was just a teenager, she tried all kinds of jobs to survive, such as babysitting, waitressing, etc. It's hard to describe in words the hardships she endured.
To read more about little Li Ying's ordeal, please see: A 13-Year-Old Girl's Heartbreaking Story: Interview With Li Ying, Daughter of Ms. Chen Shulan (Photos)
Family Background
Ms. Chen Shulan's two brothers, a sister, and her parents all died due to the persecution. She is the only survivor in her family.
Mr. Chen Aizhong, Li Ying's oldest uncle, was sent to No. 1 Tangshan Forced Labor Camp in Hebei Province in 2001. Eight days later, he was dead at the age of 33.
Ms. Chen Hongping, Li Ying's youngest aunt, was arrested in Huilei County by local police. She was tortured, and both legs were broken due to beatings. She was later sent to Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp in Hebei Province. When she was sent home a year and a half later, she was mentally ill. She died in 2003 at the ago of 32.
Mr. Chen Aili, Li Ying's youngest uncle, was arrested several times and was beaten and tortured. When he was detained in Jidong Prison, the guard poured scalding water over his head. He was released when he was near death. He died in 2004 at the age of 36.
Ms. Wang Lianrong, Li Ying's grandmother, had to leave home to avoid arrest. She suffered the loss of her three children. She died in 2006 at the age of 65.
Mr. Chen Yunshen, Li Ying's grandfather, lost his three children and his wife. He lived alone and was under surveillance all the time. At around 6:00 p.m. on January 11, 2009, he was hit by a car and died. The driver involved fled the scene and the accident was never resolved.
For more details, see the earlier report: Long-term, Bloody Persecution Reduces a Seven-member Family to Two (Photos)
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