(Minghui.org) “Human rights and rule of law conditions in China overall did not improve this past year, and declined in some of the areas covered by this report. The Chinese government and Communist Party continued to emphasize authoritarian control at the expense of human rights and the rule of law.” Quoted from the 2014 Annual Report by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China released on October 9.
The report pointed out that the Chinese communist regime is continuing its large-scale, systemic persecution of Falun Gong. Torture and abuse are prevalent. Falun Gong practitioners are possibly subjected to forced live organ harvesting.
“The government tightened restrictions on rights advocates, civil society, human rights lawyers, domestic and foreign journalists, the Internet, and religious institutions.”
“Call for the release of Chinese citizens confined, detained, or imprisoned for peacefully pursuing their religious beliefs including the right to hold and exercise those beliefs.” Such prisoners include Wang Zhiwen, a Falun Gong practitioner serving a 16-year sentence for participating in a peaceful protest in April 1999.
Chinese Communist Party Continues Persecution of Falun Gong in 2013-2014
The CECC report confirms what Minghui has reported in depth: “This past year, the Chinese government and Communist Party continued to carry out a campaign—initiated in 1999—of extensive, systematic, and in some cases violent efforts to pressure Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their belief in and practice of Falun Gong.
“Starting in 2013, the government and Party launched a three-year 'decisive-battle' campaign aimed at reducing Falun Gong activities and 'transforming' Falun Gong practitioners. The campaign has been carried out at all levels of government, and authorities have set specific 'transformation' quotas to meet local goals.
“Words such as 'battle,' 'attack,' and 'resist' appeared on official government Web sites, indicating the aggressive nature of the campaign and the government and Party’s continued emphasis on the suppression of Falun Gong.”
Torture Is Prevalent, Falun Gong Practitioners Are Possibly Subjected to Forced Live Organ Harvesting
The report stated that torture and abuse are prevalent in China: “The Commission continued to observe reports of targeted abuse of Falun Gong practitioners by Chinese government authorities and the 610 Office—an extralegal, Party-run security apparatus created in June 1999 to implement the ban against Falun Gong.”
“According to Minghui (aka Clear Wisdom), a U.S.-based news organization affiliated with Falun Gong, in numerous cases authorities abducted Falun Gong practitioners from their homes and detained them at various facilities, including public security bureau detention centers, reeducation through labor centers,prisons, and 'transformation through reeducation centers' (also known as 'legaleducation centers' or 'brainwashing centers').
“Authorities took measures to 'transform' detainees, subjecting them to sleep deprivation, food deprivation, forced feeding, beatings, electric shock, mental abuse, sexual abuse, and other cruel treatment.
“For example, the Commission observed a May 2014 report about a Falun Gong practitioner Yang Chunling, who passed away in April 2014 due to injuries she allegedly sustained during detention. Prison authorities reportedly subjected her to sleep deprivation, suffocation with a plastic bag pulled over her head, repeated beatings, and other forms of abuse that resulted in physical injuries.
“Furthermore, international observers asserted that possible organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners continued in the past reporting year. According to a July 2014 Minghui report, since July 20, 1999, Chinese authorities’ persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has resulted in at least 3,769 deaths.”
Falun Gong and Others Are Still Persecuted after Forced Labor Camps Abolished
The report states, “Reports have emerged that since the gradual phasing out of RTL (reeducation through labor), which began in early 2013, Chinese authorities have increasingly relied on other forms of arbitrary detention to 'manage' the 'targeted population,' (zhongdian renkou) which include groups such as petitioners and Falun Gong practitioners.”
“Some Falun Gong practitioners released from RTL have been sent to compulsory drug detoxification centers, including to the former Masanjia RTL facility, which has been 'rebranded' as a drug detox center and also serves as part of the Liaoning provincial prison system.
“Amnesty reports that a former RTL facility in Heilongjiang province was repurposed as a 'brainwashing center' (i.e., 'legal education center') to detain Falun Gong practitioners. Authorities have reportedly used 'legal education centers' extensively for more than a decade to detain Falun Gong practitioners in furtherance of their goal to 'transform' them. Such centers have reportedly increased as the RTL system has been dismantled.”
“Amnesty documented the case of more than 10 Falun Gong practitioners - previously detained in the Nanchong RTL facility in Sichuan province - who were transferred to a 'brainwashing center' after the RTL facility was shut down because they persisted in their beliefs and refused to be 'transformed.
“In the spring of 2014, a 'legal education center' in Jiansanjiang, Fujin county, Heilongjiang, was shut down in the wake of the publicity surrounding the detention and torture of four human rights lawyers who went to Jiansanjiang to provide legal assistance to Falun Gong practitioners detained there. However, authorities have reportedly replaced the Jiansanjiang facility with a compulsory drug detoxification center in Qiqiha’er city, Heilongjiang, which is being used as a 'legal education center' to detain Falun Gong practitioners.”
Human Rights Lawyers and Dissidents Are Persecuted
“Authorities also harassed and detained persons who attempted to assist Falun Gong practitioners, including lawyers who sought to provide legal assistance to their clients. In March 2014, lawyers Tang Jitian, Jiang Tianyong, Wang Cheng, and Zhang Junjie visited the Jiansanjiang 'legal education center' in Heilongjiang province, attempting to secure the release of detained Falun Gong practitioners.
“Local authorities reportedly abducted the four lawyers from their hotel, detained them at a local public security bureau, and accused them of 'using cult activities to endanger society.' Authorities then subjected the lawyers to beatings during detention, resulting in physical injuries.
“Local authorities reportedly forced the lawyers to sign a statement confessing that they 'disturbed public order,' and threatened Tang Jitian that he would be 'buried alive.' Authorities also allegedly detained and tortured other lawyers and Chinese citizens who came to Jiansanjiang to support the detained lawyers.”
“Jiansanjiang police officers broke 10 of Tang’s ribs and domestic security officers interfered when Tang subsequently tried to obtain treatment at a hospital.”
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