(Minghui.org) Mr. Yang Xingfu, a retired military officer from Nanjing, has been arrested and put in forced labor camp three times since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Gong in July 1999.
Chen Chunmei, Mr. Yang's wife, also has been arrested three times and sent to one year of forced labor. Both have been held in brainwashing centers several times, and their home has been ransacked ten times.
Mr. Yang and his wife filed a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin with the Supreme People's Procuratorate on June 24, 2015.
The following is an excerpt from Mr. Yang's complaint:
I started to practice Falun Gong in July 1996. I was an editorial director in the Cultural Affairs Office, an affiliate of the Political Department of the Nanjing Military Region. I was a senior colonel.
Before I started practicing Falun Gong, I had herniated lumbar discs, rheumatoid arthritis, sinusitis, bladder cancer and other maladies. I often felt dizzy and weak and could barely control my bladder. A friend recommended that I learn Falun Gong.
After practicing a little more than two months, the symptoms disappeared, and my whole body was at ease. I was full of energy. Since then, I have not visited a hospital or clinic, except when I was in forced labor camps. I have not needed to take any medication. As proof, my military medical card does not have any medical records connected to it. Practicing Falun Gong has probably saved the government hundreds of thousands of yuan in medical expenses.
I have cultivated myself by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and my spiritual realm has greatly elevated. Prior to the persecution, I received many awards and honors at work. I became kinder, more tolerant and sincere because of Falun Gong. I understood that physical and mental health was the result of improved xinxing.
Unfortunately, since former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin started the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, the 610 Office and its unlawful agents have persecuted me.
Forced Labor in 2000
I was arrested by plainclothes officers from Nanjing Domestic Security Division while I was delivering informational materials about Falun Gong on July 9, 2009. At least ten officers interrogated me, and they were led by a man named Li Yaojun. They threatened and harassed me. The air conditioner was turned on maximum to freeze me. The interrogation lasted more than eight hours. They then handed me over to my military unit.
I was immediately put in a barbed cell by the military region's 610 Office. The room was guarded by armed soldiers. Several military officials tried to pressure me into giving up Falun Gong and disclosing the source of the informational materials.
Three days later, Song Hongxi led several soldiers from the Security Division in ransacking my home and office on July 12, 2009. They took everything away. I was put under criminal detention during the night. Pan Bing, head of the regional military prison, handcuffed me and took me to the prison for further persecution.
Several officers from the political department, officials from my military unit, and the deputy director of the Defense Division, Cao Boru, announced that I would be subjected to three years of forced labor, with the sentence beginning on August 12, 2009. I was removed as editorial director, and my rank was lowered to Colonel. My family was reassigned to a smaller apartment. All my benefits were suspended during the forced labor period.
I was the only practitioner in the forced labor camp. The other detainees were mostly young soldiers or low-ranking officers, jailed for crimes such as rape, corruption, robbery or fraud.
I was placed with a strict and brutal control unit for over eight months for refusing to give up Falun Gong. All the other detainees in the team monitored me. I had a lot more restrictions than anyone else.
The head inmate of the team was allowed to punish me at will. I was forced to sit on a “small stool” and prohibited from talking or standing. I was not allowed to use the restroom. It was impossible to follow all the rules they made up, and I was often punished, including being forced to do ridiculous calisthenics, over and over.
The above was my daily routine in the labor camp. Moreover, agents from the 610 Office threatened and abused me. When I was finally released from the unit, they threatened to take away my government benefits. I was given a one-year term reduction and released from the labor camp on July 12, 2002.
I was forced to retire early in September 2002.
Second Forced Labor Term in 2005
Zong Guimin, head of the Cultural Affairs Office, and Cui Ronghui, head of the Party Committee, broke into my home with a team of soldiers. They took me to the Zhenjiang Brainwashing Center on January 4, 2005. Wang Weizhong from the local 610 Office, a division deputy from the Military Region Procuratorate , and a deputy director from Military Region Court came to the brainwashing center to interrogate and to force me to give up Falun Gong.
I kept silent during the interrogation, regardless of their threats and taunts. Finally, Cui threatened me by using my son-in-law, who is a military doctor. Cui said that he would force him to divorce my daughter. He ordered an official to restrict my son-in-law's freedom. I remained silent.
He continued his threats and said that he would have me sentenced for a long time. I was still silent. Unable to coerce me, they finally left.
I was sent to the forced labor camp of the Military Region for a three-year term on January 28, 2005. I started a hunger strike, which continued until March 13, 2005. The experiences of intimidation and humiliation are painful to recall.
Third Forced Labor Term in 2012
I was taken to my work unit, the Cultural Affairs Office, on April 20, 2012. Wang Weizhong from the 610 Office was present. He threatened me and said I would be held in a forced labor camp for three years. I refused to say anything.
Then, I was taken to a room in the back of the building by two armed soldiers. I was held in the room while they tried to brainwash me. Seven soldiers took turns guarding the room.
I was taken to the guest house of the military regional prison later on April 28, 2012 and watched by six armed guards. The 610 Office devised a detailed plan to brainwash me. The guards made daily progress reports about me. Zhang Zhiyang and Li Shijie from the 610 Office informed that I was sent to three years of forced labor, which began on May 17, 2012.
Since I refused to give up Falun Gong, I was again put in a strict control unit. I was not allowed to make phone calls, write letters, read newspapers or watch television. My bed was directly under a surveillance camera. A detainee and a soldier monitored me at all times during the day. I was under surveillance around the clock, and everything I did or said was reported.
I was forced to do labor in 100-degree heat and nearly passed out. I was in very poor condition since I was unable to do the Falun Gong exercises. I requested a medical exam around the New Year holiday of 2013.
A month passed before I was allowed to visit a doctor in the general hospital of the Military Region, who confirmed that I had severely herniated lumbar discs and an embolism in the spine. He suggested that I be hospitalized, but the authorities refused.
After an account of how I was being persecuted was reported on the Minghui website on March 5, 2013, a special task force was formed. The three members–Wang Weizhong and Yang Lianbo from the 610 Office and Zhang Bingcai from the Cultural Affairs Office–took turns trying to break me mentally for three consecutive days. They were fatigued from carrying out the orders.
On the fourth day, they threatened to cause trouble for my daughter: she would lose her job, and her husband would be forced to divorce her if I refused to give up my belief. However, since my daughter had an outstanding performance record and had been awarded the honor of “Excellent Civil Servant” for eight consecutive years, those attempts by the 610 Office failed.
Wang Weizhong from the 610 Office informed me that my forced labor term was over on January 20, 2014. However, I would be returned to my hometown without any military benefits if I did not give up Falun Gong. He repeatedly tried to force me to yield. I simply kept quiet and said nothing.
I was allowed to go home on January 24, 2014.
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