(Minghui.org) Minghui.org previously reported on the wrongful conviction of a mother and son in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, for their faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. It was recently learned that Mr. Li Binyang, 31, was admitted to the Duyun Prison. His mother, Ms. Song Xiaomei, 54, is currently serving time at the Guiyang Province Women’s Prison.
Mr. Li and Ms. Song were both sentenced around March 2024, with the former receiving four and a half years and the latter three years. Their prison sentences stemmed from their arrests on February 26, 2023, months after the passing of Ms. Song’s mother, Ms. Zhou Xianglan, on December 21, 2021.
While Ms. Zhou’s death at age 79 was briefly covered in a Minghui report before, this article has newly obtained details.
Health Restored
Both Ms. Song and Mr. Li took up Falun Gong after they witnessed how Ms. Zhou became healthy through the practice. Ms. Zhou suffered a medical malpractice accident while having a sterilization surgery at the age of 33. She was on sick leave for years and eventually had to take an early retirement from her job at the Guizhou Liyang Aviation Engine Company, which is part of the military, at the age of 41.
After she began practicing Falun Gong in 1994, Ms. Zhou completely recovered. Her daughter Ms. Song joined her in the practice. Mr. Li grew up seeing his mother and grandmother practicing Falun Gong. He became a Falun Gong practitioner as well.
Ms. Zhou Given 1.5 Years of Forced Labor in 2000
After the persecution began, the family was targeted for their faith. Zhong Guanghua, a local Party secretary, broke into Ms. Zhou’s home on July 30, 1999 and confiscated her Falun Gong books.
Ms. Zhou visited a neighbor in March 2000 and was arrested by an officer who had been monitoring her. She was held at the Pingba Lockup for 15 days. Her former employer suspended her pension and other retiree benefits for an entire year.
Ms. Zhou, her sister, and Ms. Song went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in May 2000 and were arrested there. They were taken to the liaison office that Ms. Zhou’s employer had in Beijing. Company security guards Tang Liusheng and Luo Li picked them up and held them at the Pingba Lockup for 15 days.
Ms. Zhou was given one and a half years of forced labor in June 2000 and transferred to the Guizhou Province Women’s Labor Camp. She was forced to work for more than ten hours every day for a period of time. When she was not made to work, she was forced to squat or do military drills. Once she refused to fill out certain forms and was made to stand under the scorching sun from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. without being given any food or drink.
In June 2000, Ms. Song was taken out of the labor camp and held at a brainwashing center (located in a hotel) for one week.
She was later released ahead of time, but was arrested again in March 2001. Her Falun Gong books were confiscated and she was held at the Pingba Lockup for 15 days.
Both Mother and Daughter Given 3 Years of Forced Labor in 2002
Ms. Zhou and her daughter went to Beijing again in March 2002. They were arrested when they unfurling a “Falun Dafa Is Good” banner on Tiananmen Square. They were first taken to the Tiananmen Police Station and then transferred to the Haidian District Detention Center that night. Seven days later, the Honghu Machinery Factory, which fired Ms. Song in 2000 for her faith, dispatched its security guard Ma Hui, to pick her and her mother up from Beijing.
Ms. Song was held at the Pingba Detention Center from April 1 to July 18, 2002. She was then given three years of forced labor and transferred to the Guizhou Province Women’s Labor Camp.
Ms. Zhou was released months later, only to be arrested again in October 2002. Her purse, which had more than 500 yuan cash in it, was seized by the police. An officer also covered her head with a black plastic bag before hitting her savagely. She was badly injured and could not move. The police then dragged her from the fifth floor to the street level and tossed her into their cruiser. Another group of officers came in the next day and dragged her on the ground, passing a construction site, to the Pingba Detention Center.
Two months later, Ms. Zhou was given three years of forced labor and taken to the same labor camp where her daughter was being held.
Ms. Zhou Tortured in Labor Camp, Dies 16 Years After Release
Because Ms. Zhou refused to renounce her faith, four inmates pulled her by her arms and legs in four different directions (see image below). They stretched her so hard that she passed out from the pain. Another time she called out “Falun Dafa is good” and got her mouth stuffed with socks as punishment. The guards also instructed a drug addict to beat her.
Torture illustration: Pulled in four different directions
Ms. Zhou’s health declined as a result of the torture and the guards ordered her to write a waiver to relieve the labor camp of any liability should anything happen to her. She refused to comply and was dragged to the in-house clinic. A large person knelt on her and six others held her limbs tight. The doctors then gave her injections and force-fed her unknown drugs.
The guards later instructed drug addicts to lace her food with drugs. Ms. Zhou’s systolic blood pressure shot up to more than 200 mmHg after eating the food (she never had high blood pressure before her detention). She also experienced dizziness, headaches, and a rapid heartbeat. She was unable to fall asleep and felt numb all over.
Ms. Zhou was released on March 31, 2005 but faced constant harassment at home. Her health continued to decline over the years. She passed away on December 21, 2021.
Related Article in Chinese:
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Cases of Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in China’s Military
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