Abuse of Falun Gong practitioners in Chinese mental institutions is widespread, ongoing, and state-sanctioned, say China Mental Health Watch (CHMHW) and the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
Little Fadu is only 4 years old, but already she understands that her father, Chengyong Chen, was a very brave man.
Mr. Hongping Chen, a Falun Gong practitioner from Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province died last month after a year and a half of torture and abuse.
Reports of the deaths of fourteen Falun Gong practitioners have recently been confirmed. Many of these cases repeat a chilling pattern: physical and psychological torture inflicted by corrupt police, followed by "release" of the practitioners from custody just days or even hours before they die from their injuries as the police attempt to shirk responsibility for the deaths.
The deaths of six Falun Gong practitioners from Huludao City, Liaoning Province have recently been confirmed. All six died from abuse and torture suffered in various labor camps and detention centers in Liaoning Province, home of the notorious Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, where dozens of Falun Gong practitioners have lost their lives.
Utterly exhausted from 12 days without sleep, Lihong Ding’s captors forced him to pace his cell to keep him awake. Many times the 36-year-old collapsed while walking, banging his head on the walls and floors.
Christina Yuan typifies what many would call the American dream -- humble beginnings, hard work, a Harvard education, a fulfilling life and a successful career in New York City. Christina's mother, Ms. Benlan Yu, typifies an on-going nightmare in China -- stripped of all rights to freedom of speech and freedom of belief, horribly tortured by Chinese police, and sent to a forced labor camp without trial.
After months of appealing throughout the country, Helen Peng could not have wished for a more fitting Christmas gift. When the Canadian called China to wish her family a happy holiday, she discovered that her twin sister was no longer a prisoner of conscience. "It is not because the labour camp is compassionate that she was released, but because the Global Rescue campaign and Canadian Government exerted pressure on China," said Helen (Tianying) Peng this week from Toronto.
According to reliable sources in China, officials at Wanjia Forced Labor Camp have been making a concentrated effort to force a higher percentage of Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their practice and become "reformed" since June of this year. Officials in the camp have been using a variety of instruments of torture against practitioners, and observers have noted that the escalation in frequency and intensity of torture since June is directly linked to a large number of deaths of Falun Gong practitioners in the camp.
Ms. Yoko Kaneko was sentenced to one and a half years labor re-education by Beijing police on June 24 for distributing Falun Gong-related materials on Beijing's streets in May.