HEBEI PROVINCE : On February 16, 2000, Falun Dafa practitioners from the Town of Sizhilan, Ninjin County, Hebei Province, went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. They were subsequently arrested and taken to the local detention center. The compassionate acts of these practitioners angered the local authorities, which forced these practitioners to write promises giving up Falun Dafa, then beat and fined them heavily. These acts ultimately led to one death (Wang Xintian) and 140 injured.

On February 23, 2000, authorities in Sizhilan Township interrogated people who had practiced Falun Gong one by one. They demanded that these people write promises to renounce Falun Gong and pay a fine of 1,000 yuan (Chinese dollars, about two months salary of an average worker in cities of China); otherwise their homes would be ransacked. If practitioners refused to give any promises, they would be detained and beaten without mercy. There were 11 people being detained illegally at the Legal System Re-Education Center of Ningjin County. They also deceived 140 practitioners into entering the evil den set up by Sizhilan Township at an Iron Factory, telling the unsuspecting practitioners that they were going to attend a seminar.

Male and female practitioners were detained separately in two rooms. Around 9 pm on the same day, we heard the sound of a police car outside the detention rooms. As soon as the car stopped, the door opened and in came 5 or 6 men. Under candlelight, one of them called out more than ten names of male practitioners from a list he held in his hand. They began yelling at the practitioners and asked them to get up and walk out into the yard. Before they finished their yelling, these men started beating us with police rods, stun sticks, rubber sticks, wooden sticks and tree branches, kicking us with with their feet as well. They hit us all over the body. We all ended up on the floor and crawled outside into the night. In the yard, they made us take off our clothes, leaving only our underwear on. They told us to get on our knees. There were even more of them in the dark. Each one had his own weapon, hitting ferociously on practitioners' faces, heads, arms, backs, chests, groins, legs and stomaches. The beating was accompanied by their nonstop cursing. We couldn't hold our kneeling posture and ended up rolling all over on the ice. 20 minutes later, we were told to push our head against the wall while lifting our heels and pointing our toes to the ground. Our arms and hands had to touch the side of the body. We were supposed to push against the wall in a 90-degree angle. Whoever couldn't perform it got hit on the back. They cursed at us. Many practitioners were bleeding from the head.

After another 20 minutes, we were asked to face the wall and stand straight, with our arms extending horizontally toward the front. These men beat us heavily on the back while again cursing nonstop. They used flashlights and walked back and forth in the dark to check our posture. Whoever didn't keep their arms straight received more cursing and beating. After about another 20 minutes, we were asked to face the wall and kneel down, with the arms extending straight toward the front. Again they beat us up in the dark with their cursing in the background. Another 20 minutes later, they asked two practitioners to curse at each other and beat each other up. Whoever didn't apply real force would be beaten by these vicious men. After we were done, they asked us to kowtow to them. We were beaten this way once a day. Some had bones in their faces broken; some had their backs bleeding. Some were bleeding around their eyes. Dried blood caused the clothes of some people to stick to their bodies. One night, a practitioner in his thirties passed out during the beating. These men took a look at him and said: "It's ok. We don't care about him." Female practitioners received similar treatment.

People were detained in the evil den for 5 to 10 days. Whoever got out paid 1,000 to 1,500 yuan, otherwise he or she would have to stay and continue to be beaten. The chief demanded practitioners curse at Teacher and Dafa when they were released.

On the evening of February 22, 2000, the Town Office of Sizhilan dragged Li Pinhua, Li Pinchang and Cao Menshi to the District Office of Beiquanli. Authorities there said: "What you practice is evil." Without listening to explanations, they started hitting and kicking the three practitioners. They used shoes and wooden sticks. They also hit them in the face. It lasted half an hour until the oppressors got tired. Li Pinhua's back was injured and he had difficulty walking. The left side of the face of Li Pinchang swelled up. There was also blood in his eyes. Cao Menshi received very nasty cuts.

The following morning, they were sent to the Legal System Re-Education Center of Ningjin County. On the evening of February 26, they, too, were transferred to the evil den set up in the Iron Factory. Family members were allowed to send in two meals a day. The inhumane beating resumed on February 28. Their clothes were stripped off and they were made to kneel on the floor. Their faces were covered with clothing and the men then started beating them heavily with wooden sticks and rubber sticks on their backs, legs and buttocks. One of the vicious men was screaming like a wolf. The practitioners were beaten three times which lasted in total over 3 hours. At this point, the practitioners were unable to move, drink, eat or talk. Their entire bodies swelled up. They were detained for another 5 or 6 days in that condition. When these thugs saw that the practitioners might die, they let the practitioners' families take them home. They only had one breath left at that point. When they got home, there was not a good piece of skin left on their back, rear and legs. Even the stomach was black and blue. After 20 days, the practitioners were finally able to walk. They narrowly escaped with their lives.

After they were released, the practitioners were under the watch of civilian soldiers day and night. Lookout posts were set up on the roofs and in the streets. They were afraid the information would be leaked and their evil acts be exposed.

February 23, while the practitioners were under detention, an official from Sizhilan Township, Wang Jinhua, led a group of thugs from Beiquan and ransacked the homes of practitioners. They took away Li Changpin's tricycle, motorcycle, tape recorders, telephone, and other personal properties. Li Pinhua's TV, telephone, tape recorder, VCR and 300 yuan in cash were also taken away. There was no legal basis for what happened. They ransacked the homes illegally. 1,700 yuan of cash was taken away from Cao Menshi's home. Cao Menshi had wounds all over his body. His buttocks swelled up and discharged mucus for many days. He couldn't move and could only lie on his stomach.

People involved in these acts:

Secretary of the Office of Sizhilan Township

Geng Shuqi (mobile) 13903299376; (landline) 5934567

Official from the Village of Sizhilan

Meng Wenjin (mobile) 13931936186; (landline) 5933686

Leader of the Group of Thugs

Wang Yutian 5953700

Official from the Village of Sizhilan

Wang Jinhua 5933096

6 practitioners remained at the Ningjin County Legal System Re-Education Center. After they remitted living expenses and "tuition fees" on March 23, they were transferred back by Tie Jinbo and Li Minghua from Dayang Zhuang to the office of Beiquan Township. These people forced the practitioners to write promises to give up the practice of Dafa, to pay 1,000 yuan for their parole and another 1,000 yuan as a fine. The practitioners were detained there for 2 additional days without food or water.

Practitioners in China

December 6, 2000