Feng Zhilan - 冯志兰
(Minghui.org) A woman from Wulong County in Chongqing died of abuse-induced health problems on March 15, just a few weeks after she was released on medical parole.
Ms. Feng Zhilan was brutally tortured while serving three years for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. She soon developed high blood pressure and other symptoms. Her repeated requests for medical care, however, was turned down by Chongqing Women's Prison.
It wasn't until February of this year that the prison finally agreed to grant her medical parole. By then, she had completely lost her ability to swallow and was extremely emaciated.
Ms. Feng managed to write down her ordeals during her final days. Her family was shocked to learn that all imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners were ordered to undergo routine medical exams every three months, including blood tests, electrocardiography, and x-rays. They suspected the examination was for the purpose of identifying possible involuntary donors for organ harvesting.
In the meantime, her family was outraged that the prison declined to render needed medical attention to Ms. Feng, who was not able to recover after her return home.
Below is Ms. Feng's personal account of how she was targeted for upholding her faith in Falun Gong, which renewed hope in her life.
Healthy Again After Practicing Falun Gong
A medical worker myself, I struggled for years to keep my neurasthenia and migraines at bay. The never-ending pain also strained my relationships with my family. Life seemed helpless until I came across Falun Gong one day in May 1998. I slept like a log that night. Before I knew it, the symptoms that bothered me for years were nowhere to be found.
A healthy body also lifted up my spirits. The conflicts with my family seemed so trivial, and I was getting along with everyone again.
Three Arrests for My Faith
Having gained a new outlook on life thanks to Falun Gong, I felt compelled to tell people that the persecution is wrong. After all, Falun Gong practitioners are merely exercising our constitutional rights to freedom of belief.
My simple act was met with three arrests over the years.
I was taken into custody in December 2000 and detained for six months. On the day of my arrest, the police tied me up and paraded me through the streets on a truck bed.
The police ransacked my home in July 2009, and the court soon sentenced me to two years in prison with two years of probation (meaning that I'd be jailed for two years should I violate my probation).
I was arrested for a third time in June 2014 and released on bail one month later after my blood pressure shot up to dangerously high levels. The court held several hearings in May 2015 and sentenced me to three years.
Prison Abuse
I was taken to Chongqing Women's Prison days after my sentencing. One thing I noted was that Falun Gong practitioners were ordered to go through regular medical exams. Those who refused to comply were brutally beaten. Non-practitioners, however, were not subject to such examinations. We were positive that the exams were meant to identify candidates for live organ harvesting.
I refused to renounce my faith and was met with brutal beatings and other forms of abuse. One inmate once grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall. Another time, several guards kicked me in the stomach.
For a period of time, they also forbade me to use the restroom, forcing me to relieve myself in my pants. One day, they forced me to run back and forth in the hallway. I was having diarrhea that day, and my urine and excrement ran down my pants, leaving stains everywhere. The guards then ordered me to wipe the floor clean as they laughed hysterically. It was beyond humiliating.
I began to have trouble swallowing in December 2015, but the guards kept ignoring my request for medical care. They scolded me, saying I was faking my illnesses.
I was already unable to take in anything by late January or early February in 2016. Only then did the prison let me go home.
