NEWS -- July 11, 2003 Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net
NEW YORK (FDI) -- Ms. Li Ying, a Falun Gong practitioner and resident of Youyan Street, Wanghua District, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, was kidnapped and beaten to death by Chinese police on April 2nd, 2003, according to sources in China.
Sources say Ms. Li was kidnapped by police officers from the No. 1 Division of Fushun City Police Department because she practices Falun Gong. She was immediately taken to the local police station where she was beaten to death on the same day by four police officers in an attempt to extract a "confession" -- a Chinese police term for renouncing Falun Gong.
Ms. Li's family was unable to locate her and suspected that the police had kidnapped her.
Ms. Li's family then went to the police department to ask for her but were turned away. The family members, however, deplored the police and insisted on seeing her.
According to sources familiar with Ms. Li's case, the police finally relented, allowing family members to see Ms. Li.
Sources say they saw her lying on the ground with a white sheet covering her entire body. Upon pulling the sheet down they found Ms. Li on the verge of death. She only had strength to tell her husband, "Four police beat me..." before dying shortly thereafter.
Sources say Ms. Li's family demanded to document the scene on videotape, but police refused out of fear their crime would be exposed. Police then proceeded to ask her family whether she had any illnesses in an apparent attempt to find an excuse for her death. Her family told police she had excellent health and called for a coroner to perform an autopsy. Chinese authorities, however, denied the request.
Ms. Li's family is currently unwilling to discuss her case further due to pressure from the police, and further details of her death are still under investigation.
Relevant Departments Responsible for Ms. Li's Death:
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NEWS -- July 11, 2003
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.
The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 753 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER -- Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, or Feng Yuan 917-941-1097. Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/