Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Yang Yufang, 50, was a resident of Kouwaidongyaozi, Qiaoxi District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province. On May 17, 2003, Yang was arrested and taken away by the 3rd Division of the city police. Yang protested by holding a hunger strike, and the police further persecuted her by force-feeding her on two separate occasions. Yang died on June 16, 2003. The police secretly cremated her body.

On May 17, 2003, police from Qiaodong Police Station of Zhangjiakou City illegally arrested Yang Yufang. A total of twelve practitioners were also arrested at the same time. Instructed by the Qiaodong Police Station, Director Yang Zhiyou, Assistant Director Qiao, and the Head of the Criminal Division, Cheng Jianbin, led a group of police officers to torture and extort confessions from the practitioners throughout the day and night. The police tortured the practitioners using extremely brutal methods, including vicious beatings, electric shock, handcuffing, and forced-feeding, etc. After many days of torture at the criminal division of the police station, Yang and others were illegally transferred and detained at the Shisanli Detention Center in Zhangjiakou City.

Due to the ruthless persecution, Yang Yufang was at the brink of death in less than a month. The detention center sent her to the Fifth Hospital of Zhangjiakou City. She died on June 16, 2003. After Yang's death, the police covered up the truth and blocked the news. Yang's family members were not notified until two days after her death, and they were not allowed to see her remains until right before the cremation at the city crematory. According to an eyewitness, Yang's face was so deformed that people who were familiar with her would not even recognize her. There were signs of bleeding from her mouth, nose, and ear. Her face was covered with traces of blood and cuts from being beaten. Her body was covered with bruises that were purplish-black in color.

Between May and June of 2003, under the command of the Assistant Director of the Zhangjiakou City Police Department Ma Fuwei, Director of the Qiaodong Police Station Yan Zhiyou, and Assistant Director Qiao, police officers from the Qiaodong Police Station frantically arrested Falun Dafa practitioners. They used illegal surveillance and telephone taps to track practitioners. Over twenty practitioners were arrested, and seven of them were sent to Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp. The labor camp, however, refused to accept them due to the outbreak of SARS. The police then sent them to Handan Forced Labor Camp.

Over a dozen practitioners are still detained in the Fifth Hospital of Zhangjiakou City. They are all in critical condition due to persecution.

Relevant Telephone Numbers:
Zhanjiakou City Committee: 86-313-2014182, 86-313-2012288, 86-13603131000
City Mayor's Hotline: 86-313-8077976
City Social Service Department: 86-313-2024997, Superintend Office: 86-313-2024756
City Police Department: 86-313-8681234, Office: 86-313-8682211
Dongyaozi Police Station: 86-313-8060757