Tuesday, December 30, 2003

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Beijing

An outspoken member of the Falun Gong spiritual group, which is banned in the mainland, was severely beaten in a Chinese prison and has died in hospital, Falun Gong and a right's group said on Tuesday.

Liu Chengjun, sentenced to 19 years in March 2002 for his involvement in illegal Falun Gong television broadcasts, died on Friday in Changchun city, the capital of Jilin province, the spiritual group said in a statement from its New York office.

[...]

However, Frank Lu, director of the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, said that Liu's death was being covered up and local officials had been told not to reveal any details surrounding it.

"I called government offices and one official, who refused to be named, confirmed the death of Liu Chengjun but refused to give detailed information," Mr Lu said.

"He said if he revealed the relevant information, his boss would punish him."

According to Falun Gong, Liu was repeatedly beaten and tortured during his incarceration.

"Eyewitnesses who saw Liu in October 2003 said he was incapacitated and 'hard to recognize' from the torture," the statement said.

"Despite an October 24 diagnosis of 'acute kidney failure, cardiac arrhythmia, critical condition,' repeated attempts by Liu's family to secure his medical parole were denied by Chinese authorities," it said.

Liu was arrested for a series of [...] Falun Gong broadcasts in early 2002 which interrupted television signals of state-run broadcasters and were beamed into the homes of ordinary Chinese in Jilin and other provinces.

[...]

Falun Gong claims more than 1,600 members have been tortured or beaten to death in China since a crackdown was ordered four years ago.

http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZXTO1BPOD.html