(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Zhong Yanyong was a retired official of the Farmer's Credit Union of Jibing Town, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. He died from the persecution on May 2, 2002, at the age of 67.

Shortly before New Year's Day in 2001, Mr. Zhong was arrested while clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to the public. After being held for 15 days on administrative detention, he was sent to Hengyang County Detention Center for criminal detention. During the detention, the police brutally tortured him, attempting to force him to tell them where he got truth-clarification materials. The police ordered inmates to ride on his body, and pull his ears to move forward. They also hit his head with hard objects. His head was often bleeding from the beating. There were still bruises at the time of his death.

Not long after, Mr. Zhong was sentenced to one-and-a-half years of forced labor. In March 2001, he was sent to Xinkaipu Labor Camp in Changsha City, Hunan Province. However, the labor camp refused to take him after the required medical check-up found that he had high blood pressure. The two people doing the checkup on him were both shocked by the brutality. Seeing the old man tortured beyond recognition by the police, they couldn't help but condemn the police.

After Mr. Zhong was returned to Hengyang County Detention Center, without any legal procedure, the detention center continued detaining him.

Policeman Yang Zeng, who was also director of Jibing Town Police Station, tried to extort 5,000 yuan (the average monthly income of a Chinese worker is 500 yuan) from Mr. Zhong's family, but was firmly rejected. On April 1, 2001, Mr. Zhong suddenly fell to the ground as a result of some violence from policemen. He was rushed to the People's Hospital in town for emergency treatment. Not wanting to take responsibility, the detention center authorities asked his family to pick him up the same night. Before his family members left the hospital, however, the police asked them to pay 5,000 yuan. They had to turn in the 2,000 yuan they had with them without getting a receipt.

After Mr. Zhong was taken home, he lapsed in and out of unconsciousness due to injuries he sustained at the detention center. He would sleep for long periods of time without waking up. In the early morning of May 2, 2002, he passed away. His death puzzled his fellow villagers, who all knew him to be a great person. Why would the police be so cruel to such a kindhearted elderly gentleman?

Yang Zeng's office phone number is 86-734-6846882. The zip code of his office address is 421200.

2004-4-23