(Clearwisdom.net) During the 2004 Chinese New Year, Ms. Meng Xiao was tortured to death for upholding her belief in Falun Dafa. January 12, 2005 marks one year since her passing. Meng Xiao's friends and Dafa practitioners held a candlelight vigil in her memory.

Meng Xiao during her college internship in Beijing

The Chengdu Iron and Steel Works authorities, Meng Xiao's work unit, persecuted her and sent her to the Pi County Brainwashing Center in Chengdu City where Meng Xiao was beaten until one of her vertebrae and tailbone were shattered. During the year following Meng Xiao's death, her work unit did not even make any gesture of apology. They did not pay for Meng Xiao's funeral, although it is company policy to do so, nor did they give the family compensation from Meng Xiao's own accumulated fund. Worst of all is the fact that her work unit did nothing to bring Meng Xiao's remains to her family. To this day, her family does not know the location of her urn.

Meng Xiao's family is suffering tremendously. Meng Xiao's father, Meng Huaitai, suffered a stroke and cannot speak. He has to walk with a cane and is unable to work. Her mother suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of the trauma of losing her daughter, as well as the threats and pressure from the authorities. She now lives at her parents' home. Meng Xiao's older brother's whereabouts are unknown, and her younger brother is working in another province. Meng Xiao's father is left home alone in a room with leaking roof. He relies on food sent to him by sympathetic fellow villagers.

Before, the people in Group 1, Village 9, Fuan Township, Xichong County envied Meng Huaitai because his daughter Meng Xiao was one of the rare girls from the village who was accepted at a university. They were shocked that Meng Xiao was tortured to death for persisting in her belief in Truth-Compassion-Forbearance. Her family is devastated by her death. Although Meng Huaitai cannot speak, he is fully aware that his daughter was a good person and was tortured to death simply for practicing Falun Gong.