(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Zhao Dong was born on October 20, 1972 ,and died in 1999 at the age of 27. He used to be a driver and lived at Group Four, Gongnongwei, in the Lishu District of Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province.

Mr. Zhao Dong (27 years old)

Zhao Dong and his wife's Wedding Photo

Zhao Dong’s death

Mr. Zhao Dong took up the practice of Falun Dafa in 1996 and was married in September 1998. When the persecution began in July 1999, Mr. Zhao went to Beijing and appealed on behalf of Falun Gong. He was later illegally arrested. He was handcuffed, beaten, and threatened while being taken back. He allegedly jumped off the moving train and died.

On July 22, 1999, after Mr. Zhao Dong had watched the China Central Television (CCTV) that defamed Falun Gong and its founder. Though it was difficult to be away from his new wife, his parents, and in-laws whom he lived with, he went to the provincial capital city, Harbin, to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. The police arrested him along with the other practitioners. When the police used several buses to transfer all practitioners to the provincial stadium, he escaped with the power of his righteous thoughts and returned to Jixi City. Even though faced with the relentless regime propaganda that severely abused Falun Gong, Mr. Zhao conducted himself according to Dafa's principles and told fellow practitioners that he planned to go to Beijing. He did so on July 28, 1999.

His 23-year-old wife, who was not a practitioner, later went to Beijing and asked him to go home, but Mr. Zhao insisted on staying in Beijing to validate Dafa. Observing the practitioners' determination to validate Dafa, his wife decided to stay and help them.

Both sets of parents at home were quite worried for this newlywed couple, because they saw that people were being arrested at Tiananmen Square. Their parents were afraid, especially Zhao Dong’s father-in-law, who soon became suddenly and acutely ill. The family phoned the couple to return. On September 8, the young wife went back home. Her father died the next day.

Every year, on "October 1st," one of the sensitive dates, the Chinese Communist Party is always afraid of protests. When the CCP started to deport non-residents in the Beijing area, Mr. Zhao and another practitioner from Shandong had to walk along the railroad to go to another place and clarify the truth in Hebei Province. They were captured and held at a detention center in Cangzhou City. The center ordered Jixi City police officers to pick Mr. Zhao up. As a result, Liu Zhengkai, head of the CCP Propaganda Department in the Lishu District; an official from the same department; Zhang Yingchun from the district police department 610 Office; and another police officer went to Mr. Zhao’s home. They demanded 5,000 yuan in travel expenses for picking up Mr. Zhao Dong. The family refused. They attempted to confiscate a TV set, but his family would not let them.

On September 23, 1999, Lishu District Party Committee Secretary Yang Hongyu sent Zou Haijun from the District Police Department as well as Liu Zhengqing, deputy head of the street committee, to Cangzhou City to take Mr. Zhao Dong back to Jixi City. According to Zou Haijun, "There was no way to get train tickets before the October 1st holiday. Because we were on escort duty, we obtained three tickets for the dining section of the train. On September 29, 1999, at 4:05 a.m. Zhao Dong attempted to jump out of the window from the dining table of the running train. I tried to get hold of him but he let go of my hands. He fell off the train. I asked for an emergency stop, but it was not permitted." According to the train’s on-duty police officer, Wang Jiali, "On September 29, 1999 at 8 o’ clock in the morning, Mr. Zhao Dong’s body was discovered by the side of the railroad tracks, at the milestone of 152 kilometers between Goubangzi and Dahushan."

When Zhao Dong’s father saw his body, his hands were still in handcuffs.

The Zhao family devastated by Zhao Dong’s death

The Zhao family lost their beloved son. The whole family cried together and was heart broken. A three-generation family could not accept this totally unexpected, sudden disaster. Zhao Dong’s father dared not to cry at home for a long time, because there were older folks, his wife who was crying constantly, and Zhao Dong's new wife. The father started having a bad temper and he was utterly devastated. When he felt he could not control himself, he would run into the street and shout, weeping loudly, to release his anger.

This disaster was a great spiritual loss to Zhao Dong’s family and their in-laws. It also caused a material loss:

The Zhao family owned two wells, one gold mine, and one train platform (co-owned with the Wan family). When Mr. Zhao's family was dealing with his son’s death, they could not attend to their businesses. Their business partner took the money, escaped, and has not returned. The Zhao family suffered a total loss of 500,000 yuan.

Mr. Zhao’s mother used to be very healthy, but after this incident she developed hypertension and heart disease, and her medical expenses became a huge burden.

The 79-year-old grandpa, who was awaiting his grandson's return, had a stroke and underwent surgery. The family had lied to him and told him that Zhao Dong had been sentenced. He could not survive this serious attack and died a year later. Until his death, the he was looking forward to seeing his grandson, Zhao Dong.

Zhao Dong’s father-in-law was very worried about them when the couple was in Beijing. He suddenly developed an acute disease and died on September 9, 1999.

Zhao Dong’s wife left the Zhao famly's home a year and a half after his death.

Those who were escorting Zhao Dong from the Cangzhou area—Zou Haijun from the District Police Department and Liu Zhengqing, deputy head of the street committee—are the persons responsible for Mr. Zhao Dong’s death. Lishu District Party Committee, Lishu District Police Department, and Lishu District Street Committee are directly responsible for Mr. Zhao Dong’s death.

Here is the list of persons/units that were involved in Mr. Zhao Dong’s persecution.

Lishu District Police Department

Lishu District Police Department Deputy Head office: 86-453-2481099, 2481850
Lishu District Police Department disciplinary inspection group: 86-453-2484590
Jixi City Education Bureau: 86 Nashan Road, Jiguan District, Jixi City, Zip Code 158100
Yang Hongyu, Jixi City Lishu District Party Committee Secretary and now the head of Jixi City Education Bureau: 86-13394670111(cell), 86-453-2397757
Zhang Yingchun, male, Jixi City Public security Sub-bureau 610 Office chief: Home address: The number 3 group, Kaoshanwei, Lishu District, 13836549319 (cell)
Shi Chunhai, head of Lishu District Police Department: 86-13946848288 (cell), 86-453-2482228 (office), 2480111 (Home), 2659338
Niu Jiayu, male, deputy head for Lishu District Police Department: 86-13836508998 (cell), 86-453-2484077(office)