Name: Yang Qian (杨倩)
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Address: Chengdu No. 18 High School Residential Area
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 6, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Xinjin Brainwashing Center
(新津洗脑班)
City: Chengdu
Province: Sichuan
Persecution Suffered: Brainwashing
(Clearwisdom.net) On May 6, 2011, Ms. Yang Qian was seized by agents from 610 Office of Xi'an Road Sub-district Office when she was riding to work on her bicycle at around 8:00 a.m. She is being held in Xinjin Brainwashing Center. On May 15, her mother and her sister, Ms. Yang Jing, went to Xinjin Brainwashing Center to visit her and seek her release. They were threatened and not allowed to visit her.
Lawless Officers
According to normal legal procedures, the detainee's family is notified in writing of the detainee's whereabouts within 24 hours of detainment. Ms. Yang Qian's family was never notified. Upon inquiry, officer Zhang Jilun from Xi'an Road Sub-district Office promised Ms. Yang's mother that Ms. Yang would be released in 15 days. He also said he would help if any difficulties arose. He has not kept his word.
In 2004, in front of a dozen officers he promised to release Ms. Yang Qian's sister in 30 days, who was then held in Xinjin Brainwashing Center. Ms. Yang Jing was not released as promised.
Meanwhile, officer Huang Junbo placed the blame for Ms. Yang Qian's detainment on her mother for not teaching her daughters to say things against their convictions. If only she had raised them to lie, he reasoned.
Ms. Yang's mother's complaints to Jinniu District Police Department, the Procuratorate, and the Appeals Office were not heard because the 610 Office, alone, was authorized to act. Several lawyers showed their sympathy but dared not get involved. They told Ms. Yang's mother that no institution may violate one's right of personal freedom if it is not in compliance with the law. Ms. Yang's mother pressed forward on her own.
No Permit Needed to Arrest or Detain; Permit Required for Visiting
On the morning of May 15, Ms. Yang's mother and sister traveled quite a distance to Xinjin Brainwashing Center. It was a three-level building with metal bars on the windows. They shouted, “Yang Qian, where are you? We're coming to bring you home!” Then a man walked out from another building and asked them, “Do you have a permit? You cannot visit if you don't have a permit.”
Ms. Yang Jing and her mother were surprised, “No permit is needed to arrest and detain someone. How come a permit is required to visit? Please show us the permit for detaining people.” The man responded, “I won't show you a permit. Anyhow, you are not allowed to visit, it's the rule.” Ms. Yang Jing and her mother said, “It's not legal. You don't have the right to detain people. It's illegal detention.” The man threatened, “What did you post on the Minghui website? We all know. Do you want to be held here?” Ms. Yang Jing and her mother said, “You can arrest and detain people without following any legal procedures. Others had better not speak. Are you going to arrest us now? Even the police cannot arrest people just because they feel like it.”
Ms. Yang Jing and her mother reasoned with the man, but he refused to allow them to visit Ms. Yang Qian. Ms. Yang Jing and her mother had to leave the package of clothing for Yang Qian with him.
Ms Yang's Family Blatantly Threatened
Ms. Yang Qian's mother received a phone call three days later. Ms. Yang Qian said she had not received the package of clothing. Ms. Yang's mother had to go see Zhang Jilun, officer from Xi'an Road Sub-district Office. Zhang blamed her for going to Xinjin Brainwashing Center directly. The mother said, “You said it is just 'education,' so people should have the freedom to come and go. The reality is that there is no freedom at all. Even the family visit was not allowed.” Zhang threatened, “It is not good for you if you offend us.” Referring to Ms. Yang Jing, he said, “You wrote a guarantee statement seven years ago. Is it time we reinforce that now.”
Seven years ago, on June 14, 2004, Zhang Jilun seized Ms. Yang Jing from her work and took her to Xinjing Brainwashing Center. Ms. Yang Jing was fed unknown drugs and was threatened and pressured. Zhang Jilun also threatened Ms. Yang's parents. Another Chengdu practitioner, Ms. Zhu Xia, was just released from the brainwashing center and suffered a mental breakdown. Hearing the news, Ms. Yang's mother couldn't sleep for six days. Ms. Yang's father died on July 19. The Xi'an Road Sub-district Office got Ms. Yang Jing released after her father's death. They also arranged four people to monitor their home around the clock. Whenever Ms. Yang Jing left the house, two people would follow her, and the other two kept watch. They left after the father's body was cremated. Several days later, an officer from the Xi'an Road Sub-district Office ordered Ms. Yang Jing to write a guarantee statement, or they would send her to the brainwashing center again. In addition, the Xi'an Road Sub-district Office extorted 11,000 yuan from Ms. Yang's work. The next year Ms. Yang had to leave her job.
Ms. Yang's mother asked Zhang Jilun, “Fifteen days have passed already. Didn't you promise that you would release her after 15 days?” Zhang wasn't deceptive this time saying, “She will not be released if she doesn't transform.” As for Ms. Yang's mother request to visit her daughter, Zhang promptly refused to allow it.
