(Minghui.org) Ms. Yin Guizhi passed away on May 30, 2013. She was 63. She had been tortured and abused to the brink of death in the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp, and was released on medical parole so that she could recover from the brutalities she suffered in the labor labor camp. Camp officials continued to harass her, however, and she soon passed away.
The reason for the harassment? Her faith in Falun Gong, a peaceful cultivation practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
An Irrational Persecution
After a state-run census conducted in 1998 estimated that there were nearly 100 million Falun Gong practitioners in China—far exceeding the number of Communist Party members—the communist regime rolled out plans to eradicate Falun Gong, launching a brutal persecution that has continued from 1999 to this day.
In violation of the Chinese Constitution, the regime has denied its people the basic freedom to believe and maintain human dignity. Communist officials have destroyed countless copies of Falun Gong publications and subjected millions of practitioners to imprisonment and unimaginable torture in an effort to force them to renounce Falun Gong.
Those who have persevered in their faith have faced a grim outlook, and sometimes even death, at forced labor camps, detention centers, prisons and brainwashing centers nationwide.
Ms. Yin believed in Falun Gong. She refused to compromise her faith. She was persecuted to death.
A Kind Farmer with Steadfast Faith
A farmer from Dayou Village in China's Liaoning Province, Ms. Yin Guizhi was known by friends and neighbors as a simple and honest woman. She said she had found the meaning of life in Falun Gong and wanted to follow its teachings to become a better person.
Ms. Yin was first arrested in March 2006. She nearly died at the Jinzhou City Detention Center after enduring nearly three weeks of brutal beatings.
Labor camp guards pressured Ms. Yin to renounce her faith in exchange for freedom. However, she maintained her steadfast belief, speaking up against the injustice.
She was arrested again in June 2009, along with 18 other practitioners, while they were sharing their personal insights about practicing Falun Gong at a practitioner's home.
This time, Ms. Yin was sentenced to two years of forced labor and sent to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, notorious for its inhuman treatment of practitioners.
In violation of criminal and administrative laws, the labor camp subjected Ms. Yin to torture and even injections with unknown drugs as a means to force her renounce her faith in Falun Gong. She was released on bail only when she was in critical condition as a result of the prolonged abuse in July 2010.
Just when her condition started to stabilize, she began receiving harassing calls from the forced labor camp officials. She finally succumbed to stress and passed away in May 2013.
Cruelty Cannot Eradicate Righteous Belief
One must ask: Why does the Chinese Communist regime fear Falun Gong's popularity? What has it gained from its persecution of Falun Gong?
A regime that violates its own constitution and suppresses peaceful, law-abiding citizens is driven by irrational fear. With this foundation as its core, it cannot possibly sustain its power for long.
For people of faith, such as Ms. Yin, life without spiritual belief is a life without meaning. The freedom to believe is a basic human right that cannot be extinguished by brutal force of a fearful and corrupt regime.
