明慧网 1999年12月12日 星期日 全部文章 华盛顿邮报：给法轮功的荣誉被撤消？（译文） 新闻室：关于西雅图市长撤消嘉奖（译文） 锦州学员的遭遇 中国领导人啊：不能再这样错下去了！ 从身边的几件事看镇压法轮功的恶果 亚洲时代周刊：被取缔教派成员集结香港（译文） 国际特赦组织公共文件（英文） -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 华盛顿邮报：给法轮功的荣誉被撤消？（译文） 【明慧网1999年12月12日】 【编者按】美国地方市、州政府颁发的荣誉奖励于平常社会的意义究竟为何？于修炼者和特别是于法轮功的意义究竟又是为何？仁者见仁，智者见智，说法各异；有心明眼净者，也有意乱语杂者。是非有因，善恶有果，只是人在迷中，难以得见。 以下是围绕最近美国几个州、市撤消对法轮功褒奖事件的西方媒体报道。是非曲直，人心所向，水落石出时不难一目了然。 给法轮功的荣誉被撤消（译文） 州、市政府对精神团体的奖励激怒中国政府 史迪文·穆福逊 《华盛顿邮报》职业作家 《华盛顿邮报》12月11日第A25页 美国市长和地方长官经常颁奖，他们并不是每天都收回成命或者为此道歉。 但是，自从中国大使馆抱怨已宣布的对法轮功精神运动流亡领袖李洪志的荣誉以来，那正是马里兰地方长官帕里斯·格兰得宁，以及西雅图、巴尔的摩、三藩市的市长们所做的。 据格兰得宁办公室所说，连国务院都参与了此事，为如何撰写道歉信而提供建议。 道歉的原因：害怕损害地方与中国的贸易关系。后者污辱法轮功为“邪教”并对之进行了取缔。 举例说，在西雅图，市长保尔·斯格尔，这位前港务专员，他的城市是波音公司，微软公司和农业出口者的家乡。他“非常清楚我们与中国的贸易额”，一位发言人说道。尽管中国大使李肇星没有威胁要因与最近的世界贸易组织西雅图大会形成巧合的“李洪志及法轮功日”复仇，但这位大使“的确非常清楚地表达了他的不满”，斯格尔的助手克里福德·特瑞斯曼说。 法轮功今年在北京的示威激怒了北京，成千上万的法轮功学员被监禁。这项运动的领袖李洪志现住纽约，他和他的追随者们已经收集了全美的支持声明，以及一项呼吁中国“停止镇压”“和平、非暴力个人信仰”的国会决议案。法轮功发言人说在西雅图，1万2千人在世界贸易组织大会之前在一项支持的请愿书上签了名。 但是斯格尔，当在世贸组织大会的混乱当中受到中国外交使节的对抗时，撤回了荣誉证书。他说他不熟悉这个团体，作为世贸大会的主人，应当避免在“敏感交易和政治问题”中采取立场。 “我希望你能够向你的政府转达我为此不合时宜情形的遗憾”，斯格尔11月30日在一封致那位外交使节的忏悔信中写道。“我向你担保从来没有致使中国为难和受辱的意图。” 11月23日，格兰得宁办公室送出了一个类似的信息。“请接受我们最谦卑的最诚挚的道歉，为由奖励李洪志以荣誉市民证书而引起的误会，”马里兰联邦关系办公室主管依丽莎白·派克在一封信中写道。格兰得宁新闻秘书密谢尔·玻尼说该信曾得到国务院的审议。“我们不想冒犯你或者中华人民共和国的人民。” 一位国务院发言人否认曾给地方或州政府作出道歉当面的指导。在公开场合下，国务院官员谴责了中国对法轮功信徒的行为。 “真是难以置信，”法轮功一位在纽约的发言人张而平（译音）说道，“这是以向中国的压力叩首而谋求贸易。” “这些都是没有骨气的行为，”加州议员汤姆·兰托斯从法轮功学员处听到消息后补充道。 玻尼说派克的信倒了歉，但没有将荣誉市民实际取消。新泽西议员克里斯·史密斯说那是“没有区别的区别”，并说那是“给中国政府继续折磨和镇压（法轮功）开绿灯”。 中国使馆已经在它的网站上宣传了这些逆转，称法轮功为“西雅图的笑柄”，并说是在引用斯格尔的话说他“为这样一项粗心的颁奖感到困窘”。 大多数市政及州的奖状都是在很少思考的情况下应委托人的要求而颁发。昨天格兰得宁签发了一项声明，称荣誉市民证书是“对来访者盛情的表示”。他说他到处签发这种奖状，少到每周几个，多到每天几百个。“荣誉市民”奖并没有批准任何官方特权，不带有或暗示任何个人宗教、哲学或政治信仰……的认可，”他说道。因为这种证书没有政治含义，格兰特宁补充道，所以没有理由对其宣告无效。 他还特别提到，马里兰是1634年“由那些逃离镇压、寻找宗教自由和解放的人们”建立起来的。“支持宽容的价值观和原则的人们……总是会在马里兰找到温暖的欢迎。” （1999年《华盛顿邮报》版权所有） -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 新闻室：关于西雅图市长撤消嘉奖（译文） 【明慧网1999年12月12日】 【编者按】美国地方市、州政府颁发的荣誉奖励于普通社会的意义究竟为何？于法轮功的意义究竟又是为何？仁者见仁，智者见智。是非有因，善恶有果，只是人在谜中，难以得见。 以下是围绕最近美国西雅图市撤消对法轮功的褒奖事件的一幕。人心向背，自有取舍的依据，然而宇宙中“真善忍”的特性在时时客观地衡量着一切人和事…… 西雅图，1999年12月5日（新闻室） 中国驻美国大使说服西雅图市长，保罗·谢尔,撤回一个11月29日对法轮大法及被中国通缉的精神领袖李洪志大师的嘉奖令。（译文） 上周一，谢尔签发了一个官方嘉奖令，宣布世界贸易组织会议的那一周为“李洪志和法轮大法日”。法轮大法是法轮功的另一名称。有关李，他现居住纽约，谢尔鼓励所有西雅图市民“和我一起嘉奖这位非凡人物的奉献和精神”。 来自世界各地的700多名法轮功学员在西雅图希望促成与中国政府对话。“我们确实认为这件事件非常可悲，”法轮功发言人张而平在市长办公室撤销嘉奖的决定得到确认后告诉新闻室。张说，市长办公室在星期天并没有通知我们他们的决定。“作为一个由民主选举而产生的市长竟然屈服于一个正在迫害自己百万人民的专制政府，实在让人感到困窘。” 中国在7月22日取缔了法轮功并且自那时起逮捕了上万的修炼者。追随者申明，这不是宗教，也没有官方的会员制，但其人员在世界上超过一亿人。它源于气功，是一种传统的学说，并且包括一些佛教和道教的成分。 在星期一晚上，11月29日，李肇星大使会见了谢尔并且在第二天收到一封市长的表达“歉意”的信，“我的办公室迁就了一项来自一个西雅图市民团体的请求。”在由新闻室通过市长办公室得到的市长的信中提及了中国与美国和西雅图的重要的经济关系，西雅图是波音和IBM公司的基地。 “我希望你向你们政府就此不幸事件转达我的歉意。”谢尔写信给中国大使，“我向你保证没有任何想引起麻烦或者侮辱中国政府和人民的意图。” 按照中国大使馆网站上的说法，大使说，法轮功在嘉奖被取消后给自己留下了一堆“笑料”。中国日报－－中国政府拥有的英文报纸报道说。谢尔告诉李大使，他“为作出这样一个粗心的嘉奖而尴尬。”市长发言人凯史奥顿告诉新闻室，谢尔并没有在大使的会见中使用“尴尬”和“粗心”等词。当问及市长是否向李表达尴尬时，奥顿停顿了一下说，“我想可以公平地说，他后悔签发了嘉奖。” 中国大使发言人于书宁声称，谢尔在大使解释了什么是法轮功后决定取消了嘉奖。（市长）说，这是一个错误，因为在他签发时他并没有意识到法轮功的性质，邪教，”于告诉新闻室，“所以在他知道了法轮功的性质后决定取消嘉奖。我们为此表示谢意。”但是，市长的国际事务专家奥顿说，他熟悉在中国围绕法轮功所产生的争端并且理解这个团体所表达的对人权的关注，但担心嘉奖的时间。 “主要的问题是，在WTO会议期间签发这嘉奖不合适，不是我们对待这个团体有不同的印象，而且我们在接待WTO面临一个非常严峻的挑战，就象你电视中看到的那样，我们必须在敏感的政治和经济问题上保持中立。”谢尔正为他处理的在一些场合最终变成暴乱的反WTO抗议示威而招到批评。 访问西雅图的法轮功修炼者表达了对市长决定的困惑。“我们没有政治目的或动机，并且没有想使政府难堪，”从华盛顿DC来的程丹说，“我们来这里是为了借此机会向世界人民呼吁，在中国有非常严重的危机，许多人因为和平炼功而被投入监狱。”程说，在西雅图，该团体在不到两天时间内向关心中国政府针对修炼者滥用职权的人民中征集到了一万多个签名。 超过20位美国的州长和市长已签发嘉奖令以欢迎法轮功修炼者去他们地区，其中包括芝加哥市长理查德大里和华盛顿DC市长安东尼维廉斯。美国参众两院均在11月通过了关于呼吁中国政府停止对法轮功修炼者和宗教信仰者迫害的决议。 生于中国的法轮功发言人张说，作为一个美国公民，他个人为西雅图市长的决定而感到困窘。“实在难以想象一个民主政府竟然为贸易而屈服于一个共产党政权的压力。” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 锦州学员的遭遇 【明慧网1999年12月12日】我和所有学员一样，自从7、22法轮功被莫须有定为非法组织以后，心里非常难过，于是产生了到北京反映情况的念头。 10月9日到了北京以后，听说上访办的门口已经事先安排了全国各地、市的公安警察，“恭候”我们这些上访的学员。上访不成我们便与各地的大法弟子在公园等地交流心得体会，没有给我们的首都北京带来一丝的干扰。后来我们来到了郊区，就在10月26日晚9时许，正当我们在一起吃饭的时候，有几个警察闯了进来，自称是锦州刑警支队的，见他们全副武装的样子，我们心里非常坦然，因为我们没有任何不妥之处。 到了风龙宾馆以后，把我叫到了“审讯室”，十几个警察怒视着我。他们问我一个辅导员去那里了，我说还真的不知道去了哪里，因为大家都是来去自由、随心所愿的。当他们听说以前我到过中央电视台和《人民日报》上访时，对我进行拳打脚踢，接着是一串响亮的耳光。顿时我感到了《红岩》小说中的渣子洞集中营的情景，以后的情况还证实了我的想法。他们打了几十个耳光后，见没有什么口供，便把我泡进了水池。我在水里呆了十几个小时， 他们逼着我帮他们找人。在这三天里，我没吃过一口饭。第四天，他们问我吃点饭不，我对他们的“问候”表示感激，因为他们心里担心我会被饿死，回去没法交差。后来他们找到了其他人，才答应把我转交到葫芦岛市公安局，临走前把我的脑袋浸在了水池里，而后我便昏了过去。后来他们又把我拽了出来，见我昏倒了，他们便将我踹醒，这样不断的对我进行了两个多小时的肉体折磨。直到当地公安局接我，他们这才放人。 回到当地拘留所，我们认为自己没有触犯任何国家法律法规，自然就不应该吃这里的“牢饭”，接着便遭到了四、五个警察的警棍毒打，当我们回到牢房中的时候，发现全身已经变成了紫色，就这样经过了十四天的非人的监狱生活才放我们出去。 尽管如此，我还是非常幸运的，因为同其他三百名功友比，他们遭到了更加非人的待遇：毒打、火烤、手铐、电棍等各种刑罚。有一部分思想“转化”的学员写了保证书，他们觉得一张纸似乎太便宜了，便又罚了每个人2-3千元。 直至目前，锦州被劳动教养的法轮功学员共35名，部分名单如下： 朱英 2年 代立国 3年 王玉贤 2年 石桂凡 2年 尹后梅 3年 单至佳 2年 贺国君 3年 贾经文 3年 吴乃环 2年 王军 2年 陈凤珍 2年 冯文广 3年 崔亚宁 2年半 商鹏 3年 王志非 3年 刘品 2年 马超 2年等 锦州学员 1999年12月11日 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 中国领导人啊：不能再这样错下去了！ 【明慧网一九九九年十二月十二日】 已经不只一次地为中国政府镇压法轮功感到悲哀。看到中国政府意图暗杀法轮功创始人李老师的消息，再一次感到深深的悲哀。 再一次地回想起岳飞精忠报国，却被残害至死的故事。难道中国政府真的要背上千载骂名，让世界人民目睹残杀忠良的惨剧？ 回想起整个镇压法轮功的过程，真是荒唐。首先是置千千万万法轮功修炼者修炼法轮功后身体状况得到极大改善、疑难病症完全消失、道德水准得到极大提高的事实于不顾，硬是把正的说成邪的，把编造的罪名强加在法轮功身上。然后便借着这些不存在的罪名将法轮功打成“邪教”，肆无忌惮地镇压。 而被镇压的人，又恰恰是社会上的好人。他们以前在单位勤勤恳恳、任劳任怨地工作；如今虽饱受折磨，却不记不恨，反而以德报怨。 法轮功创始人李老师最冤枉。他“无条件地帮修炼的人们提高人的道德，健康人民的身体，使其社会安定，用健康的身体更好地服务于社会，那不是给当权者造福吗？” 结果招来的却是无根据的人身攻击、谩骂、甚至通缉。 其实，自从七月二十二日以来，李老师就没有与学员见过面，也没有对学员说什么。广大学员因为炼法轮功受了益，知道法轮功好，自发地向政府反映情况，也是对社会负责、对人民负责。这些本来都是群众自发的行为，是爱正义的表现，是好事。可是政府不但予以残酷镇压，而且还想当然地认为：对法轮功创始人暗杀的阴谋得逞后法轮功将面临崩溃。其实，法轮功的广泛传播靠的是真理的力量、善的力量，而并非对某个人的盲目崇拜。真理会被越来越多的人认识而不会崩溃。 李老师谆谆教诲他的学员：“我们现在和将来都不会反对政府。别人可以对我们不好，我们不能对别人不好”。谁知道这至善的教诲招来的竟是杀身之祸。 法轮功遍布全世界三十多个国家和地区。唯独中国政府将法轮功称作“邪教”并四方鼓噪，还自称是“负责任的政府”。好像其他尊重事实、尊重法轮功的政府全都是不负责任的政府似的。中国政府真的以为外国人都那么傻，自己多重复几遍谎言就能骗了外国人？其实外国人心里都很明白。中国官员对谎言的重复只能让人觉得可笑、可怜、 而又可悲。在中国又何尝不是如此。俗话说：“群众的眼睛是雪亮的”。难道老百姓真的会分不清好坏、真假？中国领导人对法轮功的镇压只能是使自己丧尽人心而已。 现在，还想到美国来暗杀法轮功创始人李老师。可能是觉得丧失人心还没有丧够吧。我无法再说些什么了。只想最后再问一问某些领导人和那些杀手：当你们意图暗杀这样一位深受全世界千千万万人民群众尊敬的人的时候，你们还有没有一点良心？你们怎么下得去手？你们真的想丧尽人心，成为孤家寡人吗？“善有善报，恶有恶报”，难道你们真的执意不敢相信？ 其实，法轮功并不干涉政治，也不想要谁手中的权力。中国政府知错能改，依然是人民的好政府。中国领导人啊：尊重事实，听听群众的呼声吧，不能再这样错下去了！ 北美华人 1999年12月11日 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 从身边的几件事看镇压法轮功的恶果 【明慧网1999年12月12日】 中国当局少数人镇压法轮功，不仅违法，毫无道理，而且是很残酷。因为在修炼的人中，有相当一部分是年老体弱多病的，有的患多种严重疾病。他（她）们经过修炼法轮功，使身体获得了健康。有许多人都深感是法轮功救了他（她），是李洪志师父给了他（她）们第二次生命。这些是世人皆知的客观事实。 然而，当局少数人，为了给自己的罪行涂脂抹粉，肆意贬低法轮功，在广播、电视和报刊上进行妖言惑众，说什么法轮功怎么怎么害人，而他们又如何如何关心挽救练习者了等等，等等。 然而事实就是事实，谎言就是谎言。就以在我们身边所发生的几件事，就能充分说明到底谁在害人谁在救人。 T女士，今年64岁，97年得法。得法前身患多种疾病，心脏病尤为严重，药、氧气瓶不离身，经常要去医院抢救，生活不能自理。她感到活着不如死了好，其痛苦可想而知。修炼法轮功后不到一周，就把所有的药停了，身体一天比一天好。时间不长就能骑自行车到处走，而且能做家务照顾人了。谁见了都说是奇迹。然而，在政府取缔法轮功后，她被迫在党的会议上“检查”多次过不了关。加上电视的欺骗宣传，弄得她还真以为自己“上当受骗了”，由此心性掉下来了，功也不炼了，改打太极拳了。可是没有几天就发觉自己的身体不好，而且一天不如一天。到医院她问大夫这病有药治吗？大夫回答：“无药可治”。这下她可凉了。在经过激烈的思想斗争后，她决心回头重新开始修炼法轮功。法轮功毕竟是大法。恢复炼功后，她自己觉得真是一天一个样，一天好似一天。现在基本上又恢复到了初次得法后的状况。一次偶然的机会我们碰上了她，她很愧疚的对我们说：“我有罪啊，我对不起师父”，“我后悔自己走了一段弯路，是李老师慈悲，第二次救了我。今后谁再也动摇不了我修炼法轮大法的决心了！” 还有一个W老太太，今年70多了，修炼法轮功三年多，心脏病好了，糖尿病也好了，人也挺精神的。自“7、22”后吓得她不敢炼功了，心脏病犯了多次，糖尿病“又犯了”，吃开药了，人也瘦了。有人见了她问她怎样。她说，“我变成常人了，师父不管我了，把我以前的东西都还给我了。”问她怎么办？她说，“我还得炼法轮功，不炼不行”。还有不少象W老太太这样的人，在压力下不炼功后发现不行，赶紧回头继续修炼大法。 还有的人迫于压力不炼法轮功后，不但身体日渐衰弱，而且在报销药费上也遇到了困难，其惨状可想而知。 特别值得一提的是一个人称Q老的人，他近80岁了，是一位久经风霜的老干部。身体患有多种严重疾病，炼法轮功后身体好了。“4、25”后他被迫几次“检查”过不了关，逼得老人没办法，功也不能炼了，终于旧病复发。在住院期间他经常哭泣说：“我对不起师父，我对不起师父”。不久前，这位老人带着深深的遗憾与世长辞了。然而，象Q老这样的悲剧又何止一例！在身边，在各地，它还在继续发生着。 以上的事例有力地说明着少数人把法轮功打成邪教，禁止人们炼法轮功是非常不人道的，是不管人民死活的。这些还是发生在城市里的事。由此不难想象那些身在农村、山区的法轮功的修炼者在禁炼后的命运可能会更加凄惨。 大陆部分大法学员 1999年12月11日 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 亚洲时代周刊：被取缔教派成员集结香港（译文） 【明慧网1999年12月12日】1999年12月11日 法轮功成员星期六在香港一政府办公室外演示静功功法。 香港美联社报道－－大约600名法轮功学员今天在香港一家北京政府控制的媒体办公室外举着手臂、闭着眼睛，在喇叭里放出的中国丝竹乐的伴奏下举行了一场炼功活动。 他们想递交一份致中国国家主席江泽民的公开信，但中国政府控制的新华社香港总部大门紧闭，没有任何人出来接受信件。 “这不是抗议。”学员发言人阚珲纯（译音）说道。 北京的媒体已经给法轮功贴上了“邪教”的标签，说他对人民的身心是有害的。大陆当局已经拘禁了成百名中国法轮功成员。 法轮功学员在香港－－中国唯一一个允许法轮功炼功的地方，与来自中国大陆、日本、台湾、澳大利亚、加拿大和欧洲的学员一起举行了群众性抗议。 警察说大约有20名警官被配置在新华社办公室对面的人行道上照看今天的功法演示。 “我们力促中国政府考虑公开对话并消除对法轮功的所有误解，”阚说。他是一家餐馆老板，炼法轮功已经3年，是将信件放在新华社门阶上的15名学员之一。 法轮功将动作缓慢的静功功法和佛道思想结合在一起。学员们说法轮功增进健康并使人成为好公民。 “法轮功真的是洪水猛兽吗？”公开信里写道，“法轮功真的体现对中国共产党、国家、社会和人类的危险吗？” 阚说今年大陆镇压以来香港的炼功人数已经减少。尽管香港的领导人保证宗教自由会得到保护，他们担心北京的控制会在此地加强。 和在水泥地上盘腿打坐的许多其他人一样，21岁的大学生刘峰（译音）对北京当局对法轮功如此严厉镇压感到困惑不解。 曾在中国遭到拘留而后本月初被驱逐出境到香港的法轮功国际成员展示了手臂、胸部的淤伤。他们说法轮功学员在受到大陆警察审问时有时会挨打。 “我不明白中国领导人会那样。法轮功没有任何不好的东西，”刘说。为参加星期六的集体炼功，他从爱尔兰的学校请了18天假。 从都柏林花了14个小时飞来的刘拖着三个箱子参加了集体炼功。他看上去平静而精力饱满。他说就为了“让中国领导人理解法轮功”，这趟旅行很值得。 （美联社1999年版权所有） -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 国际特赦组织公共文件（英文） 【明慧网1999年12月12日】 国际特赦组织公共文件 Amnesty International, Public document 国际特赦组织目录：ASA 17/54/99, 1999年10月22日 AI Index: ASA 17/54/99, 22 October 1999 中华人民共和国 PEOPLE~S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 关于折磨和恶意对待法轮功追随者的报告 REPORTS OF TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT OF FOLLOWERS OF THE FALUN GONG （以下为英文原文。） Amnesty International is deeply concerned by reports that detained followers of the Falun Gong have been tortured or ill-treated in various places of detention in China. In early October 1999, one member of the group, a 42 year-old woman, was reportedly beaten to death in police custody in Shandong province. Many followers of the group remain in detention across China and it is feared that they may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Many Falun Gong practitioners are middle-aged or elderly people, with a large proportion of women among them. The Falun Gong - a movement which combines teaching of meditation and breathing exercises as a method to improve one"s health and moral standards - was banned by the Chinese government in July 1999. The government, apparently concerned by the large number of followers in all sectors of society - including government departments, declared it was a "cult" and a "threat to stability" and launched a nationwide propaganda campaign against it. The campaign was described as an important "political struggle". Thousands of Falun Gong followers who attempted to protest peacefully against the ban or who continued to practice exercises were arbitrarily detained across China in the days and weeks which followed the ban. Many were reportedly beaten by police in the process. At least hundreds are believed to remain in detention. Some are now being brought to trial on politically motivated charges. They are likely to be sentenced to long prison terms after unfair trials. The following are some of the reports of torture and ill-treatment of Falun Gong practitioners received by Amnesty International. Some are accounts of police brutality against people arrested in the immediate aftermath of the ban on the Falun Gong in July 1999. Many other cases have been reported. While in the current climate of repression it is difficult to verify these reports, they contain specific and often detailed information about the places and circumstances in which torture is reported to have occurred, including the names and details of many of the alleged victims, and in some cases their photograph. Most of these reports describe patterns of torture which are known to be common in China. They contain serious allegations which should be impartially investigated. Under the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which China ratified in 1988, China has the obligation to investigate all reports and complaints of torture, bring those responsible for torture to justice and compensate the victims. While this document focuses on reports concerning the Falun Gong, Amnesty International is also concerned by other recent reports of torture in China, some of which concern Tibetans arrested or imprisoned for political reasons. Amnesty International is particularly concerned by reports of the death due to torture of Tashi Tsering. A 39 year-old Tibetan, Tashi Tsering is reported to have died in early October 1999 of injuries sustained during beatings by People~s Armed Police at the time of his arrest. He had been arrested in Lhasa on 26 August 1999 after trying to replace the Chinese flag by the Tibetan flag in a public place. (For further information, see T.I.N. News Update and TCHRD press release, both of 13 October 1999). Another Tibetan, who had been repeatedly tortured in prison after his arrest in 1996, died earlier this year shortly after he was released from prison "on medical parole" in a critical condition. (See Amnesty International~s "Open Letter to the President of the People~s Republic of China", 27 September 1999, AI Index: ASA 17/50/99). These recent reports add to a wealth of evidence that torture of criminal or political suspects and convicted prisoners remains widespread in China. While torture is prohibited by Chinese law, the law is routinely ignored, many cases of torture are covered up, and few of those responsible for torture are punished. THE DEATH OF ZHAO JINHUA: Zhao Jinhua, female, a 42 year-old farmer from Zhaojia village, Zhangxing county,Shandong province, is reported to have died on 7 October 1999 in a police station of Zhangxing county. A Falun Gong practitioner since 1995, Zhao Jinhua had been taken away by Zhangxing county police on 27 September 1999 while she was working in the fields. While in police custody, she was reportedly put under pressure to renounce her Falun Gong practice and repeatedly beaten with clubs and electric batons when she refused to do so. On 7 October, she was sent twice to the county hospital for emergency recovery, but she was dead before arriving at the hospital the second time. On 11 October 1999, a police spokesman in Zhangxing county confirmed her death but declined to comment on the cause, according to an Agence France Presse report from Beijing on that day. Unofficial sources report that local police informed Zhao Jinhua"s family of her death on 8 October, warning them not to discuss it. According to the sources, an autopsy carried out on 8 October by medical experts from Zhaoyuan city and Yantai city found that Zhao Jinhua had wounds and haematoma on many parts of the body, except the head. The autopsy report indicated that her death had been caused by beatings with blunt instruments. It appears that the police or other authorities arranged for her body to be Cremated immediately after the autopsy. Her ashes were given back to her family on 9 October. The speed with which the body was cremated suggests that the authorities were trying to cover up the circumstances of her death, as is often the case with deaths in custody in China. Another Falun Gong practitioner detained in Liaoning province, Zhu Shaolan, reportedly died on 7 October 1999 several days after going on hunger strike to protest at her arbitrary detention. Zhu Shaolan, a 50 year-old woman from Jinzhou city, had been detained on 28 September together with other Falun Gong practitioners who had collected signatures for an appeal to the authorities against the ban on the group. While in police custody, 40 of the detained practitioners reportedly went on hunger strike on 29 September, including Zhu Shaolan. She reportedly soon became very weak and started to vomit after being on hunger strike for four days. On 5 October, police sent her to hospital and she is reported to have died there on the morning of 7 October. As far as is known, there has been no public enquiry into the circumstances of her death. OTHER REPORTS OF TORTURE: Most of the allegations cited below come from Falun Gong (FLG) sources in various places in China. Dalian city, Liaoning province: In Dalian city, as in other places, groups of FLG practitioners were arrested on various dates in the past three months for appealing against the ban on the FLG or practising FLG exercises in public parks. Many were held for 15 days of "administrative" detention ? a punishment imposed by police under public order regulations. Some were reportedly tortured or ill-treated in police custody. The following cases concern people detained at the Yaojia Detention Centre, located in Nanguanling in Dalian, in late August and September 1999. Zhang XiaoHong, a 38 year-old woman from Dalian, was arrested on 30 August 1999, when she was practising the exercises in Youjia Village of Shahekou District. She was charged with "disrupting social order by using feudal superstition", served with a 15 day detention order and detained at the Yaojia Detention centre. On 9 September, when she asked permission to do FLG exercises, she was reportedly tied to another practitioner with handcuffs and they had to sit back to back on a hard bench for 23 hours. During that period, they were not allowed to eat, sleep or go to the toilet. When they were untied in the evening of 10 September, they were handcuffed individually with their hands tied behind their back, remaining tied in this fashion until 14 September. During that period, they could lie on their sides but could not sleep, because the handcuffs had automatic tightening devices, and tightened and cut into the skin if they fell asleep. They had to rely on the help of fellow inmates to eat and pass stool. On 14 September, the handcuffs were moved to the front. They were released on 15 September. Sun Lanfang, a 28 year-old woman from Dalian, who was also detained in September at the Yaojia Detention Centre, is reported to have been tortured because she practised FLG exercises in her cell. She was reportedly shackled in a device known as the "Di Lao" (meaning literally "underground prison"), which includes a pair of handcuffs and foot-shackles, both linked together with crossed steel chains. Such instruments, which make it very difficult and sometimes impossible to walk or sit down, are known to have been used in prisons in various places in China. In Sun Lanfang"s case, the device was reportedly further tied to a steel plate, so that she could not move for about 99 hours. Zhang Chunqing, a 58 year-old woman from Dalian, was arrested on 3 September 1999 for practicing FLG exercises in a public park and detained for 15 days at the Yaojia Detention Centre for "disturbing public order". While held there, on 5 September, she was reportedly shackled in the "Di Lao" device when she said that she wanted to practice FLG exercises. According to an account she gave after her release, she could not walk with the device and had to crawl back to her cell when it was put on her. She remained shackled in this way for two days and nights and was put in the device again on 9 September when she and other women were found doing the exercises in their cell at night. According to her account, on 10 September, 30 of the women detained were beaten when they started reciting passages from a FLG book. Many of them were handcuffed to window bars in the corridor for many hours, while others were handcuffed in pairs back to back. They were freed from the handcuffs on 11 September. Sa Yusong, a 36 year-old woman held at the Yaojia Detention Centre in Dalian in September 1999, was reportedly tied with handcuffs to a pipe of the heating system from 11 am on 4 September till 8 am the next day; then she was tied to a window rail until 4 pm on 5 September. Considered by police to be stubborn, she was reportedly handcuffed again with her hands tied behind her back from 9 September until her release on 11 September. Yi Xingqin, a 34 year-old woman who had also been detained in Dalian on 30 August 1999, was reportedly made to stand up for 21 hours handcuffed to a window rail from 8 to 9 September 1999. She was then tied back to back with another practitioner for about 24 hours on 9-10 September. Following this, she reportedly continued to be handcuffed at night until her release on 15 September. Yang Xiujian, a 33 year-old woman detained in Dalian on 30 August 1999 and held at the Yaojia detention Centre, was reportedly handcuffed to a window rail on 4 September and made to stand up tied there continuously for about 30 hours, after she told the guard that she wanted to do FLG exercises. As she later repeated the request, on 8 September she was reportedly put in the "Di Lao" device (see above), sitting on bricks in a cell until the evening of 9 September. Her menstrual period started that evening but she was not allowed to change or removed from the "Di Lao" device. Instead, she was reportedly made to walk fast by the guard from one cell to another while wearing the device which poked a hole on her foot. In the evening of 10 September, the "Di Lao" was removed, but she remained handcuffed until she was released. Zhu Hang, female, an Associate Professor at the Department of Humanity and Social Sciences of Dalian University of Science and Technology, was arrested when practising the FLG exercises in a park on 30 August 1999, charged with "disrupting social order with feudal superstition" and detained at the YaoJia Detention Centre. She too was reportedly tortured by being shackled in a "Di Lao" device in such a way that she could not move. As a result, she was not able to use the toilet or feed herself. She reportedly started fasting because she did not want to make difficulties for other detained practitioners and there was not enough food for everyone. Seven days later, the detaining authorities apparently started to worry about possible "life accidents", and ordered several guards to force feed her by pricking her mouth open with spoons, which caused severe injury in her mouth. Later, they reportedly installed a pipe in her nose to feed liquid in her. She eventually lost consciousness and was sent to the People"s No. 2 Hospital of Dalian City for recovery. Because of the shackles, her left foot had become swollen to almost double its normal size and she had injuries on her right foot. She could not open her mouth properly and had difficulties speaking. Huang Hongqi, male, a 29 year-old doctorate student from the Dalian Mechanical University in Liaoning province, was taken into police custody with 10 other FLG practitioners on 28 August 1999 for doing exercises in a park in Dalian. He was held without charge for two weeks. In an interview with the news agency Agence France Presse (AFP) after his release, he reported that they were beaten on several occasions in detention. The first time was on 6 September when they did their exercises at night in their cell. "The guards took our trousers down and gave each of us 15 lashes with a leather whip. Our buttocks were covered in blood," he reported to AFP. According to his account, on 12 September, the guards also forced them to take off their shoes and hit them in the face before handcuffing them to a window for hours. Two days later, they were beaten with rubber coshes, he said. He was released after his university intervened (AFP, Beijing, 6 October 1999). In a separate account which largely confirms the one above, Wang Renguo, male, another FLG practitioner from Dalian who was detained as the same time as Huang Hongqi, reported that he and five other practitioners were beaten with rubber sticks when they tried to talk to the director of the detention centre. They were also slapped on the face with shoes and tied to a window for five hours, he said, while another FLG practitioner held on a different floor was chained for four or five days for doing FLG exercises. Hunan province: When the FLG was banned in July 1999, police in Hunan province reportedly enrolled people described by dissident sources as "thugs" into the Joint Defence Teams, to assist in the searches of the numerous FLG teaching centres and practice sites in the province and in the arrest of key FLG members. Many incidents of violence reportedly occurred during the searches and arrests. The following allegations have been made in connection with such incidents: On 22 July in Changsha city, a Special Police Unit of the Changsha Public Security (police) Bureau, escorted by an armed police unit, raided the FLG General Assistance Centre of Hunan Province and reportedly beat and injured all the FLG contact persons present there. On 24 July in Yueyang city, during a police raid on a publishing company which had printed FLG books, the owner of the company, identified as Mr. Yu Hanxin from Hubei province, allegedly had his legs broken on the spot by a senior officer from the Yueyang Public Security Bureau. On 25 July in Anhua county, Ms. Li Juhua, a FLG practitioner at the Meicheng Town practice site of Anhua County, was allegedly taken away by the local Joint Defence Team and raped by members of the team, suffering severe mental trauma as a result. On 25 July in Changde city, Zhou Zhi, male, a FLG practitioner at the practice site of Dingcheng District in Changde City, was allegedly brutally beaten by police when he argued with them while they were searching his home. All his money and other belongings were reportedly taken away by police. On 26 July in Xiangtan city, Mr. Yang Junhua, the contact person of the FLG Shaoshan practice site in Xiangtan City, was allegedly beaten and injured by members of the No. 7 Joint Defence Team of Xiangtan City. Changchun city, Jilin province: In Changchun, FLG practitioners detained in late August 1999 at the Yushu County Detention Centre were allegedly beaten with electric batons, kicked in the stomach, shackled, and forced to swallow dirty water. Details about those reportedly subjected to such treatment are not available. Several hundred FLG practitioners were reportedly still held in various detention centres in Changchun in early October. Jiaozhou city, Shandong province: Over 50 FLG practitioners were taken into police custody in Jiaozhou city on 8 September 1999. Some among them were allegedly beaten, deprived of sleep for five days and of food for three days, to dissuade them from appealing to Beijing against the ban on the FLG and force them to "confess" their wrongdoings. Before being released, they were reportedly warned by police against telling others about their treatment in custody. Some FLG practitioners in Jiaozhou were allegedly sent by police to a mental hospital and held with mental patients. Two of them have been identified as Wei huayu, an employee of the Jiaozhou Accounting Firm, and Tan Guihua, a worker at the Third Shoe Factory of Jiaozhou. Both were allegedly forced to take sedatives in the hospital where they were held for over 20 days. Beijing municipality: Many women practitioners of the FLG who had gone to Beijing in August 1999 to appeal to the authorities against the ban on the group, were reported to be detained in late August and September in the women"s section of the Qiliqu Detention Centre, Changping county, Beijing. Some 60 of them reportedly started a hunger strike on 7 September and were punished as a result in the following days. On 9 September, having fasted for two days, some were forced to stand in the burning sun and were reportedly beaten when they could not stand up any more. One woman identified as Ms Zhang Xihong, after ten days on hunger strike, reportedly had her feet and hands chained closely together so that she could only walk bent double. Ten other women were reportedly handcuffed for three days. Others were beaten with belts and various objects, or forced to stay for long periods with their body bent at a 90 degree angle and their arms raised high behind their back. One woman, identified as Ms Guo Fenren, was reportedly beaten on the face with a string of keys until blood covered her face. Gao Shanshan, a 16 year-old girl from Qiqihaer, in Heilongjiang province, was reportedly detained in Beijing on 24 September 1999 after being denounced to the police for possessing a FLG book. In an appeal which circulated in early October, her mother, Zhou Yingjie, said her daughter had come to Beijing from Qiqihaer on 20 September in order to meet her. Zhou Yingjie was on a visit to Beijing from Japan, where she resides. The mother alleged that the young girl had been ill-treated by police, including by having food in which some unidentified substance was mixed poured down her throat while her hair was being pulled back by a policeman. The appeal indicated that Gao Shanshan was still being arbitrarily detained as of 2 October. It also said that her father, Gao Deyong, a 50 year-old engineer in Qiqihaer and FLG practitioner, had been illegally detained in that city since 23 September 1999. ******************* Amnesty International is calling on the Chinese authorities to launch without delay impartial investigations into the reports of torture and ill-treatment cited in this document and other reports or complaints of torture. It is also calling on the authorities to publicly disclose the results of the investigations, to punish those found responsible for torturing or ill-treating detainees, and to take measures to ensure that people who remain in detention are protected from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. 发稿时间：1999年12月12日