Investigative Report on the Former Guangdong Provincial Party Chief Li Changchun’s Involvement in the Persecution of Falun Gong

Overview of the persecution in Guangdong Province

Guangdong Province is among the Chinese provinces with the most severe persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. Up until January 17, 2004, it was verified that 23 Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death (attachment 1), the eighth highest in the country. Large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners are being detained in Guangdong Province. As of the writing of this report, there are 604 detained practitioners with confirmed names. They are scattered among 52 labor camps, prisons and brainwashing centers (attachment 2). Many labor camps, such as Sanshui Labor Camp and Chatou Women’s Labor Camp in Guangzhou City (attachment 3), use extremely savage torture methods and the persecution is extremely ruthless.

Five mental hospitals are confirmed to have been involved in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. They are: Guangzhou Baiyun Mental Recovery Hospital, Guangzhou Jiangcun Mental Hospital, Guangdong Huizhou City Mental Hospital, Guangzhou City No. 7 People’s Hospital (mental hospital) and Guangzhou Fangcun Mental Hospital.

There have been over 30 overseas Chinese or their relatives detained in Guangzhou. Currently, there are 19 practitioners who are either overseas Chinese from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, or relatives of overseas Chinese (attachment 4).

Former Guangdong Provincial Party Chief Li Changchun’s Brief Resume

Li Changchun was born in Feb. 1944 in Liaoning Province Dalian City. He Joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Sept. 1965. From 1998 to 2002, Li was member of the Politburo, Party Chief of Guangdong Province. In 2002, Li became member of the Politburo Standing Committee.

Li Changchun’s Involvement in the Persecution of Falun Gong

When Jiang’s group began persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, Li Changchun immediately expressed support and demanded the 2.9 million Party members in Guangdong Province to align their understanding on the persecution of Falun Gong. Several months before the persecution started, Li ordered to prepare anti-Falun Gong materials in Guangdong [1]. During the Guangdong Province Party Committee Standing Committee meeting, Li issued specific commands and tasks about the persecution [2].

In 2000, Li made several written orders to "severely crackdown" on Falun Gong. He even personally went through lists of Falun Gong practitioners belonging to several exercise sites and made comments such as “arrest this person” or “why was this person not sentenced,” etc., thus exerting pressure on the Public Security departments. As a result, without any evidence of wrong-doing, those practitioners who were handpicked by Li were expelled from work, repeatedly detained and interrogated, constantly monitored and mysteriously disappeared. Especially since August 2000, a number of determined practitioners were sent to labor camps and detained infinitely [3].

During the Provincial Minister of Propaganda Meeting in March 2000, Li Changchun emphasized on the importance of implementing Party Central’s orders to struggle against Falun Gong detailed in the document titled “Several Suggestions on Strengthening and Improving Thought Political Work.” Li also issued a corresponding document for Guangdong Province: “Several Implementation Suggestions on Strengthening and Improving Thought Political Work.”[4]

During the “Governing the Province According to Law” meeting held in Shenzhen on July 24 and 25 in 2000, Li Changchun again emphasized to continue the "severe crackdown" on Falun Gong [5].

Li Changchun is Held Responsible

To sustain the persecution, two policies were made by Jiang Zemin. One is “leaders must be held accountable.” The other one is “one vote that has veto power.” The Party chief and the highest ranking government official of each province are directly held accountable for the implementation of Party Central’s persecution orders. From the report mentioned in reference 2, at the beginning of the persecution, leaders of the Party and government held a meeting to discuss how to implement the persecution. The meeting was chaired by the Party chief Li Changchun. This further proves that in China the CCP controls the government. The persecution is carried out by the “Guangdong Party Committee Leadership Team to Handle Falun Gong Issues,” “Guangdong Provincial Office to Prevent and Deal with Cults,” the “610 Office” and the “Comprehensive Social Management Committee.”

Therefore, as the Party chief of Guangdong Province, Li Changchun is fully aware of the persecution situations in Guangdong and must be held accountable for all persecution happened in Guangdong.

(Published in Chinese on June 26, 2004; Translated to English on Aug. 16, 2012)

Reference:

[1] The People’s Daily reported on its front page on July 24, 1999: Guangdong Province Communist Party Secretary Li Changchun said to the reporter from the People’s Daily, “The decision by the Party Central Committee to resolutely deal with the issue of ‘Falun Gong’ won support from the Party members, officials and the masses of the people in Guangdong Province. This is a serious political struggle, which concerns the future and the fate of China and the Party.” He requested that the whole of 2.9 million Party members in the province must raise their understanding on the issue, clearly recognize the harmfulness [of Falun Gong], keep in line with the policies and safeguard the political stability of the society. Li Changchun said, “The Party Committee of Guangdong Province has a clear understanding on the deceptiveness and sham scientific nature of ‘Falun Dafa.’ A few months ago, we organized a group of personnel from natural sciences and social sciences, who have written analytical documents in tens of thousands of words.”(Back)

[2] “insm.org” Oct. 9, 1999 Li Changchun Chaired a meeting to study “Party Central’s Notice Prohibiting Party Members to Practice Falun Gong”
http://www.insm.org/true/pflg.file/199910092349.shtm(Back)

[3] According to reports on Minghui Net, in 2000, Li Changchun on several occasions issued instructions to ‘struck hard’ on Falun Gong and he ticked names of practice sites assistants, making comments and instructions such as “Arrest this person,” “Why was this person not sentenced,” etc. He exerted pressure to the public security departments, and as a result of it, without any evidence of wrong-doing, Falun Gong practitioners whose names were ticked were expelled by their employers; some of them were repeatedly detained and interrogated; some were put under tight surveillance, tailed, or disappeared, especially since mid and late August that year, a number of determined practitioners were sent to labor camps and detained infinitely.
http://www.upholdjustice.org/NEWS/610_25/2004-02/1077604703.html(Back)

[4] “Yangcheng Evening Post“ March 1, 2000 Li Changchun issued “Several Implementation Suggestions on Strengthening and Improving Thought Political Work”
http://www.ycwb.com/history/gb/2000/03/01/ycwb/jryw/2.html(Back)

[5] “Yangcheng Evening Post” July 26, 2000, At the work experience sharing conference held in Shenzhen on governing the province according to law, Li Changchun emphasized, “There are currently 8 main areas that need special efforts in the promotion of governing the province according to law: …7, Strengthen the social management in real earnest. We must continue to crack down on the evil organization of ‘Falun Gong’ with legal means; proactively prevent and timely deal with group activities according to law, and resolve various factors that affect social stability in their rudimentary stage; effectively strengthen the control and management of people from other places, the flouting population and rental properties; …”
(The Chinese report at http://www.ycwb.com/history/gb/2000/07/26/ycwb/jryw/l.htiml)(Back)