(Minghui.org) Mr. Yang Xingfu, a military officer in the Nanjing Military Region, has been repeatedly harassed and persecuted by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents over the years because of his practicing Falun Gong. He was recently sentenced to three years in a forced labor camp by the Military Court of the Nanjing Military Region. He is currently detained at the Nanjing Military Region Forced Labor Camp.

Mr. Yang Xingfu, born in November 1949, is the former “Eastline Film and Television” chief news editor of the Political Department of the Nanjing Military Region. He held the rank of colonel. After he started to practice Falun Gong in July 1996, his physical and mental health improved. Since the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, he has been illegally arrested and detained three times by the Nanjing Military Region 610 Office.

The first detainment was in July 2000. That month, Mr. Yang was followed by Nanjing National Security when he was delivering materials that clarified the facts about Falun Gong. He was arrested and given a secret trial. He was sentenced by the Nanjing Military Region Military Tribunal to three years in a forced labor camp. He was forced to retire early in 2003 and his benefits were downgraded.

In January 2005, Yang Xingfu's home was ransacked by the Nanjing Military Region 610 Office, and he was sentenced to another three years of forced labor. Yang Xingfu's daughter and son-in-law were implicated and expelled from the military.

In April 2012, the Nanjing Military Region 610 Office, Nanjing City 610 Office, and National Security Division jointly raided his home, taking away computers, printers, DVD burners, Falun Dafa books and Shen Yun DVDs. Both Mr. Yang and his wife Chen Chunmei were taken to the Nanjing Detention Center. Yang Xingfu was sentenced for the third time to three years of forced labor by the Nanjing Military Region Military Tribunal. He is still detained at the Nanjing Military Region Forced Labor Camp. His wife was sent to a brainwashing center in Xuanwu District after a one month detention.

Yang Xingfu is a military officer known for his honesty and kindheartedness. He dedicated his life to the military for decades. Before the persecution of Falun Gong, Mr. Yang had worked in administration offices for the Nanjing Military Region for over ten years. He had a very good reputation and was awarded citations annually. In 1999 he also went to Beijing to attend the National Essay Award ceremony, and gave a speech on behalf of the award winners. At one time, his achievements and those of his work unit were given a full-page report in a local newspaper.

In 2000, when it became known that Yang Xingfu had been arrested, many officers, soldiers, government officials, professors, scholars, and journalists called his workplace to inquire as to what had happened. Some requested a visit. According to an insider, the phones at Nanjing Military Region were ringing off the hook. Consequently, the Nanjing Military Region 610 Office began to notify the callers that Yang Xingfu's case was a “political issue,” and they were threatened to make sure to "have a clear political mind in line with the Party Central Committee”. [Editor's Note: Getting involved in “politics” is a label in China used to manipulate the masses into towing the Communist Party line.] Later, a document was drafted by the 610 Office to defame Yang Xingfu, which was published in a "Security Briefing” for units above the regiment level. It was also submitted to the Central Military Commission. The “briefing” attacked Falun Dafa and its founder Master Li Hongzhi, defamed Yang Xingfu, and recommended conducting an intensive internal investigation within the military to “uncover” Falun Gong practitioners.

Those involved in the harassment and abuse of Yang Xingfu are from the local government, the Nanjing Military Region, and the Central Military Commission. They range from lower level officers to a Major General, and Lieutenant General. They have effectively carried out former CCP secretary Jiang Zemin's policy towards Falun Gong practitioners: “Ruin their reputations, cut them off financially, and destroy them physically.” At times, CCP agents used torture and tried to brainwash Yang Xinhu. Mr. Yang started a hunger strike out of protest, and suffered tremendously.

Individuals participating in the persecution of Yang Xingfu:

(1) Li Jisong (Lieutenant General). Secretary of the Discipline Committee, and also in charge of law-enforcement work in the Nanjing Military Region from the second half of 1998 to the first half of 2004. He retired in the first half of 2004 after being diagnosed with cancer, and died six months later.

(2) Liu Yongzhi (Lieutenant General). Secretary of the Political Department of the Nanjing Military Region since early 1999. He was appointed to Deputy Political Commissioner in 2001. Later he was transferred to the Lanzhou Military Region as Political Commissioner. Two years later he became Deputy Director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He retired in 2009.

(3) Zhu Fuxi (Lieutenant General). Secretary of the Political Department of the Nanjing Military Region in 2000. In 2002 he was promoted to Director of the Political Department of the 12 Army Group. Later he became Deputy Secretary-General and head of the 610 Office of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. At the end of 2009 he was promoted to Director of the Political Department of the Second Artillery Corps.

For more parties and their roles in the persecution, please refer to the original Chinese article.

The following are the directors of the Political Department who have also served as head of the Nanjing Military Region 610 Office during the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong:
1998-2000: Liu Yongzhi
2001-2002: Pan Ruiji
2003-May 2004: Sun Dafa
June 2004-2006: Li Changhe (current Political Commissar of Lanzhou Military Region)
2007 to present: Chu Yimin

The following are the directors of the Political Department who have also served as head of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's 610 Office during the persecution:
1999-2003: Yu Yongbo (Admiral)

2004 to present: Li Jinai (Admiral)