month by Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) forces says the authorities paid her family money in an attempt to cover up the crime.
In a letter received by the BosNewsLife news service Wednesday, May 26, Gu Xiangyan said her brother Gu Xianggao, 28, was also falsely accused of murder after police raided his 500-thousand strong house church movement known as "Three Grades Servants" last month in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China.
Several other believers were detained, including the group’s leader Xu Shuangfu, who has been a well-known house church official since the 1980s. Xu Shuangfu was arrested more than 20 times, and spent more than 20 years in prison, human rights groups say.
In addition well-known house church leader Zhao Wenquan, 60, was arrested May 9 in Hegou Town in Meng Cheng County of China’s Anhui Province, where thousands of Christians gathered in the village for a special harvest celebration, Christian rights watchdog ChinaAid said. Christians fear he could be sentenced, without a trial, to three years of so-called “re-education through labor.”
COMPENSATION
Apparently fearing an international outcry, PSB officials "compensated" the family of teacher Gu Xianggao who died in custody and forced his parents to accept cremation, his sister said in a letter. She added that her parents were paid 230,000 RMB, about 28,000 US$, a fortune to most impoverished Chinese families, and then ordered not to tell what had happened.
"They told us, my brother was arrested on April 26, and died during the interrogation on the following day. He died either of heart disease or stroke. He was in no way tortured to death," Gu Xiangyan explained in the letter distributed by ChinaAid.
"If we doubt about it, they can have the body anatomized. My father said, “Do not chicane. I have some questions for you. Was my son in good health when he was arrested?” They answered, “Yes.” My father then asked, “Did my son die here?” And they affirmed. My father then said, “No matter what crime my son might commit, the PSB has no right to claim his life.”
BODY
The family arrived at the PSB office in Harbin after officials called them to pick up the body as "they could not afford to keep the body refrigerated," his sister recalled. After her shocked mother asked plain clothes police officers how he died, "one of the leaders said that my brother was a suspect of murder," Gu Xiangyan explained.
"My mother, who then was very angry, rebuked him, saying, “You are framing up my son. Give me evidence, and show me whom my son murdered. Dare you be responsible for what you said just now? If my son did murder someone, I have nothing to say about it. If my son is a bad guy, I have no courage to show up here. If my son did commit murder, he deserves punishment. However, the fact is that my son is a good citizen, who has not violated any laws and regulations. It is you who kill my son. Now give me back my son.”
The leader allegedly said, “What I mean is that your son is just a suspect of murder. A suspect is not necessarily an actual murderer. It is the driver of your son who committed the murder.” Gu Xiangyan said her family was only allowed to see him two days after they arrived. After intervention from an attorney, the PSB gave them the controversial compensation.
TORTURE?
"My father asked for a document which could illustrate why the compensation was made. They rejected his request, saying, “The money is yours now. It is no use of the paperwork.” My mother and I felt uneasy about the radical change of the situation. Why did the PSB suddenly agree to compensate us? So we wanted to request an autopsy. Our attorney got angry with us, saying, “If you can settle down everything, why bring me here?” Therefore, we gave up."
Yet she suggested her brother may have been tortured. Just before he was transferred to the cremation site on May 3, "I found out that my brother’s eyes were black and blue. We were unable to take a close look, for they dragged us to another room. I made a hard attempt to approach my brother, and was forced to leave the scene. They told me, the eyes looked different due to the refrigeration. I yelled at them, and called them liars."
Chinese authorities have not reacted to the case. Human rights groups say there is evangelical Christians are persecuted throughout China by Communist authorities. Despite the difficulties, the country over over 1 billion people is experiencing the largest church growth in the world, church analysts say.
China Aid said that protest letters can be addressed to:
Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008
Tel:(202) 328-2500 Fax:(202) 588-0032
Director of Religious Affairs: (202) 328-2512
