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'''Yu Zhou''' ({{zh|s=于宙|t=於宙|p=Yú Zhòu}}) was a Chinese folk musician and [[Falun Gong]] practitioner who died in police custody in February, 2008, at the age of 42. Ten days before his death, traffic police stopped the professional musician in Beijing for [[speed limit|speeding]] on the way home from a concert. After they found Falun Gong paraphernalia in his car, authorities detained Yu, along with his wife, who previously been imprisoned for her association with Falun Gong. |
'''Yu Zhou''' ({{zh|s=于宙|t=於宙|p=Yú Zhòu}}) was a Chinese folk musician and [[Falun Gong]] practitioner who died in police custody in February, 2008, at the age of 42. Ten days before his death, traffic police stopped the professional musician in Beijing for [[speed limit|speeding]] on the way home from a concert. After they found Falun Gong paraphernalia in his car, authorities detained Yu, along with his wife, who previously been imprisoned for her association with Falun Gong. |
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According to authorities, Yu Zhou's condition deteriorated in detention as a result of a [[hunger strike]] or a complication stemming from his [[diabetes]]. His family said he did not have diabetes, and instead contends that he was killed as a result of mistreatment in custody. His death was cited by international press and advocacy groups as evidence of the Chinese government's continued suppression of Falun Gong. It was also noted an example of the government's efforts to suppress |
According to authorities, Yu Zhou's condition deteriorated in detention as a result of a [[hunger strike]] or a complication stemming from his [[diabetes]]. His family said he did not have diabetes, and instead contends that he was killed as a result of mistreatment in custody. His death was cited by international press and advocacy groups as evidence of the Chinese government's continued suppression of Falun Gong. It was also noted an example of the government's efforts to suppress domestic opposition groups immediately preceding the [[2008 Summer Olympic]] games in [[Beijing]]. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Yu Zhou was a graduate of the [[Beijing University]], where he studied French language. He performed in a folk music ensemble called [[Xiao Juan and Residents From the Valley]], which released two successful albums and was featured in the Hong Kong-based [[Phoenix Television]].<ref name=Olympic>{{cite news|last=Sheridan|first=Michael|title=Yu Zhou dies as China launches pre-Olympic Purge of Falun Gong|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article3779899.ece|accessdate=8 January 2013|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=20 April 2008}}</ref> He was married to Xu Na ({{zh|s=许那|t=許那|p=Xǔ Nà|links=no}}), a poet and painter two years his younger |
Yu Zhou was a graduate of the [[Beijing University]], where he studied French language. He performed in a folk music ensemble called [[Xiao Juan and Residents From the Valley]], which released two successful albums and was featured in the Hong Kong-based [[Phoenix Television]].<ref name=Olympic>{{cite news|last=Sheridan|first=Michael|title=Yu Zhou dies as China launches pre-Olympic Purge of Falun Gong|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article3779899.ece|accessdate=8 January 2013|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=20 April 2008}}</ref> He was married to Xu Na ({{zh|s=许那|t=許那|p=Xǔ Nà|links=no}}), a poet and painter two years his younger,<ref name=Crusade/><ref name=Olympic/> and they lived together in Beijing.<ref name=AP>{{cite news|last=Olesen|first=Alexa|title=Spiritual group endures despite 10-year ban|url=http://organharvestinvestigation.net/media/ap_042409.htm|newspaper=The Associated Press|date=24 April 2009}}</ref> |
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In the mid-1990s, the couple began |
In the mid-1990s, the couple began following Falun Gong,<ref name=Yuzhou>{{cite news|title=Mr. Yu Zhou|url=http://www.faluninfo.net/article/755/|newspaper=Falun Dafa Information Center|date=3 August 2008}}</ref> a syncretic [[new religious movement]] based on the teachings of [[Li Hongzhi]], an "enlightened" government grain clerk.<ref name=Olympic/><ref name=AP/> In 1999, after an estimated 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners staged a surprise demonstration at the central government compound at [[Zhongnanhai]], the Communist Party branded the group as a security threat and an "evil cult", imprisoning its followers.<ref name=Crusade/><ref name=AFP/> The group has responded by moving its campaign to end Party rule outside of China.<ref name=Crusade/> Yu Zhou’s wife was imprisoned from 2001 to 2006 for her association with the banned group.<ref name=Olympic/> |
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==Arrest and death== |
==Arrest and death== |
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In 2008, as the Beijing Olympics approached, Chinese authorities launched a renewed campaign to suppress Falun Gong activity. Practitioners and their families outside China allege, via the Falun Dafa Information Center, that the state arrested over 8,000 Falun Gong adherents between December 2007 and June 2008.<ref name=Congressional>{{cite web|title=Annual Report 2008|url=http://www.cecc.gov/pages/annualRpt/annualRpt08/CECCannRpt2008.pdf|publisher=Congressional Executive Commission on China|page=88 |
In 2008, as the Beijing Olympics approached, Chinese authorities launched a renewed campaign to suppress Falun Gong activity. Practitioners and their families outside China allege, via the Falun Dafa Information Center, that the state arrested over 8,000 Falun Gong adherents between December 2007 and June 2008.<ref name=Congressional>{{cite web|title=Annual Report 2008|url=http://www.cecc.gov/pages/annualRpt/annualRpt08/CECCannRpt2008.pdf|publisher=Congressional Executive Commission on China|page=88|accessdate=8 January 2013}}</ref> |
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On January 26, 2008, Yu Zhou and his wife Xu Na were pulled over by police for [[speeding]] while driving home from a concert in Beijing.<ref name=Crusade>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Andrew|title=China Still Presses Crusade Against Falun Gong|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/world/asia/28china.html?_r=0|accessdate=8 January 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=27 April 2009}}</ref> Police found Falun Gong literature and a CD in the car, and took the couple into custody,<ref name=Crusade/><ref name=Olympic/> where ten days later, on February 6, Yu Zhou died. His family was called to the Qinghe district emergency center to claim his body.<ref name=Olympic/> |
On January 26, 2008, Yu Zhou and his wife Xu Na were pulled over by police for [[speeding]] while driving home from a concert in Beijing.<ref name=Crusade>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Andrew|title=China Still Presses Crusade Against Falun Gong|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/world/asia/28china.html?_r=0|accessdate=8 January 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=27 April 2009}}</ref> Police found Falun Gong literature and a CD in the car, and took the couple into custody,<ref name=Crusade/><ref name=Olympic/> where ten days later, on February 6, Yu Zhou died. His family was called to the Qinghe district emergency center to claim his body.<ref name=Olympic/> The medical center and authorities told his family that he had staged a [[hunger strike]] and died from [[dehydration]] or some other [[diabetes|diabetic]] complication.<ref name=AI>{{cite web|title=Amnesty International Report 2009: China|url=http://report2009.amnesty.org/en/regions/asia-pacific/china|publisher=Amnesty International|accessdate=8 January 2013}}</ref><ref name=AP/> Yu Zhou's family said that he did not have diabetes and was healthy at the time of arrest. They maintained that his death was a result of his detention.<ref name=Crusade/><ref name=AI/> |
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===Aftermath=== |
===Aftermath=== |
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Over a year later, Yu Zhou's family reported that police and prosecutors continued to deny requests for a death certificate or an autopsy.<ref name=AP/><ref name=Crusade/> Cheng Hai, a Beijing human rights lawyer, said "there are suspicions that he was beaten to death while in prison, but so far we have been unable to collect any evidence."<ref name=AFP>{{cite news|title=China sentences Falungong follower to three years in jail: lawyer |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hVz9l5v3-NroyDGALZT2Nv6Paw2Q|accessdate=8 January 2013.|newspaper=Agence France-Presse|date=24 November 2008}}</ref> In a 2008 interview with Agence France-Presse, the Tongzhou detention center where Cheng said Yu Zhou was held denied any knowledge of him.<ref name=AFP/> |
Over a year later, Yu Zhou's family reported that police and prosecutors continued to deny requests for a death certificate or an autopsy.<ref name=AP/><ref name=Crusade/> Cheng Hai, a Beijing human rights lawyer, said "there are suspicions that he was beaten to death while in prison, but so far we have been unable to collect any evidence."<ref name=AFP>{{cite news|title=China sentences Falungong follower to three years in jail: lawyer |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hVz9l5v3-NroyDGALZT2Nv6Paw2Q|accessdate=8 January 2013.|newspaper=Agence France-Presse|date=24 November 2008}}</ref> In a 2008 interview with Agence France-Presse, the Tongzhou detention center where Cheng said Yu Zhou was held denied any knowledge of him.<ref name=AFP/> |
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Yu Zhou’s wife, Xu Na, was sentenced to three years in prison in November of 2008. According to her lawyer, she was convicted of possessing and intending to distribute 53 documents and eight computer disks of Falun Gong publications.<ref name=AFP/> |
Yu Zhou’s wife, Xu Na, was sentenced to three years in prison in November of 2008. According to her lawyer, she was convicted of possessing and intending to distribute 53 documents and eight computer disks of Falun Gong publications.<ref name=AFP/> |
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===Reaction=== |
===Reaction=== |
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Yu Zhou's death received international media attention. The New York Times cited it as evidence of the Chinese government's continued |
Yu Zhou's death received international media attention. The New York Times cited it as evidence of the Chinese government's continued campaign against Falun Gong tens years after the official crackdown.<ref name=Crusade/> The Associated Press similarly wrote about Yu Zhou's story on the tenth anniversary of the suppression, both as an example of Falun Gong's continued strength and struggle with authorities.<ref name=AP/> At a regular press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson [[Jiang Yu]] accused Falun Gong of brainwashing followers into believing that it can cure illness, of leading to the deaths of innocents, and of orchestrating the deadly 2001 [[Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident]].<ref name=AP/> |
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The Sunday Times reported on the case as an example of increased state pressure against domestic opposition groups ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.<ref name=Olympic/> Yu was one of approximately 100 Falun Gong practitioners reported to have died in custody in 2008.<ref name=Crusade/> Christie Blatchford of the Globe and Mail briefly noted Yu's case in her wider story, traveling to the emergency medical center where a Falun Gong website believes that his body is still being held.<ref>{{cite news|last=Blatchford|first=Christie|title=Chinese turn a blind eye to facts under their noses|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=7 August 2008}}</ref> |
The Sunday Times reported on the case as an example of increased state pressure against domestic opposition groups ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.<ref name=Olympic/> Yu was one of approximately 100 Falun Gong practitioners reported to have died in custody in 2008.<ref name=Crusade/> Christie Blatchford of the Globe and Mail briefly noted Yu's case in her wider story, traveling to the emergency medical center where a Falun Gong website believes that his body is still being held.<ref>{{cite news|last=Blatchford|first=Christie|title=Chinese turn a blind eye to facts under their noses|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=7 August 2008}}</ref> |
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Chinese official media did not report on the story. However, fans of Yu Zhou’s music mourned his death online. One supporter wrote on a Chinese website: "Fuck authority. Another beautiful soul has left the world."<ref name=Olympic/> |
Chinese official media did not report on the story. However, fans of Yu Zhou’s music mourned his death online. One supporter wrote on a Chinese website: "Fuck authority. Another beautiful soul has left the world."<ref name=Olympic/> |
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==External Links== |
==External Links== |
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*[http://www.youmaker.com/video/sv?id=571f7e4d385e4dfd86cb89fa573c6a2d001 “Xiaojuan and Residents of the Valley” music video] |
*[http://www.youmaker.com/video/sv?id=571f7e4d385e4dfd86cb89fa573c6a2d001 “Xiaojuan and Residents of the Valley” music video] |
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[[Category:Falun Gong practitioners]] |
[[Category:Falun Gong practitioners]] |
Revision as of 17:39, 14 January 2013
Yu Zhou (simplified Chinese: 于宙; traditional Chinese: 於宙; pinyin: Yú Zhòu) was a Chinese folk musician and Falun Gong practitioner who died in police custody in February, 2008, at the age of 42. Ten days before his death, traffic police stopped the professional musician in Beijing for speeding on the way home from a concert. After they found Falun Gong paraphernalia in his car, authorities detained Yu, along with his wife, who previously been imprisoned for her association with Falun Gong.
According to authorities, Yu Zhou's condition deteriorated in detention as a result of a hunger strike or a complication stemming from his diabetes. His family said he did not have diabetes, and instead contends that he was killed as a result of mistreatment in custody. His death was cited by international press and advocacy groups as evidence of the Chinese government's continued suppression of Falun Gong. It was also noted an example of the government's efforts to suppress domestic opposition groups immediately preceding the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing.
Background
Yu Zhou was a graduate of the Beijing University, where he studied French language. He performed in a folk music ensemble called Xiao Juan and Residents From the Valley, which released two successful albums and was featured in the Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television.[1] He was married to Xu Na (simplified Chinese: 许那; traditional Chinese: 許那; pinyin: Xǔ Nà), a poet and painter two years his younger,[2][1] and they lived together in Beijing.[3]
In the mid-1990s, the couple began following Falun Gong,[4] a syncretic new religious movement based on the teachings of Li Hongzhi, an "enlightened" government grain clerk.[1][3] In 1999, after an estimated 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners staged a surprise demonstration at the central government compound at Zhongnanhai, the Communist Party branded the group as a security threat and an "evil cult", imprisoning its followers.[2][5] The group has responded by moving its campaign to end Party rule outside of China.[2] Yu Zhou’s wife was imprisoned from 2001 to 2006 for her association with the banned group.[1]
Arrest and death
In 2008, as the Beijing Olympics approached, Chinese authorities launched a renewed campaign to suppress Falun Gong activity. Practitioners and their families outside China allege, via the Falun Dafa Information Center, that the state arrested over 8,000 Falun Gong adherents between December 2007 and June 2008.[6]
On January 26, 2008, Yu Zhou and his wife Xu Na were pulled over by police for speeding while driving home from a concert in Beijing.[2] Police found Falun Gong literature and a CD in the car, and took the couple into custody,[2][1] where ten days later, on February 6, Yu Zhou died. His family was called to the Qinghe district emergency center to claim his body.[1] The medical center and authorities told his family that he had staged a hunger strike and died from dehydration or some other diabetic complication.[7][3] Yu Zhou's family said that he did not have diabetes and was healthy at the time of arrest. They maintained that his death was a result of his detention.[2][7]
Aftermath
Over a year later, Yu Zhou's family reported that police and prosecutors continued to deny requests for a death certificate or an autopsy.[3][2] Cheng Hai, a Beijing human rights lawyer, said "there are suspicions that he was beaten to death while in prison, but so far we have been unable to collect any evidence."[5] In a 2008 interview with Agence France-Presse, the Tongzhou detention center where Cheng said Yu Zhou was held denied any knowledge of him.[5]
Yu Zhou’s wife, Xu Na, was sentenced to three years in prison in November of 2008. According to her lawyer, she was convicted of possessing and intending to distribute 53 documents and eight computer disks of Falun Gong publications.[5]
Reaction
Yu Zhou's death received international media attention. The New York Times cited it as evidence of the Chinese government's continued campaign against Falun Gong tens years after the official crackdown.[2] The Associated Press similarly wrote about Yu Zhou's story on the tenth anniversary of the suppression, both as an example of Falun Gong's continued strength and struggle with authorities.[3] At a regular press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu accused Falun Gong of brainwashing followers into believing that it can cure illness, of leading to the deaths of innocents, and of orchestrating the deadly 2001 Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident.[3]
The Sunday Times reported on the case as an example of increased state pressure against domestic opposition groups ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[1] Yu was one of approximately 100 Falun Gong practitioners reported to have died in custody in 2008.[2] Christie Blatchford of the Globe and Mail briefly noted Yu's case in her wider story, traveling to the emergency medical center where a Falun Gong website believes that his body is still being held.[8] The case was also named in reports by the U.S. Department of State,[9][10] the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China,[6], and human rights organizations including Amnesty International[7] and Freedom House.[11]
Chinese official media did not report on the story. However, fans of Yu Zhou’s music mourned his death online. One supporter wrote on a Chinese website: "Fuck authority. Another beautiful soul has left the world."[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sheridan, Michael (20 April 2008). "Yu Zhou dies as China launches pre-Olympic Purge of Falun Gong". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jacobs, Andrew (27 April 2009). "China Still Presses Crusade Against Falun Gong". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Olesen, Alexa (24 April 2009). "Spiritual group endures despite 10-year ban". The Associated Press.
- ^ "Mr. Yu Zhou". Falun Dafa Information Center. 3 August 2008.
- ^ a b c d "China sentences Falungong follower to three years in jail: lawyer". Agence France-Presse. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2013..
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - ^ a b "Annual Report 2008" (PDF). Congressional Executive Commission on China. p. 88. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ a b c "Amnesty International Report 2009: China". Amnesty International. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ Blatchford, Christie (7 August 2008). "Chinese turn a blind eye to facts under their noses". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ United States Department of State (25 February 2008). 2008 Human Rights Report. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ U.S. Department of State, (26 October 2009) International Religious Freedom Report 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ Freedom House (2009). Anniversary highlights rise in religious persecution in China. Retrieved 8 January 2013.