Chinese Police "Torture 'Falun Gong' Follower": Sheer Lie
                Some foreign news media lately report that Tan Yongjie, an
                alleged "Falun Gong" follower in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
                Region who stowed away to the US, was tortured by Chinese
                policemen in Guangdong and had got a third-degree burn. But an
                inquiry of related departments about this tells that no such a
                man as Tan had been found in China's mainland and the
                so-called self-account by this man has many doubtful points.
                The reporter first turned to public security departments of
                Guangdong and Guangxi for their residence files and local
                census records trying to find the man out allegedly by the
                name of "Tan Yongjie". However, irrespective of every possible
                effort made, all had got to no avail. Experts of public
                security explained that the so-called Tan Yongjie probably
                used a false name after he ran a blockade to the US.
                Experiences told that using false names have customarily
                helped stowaways get away from investigations by security
                departments in the US and present their stories of being
                persecuted that has turned out to be the most favorable means
                to have helped them out unscathed in the US.
                Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
                security departments point out that they haven't got such a
                soul alleged as "Tan Yongjie". The so-called "Chinese
                policeman tortured him" is a sheer lie.
                Experts also thought that there are so many doubtful points in
                Tan's self-account failing to justify his statement. For
                instance, Tan claimed to have been "branded by hot iron par by
                Chinese policemen" on June 2, and that "diagnosed as a
                third-degree burn, on 13 locations, deep into the muscle, the
                area of wounds is large and deep, hard to close up". But
                irrespective of such serious wounds, to people's surprise, Tan
                had managed to hide in a crate in a container ship on a 14-day
                voyage, crossed the vast Pacific Ocean, passed through many
                hands or places without any corn on hand, even not knowing a
                word of English, and finally arrived at Houston and entered
                hospital for treatment on July 13. The whole process takes
                more than 40 days. It is unbelievable to any person with a
                little common sense.
                The police noted that now they are not supposed to make any
                guess at the doubtful points in Tan's account and his
                so-called real experience during the illegal immigration. They
                hope they can get more related material and the real name of
                the stowaway and conduct further investigation about the issue
                so as to give a convincing answer to all good and honest
                people within and outside China.
                (People's Daily08/30/2001)