Qimiao Tong: Thirst for justice

China Aid Association

Several times, Tong asked to be taken to the hospital. After interrogating him for nearly eight hours, police put him into a car and drove him to a private clinic.

Injustice does not win every case in China. At least one Christian businessman won his day in court.
10 a.m., September 28, 2005. Qimiao Tong received a telephone call from the State Bureau of Public Security, Kashi Branch. Tong was ordered to appear immediately to answer questions.
“I walked up to Officer Ruofei Wang (32),” Tong explained, “and shook hands with him, saying, ‘Sorry I am late, for my company is located in the countryside with inconvenient transportation.’ Before I finished what I wanted to say, he got very angry and cursed me.”
“Who do you think you are!” he shouted. “To save your face, we did not handcuff you and bring you here today. We have tracked you for over a year.”
“Reaching out my hands, I said, ‘If you have evidences, you can handcuff me now.’ “
“Suddenly, he pushed away my hands and kicked me hard on my chest. It was very painful, and I dropped to the floor. He ordered me to stand up. I had no strength to speak.”
Several times, Tong asked to be taken to the hospital. After interrogating him for nearly eight hours, police put him into a car and drove him to a private clinic.
“Before letting me in, Mr. Wang, the PSB section chief, discussed something with the doctor. They did the electrocardiogram and x-ray. The doctor asked me where the pain was. When I told him, he pressed on my chest, and I broke out in sweat.
” ‘Nothing is wrong,’ the doctor said. And I was taken back for more interrogation.”
At 8 p.m., Qimiao Tong was finally released and sent home. But he could not walk because of the pain. He called his wife, Wang Miaofen, and asked her to come and get him. Seeing his condition, she immediately took her husband to Kashi Zhonghua Hospital and Kashi Second People’s Hospital, where he was diagnosed with fractured ribs and hospitalized.
On October 13-14, police closed Qimiao Tong’s furniture factory and store in a local mall and confiscated many pieces of furniture.
When China Aid heard of the case, it provided financial aid for Tong’s legal and medical expenses. As a result, the District People’s Court, Kashi City ordered PSB officer Ruofei Wang to pay Mr. Tong “the damages he has suffered in the amount of 24,436.46 Yuan (US$3,157.19), which includes the medical bills, wages lost, transportation fees for seeking medical help, hospitalization expenses, subsidy for food during hospitalization, funds for necessary nutrition, money necessary for continued treatment necessary for recovery and fees for nursing care and follow-up treatments.” In addition, the police officer was ordered to pay “a consolation fee of 5,000.00 Yuan (US$646) for emotional damages.”
CAA president Bob Fu recalls that “after our legal and media pressure, including a letter-writing campaign, the local PSB head went to Tong’s home, apologized to him for what happened and reinstated his cancelled business license. Before leaving the house, he asked brother Tong how many relatives he has in the USA, because so many letters and phone calls were made to protest his mistreatment.”