A/HRC/4/21/Add.1 page 24 Weifang City in Shandong province, for practicing Falun Gong. No charges were brought against her and she was provided no hearing before a court of law. She was subjected to severe beatings, and the men who were also arrested with her were forced to beat her and the other arrested women on their hips. During her detention, she was forced to curse the founder of Falun Gong, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, which is against Falun Gong principles. As a result of this treatment, Ms. Liu Yunxiang miscarried. She was released after having paid for her release. In the Summer of 2001, she was arrested again for practicing Falun Gong and was once again subjected to torture including electric shocks, as a result of which she miscarried a second time. After twenty days of torture, she was sent to a detention centre for another month, after which she was released. Response from the Government dated 12 December 2005 83. The Government informed that Ren Shujie, female, was born in February 1964 in Han Chinese. She was educated to lower middle-school level, from Shengyang City, Liaoning Province; formerly on the kitchen staff at the Shengyang New Model Building Materials Corporation. She was assigned to three years’ re-education through labour (21 May 2002 to 20 May 2005) in April 2002 for disrupting public order and committed to the Longshan Reeducation through Labour Facility in Shengyang on 21 May 2002. On 22 March 2004 she was moved to the provincial Masanjia Facility. During her assignment she resisted education and often refused to eat, but under careful, patient coaxing from the wardens she resumed eating normally. There was no question of ill-treatment during her period of re-education. Upon the completion of her term she was released in high spirits and good health. 84. Liu Yunxiang, female, aged 38, is from Weifang City in Shandong Province. She was taken into criminal custody by the local public security authorities in October 2000 for disturbing the peace, but released after being taught a lesson. On 30 August 2001, with the approval of the local Re-education through Labour Management Committee, she was assigned to three years reeducation for repeatedly distributing, putting up and spray-painting Falun Gong cult material. She was granted early release from re-education on 1 December 2003. Throughout their handling of this case the public security authorities acted rigorously, properly and in a civilized manner. They did not cause Ms. Liu to have a miscarriage. The claims of beatings and electric shocks are sheer rumour mongering. 85. The Government wants to clarify that respect and upholding freedom of religion and belief is one of the Chinese Government’s basic national policies. China has over 100 million religious adherents and about 300,000 clerics. The rule of law prevails, and the Constitution guarantees citizens’ freedom of religion. No one can be attacked for their religious beliefs. In the cases at issue, Ren and Liu were subjected to re-education through labour for activities that disrupted public order; their treatment had nothing to do with freedom of religion. 86. China was one of the first States to become party to the Convention against Torture, and strictly prohibits torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment. Its laws clearly establish that detainees have extensive rights. The Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Prisons Act and much other legislation strictly prohibit beatings, abuse, corporal punishment and ill-treatment. When violations of detainees’ rights come to light, those responsible are punished in accordance with the law. In dealing with the cases above, the