By Bob Chen

At the end of the blog entry, the professor and lawyer Xu Zhiyong wrote down the line.

I broke into tears. I called a taxi, went back home and kneed down on the floor, tears in my eyes again. I thanked God for letting me to come to the world to bear all this. Then I took hold of myself and wrote down the story. I would like my children to know what is tribulation and suffering.

Here is the partial translation of Xu's blog about his experience of helping a petitioner who was beaten up in Beijng.

I got a call from Sheng at 7 pm. ‘Professor Xu, I have been trying to reach you. They have stopped the treatment for that woman from Lin Yi, Shandong who was roughed up this morning. We have run out of money at Tongren Hospital!'

Xu asked what happened and Sheng

‘She came to Beijing to appeal about her grief to the central government, but was beaten up by the officials sent from the town she's from. She fell unconscious but the doctors refused to treat her; how should we do?'

When Xu rushed to the hospital, he found the victim lying on the bed with her sister and mother accompanying. But there was no dropping bottle. Her sister told what had happened:

On 27 April, the victim's sister was locked inside the Phoenix hotel. In the afternoon she found the victim was sent back from the Lin Yi Office in Beijing (the local government's liaison in the capital). She told in weak voice that she was hit at stomach and then fell fainted again. her sister first sent her to You Anmen Hospital, but the doctor there said there was nothing wrong with her. No even pain killer could they get and they were just told to go home. She had to send her to Tong Ren Hospital.

At first she dared not say she was beaten because of petitioning. When they told the truth, they were again informed that no room was available. Finally a doctor with sympathy came up. He was so surprised to see the victim, urging them not to move her or there was life risk. Afterward, they knew she had lienic rupture. A few thousands were quickly spent up for the treatment. This morning the prescription was suspended. Since then she got no more care.

As a professor of law, Xu has been helping petitioners and minorities struggling for their rights. Therefore he has maintained contact with various petitioner groups and that's why he was so quickly informed about the situation. Hearing the victim's story, Xu ran downstair to find the doctor.

I came to the ER office, asking whether the patient needed immediate care. The doctor came to her, examining her abdomen. He then asked, ‘ What's your relationship with her?'

‘I am just a common citizen.' I replied.

‘Then I can't tell you.'

‘Fine, but tell her families what she needs, and at what cost.'

‘Just as the prescription says.'

‘But we got no money!' The sister bagged.

‘Go, let's get downstairs for the prescription.' I said calmly. I happened to have my debit card with me.

It was 850 RMB for the night. Paying the money seemed to be a long process. When I finally got the receipt the usually stubborn sister suddenly kneed down with tears on her face. I pulled her up, wishing that I could have come earlier, just a little earlier. I have never felt that the money could be of so important a use.

The girl's name is Yao Jing. Their family came to Beijing for petitioning because in 2006 her sister and mother was bullied and wounded but the culprit was simply on reprieve. They felt it was unfair. In 2007 she had been beaten up and got brain trauma, and had been sent to insane asylum.

Xu described the Phoenix Hotel the victim's sister was locked in:

That is a black prison, deep black. I heard so many stories about it. How can I not go to visit the black prison?

In a state where privilege and corruption turned routine, the petitioners had no connections at all but they believe in justice stubbornly. They are the ‘untouchable' in this country, but they are my countrymen, my brothers and sisters.

Suddenly, a yell for help came from the corridor. A woman was pulled away by 5, 6 men. The nurse told us to ignore the noise.

I came out with Sheng to the hallway and saw another two women being pulled by 5 men to the elevator. I asked what had happened but no one answered. The woman shouted ‘no human right in China' before the door was closed.

The sister said they were from northeast China and sent here because of taking poison in Tiananmen Square for protest. A staff questioned me what I was doing there, I answered I was watching a patient. ‘None of your business, get lost.' he said.

‘It's kidnapping! None of my business? I should call police.'

But my cellphone had no power. A man with a tag indicating him as a security guard in the hospital came by, telling us not to boss around.

At that moment, I finally burst into fury. I heard myself yelling piercingly, ‘You have no conscience! No conscience! No——CONSCIENCE！‘

I walked through the crowd in a faint.