Guard in Daqing Prison: "It Serves Him Right to Be Beaten!"

My husband, a Falun Gong practitioner, was sent to Daqing Prison in Heilongjiang Province in 2007. It has been more than two years now, and we have only seen each other three times during the first year. Later, Daqing Prison would not allow me to see him anymore under the excuse that he refused to wear the prisoner's uniform. I haven't seen my husband for more than a year now.

On February 24th, 2009, I was told that there was news on the Internet about my husband being beaten by prison guards. My husband and three other inmates were beaten nine times in five days by three guards with policemen's batons. His arms, legs and hip were seriously injured. I was really worried.

On February 25th, my son and I got up at 4 a.m. and caught a train to Daqing Prison. We found the team leader of the 4th Team where my husband was and requested to see my husband. The team leader said that he was not allowed to see us because he refused to wear the prisoner's uniform. I asked again and again to speak to my husband over the phone. The team leader dialled the number of the 4th Division. I asked my husband, "How is your health?" He answered, "I will not die." I quickly asked him what happened. He wouldn't say anything more.

On February 27th, my son and I again went to Daqing Prison. They were having a meeting which ended at 10:55 a.m. I made it up to Director Wang Jiaren's office on the 3rd floor with great difficulty. I said, "Director Wang, I am someone who has a serious heart condition. It is not easy for me to come here. I want to have a chat with you." But as soon as the director heard that I came to inquire about the matter of my husband being beaten, he told me to find the leader of the 4th Team, and the leader would report to him afterwards. So I had to go back to the 4th Team. As soon as I went in, team leader Cheng of the 4th Team said, "Why are you here again?" I said, "I came here because Li Hongkui was beaten." Cheng said, "No such thing happened. How come I didn't know?" So I told him about how the deputy head of the 4th Division Chu Zhongxin, political instructor Liu Guoqiang and Li Jinhao had beaten my husband Li Hongkui with police batons nine times in five days. Team leader Cheng said, "It's lunch break now. I will deal with it in the afternoon."

In the afternoon, team leader Cheng said, "Li Hongkui violated the regulations and discipline of the prison. Are we supposed to use the police baton on ourselves?" I said to him, "That means the guards did beat him up, they beat him because he violated the regulations and discipline. What exactly did he do?" Cheng said, "Li Hongkui attempted to break the prison door and the formation drill. He wanted to be a ring-leader in the prison. He wouldn't listen when we told him to get up..." I told Cheng that I didn't believe anything that he said. I would only believe it after I verified the facts with Li Hongkui in person. Chang said, "He won't wear the prisoner's uniform, so he is not allowed to see you!"

I asked Cheng to phone the division to verify the facts. After my persistent requests, Cheng rang the division and I was able to verify the matter with my husband. My husband confirmed the fact that the deputy head Chu Zhongxin, Liu Guoqiang and Li Jinhao beat him up with police batons nine times in five days. At the same time, he denied Cheng's claims.

I hadn't received any news by March 4th. I was very worried about my husband, so I reported the matter to the Daqing Judicial Bureau. Mr. Li from the Prison and Camp Section contacted team leader Cheng from the 4th Team of Daqing Prison, making an arrangement for me to see my husband. My son and I then went to Cheng's office at Daqing Prison. Cheng and several other guards were there. Cheng said, "Why are you here again?" I said, "We haven't finalized the matter of guards beating my husband." Cheng said, "It serves him right to be beaten. You will be lucky if we beat him to death. You will receive 100,000 or 200,000 yuan¹. You will make a good profit." He also said, "If you want to go to court, go ahead. Go lodge a complaint in Beijing! Go to the United Nations!"

I said, "Since you asked me to lodge a complaint, I will!"

Below is the complaint that I lodged.

To the Leaders of the Provincial Commission for Inspecting Discipline:

I lodge the following complaint to the Provincial Commission for Inspecting Discipline in regards to the matter of my husband Li Hongkui being beaten by the guards in Daqing Prison.

My husband is a staff member of the Harbin Post Office in Heilongjiang Province. He was sentenced to jail because of his spiritual belief, and was sent to Daqing Prison in 2007. Daqing Prison didn't allow Li Hongkui's family visit him with the excuse that he refused to wear the uniform of a prisoner. It has now been a year that we have been denied the right of visiting our family member.

On February 17th, the deputy division head Chu Zhongxin and political instructor Liu Guoqiang and Li Jinhao of the 4th Team of Daqing Prison, in the name of upholding discipline and against regulations, beat up Li Hongkui and three other prisoners with police batons. They were beaten up nine times in five days, and my husband was not able to get out of bed because of the injuries.

As Li Hongkui's family, we are extremely worried about his safety. We went to Daqing Prison on February 25th, in order to see my husband, but again we were not allowed to do so, just like before.

On February 27th, my son and I went to Daqing Prison again in order to visit my husband to see about his injuries. Our request was not approved. When I asked to see Li Hongkui because he was hurt from being beaten, team leader Cheng said he didn't know anything at first, and later he said, "Li Hongkui violated the regulations in the prison. He attempted to break the prison door and the formation drill. He wanted to be a ring-leader in the prison. We had to stop him." In order to verify the reason Li Hongkui was beaten, the condition of his injury and the crimes he was charged with, his family members strongly requested team leader Cheng to call the division where my husband was being held. My husband Li Hongkui confirmed that it was absolutely true that the prison guards beat him up and caused him injury. Li Hongkui denied all the charges the prison had listed.

We strongly request the following:

1. Allow us to visit Li Honghui and find out the extent of his injuries. Give Li Honghui the necessary physical examination and treatment.
2. Provide a guarantee not to repeat such an incident.
3. Require severe punishment for the assailants.
4. Guarantee the monthly regular visitation (Article 48 of the Regulation of the People's Republic of China on Prison says: prisoners may meet with their family members in the presence of a guard).

The 4th Team of the Daqing Prison violated Article 48 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Prison, deprived the prisoners of the right to meet their family members. The deputy division head Chu Zhongxin and political instructor Liu Guoqiang and Li Jinhao of the 4th Team violated Article 46 of the Regulations on Prison; they used police equipment against regulation and violated Articles 1 and 2 of the Six Prohibitions for People's Police in Prison and Article 4 of the Six Prohibitions on Activities Enforcing the Law for Political and Law Police in Heilongjiang Province. We earnestly request the top leaders to investigate and prosecute according to the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Prison and the Six Prohibitions for People's Police in Prison and the Six Prohibitions on Activities Enforcing the Law for Political and Law Police in Heilongjiang Province from the Judiciary Department to guarantee the safety of prisoners.

Li Hongkui's Family Members

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/3/8/196741.html