The Ordeals of Retired Doctor Liu Maimei

Name: Liu Maimei
Gender: Female
Age: 60
Address: Undisclosed
Occupation: Retired doctor, worked at the Huangbei District Women's and Children Care Centre, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province

Date of Most Recent Arrest: November 15th, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Wuhan City Women's No. 1 Detention Centre
City: Wuhan
Province: Hubei
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, being suspended by handcuffed wrists, imprisonment, torture, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogated, detained, denied use of toilet

Liu Maimei began practising Falun Gong in 1995. After the persecution began in July 1999, she encountered a lot of physical and mental harassment from agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). She also suffered financial losses and was made to do forced labour. The following is her account of the persecution that she has suffered.

On the night of July 21st, 2001, about 14 people from the Huangbei Public Security Sub-bureau and the Qianchuan Police Station drove to my eldest son's home, and ransacked each room, scaring his pregnant wife in the process. When I came home, I saw many police officers standing inside and outside our home. Our Falun Gong books, exercise music tapes, and videotapes were piled up on the floor, along with my youngest son's new computer. My spouse, and a fellow practitioner, Zhang Huanyun, were lying on the ground. My husband's right hand was bleeding. I also saw blood on the wall.

I indignantly said, "I'm going to sue you!" Head officer Xie Bin ordered that I be arrested. Police officers Lei and Zhang approached, one on either side of me, pushed my arms behind my back, and pushed and dragged me down three flights of stairs. I was then driven to the police station, and held there until after midnight. They sent my husband to the Bali Detention Centre and held him for a month. The following day, I noticed that my hands, chest, and back were covered in bruises, and I hurt all over for at least ten days from the rough handling by the police.

On September 16th, 2002, fellow practitioner Duan Meihua and I visited practitioner Li at the Hewan Forced Labour Camp in Wuhan City. On the way back home, we were arrested by plainclothes police officers as we put up posters explaining the facts about Falun Gong. They took us to Houhu Police Station in Wuhan City. An officer named Li Jinkui grabbed a walking stick, pointed it at my nose, and yelled, "I will shoot you if you still believe in Falun Gong." We were detained from morning until after 1:00 a.m., and then sent to Wuhan City No. 1 Detention Centre.

As soon as we arrived at the detention centre, we were forced to take off our clothes, face a wall for a body search, and then photographed and sent to a cell. The next day, I said, "This arrest is illegal. I should be released unconditionally." I was called to have a "chat" with police officer Lu Hua. Instead, I was brutally beaten by Lu Hua and two prisoners (one was named Zhang Yan). I fainted from the beating, and stayed unconscious for about a week. I was transferred to another cell 20 days later for doing the Falun Gong exercises. Officer Liu Qin cuffed my hands high up behind my back for a day. The severe pain caused me to fall unconscious. A cell-mate rang the call button three times before someone came and removed the handcuffs. Several days later, officer Jin cuffed my hands behind my back in that same high position twice. I endured this for a total of three days and two nights because I refused to recite the prison rules.

I was transferred to another cell three days later. While meditating one morning, officer Liu saw me on a monitor. He ordered that our supplies be withheld, and held meetings for the entire cell, where I was publicly criticised and defamed. This was intended to make the others in the cell resent me and Falun Gong.

After being abused in the detention centre for over 80 days, I was sent to the Hewan Forced Labour Camp. As soon as I arrived, I was subjected to surveillance by other prisoners. I encountered collaborators¹, and was subjected to non stop, around the clock brainwashing tactics. I was forced to watch videos that slandered Falun Gong and forced to write a self-examination every day. I was also intimidated and tempted with promises of rewards if I capitulated and gave up Falun Gong. I was deprived of sleep, and denied use of the toilet. The whole time I was in the labour camp, I was subjected to brainwashing and forced labour.

On April 14th, 2004, warden He Qizhen saw me exposing the persecution of Falun Gong while I was working at the Health Care Centre. He reported me to the authorities. People from the District Public Security Sub-bureau 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), Qianchuan Comprehensive Management Office, and Qianchuan Police Station forcibly took me to the Shenjiaji Brainwashing Centre. During the month I was there, three people watched me around the clock. I was forced to listen to slanderous broadcasts every day, was closely controlled, had limited personal freedom, was subjected to a combination of threats and inducements to make me give up Falun Gong practice. I was pressured to write statements to renounce practising Falun Gong and felt severe mental anguish.

On March 31st, 2006, Wang Baoguo and Hu Yuqing from the Domestic Security Division of the Public Security Bureau, and Zhang, Chen Bin, and driver Xiao Qin from the local police station came to my home and confiscated two Falun Gong books.

On May 11th, Hu Yuqing, Xiao Yousheng, Yue Chunfang, and Xiao Qin from the Domestic Security Division, Xiao Wang from the local police, and Peng Dingchun from the Comprehensive Managing Office forcibly took me from my home to the Wuhan City Women's No. 1 Detention Centre, where I was held for 15 days.

A fellow practitioner and I went to explain the facts to people in the Yaoji mountainous area on November 15th, 2009. Some of the villagers, not knowing the truth, reported us. We were consequently arrested by local police officers, and handcuffed to a chair for several hours. Later, Wang Baoguo, Hu Yuqing, and Yue Chunfang from the Domestic Security Division of the Public Security Sub-bureau showed up. Hu Yuqing yelled at me, kicked me three times, and then brought me to the Public Security Sub-bureau, where I was held until around 6:00 p.m., and then sent to Wuhan City Women's No. 1 Detention Centre for 15 days.

During the time the Beijing Olympics were held, two or three police officers, both uniformed and plainclothes, visited and monitored me every two to three days.

Note

1. "Collaborators": former practitioners who have turned against Falun Gong under brainwashing and torture. They are then made to assist in brainwashing and torturing practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/10/18/231170.html