Officers in Suihua Forced Labour Camp in Heilongjiang Province Beat Falun Gong Practitioners without Fear of Retaliation

The No.1 team in Suihua Forced Labour Camp in Heilongjiang Province is dedicated to detaining and persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Pan Juying, who has since been demoted and transferred to another location, was in charge of the team. Now it is primarily run by guards Fan Xiaodong, Jin Qingfu, Shi Jian, and Bi Fei. Almost every practitioner held here has been cruelly tortured. The guards insist that the torture is justified.

1. Practitioners pressured to write the three statements to renounce practising Falun Gong

The first thing every practitioner who has been held in the No.1 Team is told to do is to write the three statements to renounce practising Falun Gong. Guards tell them that orders "from the top" require practitioners to write the statements, that it is a priority, and that everything else will run smoother if the practitioners cooperate. Those who refuse are tortured ruthlessly. They are beaten and shocked with electric batons.

Mr. Liu Jingzhou, 58, from Harbin City was admitted to the No.1 Team and tortured immediately. Other inmates could hear him scream for days as he was tortured with electric batons.

2. The consequences of overstepping the "bottom line"

Political instructor Fan Xiaodong from the No.1 team told detained practitioners that they were not to distribute Falun Gong materials, do the exercises, or talk to anyone regarding Falun Gong. That was the "bottom line." Whoever did not adhere to that would be severely punished.

When Mr. Pan Yonggang from Harbin City distributed Dafa information, he was beaten and shocked with electric batons.

3. Any excuse to beat a practitioner

Inmates from Suihua Forced Labour Camp are all aware of the fact that they cannot run away or fight back. If they do, they will be caught and beaten all the more, or accused of attacking a police officer.

On March 11th, 2013, Mr. Sun Qiang, 38, from Wuchang City asked to get his personal items in the storage room. Inmates had to get their personal items out of the storage room by themselves. Zheng, the inmate in charge of the ward that day (he also assisted the guards in monitoring and persecuting practitioners), refused to allow it. They argued and later Zheng reported it to the guard, who punched Mr. Sun many times. Any excuse is reason for beating the detained practitioners.

As of the end of April 2013, there are 27 practitioners being held in Suihua Forced Labour Camp, including: Mr. Sun Qiang, Mr. Liu Jingzhou, Mr. Feng Xikui, Mr. Pan Yonggang, Mr. Wang Xingyu, Mr. Ren Yulin, Mr. Wang Zhengyu, Mr. Sun Chengshun, Mr. Fu Xiaogang, Mr. Liang Xifa, Mr. Hong Baojia, Mr. Wu Yi, Mr. Niu Jiahui, Mr. Liu Baocai, Mr. Xu Haibo, Mr. Zhang Mingshi, Mr. Li Changqun, Mr. Ma Xiliang, and Mr. Cao Xicai.