Two Forced Labour Camps in Hunan Province Face Shut-down

The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong is approaching a dead end, along with the forced-labour camp system in China. Two forced labour camps in Hunan Province that had persecuted many Falun Gong practitioners – Xinkaipu Men's Forced Laboru Camp in Changsha City and Baimalong Women's Forced Labour Camp in Zhuzhou City – have released their practitioner inmates.

Xinkaipu Men's Forced Labour Camp started releasing people at the end of last year. All of the nearly-20 Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned there had been released by July 31st, 2013. Mr. Yin Weibin, a dentist, was the last practitioner released. Mr. Yin had been subjected to brainwashing, but instead of giving up his belief, he wrote in his own blood: “Firmly practising Falun Gong!” The labour camp retaliated by extending his term. After he was released on July 31st, he was still harassed at home by the staff from the Ningxiang County 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), Hunan Province.

Baimalong Women's Forced Labour Camp started releasing prisoners other than Falun Gong practitioners early this year. The camp were secretive about releasing its detainees so Falun Gong practitioners would not be aware of it. Some inmates left overnight. In May this year, the camp released quite a few people. After finding out, practitioners demanded to be released.

The Baimalong camp has released nearly 50 people this year. Falun Gong practitioners were not released until they finished their terms. Practitioner Ms. Jiang Ruihua was released on July 25th after she finished her term. The three other imprisoned practitioners were not released until August.

The Forced Labour Camp System Is Collapsing, But the Persecution of Falun Gong Continues

Although the CCP is planning to eliminate its forced labour camp system, the evil nature of the CCP will not change. The CCP continues using other means to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, such as directing the courts to sentence practitioners to prison or putting practitioners in brainwashing centres. Practitioners in Hunan are still being arrested and put into detention centres.

In the first half of 2013, staff from the Xiangtan City 610 Office and the judicial system of Hunan Province arrested 13 practitioners: Mr. Yang Shiyi, Mr. Liu Liyan, Ms. Hu Dongxia, Ms. Wen Meilian, Mr. Liu Heqing, Ms. Zhao Xiuying, Mr. Liao Jingming, Ms. Liu Huilan, Ms. Yan Xiuying, Mr. Nong Jianhua, Ms. Cao Lijiao, Mr. Tang Xinnian, and Ms. Li Jianru.

In April 2013, practitioner Ms. Huang Duohong from Xiangtan was sentenced to ten years in prison.

In the middle of May, 2013, police from Yiyang City, Hunan Province, about 24 practitioners. More than12 are still being held in the local detention centre. Yiyang 610 Office staff members are working on assembling materials to falsely charge the practitioners and sentence them to prison terms.

Two Practitioner Deaths Due to Persecution in Baimalong Women's Forced Labour Camp

Baimalong Forced Labour Camp was the headquarters for persecuting female practitioners in Hunan Province and southern China. Ms. He Yingqing and Ms. Chen Xingtao both died after being tortured in the camp.

Ms. He Yingqing, who died at age 41, was a senior instructor at the Hunan Biological and Electromechanical Vocational College. In early 2001, Ms. He was detained in the brainwashing centre in the Furong District, Changsha City, for 14 months. In October 2003, she was taken to Baimalong Forced Labour Camp.

To prevent her from doing the Falun Gong exercises, the guards shocked her with electric batons for an entire day. Both her arms turned purple. They also handcuffed her for 40 days. She was handcuffed all the time except during meals. She was unable to take care of herself for a long time afterwords. She lost feeling in one hand. She had cuts so deep on each wrist that her bones were visible. In June 2005, she was sentenced to 18 months of forced labour for clarifying the truth about Falun Gong. She was put in Baimalong Forced Labor Camp again. Because her ordeals had been documented in media outside of China, she was tortured even more brutally. She had blood in her urine, a lung infection, and chest pain. She coughed all the time. By the time she was released in November 2006, she was in critical condition. She passed away in June 2007, just a few months later.

Ms. Chen Xingtao, who died at the age of 39, was from Guchenshuxinzhuangzu, Yangmu Township, Yueyang County, Hunan Province. She was taken to the Baimalong camp on January 31st, 2001. She was beaten during brainwashing and her skin was covered with abrasions and blisters. On April 1st, 2001, unable to endure any more torture, she jumped from the second floor. Camp officials covered up the incident. They forced her to sign a false statement and created a TV programme to deceive people. Her spine was broken. She had an operation and had 14 stitches. She became a paraplegic and was not able to take care of herself. Her legs started atrophying. The labour camp forced her family members to sign paperwork and then released her. At home, her injury worsened and she started to deteriorate. She passed away on May 27th, 2002.

Two Incidents of Retribution in Baimalong Forced Labour Camp

The law of retribution is universal: good is rewarded and evil is punished. Evildoers who participate in the persecution of innocent people will receive retribution. Two people who actively participated in the persecution in the Baimalong camp found that out.

Wang Youchun, deputy director of Baimalong Forced Labour Camp, organized all guards and inmates and encouraged everyone to hate Falun Gong after the CCP started persecuting Falun Gong in 1999. At a gathering of the Seventh Division, which was created expressly to persecute practitioners, he slandered Falun Gong. Shortly afterwards, he was diagnosed with a severe illness. He ignored heaven's warning and continued to persecute practitioners. He wanted to use force when brainwashing Falun Gong practitioners. In 2001, he succumbed to advanced liver cancer and died in November.

Yi Jin'e, 50, was the deputy director and Political commissar at Baimalong Forced Labour Camp from 1999 to 2004. Because she worked very hard persecuting practitioners, at 42 she was rewarded with a meeting with Li Lanqing, the head of the 610 Organization at the time. Her health changed dramatically, with serious endocrine disorders. She had problems with her heart, liver, and spleen.