Ms. Hao Qiujin Describes Torture at Masanjia Forced Labour Camp

Large-scale arrests of Falun Gong practitioners were conducted in Dalian City on July 6th, 2012, with the cooperation from the city's 610 Office v, police department, and residential committees. The arrests targeted practitioners who were involved in the installation of NTDTV satellite dishes [New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV), a TV company that broadcasts programmes exposing the persecution of Falun Gong], and nearly 100 were arrested. Ms. Hao Qiujin was one of the practitioners arrested that day by officers from the Huanghailu Police Station. She was sent to Masanjia Forced Labour Camp after being detained for six weeks in a detention centre.

Ms. Hao Qiujin describes her experiences in the Masanjia Forced Labour Camp.

I Was Arrested

I dropped my child off at school at around 7:10 a.m. on July 6th, 2012. Just after my child walked inside the building, the door of my car was yanked open by officer Yu Huajun from the Huanghailu Police Station. He tried to take the car key from me. I asked, “What are you doing?” I didn't realise that two more officers were behind him. They punched and kicked me, and then handcuffed me. One of them was deputy Zhang Zhenyuan.

Three police officers later searched my home and confiscated my Falun Gong books, computer, and mobile phone.

I was taken to the police station at around noon that day, forced to undergo a physical check-up at around 8:00 p.m., and sent to the Yaojia Detention Centre at 11:30 p.m.

I was "sentenced" to one year of forced labour and sent to the Masanjia Forced Labour Camp on August 23rd.

First Month at Masanjia Forced Labour Camp

1. Isolated and Beaten

At Masanjia, we were awakened at 5:00 a.m. and forced to sit on small stools. Criminal inmates were assigned to watch us. We were not allowed to close our eyes, stretch our legs, talk, or even nod to other practitioners. In order to isolate us, we were transferred to different cells every day. When Ms. Chen Guixiang refused to recite the camp regulations, inmate Huang Xuemei scratched her nose. When I stood up and tried to stop her, inmate Deng Biyu viciously attacked my chest. Guard Zhang Lei came over and slapped my face.

2. Tortured in Donggang

Donggang was a place in Masanjia where practitioners were tortured in various ways using “stretching” torture, electric shocks, injections with unknown drugs, confinement, force-feeding, freezing, hanging, and beatings, etc. Every steadfast practitioner was tortured there.

After being taken to Donggang, my hands were cuffed to a heating pipe. The handcuffs were so tight that they cut into my wrists, and my hands quickly turned purple. Two hours later, they messaged my hands a bit, which caused more pain, but made the marks less noticeable. I was not released until midnight. The cuff marks on my wrists were still noticeable even two months later.

I was detained alone in a cell the next day, and was watched by inmate Deng Biyu. I was allowed only five minutes in the morning to wash my face and brush my teeth with cold well water, which was also used for clothes washing and showers. Only 8-15 minutes was allocated for showers. Surveillance cameras were installed everywhere, in the rooms, hallways, and toilets. Each toilet visit was also recorded on paper. Every movement of practitioners was watched, recorded, and reported. The practitioners were often taken to Donggang to be tortured.

Guard Zhang Lili cut our hair without our consent in September 2012. When I refused to cooperate with her, she and Wang Danfeng took me to Donggang. I was cuffed to a bunk bed, then Zhang held out a pair of scissors and threatened to cut off all my hair.

3. Refusing to Allow My Family to Visit Me, and Inciting Trouble With My Family

My husband and child came to visit me during the first month I was detained in Masanjia. Guard Guo Yin told my husband, “Your wife only cares about Falun Gong. You don't need to visit her anymore. She will not see you.” The guards not only refused to allow my family to see me, but also viciously made mischief between us.

After my husband left, the guard said to me, “Your husband and your child came to visit you. I told them that they could not see you as long as you refused to be 'transformed'[forcibly renounce Falun Gong].”

Tortured in Donggang, October 2012

1. Forced to Squat for Eight Days

I was called to Donggang on October 8th. Guard Yu Jiang kicked and cursed me when I arrived. He forced me to squat down from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. This torture continued for eight days. On the ninth day, my husband and child came to visit again. They were rejected again because I had refused to renounce my faith in Falun Gong.

2. Forced to Squat and Deprived of Sleep

I was taken to Donggang by guard Zhang Lei for a second round of forced brainwashing twelve days later. More than ten people surrounded me, and I was forced to put my feet into a foot-size frame and squat down from 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. to midnight, and sometimes until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m.

3. Detained in a Small Dark Room and “Stretched”

Five days later, guard Zhang Lei took me to a small dark room, and cuffed to the footboard of a metal bed. I had to squat down and wasn't able to move at all.

Newspapers with articles that slandered Falun Gong were plastered everywhere on the walls and floor. Guard Ren Hongzhan often came to check on me and threaten me. Guard Zhang Lei played videos that slandered Falun Gong every day. I was not allowed to use the toilet for 17 hours.

This torture continued for eleven days. Since I still refused to give in, guards Zhang Lei and Zhang Xuerong stretched both of my hands to the top of the bunk and cuffed me in that position.

They later cuffed my hands, with one all the way on the top of the bunk bed, and the other at the bottom. My arms were stretched to the extreme. On the bed, the audio player was playing programmes that slandered Falun Gong, along with some crazy music.

Since my feet were hardly touching the ground, the hand at the bottom swelled up like a steamed bun. The guards alternately switched the hand I was hung from. When guard Zhang Lei had a hard time pulling me up to hang me again, she kicked and punched me frantically. She cursed at me and called three male guards to help her. Guard Luan Yakui held me up in order to stretch my hand up to be cuffed again.

4. The Guards' “Performance”

More than twenty guards tried to brainwash me every day. The lights in the small, dark room were turned off, or dimmed, and the windows were covered with curtains and newspapers. The guards took turns checking the room through the door glass.

Every guard had a ghostly facial expression. They took turns coming into the room to give their best “performance.” They were paid to brainwash Falun Gong practitioners, including overtime. Guard Zhang Xiurong told me, “Just give in! Otherwise, your arms will be permanently disabled.” By that time, I could no longer use my arms. When my arm was released from the top position, my hand dropped down to my leg like a free-falling object. Now, a year later, my left arm is still unable to move further back. My knees and heels were also severely injured.