China's Forced Labour Camps and Their Horrors Not Abolished, Just Renamed

Chinese officials publicly announced their decision to abolish the notorious forced labour camp system on January 7th, 2013, according to a December 2013 Amnesty International report. The report also pointed out that this system that had existed for about six decades has not changed its colours, only its identity.

For example, Masanjia Forced Labour Camp, one of the most notorious labour camps, was renamed by the Chinese Communist regime to Masanjia Ward of Liaoning Women's Prison. Most of the camp guards were retained and about 50 Falun Gong practitioners are incarcerated in the Masanjia Ward today.

The practitioners perform forced labour daily. They cannot purchase daily necessities except for toilet paper. They must submit a “thought report” monthly, telling the officials what they think of Falun Gong, or their rights to family visits, purchasing necessities or making phone calls are revoked.

Practitioners' Ordeals

Mr. Li Piyun (李丕云) from Shenyang was incarcerated at Masanjia. She was tortured and on the verge of death within less than a year of imprisonment. To escape responsibility, the guards released him on medical parole. He died a month after his release at the age of 65.

The camp's officials refused family visits for Ms. Niu Guifang (牛桂芳) since May 2014, when she arrived at the camp. Her family exhausted all means just to talk to her on the phone. Ms. Niu said that she was in terrible physical health, “I need help just to climb the stairs.” She couldn't focus and remember things very well, and her eyesight has gone bad. Still, she has to work from early morning to 8 p.m. everyday at the prison workshop to make camouflage clothing.

Names of practitioners known to be imprisoned in Masanjia at this time include:
Ms. Niu from Shenyang
Ms. Chen Yufeng (陈玉凤) from Shenyang
Ms. Chen Ying (陈莹) from Shenyang
Ms. Yin Hongmei (殷红梅) from Dalian
Ms. Yan Jinhua (阎金华) from Dalian
Ms. Sun Huiling (孙桂玲) from Dandong
Ms. Qi Guoxin (齐国新) from Jinzhou
Ms. Jiao Guizhen (矫桂珍) from Yingkou
Ms. Yu Shuxian (于淑贤) from Xinxian
Ms. Chi Xiuhua (池秀华) from Xinxian
Ms. Wang Guihua (汪桂华) from Xinxian
Ms. Shang Liping (尚丽萍) from Xinxian
Ms.Yang Lihua (杨丽华) from Fushun
Ms. Liu Dezhen (刘德珍) from Anshan
Ms. Zhou Yuzhen (周玉祯) from Jinzhou
Ms. Xia Dongmei (夏冬梅) from Jinzhou
Ms. Xu Huiping (徐慧萍) from Jinzhou