Hellish Treatment of Falun Gong Practitioners in Hebei Province

Zhang Yiqin was a 52-year-old lady from Beihan Village, Laiyuan County. Before she began practising Falun Gong, she suffered from various illnesses. Just ten days into her cultivation, her illnesses all disappeared. Zhang was illiterate. However, through cultivation, she was able to read "Zhuan Falun" [ the main text of Falun Dafa] and could write simple letters.

On December 16th, 2000, the Political Security Section of Laiyuan County Police Department arrested Zhang from home on drummed up charges of "disturbing social order." She was illegally sentenced to 2 years of forced labour and sent to Baoding Labour Camp.

Zhang was firm in her belief, so she was sent to a so-called "strict discipline class," specifically set up to monitor Falun Gong practitioners. Here inmates monitored every move of practitioners and could beat them at will. Zhang went on hunger strike to protest, but was force-fed. Six or seven inmates held her tightly as they choked her neck, pinched her nose and poured food into her mouth, almost choking her to death. They did not stop until her heart stopped beating. The prison doctor then administered CPR to revive her. After regaining consciousness, Zhang gasped for breath. During this process, she inhaled the high density salt water which went down her trachea into her lung, causing her lung to canker. Seeing she could no longer work, the labour camp reluctantly released her. Zhang passed away no more than a month after she returned home.

During Zhang's hunger strike, the police once tied her up and did not allow her to use the toilet for three days. She was forced to relieve herself in her pants. The policewomen made fun of her for this.

Another practitioner was also force fed in similar fashion. The police handcuffed her to a chair and secured her neck to the back of the chair. They grabbed her hair and held her head down with the intention to close her throat. They then poured food into her mouth. Six to seven inmates held her arms, feet, and legs, and did not allow her to move. The prison doctor even used a knife to poke her mouth while saying, "Don't you dare to go on hunger strike! I'll teach you a lesson." She was left with half-inch long wounds on her tongue, and two patches of the flesh on her cheeks were dug away by the knife. Blood, salt water and milk covered her body and soaked her clothes. The prison doctor did not stop until her heart stopped beating. Then the doctor pressed her ribs (administered CPR) to revive her. Just when the practitioner regained consciousness, the doctor started the second round of force-feeding. Afterwards, the police ordered her to wash clean her bloodstained clothes. The practitioner later described how she suffered from being force-fed: "I would rather die than live."

Ms. Ma Zhanmei was a doctor from Qianquanfang Village, Laiyuan County. In December 2000, Ma was treating patients in her own pharmacy when the police broke in, claiming that Ma was conducting an illegal gathering, and started to beat her. The patients were not practitioners. Outraged by the police's actions, they started to curse at them. Seeing this, the police chief said, "Don't arrest them. They're not Falun Gong practitioners since Falun Gong practitioners do not curse at people." Afterwards, Ma was arrested and sentenced to three years of "forced labour education." The excuse given for the sentence was she was arrested on her way to Beijing to appeal.

In May 2003, she was tortured to death at the Baoding Labour Camp.

Ms. Meng Xuehui went to Beijing to appeal on November 1st, 1999. After she was arrested and taken back, she was detained for one year. No more than one month after her release, the deputy party secretary at the time, Sun Shuhua, framed a case against her. At that time, there were several other practitioners who went to Beijing to appeal and were arrested and taken back. Sun ordered police to interrogate those practitioners, trying to force them to claim that they knew Meng. After one night of' torture, the practitioners could not stand the torture and claimed that Sun was the organizer of their appeal. Using this fabricated evidence, Sun and policeman Luosheng sent Sun Shuhua to a labour camp.

Not long ago, under the direction of Luo Dongsheng, Bai Shutian from the national security section and Jin Jian (vice director of Chengguan Police Station) led 8 or 9 policemen to climb over the wall of Meng Xuehui'a home, and ransack her home. After finding nothing to their interest, they sent Meng to a detention centre.

On December 16th, 2000, Li Jianping went to Beijing to appeal. He was arrested and detained at the Laiyuan County Police Department. After going on hunger strike for six days, he was transferred to a brainwashing class where he continued his hunger strike for another 14 days. Then he was released. At the end of November 2002, the "610 Office" deceived Li into going into the police van and sent him to the Tunzhou Brainwashing Centre. They arrested Li despite the fact that his' child is only 4 years old and his elderly father is ill. During the detention, Li was brutally persecuted. He was force fed with hot pepper oil and put into a cold house to freeze. When he went on a hunger strike for over 20 days, Tunzhou police called Laiyuan police asking them to pick him up. Laiyuan police refused to do so. About 10 days later, Tunzhou police again called Laiyuan police but they again refused to pick him up. Not until the 37th day of Li's hunger strike when he was in critical condition, did Laiyuan police came pick him up. At that time, Li was on the brink of death. Not long ago, the national security section went to Li's home at midnight to harass him. He happened to be out. Ever since then, Li has been living a life of homelessness to avoid further persecution.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/1/18/65209.html