Force-Feeding As a Means of Torture in Hebei Province Detention Centre

Around 3 a.m. on February 24, nearly 20 police broke into the home of Falun Dafa practitioners Mr. Huang Yunzhang and Ms. He Shumei in Chengguan Town. They abducted Mr. Huang Yunzhang, Ms. He Shumei, and Ms. Huo Junmei. In the afternoon, all three of them were held in the detention centre.

In order to resist the persecution, the three practitioners went on a hunger strike. Five days into their hunger strike, Zhang Weiping, the head of the detention centre, ordered the practitioners to be brutally force-fed. A stomach tube was inserted through the nose into the stomach, and the tube was connected to a balloon filled with air. After not having food and water for several days, Ms. He Shumei almost suffocated when the stomach tube was inserted, so the tube had to be taken out and reinserted. Ms. Huo Junmei pulled out the tube dripping with blood, and the balloon burst. The staff then tied her hands and body and put the tube back into her stomach. Both of the practitioners started to vomit until bile came up. Soon everyone around them started to throw up, including the ones who had inserted the stomach tubes.

Practitioner Mr. Zheng Xianchen, who was detained at the same time, was force-fed twice.

The next day, after the practitioners agreed to eat, non-medical staff removed their tubes, which were covered with blood. Both Ms. Huo and Ms. He sustained severe injuries to their digestive systems, and their noses, throats, and stomachs gave them great pain, even when having a cup of soup broth. Six days later, they fell into a semi-conscious state. The doctors started to give them an infusion. Ms. Huo's blood pressure shot up to 240. Zhang Weiping, the head of the detention centre, was afraid to shoulder the responsibility of her dying in the detention centre from a cerebral hemorrhage, so they put heavy shackles on Ms. Huo and took her to the county hospital. Ms. He Shumei, Mr. Huang Yunzhang, and Mr. Zheng Xianchen were all given infusions in their cells.

On the morning of March 10, Ms. Huo and Ms. He were sent to Shijiazhuang Forced Labour Camp. The forced labour camp refused to admit them; He Shumei for her heart condition and Huo Junmei for her high blood pressure. They were taken back to Quzhou County and put under house arrest at Quzhou County Hospital. Doctor Wang Qinhe, who had inserted the stomach tubes into the practitioners previously, came to their ward many times and threatened them with unkind words even when their lives were endangered.

For the time being, practitioners Mr. Huang Yunzhang and Mr. Zheng Xianchen have been sentenced to forced labour and detained at the Handan City Forced Labour Camp Special Training Group, a special camp for Falun Gong practitioners. Currently, over 30 practitioners are in the camp. Refusing to cooperate with the guards, Mr. Huang was brutally beaten and held in solitary confinement.

Ms. Huo's family had to pay a fine of over 4,000 yuan (1) to have her released. She had wounds all over her body, including an inflamed nasal cavity, severe ulceration inside her mouth, loosened teeth, and stomach pain. Ms. He Shumei was sent to Handan Brainwashing Centre for further persecution when her family refused to pay 5,000 yuan.

People who are responsible for persecuting practitioners:

Chen Xibao, Police Bureau Head: 86-310-8899188(Office), 86-13832088919(Mobile)

Gao Guangquan, Assistant to Head of Police Bureau: 86-310-8890812(Office), 86-13603204568(Mobile), 86-310-8898819(Home)

Jin Zhigang, responsible for persecuting Falun Gong: 86-310-8893483(Office), 86-13832073668(Mobile), 86-310-8899038(Home), 86-13313201186(Mobile)

Zhang Weiping, Head of Forced Labour Camp: 86-310-8893059(Home), 86-13831020229(Mobile)

Note:

(1) "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/3/30/98417.html