Methods of Torture Used at Forced Labour Camp in Jilin Province (Re-enactment Photos)

Torture A - Sitting Bench

This form of torture has been commonly used on all Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned in the camp. Apart from meal breaks and visits to toilets, every day from 5.30 in the morning until 8.30 in the evening, all victims are forced to sit in strenuous postures on the bench. This is designed to wear out the practitioners.

The bench is somewhat like a bed, which holds half a dozen or more people at a time. Victims were made to stack up against each other, with legs open as shown in (Figure 1). The pusher, usually a camp convict, pushes hard on the back of the last person in the row to ensure that everyone is tightly pressed against the person in the front (Figure 2 and 3). Then, their legs are bent and forced into the gaps in between (Figure 4). To discipline the victims, officers commonly bash the victims on their heads, either with a plank or a piece of brick (Figures 5, 6). Victims have been forced to sit on the bench for as long as 18 to 20 hours, with short meal breaks in between. Long hours of sitting in compressed postures have resulted in muscle cramps and nerve damage.

One practitioner felt sick during the process. He was singled out and beaten severely three times. Another was unable to sit properly because of an injury on his buttock. He was dragged onto the floor, had his pants removed, and the injured area was stomped on by several convicts. Anyone caught dozing off was beaten.


Figure 1: Stacking the victims	Figure 2: Tightening the stack

Figure 3: Forcing the legs into the crevices	Figure 4: Pressing the leg into the gap

Figure 5: Bashing the victim with a piece of timber	Figure 6: Bashing the victim with a piece of brick

On April 7, 2001, on his first day in office, Deputy Officer Liu Xun showed off his authority by shocking two practitioners with an electric baton. All the other dirty work was assigned to the convicts. Every morning, these convicts assumed the supervisor's role and forced the practitioners to sit on the bench. Anyone found disobeying would receive a blow on the head.

Another form of bench sitting is to get the victims to sit and balance on half the board, leaving the other half of their legs hanging with no support as shown in Figure 7. Han Jing, the second officer, once ordered a group of practitioners to sit in that fashion until midnight and then forced them to get up again at three o'clock in the morning.

Other instruments used along with this torture include handcuffs, electric batons, and clubs with sharp nails. Convict Wen Jifu once forced a few practitioners to sit on the lap of the one behind (Figure 8) for about 15-20 minutes. Anyone found moving was disciplined with an electric baton or another form of punishment (Figure 9).


Figure 7: Sitting with legs half hanging	Figure 8: Stacking upwards

Figure 9: Pulling the victim downwards

Torture B - Use of Pins, Burning Paper and Cigarettes

Mr. Fu Hongwei was tortured by having drawing pins forced into his fingernails (Figure 10). He was burned with cigarettes (Figure 11), his nostrils were stuffed with burning paper (Figure 12), and he was forced to swallow burning cigarette butts (Figure 13).

One convict was told to discipline Mr. Fu Chunsheng by brushing his mouth with a shoe brush dipped in sputum (Figure 14). Mr. Fu died of torture later. Guards brutally hit practitioners Wang Zhongfu and Zheng Fengxiang with wooden planks for an hour at a time for three consecutive days (Figure 15). Guards punched Mr. Xia Guichen in the head and damaged his brain severely (Figure 16).


Figure 10: Pushing pins into fingernails	Figure 11: Burning feet with cigarette butts

Figure 12: Inserting burning paper into nostrils	Figure 13: Forced to swallow burning cigarette butts

Figure 14: Forced to have teeth brushed with toothbrush dipped with sputum


Figure 15: Hitting practitioners with a plank	Figure 16: Beating practitioners with fists

Torture C -- Use of Lit Cigarettes, Kitchen Forks, and Wooden Benches

In July 2000, a second officer made a promise to the convicts: Whoever managed to make a practitioner give up Falun Gong would be rewarded with a three-month reduction of his sentence.

Since then prisoners have increased the number of times a day they beat practitioners up to five, and sometimes eight, times a day (Figure 17). They have used cigarettes to burn their sensitive areas (Figure 18), a barbecue fork to stab their knees (Figure 19), and little wooden benches to hit their shoulders and heads. For over a month, a group of practitioners was tortured this way. On another occasion, a convict supervising practitioner Mr. Wu Dexiu used a shoe to slap his face, which became so swollen afterwards that he couldn't open his eyes.