The Savage Persecution of Falun Dafa Practitioners in Daxin Women's Prison in Beijing

Since July 20th, 1999, when the persecution began, many Falun Dafa practitioners have been detained at the Daxin Women's Prison in Beijing, formerly called Tiantanghe Prison. They have been detained for over three years. Practitioners are forced to work overtime - working over 16 hours a day. If they don't finish their work on time, they have to continue to work and are forbidden to sleep or rest. A female practitioner who was disabled from beatings had to continue to work with an injured leg.

Due to annual quotas and profits being linked together, policemen force practitioners to work at the expense of their lives and safety. Practitioners' 16-hour forced workdays are from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; sometimes they are required to work even longer if the assigned work is not finished. There are no breaks. Toilet visits are monitored and restricted to certain times. If practitioners are injured during work and inform others about their injury, they are punished by having scores deducted or family visits are denied for the so-called violation of work rules. For example, practitioner Liu Xi was severely injured in August 2004 and was found to have discussed it with another person. Both she and the person assigned to monitor her were punished with a deduction of 50 points (one receives only three points for working a whole day), and no family visits were allowed for three months.

Chen Shulan is the only surviving practitioner among her siblings. Her three siblings were practitioners. Her twin younger brothers Chen Aizhong and Chen Aili, along with her younger sister Chen Hongping, all died one after another as a result of persecution. She continues to suffer from inhuman persecution in the women's prison.

Let's take a look at the so-called "transformation."¹ The prison police take turns to beat, verbally abuse and use electric batons on those who practise Falun Dafa. If they don't obey, they would be tied to a bed frame for a long time, standing day and night, while being deprived of sleep. Some prison police gag practitioners with towels and don't allow them to talk. Some practitioners were locked in small cells for solitary confinement. They suffered from cold and hunger. They are beaten and then hung up. Showers are forbidden, as are family visits. They are not even allowed to write to their families and friends. They are otherwise abused and physically punished. Fangshan District model teacher Zhou Zi was sentenced to seven years in prison. She did not cooperate with the authorities all along and was transferred from the No. 3 Prison Ward to the No. 10 Prison Ward, which is known for its violence. This ward is equipped with all kinds of torture tools and vicious staff. Practitioners there may encounter violent treatment at any time. The treatment there is much worse than in the other wards. After Zhou Zi was transferred there, she was not allowed to have family visits or to communicate in any way with her family. She was also not allowed to accept money from her family to buy food or personal items. The prison food consists of a very small steamed corn bun. The personal monitors often take turns subjecting her to long-term sleep deprivation.

The practitioners in the women's prison are monitored more closely than the common detainees. Personal monitors are assigned to each practitioner and are in charge of watching them. Practitioners are forbidden to talk with anyone. If the practitioner is found to even make eye contact with anyone, she is berated or has points deducted. Practitioners are accompanied by at least three persons when using the toilet. Prison police even incite other detainees to beat Falun Dafa practitioners. The practitioners are under 24-hour surveillance.

The prison commissary sells necessities that are very expensive. All prisoners must set up an account and their family members are required to deposit money in advance into this account. The prison officials determine what items should be purchased and deduct the money directly from this account. The prices in the store are set two or three times higher than the common market price. For example, a phone card worth 20 yuan² outside is sold for 40 yuan in the prison. The prison officials pocket the difference. Other products are always 2-3 times more expensive than the market price.

According to the prison rules, a detainee is allowed to call home up to three times per month. Most times, however, only one call is allowed to inform family members about permission for visits. Even visiting family members are often treated badly. They are ordered around or scolded, or they may not even be allowed to visit a practitioner.

Li Aijun was a doctor in the department of internal medicine at the Xiyuan Hospital in Beijing. Before practising Falun Gong, she was in poor health and suffered from multiple illnesses. After practising Falun Gong, she turned healthy and full of energy. Since then she has disciplined herself to strictly follow the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Her good professional skills and ethics earned her the highest respect among colleagues and patients. At the end of 2000, for appealing on behalf of Falun Dafa and persisting in cultivation practice, she was forced to leave her job. She was compelled to go into exile to avoid being persecuted. At the beginning of 2001, she was arrested. The hospital she worked for fired her. Although she lost her freedom, she still held steadfast to the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and cared for people around her with compassion. The meals in the jail were very poor. When the jail occasionally improved the food quality, she always left her portion for older or weaker inmates. Her words and actions prompted many prisoners to abandon their misunderstandings toward Falun Dafa that the propaganda spread by the state-run media had planted. Even some policemen came to respect her high moral character.

Her near-70-year-old parents and her elementary school-aged son who need to be taken care of live at Li Aijun's home. Her husband has to work very hard every day to support the family. Her long prison term has brought great suffering to her extended family, both financially and emotionally. Her grandmother couldn't stand the sudden blow and passed away at the end of 2004. Her husband, who does not practise Falun Dafa, also suffers emotionally and can't endure the long-time loneliness. He is considering divorcing her.

Note:

(1) "Reform or Transform" Implementation of brainwashing and torture in order to force a practitioner to renounce Falun Gong. (Variations: "reform", "transform", "reformed", "reforming", "transformed", "transforming", and "transformation")

(2) "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.ca/mh/articles/2005/7/14/106068.html