Exposing the Atrocities at Changsha City Detention Centre

Changsha City Detention Centre at Changqiao, Changsha County, Hunan Province was established around 2003. With the most up-to-date equipment, it is claimed to be the largest detention centre in Changsha City. When relatives come to visit the detainees, they are all monitored tightly under closed-circuit-television. They say the surveillance system is "air-tight."

Information about this detention centre's persecution of detained Falun Gong practitioners is virtually unknown to the outside world, but those practitioners are suffering extremely brutal persecution. Below is a brief description of some of the atrocities that we know about.

Police brutally beat detained practitioner Ms. Shu Bilan

In August 2004, Ms. Shu Bilan, a retired worker from Changsha Telecommunications Company and a Falun Gong practitioner, was detained due to her distributing Falun Dafa leaflets exposing the persecution. Later, she was sent to Baima Women's Forced Labour Camp in Zhuzhou for further persecution. She wasn't released until April 2005 after being tortured to near-death. During the first 20-some days at the Changsha Detention Centre, Ms. Shu was tortured in many ways, mentally and physically. Ms. Shu, who was more than 50 years old, was cuffed and shackled continuously for up to three weeks, brutally force-fed, and beaten because she went on a hunger strike to protest the unjust detention. She was force fed with pungent hot soup that burned her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. Female guards, Peng and Yan Jiao (both about 30 years old), instigated other detainees to hit and beat Ms. Shu while slapping her.

With the support and knowledge of the guards, cell leader Liu Yuan and other detainees hit and beat Ms. Shu Bilan. They hit her head with their fists or kicked her body. Some restrained her with their hands and feet, sitting or stepping on her. One abuser was a 19 year old drug addict.

Practitioner Ms. Tan Xiangyu forced to do slave labour

In mid October 2004, having been illegally detained for 14 months at the Changsha City Detention Centre, practitioner Ms. Tan Xiangyu went on a hunger strike to resist the unlawful sentence of three and a half years. When she became critically ill, her family members requested to see her, but the centre lied, saying that Ms. Tan refused their visit. Ms. Tan's Family members went to the centre many times to see her, but every attempt failed, as the centre continually evaded the issue by saying that they needed approval from the local court. On November 1st 2004, Ms. Tan was transferred to the Hunan Province Women's Prison but was refused on account of her illness-ridden health condition. So, on the same day, Ms. Tan had to go back to the detention centre. At first the centre said that, if she could not pass the physical exam, Ms. Tan would be released for probation outside the jail. But when the relatives arrived to pick her up, the centre did not release Ms. Tan and still provided no help to her. Later, the guards got in by the back door and succeeded in transferring Ms. Tan to the Hunan Province Women's Prison. Now, the 58 year old Ms. Tan Xiangyu is forced to do slave labour more than 20 hours every day in the prison. She has become skin and bones.

Practitioner Ms. Xu Jingxian chained to a door plank

In April 2005, as a retired worker from Changsha City Construction Engineering Co. and a Falun Gong practitioner, Ms. Xu Jingxian, along with her husband and son, were arrested by the Xinhe Police Station. All three of them were detained at the Changsha Detention Centre. Ms. Xu is suffering severe persecution after going on a hunger strike to protest against the detention. Ms. Xu was cruelly chained to a door plank. There is no rest, even at meal time when she is force-fed by other detainees. Ms. Xu continues to suffer from torture at the Changsha City Detention Centre.

Unreasonable refusal of relative's visits

The centre police have always prevented family members from visiting the detained practitioners. They do that particularly during the practitioner's hunger strikes. Their usual excuse is that the practitioner does not want the visit. The truth is that they are afraid of the repercussions after the relatives see the mental and physical torment forced on the detainee. Also, the centre likes to create misunderstandings or barriers between the practitioner and their relatives so as to cut off support from the family. The centre has succeeded in creating false impressions for many visiting relatives who were unexpectedly disappointed. Many became miserably bitter after failing to see their relative.

Changsha City Detention Centre

Address: Changqiao, Changsha County, Changsha City
Zip Code: : 410100

Telephone: : 86-731-4074801, 86-731-4074802, 86-731-4074803, 86-731-4074830, 86-731-4074900, 86-731-4074928, 86-731-4074980

Women Instructing Police: Wang Yuhong, Yan Jiao, and others

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/8/16/108500.html