The Persecution at Shuangkou Forced Labour Camp in Tianjin

The Shuangkou Forced Labour Camp in Tianjin is a base for incarcerating male Falun Gong practitioners. Policemen's promotions and salary increases are connected to the rate of "transformation¹" of Falun Gong practitioners. Policemen would get 300 yuan cash as a reward for every "reformed" practitioner, and the criminals would get a three-day sentence reduction if they can "reform" a practitioner. The persecution is thus severe.

I am going to expose all I have witnessed when being an inmate in the Shuangkou Forced Labour Camp. Since practitioners are often transferred between teams and we were not allowed to talk to each other, also, all the tortures happened secretly. What I can say here is not a complete description of the whole horror under the persecution in the labour camp.

Beaten with a pickax handle on the first day

This camp has five teams. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th are production teams, which need to create revenue of 150 thousand yuan ² every year, besides their own income. So, the abuses and torments in those teams are severe. The 4th team is in charge of meal preparation, so it doesn't have to hand over any money. It is also in charge of reforming and brainwashing Falun Gong practitioners.

The first night of being there I was beaten with a big pickax handle, which is a torture every newcomer is subjected to. 67-year-old Zhang Baozhu, who was a government official in Yuanninghe, was beaten to the ground with the pickax handle. The guard yelled at him, "Now will you write a repentance letter³?"

I experienced the following torture during the next 15 days:

No matter which door I passed by, I had to greet the officers, even when I went to the bathroom. We had to walk in lines, with our head bowed, and walk only along the wall. We would get beaten if we did not pay attention to these rules.

We were forced to listen to and watch the endless lies and videos that slander Falun Gong; we were forced to write countless pledges, understanding essays and other brainwashing materials.

We had limited toilet privileges. We can only urinate at certain time, and we had to urinate together in lines. We cannot have a bowel movement at that time. We had to apply for permission to have a bowel movement. Once the application is approved, we had to be led by a policeman and only had few minutes. Since this is an opportunity for an evildoer to force you reform, we experienced more persecution than simply this. For example, practitioner Sun Zhaofang from Jinghai, an official in a political legal affairs office, was forced to leave when he just started to relieve himself. He was beaten because he was a little slow, and he had to relieve himself in his pants. His case is not special, for many people were mistreated like this.

Being forced to do heavy exercises. This is a way to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. We were forced to run around the field or march like soldiers. We were forced to hang up one leg for several minutes or even a few hours. Some practitioners cannot even wear shoes because of this. In the winter we were forced to stand in the shadow of the buildings clad in thin clothes, and in the summer we were forced to stand in the sun, which baldly burned our skin.

We were deprived of sleep. We were only allowed to fall asleep after 2:00 a.m., and could only sleep for 2 hours, sometimes even less than 2 hours. They tortured one specific practitioner every day. Once he fell asleep during the torture. Policemen pushed his head into a bucket of water, but he did not awaken; policemen could not wake him up even by beating him with several electric batons.

Being forced to bend down. We were daily forced to bend down and listen to a record that slanders Falun Gong. We had to bend down until 2:00 a.m. everyday, except during head count at 9:00 pm. It was very uncomfortable to bend down. This camp did not use the "small stool," but when they went to the Banqiao Forced Labour camp for a conference once they saw that camp was equipped with stools.

Not enough food: We could only eat whatever was provided. The newcomers are not allowed to buy things in the canteen and always get less food than others. For example, when having rice soup, the newcomers can only get one ladle of the soup, while others get two. The policemen would rather dump the leftovers than give it to the newcomers. They would not let any opportunity pass to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

Being forced to do cleaning: We were not allowed to take a bath or even wash our feet. But policemen forced us to do the cleaning, for it was also a chance to reform us. They gave each of us a one-inch square of fabric and forced us to clean the toilet. We would be tortured if we refused to do so.

Robbery: When I first came there, I saw everybody was sitting in the hallway with hands on their heads. Somebody shouted, "Put all your money on your head." And everybody did so; then this certain individual grabbed all the money and ran away. A team chief passed by and asked what was going on, and we realised that a thief was robbing us. I lost all my money that time.

I Witnessed the persecution of fellow practitioners

Yang Jiangshan: Policemen tricked his mother to come to the labour camp by saying "we would release your son if he writes the regret letter." She believed him; she knelt down in front of her son, begging him to give in. Policemen then beat him with several electric batons and cursing him, "I am going to kill you! Such a bad son who doesn't listen to his mother."

Zhang Tiezhu: He has been incarcerated in a special cell for a long time. When I ran into him at a production site I could not recognise him for he was beaten so hard that his face was destroyed.

Wang Ze'en: Policemen ordered his family to donate a banner to praise the labour camp, and his family did. He refused to cooperate with the evildoers, so his sentenced was extended.

Liu Ping, who was a pilot, was tortured to death. When he was dying, policemen told his family to hold his hand and forced him to write a letter of regret.

Li Wenqi: He was severely tortured and was not released until he was in a vegetative state.

Sun Keyin said, "I am jailed, my mother is jailed, and my wife is jailed. Even our food and beddings were taken away."

Wang Jie said, " My wife and I were humiliated by being pulled out into the street with big boards on our necks."

Chen Baoliang: Police chief Zheng Junhong, and Meng Zhaosheng, Wang Kui and Li Hua ordered to beat Chen Baoliang with big sticks. They tied his hands to the back and taped his mouth with duct tape. Chen Baoliang was beaten down, and Wu Guoliang kicked his chest badly. Chen Baoliang died shortly after he was sent to a hospital.

Xiao Shuqing: One time, some reporters went to the labour camp to conduct some interviews. Xiao Shuqing rushed out and tried to tell the reporters the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong. Policemen slapped him and forced him away. He was imprisoned in a special cell for additional mistreatment under the persecution.

Li Changkun: He was arrested from home and sent into brainwashing, where he refused to "reform". He was sentenced to a one-year stay in a labour camp. Guards often hung him up and beat him. His sentence was extended by one year.

Song Hongtao: He became mute after being badly beaten. He suffered a mental collapse and was scared of people. He was released after his term was over.

Li Guangyuan: Police broke three of his ribs.

Fu Baocheng: Several of his ribs were broken. He had to sleep sitting up for several months.

Li Wenbin: Because of the persecution he lost his eye sight and partial hearing. He cannot walk or take care of himself.

Liu Peng: He cannot walk as a result of abuse and mistreatment. People had to carry him in a blanket when he was transferred to another team.

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.

3. Repentance Statement: In this statement the practitioner is forced to admit remorse for practising Falun Gong, promise to give up Falun Gong, and never again associate with other practitioners or go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/9/6/109740.html