Sadistic Torture of Falun Dafa Practitioners at Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison

The Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison presents a civilised façade to hide its insidious and malicious nature. The inmates nicknamed Ward No. 8 "the wolf ward." The three ward heads, Zheng Jie, Zhang Chunhua and Zhang Xiuli often transfer inmates from the workshop to the cells and order them to torture Falun Dafa practitioners. They said, "There are more than enough inmates at the workshop." Zheng Jie said to the practitioners, "If you guys die, we'll throw you over the wall and report that you died from natural causes." The guards who work as subordinates for Zheng Jie verbally terrorised the practitioners saying, "It's so easy to torture you guys to death! We'll torture all of you to death!" Zheng Jie and Zhang Chunhua used coercion and torture on the practitioners.

Practitioner Du Jinglan was held at Ward No. 8. In November 2003, she refused to be called an inmate and refused to work. Five inmates assigned to watch her dragged her from the third floor, sometimes dragging by her feet, making her head bang loudly against the stairs. Her clothes were torn and her body was bruised from such mistreatment. They dragged her to the third floor of the workshop building. Sometimes, the inmates purposely hit her against the stairs, tied her hands behind her back with a rope and yanked the rope upwards. They forced her to squat and told her to move. She is a little overweight and cannot keep still when squatting. The inmates forced her to lift her hands straight up, then behind her back and made her bend her body forward at a 90 degree angle. Beads of sweat dripped from her face. She was often forced to stay in this posture until midnight or 2:00 a.m. when the inmates finished work. Then they tied her up and forbade her to sleep and made her sit on the cold concrete floor. They tortured her repeatedly until she agreed to work.

In September 2003, the prison authorities ordered the guards from four different sections to abuse and torment the practitioners in Ward No. 8 for 11 days. They denied the practitioners sleep throughout this period and forced them to run constantly.

Du Jinglan was chained to a ring on the workshop floor and later forced to run. Other practitioners were shocked to see her walking with her back bent at a 90-degree angle. Her blood pressure measured 280 mm Hg, at the very top of the sphygmometer, so it's unknown what her actual blood pressure was. She was injected with a blood pressure-lowering drug against her will. Then the inmates dragged her out and made her run and do exercises. She did not have the strength to run, so the inmates beat her.

About 40 guards and inmates stood in a circle, each holding an object such as an electric baton, police baton, a piece of white plastic tube, a water bottle, a bamboo stick, a wooden stick, or a metal rod. They struck the practitioners' heads and bodies. Some inmates refused to hit the practitioners. Then the guards beat these inmates until their faces were covered with bruises. By doing this, they forced the inmates to abuse Dafa practitioners. Du Jinglan and other practitioners were badly injured from the beatings. The labour camp doctor and the three ward heads laughed at the practitioners' injuries.

Some inmates hung the practitioners from a metal railing and said they were "treating the practitioners' illness" this way. They also poked the practitioners' private areas with metal rods. The practitioners screamed in pain, and Zhang Chunhua said, "We'll treat your back pain this way."

At least seven practitioners were suffering from high blood pressure exceeding 220 mm Hg. They were given injections and forced to run. They received no drinking water and not enough food for 11 days. Du Jinglan could not straighten her back and suffered from high blood pressure. The guards didn't make her run when her blood pressure was at 280, but instead tortured her with a method called "flying an airplane." She was soaked with sweat. In the evening, they forced her to sit on the concrete floor and didn't let her use the toilet. She spoke up, "I need to use the toilet." The inmates cursed her and said, "You can wait until tomorrow morning." She had to relieve herself on the spot and soiled her pants. She sat on the concrete floor for a whole night. This torture lasted for nearly one month.

As of January 30th, 2004 she refused to work as a way to resist the persecution. She was dragged to the office, handcuffed and forced to squat. In the winter she was stripped of her coat and trousers and forced to sit on the floor wearing only sweatpants. She held a hunger strike to protest the persecution. About three days later, Shang Xiaomei force-fed her with lots of salt. Du Jinglan's mouth and tongue turned numb from excessive salt intake. The inmates also pried open her mouth with a tool and knocked some of her teeth loose in the process. Two of her teeth later fell out. Initially, inmate Song Libo cruelly force-fed Du Jinglan although he is not a doctor. Du Jinglan was dragged to the workshop and forced to work. She worked for 15 days before she was permitted to return to the cell.

In September 2005, Du Jinglan, not considering herself a criminal, refused to wear a name tag identifying her as an inmate. The guards refused to let her buy things from the canteen or order food. The inmates prevented her from studying the Falun Dafa teachings and doing the exercises. Fan Dandan, Wang Jing and Zhao Shuzhen routinely harassed her, encouraged by the guards. Fan Dandan loudly cursed Du Jinglan. Inmates constantly watched her, making her become quite depressed. Prior to all these outrages she was in good physical condition. Du Jinglan was deprived of personal freedom and was physically tortured and mentally tormented. She lived under pressure at all times, which caused her to develop high blood pressure that later led to her death.

At 3:00 a.m. on October 24th, 2005, Du Jinglan returned from the toilet and went to her bed. She fell from her bed. Someone found her and carried her back to bed. Ward head Zheng Jie located prison doctor Zhao. Inmate Shang Xiaomei attempted to give Du Jinglan an I.V. infusion. Du Jinglan refused to cooperate with them. Five inmates assigned to watch her tried to hold her down. Du Jinglan became very distraught and cried loudly. The guards prevented other practitioners from approaching her. After people from the Emergency Response medical staff arrived, they gave her an injection and told her to sleep. Du Jinglan shouted, "I won't go with you! I'll sue you!" The five inmates put her on the floor and tied her to a stretcher. Du Jinglan struggled with the five inmates and Shang Xiaomei for more than ten minutes. She kept shouting, "I won't go! I'll sue you!" She was carried away around 6:00 a.m.

Patients who have high blood pressure require a calm environment. The struggle worsened Du Jinglan's condition. Around 9 o'clock on October 27th, ward head Zhang Chunhua said, "Du Jinglan left this morning. Her family was waiting outside the prison. They don't want her stuff here." They later burned Du Jinglan's quilt and other bedding.

After they dealt with Du Jinglan's things, Zheng Jie, head of Ward No. 8 said to other Dafa practitioners, "See, I finally sent away this dead one." It's obvious he bears hatred toward Du Jinglan.

The practitioners at Ward No. 8 suggest Du Jinglan's family investigate the facts of abuse and coercion and scare tactics under the persecution at the prison.

Inmates who persecuted Du Jinglan are Chen Jingguo (released), Gong Xihua (released), Li Yahui and Yang Ping, who watched Du Jinglan during the day.

Zheng Jie, Zhang Chunhua and Gui Nana, among others, ordered the inmates to persecute Du Jinglan.

In January 2004, the practitioners who refused to work and who witnessed the infamous treatment under the persecution are Yan Huijuan, Nan Yuqing, Li Xiuying, Han Ying, Lu Yinghua, Feng Xiujuan, Lan Hongying and Zhou Chunling

Inmates who took part in the persecution in January 2004: Li Yahui (released), Chen Jingguo (released), Wu Yanmin (released), Huang Jinghua (released), Sun Yimei (transliteration), Pu Meina, Huang He

Zheng Jie, Zhang Chunhua, Li Guirong and others ordered the inmates to persecute Dafa practitioners

Inmates who took part in the force-feeding are Shang Xiaomei, Zhao Yanhua (non medical personnel), Song Libo (non medical personnel)

Inmates who forced the practitioners to do drill exercises in 2003 are Zhu Yuhong, Zhao Yanhua, Wang Fengchun, Huang He, Li Guixiang and Zhao Yan

Officials who directed and executed the drill practise in 2003 are Zheng Jie, Zhang Chunhua, Zhang Xiuli, Xiao Lin, Wang Liang and others. Wang Xing and Chu Shuhua are the heads of prison, the four sections, the Prison Administration Division, the Prison Investigation Office and the Anti-riot Division.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/1/3/117721.html