Persecution in Prisons and Labour Camps in Hebei Province

Kaiping Labour Camp in Tangshan City

In October 2000, a group of Falun Dafa practitioners from all parts of Hebei Province were sent to the Kaiping Labour Camp. There was a shortage of cells, so bungalows with brick beds [a heatable brick bed used in northern China] were built in the men’s division, located behind the women's division. A dozen practitioners slept on one large brick bed. We could only sleep on our sides. A wall separates the right side of the bungalow from a large classroom on the left where Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to brainwashing and torture. A solitary confinement cell is in the centre.

In early 2001, the male detainees were ordered to construct a building in the women’s division. We assume that all the female detainees have moved into the new building by now. There is a vegetable garden behind the bungalow. Dafa practitioners are often hung from the trees. When government officials come for an inspection, the labour camp authorities hide all steadfast practitioners.

In late May 2001, Dafa practitioners in the women’s division held a hunger strike for a month. Most of them were taken to the first floor of the labour camp hospital inside the men’s division. Later, it was learned that about 200 women Falun Gong practitioners were also held on the hospital's second floor. We never saw these practitioners. Most of the practitioners held in the women’s division at that time had "reformed¹," and renounced Dafa, after torture and brainwashing.

Guards at the Kaiping Labour Camp:

Wang Xueli, male, in his 40s. He used to be a section head and his crimes were exposed many times on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website. He is very cruel.

Yan Hongli, female, in her 30s; was later promoted to be in charge of persecution against women Falun Gong practitioners in the men’s division.

Wei Qun, female, in her 30s; worked at the women’s division.

Zhou, female, a group head, in her 40s; was in charge of persecuting women Falun Gong practitioners at the time.

Chengde City Detention Centre

Between November 2002 and April 2003, Zhang was the only female guard at the Chengde City Detention Centre and was later promoted to deputy head there. She framed me when I was sentenced to prison. She and camp doctor Zhang, who followed Jiang Zemin's group in persecuting Falun Gong, force-fed Dafa practitioners who went on a hunger strike for months at a time. Guard Li Tiejun is so vicious that even the inmates said he would receive divine retribution. He persecuted Dafa practitioner Tang Liaozi who held a hunger strike, but the details are unknown.

In early 2003 a new building was constructed inside the labour camp; probably all the detainees are held in that building now.

Taihang Prison in Baoding City, Hebei Province

Between late April 2003 and January 2004, one had to enter about four gates before one could get inside the women’s division at the Taihang Prison in Baoding City, Hebei Province. The women’s division is called the No. 2 Division and includes three groups: Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4. Ge Shuguang, a woman in her 30s, was the head of the division. She was transferred to the Hebei Province Women’s Prison, perhaps as the head of the Education Section. Ma Huanran, a woman in her 30s, was the head of Group 2; Yan, a woman in her 30s, was the political head. Huo, a woman in her 30s, was the head of Group 4. Her brother took pictures of female inmates and Falun Gong practitioners in civil clothing. The detention centre authorities later withheld the Falun Gong practitioners’ pictures. All women practitioners held a hunger strike. We heard that Huo’s brother was fired. All of these above named people actively persecuted Falun Gong.

Location of groups and occasions of incidents: Group 2 of Division 2 consists of a few rooms on the left side of the third story. Ge Shuguang’s office is located there and contains a tape recorder, a VCD player, various ribbons, CDs and silk banners. It is said that there is a small, dark room at Group 3, Division 2. The only window in the room is a small opening on the door, surrounded by walls on all four sides. This is also a place of torture.

There were then more than 60 women practitioners held in the Taihang Prison. The number of "reformed" practitioners and determined practitioners was about equal. The head of the Education Section and his predecessor were both men who vehemently persecuted practitioners. Zhao, the head of Taihang Prison, was rewarded for his "outstanding achievement" in reforming Falun Gong practitioners, although the prison authorities deceived their superiors. His wife Wang was the only prison doctor and also participated in the persecution. The prison authorities often ordered collaborators², the so-called "assistant educators," to humiliate and torture determined practitioners. They deprived the practitioners of sleep and called it "taming the eagle." One inmate said that they once deprived Falun Gong practitioners of sleep for eight days. Some inmates or "watchdogs" monitored the practitioners’ every move. They often coerced, threatened, beat and verbally abused the practitioners.

Information about Shijiazhuang Women’s Prison in Hebei Province between January 2004 and May 2005

There are seven groups at Shijiazhuang Women’s Prison. Falun Gong practitioners are held in Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. Most of these practitioners were forced to do long hours of slave labour. The cafeteria is located in Group 6. No Dafa practitioners are held there. Group 7 is the Rujian Group [for new arrivals].

The Rujian Group is tops in terms of severity of torture. The guards there were extremely brutal. When they see a Falun Gong practitioner whom they deem "unstable" [not completely "reformed"], they would "reform" her all over again. Fan, a woman in her 30s, is the head of the Rujian Group.

Determined Dafa practitioners are held at the solitary confinement cell at the Women’s Division, another very dark place inside the prison.

Yu, a woman in her 50s used to head the Women’s Division. Li, a political head in her 40s, was later promoted to the head of the prison district that includes Group 1, Group 3 and Group 4. Wang was a section head in her 40s. Her husband also worked at the prison. Bi was in her 40s and was the political head of the prison district that includes Group 1, Group 3 and Group 4. These officials sometimes faked kindness to deceive and persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

These Dafa practitioners were held in Group 4: Peng Yun, in her 40s; An Xinting (she has probably been released); Zhao Aifang, around 40 years of age; Xia Yunsheng is around 40 years; Shen Shexiang, in her 50s, and a few more practitioners whose names I cannot recall.

Practitioner Peng Yun started practising Falun Gong in 2001 as a common inmate at the detention centre. She was very determined in her belief in Dafa. Ma, head of Group 4, Li Hongzhi, group head, and Zhang Wenxia, deputy group head persecuted her on numerous occasions because she delivered and read articles by Teacher Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa. In the evening of May 18th or May 19th, 2004, Peng Yun refused to turn over Teacher’s articles to the officials. Guard Zhang Wenxia forced the whole group of about ten detainees to go downstairs. She snatched the articles from Peng Yun and sent Peng Yun to a solitary confinement cell. Peng Yun went on a hunger strike and later started eating again. Each day the guards gave her only several cold and hard corn buns and a little salted vegetable. Peng Yun was released from solitary confinement after about three months. She had lost almost 22 lbs. Peng Yun’s husband is probably Ding Huixian. He works at the Xingtai Metallurgy Factory or at the Xingtai Steel Factory. He appealed several times for a review of Peng Yun’s life sentence, but his request was rejected because Peng Yun talked about Dafa.

Zheng, the former political head of Group 4 and the former head of Group 1 are the heads of Group 4. Guard Zhang Wenxia is still working there.

Dafa practitioner Bai Yuzhi is held at Group 1. She lost sight in both eyes during a hunger strike and had problems with mobility of her limbs. There are several reports about her on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website.

Dafa practitioner Xie Xiugai is being held in Group 2 and has been kept inside a cell for a long time.

Practitioner Lu Fengling is being held in Group 3. She was transferred from the Taihang Prison in early 2005 and is held inside a cell long-term. Practitioner Tong from Chengde City was arrested with her mother in Beijing. Her mother is held in Group 1. (Her brother lives in Shuiquangou in Chengde City). These two practitioners are physically very weak.

Women Falun Gong practitioners from the Taihang Prison, Chengde City Detention Centre and from the Shijiazhuang Prison were transferred to the Hebei Province Women’s Prison.

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. "Collaborators": Former practitioners who have turned against Falun Gong under brainwashing and torture. They are then made to assist in brainwashing and torturing practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/6/11/130144.html