Brutal Persecution that I Witnessed the Two Times I Was Sent to the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp

I learned Falun Dafa in 1998 and have personally benefited since then. Our Teacher, Li Hongzhi, teaches us to cultivate according to "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance". Nevertheless, Dafa has been slandered for no reason. As practitioners, shouldn't we speak up and defend Dafa? I was twice arrested and taken to the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp because of sticking to my belief and speaking up for Dafa. During my detention, I witnessed many instances of police brutality towards practitioners.

In 2000, while heading to Beijing to appeal, I was detained by the local police in Changsha City Railway Station without any legal process. I was sentenced to one year of forced labour and was sent to the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp. At that time, there were 200 practitioners inside already. We faced all kinds of physical abuse each morning when we tried to do the Falun Gong exercises. The guards handcuffed practitioners' hands and hung them up so that their feet could not touch the ground. They kept some practitioners in solitary confinement and did not let them sleep. They forced practitioners to stand on the top floor facing the bone-chilling wind and had them stay there for the whole night. They did not allow the practitioners to use the restroom and even shocked them with electric batons. Under these circumstances, we resorted to a hunger strike to protest the persecution. In turn, what we got was ruthless persecution.

In March 2003, guards and drug addict inmates led by Yuan Lihua started brutally force-feeding us. Six or seven people held me down on the floor and force-fed me with a bamboo container, which almost killed me. Some practitioners' teeth were knocked out. In the middle of March 2001, police and special agents led by Yuan Lihua tortured practitioner Ms. Zuo Shuchun to death. We saw them carry her out on a stretcher. Her head was completely covered. We requested to see her. The police lied to us, saying that she was in the hospital and had suffered a heart attack. We never saw her again. She was only in her 40s at that time.

Practitioner Mr. Yang Youyuan, in his 60s, is a resident of Huaihua. He was sentenced to one year of forced labour, suffered from brutal torture, and was later sent to Zhuzhou Mental Hospital for further persecution.

Practitioner Mr. Cao Jianzhong, in his 50s, was a resident of Yueyang City. He was brutally tortured to the verge of death. His ribs were broken, and he suffered from internal bleeding and was only skin and bones. The labour camp officials still did not let him out. Finally, when they saw that he was about to die, they released him. He died after returning home.

Practitioner Ms. Zhou Manxiu, in her 40s, became mentally traumatised due to torture.

Practitioner Ms. Chen Ouxiang, in her 40s, was tortured to death by several drug addict inmates led by Zheng Xia and Huang Mingwei.

Practitioner Cao Xiangfei, in her 50s, was a resident of Yueyang City. In July 2001, they kept her inside a special unit, where guards and four drug addict inmates covered her head with a piece of cloth and beat her continuously for four days and nights. Bruises and wounds covered her entire body. It took her a long time to recover.

Practitioner Mr. Hu Yuehui, in his 40s, is a resident of Yiyang. One day, police shocked him with electric batons for the whole day.

There were too many similar cases to list here. For the practitioners who did not give in, their sentences were extended by one more year. I was sentenced to one year and I stayed there for two years. I was released in November 2002. I told other people about what I had seen and experienced in the labour camp. Less than two months later, the 610 Office¹ sent a group of people to take me to a brainwashing centre. I started a hunger strike against the persecution. I asked them why they arrested me, and they said it was because I was promoting Falun Gong. I did not eat and they force-fed me. One practitioner was starving, but the police only gave him a little bit of food and also did not let him sleep. All of this was directed by Shi Jin. Later on, they saw that my condition was deteriorating and released me after 70 days. One month after I returned home, when I had just recovered physically, the police arrested me again and sentenced me to one and a half years of forced labour, saying I had shouted, "Falun Dafa is good" and had conducted a hunger strike. I found a chance and ran away, but I had to stay away from home to avoid further persecution.

In January 2004, the local police station sent me to the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp. In the winter, I was kept barefoot, and the police tied me up to a window and force-fed me. Liquid food spilled all over me. They did not allow me to take showers or change clothes. I faced the chilly wind and the cold made me shiver constantly.

The guards divided practitioners into three teams. Team 7-3 was located on the third floor of the labour camp's hospital. One practitioner was kept in each room and three or four drug addict inmates closely watch him or her. Each day they cursed or beat us at will and did not let us sit or sleep. They also mixed unknown drugs into our food.

In July 2004, practitioner Ms. Liu Xialing, in her 40s and a resident of Lengshuitan, went to the office to report an issue. She was brutally beaten and covered with her own blood. The guards threatened her that if she did not write a guarantee statement², they would kill her. Police guard Peng Jingwen was in charge that day. During the beating, four addict inmates said that they would have their sentence terms reduced for beating her.

Mr. Xu Shaoan, 57, is a resident of Xiangtan City. In July 2004, guards Fan Yingqiao and Peng Jingwen of Team 7-1 directed four drug addicts to torture him. They beat him and used sewing needles to stab his fingers and toes. He was injured in many places and lost consciousness. After he came to, they continued to torture him. He was transferred and suffered persecution in Team 7-3 in 2005. Police mixed drugs into his food and tied up his hands. He could not stand up. He was only allowed to be in a sitting position. His face became disfigured due to torture. He was finally released after being tortured until he was mentally traumatised.

In September 2004, five groups of more than 70 guards brutally tortured practitioners. They used all kinds of tactics to try to force the practitioners to "transform³." Their methods of torture included using electrical batons; not allowing their victims to sit, sleep, or use the toilet; and gripping practitioners' hands to write letters assuring they would no longer practise.

Practitioner Mr.Yang Ju Song, 67, a resident of Loudi, was tortured till the brink of death. Guards tied up his hands, did not let him sleep for six days and nights, and beat him viciously. All of this was directed by guard Yuan Jia.

Practitioner Mr. Shu Pilan, 57, is a resident of Changsha. Huang Weiming led other guards to torture him so that he felt pain throughout his entire body. His feet were also injured. Later he was sent to Team 7-3, where police did not let him sit or sleep. They released him when he became emaciated due to the abuse he was suffering.

Practitioner Mr. Hu Xiqing, 60, is a resident of Changsha City. They knocked out his teeth and injected him with unknown drugs, which made him unable to even hold up his head. He died in May 2005.

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

2. "Guarantee Statement": A statement to declare that one is remorseful for practising Falun Gong and guarantees not to practise Falun Gong again, not to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and never again associate with any Falun Dafa practitioners.

3. "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")

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/5/29/129083.html