A First-hand Account of the Brutal Torture Suffered by Dafa Practitioners in Baimalong Forced Labour Camp in Hunan Province

My name is Liu Juhua. I am 59 years old and I'm from Huanggang City, Hubei Province. I was the Director of the Teaching and Research Office of the Huanzhouchibi Education Ministry and a teacher at a junior high school.

On July 29th, 2004, police from the Zuojiatang Police Station of Changsha arrested me and took me to the Baimalong Labour Camp. There was no arrest warrant, judicial documentation or legal process. It was just as they said: "judged guilty before innocence could be proven."

I'm describing below the persecution I suffered in Baimalong Forced Labour Camp. I ask that the narrative of my suffering be submitted to the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) and the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), for the purpose of bringing to justice those who persecuted me.

1. Suffering Brainwashing

The police knew that I was once detained at Beishayang Forced Labour Camp, Hubei Province and that I wasn't "transformed¹". Therefore, they told to me that they would, "try anything in their power" to "transform" me. So, they took me to the No. 73 Team, also called the "Strict Discipline Team."

They first began to brainwash me. During the day, I was attacked, threatened and insulted by a group of "transformed" former practitioners. During other times, guards threatened me with corporal punishment, beat me and limited visits to the toilet to wash and use the toilet. During the night, I was forced to watch videos slandering Teacher Li and Dafa. I was monitored continuously by two prisoners. They tortured me when I closed my eyes. One prisoner hit me and mocked me by saying, "Who hit you? Who witnessed it?" At times, I was forced to stand for the entire night and sometimes I had to walk without taking a rest.

After ten days, I became absent minded due to sleep deprivation. But, they still did not let me sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, the monitors put cooling oil on my eyelids. They also hit me brutally with their fists. My legs were injured from brutal beatings. My body was close to collapsing. I told them that I needed to sleep and pointed out the illegality of their actions. They said, "Of course, people should sleep. But, you don't want to sleep. If you wish to sleep, you need to write the three statements². Once you write these statements, you can sleep." I only slept several hours on August 4th, 17th, and 20th, 2004. I did not close my eyes during the other sixteen days. After August 21st, 2004, I had to sit awake until midnight, 1, 2 or 3 a.m, or at times even the entire night, depending on the guard on duty.

In September 2004, staff at the labour camp began another round of violent brainwashing. Seventeen guards and hundreds of monitors brought together five special groups to deal with firm practitioners. They inhumanly tortured twenty-nine firm practitioners. But, I know only a portion of what went on during the brainwashing sessions.

Practitioner Li Ping was taken to the Number Seventy-Three team office. She shouted, "Falun Dafa is Good! Falun Dafa is righteous!" After a while it went quiet. One of the prison monitors told me that we should be smarter in protecting ourselves and should not suffer losses. They said Li Ping was beaten with electric batons. Later, they injected her with some kind of drug. She fell down immediately and went into a coma. She still was not awake after several hours. It was horrible.

Yuan Jia, a guard, is responsible for the special Strictly Monitored Section that tortured practitioner Yang Jusheng.

Yang Jusheng, close to 67 years old, was forced to squat for six days and six nights. This caused a rectal prolapse -- five inches of her rectum bulged out. Zhao, the director's wife and Lu, a doctor diagnosed Yang Jusheng's condition. But Yuan Jia still ordered her to squat down. After some time, Ms. Yang no longer had the urge to go use the toilet. Her entire body swelled up and she was near death. Then she stopped squatting. Her legs were numb and her feet were disabled. It took nearly a year of Dafa practice to recover. During these inhuman days of squatting, just as it is done in the army, guard Yuan Jia criticised her posture and kicked her. Yuan Jia told Ms. Yang that she would die even worse than a dog. Yuan Jia also ordered prison monitors to torture her inhumanly and to berate Yang Jusheng. Once, when she closed her eyes, the prisoners hit her eyes hundreds of times. She once tried to file a lawsuit against Baimalong Forced Labour Camp, but did not received any response.

Dafa practitioner Liu Dan (called Liu Muhong in the labour camp) held a hunger strike in protest of the persecution. In September, while in the Strictly Monitored Section, she became emaciated and was near death. The prisoners feared to look at her. However, they still tortured her. She was hung up on the stair landing for half a month, and was not allowed to go to the toilet. Her trousers were soiled from feces and urine. She was frequently comatose. She asked the prisoners why they didn't allow her to eat. They told her, "You don't want you to go to the toilet, so you don't have meals." She didn't say anything and became comatose again. She also coughed every day, had difficulty with breathing, and was very weak. According to the medical diagnoses, Ms. Liu had problems with her lungs. The guards feared that she would die in the labour camp and took her to a hospital. She didn't have her period for more than 6 months.

Practitioner Li Mei was injected with unknown drugs. The needle marks could clearly be seen. There was blood flowing from every opening of her body. She kept shaking all over and could not stand unaided. They kept giving her a lot of unknown drugs.

Dafa practitioner Yang Guixian was also detained in the Strictly Monitored Group. She shouted, "Falun Dafa is Good!" Guard Wang Fang ordered prisoners to torture her cruelly. They hit her face, which turned purple and red. She was also often put into a straight jacket and forced to stand for a long time. A prisoner put a dirty sanitary napkin into her mouth. The worst among them all was prisoner Yi Hongxia. He put the dirty cloth, used for wiping up faeces in the washrooms, in her mouth.

The above are only a few ordeals suffered by practitioners. There were many more torture methods used on practitioners that I do not know about.

Of course, they didn't release me from the camp. On September 21st, I was also put into the Strict Monitoring Section. Gong Chaolian, the Education Section deputy head, berated me. Zhang Ming, a prisoner berated and tortured me. The guards also tortured me. They berated and later threatened me. I was made to stand all night long. Then, I had to stand on a stool. This stool was one foot long and half a foot wide. I was not allowed to sleep and felt like fainting. I fell off the stool, but was immediately put back on the stool. During the night, I was forced to watch TV when I stood on the stool. This scenario continued day after day and night after night.

In the afternoon of September 26th they changed their methods. They no longer forced me to stand up. One of the prisoners told me that five of the groups disbanded and only one group remained. They posted the words, "Must be Transformed" on the wall. They forced me to read. I didn't read. They cut a stick into three parts and began to hit me. Later, they decided that this method was not brutal enough. Therefore, they hit me more inhumanly. They grabbed my hair and hit my head against the wall. They hit my body as hard as they could. I shouted: "Prison monitors are torturing people!" and again, "Prison monitors are torturing people!" The guards outside the door laughed. They didn't care at all. I know that they forced the prisoners to torture me. When prisoners didn't torture me, they told them, "Be strict." The prisoners were supposed to know what that meant. I was injured everywhere. I agreed to copy the three statements. They then stopped torturing me. During the night, they forced me to copy the words. My mind was numb and was not clear at all. They let me sleep for two hours. I woke up and could not believe what I had done. It was the worst thing I could have done! I announced that I withdrew everything I wrote. I am clear minded now. I understand how dangerous it was. It almost ruined me.

2. Attacking the Spirit of Practitioners

We were not allowed to have Teacher Li's writings in the labour camp. The inmates were told that if they reported that a practitioner had Teacher's writings, the authorities would commute three days off their sentence. If practitioners were found to have Teacher's writings, they would add two weeks or twenty days to the sentence. They would have a "security check" once a month. But, in reality, they wanted to see if Dafa practitioners had Teacher's writings. When Sun Jin searched my room, Liu Dan and I protested. Later, another two practitioners protested too. We did not accept this persecution. But she didn't care at all. Sun Jin searched Liu Dan's body. Liu Dan protected her body and said, "I do not accept this persecution." Suddenly, some inmates surrounded Liu Dan, held her down on the floor, and searched her.

When we came back from the bathroom after dinner, inmate Chen Xuemei saw me put something in my collar. She watched me and later, about seven or eight inmates surrounded me and demanded that I show what I put in my collar. I said, "Nothing." They wanted to search and I said, "Keep away. Let me think." I ate the piece of paper with Teacher's writings. Chen Xuemei and another inmate became extremely angry, grabbed my hair, and berated and hit me. Also, they told the guards.

They told us that we had to go to a brainwashing class. We refused. They used violence to force us to go. Liu Dan and I grabbed onto the bed. Several inmates grabbed us and tried to pull us out of the cell. Wang Bixian pointed at me and berated me. Sun Jin flew into a rage when she heard about it. However, we refused to go, no matter how much they berated us. Then, they finally stopped.

We were transferred to the Seventy-first Team. They organised a brainwashing class. I told Zhang Shuaiqun (team director) that I would not accept brainwashing. I would not join into the so-called "studying," even if they dragged me there. Finally, they stopped trying to force me to go.

3. Forced Labour

In September 2004, the so called "strict monitoring" ended. Sui Jin and Yuan Lihua (team leaders), Gong Chaolian and other guards told me that I should work. They said any one in the labour camp must produce. I said, "I am not a reeducation through labour student. I will not do that." They said, "If you don't, we will extend your prison term." I told them that I would sue them. Liu Dan, and the four practitioners in our cells and other cells refused to work too.

The November schedule, held at the record checking attendance table was available. We were not shown that form. But the guards ordered inmates to show us the forms and have us sign. It said on the form that absenteeism from work would add 23 days to the prison term. I thought about what I should put on that form. I wrote that I would sue them and expose their behaviour through the media, no matter how long it would take. They should take responsibility for their behaviour. Liu Dan wrote that they should release her unconditionally and not behave in a criminal fashion. Later on, another 21 days and 17 days were added to my sentence and then removed later. But, some younger practitioners had to serve longer terms.

In March 2005, inmates said that everyone must work. They said that those who refused would be tortured. Several days later, practitioners Li Mei and Wu Xiaoming were transferred to the No. 4 Room, where the authorities tried to make them work. They refused. So, they were forced to stand for eight days and nights. They still refused to work. Li Mei (over 50 years old) was very weak. There was a tumour in her neck and she was in pain. They finally stopped forcing her to work. This tumour became bigger and bigger. Finally, Li Mei was diagnosed as having late stage cancer and she was released.

Sometime in May, Liu Dan and I were separated. Liu Dan was transferred to the Seventy-first Team and detained in solitary confinement. The tried to make her work but she refused. Therefore, they tortured her day and night. Several brutal prisoners were ordered to torture Liu Dan. It was rumoured that Liu Dan was detained in a small solitary confinement cell for five months and suffered extreme pain. But, she still refused to work.

Sometime around March 2006, they forced practitioners in the Seventy-first Team to work as slaves and forced them to attend brainwashing sessions. They classified practitioners. Some of the practitioners were transferred to the number Seventy-two Team ("the transformation team"). They agreed to work, but refused to be in solitary confinement. Later, the brainwashing methods became increasingly inhuman. At those times, you could hear practitioners' pained shouts. Liu Wei refused to work and be "transformed". Six guards stripped her of her clothes and put a rolled-up cloth piece in her vagina. Several hours passed. The cloth could not be taken out, which caused her urine to come out from her navel. She was in excruciating pain. Those guards used this kind of terrible method to force twenty practitioners to work as slaves. At the same time, the inmates tried to force them to write the three statements.

In September, only six practitioners were left in the number Seventy-one Team. After I left, only five practitioners remained in that team. In October, I heard that they tried again to make Liu Dan work, and to be "transformed". Liu Dan's life was in danger.

4. Further Inhuman Torture

Practitioners were not allowed to close their eyes or talk. The authorities said if one closed one's eyes, one was practising Falun Gong. They claimed that if one moved one's mouth, one was reciting the Fa. Practitioners could not bend their legs when sitting on the bed. I wanted them to show me the legal documents stipulating such conditions, but they could not. But, they claimed that this should be the policy in their labour camp. I, of course, did not listen to them. I always closed my eyes no matter how they berated or shouted at me. I did not open my eyes because it was my legal right to close my eyes if I wanted to.

They did not allow practitioners to sit. They said practitioners were practising Falun Gong when they sat. They ordered practitioners to sit in an uncomfortable position and kept checking if practitioners were practising Falun Gong. Practitioner Yang Sanchun, 67 years old, used to sit straight, with both hands placed on her knees. She kept her back straight and her eyes shut. She would sit like this for an entire morning or afternoon. The inmates and guards were very angry about that and berated her. They forced her to sit in an uncomfortable position and monitored her continuously. Inmate Chen Manli was the worst among them. If I stood like a normal human, she would kick my feet and forced me to bend over and keep my feet close to each other.

We could not look beyond the door or out of the window. If we walked on the road, we were required to lower our heads and were not allowed to look forward, backward, left or right, or we were berated. One day, when we went to buy groceries, I saw my daughter in that store. Guard Wang Bixian ordered other inmates to turn me around and cover my view. They did not allow me to see my daughter.

5. Extended Prison Term

Yu Yingzhu's sentence had expired and she should have been released from the labour camp. Her company officers were informed to take her back home. But a person who wanted to persecute her said, "If you release her, she might go to Beijing to appeal again. We will lose our annual bonus. You should detain her until the New Year ends." Because of this remark, Yu Yingzhu was held for almost one month longer at Baimalong Forced Labour Camp without any legal process.

Zhou Aihua was to be released on March 23rd, 2006. A local person, responsible for Zhou Aihua's case and who is persecuting Dafa practitioners said, "The prison term was six months shorter than the actual sentence." They wanted her to be imprisoned for another six months. Therefore, a phone call from these people resulted in another six-month sentence for Zhou Aihua. There was no legal process.

Yang Jusheng was to be released on March 3rd, 2006. She was told that no one would pick her up, so her prison term was extended to March 9th, 2006. Yang Jusheng's first term was extended for the same reason. Only very few Falun Gong practitioners were released on the date their sentence ended.

6. Complaint Letters Not Submitted

Dafa practitioners could seldom write a letter of complaint. They had to repeatedly request a pen and paper. When they wrote something, the criminal inmates would watch what they wrote.

The complaint letters were not transmitted. I wrote dozens of letters to the State Council, National People's Congress, the provincial Public Security Department, the Provincial Judicature Hall, directors of the labour camp and reorganising directors. I did not receive any response. I wrote another letter to the director of the labour camp. When Zhao, the director came to my cell, I asked him about it. He said he didn't receive the letter. I mailed the letter to the provincial Public Security Department and also I mailed the draft to my family members. They didn't receive the letters, either. But, other letters I wrote to my family were received. Some inmates told me that the letters were not mailed.

7. Forcing Inmates to Berate Dafa Practitioners

One day, Yi Hongxia, a prison monitor berated me and said, "The guards gave me the authority to deal with you. You should do whatever I order." Yi Hongxia is extremely unpleasant and arrogant. She has beaten and berated many practitioners. She is the same as Shi Yongqing.

Luo Yonghong, another inmate, did not beat practitioners that much when I was in the same room as Li Ying. However, when I went to the number Seventy-three Team, I found that she was the one criminal inmate who beat practitioners cruelly. I asked them why they became like that. They said that Shi Yongqing always berated them and ordered them to "transform" practitioners. She did not restrict herself to any persecution methods, she only wanted results. Shi Yongqing also said the guards supported them when they torture practitioners. If they did not "perform well," they would lose benefits.

He Yulian also ordered inmates to "transform" practitioners. She only wanted "transformation" results and did not care what method was used.

Chen Manli said, "You are not my enemy. I just do what the guards tell me to do. I just don't want to lose my benefits." I wrote these words down in my complaint letters and asked them if their words were true. They didn't deny what I had written down.

Additionally, the criminal inmates recorded every detail of practitioners' words and behaviour, causing everyone to be nervous.

I have described every aspect of the persecution in simple terms, but the reality was very brutal.

During several years of persecution, I know that Zuo Shuchun, Chen Ouxiang and Hu Zhengxi and four more practitioners were persecuted to death in this camp. Some, including Zheng Xiaohua and Cao Jianzhong were released only when they were close to death. They died soon after returning home. Some practitioners were persecuted to a state of mental collapse, including Yang Youyuan, Xu Shaoan and Li Qing. Some practitioners were mentally traumatised or became disabled. I do not know their names, but this can be found out.

I experienced physical and mental suffering. It was terrible.

During those two years, I filed suit against those who persecuted me. I also sued one who persecuted other practitioners verbally and in written form. I do not accept their persecution.

Before ending this article, I want to give some information to fellow practitioners and their relatives about practitioners still left at Baimalong Forced Labour Camp in September.

When I left in September, only five practitioners remained with the number Seventy-one Team: Yu Yingzhu, Liu Dan (also called Liu Muhong), Zhu Guilin, Li Jiaju and Gong Dexiu.

Yu Yingzhu held a hunger strike for over one month. Her health deteriorated rapidly. Baimalong clinic doctors did not accept Yu Yingzhu into the prison clinic because her health condition worsened. But, Yu Yingzhu's company officers that were responsible for her, and had taken her to the labour camp, took Ms. Yu to a private clinic, wrote a false diagnosis document and transferred her back to Baimalong Labour Camp. At that time, the sentence document indicated approximately one-and-a-half years more of detention. The guards reprinted the document and added another year and claimed that it was wrong in the original document. They did this to torture Ms. Yu. She filed a lawsuit with the court, but received no response. Around June or July, she went on a hunger strike to protest the long prison term. She was taken to the number Seventy-three Team. One day, several inmates grabbed her hand and tired to force her to write the three statements. Yu Yingzhu realised their bad intentions and broke her cup. She was ready to die. Then, they stopped threatening her. Yu Yingzhu was in bad health. She is out of energy and has a rapid heartbeat. Fellow practitioners and relatives, please pay attention to her situation and rescue her.

Zhu Guilin was berated and beaten for not doing the morning exercise. She has been on a hunger strike for more than 70 days. She is not doing well. Sometimes she can't sleep or go to the toilet. Criminal inmate Yuan Li and around five other inmates beat her and took her to another cell where they made her stand upright. Ms. Zhu did not have money to buy groceries. We helped her. She is suffering greatly. Her family members -- please come to visit and take care of her.

Gong Dexiu suffered from heart disease. She needs to practise Falun Gong to become healthy again. They did not allow her to practise, but inmates frequently tied her up with a rope on the ground. They also injected her with unknown drugs and made her take unknown medications.

Li Jiaju has difficult walking and she can't straighten her back. She cannot eat, and she has become emaciated. I saw that the guards took her to the clinic.

Over thirty practitioners from the number Seventy-one Team were transferred to the "transforming" team for persecution. They tried to force them to work and write the three statements. In September, only five practitioners were left. I spoke about Liu Dan above. It is rumoured that Liu Dan was tortured again in October.

Please, fellow practitioners and relatives, please pay attention to their situations. Some practitioners were not allowed family visits. I'm sure that they suffer torture and they must be suffering greatly.

Please report this to any individual or organisation that can help or is willing to extend a helping hand. Please rescue these practitioners as soon as possible.

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. "Three Statements": Practitioners are coerced under brainwashing and torture to write "Repentance Statement," "Guarantee Statement" or 'Dissociation Statement" as proof that they have given up their belief. In the 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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/12/26/145482.html