Brutal Persecution Leads to Hunger Strike at the Xindian Women's Forced Labour Camp in Shanxi Province

Six Falun Dafa practitioners currently held in the Xindian Women's Forced Labour Camp in Shanxi Province have been resisting repeated attempts to brainwash them. These practitioners -- Ms. Liu Taojiang, Ms. Su Xiufen, Ms. Qin Junping, Ms. Ma Yueying, Ms. Li Xiulian, and Ms. Xin Enhao -- are holding a hunger strike to protest their brutal persecution.

The labour camp guards use a variety of methods to torture these practitioners, including confining them in wooden stocks, force-feeding them, and depriving them of sleep. The guards also use inmates who are drug addicts to monitor these practitioners.

The guards typically feign kindness in an attempt to deceive practitioners when they first arrive at the labour camp. But within three days, the guards will not allow them to sleep if they refuse to renounce Falun Gong. They may sleep only after they have written the so-called three statements¹. Those practitioners who refuse to "transform²" are not allowed to eat with other inmates, to bathe, or to have visitors. Collaborators and inmates who are drug addicts monitor practitioners constantly. Those who refuse to renounce Dafa are subjected to humiliation, violence, and verbal abuse. The chief prison guard says with sarcasm, "They haven't finished their lessons yet. They need to study harder."

The practitioners are in a constant state of lethargy as a result of the torture, and they are forced to endure additional physical punishment as well. Some practitioners have been deprived of sleep for sixteen consecutive days. Some have even gone deaf as a result of the inhuman torture and persecution at the camp.

On New Year's Eve of 2007, guards force-fed practitioner Ms. Liu Taojiang, who was on a hunger strike to protest her persecution. A few hours later, she fell unconscious. After her condition had deteriorated even further, the guards sent her to the hospital. Thanks to the righteous thoughts of all the practitioners at the labour camp, Ms. Liu was out of danger by 2:00 a.m. the next morning.

On January 2nd and 3rd, the guards again force-fed Ms. Liu. When Ms. Liu attempted to resist, Liu Zhongmei, head guard of Division Three (who herself had committed many crimes), ordered seven inmates to pry Ms. Liu's mouth open with spoons. Ms. Liu's mouth began to bleed, and she snatched one of the spoons away. At this, Liu Zhongmei left and gave the other inmates complete freedom to torture Falun Dafa practitioners. Fortunately, some nearby practitioners were able to prevent the inmates from torturing Ms. Liu further. At midnight on January 3rd, however, the guards secretly detained her. Every day, one head guard and three inmates monitored Ms. Liu. They handcuffed her many times and used electric batons to shock her. To protest this cruel treatment, the practitioners at the labour camp have been holding hunger strikes for as long as two months.

Note

1. "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.

2. "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/2007/1/15/146899.html