The Abuse of Practitioners at the Chongqing City Women's Forced Labour Camp: A Personal Account

I am a Falun Gong practitioner from the Changshou District in Chongqing City. Between August 2005 and July 2006 I was detained in the Chongqing Women's Forced Labour Camp, also known as the Maojiashan Women's Forced Labour Camp. While being subjected to persecution there, I have also witnessed the labour camp authorities' ruthless mistreatment of other practitioners detained there.

In August 2005, I was arrested and sent to the Maojiashan Women's Forced Labour Camp in Jiangbei, Chongqing City. As soon as I was taken into the iron gate of the Fourth Division, the police officers viciously called the "helpers" --drug-addict inmates-- to hold me still and cut my hair short. Then, while yelling curse words, four or five "helpers" dragged me hurriedly to a corner of a staircase, removed my clothing and quickly put me into a prisoner's uniform against my will. Then, they pushed me into a small cell.

The cell walls and floor were covered with black rubber-like materials, leaving an uncovered 1-foot x 4-inch window on the wall to let light in. The cell was about 1.5x2.5 metres (5x8 feet). It was cold in the winter and hot in summer. The cell also contained a toilet. Detainees have to eat, use the toilet and sleep in this one small cell, and the air was suffocating. Four "helpers" worked in two shifts to monitor one practitioner.

They immediately tell new detainees the camp rules, which are implemented right away. One is given a deadline to memorise the rules and regulations, and has to read and memorise the regulation books. They call it "Militarised Management." One has to pass a three-month-long "discipline" probation period; otherwise they will extend the lock-up time and intensify the discipline. During those three-months, one has to get up at 5:30 a.m., spend not more than 10 minutes on personal hygiene and then commence with the "discipline," which lasts until midnight. The discipline includes standing in a military position, military squatting - (like kneeling on one leg, with the toes pressing down and the heel lifted; but it's much more painful as one has to keep the position for a long time), and sitting upright. One cannot move one bit during these three posts, and it is up to the "helpers" to decide how long they will last. If one fails any one of them, the drill will be extended to 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m., even 4:00 a.m. For young people, they are made to squat instead of sitting upright.

I was forbidden to sit for eight months in a row, except for watching a Chinese New Year's programme. During these eight months I was made to squat, even when I ate. I was forbidden to stand. Sometimes I was forced to squat for a whole day, and was prevented from seeing to my personal hygiene. I had to sleep on the floor or along the hallway, either facing the "helper," or on my back. They often uncovered my blanket to see if I was holding a Falun Gong exercise pose and would beat me if they thought I was. They have beaten me several times while I was asleep.

The "helpers" would make me write a daily report; otherwise they wouldn't let me sleep and would instead make me do the military squatting position without changing my foot position. The daily prolonged military squatting left bruises on my toes that didn't go away until months later when new skin replaced the bruised, peeling skin. When I passed out, they would beat me and kick me for getting up slowly and scold me, saying I was pretending. I had to squat 18 to 19 hours a day, sometimes 21 to 22 hours a day. My feet shook uncontrollably. I couldn't hold this position and fell. If I refused to cooperate, they would grab my collar, clothing or hair, throw me on the floor, step on me, pinch me, pull my skin up and twist it, pull my ears and drag me, pull my hair and knock my head on a wall or the floor, using a lot of force.

Inmates Liu Chengling (from Beijing) and Tang Yunxia (from Guanyinqiao in Jiangbei) would stand facing each other and push me back and forth against the wall, using force. When I fainted, they would pull my hair and pinch my ear to pick me up and throw me on to the wall again until they were tired. Liu Chengling said, "If you do not "reform" I will make you wish you were dead, and make you suffer every single minute!"

Zhong Mingju, Liu Chengling, Gou Xiaoxia, Tang Yunxia and Wan Xianjuan would stand with their heels on my toes, grab my shoulders and grind their heels back and forth on my toes. The skin on my toes became abraded, my feet and toes turned purple and black and swelled so badly that I couldn't put shoes on. My toenails had gradually become spongy and thick and didn't recover until half a year later. They had kicked me on my feet, legs and genitals, leaving bruises everywhere. Zhong Mingju and Liu Chengling had beaten me several times in the head with shoes and stools.

For more than eight months, I had to stand or kneel for more than 18 hours every day, I had to limp because the torture had made my feet severely swollen. My entire body was swollen as well. Sometimes my feet hurt so much that I could not place them on the floor. Tan Liyi from Hechuan often flicked my eyeballs with his fingers. Several times in the middle of winter they poured cold water on my head, or poured cold water onto my back through the top of my shirt. They punched my forehead. When I was in the bathroom, Liu Yongling grabbed my hair, pulled me down and forcefully punched my back with her elbow.

One day at dusk in late October 2005, police officer Hu Xiaoyan ordered seven or eight "helpers" to push me on the floor and immobilise my hands and feet. With one of them sitting on my abdomen they grabbed my throat and my nose firmly, pried open my mouth with a toothbrush (one toothbrush broke during the process), and force-fed me an unknown drug. In a short while my head violently nodded involuntarily and swung from side to side, and strange noises came out of my throat. This lasted several hours. Afterwards my throat and upper palate were bleeding, all my teeth became loose, and my head ached for over two weeks. Later on, police officer Zhao Yuanyuan ordered the "helpers" to force-feed me, during which they broke another toothbrush.

One morning in November 2005, the "helpers" Zhong Mingju and Tan Liyi forcibly stripped a Falun Gong practitioner naked. Police officer Chen Xiaoqin ordered several "helpers" to drag the practitioner from the third floor to the bottom floor and the outside to parade the practitioner. They then humiliated her further and slandered Dafa.

One day I reported to the guard on duty that the "helper" had hit me. The "helper" said, "She failed to do the drill right and we were helping correct her movements." Then police officer Chen Xiaoqin roared at me, "If you continue to make random calls and falsely accuse others of beating you, I will have your lips sealed." And then she showed me a big roll of yellow tape. Chen Xiaoqin often ordered Liu Yongling to take the lead to abuse us. When I was observed falling asleep during the standing-in-line drill, Liu Chengling and Gou Xiaoxia would hit my eyes, which swelled and hurt. Tears streamed down involuntarily and I could not open my eyes for quite a while. Instead of hitting the eyes, some "helpers" would force us to do things such as military squatting or push-ups.

Ms. Wang Aihua was in her fifties. She was forced to squat 50 times, or do push-ups and raise the leg high. Her clothes were soaked in sweat, but they would not let her wash them. They ordered her to wring out the moisture, air the clothes slightly and put them back on; then do "standing on one leg raising both arms to the side;" squatting half way with legs far apart and standing still, holding a big basin of water on top of her head with both hands while standing still, and hanging a chamber pot on her neck. She was frequently prevented from going to bed until 3:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m., sometimes even 5:00 a.m. and she had to get up at 5:30 a.m. every day.

Altogether 15 "helpers" have persecuted me. The most vicious ones include Liu Chengling, Zhong Mingju, Gou Xiaoxia, Tang Yuxia, Wan Xianmei, and Qu Xiaoying.

The police officers would congregate in groups of three or four and hold hoodlum-like lectures for practitioners and promote evil concepts. They arrived group by group in shifts and wouldn't leave until an hour or two later. The "helpers" would scold, humiliate and roar randomly around Falun Gong practitioners and abuse them 18 to 22 hours a day, from early morning to late night, day after day.

Ms. Wang, a woman in her 60s, was confined in the small cell for an entire year before she was released, for being steadfast in Falun Dafa practice. During her confinement Hu Xiaoyan often scolded her for about an hour each time. Sometimes we could hear sounds of beating and kicking.

Ms. Chen Tingfen, another woman in her 60s, limped for quite some time due to swollen feet. During an afternoon in November 2005, police officer Chen Xiaoqin ordered her to do military squats by the red flag pole. She refused. The "helpers" beat her intensely, dragged her to the office and tortured her behind closed doors. Then they continued torturing her in a small cell for four months. The "helpers" included Liu Yongling (from Beijing), Gou Xiaoxia (from Jiangbei), Wang Feng (from Changshou), Chen Xiaolu, Wang Decui, Wang Xia, Yang Ying, Zhang Lu and Yang Zhicui (from Tianjin). We could often hear the helpers' shouts and Ms. Chen Tingfang's miserable screams.

Ms. Zhang Xiuyun was 42 years old. Due to torture, she limped severely and her hoarse throat kept her from making a sound. She suffered a mental collapse before she was released full-term the end of August 2005, but has not yet recovered.

When the labour demand was intense, Falun Gong practitioners less than 60 years old were prevented from taking an afternoon break. They were forced to work from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m, sometimes even until 12:00 a.m. They would be punished if they failed to finish the assigned workload. There are still more than 70 Falun Gong practitioners suffering abuse under the persecution in the Women's Forced Labour Camp today.

To persecute Falun Gong practitioners, police head Hu Xiaoyan even organised training for and gave exams to the "helpers." The exams happened every three or six months. In April 2006, as many as 60 "helpers" took the "helping technique" exam. Those who failed the exam were physically punished. The labour camp authorities would regularly send police officers to other labour camps such as the notorious Masanjia Forced Labour Camp to learn from their methods and stay for at least two months each time. Police officers from other labour camps came to Maojiashan [where I was] constantly to exchange experiences and methods for how to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

The structure of the personnel involved in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners resembles a pyramid in form. This represents the current pyramid:

Top level: Political head Shu Chang, Supervisor Hu Xiaoyan (promoted to division head in 2006)

Second level: Dai Wenjuan (Deputy Supervisor), Chen Yonglian

Third level: Team One: Chen Xiaoqin (team leader), Zhu Yu, Gao Hong and Cheng Lan Team Two: Zhao Yuanyuan (team leader), Li Lingling, Han Bin and Cao Chenyi

Bottom level: dozens of "helpers."

Police officer Chen Yanyan is in charge of evil indoctrination sessions that we were forced to attend and of forcing us to watch videos that defamed Falun Gong.

The most vicious police officers in this Maojiashan Camp are Hu Xiaoyan, Shu Chang, Chen Xiaoqin and Li Lingling.

The most vicious "helpers" include Li Chengling (42 years old. Third detention; term expires in July 2007); Qu Xiaoying, Cheng Ying, Cao Xiaoyan, Wang Guangjuan, Wang Xiaoqin, Wang Xia, Wang Huaqun, Wang Deqin, Yang Lu, Zhang Lu, Huang Jinnan, Liu Ying, Du Lijuan, Jiang Wenyi, Liu Wanying, Gou Xiaoxia, Zhou Jihong, Huang Jijiang, Peng Zongxiu and Liu Ying. Most of them have been detained multiple times. The camp officials are constantly training new "helpers."

Labour Camp Office Telephone: 86-23-62863222

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/2/8/148532.html