Ms. Zhu Guilin Persecuted in Baimalong Forced Labour Camp, Hunan Province

Falun Gong Practitioner Ms. Zhu Guilin, 43, was a salesperson at the Mingzhu Mall in Shimen County, Hunan Province. During the time that Ms. Zhu was held in Baimalong Forced Labour Camp, she was subjected to inhuman tortures many times.

On October 8th, 2004, Ms. Zhu was walking along Yanhe Road, when she was arrested by policemen led by Jia Zhenhan, leader of the Shimen County State Security Police. Ms. Zhu was sentenced to two and a half years. On December 7th, she was sent to Baimalong Forced Labour Camp in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province.

One day in August, 2005, inside the labour camp, two inmates restrained Ms. Zhu and held her head about a foot from the ground. Another inmate, Zhou Mingjiao, forcefully kicked Ms. Zhu in the face. Ms. Zhu immediately lost consciousness. When she woke up, there was a huge bump on her head that was the size of an egg. The warden on duty was Ning Li. The labour camp doctor Lu Yongquan checked the injury and said it was caused by Ms. Zhu "slumping to the ground." The inmates went unpunished.

In Team Seven-two, Ms. Zhu was frequently subjected to abuse from criminal inmates for practising the Falun Gong sitting meditation every morning. She refused to say "report" upon entering the warden's office, so for days thereafter, Ms. Zhu was only allowed to use the toilet twice per day, once in the morning, and once in the evening. Every day, persecutors used "educational helpers" and inmates to incessantly try to force Ms. Zhang to "transform¹." In January 2005, Ms. Zhu was categorised as a "steadfast one" and subjected to custom-tailored persecution. She was forced to stand continually for five or six days. She was not allowed to sleep, close her eyes, yawn, or move. Her legs were swollen so badly that her trousers no longer fit. She became very dizzy. In May 2005, Ms. Zhu was again forced to stand for very long times. Because she reported the inmates who attacked her, and because she refused to participate in the brainwashing sessions, she was transferred to the Seven-three Team, which was the team for "special treatment." Ms. Zhu refused to cooperate. She refused to wear a badge and to sign in. The guards tortured her for this disobedience. On June 17th, Ms. Zhu began a hunger strike to protest the persecution. During this period, warden Huang Liping stomped on Ms. Zhu with high heels. Inmate Zhou Xiaofang kicked Ms. Zhu in the head. Every day the persecutors dragged Ms. Zhu down from the third floor to first floor, stair by stair, to administer fluids by IV. Abrasions and bruises covered every inch of Ms. Zhu's body. After the IV infusion she was force-fed. She was tortured to the brink of death. Her red blood count became dangerously low at this point.

In January 2007, Ms. Zhu insisted on her right to practise the Falun Gong exercises, so she was "attacked as a steadfast one" again. She was often beaten by inmate Long Xiaozhen. She was forced to stand for long periods of time, and she developed a painful limp due to her feet swelling and her toes festering. Every day she was forced to stand until after 3:00 in the morning. Torture made it difficult for Ms. Zhu to eat. On January 20th, Ms. Zhu began another hunger strike. Every day she was subjected to brutal force-feeding. Four or five persecutors would pin her to the ground. Some pulled her hair, others squeezed her nose, and Long Xiaozhen used a spoon to pry open her mouth. Ms. Zhu's mouth often bled from this torture.

One time, inmate Xie Ronghua (a drug addict) used a blanket to cover Ms. Zhu's head and pummelled her body. Another inmate, Yan Yajuan (also a drug addict), held the mouth of a thermos full of hot water against Ms. Zhu's arm, which was immediately scalded by the steam and water. Even today, Ms. Zhu's arm still bears the scars in the shape of the thermos opening. Xie Ronghua and Yan Yajuan often covered Ms. Zhu's head with a blanket while punching her. At the time, almost all the camp wardens and guards knew of this situation, yet none stopped, let alone punished, those inmates. These inmates used this scalding torture on other practitioners again and again. Warden Tang Geli said, "I'll investigate the matter a little," but didn't do anything. The labour camp director, Fu Jun, saw the wounds on Ms. Zhu, but asked "Aren't these caused by nurses looking for your vein when administering an IV?"

On February 18th, 2007, Song, the camp clinic head nurse, force-fed Ms. Zhu two bowls of watery rice. Most of it splashed onto Ms. Zhu's body and clothes, and her trousers became soaking wet. Later, this nurse also slapped Ms. Zhu, because she could not get an injection needle into Ms. Zhu's vein. On the February 19th, Ms. Zhu was given fluids by IV. During Ms. Zhu's hunger strike, persecutor Xie Ronghua often looked for ways to abuse Ms. Zhu, and she beat Ms. Zhu many times. She often shoved a piece of cleaning rag into Ms. Zhu's mouth. She and another persecutor, Cheng Xiaorong, also frequently denied Ms. Zhu use of the restroom. Camp wardens instigated Xie Ronghua and Long Xiaozhen to cut Ms. Zhu's hair in a humiliating hairstyle, and they then used a floor broom on Ms. Zhu's clothes, neck, face, and hair. Ms. Zhu's clothes and neck became very dirty, but she was not allowed to wash them. Every day after force-feeding, the persecutors drug Ms. Zhu step by step down from the third floor to the first floor. Ms. Zhu's body was severely abraded. Xie Ronghua and inmate Yan Yajuan also tied Ms. Zhu to a bed and tortured her. The nurses also frequently struck Ms. Zhu and splashed IV fluids on her face.

Yan Yajuan also tortured Ms. Zhu with inappropriate IV injections. Yan's intention was to debilitate Ms. Zhu's hands to the extent that she could not even use the toilet by herself. Sometimes the persecutors would not let Ms. Zhu use the toilet. When they did let her go, they would humiliate her by not letting her lower her trousers. During force-feeding, the persecutors spilled the watery rice all over Ms. Zhu's face and body and did not allow her to clean herself. They often did not allow Ms. Zhu to rinse her mouth, wash her face, or wash her feet. Ms. Zhu was allowed to shower only once every two weeks or longer. They then said that Ms. Zhu was too lazy to bathe.

The long-term torture collapsed Ms. Zhu's veins. Her diastolic blood pressure was only 50 mmHg, and she weighed only about 80 lbs. She was emaciated, and even her family hardly recognised her distorted figure. She was extremely weak and could not walk steadily. She fell and lost consciousness several times, and her menstruation stopped.

Even in this situation, persecutor Xie still forcefully pushed Ms. Zhu from behind to make her fall. The persecutors put dirt and a lot of salt into Ms. Zhu's rations and put her force-feeding bowl near the trashcan, so refuse would fall into the bowl. When Ms. Zhu protested, the perpetrators shoved socks into her mouth and taped it shut.

Drug addict Cao Zhiwei often cursed at and tortured Ms. Zhu. Three other drug addicts, Wang Yan, Yuan Li, and Jiang Longhui, often beat and kicked Ms. Zhu. Persecutor Jiang Longhui said, "Beating Falun Gong practitioners won't increase your sentence." Indeed, when these inmates persecute Falun Gong practitioners, their sentences are often greatly reduced. Sometimes when inmates beat practitioners, they say, "I don't have a problem with you. You are not my enemy. I would not torture you if the wardens didn't order me to." Usually, these inmates fear the guards the most. Inmates don't dare to fight with each other, because they are afraid that their sentences would be extended or that they may be sent to do hard labour. Yet inmates don't worry at all about brutally torturing Falun Gong practitioners.

The camp authorities are directly responsible for the inmates' behaviour. Often, early in the morning inmates are called into the office to talk. The wardens directly order the inmates and control how intensely inmates are to torture practitioners. They also give inmates new torture ideas. As a consequence, the inmates rampantly and barbarically torture practitioners. In fact, inmates have tortured many Falun Gong practitioners to death in the Baimalong Forced Labour Camp.

Individuals and organisations responsible for persecuting Ms. Zhu include:

From December 7th, 2004 - May 2005: Large Team Captain Yuan Lihua

Later, Captain Zheng Xia; Middle Team Captain Zhao ShuiqunFrom May 2005 - October 2005: Middle Team Captains Sun Jin and Shi Yongqing

October 2005 - January 2007: Team Captains Fan Yinqiao and Zhao Shuaiqun

January, 2007 - April, 2007: Middle Team Captain Shi Jun

Forced labour camp director and secretary: Huang Yongliang

Deputy directors: Zhao Guibao and Ding Cailan

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")

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/8/4/160150.html