Countless Crimes Witnessed and Experienced During Ten Years in Yuzhang Prison, Jiangxi Province

Yuzhang Prison amounts to nothing but a den of evildoers in their quest to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Since the second half of 2000 until now, officials at the facility have carried out instructions from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to suppress Falun Gong. To meet the reform quota, they implemented a series of evil, ruthless tactics to try to "reform¹" detained Falun Gong practitioners. I am hereby making public numerous but not nearly all of the crimes they have committed to let everyone really see what the CCP's "best periods of human rights" is actually like and to give people an idea what inhumane methods prison officials utilize to "educate and reform" those who believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Detained in small isolation cell

The small isolation cell is about four square metres, gloomy and small and completely isolated from the outside. People held there get severely depressed being in there for a long time. Isolation is usually reserved for hardened criminals. Strict regulations must be followed to hold people there, and the limit of a stay is between 7 and 15 days. Actual criminals are rarely detained there. Everyone is afraid of being detained there. It was routine to detain Falun Gong practitioners in this place. All newly arrived practitioners were first sent to this cell. Then they would be transferred to another ward once they had been subjected to brainwashing and "reformation" sessions. Those who refused to be "reformed," or whose "reform" was declared invalid, as well as the ones who declared they would continue the practice, would be held in this place for months and even years. They were subjected to cruel torture that was designed to make them give up Falun Gong by destroying their spirit and will.

"Reformation" Sessions

Practitioners who refused to "reform" would be transferred to one of the two "reforming" sessions for study--one in the spring from March to May, and the other between October and January. The deputy prison head in charge of reforming would personally manage the sessions. At first it was directed by Liu Tiangui, then Sheng Jianguo, and last was Xu Hong. They transferred guards from related administrative offices at the Education Reform Office and also from respective wards where Falun Gong practitioners were detained. Then they held closed sessions in the building that accommodated the criminals' families during visiting times. The guards, criminals who monitored practitioners, and practitioners lived there while the sessions were being held.

The session officials assigned two or more criminals for each practitioner to act as guards and goons. The criminals came from organized crime: hoodlums, murderers, rapists or drug dealers. During the day, the guards engaged in so-called one-on-one "reform" education with practitioners or arranged for collaborators² or those who had been "reformed" to "help persuade" practitioners or force practitioners to watch TV programmes that deceived the public and slandered Falun Gong's founder or Falun Gong. This was done repeatedly. At night they would direct the criminals who monitored the practitioners to use all manner of tactics to "help persuade" practitioners.

The prison officials would reward these collaborators and criminals with reduced terms. Former practitioners who now assisted in brainwashing and torturing practitioners not only used foul words to verbally abuse and insult the practitioners who refused to "reform" but also contributed sinister ideas on how to torture the practitioners. In the evening, the criminals who monitored the practitioners would torture practitioners by hanging them up, beating and kicking them, pinching them on the neck, beating them with wooden clubs or metal rods, forcing them to kneel for a long time, or depriving them of sleep for a long time.

Not Releasing Falun Gong Practitioners When Their Sentences Ended

To achieve "reform," the prison officials used all manner of means to prolong the persecution of practitioners who remained firm in their belief and refused to give in. They would not release practitioners when their term had expired, or they concocted faked evidence to hold them longer, or they would send practitioners to a forced labour camp to continue their gross abuse and mistreatment. The guards even blatantly told practitioners, "The Chinese Communist Party's policy is that those who refuse to be 'reformed' should never think about freedom in their lifetime." That is why they put pressure on and threaten all practitioners.

Incidents of Persecution

Mr. Hu Jiuxue (59 years old) from Wuning County, Mr. Sun Shilian (71 years old) from Nanchang City, and Mr. Huang Dongan, as well as others, were taken to this building where the sessions were held many times because they refused to be "reformed."

Hu Jiuxue went on a persecution protest hunger strike. Guards instigated criminals who monitored him to force-feed him. Because of the contaminated tube, Hu Jiuxue had infected tuberculosis and was eventually mercilessly beaten. He heavily vomited blood and suffered from decay to his liver. He was detained in the small isolation cell for more than half a year because he refused to be "reformed."

Despite Sun Shilian's advanced age and severe asthma, the guards incited criminals who monitored him to beat him and choke him so hard that he almost suffocated. His back and thighs showed severe bruising. Because he refused to be "reformed" in the class, he was detained in the small isolation cell and forced to stand facing a wall for a long time. The long-term standing led to oedema in his legs, making it difficult for him to walk.

Huang Dongan was forced to repeatedly participate in the "reform" sessions and was detained in the small isolation cell more than half a year. He developed bloody stool from merciless beatings and being hung up for a long time. He refused to "reform" when it was close to within half a year of his release date. Prison head Zhang Xiaofeng personally issued the command to "reform" him within the deadline. Guards then incited criminals to hit him relentlessly with a big metal wrench to force him to "reform" against his will.

Other Falun Gong practitioners who suffered from brutal persecution in the "reform" sessions included: Luo Wenbin and Chen Xiangyang from Nanchang City, Yang Shiqian from Xinyu City, Xu Feng from Jiujiang, Xu Jiting from Heilongjiang Province, and others. Other practitioners who were beaten by the guards or criminals included Peng Xiaohua, Xiao Yuanguang, and Zhan Jianbin from Nanchang City; Sun Jinming from Yichun City; Xiao Renbin from Ji'an City; and Huang Zhenxin from Jiujiang City.

Yang Shiqian had communicated with a "reformed" practitioner and made him realize he should not yield. This practitioner declared the "regret letter" he had previously written under pressure was invalid. Because of this, the guards urged four criminals to pull Yang Shiqian to the duty office, covered his head with a mat, and beat him violently. His left rib was severely injured. He had difficulty breathing or sleeping. He was not given any treatment or allowed to rest. He was forbidden to disclose what he had endured. Instead, he had to do labour as usual and meet all the quotas.

Peng Xiaohua was detained in the small isolation cell for almost one year for refusing to be "reformed." His term was extended for another three years and six months.

Xiao Yuanguang and Chen Jian were sent to a forced labour camp for three years after their terms were up for their refusal to "reform."

Incidents of Retribution for the Evildoers

1. Former Deputy Prison Head Liu Tiangui Died Suddenly

Liu Tiangui was in charge of so-called "reforming" tasks. He closely followed Jiang Zemin's regulations to mistreat many practitioners in the prison as he tried to make them give up their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When he failed, he then used all manner of excruciating torture: hanging by handcuffs, barbaric beatings, long-term hard labour, small cell isolation for a long time, no release at the end of one's sentence, faking incriminating evidence to extend terms, and/or transfer to a forced labour camp. Liu Tiangui retired in 2003, right after he turned 60. Soon after he got ill and died quickly.

2. Bao Zhijian Dismissed from All Duties

Bao Zhijian was a policeman in his 20s. He had transferred to the prison's First Ward where Falun Gong practitioners were detained, to serve as deputy political head. He worked hard on "reforming" and incited criminals to abuse and beat practitioners that refused to cooperate. He was dismissed from all duties and became general staff in another ward when a criminal escaped.

3. Criminals Who Monitor Practitioners Punished

Among those who helped grossly abuse practitioners are many incidents where perpetrators were punished for their evil deeds. They would be scalded with boiling water, injured when wrestling, beaten by other criminals, transferred from a comfortable service unit to the front lines for hard labour, have their terms extended by one year, or placed on parole and not be released.

After ten years, officials and guards in this prison have committed innumerable crimes by loyally following the CCP to ruthlessly persecute practitioners.

Responsible persons:
Prison head, Zhang Xiaofeng
Deputy prison head, Sheng Jianguo
Deputy prison head in charge of reforming, Xu Hong
Education Section head in charge of reforming, Yu
Education Section deputy head, Tong Xingfu
First Ward head where Falun Gong practitioners are detained, Shi
Political heads in charge of reforming, Zou Changgen, Xuebiao
Deputy political heads, Xiong Lixin and Xiang Hui
Seventh Ward head where the small isolation cells are located, Wang Tongfu
Small isolation cell political heads, Hang Xiaoping and Zhou

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. "Collaborators": former practitioners who have turned against Falun Gong under brainwashing and torture. They are then made to assist in brainwashing and torturing practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/3/25/197761.html