Torture and Crimes Against Humanity at Masanjia Forced Labour Camp

The Women's division at Masanjia Forced Labour Camp is divided into three sections. No. 1 and 2 sections are for the regular inmates and No. 3 is solely for detaining Falun Gong practitioners. The No. 1 and 2 sections are assigned heavy work loads. Practitioners are transferred to these two sections, which gives camp officials an opportunity to intensify the persecution of practitioners, mentally and physically. Below are selected instances of inhuman treatment.

Reassigning Heads

In November 2007, Li Mingyu was reassigned as head of the No. 1 section and Zhang Chunguang and Zhou Xian were made his deputies. Zhang Jun, former head of the No. 1 section, was transferred to the No. 3 section.

By the end of June 2009, Wang Yanping, Long Yan, Zhang Yu and Sun Bin made up the No. 1 section leadership. At the same time the No. 1 and No. 2 section leaders swapped places.

Guards are moved between sections, depending on what type of product the forced labour has to produce. The only thing that doesn't change is the inhuman treatment of practitioners.

Failing Assessment Criteria Results in Inhuman Treatment

In the camp, officials came up with the "Hundred Score Assessment." If practitioners refused to recite the "Thirty Camp Provisions and Regulations" or sing certain camp and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) songs, they fail the assessment and their detention terms are extended.

The monthly assessment is carried out at the end of each month. Detainees must sign the "assessment" report. Most practitioners have refused to sign, so the guards grabbed their hands and forced them to sign either through beatings or some other abuse.

Practitioners were transferred to the No. 1 section on a one by one basis, so guards had leeway as to how to torture them. They have generally tortured between three and five practitioners each month. Whenever a practitioner didn't co-operate she was tortured. The guards first threatened the practitioners with "no telephone calls and no family visits." When this failed, they beat the practitioner. When practitioners pointed at the illegality of the beatings, they said, "So, sue us." The guards withheld practitioners' letters with impunity and paper and pen were "prohibited articles," and if discovered they were confiscated. The guards searched practitioner's bags, pockets, and tool boxes, and conducted body searches at will.

On October 7-8th, 2008, the No. 1 section brutally tortured practitioners in the No. 1 and 2 sections. They ordered male prison guards Peng Tao, Zhang Liang and others to punch and kick the practitioners who did not sign the assessment report, shock them with electric batons or torture them with the "big hang up" ¹ torture method.

Ms. Qi Zhihong Suffered a Mental Collapse Due to the Torture

Ms. Zhang Yinglin was tortured with the "big hang up" for three days and two nights. She lost control of her arms and was thus unable to take care of herself, yet guard Zhang Chunguan forced her to work. Zhang ordered inmate Tang Wei to monitor her while in the cotton processing workshop. The air was filled with cotton fluff and dust, but Ms. Zhang was not provided a mask or scarf. In late December the prison guards pressured her to sign another assessment report. Her condition worsened due to the brutality and she no longer was able to look after herself.

Ms. Lin Junyan Tortured

Ms. Lin Junyan was detained at the Masanjia Forced Labour Camp. Due to the torture her health deteriorated. Her electrocardiogram was abnormal and she suffered from high blood pressure. Whenever she was unable to work, the guards took her blood pressure and then gave her unknown drugs. If she refused, she had to return to work. On July 31st, Ms. Lin Junyan refused to sign the assessment report. Zhao Guorong ordered guard Guan Lin, drug addict Zhao Wei, in her thirties from Shenyang, Yang Dan and Guo Lei, 35 years old from Benxi City to beat her. She was severely injured and suffered extreme pain.

On October 10th, three inmates dragged Ms. Lin to the guards' office because she refused to sign the assessment report. A male guard kicked her three times and she lost consciousness. When she came to, a woman guard shouted, "Why didn't you die from a stroke? If that was the case it would be a lot easier for us." She ordered the inmates to force-feed her unknown drugs. Guards Zhang Chunguang and Zhao Guorong shocked her with electric batons. The baton broke and Zhao said, "She has to pay for it! She has to pay for it! The baton is worth 160 to 170 yuan²." At the same time Zhang Chunguang beat Ms. Lin and threatened to torture her with the "big hang up." Then, the guards handcuffed Ms. Lin to a heating system pipe for over twelve hours. She was not allowed to use the toilet, nor was she given any food, just forced to take unknown drugs.

Ms. Zhang Guozhen Tortured

In June 2008, the camp held a meeting for attacking Falun Gong. Ms. Zhang Guozhen shouted, "Falun Gong is good!" Zhang Chunguang tortured her with the "big hang up" for more than ten hours. She was then unable to walk and her wrists were full of blisters. On October 7th, Ms. Zhang was shocked with the electric baton for more than three hours and Zhang Chunguang slapped her with a shoe sole.

Ms. Sun Xiaoxiang Brutally Beaten

In late November, Ms. Sun Xiaoxiang from Beijing refused to sign the assessment report. On her way to her cell, guard Zhao Guorong stopped and took her to an isolated room. Zhao Guorong and Zhang Chunguang beat her inhumanly. Her blood-curdling screams could be heard at the other end of the corridor. The beating lasted for nearly two hours. Zhao Guorong then brought her back to the cotton processing workshop and forced her to work, but she could not. Her chest hurt terribly and she spit up blood.

Ms. Xin Shuhua Tortured

Ms. Xin Shuhua, 58, from Benxi City, was detained at the Masanjia Forced Labour Camp in March 2008. She refused to work, didn't sign the assessment report or attend any classes. She went on a hunger strike on May 18th, 2008 for five days. Li Mingyu and others force-fed her food and unknown drugs. She was then tortured with the "big hang up." Six days and nights later she was emaciated and unable to walk.

At around 8:50 p.m. on July 30th, 2009, the inmates assigned to monitor practitioners saw that Ms. Xin was doing the exercises. They reported it to guard Wang Yanping. Wang ordered the inmates to drag her out of the cell. She was taken to an isolated room. Her legs were tied up and she was handcuffed to a heating pipe. She was not allowed to use the toilet and deprived of food, but forcibly administered unknown drugs. She was tortured by the "dead person's bed"³ method and they used the handcuffs to scratch her body, particularly her knees, ankles and the inner sides of her thighs. She was black and blue everywhere. Then they forced her mouth open with a tool. They tortured her for six to seven hours the next day. Guards who tortured Ms. Xin were Wang Yanpin, You Yan, Sun Yan, Xiang Baifeng, Xiang Kuili and Sun Mei.

Forced Labour, Abuse and Torture

The cotton processing workshop was built between the 1960s and 1970s, and is old and derelict. Cotton fluff and dust fill the air and the floor is covered with cotton fluff. The guards refuse to enter the workshop.

On October 6th, 2008 detainees from the No. 2 section were assigned to work in the cotton processing workshop. Zhao Guorong, head of the section, refused to enter the workshop for a few days and assigned Tang Wei, a drug addict, to monitor practitioners.

Tang Wei forbid practitioners from using the toilet. Since the work was on an assembly line, when anyone leaves, the work has to stop. Tang Wei verbally abuses and beats at will practitioners and other inmates. She beat practitioners Ms. Li Li and Ms. Su Nan.

Given the unrealistic quotas, all detainees have to work overtime. During the day they work in the workshop and when the machines stop they are assigned to other tasks.

Spontaneous combustion of machines in the cotton processing workshop occurs occasionally. One day when someone who was operating the machine smelled something abnormal she stopped the machine and began looking for the source of the smell. Guard Zhou Qian came in and smoke was seen coming from that particular machine. Zhou ordered the inmates on duty to lock the only gate to the workshop and did not allow anyone to leave. The workshop was filled with choking smoke.

The workshop is the dirtiest in the camp, the work the hardest and the danger from the unsafe machines threatens practitioners' lives. The production comes first, and the work continued.

Ms. Zhang Guozhen, Ms. Lu Lin and Ms. Zhong Shujuan Tortured

After the 2009 Chinese New Year, Ms. Zhang Guozhen, Ms. Lu Lin and Ms. Zhong Shujuan refused to do forced labour. They were tortured with the "big hang up" by guards Li Mingyu and Zhang Chuguang for twenty-five, ten, and seven hours respectively.

In the third quarter, 2009, Ms. Lu Lin refused to work and was tortured with the "big hang up" for more than forty hours. Ms. Lu was tortured like that six times when she was in the No. 3 and No. 1 sections.

In April, 2009, Pan Qiuyan was assigned as head of the No.1 section. Ms Zhang Shuxia had problems producing perfect work because Tang Wei did not explain the process clearly. Ms. Li Li did not make her quota. Tang yelled and shouted and then reported to Pan Qiuyan. Pan took the two practitioners to the storeroom and beat them. Ms. Zhang Guozhen was taken to the storeroom and beaten for not greeting Pan Qiuyan.

Ms. Zhang Guozhen often sat cross-legged while working. Guard Wang Yanping forbid her from sitting with her legs crossed. Wang Yanping took her to the storeroom where she and You Yan beat Ms. Zhang. Ms. Zhang often covered her legs with a cloth and guard Guan Lin cut the cloth into pieces. Then Ms. Zhang covered her legs with her trousers. Guan Lin cut her trousers as well. One day when You Yan saw Ms. Zhang covering her legs with a cloth made of linen she cut it, too. Ms. Zhang said "You cut it and I will keep it as evidence." You Yan ordered Mang Wei to throw it into the rubbish bin.

Guards who Tortured and Mistreated Practitioners

Li Mingyu, Zhang Chunguang, Zhou Qian, Zhao Guorong, Chen Xiumei, Xiang Bopfeng, Xiang Kuili, Sun Mei, Gao Luan, Qu Yanhui, Li Xiuling, Guan Lin, Pan Qiuyan, Wang Guangyun, Wang Yanping, You Yan and Sun Bin.

This is not the entire list of guards, as some names are not available.

Note

1. "Big hang up" - There are two forms in this torture: (a) With both hands cuffed behind the back and only the toes touching the ground, one is hung by a rope that is tied to the metal window frames. (b) One hand of a practitioner is cuffed to one bunk bed and the other hand to another bed, and the two beds are pulled in the opposite directions. One feels extreme pain as the body is pulled.

2. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

3. "Dead person's bed" - All four of the practitioner's limbs are stretched out and tied to the four corners of a cold metal bed frame. The practitioner cannot move at all. He is not allowed to get up to eat, drink, or use the bathroom. This treatment usually lasts from several hours to more than a ten days. As one can imagine, this type of cruel torture causes severe damage to the practitioner's mind and body. See the illustration of this form of torture at http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/12/15/55600.html.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/10/1/209385.html