Mr. Yu Lianhe Persecuted in a Forced Labour Camp for the Third Time

Mr. Yu Lianhe, a Falun Gong practitioner from Heilongjiang Provence, was sent to forced labour camps on three occasions. Because of the persecution, his wife left him. Mr. Yu was last arrested on March 18th, 2008, and sent to Changlinzi Labour Camp for two years. The following is his account of his recent labour camp experience:

Before the persecution, our family of three practised Falun Gong. It brought enormous improvement in our health and mind. This was especially so for my wife, who completely regained her health after practising Falun Gong.

However, everything collapsed after the Communist Party launched the persecution. My wife and I were both arrested. I was sent to a forced labour camp for a year. Following that, I was again apprehended and sent to a labour camp for two more years. Unable to bear the stress from the persecution and from supporting the family by herself, my wife gave up practising and filed for a divorce. Some locals who did not know the truth thought that it was my practice that destroyed my family. Since I have already told about the first two times I was persecuted, I will focus on the recent incident.

Arrest, Subjected to Beating and Forced Confession

I was having breakfast at home on March 18th, 2008, when the head of the county police department and two other individuals broke into my house. Like robbers, they took away Falun Gong items, incense, three alarm clocks, battery chargers, and any other items they could get hold of. Then they ordered me to go back with them to the police department, which I refused to do. There is nothing wrong with practising Falun Gong. They called for help and two more policemen came. Five of them took off my belt, tied my hands together, and pushed me into the car. I was first taken to the police department, then to the county detention centre. When I started to do the sitting meditation, a couple of guards beat me and locked me up in solitary confinement. Several days later, the team head came with two men. Their intention was to force me to confess to the "crime" of posting materials exposing the persecution of Falun Gong on poles close to my house. I denied the accusation and was sent to the confinement cell. The cell head boasted that he specialised in "fixing" Falun Gong practitioners. When they tried to take my picture and I refused to co-operate, they pushed me to the floor and used keys to scrape my ribs until they were dripping with blood .

After a while the team head tried again to force me to confess to the so-called "crime" of making materials exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. I said, "I'm not going to say a word." After the trial they sent me back to the detention centre. The head of the centre used to manage a police station when the persecution started in 1999 and was known for beating many practitioners. That night, when I tried to do the exercises, he came in to kick my chest until it was all bruised and blackened.

Two Years of Persecution in Changlinzi Forced Labour Camp

It was mid May when they tried to get me admitted to a forced labour camp, but the first labour camp wouldn't take me. The next day I was transferred to another one and two days later to Changlinzi Forced Labour Camp.

I was told to work making toothpicks. When I refused, several prisoners dragged me into a utility room and beat me. One practitioner was bound to an iron chair for long periods of time. We established our own practice environment where we studied the Falun Gong teachings, did the exercises, and refused to do the required labour. Consequently, we were harassed by the guards. Guard Sun kicked my legs and tore at my ears with so much force that the skin around my ears ripped open.

Later on, Zheng Yunfeng was appointed as the new head of the detention centre. He split the Falun Gong practitioner into two groups. Since I always refused to do the hard labour, one snowy day they ordered me to shovel snow. I said I was not a criminal and did not need to be "reformed" [forcibly renounce Falun Gong]. They tied me to an iron chair and taped up my mouth.

Soon they transferred me from team No. 4 to team No. 1. The head of the new team was known for persecuting practitioners. On one occasion, they brought in a male practitioner. As soon as he entered the room, they started beating him. The practitioner shouted, "Falun Gong is good!" Another practitioner and I echoed this and asked them why were they persecuting Falun Gong. Both of us were then tortured. We were tied to iron chairs so tightly that we could hardly breathe. After being tied for a full day, I was moved to a solitary cell without any heat for the night. The next morning when they saw that my hands had turned purple from the cold, they moved me to another room and handcuffed one of my hands to the iron chair. On the fourth day they moved me to a wooden chair, tied my arms around it, and relocated me to a tiny dark room with no windows. They placed two prisoners there to watch me and taped my eyes open so I couldn't sleep. The moment I dozed off, they would beat me. I was deprived of sleep for four days.

My third detention lasted for two years. Now I have a hard time walking because my legs are stiff. I lost sensitivity in my hands and my internal organs have been damaged. Falun Gong brought health and happiness to my family and my life, yet the wicked Party tore apart my family and ruined my life. As a Falun Gong practitioner, I only hope that more people will learn the truth about Falun Gong and the evilness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) so they can stand on the side of justice and humanity.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/5/8/223140.html