Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labour Camp Severely Mistreats Falun Gong Practitioners

Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labour Camp officials in Hebei Province subject detained Falun Gong practitioners to do arbitrary forced labour. The forced labour term of some practitioners was extended by the camp officials from one year to one and a half years. Officials also extended the terms of those practitioners who voice objections to the forced labour.

Officials in Division Four, along with Shijiazhuang City Jinhuan Packing Company, have forced practitioners, as well as non-practitioner detainees who've appealed for their basic human rights, to do intensive forced labour, including assembling bottle stoppers. Every day they have to walk up and down four flights of stairs, unloading and loading the goods. Sometimes, they have to work overtime in the evening. The forced labour term is extended for those cannot finish the assigned work quotas.

Division One head Liu Ziwei, Political head Wang Weiwei, and an official surnamed Tuan Wei worked with a factory in Xinji City that specialises in producing archival bags. They force practitioners and other inmates to do heavy labour. There is no break on weekends, and detainees can sleep only 5 or 6 hours per night. Even those who have severe illnesses are no exception. People who refuse to do the forced labour are put in solitary confinement cells, beaten, verbally abused, and force-fed.

Later, officials contracted with factories producing bath towels and bath caps, thus increasing the already heavy workload. Every day, practitioners have to move the heavy bags of materials up and down the four-story building. Guards forced the practitioners and other inmates to do hard labour all day, every day. This situation lasted more than two months, and many suffered from excessive fatigue and extremely poor health. The forced labour term was extended for those who failed to finish their assigned work.

Qinhuangdao City practitioner Ms. Fu Hong refused to do forced labour, so the guards humiliated her by chopping off her hair, deliberately cutting it at different lengths, making a mess. They also beat her and kicked her until her face was swollen. Ms. Fu was then put in a solitary confinement cell in Division Four for further abuse. She has been there since July 21st. Right now, Ms. Fu is very weak and needs assistance walking.

Anguo City practitioner Ms. Zhao Yuran was sent to the Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labour Camp for one year, but the "Labour Camp Notice" was revised with an extended term of one and a half years. Several practitioners objected to being mistreated and refused to do slave labour, including Ms. Zhang Huilian, Ms. Xu Shuxiang, and Ms. Yu Haixia. Since July 21st, they have been forced to stand for long periods of time. Ms. Zhao Yuran's term was extended by one month.

Li County practitioner Ms. Zhu Lihua had symptoms of severe illnesses. She now has leukaemia, with two lumps near her neck, which are said to be related to the lymphatic system. Because of shoulder pain, she has difficulty raising her arms, and her entire body is weak. Ms. Zhu's family requested her release on medical parole, but a doctor surnamed Ma refused to sign the medical parole document. Ms. Zhu Lihua is currently still detained in Division Four.

Due to the extended period of mistreatment, Ms. Zhang Zhuting had neurasthenia and insomnia, and was thus unable to do the hard labour for several months. Her term was extended by 14 days. Ms. Zhang was released on July 6th.

The term of Ms. Yan Pengxia was extended by 23 days.

The term of Ms. Wang Runlian was extended by 29 days.

Ms. Wu Junfang was pregnant when the Olympic Games were held in Beijing in 2008. She was arrested, taken to a local detention centre, and subjected to a forced abortion. In addition, because Ms. Wu was kept chained to a bed and unable to move, her physical condition deteriorated and she became extremely weak. She was sentenced to two years of forced labour and is now held in Division Four. Her term was extended by 22 days with no reason being given.

Handan City practitioner Ms. Li Mei was sentenced to two years of forced labour. Her term was extended by 18 days and she was released on August 3rd.

Ren Haifeng and other agents from the Xishanbei Town Airport Police Station in Yi County arrested Ms. Li Yunxia from home and took her to the Yi County Detention Centre. After holding her for three days, officials sent Ms. Ren to Shijiazhuang Women's Labour Camp for a term of one year. Her term was then extended to one and a half years. In addition, her term again was extended by 26 days. Ms. Ren has now been released.

The term of Ms. Wang Guixiang was extended by 22 days.

Ms. Wang Hongying was sentenced to one year in a labour camp. Labour camp officials later extended her term to one and a half years and then again by another 14 days.

The terms of other practitioners were also extended, including Ms. Liu Shumin, 21 days; Ms. Song Canying, 9 days; Ms. Yu Jie, 9 days; Ms. Yin Xiuqin, 9 days; Ms. Wei Hui, 9 days; and Ms. Wang Yuemei, 10 days.

The term of Ms. Zhang Junmei was extended by two days, but she has now been released.

The following practitioners are currently still detained at Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labour Camp: Ms. Wu Junfang, Ms. Wang Ruilian, Ms. Zhu Lihua, Ms. Wang Xiumei, Ms. Fu Hong, Ms. Zhang Huilian, Ms. Xu Shuxiang, Ms. Zhao Yuran, Ms. Yu Haixia, Ms. Xiao Xiangyu, Ms. Li Yujie, Ms. Wang Baoling, Ms. Xu Xiuyan, Ms. Xi Shuhui, and Ms. Dai Shuna.

Guards used the following collaborators to transform [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] practitioners detained in Division Four: Yang Shurong, Zhang Suyun, Liu Yongli, Tian Hua, Qu Xiaoying, and others.

Most of the detained practitioners oppose being subjected to forced labour and the term extensions. They also request the unconditional release of all detained practitioners.

Women guards working in Division Four include: Zhao Yuran, Cong Shujuan, Liu Yamin, Zhang Jia, Liu Fang, Hao Ming.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/8/15/228356.html