Nine Years and Fifteen Days of Persecution

Name: Wang Xianan
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Address: Team #3, Baoquan Village, Jiatan Community, Xianfeng Town, Jiangjin District, Chongqing
Occupation: Farmer
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 5th, 2003
Most Recent Place of Detention: Yongchuan Prison
City: Chongqing
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, imprisonment, torture, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogation, detention, denial of toilet use, denied visitation

I started practising Falun Gong in June 1996. I had a variety of illnesses prior to practising, and had no money for medical treatments. After practising Falun Gong for a period of time, I became physically healthy and all my illnesses disappeared. I began conducting myself according to the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and became a better person. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong on July 20th, 1999. I have been harassed and mistreated during the past ten years. I was detained at a detention centre for 45 days, in Xishanping Forced Labour Camp for one year and eleven months, and in Yongchuan Prison for seven years. I have been detained for a total of nine years and 15 days.

1. One Year of Forced Labour Extended for Another Eleven Months

I went to Beijing, trying to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. Liu Guangfu, head of Division #1 of the Jiangjin Police Department, detained me for 45 days, and I was subsequently monitored by them. They often called me and came to my home to harass me. Wang Jiansheng from the Jiatan Police Station extorted 2,000 yuan¹ from my family.

I was taken away by officers from the Xianfeng Police Station while handing out Falun Gong pamphlets in Maliu Market on August 2nd, 2000. I was held in a detention centre for one month. Liu Guangfu gave me a one-year forced labour term. I was sent to the Xishanping Forced Labour Camp on October 10th, 2000.

There were more than 100 Falun Gong practitioners there at the time. In June 2001, the labour camp refused to release me when my term had finished, and extended my term for another six months. Six months later, I wasn't released. My term was extended by another two months in February and by another three months in April.

I was beaten several times in the labour camp. One tooth from each side of my mouth was broken off during the beatings. I sustained a cut on my head that required several stitches to close, and still has a visible scar today. I was deprived of sleep, and the guards put me in the “strictly controlled group.” The "strictly controlled group" consisted of four teams, with each team composed of about fifteen drug addicts, who monitored one or two Falun Gong practitioners around the clock. They used all kinds of methods to carry out physical punishment. They forced practitioners to lie face down or kneel under the bed, and forced us to remain in the “stand at attention” position for long periods of time. They put an object on my head, and I was punished if it fell down. They stomped their feet on the inside of my thighs.

I was released on July 6th, 2002.

2. Forced to Leave Home and Sentenced

Several officers from the Xianfeng Police Station, including Gu Xianhua and Zhong Zhiyuan, broke into my home on the evening of October 13th, 2002. I wasn't home at the time. They ransacked the place and confiscated Falun Gong materials and an exercise music tape. They secretly surrounded my home and attempted to seize me. They also went to several relatives' homes late at night, trying to determine my whereabouts. They went to my friend's home on October 15th and didn't find me, so they handcuffed my friend and took him away instead. He was detained for no reason for ten days. It brought hardship to him and his family.

I had to leave home to avoid further persecution. I was arrested by three officers near the Chengnan Farmers' Market in Jiangjin at around 3:00 a.m. on May 5th, 2003. They confiscated my pager, keys, 534 yuan in cash and Falun Gong pamphlets. Liu Jun, director of the Dongcheng Police Station, handcuffed me for a whole day. Later, Wan Fenghua, head of the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), along with Liu Guangfu went to my home and ransacked the place. They also took away another practitioner, Mr. Yuan Zhiqiang, and confiscated a computer, printer, and other personal belongings.

I was sent to the Jiangjin Detention Centre on May 7th, where I was force-fed and forced to do labour. I was deprived of sleep and food if I didn't complete my tasks. On one occasion guard Dai talked to me, and later placed me in shackles and handcuffs, as I didn't cooperate. Several guards, including Liu Jun and Liu Guangfu, interrogated me under physical duress. They wrapped my arm over my shoulder, and then brutally dragged the arm down while pulling the other arm up behind my back. They then tightly linked my arms with handcuffs. (The police call this torture "carrying a sword behind the back") They threatened me and kicked me, and ordered me to sign an arrest warrant, but I refused. Liu Jun said, “It's the same whether you sign it or not.”

My father wasn't physically well, and my imprisonment hit him hard. He passed away in July 2004 at the age of 78. Before he died, my wife tried to arrange for us to see each other for the last time, but officers from the Rentuo Police Station refused to allow it. My father was overwhelmed with grief when he found out.

In late December 2003, the Jiangjin District Court held a secret trial of practitioners without informing the practitioners' families. I was sentenced to eight years in prison, practitioner Mr. Yuan Zhiqiang was sentenced to ten years in prison, and practitioner Mr. Liu Yunwei was sentenced to two years in prison. On August 12th, 2004, the detention centre sold me to Yongchuan Prison as cheap labour. The prison paid about 800 yuan for each person.

3. Seven Years of Imprisonment

I was sent to the Second Division of the fourth district on October 22nd, 2004. According to the other inmates, a practitioner called Xie Zhaoming had just been persecuted to death in July. Guard Liu Xiangang was responsible for planning how to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. The other guard Xu Guangxu was responsible for carrying out the persecution. The guards instigated and ordered inmates Liu Dong and Luo Jiang to monitor me. During the day, they forced me to read the prison rules, and to read books and watch videos that slandered Falun Gong. At night, they didn't let me go to bed until midnight or even 2:00 a.m. They said, “The guards said that we shall 'transform' [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] you, using whatever method we want.”

On November 13th, 2004, inmate Luo Jiang forced me to read books that slandered Falun Gong, but I refused. He started hitting my head and slapping my face, and yelled, “I'll give you ten days. You must 'transform' or we will be hard on you.” They escalated the persecution after that. They deprived me of toilet use and reduced my sleep time. I was mentally and physically abused. One day, my head was cut and bruised in several places from the beating, and I was bleeding profusely. They had to send me to Yongchuan Hospital for a physical exam. They later blamed me for the incident and said that I harmed myself. They even gave me a demerit on my record.

On January 4th, 2005, Wang Chengguo, head of the fourth district, and the guard Bi Guanggui tried to intimidate me. They slammed their fists on the table and yelled, “You must 'transform.' You should be level 1 strictly controlled.” As a result of the long-term persecution, I was already exhausted and my arms and legs were weak. I was very thin and frail, and couldn't even stand. The guards threatened me, tempted me, and deceived me. They tried to make me lose my rationality by using all kinds of methods. Guard Xu Guangxu later left and guard Zhang Jie came in his place. For three consecutive days Zhang Jie ordered me to write a paper to defame Falun Gong, and then every week after that.

The heads of the division were Yang Jun, Chen Jusheng, and Gu Bing successively. The personnel who were involved in persecuting me included Dai Shujian, Zhang Bing, Liu Ye, Ma Yong, Gu Bing, and Huang Ying. The inmates who were involved in the persecution included Li Yong, Zhang Xueming, Hu Linqiang, Yao Guoxing, Shi Tingjun, Huang Xiaowei, Wang Ranrong, Zhang Zongwei, Liao Guohua, Wan Hongbo, and others. I was monitored around the clock, and not allowed to speak to anyone else. Starting in the second half of 2006, I was forced to do physical labour, working more than ten hours per day.

My family came to visit me in June 2009, but the guards only allowed my daughter to see me. They didn't allow me to call my family for more than one month in late summer. I was also forced to write a weekly summary and study their materials every day.

4. Continuous Harassment

I was released on May 4th, 2010, after seven years of imprisonment. Agents from the 610 Office came and harassed my wife several times and asked her to write a guarantee statement while I was in prison. Since being released, they have come to my home and harassed me several times already.

Note

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

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/2/11/236131.html