The Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners at Hubei Province Brainwashing Centre

A four-story building in Banqiao Village, Wuchang District of Wuhan City is on a property surrounded by walls with a metal gate. While there is no name-plate on the gate, the wall beside the gate has the words “Hubei Province Law Education Centre” on it. This is a Brainwashing Centre. Farmers nearby often hear miserable cries from people being tortured inside the building at night.

At least 19 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested in Wuhan City between April 19th and May 5th, 2011: Ms. Xia Yang and Ms. Zhou Chunlian from Qingshan District; Mr. Feng Zhen, Mr. Feng Yun (Feng Zhen's younger brother), Li Guohua, Xiong Weiming, Mr. Li Huosheng, Ms. Han Shuhua, Ms. Tian Xier, Mr. Fu Guoqi, Ms. Cai Xiuying, Mr. Zhu Hanbin, Ms. Wang Junyu, Mr. Zhao Kenan, and Ms. Duan Xiaoxian from Wuchang District; and Ms. Wang Hongyu, Mr. Zhang Su, Ms. Cheng Jin and Mr. Zhang Weijie from Hankou District. Some of their whereabouts are still unknown as of June 13th.

The family members of the arrested practitioners haven't yet received any legal documents. When they went to inquire at the Huwan City Police Department they were only told the clothes they wanted to send the practitioners could be passed on, but they were not told where the practitioners were detained.

When some family members found out the location of the brainwashing centre and came to the centre to inquire, the guard at the gate would not let them in. But the family members recognised some names of 610 Office staff (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) from the visitor registration book at the gate and asked the guard who was detained inside. The guard said it was a secret unit, and the phone number was also non-public.

A reliable source has informed us that the missing practitioners have been detained at this location and have suffered from torture. Ms. Zhou Ailing, an employee from the Qiaokou District Industrial and Commercial Bureau suffered a beating at the hands of guard Jiang, making her face swollen. Several guards, ordered by their superior Liu Cheng, held Mr. Zhang Su on the ground and beat him until he was unable to stand up.

More than 1,000 people have been detained and mistreated at this brainwashing centre. According to a Hubei Province "610 Office" regulation, forced brainwashing is permitted, and this has produced perpetrators with offers of high salary, bonuses, and promotions. The abuse in the brainwashing centre is rampant. The following are a few examples:

1. Ms. Liu Limin

Ms. Liu Limin was a staff member of the Hubei Province Disabled Association. She was detained in the Hewan Forced Labour Camp in Wuhan City for one and a half years, and was put in forced labour again in June 2010. While there she was tortured with beatings, standing for extended periods, sleep deprivation, not being given any food, and solitary confinement. After serving the term, she was not released and instead was immediately sent to the Hubei Brainwashing Centre. She was again deprived of sleep, and forced to stand for long periods. Ms. Liu was also force-fed and shocked with electric batons, leaving bruises. She had difficulty straightening her back when walking and was so weak her eyesight deteriorated considerably.

2. Mr. Zhang Sifeng

Mr. Zhang Sifeng, over 50, was an employee at Huhan City Huyuan Power Project Limited. He was arrested on September 6th, 2010 and was mistreated for nearly three months in the brainwashing centre.

Mr. Zhang was first detained alone and monitored by nearly 20 collaborators¹. He began a hunger strike to protest. On the eighth day of his hunger strike he was subjected to brutal force-feeding. Several guards held him down, while a nurse named Wang tried to insert a tube into his trachea through his throat. The tube was purposely held still when passing through his throat near his windpipe, making him unable to breathe and nearly suffocating him. Then the tube was purposely pulled up and down many times until it showed blood.

Mr. Zhang was not allowed to sleep at night. He was forced to stand for long periods each day for over two months, disabling his ability to walk or to straighten his back. He was forced to stand even during his eight day hunger strike.

3. Ms. Wang Xiaoming

Ms. Wang Xiaoming, a dentist in Wuhan City, was arrested on July 6th, 2010 and sent to the brainwashing centre. She was mistreated for nearly four months. Police kicked her during her arrest, injuring her feet. They were so swollen that she was even unable to wear slippers. In the brainwashing centre Wang was forced to stand in a corner and would beat her if she moved a little bit. She was not allowed to drink fluids or go to the toilet, was forbidden to lean against a wall or desk, and was not even allowed to wipe away her sweat.

One night female guard Jiang slapped her face multiple times. The following night guard Jiang and a male guard named Dong beat her. One held her hair, and the other beat her. They put the leg of a metal stool on Wang's toe and then guard Dang (weighing over 90kg) jumped up and sat down on the stool. Dang viciously smiled and said, "I will make sure no injury can be detected."

4. Mr. Dai Congli

Mr. Dai Congli, nearly 60, is from Macheng City, Hubei Province. He was arrested and taken to the Hubei Brainwashing Centre in August 2007. Division head Gong Jian and his team tortured him for 43 days. He was forced to stand long hours per day, for 35 days. He was deprived of food, sleep and toilet use. He was tortured with scalding hot water, burned with cigarette butts, poked with the stick end of a mop, and was kicked and beaten. One of his front teeth was broken while being beaten by guard Gong Jian.

The abuse caused Mr. Dai severe memory loss, his hair to turn white, and to be covered in bruises and scars. He was later sent to the No. 9 Division of the Shayang Forced Labour Camp. At his release two years later the scars were still clearly visible.

Hubei Brainwashing Centre sessions last 45 days, and another one follows on the heels of the one just finished. The physical torture usually starts around the middle of the session. Then the practitioner is held for another period before their release, making it more difficult it to see any obvious signs of injury.

5. Detaining Falun Gong practitioners under the guise of "education"

Hubei Province Brainwashing Centre was founded in 2002. The roster of the first group of detainees - Falun Gong practitioners - is listed in the "2002 Document No. 6" at the Hubei Province 610 Office.

The first death of a practitioner in this brainwashing centre occurred in July 2002. Ms. Wang Haoyun, an employee of Huazhong Normal University was held at the centre for over a month. She was scalded with hot water, beaten every day, and was forced to undergo brainwashing 17-18 hours a day.

In April 2009 the centre moved to its current location and occupies about one and 2/3 acres. The cost to build the centre was over 70 million yuan (about $10 million U.S.). The second floor is where Falun Gong practitioners are tortured.

6. Guilty personnel in the Hubei Brainwashing Centre

There are four types of staff members -- officers, instructors, assistant instructors and guards. The officers are cadres that come from the 610 Office, labour camps, or prisons. Instructors are hired from among society. Assisting instructors are former Falun Gong practitioners who have gone astray. The guards are temporary, from different police schools.

Zhang Xingfu was the first head of Hubei Brainwashing Centre. He was the previous Party committee head from Shayang Forced Labour Camp. Many practitioners were tortured, disabled and some were killed in Shayang Forced Labour Camp. A number of the staff at the Hubei Brainwashing Centre are from Shayang.

Zhou Suiqing is the current brainwashing centre head, and Zhang Xiuming is the deputy head. Zhang Xiuming is primarily responsible for the disability of practitioner Mr. Li Binghua from Tianmen.

Other key members are division head Gong Jian, deputy division head Bi Huiqiong (female), team head Liu Cheng, and He Wei. They used to carry out persecutory acts at the Shayang Forced Labour Camp.

Hubei Brainwashing Centre: 86-27-87924873

Note

1. "Collaborators" (former practitioners, brainwashed against Falun Gong, made to assist in brainwashing and torturing practitioners)

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2011/6/16/242540.html