First Hand Account of Persecution at Forced Labour Camp, Chongqing City

The first squadron of the seventh education brigade at Xishanping Labour Camp, Chongqing City, was established in November 2001, which was specially used to detain and persecute Dafa practitioners. The following is a firsthand account of the inhumane treatment and conditions at the labor camp.

Beginning in December 2001, the education brigade brought in over thirty police officers to carry on the brutal persecution of Dafa practitioners. The main duty of these police officers was to forcefully instill Dafa slandering materials into practitioners' minds every day, force them to accept the lies, and then subject them to the endless torture, both physical and mental. In order to achieve their goal [to force practitioners to give up their belief in Dafa], they racked their brains to come up with all kinds of methods of torture and abuse. They arranged some drug addicts to act as so-called "Helpers and Educators (HE)" whose role was to monitor practitioners tightly. In addition, they divided Dafa practitioners into two groups: "Strictly controlled group" and "Generally controlled group." The "Strictly controlled group" consisted of four teams, with each team in turn composed of ten to fifteen drug addicts, who monitored one to two Dafa practitioners twenty-four hours a day.

Practitioners did not have any freedom at all. All behaviors including scratching an itch, raising one's hand, lifting the foot, and using the restroom must be reported. One was not allowed to conduct these behaviors until the "HE" agreed. The food ration for Dafa practitioners was only half of that for non-practitioner detainees. Only a little bit of porridge was given as breakfast everyday. There was strict requirement for using the restroom. One was only allowed to urinate twice a day--after getting up in the morning and before going to sleep in the evening. One was allowed only one bowel movement in three days.

They forced Dafa practitioners to stand and "introspect" everyday. That is, one was forced to stand at attention posture, absolutely not permitted to lean on anything, nor permitted to move. Otherwise one would be beaten and scolded. After such a long time of standing, practitioners usually had very swollen feet and could not even walk.

Dafa practitioners were also forced to sit up straight and "introspect," with both hands crisscrossed behind the back, chest straightened, head raised, both feet put together, and both eyes looking straight ahead and not allowed to close. What's worse, practitioners were not allowed to sleep at night.

In addition, they also used all kinds of methods to carry on physical punishment. For example, they forced Dafa practitioners to stand at attention in this posture, and then to bend over at a 90^o angle. However, practitioners in this posture were not allowed to bend their knees at all, and they must have both of their hands on the backs of their heads. If one failed to hold this posture, four to five people would come to punish him. Some pushed practitioners' legs down, some pushed their backs down and some lifted their arms and even beat them recklessly. They forced Dafa practitioners to continue doing this. When they beat people, they pinched the throat hard and they stomped their feet on the inside of the thigh. Practitioners were beaten black and blue. They used both fists to beat Dafa practitioners in the chest and the back at the same time, which was called "piercing the lotus heart." It was heart-breaking torture.

From April to May 2002, Dafa practitioner Wang Zhengrong was beaten black and blue and was successively hospitalized three times. After he revived and was sent back, they tortured him again. He was tortured to be on the verge of death and sent to hospital again and again. Wang Zhengrong had already fasted in protest for more than two months. Dafa practitioners Zhang Quanliang and Lin Decai, sturdy young men in their thirties, were tortured until they were only skin and bone. The police officers even did not spare sixty to seventy year old people. For example, Dafa practitioner Yan Xinpei is still hospitalized right now, unable to care for himself due to the torture. However, the police still would not release him.

All of the persecution is meant to allow them to reach their so-called "transformation" goal. Dafa practitioners who have suffered torture in the "strictly controlled group" include: Wang Zhengrong, Lin Decai, Zhang Quanliang, Chen Jiawu, Huang Guangming, Chen Changjun, Zhang Peijin, Yang Bin, Yuan Zhiqiang, Chen Min, Zhang Jianfeng, Li Hongfu, Yan Xinpei, Wang Xianan, Li Wenlong, Zhang Quanming, Zhang Yougao, Wu Qun, Liu Shurong and many other Dafa practitioners. Until now they are suffering at the hands of evil people. Dafa practitioners in Maojiashan Female Labor Camp, Chongqing City suffer from the same persecution.