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Hebei Province Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp Cruelly Persecutes Falun Dafa Practitioners

Nov. 23, 2005 |   By a practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) To force practitioners to give up their practice of Falun Gong, the Hebei Province Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp has exhausted all cruel means to persecute practitioners, especially the guards of the Second Brigade (women's brigade), whose violence toward practitioners has intensified since early 2005.

One morning in January 2005, the guards forced practitioners to watch video programs which slandered Falun Dafa. Practitioners lowered their heads to avoid watching. Guards Li Yanji, Shi Jiangxia, Duan Yanrong, and Zhang Jiwei tried to force practitioners to watch by verbally cursing them, throwing chalk sticks at them, and hitting their heads with books. On the morning of second day, guards searched their wards, and left practitioners' personal belongings in a mess. At the same time, they commanded practitioners to go into meeting rooms and take off their clothes and underwear for search purposes. Whoever refused was cursed, beaten and kicked. Guards slapped practitioner Ms. Yang Guilan after they found Falun Gong articles on her person. Practitioner Ms. Liu Shuqin was beaten even though they found nothing on her. Five guards shocked practitioner Ms. Zhu Liying using electric batons, which caused Ms. Zhu's buttocks to swell and turn black and blue. Nowadays the guards in the forced labor camp often beat people with batons, sticks, and other things instead of their bare hands as in the past. At the end of each month, guards order practitioners to recite labor camp rules. Practitioner Ms. Han Shufen refused, so the guard Jiang Linlin commanded three prisoners to drag Ms. Han outside and force her to stand for a long time as punishment. Guard Shi Jiangxia kicked Ms. Han in her back and legs, and Guard Jiang Linlin cursed her furiously. Guard Li Yanji continually banged Ms. Han's head against the wall for half an hour. Ms. Han was unable to move for three days after the beating. Three days later, Guard Shi Jiangxia kicked her again while she was still lying on the bed.

At around 9:30 p.m. on February 2, while the practitioners were sending forth righteous thoughts, all eleven guards of the Second Brigade, including Fan Bao, Li Yanji, Shi Jiangxia, Fan Biaolu, Yang Na, Tian Zili, Duan Yanrong, Wang Qian, Jiang Linlin, and Cong Shujuan, came to search the wards. They opened practitioner's luggage to search. Practitioner Ms. Liu Yanzhen and Ms. Liu Haitao's Falun Gong articles were found. Several guards kicked the two of them and shocked them with electric batons from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 am. Ms. Liu Yanzhen was forced to "transform" and stamp her fingerprint. One electric baton used on Ms. Liu Haitao exhausted its battery after three hours. The next day, guard Fang Bao shocked Ms. Liu Haitao using an electric baton with a hand-operated power supply. Guard Jiang Linlin played a tape recorder outside the room so that no one could hear the screams. Even though Ms. Liu's face was all scarred, she still refused to renounce her belief in Falun Gong. Three months later the wards were searched twice and on April 20, the wards were searched again.

On April 24, because some higher officials were coming to inspect the forced labor camp, the guards hid practitioners who were either ill or had suffered mental collapse due to persecution, and some practitioners who were steadfast in their practice in the back vegetable garden while the rest of the practitioners were asked to gather in the big meeting room. Heads of the grand team, Yang Zemin and Li Xuejun, warned, "Officials from higher level are coming to inspect here. Anyone who behaves badly or says something that hurts our labor camp will be handled by me after the inspection. If you make me suffer, I will make you suffer and prolong your sentences." After the meeting, the guards asked eight former practitioners who had "reformed" to the office. The guards taught them how to lie and told them they would be released earlier if they behaved well. For years, no matter what level officials were from, when they came to inspect the labor camp, the guards always hid those practitioners who were either ill or mentally injured due to persecution, including practitioners who were steadfast in their practice. Practitioner Wang Lei, who was mentally traumatized due to persecution, was once pressured to hide in the vegetable garden, and she was beaten because she refused. Practitioner Li Cuiping tried to stop the beating but instead was beaten, handcuffed, and taken to the vegetable garden where the ostriches were raised.

One day at the end of April, guard Shi Jiangxia commanded practitioner Ms. Liu Yanzhen, who was too weak to get out of bed due to torture, to get up and work. Because Ms. Liu could not move, Shi Jiangxia grabbed her out of bed, beat her with a book, and scratched her face, before punishing her by forcing her to stand for half a day. Guard Tian Zili then poured a cup of hot water on Ms. Liu's face.

On May 27, guards ordered Ms. Yang Guilan, Ms. Liu Yanzhen, and Ms. Yang Xiulian to the office and beat them for no reason. Ms. Liu Yanzhen's face was beaten to the point that her face swelled. The guards also forced Ms. Yang to take care of sick prisoners who couldn't take care of their bowel movements. Due to lack of people being detained there, the labor camp officials were afraid that the labor camp would be closed so they didn't release anyone no matter how ill they were.

Torture Methods and Tools Deployed in the Hebei Province Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp:

Force-feeding feces: This torture was used when practitioners went on hunger strike. Several practitioners were sent to the hospital when they vomited after the force-feeding. Each practitioner had to pay 50 yuan for each force-feeding.

Lizard torture: The guards used various kinds of very large, poisonous lizards. Once the guards handcuffed practitioner Ms. Wang Chunmei and placed a lizard on her. They shocked the lizard with an electric baton causing Ms. Wang to be tortured by both the lizard's poison and electric shocks.

Electric baton with hand-operated power supply: This machine is similar to a hand operated telephone. The end of the machine's wire is attached to a clip. When the clip is attached to someone's finger, electric currents go directly to the heart, making the person feel like he is developing angina. The guards used this torture on practitioner Ms. Liu Haitao and Ms. Liu Yanzhen.

Secret torture room: A secret torture room is padded with foam. Iron rings on the walls are used to handcuff the practitioners. A person's arms could easily be dislocated after being hung by the arms, and shocked with electric batons by several guards. Ms. Qi Xiaoxia was mentally traumatized after this torture and eventually turned against Falun Dafa.

There are also other various tortures. The Hebei Province Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp is a very evil place where Falun Dafa practitioners are being tortured. Practitioners from other forced labor camps around the country who have failed to "transform" are transferred to the Hebei Province Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp.