(Minghui.org) Wangling Prison in Youxian County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province is a centralized location used to hold male Falun Gong practitioners in the province sentenced to prison for upholding their faith. It designates its 10th district as a high-security prison zone to facilitate forceful “transformation” programs to try to make Falun Gong practitioners renounce their faith.
The 10th District Transformation Programs
Each cell in the 10th district is about 12 square meters in area, with four bunk beds for 8 practitioners. The 10th district management sets up a surveillance system in which every practitioner is being monitored by 3 to 4 prisoners during the day, and at least one prisoner at night. Practitioners’ every move and word is being watched.
With the goal to force practitioners to abandon their belief, the “transformation” programs constitute mandatory brainwashing routines as well as physical torture. Practitioners are ordered to watch and listen to programs, and read articles that defame Falun Gong, and then write their personal reflections.
Posters that slander Falun Gong are posted on walls and stools throughout the building, and practitioners are forced to sit on stools with those posters or photos of Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong. In addition, practitioners are forced to swear at Falun Gong and Mr. Li, and sing songs to praise the Chinese Communist Party.
Practitioners who refuse to follow these routines and abide by the requirements are subjected to the most barbaric forms of torture. They are deprived of food and sleep for extended periods of time, sprayed in the eyes with pepper water, shocked with electric batons, handcuffed and suspended, locked in cages, and stretched in excruciating positions.
The goal of these tortures is to inflict such harm that the practitioners give up their faith. They are also threatened, insulted, slapped in the face, and deprived of family visits.
Descriptions of the Most Severe Forms of Torture Used on Falun Gong Practitioners
Tiger bench: The legs are tightly tied to a bench with belts. The police then put bricks or other hard objects under the victim's feet and keep adding layers of bricks until the belts break. Victims endure unbearable pain and often pass out during these torture sessions.
“Forced splits”: Practitioners' legs are forcibly pulled apart to each side of the body in a straight line. The most common way is to pull the legs in opposite directions and then push the body down from the top, forcing the victim into a side straddle splits position. It is very painful and often ends up tearing ligaments, and even causes permanent disability.
Torture re-enactment: “Forced splits”
“Hung up with hands cuffed”: Practitioners are handcuffed and hung from a rack at the top of a window or other high objects, with their toes barely touching the ground. Usually during this torture, practitioners are deprived of sleep from hours to days in a row, and are not allowed to use the restroom; their arms are dislocated. Victims of this torture also develop sustained brachial plexus injuries to their arms and shoulder ligaments, and many are permanently disabled. In addition, when a victim is hung up by handcuffs, the metal often cuts into his flesh, causing excruciating pain.
Torture re-enactment: Hanging by handcuffs with only toes touching the ground
Practitioners in Their 60s and 70s Subjected to Severe Tortures
Some of the practitioners being tortured in the prison are in their 60s and 70s. Below are a few such cases.
Hu Wenkui was locked in solitary confinement several times and punished with the “forced splits” torture. After that, he became mentally disoriented and became incontinent.
Wei Guimei was also tortured with “forced splits.” He had a sudden stroke during the torture and completely lost his memory. He is unable to take care of himself but is still incarcerated.
Liu Chunquan was beaten by guards excessively, and forced to stand from 10 o'clock in the evening till next morning, or until he fainted. However, guards continued torturing him.
Cao Gongxun suffered from a stroke when guards tortured him and is on crutches now.
Fu Jianping was forced to stand for extended periods of time, shocked with electric batons, and tortured with "forced splits." He is denied family visits.
Tan Huidong was verbally abused and slapped on his face. He was tortured to paralysis, and has lost his abilities to eat, and became incontinent.
All of these practitioners suffered tremendous mental and physical devastation.
Other Falun Gong practitioners who are currently incarcerated in Wangling Prison include:
Tang Peilin (7.5-year sentence)Deng Ye (7-year sentence)Peng Shiqing (9-year sentence)Wang Qingsheng (6-year sentence)Han Xuezhi (7-year sentence)Lin Jia (4-year sentence)Zeng Gu (3-year sentence)Song Yugang (4-year sentence)Zhou Fangjun (4-year sentence)Liang Jianguo (4.5-year sentence)Liao Songlin (3-year sentence)Liao Zhijun (4-year sentence)Fu Jianping (7-year sentence)Yang Shiyi (7.5-year sentence)
List of main perpetrators in the 10th Prison District:Xiang Jinyuan (向金元), General Supervisor Xiao Zhong (肖忠), Director of Psychological Counseling Section: +86-13751270156;Tan Pingping (谭平平), Political Instructor: +86-15773396566;Liu Xiaoliang (刘晓良), Deputy Supervisor Li Gang (李刚), Political Instructor of the Second Division: +01186-18390454992
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