(Minghui.org) Since the Chinese Communist Party began to persecute Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual discipline, in 1999, Mr. Gong Guoxing, 70, has been sentenced three times to a total of more than 12 years. He was subjected to torture, forced labor and brainwashing.
Mr. Gong, of Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, took up Falun Gong on January 1, 1998. Many of the ailments he had developed while working in the countryside in his youth disappeared. He was full of energy and grateful for Falun Gong. As he persisted in raising awareness about the ongoing persecution, he was repeatedly targeted.
Given Eight Years in 2006
Mr. Gong was arrested on March 20, 2006, after being reported for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. His Falun Gong books, photo of Falun Gong’s founder, computer, printer, laminator and audiotapes were confiscated. He was later sentenced to eight years to the Wuxi Prison.
Mr. Gong was taken to the 13th ward in the prison on December 29, 2006, and was monitored by four inmates in two shifts around the clock. The inmates recorded everything he did and said. He wasn’t allowed to talk to other practitioners also imprisoned for their faith. He also had to ask for permission when he needed to use the restroom.
The day he was admitted to the prison, Mr. Gong wrote a letter home, but it was withheld by the guards. He wrote a few more letters and finally received a reply from his wife on March 8, 2007. His wife said that the authorities never informed her of his sentencing and that she only learned about it upon receiving his letter. She said she had been struggling with a severe stomach condition for a few months. She was unable to eat or keep food down. She had to stop working as a result.
In another letter from his wife on April 13, 2007, Mr. Gong learned that the prison denied her visitation request and demanded that she provide an approval letter to visit him from the 610 Office. But when she went to the 610 Office, the officials said she didn’t need the letter to visit him. She also went to the police station to inquire about his case, but was verbally abused. She was terrified and under tremendous mental distress. She suffered severe insomnia and relied on sleeping pills to get some sleep at night.
One of Mr. Gong’s distant relatives was a police director. Although they never had any contact, the relative was implicated and removed from his position after Mr. Gong was sentenced.
For the first sixteen months into Mr. Gong’s term, he was forced to watch videos slandering Falun Gong every day, while sitting on a small stool without moving. The guards also ordered him to write thought reports and subjected him to intensive physical training. There were a few times when the guards forced Mr. Gong to read statements slandering Falun Gong (against his will) in front of other inmates. They also videotaped his talks and used that to transform other practitioners.
Torture reenactment: sitting on a small stool
In addition to the brainwashing, Mr. Gong was also forced to work without pay. He was forced to peel garlic for months on end between March and October 2006 at the Wuxi City No.1 Detention Center. At Wuxi Prison, he was forced to make diodes between April and October 2009, and to assemble laptop keyboards between October 2009 and September 2010. He was released in 2011, three years ahead of time.
Two More Prison Terms Within Two Years
Mr. Gong was arrested again on January 6, 2018, after being reported for distributing Falun Gong materials. The police ransacked his home in the evening and took away his computer, printer, laminator and blank DVDs. He was sentenced to 1.5 years with a 2,000 yuan fine.
Between January 2018 and September 2018 when he was held at the Wuxi City No.1 Detention Center, he was forced to work packaging fiberglass. He was taken to the Suzhou Prison in November 2018, and forced to make cellphone cables.
Shortly after he was released on July 5, 2019, he was arrested one more time and sentenced to three years in the Suzhou Prison. His pension was suspended during that time.
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